Electric fish with a long trunk!

Advice
21 COMMON
MISTAKES

PIRANHA!

Ambush predators

Tanganyika’s
‘gobies’

Secret lives
of Jawfish

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WelcomeTHE EXPERTS

STEVE
BAKER
AND PAY JUST
£3.50* A MONTH
See page 42
*based on purchasing
print option with direct debit

Steve has been getting

stuck in to the world of
piranhas, as well as listing some of the
common errors fishkeepers make. See if
you’re making any on page 74.

GABOR
HORVATH
Gabor has been doing
what he does best –
breeding and photographing fish in his
fish house. This month it’s halfbeaks,
and you’ll find them on page 50.

NEALE
MONKS

NEIL HEPWORTH
We asked Neale to tell
us all about what we
can stick on the bottom of our tanks,
and what a result! Find out all about
different substrates on page 70.

‘SHNAUZENORGAN’ MAY well ON THE COVER

AD
KONINGS
We tasked Ad with
delivering some of his
vast knowledge on Goby cichlids. After
a lifetime of study, he can share some
revelations with us on page 98.
DAVE
WOLFENDEN
Dave has been
investigating the
world of elephantnoses. Learn about
the fascinating lives of these snouty
mormyrids on page 78.
CHRIS
SERGEANT
Chris has delivered yet
another masterpiece,
this time all about ambush predators
in the underwater world. Find out the
sneaky fish with the fastest and biggest
bites on page 28.
Stay in touch
Email us at editorial@
practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
be my new favourite word.
I never even knew it existed
Red bellied piranha.
Photograph by Amazon-
until I read about it this month, Images/Alamy
and then it made me realise
how this hobby is riddled with
cool facts – cool facts and
cooler-sounding words.
Did you know, for example, that elephantnose have the
heaviest brain to body ratio of any animal on Earth? We
used to think it was us humans that packed the biggest
brains, but it turns out we got trumped by fish.
As for other awesome words, I’m reminded of
‘schreckstoff’ which I came across a few years ago when
researching pain and stress. It turns out that when some
fish are hurt they release a chemical that acts as a
warning to others not to get near, and that’s the name of
the chemical.
Anyway, enough about me. What new words are you
learning this month? Let me know. Letters please!
Nathan Hill, Associate Editor
Which fish
clings to a rock af
it has died?
Find out on page 22
Watch us on youtube.com/ Follow us at www.facebook.
user/practicalfishkeeping com/PFKmag/

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 5
 s DECEMBER

28

22
ELECTRIC ELEPHANTS
INSPIRATION scientist goes about setting up
a flowing stream tank for agile
Editor’s
78 With their bigger-than-average
RARE BEAUTY
08 The Crystal rainbow tetra is
hillstream loaches.
Pick brains and peculiar trunk-like
snouts, elephantnoses are
THE ART OF THE
still something of a mystery
to science, but it’s pretty as a 28 AMBUSH
simply unforgettable. Oh, and
they’re electric too!
stained glass window. A captivating look at aquatic
JAWS
BITING FOR
ambush predators of all
86
14 THEIR LIFE
shapes and sizes, and the
specialised strategies they’ve
Packed with personality,
meet the colourful, diverse,
Its reputation precedes it, but developed to catch their prey. burrow-dwelling members of
is the Piranha an aggressive, the jawfish family.
THE RUMMY-NOSE TRIO
cold-blooded predator or a
much misund softy? 44 As a perennial old favourite,
92 JEWEL OF AFRICA
Rummynose tetra are Let’s hear it for Pelvicachromis
HO
22 sometimes overlooked, but
these three little ‘Rudolphs’ are
subocellatus, the lovely but
lesser-known cousin of the
h well worth a second glance. Read editor Rainbow kribensis.
Nathan’s
favourite article
HAPPY HALFBEAKS ‘GOBIES’ OF LAKE
50 Distinctly odd-looking, slender
this issue:
Rumeynose tetra
98 TANGANYIKA
Wrestling halfbeaks are highly PAGE 44 Cute as a button, these
recommended if you want to attractive little fishes’ shared
keep (and breed) something parenting behaviour is
just a little bit different. fascinating to watch.
5
THINGS 1 The incredible
speed of the 2 The uses of
different kinds of 4 That a piranha
sheds its teeth
YOU WILL Bluestripe pipefish
when it’s in hunting
substrates and how
to prepare them.
3 How to tackle
the problem of
feeding your fish
in sets, a quarter at
a time. 5 The voltage that
an ‘electric’
LEARN IN mode when you go on elephantnose will
holiday. What are give off if you
THIS ISSUE your options? touch it.

NEWS & VIEWS
AQUATIC NEWS
10
Fascinating deep-sea species
discoveries, ecstatic octopuses,
speedy sharks and a tribute
to the late Jack Wattley, the
‘godfather of Discus’.
20 ETHICAL DEBATE
PFK associate editor Nathan
Hill and staff writer Steve
Baker go head to head on the
question of water testing.
LETTERS
39 Thoughts from a young
fishkeeper, biotope snobbery
and in praise of live food.
14 86
diffuser set from Colombo and up three different popular
a Vultron airpump. Plus a look canister filters.
Practical
at three brands of polymer
Fishkeeping KNOW-HOW: ALL ABOUT
balls – are these spheres
the future when it comes to delivered to 70 SUBSTRATES
maturing your pond? your digital From silica sand to aquatic
device soil, what’s the best type of
REGULARS PAGE 42 substrate for your plants and
your livestock?
42 SUBSCRIBE TO PFK
Enjoy Practical Fishkeeping HONEY, I HURT THE FISH
from just £3.50 a month – and 74 The 21 most common mistakes
never miss an issue. in fishkeeping – and how to
avoid them.
FISHKEEPING ANSWERS
57
PFK’s crack team of aquatics
experts are on hand to answer 107 NEXT MONTH
Ram cichlids, Panaque catfish
all your questions. This month: and Tiger barb alternatives.
keeping ricefish, nitrite testing,

GEAR & REVIEWS

and how to tempt out a shy
catfish, to name just a few. 114 TAILPIECE
Nathan takes a friend to visit
a public aquarium and comes
108 GEAR GUIDE
The latest fishkeeping products 66 KNOW-HOW: SETTING
UP EXTERNAL FILTERS
out full of self loathing. Are
these once-loved attractions
reviewed, including a CO 2 A step-by-step guide to setting now their own worst enemy?

