Nature Movie Club - Inquire Within

[AquaHobbyist123]

On 9/3/2023 at 5:40 PM, Fish Folk said:

Interesting you mention this. My “someday” pick would also be described this way. Would us each buying screening be helping some conservation efforts though? 

Yes. I think we might be thinking of the same film......

Now that I think of it, you've probably seen it before.

[Fish Folk]

On 9/3/2023 at 8:33 PM, AquaHobbyist123 said:

Yes. I think we might be thinking of the same film......

Now that I think of it, you've probably seen it before.

Is it put out by Freshwater Illustrated?

[AquaHobbyist123]

 

On 9/3/2023 at 9:20 PM, Fish Folk said:

Is it put out by Freshwater Illustrated?

LOL, It is!

[Fish Folk]

On 9/3/2023 at 10:38 PM, AquaHobbyist123 said:

 

LOL, It is!

Maybe just unfold it to those following here. For my part, I'll gladly pay a viewing fee -- especially since it helps to promote some excellent conversation efforts. And that film is quite beautiful, IMHO. It completely reorganized what fish I've kept in my aquariums going forward. I'm keeping these guys on account of it...

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/3/2023 at 7:38 PM, AquaHobbyist123 said:

LOL, It is!

Alright alright you two! Let's have it. Give us the name and the details. 😂

On 9/3/2023 at 8:01 PM, Fish Folk said:

What an amazing photo.

I recently learned some new details about some NANF. I'll have to send you some questions and stuff. I saw a tank that went real..... Real bad. But I absolutely love so many of the nanf species.

[AquaHobbyist123]

Link for trailer and purchase:

https://www.freshwatersillustrated.org/hidden-rivers

 

 

Ok, here goes!

My choice ( some may not be able to watch,but oh well)!" is the Documentary Film "Hidden Rivers of Southern Appalachia"! Gotta be my favorite documentary ever and has inspired me in my own NANF journey. The documentary explores the life in the waters of the Southeastern Appalachian Mountains, and includes discussion about freshwater snorkeling, a hobby thay is rapidly gaining popularity as wsll as threats the fish and other creatures face.

 

Its about 56 minutes, and Not rated (Perfectly appropriate for all audiences).

Note: Viewing the documentaryfor a year requires you to make a one-time donation of 50 dollars or more. This goes to supporting conservation efforts and FI's important work.

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/3/2023 at 11:56 PM, AquaHobbyist123 said:

Note: Viewing the documentary for a year requires you to make a one-time donation of 50 dollars or more. This goes to supporting conservation efforts and FI's important work.

😂 The default is $500! someone needs to rework the default for sure.....  I haven't seen it yet.  I will add one which is sponsored by the co-op as a secondary option simply for anyone who isn't able to pay the fee. 

For those who have been able to see it, what is the minimum cost to be able to view that movie?  Is there a simple rental fee or....?  @Fish Folk @AquaHobbyist123
 

 

[AquaHobbyist123]

$50 is the minimum now.

I don't know why 500 is the default, but it can be switched to 50. FI is the sole avenue to watch that movie.

[Fish Folk]

Let me call them this week. Maybe if one of us pays, we can get permission to share login credentials for this purpose. It is such a beautiful film…

[PineSong]

On 9/4/2023 at 5:49 AM, Fish Folk said:

Let me call them this week. Maybe if one of us pays, we can get permission to share login credentials for this purpose. It is such a beautiful film…

I appreciate your team spirit, as always, FishFolk. $50 is not in my budget these days. I live more in the central Appalachian region and spend my water time in a kayak rather than snorkeling, but I'm super interested in learning more about the fish around me. I'll also happily watch Wild Caught if Hidden Rivers is not an option. 

[nabokovfan87]

They should just add it to vudu or something.... 🙂

Give people access to it, money goes to the club, etc.

[Fish Folk]

@nabokovfan87 @AquaHobbyist123 @PineSong @Alex S. @DaniV Ok. I did it. I purchased a Virtual Presentation access to "Hidden Rivers of Southern Appalachia" for us. Cost me the $50, but I'm glad to support conservation in US, and look forward to helping everyone enjoy the film together! I anticipate receipt of a private VIMEO link from Freshwaters Illustrated along with limited-use password. In order to keep this under wraps, I will send you each a PM with instructions for viewing. Please respect this access, and do not post or share the info in public on the forum. If there is someone on this thread who I am missing, let me know please!

