While up to the usual browsing I stumbled upon a great site that discussed a variety of aquatic mosses and offered a great DIY project. With only a few easy to gather supplies, you too can convert the entire back wall of your aquarium into a lush forest of moss. (Maybe even the sides too...) I also stumbled onto a great post where ping pong balls were used to make suspended moss balls with only the aid of some fishing line to anchor them down. I can't wait to start experimenting with ideas like these in my own aquariums...
DIY Moss CurtainSuspended Ping Pong Balls
I was reading through some old topics on a discussion board and found a post about a recently discovered fish that had been hastily introduced to the trade. Within months of its introduction in 2006, the Galaxy Danio has already been over harvested for a quick buck. I'm under the impression that these guys are prolific as other danio, but suppliers were not willing to make the investment to preserve this striking new fish. It's clear that the exotic pet industry's still completely incapable of restraining itself long enough to properly introduce new species into the trade. To be honest I have a hard time believing that they'll render these fish extinct before they can be properly established by dedicated hobbyists, then again, they should have been farming this fish before they started dumping it into the market anyway. I guess I'll keep my eyes open for a few of these guys to breed so I can work toward contributing back to the hobby.
I was able to find a regular breeder of these fish and I could probably get a small school to breed for around $60 with shipping. I'll probably wait a couple months until I get my killifish all settled in before I even consider any more fish that'll take multiple aquariums to properly breed and maintain. Once hobbyist get into breeding these fish they could eventually become as plentiful as Zebra Danio and the high demand for fresh imports will diminish.
At the moment I've only got the remnants of my old community aquarium in a five and a half gallon aquarium along with a small group of Lake Malawi cichlid, which I actually left at home in a fifteen gallon tub. Last year my five gallon aquarium was pretty sharp, but I ended out losing my school of red-eye tetra. (Everything was fine when I left for the weekend, then I came back to the aquarium being completely off color and smelling horrible. I hate to blame him, but I'm pretty sure my roommate or one of his friends must have drunkenly dumped something into it...) I did however buy a couple of platy to replace the tetra, so the tank is decently stocked for the moment.I really didn't do my homework with the cichlid, as I neglected to be patient and do better research on individual species. I think I can make the current set of fish work, but I need to get a bigger aquarium together yet.Once I free up the filter I'm using for the cichlids I'll have three ten gallon aquariums to raise my killifish if needed. I'll be keeping two of the aquariums at my apartment, though I'll design a stand to hold four so I can set up more as I go...
As I mentioned before I'm jumping into the world of killies with some eggs I just received from Thailand. (They went to my house instead of here on campus so I won't be able to do anything with them for a week.) For those in the dark, killifish are seasonal fish found around the world that lay eggs that have to survive extended dry periods. You generally won't find them in pet stores for a number of reasons, so you essentially have to order them or find a breeder. Breeders strive to maintain natural individual strains, unlike fancy guppies which are bred intensely for their color. Best of all, killifish are among the most strikingly colored fish in the world, with the males easily competing with marine fish.In my case, I ordered Nothobranchius rachovii Beira 98, which is a exceptional fish from South Africa. I also got some java moss that I'll be able to use grow without any trouble in my killi aquariums. I have two ten gallon aquariums with sponge filters, air stones, and heaters that I'll devote to fry. If things go smoothly with these guys, I'll probably go ahead and order eggs for a second species. Then again, I might try my hand at something new instead...
(Note that these pictures aren't mine, but included only for reference...)
I've been obsessed with fish for years, so I think it's about time I start contributing to one of the most addicting hobbies held by people around the world. Once you fall for fish it becomes compulsive to expand on your collection, you can't walk into a good pet store without spending hours staring at fish, and it's even harder to walk out empty handed. You might even find yourself roaming creeks or stream beds looking for minnows, rocks, and even plants to use for a new aquarium. There are a number of enthusiasts who devote decades to preserving and improving upon single strains. Once you start to scratch at the surface, you realize there are countless opportunities in the aquatic world.I've been reading books, scouring the internet, and patrolling stores for years to develop my passion for aquaria, and I'm finally ready to dive deeper than ever before... I'm currently restricted to a college apartment, but I'm about to jump into killies for the first time. I also hope to finally move beyond small aquariums into at least a medium planted aquarium or biotype...