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 7
FASCINATING FISH
Trochilocharax ornatus

R We still know very little about the mysterious Crystal rainbow tetra.
What we do know is that it’s stunning as a stained glass window.
WORDS: STEVE BAKER

8 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
I
T’S OFTEN said that, as
humans, we know more
about space than we do
about the oceans on the
planet we inhabit. In reality
that’s probably not strictly
true; we don’t even know the
size of the cosmos, let alone
what might exist within it.
But it continues to surprise me
how little we know of what’s much
closer to the surface, and this bonny
little tetra is one creature we know
of, but still know very little about.
I look at this fish and think of a
stained glass window, but in terms
of a common name, Trochilocharax
ornatus caught on as the Crystal
rainbow tetra, Orange-tailed glass
tetra, or the Hummingbird tetra,
depending on who you talk to.
Beware of researching by that
last common name though, as
Characidium fasciatum, the Darter
tetra, is also sometimes called the
Hummingbird tetra, and it’s a
very different fish.
T. ornatus was first bought to the
attention of ichthyologists when it
was shipped from Peru in 2003 by
German importers Aquarium Glaser.
It was originally considered to be of
the Heterocharax genus, before being
described to science by Zarske in
2010. Zarske opened a new genus,
Trichilocharax, and tribe,
Trochilocharacini, for the Crystal
rainbow tetra due to rather
individual-looking dentition and
some hooked fin rays that relate to
no other characin – to this day we
know of no closely related tetra.
Other than just ‘Peru’, scientists
aren’t sure about the distribution.
The specimens used by Zarske to
describe the species came from an
imported group, and while they
know the import came from Iquitos,
they don’t know where the fish were
caught, or from what kind of habitat.
It’s widely believed T. ornatus hails
from small blackwater streams with
little flow, low conductivity and
negligible hardness, and it does well
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK
in these kind of conditions in
aquaria. There’s some thought that
their true distribution lies in the Rio
Nanay basin, though preferred water
conditions would be near identical
to those mentioned.
The new tribe is placed in the
subfamily Stevardiinae, a group of
over 300 species of Central and
South American tetras with many
members that adopt an internal
insemination strategy. It’s believed
that the Crystal rainbow tetra
does that too.
In the tank, this diminutive
delicacy (1.7cm maximum) displays
stunning colours under full-
spectrum lighting, with blues and
greens reflected in their bodies, and
males displaying beautiful burnt
oranges and yellows in their finnage.
Sexes are easy to distinguish,
with males harbouring longer,
more colourful fins, especially
NEIL HEPWORTH
the dorsal and pelvic fins, while
females develop a slightly more
rounded body.
Above: The subtle hues
of Trochilocharax ornatus.
9
 Aquatic News
NEWS
Latest news and events from the world of aquatics
DISCOVERY
FISH OF MANY
COLOURS
Scientists delighted but puzzled by new, strikingly coloured,
‘emerald in a coal mine’ Anthias.
R
ESEARCHERS FROM the
California Academy of
Sciences, diving on the
St Paul’s rocks, a deep-water reef
1,000 miles off the Atlantic coast of
Brazil, have discovered a brilliantly
coloured new species of Anthias.
The divers were 130m down
when the small fish caught their
eye – its neon pink and yellow body
and green fins made it stand out
“like an emerald in a coal mine”.
Further morphological investigation
alongside DNA analysis confirmed
the fish is indeed new to science,
and has been named Tosanoides
aphrodite in honour of the Greek
10 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
PREDATOR
WATCH OUT,
THERE’S A
MANTIS
ABOUT!
Scientists studying wildlife in
Karnataka, South West
India, have observed a
praying mantis
A stunning catching and
discovery. eating fish for
the first time.
The famously
predatory insect was
already known to feast
SHUTTERSTOCK
on other insects, small birds,
amphibians, reptiles and
mammals, but had never been seen to
prey upon fish – until now.
The team spotted the 5cm-long male,
thought to be Hierodula tenuidentata,
the giant Asian mantis, striding out
among lily leaves in a roof garden pond
and grabbing its guppy victims from just
below the surface. It wasn’t a chance
meal either, as the same mantis
returned for several nights in a row to
© LUIZ ROCHA
do a bit more fishing.
As well as another reason for fish to be
wary, it leads to further questions about
goddess of beauty and love. This the cognitive abilities of insects and the
is only the fourth Tosanoides species eyesight of mantises.
DR LIUZ discovered, and the first to be
ROCHA found in the Atlantic (the others
“In a time of live in the Pacific).
crisis for coral Females are a solid reddish-orange
reefs, learning – typical of many ‘twilight zone’
more about dwelling fish as red and blue light
unexplored reef can’t penetrate to this depth, so it
habitats helps with camouflage.
HENRY MARCUS, CREATIVE COMMONS
However, the reason for the males’
is critical ‘highlighter pen’ colouration is still
to our being explored as it goes against
understanding this theory. The scientists are
of how to sequencing the fish’s vision genes to
protect them.” try to better understand the benefits
of their extravagant colour scheme.

MYSTERY POLLUTION IN WALES
An as-yet-unidentified pollutant has caused the
deaths of thousands of fish in a 5.5-mile stretch
of the River Clywedog, near Wrexham. Natural
Resources Wales (NRW) has described the deaths
as a “major pollution incident”. NRW will remain
on site to monitor water conditions and assess the
impact on wildlife and the environment, as well as
investigating the source of the pollution.
NEW SPECIES
Trio of fragile
Snailfish found
An international team of
researchers investigating one of
the deepest parts of the Pacific
Ocean has discovered three new
species of abyssal fish. The team
used remote underwater cameras
to probe the Atacama Trench,
which runs for over 3,000 miles
at depths of over 8,000m along
the coast of Peru and Chile.
The new species are all from
the Liparidae family, commonly
known as Snailfish, and have
made some startling adaptations
to survive in this extreme,
deep-water environment.
They are scaleless, translucent,
and their bodies are made of a
gel-like substance, with the
hardest parts being their teeth
and the bones in the inner ear.
Otherwise they are so soft-bodied
Snailfish look as
ungainly as they
sound.
WORLD’S MOST
EXPENSIVE KOI SOLD
A 90cm Kohaku called S Legend has
sold for a record £1.4 million (203
million Yen) in Hiroshima, Japan. All
we know of the buyer is that she’s
called Miss Yingying and is from
Taiwan, and intends to keep
the Koi in Japan, where it’s
expected to compete
in shows.
and fragile that they ‘melt’ if
brought to the surface. This
apparent weakness is actually a
strength, as the immense
crushing pressure at such depths
would instantly kill more
conventional fish.
Growing 20-25cm in length
they have temporarily been
named the Purple, Pink and Blue
Atacama snailfish, pending
formal classification.
They are so
soft-bodied and
fragile that they
‘melt’ if brought
to the surface
SHUTTERSTOCK
SANCTUARY FOR PARISIAN GOLDFISH
Upset by the poor conditions many goldfish are
kept in, the Paris Aquarium is offering them a
new home. Any fish handed in undergo a 40-day
quarantine before being introduced to a large
display aquarium that currently holds over 600
‘rescued’ goldfish. It’s hoped that the facility
will help to educate people about the adult size,
lifespan and care needs of the humble goldfish.
OBITUARY
JACK WATTLEY
DIES, AGED 95
Jack Wattley, the ‘godfather
of Discus’, has passed
away, aged 95, on October
3rd, just seven days before
his 96th birthday. An author,
aquarist, businessman,
competition judge and
public speaker, Jack was recognised as a pioneer in
the field of Discus breeding, producing some of the
unique strains that are so popular today.
Jack started out as a hobbyist – he was originally
the owner of many clothes stores – until he began to
venture to the Amazon. It was here that he sought out
and found green Discus strains he’d heard lived in
lakes in Brazil. After taking these home and
succeeding with them, he returned to South America,
this time in search of blue strains, which he also
found, collected and shipped back home.
By crossing the green and the blue, Jack created the
first turquoise Discus to great acclaim within the
industry. Demand – and Jack’s reputation – grew
considerably. His fish acquired near-legendary status
and he remains a household name in Discus circles.
His other successes include the technique of raising
Discus fry without parents, a method he kept secret
for many years. Through this technique Jack went
from being ‘just’ a breeder of high-quality fish to a
successful producer on a commercial scale.
Jack will also be remembered for the books ‘Discus
for the Perfectionist’ and ‘Handbook of Discus’, which
developed an almost cultish following. Some readers
might also remember his contributions to the
magazine world over his long career.
ALAMY
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 11
 Aquatic news
NEWS