As you await that, enjoy this seven-minute excerpt...

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by Fish Folk

[nabokovfan87]

Very very cool.  Thank you @Fish Folk

[PineSong]

Wow! Great clip about the mussels. I look forward to seeing the rest.

[AquaHobbyist123]

Glad I got to stick with my pick thanks to @Fish Folk providing it for the group. I personally have a FWI membership and watch it every so often as well as their other short films, which are also great, though Hidden Rivers is my favorite by far.

[Fish Folk]

I've reached out to Freshwaters Illustrated multiple ways. If I do not hear back from them in 24 hrs, I may have another option to get us rolling on watching this film. I do have an "old clearance code" . . .  

My sense is that the tech / user side of this may be run on . . . a shoestring . . . two guys . . . working from . . . their Mom's rental property garage . . . way up in the woods . . . somewhere . . . 😆

Edited September 6, 2023 by Fish Folk

[AquaHobbyist123]

On 9/6/2023 at 11:35 AM, Fish Folk said:

I've reached out to Freshwaters Illustrated multiple ways. If I do not hear back from them in 24 hrs, I may have another option to get us rolling. My sense is that the tech / user side of this may be run on . . . a shoestring . . . two guys . . . working from . . . their Mom's rental property garage . . . way up in the woods . . . somewhere . . . 😆

Yeah, got that feeling too. Took a week to receive my link.

[Fish Folk]

On 9/6/2023 at 2:38 PM, AquaHobbyist123 said:

Yeah, got that feeling too. Took a week to receive my link.

Speak of the devil! Turns out they're active eon FB. Just got the link and codes. Here come the PMs . . .

[Fish Folk]

Everyone should find the link and PWD in their PM. If you're following and want to be part of this, PM me and I'll share. My recommendation: paste the PWD into the space in the PM, then, once unlocked, click the VIMEO source-link in the lower right corner and watch there. Be sure to adjust the HD to the highest possible resolution for your devices. If anyone has an issue with it, please PM me or message in line. Remember this was @AquaHobbyist123 's recommendation . . . and I could not be happier!

Edited September 6, 2023 by Fish Folk

[DaniV]

First off, thanks @Fish Folk for going the extra mile!

I'll admit, I never really thought too much about the ecosystem of our major rivers, but this was definitely eye opening, especially with the progress these groups have made.  I found the stuff about the mussels interesting.  Didn't know there were fresh water mussels, and the darters were beautiful!

Immediately after watching it, my mind went to East Palestine in Ohio.  I live in southern Ohio, so when that happened and they were talking about the toxins going into the Ohio River, I got worried.  I remember seeing the chemicals giving the river water a sheen, and of course they showed off the dead fish, but that was roughly the extent of what they showed on the news.  I sincerely hope that similar efforts are being made for the Ohio River as the Appalachian.

[nabokovfan87]

I'll start by saying that I absolutely cherish river habitats and species.  It seems every single one of my tanks has them as a focus.  That being said, hearing the intro and setting the tone is pretty wonderful and giving me that kid-like admiration. I can just imagine being a kid in that neck of the woods and snorkeling and watching the fish all day long.

I imagine this is just what Tai Strietman or Chris Lukhaup does for their jobs.  Just look at those things in nature in such a way that no one ever does.  To try to share that admiration of place and moment of what they encounter.

One thing that does stand out to me as the scenes progress is the parasites on a lot of the fish.  I understand it's part of the ecosystem and part of nature, but it's just that nagging in the back of my mind that makes me feel like the fish is really suffering as a result of this giant leech on it's back. (to be clear, I see sharks go through this too and some are permanently blinded due to parasites on the eyes... maybe that is why it sticks out)

.... I can't help but be in awe and frustrated how easily nature can make it seem to hatch all these eggs and we use fungus and so many things in the hobby to try to get fry. It's such a different tactic when you have rivers constantly changing out the water and that amount of dilution.

(part of me can't help but wait for a bull shark to show up)
Sidenote: Sturgeons look so much like little sharks, definitely some sort of history there in the origin story. The salamanders look so much like wobbegongs too!

Really amazing macro shots and videography.

