Convict Cichlid pair spawned in the store. A batch of week old fry can be seen here being protected by thier parents who are keeping them in this back corner of the aquarium. I apologize for the dirty glass but they will not let anyone in this corner to clean it and I don't want to disturb the fry. The female is the small parent and male is the big one who pops in and out of the video. They are in a tank with 20 other cichlids bigger than them and they are holding thier own and guarding the fry very well.
Nanochromis parilus is a rarer West African dwarf cichlid. Visually and breeding-wise, they share many similarities with kribs, but are smaller and generally have a better attitude. Females are the more colourful sex, with a plump, pink belly; however, both sexes sport lovely golden colour with a metallic green flank patch. A good fit for most community aquaria, although they do not tolerate excessively dirty water.
Currently in stock
We have a variety of African peacock cichlids in stock including yellow regal, 5 color, OB peacock, strawberry peacock, blue zebra as well as assorted other types. Also convict cichlids available.
Turquoise Rainbowfish Spawning Coloring and Courting Dance.
Fish in a filter again (This time danios)
So about a month ago, I posted about a gold nugget pleco that decided it wanted to get up in a hang on the back filter and live there. We'll today while I was performing tank maintenance I discovered multiple panther danios living in the very same filter. They had to swam up a powerful currently and over the hump to get in there. There must be something great about about this particular filter fish love. Even when I went to remove them they resisted and wanted to stay. The things we encounter in the world of fish keeping.
Columbian Tetra
These beautiful robust tetras with there blue bodies and red and orange fins are not shy and swim mid water in the aquarium. Do best in groups of 6 or more. Big appetites, love to eat and not picky. These are medium size tetra getting up to 2.75" and are big and bold enough to go with cichlids such as angelfish, geophagus, electric blue acara, and severums. Look great in a planted tank against the lush greens.
Insanely Long Roots on Amazon Frogbit Plants
While this floating aquarium plant is known for its long flowing roots in the home aquarium usually up to 12 " long. But outside under natural and optimal growing conditions these plants produced up to 30" long thick roots. Beautiful.
Gold Rams and German Blue Rams
The panda garra, is a stocky, fast-moving algae eater from South East Asia. It prefers room temperatures and lot of water flow. They are peaceful and they grow to about 4". They are omnivores and eat bio film, algae, wafers and frozen foods.
Twig Cat (Farlowella vittata)
An unique algae-eater for the peaceful aquarium.This is a extra large one at 7.5 inches.
Black Water Biotope Aquarium
I have created many different types of aquariums over the years. And this is not my first biotope aquarium but it is my first black water aquarium. So first let's answer the obvious questions.
What is a Biotope Aquarium ?
A biotope aquarium contains fish and plants (if present) that live together in the same place in nature. It replicates the habitat, water parameters and materials found there, like sand, gravels, leaves, branches, roots, rocks and other woods. It is decorated to look as it would look if you were to snorkel underwater in that very place. In this case the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon River.
The advantages of biotope aquariums for fish, are that by creating a habitat similar to that they evolved to live in in the wild, they should be more settled, show more natural behaviour, and even breed. Fish that live in the same biotope have evolved to live together and fulfil different niches. It a natural and beautiful way to keep your fish.
What is Black Water River ?
A blackwater river is typically a slow moving water flowing through forests, swamps, or wetlands. As plants on the rivers edge drop leaves, seed pods, roots and branches into the water, they decay releasing tannins into the water. These tannins seep into the water, making a transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling black tea. Because of this blackwater rivers typically have a lower more acidic pH level. Also, less light penetration due to the darker water colors, means these waters generally have little plant growth in the water.
The Amazonian Rio Negro tributary biotope aquarium shown here, shows the rivers edge with trees roots coming down with various logs, branches and leaf litter covering the bottom. This is home to cardinal tetras, german blue rams and the L397 alenquer tiger pleco. Also soon looking to add red pencil fish in the future.