NEUROSCIENCE

ECSTATIC OCTOPUSES
Neuroscientists researching
similarities in animal brains have An octopus
found that octopuses appear to outside its usual
rave habitat.
react to the drug ecstasy in much
the same way as humans, despite
being separated by 500 million
years of evolution. Octopuses
are notoriously intolerant of their
own kind, and are thought to be
the most behaviourally advanced
invertebrates.
The research team first observed
the interactions of octopuses for
30 minutes in a tank with three
connecting chambers – one
contained a plastic action figure,

the other an octopus of the same
species in a safety cage.
They then exposed the same
octopuses to MDMA (ecstasy)
in a separate tank, before
reintroducing them to the three-
chambered aquarium.
After exposure to the drug they
spent far more time in the chamber
with the other octopus, and were
far more tactile, hugging the cage
and exposing parts of themselves
that they normally wouldn’t.
The octopuses were also observed
‘fondling’ an airstone or floating
around with all eight arms extended
in what the team described as a
‘water ballet’.
The brain chemical serotonin
is believed to be fundamental in
SHUTTERSTOCK
these behaviours, just as it is in
humans, and the team believes
this study shows serotonin has an
important role in social interactions
right across species. This is not
just a human or mammalian
characteristic, but one of brains
in general.

BEHAVIOUR

SHARK SHOWS SURPRISING TURN OF FIN

Basking sharks, Cetorhinus maximus, are Great white shark. Once video footage of twice that of the average Olympic 50m
well known as the second-largest species these leaps were studied in combination swimmer. When the animal’s size and
of fish in the world, but few people had with data from tracker tags on the fish, weight (8m long; 2,700kg) were taken
them down as fast swimmers – until now. surprised scientists worked out that some into account, it was shown to be
When your major prey is plankton, of these apparently sedentary sharks directly comparable to Great whites in
speed isn’t really required, so the ocean were reaching speeds of 11mph – terms of expended mechanical energy.
giant is more typically associated with a
laid-back, languid swimming style, with
little more than the occasional
tail fin flapping on the surface
in terms of dynamic action.
However, recent studies of the
species have recorded them ‘breaching’
SHUTTERSTOCK

– hurling themselves right out of the

water in a manner usually associated with
faster-moving predatory species like the

12 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
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SPECIES SHOWCASE
Piranha

Bit nig for

The world can’t make its mind up about this South

American shoaling predator. What’s the truth? Is it a
cold-blooded predator or a much-misunderstood softy?
WORDS: STEVE BAKER

14 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
their l
ife
ALAMY

The fearsome
teeth of a Red
bellied piranha.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 15
SPECIES SHOWCASE
Piranha
W
ELL, IT’S a
cold-blooded
predator, literally.
And it’s mostly
misunderstood.
But I don’t think
I’ll go so far as to
say it’s a softy.
While the films ‘Piranha’ (1978),
‘Piranha 2’ (1981) and ‘Piranha 3D’
(2010) depicted our fishy friends as
the most organised, hyper-aggressive
killing machines freshwater has ever
seen, now we’re bombarded by
documentaries aiming to redress the
balance. I’ve seen a presenter wade
into a swimming pool with a shoal
of piranha, and jumping into a river
seconds after catching them to show
they’re not just mindless killers.
So should we ignore the films?
Nothing to fear? At your
Red-bellied piranhas make three
distinctive noises – a ‘bark’ at
competitors, a low grunt
when circling, and a snap
of the teeth.
16 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
peril! The name ‘piranha’ means
‘tooth fish’ in the Brazilian language
Tupi, and while few of us will come
into contact with these feisty fish in
the wild, if you do, approach with
real care. There are many, many
fishermen in South America with
bits of fingers or toes missing, and
even more with scars to prove these
fish demand our respect.
The largest species – the Black
piranha, Serrasalmus rhombeus – has
a bite force of more than 32kg.
That’s from a fish whose record
catch weight is 3.83kg, putting it
ahead of the Great white shark in
jaw strength comparative to body
mass. Their teeth are made for
cutting – each tooth is only about
4mm long, but they’re sharp as
razors and fit snugly, interlocking to
slice through flesh and steal a piece
before moving on to let another fish
take a bite.
It’s not unusual to find piranhas
with missing teeth. Several times
over their life, they replace any
missing tricuspid (three-
pointed) teeth, but rather
than do it individually,
like sharks, they do
it by quarters, growing and replacing
all the teeth on one side of a jaw at a
time. These replacements are ready
developed in the jaw, waiting for
when they’re needed.
As with most opposing views, the
truth about piranha behaviour lies
somewhere in the middle. They
are ferocious, voracious predators,
who can strip all the flesh from a
cow’s carcass in minutes, but at
the same time, the diet of the
Red-bellied piranha, Pygocentrus
nattereri, is largely made up of
aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans,
insects, seeds, nuts and fruits.
The classic Piranha ‘feeding
frenzy’ comes down to feeding
pressure. Through the best part of
the year, Red-bellies swim in small
shoals. Contrary to popular belief,
they don’t shoal as an aggressive
tactic to overcome prey, but rather
MP&C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM
for safety from the likes of giant
river otters, caiman, river dolphins,
eagles and predatory fish species.
A shoal comprises around 20
individuals. Food is plentiful and
aggression levels are low, so you
 They don’t shoal as an aggressive
tactic, but rather shoal for safety from
the likes of giant river otters
space to spread out, shoals BELOW:
of piranhas meet shoals of Piranhas are
hundreds of other species, prey themselves. does this safeguard in case
and where mass shoals of
piranhas congregate, the
feeding pressure results
in the annihilation of
meaty passers-by,
dead or alive.
You’ll never
see this in
captive fish. For a
start, there just isn’t
same pressure to feed.
You’ll never have enough
fish in a tank to create such
pressures without running into
serious water quality issues, and if
you limit food to heighten aggression, sparse tank, they aren’t upset by
you’ll just end up with your piranhas strong lighting, so whether you want
Captiothe n,
tuckingcaption
caption, in to each other.
At certain times of the year, Essentail maintenence
Red-bellies congregate Like other large fish, piranhas need
in large numbers. clean, healthy water conditions, but
ALAMY
produce a lot of waste to foul their
tank. With no suitable tankmates to
LEFT: The won’t encounter frenzied feeding in hoover up excess food, it’s a huge
revered Red- these conditions. When water levels job for the aquarist, necessitating
bellied piranha. get lower, and large numbers of fish big, regular water changes and waste
are brought together in ever- removal. It also puts the emphasis
BELOW: decreasing streams and lakes towards on providing strong filtration, both
A mature Black
piranha showing the end of the dry season, feeding mechanically and biologically. Most
red eyes. pressures are heightened. With less keepers prefer to use two large
When attacking other fish,
Piranhas first bite the fins and
eyes to immobilise their prey
before tucking in to more
fleshy parts.
external filters rather than
one massive one; not only
one filter fails, but two lots
of flow makes it easier to
avoid dead spots.
It’s ideal if heating is
integrated with the
filtration, either
by using in-line
heaters or a
thermofilter – this
also provides peace
of mind that there are no
power cables in the water
to be chomped through.
Lighting is up to the keeper.
Although piranhas get stressed in a
dull illumination or a brightly lit
tank, your fish should be happy.
Black background
When it comes to substrate,
experienced keepers tend to go one
of two ways – either a bare base or
black sand/gravel.
Bare glass is far easier to keep
clean but the fishes’ colours tend to
suffer. This can be limited by
painting the base black (underneath)
but the reflective glass is still likely
to subdue colours slightly. A black
substrate, be it sand or gravel, will
help show off your fish, and can be
further enhanced by strong, green
plant growth. If you fancy a more
subtle, atmospheric tank, go for a
few large pieces of wood, sand, leaf
litter and low light levels. A couple
of spotlights to create shafts of light
will intensify the mood.
The next question is how many
fish to keep. Red-bellies can either
be kept singly or in groups of five or
more. On their own, they are still
active and show confidence and will
need a minimum 200 l tank. The
larger S. rhombeus is a solitary fish in
MP&C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM
the wild, but a solo specimen still
requires a tank of 500 l, ideally 2m
or more in length.
In numbers, Red-bellies want
about 100 l each, so a 150x60x60cm
tank would be a basic set-up for a
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 17
SPECIES SHOWCASE
Piranha