I admire the people who take the time and effort to go and collect muscles to spread them into recovered habitats.  I really appreciate that aspect of the hobby as well as the efforts from organizations out there. Trying to preserve what will be or was lost, it is a very important aspect we need to encourage and it is something that we seriously need to educate one another a lot moreso about.  I never would've even heard of NANFA and some of the programs preserving at risk species if it weren't for very few people.  I'd love to see a talk (and have it be publicly available) on how to get involved with that sort of a program. Heck, maybe there can even be a program to have F&W organizations donate fish to hobbyists for the sake of having them breed them out. I can only imagine what someone like Dean or Greg Sage if it was a passion project.

Sort of on that same line of thinking, this is a very informative movie and it's unfortunate that the information is so gated.  I hope this is donated to schools to show off to things like FFA programs or biology classes.

Geeze. To see the damage of something as minute as silt and how it impacts this ecosystem, to see the piles of debris and garbage, and what comes to mind for me is the chemical dumping and how prevalent that really is.  I wish we would all do a whole lot better as a species to understand and be aware of the impacts of such things.  Very tragic when you try to grasp the weight of that.

Pecktec video tour of the actual facility in the film:

"This is the last ditch effort to save a species."

That pretty much says it all....

(Someone really needs to give that guy some cut protective gloves!)

oh.... Minnow time.  I am very excited. These are my fishes!

Watching the chub do their thing like they are shellies, then the shiners try to take all their hard work, and then.... Oh heck no, that snake is underwater!

Releasing native fish back into their habitats that has been recovered has to be one of the most fulfilling and amazing feelings imaginable. So glad to see the close of the film and Casper sharing his admiration and awe with the field trip.  Beautiful and I'm so thankful he's able to do so.  I can only imagine how profound his impact has been, sharing the love of nature with them.

Edited September 8, 2023 by nabokovfan87
added Tai's last name.

[Fish Folk]

On 9/7/2023 at 10:29 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I'll start by saying that I absolutely cherish river habitats and species.  It seems every single one of my tanks has them as a focus.  That being said, hearing the intro and setting the tone is pretty wonderful and giving me that kid-like admiration. I can just imagine being a kid in that neck of the woods and snorkeling and watching the fish all day long.

I imagine this is just what Tai Strietman or Chris Lukhaup does for their jobs.  Just look at those things in nature in such a way that no one ever does.  To try to share that admiration of place and moment of what they encounter.

One thing that does stand out to me as the scenes progress is the parasites on a lot of the fish.  I understand it's part of the ecosystem and part of nature, but it's just that nagging in the back of my mind that makes me feel like the fish is really suffering as a result of this giant leech on it's back. (to be clear, I see sharks go through this too and some are permanently blinded due to parasites on the eyes... maybe that is why it sticks out)

.... I can't help but be in awe and frustrated how easily nature can make it seem to hatch all these eggs and we use fungus and so many things in the hobby to try to get fry. It's such a different tactic when you have rivers constantly changing out the water and that amount of dilution.

(part of me can't help but wait for a bull shark to show up)
Sidenote: Sturgeons look so much like little sharks, definitely some sort of history there in the origin story. The salamanders look so much like wobbegongs too!

Really amazing macro shots and videography.

I admire the people who take the time and effort to go and collect muscles to spread them into recovered habitats.  I really appreciate that aspect of the hobby as well as the efforts from organizations out there. Trying to preserve what will be or was lost, it is a very important aspect we need to encourage and it is something that we seriously need to educate one another a lot moreso about.  I never would've even heard of NANFA and some of the programs preserving at risk species if it weren't for very few people.  I'd love to see a talk (and have it be publicly available) on how to get involved with that sort of a program. Heck, maybe there can even be a program to have F&W organizations donate fish to hobbyists for the sake of having them breed them out. I can only imagine what someone like Dean or Greg Sage if it was a passion project.

Sort of on that same line of thinking, this is a very informative movie and it's unfortunate that the information is so gated.  I hope this is donated to schools to show off to things like FFA programs or biology classes.

Geeze. To see the damage of something as minute as silt and how it impacts this ecosystem, to see the piles of debris and garbage, and what comes to mind for me is the chemical dumping and how prevalent that really is.  I wish we would all do a whole lot better as a species to understand and be aware of the impacts of such things.  Very tragic when you try to grasp the weight of that.

Pecktec video tour of the actual facility in the film:

"This is the last ditch effort to save a species."

That pretty much says it all....