small shoal of five, but you can

really see the bonus of a larger tank
with more fish. I’ve seen a few BIG Studies show that the sounds
piranha displays, 1,000-1,300 l sort of people playing, washing
of size and the result is stunning. and preparing food alert
piranhas to a possible
Distribution food source.
Red-bellied piranhas are widely
distributed over much of South
America. Since 1997, ichthyologists
have classed Pygocentrus ternetzi
(described by Steindachner 1908) as
a southern strain of P. nattereri (Fink
and Zelditch couldn’t find reliable-
enough characteristics to define a
species), labelling P. ternetzi as a non-
linear cline (non-sequential features)
as they differ in body shape and
have more of a yellow belly than
red. These fish often go under the
trade name ‘Yellow emperor
piranha’ in shops.
P. nattereri are found throughout
the Amazon basin including
Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia,
Ecuador and Peru.
They’re also found in
Rio Essequibo in Avoid the temptation to feed
Guyana and ham, chicken, beef and so on.
Venezuela, Rio
The lipids from mammalian
Paraná in Brazil,
Paraguay and meats may not be Red-bellies are found in
Argentina, Rio Uruguay
in Brazil, Uruguay and
metabolised
properly.
major river channels,
Argentina, and among coastal tributaries, and flood, oxbow
drains in north-east Brazil and
the Guianas. and man-made dam lakes
The Red-bellies don’t restrict
themselves to particular habitat

Small shoals of
Red-bellies are
most natural.

18 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 P. nattereri Black piranha
with obvious Evidence suggests that the Black
red belly. piranha, Serrasalmus rhombeus, is
endemic to Guyana. However, it’s
officially been recorded as coming
from Guyana, Venezuela, Suriname,
French Guiana, Colombia, Ecuador,
Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. It’s possible
that sightings outside Guyana have
been cases of mistaken identity as
identification of certain species is
challenging. Some expect S. hollandi
and Pristoprycon aureus to be
declared synonymous with
S. rhombeus at some point.
NEIL HEPWORTH
The red eye is a good identifying
mark and gives rise to an alternative
common name, the Redeye piranha,
but the red eye isn’t developed in
juveniles. Add to this the fact that
types. They are found in major river geographical forms exist, there are
channels, major and minor several synonyms (such as S. niger),
tributaries, temporary flood lakes, and confusion with common names
oxbow lakes and man-made dam ‘Black’, ‘white’ and ‘redeye’ all being
lakes. They prefer deeper waters, used, and you can see the issues.
but aren’t fussed whether they’re Black Piranhas shoal in shallow,
white, clear or blackwater conditions. well-vegetated streams as youngsters,
Females generally grow larger than then become solitary as they age
males and have a rounder body and mature, moving to deep areas
shape when mature, but the fish of major rivers. Like the Red-belly,
can’t be sexed as juveniles. This S. rhombeus adapts easily to different
throws a fly in the ointment if you’re water types and is happy in steadily
MP&C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM
looking to keep a group, as males flowing water or at the edge of
become territorial as they mature. rapids – a favoured hunting ground.
A tank of mature males generally Food items include fish, crabs,
ends up with individual fish almost insects, small mammals and chunks
motionless in their part of the tank, of flesh and fin bitten from big fish.
and not the interactive shoal their Some keepers do mix them with
keeper desires. other Piranhas, but there’s always a
risk involved. Much safer to keep a
lone fish and revel in that singular
character. Despite their
fearsome reputation,
they can make a pretty
good ‘pet’.
MP&C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM
FACTFILE
RED-BELLIED PIRANHA
6Scientific name: Pygocentrus nattereri
6Pronunciation: Pie-go-sen-trus natt-er-air-eye
6Size: 35cm maximum, but rarely more than 25cm in aquaria
6Origin: Widespread through South America
6Tank size: 100x45x45cm+ for an individual
6Water requirements: 5.5-7.5 pH, 4-14°H
6Temperature: 24-28°C
6Feeding: Omnivorous – bloodworm, shrimps,
earthworms, prawns, mussels, lancefish and
fresh veg
6Availability and cost:
Reasonably common;
from £5 200 l+
FACTFILE
BLACK PIRANHA
6Scientific name: Serrasalmus rhombeus
6Pronunciation: Serra-sal-mus rom-bee-us
6Size: 40-45cm
6Origin: Widespread over north and central South America
6Tank size: 200x50x50cm for an individual
6Water requirements: 5.0-7.5 pH, 2-15°H
6Temperature: 23-27°C
6Feeding: Mostly carnivorous – shrimps,
lancefish, earthworms, prawns, mussels, etc.
6Availability and cost:
Quite a rarity: from
£50, depending
on size 500 l+
Wild shoals protect the
hierarchy. Older, bigger fish
swim in the centre; smaller,
BELOW: An immature young fish in formation
Black piranha lacking colour around the edge.
in the eyes.
SHUTTERSTOCK
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 19
OPINION

NATHAN HILL & STEVE BAKER

We’re told it’s the most important aspect to fishkeeping and
that we’re awful fishkeepers for not doing it, but just how
essential is water testing for the modern aquarist?

hen was the last time For argument’s sake, if I used RO water
you tested your water from a trusted source, and tailored it myself
and found a problem? with minerals, I know the hardness of it, and
As a professional I think I have enough hands-on experience to
fishkeeper, how often know exactly how the decoration I’m using
would you say that (I’ll go wood and leaf litter) will affect the pH.
you’ve been ‘saved’ I know I can add biological supplements and
by a test revealing ammonia over such a prolonged period that
something you wouldn’t otherwise have maturation will be assured within four months
spotted? Is it possible for a fishkeeper – at least to a level that I could add half a
to become so competent that they need dozen initial ‘hardy’ tetra to my tank. From
not test water at all? there, it’s a patience game. If I leave it six
weeks between additions, I have absolute
SB: The last time I was saved by a surprise confidence that the filter will have time to
test result?... I don’t think I recall an occasion mature for each new load of fish.
to be honest but, as a professional keeper, Let’s also assume I’m performing a weekly
I’d say I’m pretty good at knowing what to 50% water change, with enough mineral added
expect, and my water testing is more to verify to my RO to avoid any kind of mineral-
my thoughts or observe the maturing of a deficiency filter-crash. Aside from power cuts
new set-up. or disasters outside my control, I can’t see
The last time I tested that testing is going to tell
water was a week ago,
I wanted to check the
I’m sure I could me anything I don’t already
know here. Thoughts?
GH and KH levels were wing it and get
stable and where I want SB: You can’t know, you can
them in a particular away with it, but only make educated
tank. I was also checking assumptions in that
the performance of both
I’d rather know situation. I’m sure I could
a PO4 and an NO3
absorbing media.
what’s happening wing it myself and get away
with it, but I’d rather know
When I set up a tank, than risk the health what’s happening than risk
and as I’m adding fish, the health of any fish.
I’ll be testing between of any fish Plus, you and I are
two and seven times a experienced, professional
week, depending on importance. I do that fishkeepers. I guess you wouldn’t suggest this
until I think I know the tank, normally about tactic for the average aquarist?
three months, then I test bi-monthly, or if When I worked in retail, I always found
I see a change in the tank or the fish. selling test kits tricky. They’re expensive and
To my mind, you can’t know what’s going on people think they are too sciency, too
in your tank without testing. You can only complicated and beyond them, but they’re the
assume, which is a risky game. only way to know about the quality of the
fishes’ environment, and far more important
NH: OK, this will sound wholly arrogant, and than substrate, lights, plants or ornaments.
it’s totally hypothetical, but I suspect I could
JACQUES PORTAL

set up a tank this minute and get it right NH: From a personal perspective, any
through to completion – including with problems I’ve ever picked up from a test
livestock – without having to test once. haven’t been during my regular, weekly
check-up. Problems are never that convenient
as to happen on my test day. Rather, when
I’ve spotted something – a fish looking a little
off-colour – I’ve thought ‘that looks like a
nitrite problem’, and tested it to confirm.
My angle here is that I can’t recall a test
catching an issue in an established tank before
it became an issue. It’s always been the other
way around. But I’d not suggest this to a
newcomer. It’s only because I’m aware of how
a sickly fish looks that I can second guess the
problem and have it confirmed through a test.
And my course of action is always the same
anyway – water changes, ease back on
feeding, and unburden the filter.
Selling test kits is a nightmare. The thing is,
for the best part they’re really easy to use.
If you can fill a test tube to a line, add some
drops from a dropper, shake and compare to a
colour chart, then you can do it.
But then, you don’t even need to do that
any more. Something like a Seneye just goes
in the tank and emails or texts you if
the water quality shifts.
How would you get
people to test more
often? Or test at all?
How would you argue
its importance,
especially to the
newcomer?
SB: But the cost of
a Seneye... for each
tank! It’s not an
option many will
choose unless the
price of such systems
comes crashing down. As it
is, it’s only likely to be bought by
people who know the importance of
testing water, and own a serious reef,
Discus or similar tank.
The strip tests came in to simplify things, but
they’re still quite dear and mostly poor in their
ability. To argue the importance, I would point
out that testing is the only way to know
exactly what’s in the water, and therefore
what’s in your fishes’ blood. I would point out
that coming to the shop for a water test is
poor economy, as shops often charge for the
test, plus there’s petrol money and the
inconvenience to take into account.
I would also point out that if someone sees
a fish struggling on a Monday evening and
can’t get to an aquatics shop until Saturday,
there will be big issues before they know
what’s going on. But then most people still
Do you have an opinion on water testing that you would like to share, or
perhaps a topic you would like to see discussed? If so, you can find us at
www.facebook.com/pfkmag or email editorial@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
wouldn’t buy a kit, so I was obviously missing
something in portraying how important
I believe water testing to be.
The fact that you “thought ‘that looks like a
nitrite problem’, and tested it to confirm,”
shows that it’s more important to have a kit at
home, than to take a sample to a shop for
analysis every fortnight.
What’s your advice to novice and
intermediate hobbyists in respect of testing?
NH: I’ve tried a few approaches over the
years, and I’d not say that any were entirely
successful. I’m not even sure that the problem
is expressing the importance of testing.
Rather, I suspect the problem is that far
too many people still look at fish as
disposable commodities.
For those people who care about fish, I’d
say that testing (especially through an
ongoing monitor like a Seneye) is a way to
ensure they aren’t suffering, and a way to
correct that suffering if it occurs. For
those who don’t care about fish,
I’d plug testing as a type of
economic insurance. In a
tank filled with £200 of
livestock, a £30 bundle
of cheap test kits
annually is a way of
protecting that
investment. I’d back
that up by explaining
how the majority of
problems in aquaria are
due to water quality
issues that can be resolved
with regular testing. £30 is a
night out with a couple of
friends in a pub. I’m sure anyone can
forego one of those a year.
SB: I think you’re quite right there. Even a
full-on liquid kit can be had for the equivalent
of three nights out. But I think you’re probably
sadly right that many casual fishkeepers see
fish as disposable. They would rather risk the
life of a fish, than splash out and learn to use
test kits. As you say, it’s shortsighted – even
with cheapish fish, a well-stocked 60cm tank
may have up to £90 worth of stock.
I think the myth of test kits being too sciency INSET: The
needs quashing too. Who can’t get 5ml of more water tests
tank water, add three drops from bottle one, you can perform,
three drops from bottle two, shake and leave the safer your
fish will be.
for five minutes before comparing the colours
to a chart? if you need advice on the results, a
call to your fish shop should see you right.
INSPIRATION
Stream tank