(Someone really needs to give that guy some cut protective gloves!)

oh.... Minnow time.  I am very excited. These are my fishes!

Watching the chub do their thing like they are shellies, then the shiners try to take all their hard work, and then.... Oh heck no, that snake is underwater!

Releasing native fish back into their habitats that has been recovered has to be one of the most fulfilling and amazing feelings imaginable. So glad to see the close of the film and Casper sharing his admiration and awe with the field trip.  Beautiful and I'm so thankful he's able to do so.  I can only imagine how profound his impact has been, sharing the love of nature with them.

I took my two older boys to Conservation Fisheries last March! Derek Wheaton gave us a grand tour. Freaking AMAZING! It all sort of started with Hidden Rivers of Southern Appalachia.

Point in fact: I mailed Derek 9x fish that arrived in Knoxville, TN today! 😅 He likes breeding different species. I sent him two more Microctenopoma ansorgii, 6x Pteronotropis stonei, and a remaining Xenotoca doadrioi from our breeding set up. The live foods room he runs is . . . maybe the best of its kind in the USA.

When I was there, I tried to just be 100% attentive, and didn't film or photo anything. Just wanted to take it all in. The Blue Mask Darters they breed totally knocked me off my feet...

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/7/2023 at 7:48 PM, Fish Folk said:

Point in fact: I mailed Derek 9x fish that arrived in Knoxville, TN today! 😅 He likes breeding different species. I sent him two more Microctenopoma ansorgii, 6x Pteronotropis stonei, and a remaining Xenotoca doadrioi from our breeding set up. The live foods room he runs is . . . maybe the best of its kind in the USA.

I have so many questions....  The NANF fish I thought about getting is apparently very much a nano fish.  The form/scientific name of the one I wish to get is seemingly difficult to find.  I don't think I've ever seen a tank of 30+ of them and I can probably house close to 100 without much or any issues.  So much to learn and things to try to understand.  I'll have to get some composed thoughts and a DM your way.

Sidenote, I saw someone try the above with a series of the fish (pygmy sunfish) and they feed some live blackworms, which led to a leach, which led to a ton of leaches and them not being successful.  Very tragic.

[Fish Folk]

On 9/7/2023 at 11:49 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I have so many questions....  The NANF fish I thought about getting is apparently very much a nano fish.  The form/scientific name of the one I wish to get is seemingly difficult to find.  I don't think I've ever seen a tank of 30+ of them and I can probably house close to 100 without much or any issues.  So much to learn and things to try to understand.  I'll have to get some composed thoughts and a DM your way.

Sidenote, I saw someone try the above with a series of the fish (pygmy sunfish) and they feed some live blackworms, which led to a leach, which led to a ton of leaches and them not being successful.  Very tragic.

What species are you after? Believe me… someone out there has info. I had a guy get me Saffron Shiners… I was offered Bluenose Shiners… I’ve started down a rabbit hole on getting a permit for arking a population of Olympic mudminnows… about the only hard-NO species are endangered Darters [and certain Pupfish]. Darters are tricky to keep healthy. I have three species currently, but I would describe their aquarium experience as suboptimal. They need _cold_ water (ca 50s-60s F) and live foods.

I have Elassoma gilberti. I actually brought in 5x fry the other night. They do need live foods, though for awhile they’re fine to live on BBS. Seeding a substrate with live blackworms is a very good idea for them. ALL live blackworm orders I’ve ever gotten have leeches. Every one. You have to get them out completely before feeding.

Speaking of nano NANF, look who showed up in my outdoor Red Swordtail minipond…

Bluefin Killifish (Lucania goodei) — must have come in as an egg on the water lettuce imported from FL back in the spring.

Last year, I gave a leftover pair of these to my LFS to keep in their 120 tank from which they sell live plants. They have been multiplying, and customers have reported discovering unknown fry in their tanks 😂 (maybe annoying… but NANF win 🏆)

Edited September 8, 2023 by Fish Folk

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/8/2023 at 3:56 AM, Fish Folk said:

I have Elassoma gilberti.

I am looking at a few of the Elassoma species. I really thought they were a good ~2.5-3" long, but they are much smaller. Live foods is of course an issue for me, but I think I can get them fed.... we'll see if/when I get some.

Darters, shiners, I'm really impressed by all of them. Same thing with minnow species and cooler species like those in the cypranidae family.