How flow can

JAY WILLIS
PHD set up a flowing stream tank,
Jay is a scientist
researching
hydrodynamics of
but how does a profess
river fish. He has
worked on pigeons, researcher go about it? d
beetles, tuna,
ALAMY

whales and krill. one, and this is what h

22 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
you go ?
H
ILLSTREAM
LOACHES are
small freshwater
species found in
the fast-flowing
streams of Asian
tropical rainforests.
In the wild, they
glide over smooth rocks in strong
currents and climb vertical, even
overhanging surfaces with ease.
Understanding how these tiny
fish cope with such extreme
environments might lead to
significant breakthroughs in fluid
dynamics, perhaps allowing us to
reduce the drag on ships, or
reduce the cost of pumping water.
Hillstream loaches have unique
scale structures and body shapes,
and it may be these adaptations
that give them the ability to fight
the current without expending
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 23
significant amounts of energy.
As researchers, our experiments
are only worth doing if the fish
we keep in the lab are healthy and
behave as they do in the wild. We
have spent several years improving
our aquariums to match the
ecotypes the hillstream loaches
prefer. To that end we went to
Borneo to see them in the wild.
Loaches in Borneo
Hillstream loaches come from
rainforest mountain streams.
It rains a lot. Surprisingly there’s
often only a thin layer of soil over
bedrock or clay, so rain reaches
the streams quickly. A river,
normally a trickle, turns into a
torrent in a few hours, or even
minutes. Leaves, twigs, silt,
gelatinous algae, and anything else
that can’t get out of the way, is
INSPIRATION
Stream tank

swept down on a torrent the colour We used two Eheim compact+ 5000
of milky coffee. A couple of hours pumps at full speed in a 100 l tank
later, the clouds clear and the sun through sponges on strainers to
reappears; four or five hours later. move the water from the
the sediment drops out and the main tank to the platform. A
water clears. This cycle is repeated rich layer of algae grows on
every couple of days to every few c the rocks in the strong light.
weeks, depending on the season. th The waterfall oxygenates the
People in Borneo eat these fish, wa water and provides constant
known as ‘rokot’, but it’s quite a trek abo sound too; the ramp provides
to the high mountain streams, so they seco access and an interesting
aren’t eaten often. Many people we high variable flow feature. We use
met had fond memories of catching like a ‘offline’ filters, and encourage
them as children and were keen to compa shrimps, snails and algae to
advise. One indicator was a certain moves
aquatic snail: “Where there are snails about h
there are rokot.” It was true and useful per seco
as the fish could be difficult to spot. quickly d
We were looking at methods for only a few
sampling the fish in the future from the p
without harming them, so we If you were
captured a few with hand-nets and a current of
photographed them before returning second throu
them all to the rivers. 120 l tank, yo
shift the entire
The tank second. That’s ome aquarium ABOVE:
We could learn
To keep hillstream loaches happy, pump – 900,000 litres per hour! a lot about
your tank should have some specific There is an easier way to get hydrodynamics
features: fast flowing water to allow fast-flowing water though – keep from hillstream
algae to grow in strong lighting, some areas of the aquarium shallow. loaches.
darker protected areas with slower What we saw in Borneo has been
flow and even a few areas with little applied to our tank design and BELOW:
Sewellia ‘SW01’
or no flow. Variation is the key. husbandry. Water is pumped to a
and ‘SW02’.
Like a tiny Adam Peaty, hillstream shallow platform, then flows over
loaches probably need regular rocks and falls back into the main
workouts to stay in top form, not tank via a ramp or over a waterfall.

In the wild, when the stream floods,

loaches climb, rather than shelter
ALL PHOTOS|: JAY WILLIS

24 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
share the tank. There’s no substrate, RIGHT:
just large rocks and bogwood. The This set-up
tank has both falling water and areas offers different
with moderate to low flow. environments
In the wild, when the stream floods, to replicate
nature’s variety.
loaches climb, rather than shelter.
This time may be the equivalent of BELOW:
the Olympic final for these miniature When flow
Adam Peatys. The deeper water may drops, water
allow them to get over objects that settles and
would be barriers in shallower water, clears.
and may also be where they can
more easily evade predators like
Clarias catfish. Catfish use suction to

In their native Borneo,

these loaches are
called ‘Rokot’.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 25
INSPIRATION
Stream tank

catch prey and so the loaches’

ability to remain attached without Where there
substantial muscular effort may be a
benefit in a surprise attack.
are snails, there
This behaviour in stream flooding
is subtly important as it means the
are rokot
loaches aren’t challenging their filtering and nitrogen cycling services
physical limits all the time. Relaxation, that help ‘feed’ the main tank. The
rest and social activities are all parts idea is that they act like an upstream
of ensuring peak performance when section of natural river, adding
necessary. Often, we found them in smells and nutrition in the same way.
calm, clear pools, without excessive
flow – 0.2-0.4 m/s. Here they would Water parameters
graze and share space with shrimps, The book ‘The Borneo Suckers’ by
other fish and snails; Dr Tan Heok Hui provides
naturally inquisitive but a good idea of what
always near shadows, hillstream loaches from
and fast-flowing and Borneo are used to.
falling water – ever From Dr Tan’s field
vigilant. Our tanks Hillstream loaches often notes, the average
are designed to remain stuck to rocks and pH of the water is
mimic these variable other decoration even 7.5, with records
conditions in shelter, after they’ve died! from 6.0 to 8.7.
lighting and flow. There’s no similar book
We also use ‘offline’ living for the Sewellia butterfly
filters – tanks connected to the loaches of Vietnam, but there is a which pulls the pH up to roughly 8.0. ABOVE &
main tank via smaller pumps. The great scientific paper for As a rule, we don’t measure pH or BELOW:
return water is piped onto the upper Sinogastromyzon puliensis, a similar GH, but monitor and maintain KH Flow rates
platform of the main tanks, often species found only in Taiwan. around 8-10 units. We tested the fluctuate
massively in the
through a spray bar, to add to the Shyi-Liang Yu and Teh-Wang Lee water in Borneo with standard test forest streams of
flow. These smaller tanks contain sampled fish in over 60 river sites. kits (API liquid test kit KH, GH, and Borneo.
filter sponges, Anubias, shrimp, Average pH was 8.2 (range 6.2-10.9), pH) and confirmed these average
snails and fish such as Danios. We average temperature 23°C (range figures were accurate for five of the
also put peat, Catappa leaves, Alder 18-30°C), average flow 0.9 m/s locations where we found fish.
cones and bogwood in here. We (range 0.12-2.32). These average
feed the Danios flake and some parameters are a good place to start. Feeding
circulates through the main tank. We always aim for them – also with While hillstream loaches will eat
These tanks provide a range of carbonate hardness over 7° kH, standard fish flakes, we’ve found

26 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 Not just algae,
hillstream loaches
need the right algae.

they need to eat algae for long-term explore and re-establish favourite They’re naturally inquisitive and
health. We use Repashy Soilent places and routes. We often find social fish; while they may hide
Green gel as a supplement to ensure small fry in the changed water and when we enter the room, they
they always have access to a move these to a separate tank for re-emerge after only a few
well-balanced diet. juveniles. Occasionally we roughly minutes. All sizes playfully
There are many types of algae, of scrape the rocks with an old knife – spar with similar-sized
course, and some only grow in fast the fish seem especially keen to fish and they appear MORE INFO
flow. After rocks have been grazed graze them after. relaxed as they explore Check out Jay and his
by adult hillstream loaches for a few The behaviour we observe in our their tank.
colleagues’ informal project
months, they develop a dark, red- aquariums is similar to what we saw One good test of
black algal layer full of bacteria, in the wild. Like many loaches, health is breeding and blog: aquaticagents.com.
crustaceans, diatoms, and other hillstreams like to hide, especially we’re pleased to say Scientific project funded by
food, such as snail and shrimp eggs. from people, and we ensure they some of our fish more or The Leverhulme Trust.
Gelatinous algae can be a sign that have adequate places to do so. less breed continually.
there’s too little flow in the tank. It’s
not toxic to the fish, it just stops
them getting at the stuff they like. Repashy’s algae
paste food goes
down well.
Husbandry
Because these fish are used to
change in their natural rivers, they
don’t mind a big water disruption.
We clean the tanks weekly by
removing all the rocks and wood –
everything out but the fish! So all the
rocks in the main tank are rinsed in
tank water and repositioned, with a
40-50% water change. The changing
pattern of rocks and caves, in a
familiar pattern of flow, is a further
stimulant to the fish, similar to their
natural habitat, and allows them to

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 27
BIOLOGY
Ambush predators

CHRIS
SERGEANT
Chris works in
conservation
research and
regularly writes
for aquarium
It’s all part of
ALAMY

publications.
the food chain.

28 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 THE ART OF THE

AMBUSH
Fascinating to observe, ambush predators of all shapes and sizes
have devised an arsenal of strategies to capture their prey.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 29
BIOLOGY
Ambush predators
S
TEALTHILY
APPROACHING a
shrimp, the octopus
pauses a short
distance away,
seemingly poised to
strike. But instead of
accelerating at speed,
the crafty cephalopod slowly unfurls
a tentacle, reaches round to the back
of the shrimp and gently taps it on
the abdomen. Startled, the shrimp
jolts forward in surprise, straight into
the waiting open arms of the octopus.
Videos of this canny hunting
behaviour captured the attention of
fish-lovers and academics alike in
2015, when Roy Caldwell and
Richard Ross from the California
Academy of Sciences published a
paper in the journal ‘PLOS One’.
Their study looked at the biology
and behaviour of the little-known
Larger Pacific striped octopus, based
on observations of their captive
specimens. While the cephalopod’s
unique beak-to-beak mating
strategies and den sharing grabbed
30 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
much of the attention, the attached
videos of the octopus hunting
shrimp also caught the eye.
Surprise, surprise
While the Larger Pacific striped
octopus’s particular method might
be a first, the art of ambushing prey
– defined as a ‘surprise attack from
a concealed position’ – is nothing
new, and a ploy utilised throughout
the aquatic animal kingdom. Such
predators typically hunt much faster
prey items, and would be easily
outpaced in a straight race, so they
use camouflage, mimicry or the
local topography in order to conceal
their whereabouts.
Coral reefs and the surrounding
sandflats play home to some of
the ocean’s most cryptic ambush
hunters. Stonefish, Synanceia
verrucosa, lie among the coral,
perfectly disguised against the
rockwork, while species such as
Papilloculiceps longiceps, the
Tentacled flathead or Crocodilefish,
make use of rocky ledges and the
RIGHT:
Crocodilefish
even have
camouflaged
pupils.
BELOW:
Stonefish mimic
algae-covered
rocks while
lying in wait.
surrounding sand bed. Crocodilefish
have flattened, elongated bodies
that give rise to an almost ‘steam-
rollered’ appearance. Added to their
adjustable mottled brown and tan
colouration, they blend seamlessly
with their surroundings. Various
tassels and protrusions help to break
up their outline, and their camouflage
is so detailed that even the pupil is
covered with an iris lappet,
disguising the outline of the eye.
Other species, such as the Atlantic
lizardfish, Synodus saurus, or Peacock
flounder, Bothus mancus, choose to
rest on the surface of the substrate,
while reef predators like the Red
grouper, Epinephelus morio, and
Trumpetfish, Fistularia commersonii,
drift slowly around their hunting
grounds until their prey become
accustomed to their presence.
Once a false sense of security has
set in, they’re able to ambush their
targets with ease.
Thankfully, you’ll be hard pushed
to find these species with their
voracious, indiscriminate feeding
habits and large size in the hobby,
but certain other predatory reef
hunters are better suited to life in a
ALAMY
home aquarium.

Lion king
Lionfish are eye-catching, sporting
vivid splashes of red, white and
black across their outstretched body
and fins. While most ambush hunters
rely on remaining hidden, the lions’
striking appearance seems at odds
with this tactic – against the backdrop
of a well-lit aquarium, the aposematic
colouration boldly publicises the
fish’s venomous nature to the world.
But when the light drops, the true
cryptic effect of these colours is
ALAMY
revealed. The red, white and black
stripes, so conspicuous by day,
merge into the murky backdrop of
reef and rock, breaking up the fish’s
outline as it lurks in the shadows,
camouflaged from possible prey.
With all lionfish, any tankmate that
can fit inside their mouths inevitably
will. Like their other Scorpaenidae
cousins, they feed by rapidly
expanding their buccal cavity, which
generates a suction field and allows
them to inhale prey in the blink of
SHUTTERSTOCK
an eye. With this expandable mouth,
pharyngeal teeth and a stomach that
can swell to 30 times its resting
capacity, lionfish can comfortably
consume prey half their size.
The Common lionfish, Pterois miles,
and Red lionfish, Pterois volitans,
regularly appear in the trade, but can
attain adult sizes in excess of 38cm,
so they need a tank to match. The
Spotfin lionfish, Pterois antennata,
reaches half that size, about 20cm,
while smaller still, the Fuzzy dwarf
lionfish, Dendrochirus brachypterus,
can be kept in tanks of 150 l.
Masters of disguise
For those wanting something a little
more unusual, look no further than
the Weedy scorpionfish, Rhinopias
frondosa (see PFK, July 2018). In
contrast to the more active, larger
lionfish, it lacks a swim bladder, so
prefers to hop over the sand using
modified pectoral and pelvic fins.
SHUTTERSTOCK
Being a relatively sedentary hunter,
camouflage is critical, so what better
way to blend in than to mimic your
environment – specifically the local
macro-algae, which gives the fish a
spectacularly plumed appearance.
Hawkfish are another group of
BELOW LEFT: ambush hunters that rest on coral or
Hawkfish use rocky perches, motionlessly
a perching surveying the reef. When a prey
strategy to look item comes into reach, they swoop
over their prey. down from their vantage point and
snatch up their victim before
BELOW:
Flamboyant returning to their perch, much like
camouflage their avian namesakes.
works on the Their inquisitive nature and dinky
reef. size make them a favourite among
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 31
BIOLOGY
Ambush predators
marine aquarists, so several species
feature in the hobby. The Falco
hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys falco, Pixy
hawkfish, C. oxycephalus, Threadfin
hawkfish, C. aprinus, and Long-
nose hawkfish, Oxycirrhites typus, all
remain under 13cm when fully grown.
Ribbon eels, Rhinomuraena
quaesita, also crop up in the trade
from time to time. Spending their
time hidden in the rockwork with
only their heads exposed, they dart
from the security of their lair to
snatch fish or crustaceans from the
water column. Unfortunately, ribbon
eels are renowned for their refusal to
eat anything but live foods in
captivity, and their pristine water
requirements don’t tally with a
meat-based diet. Beautiful as they
are, they are best left in the wild.
Shrimp strategy
Fish aren’t the only creatures to use
ambush strategies. Many
invertebrates also lie in wait to bag
themselves a meal. Mantis shrimps
from the order Stomatopoda live in
rockwork or burrows dug into the
substrate. Obscured from view in
their tunnel, they wait until a potential
target passes overhead before
launching themselves at speed.
Unlike true shrimps, Stomatopods
possess pairs of raptorial
appendages, with ‘smashers’ such as
the Peacock mantis shrimp,
Odontodactylys scyllarus, using a
punching technique to overcome
their prey, and ‘spearers’ like the
Zebra mantis, Lysiosquillina
maculata, impaling their quarry on
their outwards-facing spines.
At over 50mph, a punch from a
Peacock mantis shrimp can deliver
an impact similar to a small calibre
bullet. As the mantis shrimp swings
forwards to strike, the movement
lowers the pressure of the
surrounding water, causing it to boil.
This instant forming and collapsing
of bubbles produces energy through
cavitation, giving a second blow to
the victim. Even if the initial strike
narrowly misses, the
resulting shockwave
will finish the job.
When housing When housing mantis shrimps
stomatopods, tank from the order Stomatopoda,
decor is important. Both low lighting is a must, as
species dig burrows, so strong illumination can
you need either a deep lead to shell rot.
sand bed with coarse sand
and coral rubble, or a network of
dark PVC tubes buried beneath the
substrate. Live rock will help
disguise the pipes and serve as extra
cover. The more hiding places, the
safer the shrimp will feel, and the
more frequently you’ll see it.
While mantis species can enter
aquariums as live rock stowaways,
their unintended presence doesn’t
strike fear into a reef enthusiast the
way mere mention of the Bobbit
worm can. Marine aquarists may
already be familiar with Eunice
aphroditois’ capabilities, but it Fleshy
extensions and
was Sir David Attenborough who ragged-looking
introduced this polychaete worm fins break up a
ALAMY
to the rest of the world in ‘Blue fish’s outline.
 Ribbon eels
prefer to
Planet II’, plucking fish after fish conceal.
from the water column.
Buried in the sand, with just their
jaws exposed, Bobbit worms make
quick work of any prey, snaring
them in their razor-sharp teeth
before dragging them deep into their
burrow. Hidden in the rockwork of
your reef tank, they will make short
work of your marine fish, and often
the entire reef set-up has to be
dismantled to get rid of the worm.
This is one ambush predator you
don’t want to encounter!

Shadowy affair
Rather than camouflage, many
SHUTTERSTOCK

freshwater ambush predators

rely instead on the underwater
topography. Hidden within a shaded
lookout – overhanging vegetation,
sunken obstructions, or even man-
made structures like jetties – the
sensitivity of the fish’s eye increases
in low-light conditions, giving it a
greater field of visibility in comparison
to a fish in open water. This allows
the predator to spot its quarry first,
and when fractions of a second can
make the difference between a meal
or a missed opportunity, such
advantages can be crucial.
The Northern pike, Esox lucius, is
the UK’s apex freshwater predator
and ambush hunter. Skirting round
the edges of large lakes and ponds,
Pike hang motionless in thick
vegetation, emerging with short
bursts of speed to grab passing fish
or water fowl.
Goliath tigerfish, Hydrocynus goliath,
Spending their time hidden in the rockwork
with only their heads exposed, they dart from
the security of their lair to snatch fish or
crustaceans from the water column
adopt a similar tactic in the murk
The Zebra mantis
waters of the Congo River, seekin shrimp spears
shelter at the edges of raging rap its prey.
As the torrents of water cascade
overhead, disorientated fish
swept around in the currents are
snatched up from the margins.
While it shares its locality with
the Tigerfish, the Leopard
bushfish, Ctenopoma acutirostre,
prefers a much quieter pace of
life. Seeking submerged driftwoo

The Peacock
mantis shrimp is
a hard hitter.
SHUTTERSTOCK

ALAMY

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 33
BIOLOGY
Ambush predators
and dense foliage for cover, it
adopts a head-down hunting
stance, mimicking leaf debris,
while its spotted kittenish
colouration helps to
break up its outline.
Adults can reach 20cm
and their deceptively large,
extendable mouths make them
capable of taking any sizeable prey
that strays within reach.
Leafy disguise
Hop across the Atlantic to the
slow-moving water bodies of the
Amazon River basin, and there’s
another aquarium species whose
disguise has been inspired by
decaying leaf matter. The Leaf fish,
Monocirrhus polyacanthus, has
seriously upped the mimicry stakes.
As well as a leaf-shaped body,
mottled-brown colouration, and
head-down swimming stance, the
shape of its eye – the main giveaway
with many cryptic ambush predators
– is broken up with bands of colour,
while a projection on the lower jaw
ALAMY
gives the impression of a leaf stalk.
Coupled with a tendency to drift
rather than swim, and the
ability to adjust its
colouration to match the
surrounding foliage, this
puts the Leaf fish among
nature’s finest mimics. With
their extendable mouths, they
can take prey items up to 30% of
their body length. The speed of
M. polyacanthus’ strike has been
measured at 0.034 seconds from the
initiation of the strike to prey
capture. Incredibly, another species
in the marine trade, the Bluestripe
pipefish, Doryrhamphus excisus, was
even faster with a strike-capture
speed of 0.002 seconds.
Despite their lightning-quick
ABOVE: reactions, Leaf fish can be finicky
Bobbit worms eaters in captivity, so are suitable for
are the stuff of experienced aquarists only.
nightmares. Gut-loaded live prey is a must while
trying to shift them onto frozen or
BELOW: Pike
lurk by shady prepared foods. They require a low
features to get a flow set-up, low pH and hardness to
sight advantage. mimic natural water parameters,
and won’t tolerate fluctuating
ammonia and nitrites.
Leaves as camouflage
Hailing from the blackwaters of
South-East Asia, the Pikehead,
Luciocephalus pulcher (see PFK,
September 2018), makes use of fallen
branches and leaf litter from above.
The tannin-stained waters provide
the cover from which it darts out to
grab its prey, with its protrusible
jaws capable of extending almost a
third of its body length – impressive
given that adults can reach 20cm.
These predators aren’t for the
novice aquarist though, and not just
because they prefer live, rather than
pre-prepared diets. Coming from
such acidic waters, where there is
little in the way of local bacterial
communities, they can be
susceptible to infections.
The Wolf-fish, Hoplias malabaricus,
is a predatory characin that also goes
by the names Trahira or Guabine,
depending on their Central or South
ALAMY
America source. Their nocturnal
feeding habits mean they spend
most of the day hidden among the
vegetation, before emerging at night
to hunt. Having said that, any fish
that strays into range during daylight
hours is still likely to snared in their
vice-like grab – their canine teeth
and reluctance to let go of their prey
giving rise to the wolf comparison.
Popular in the trade, adults can
reach 40cm, so real consideration
needs to be given to housing them.
Another group of benthic ambush
hunters from the Amazonian region
are Cephalosilurus. These catfish
have large heads and small eyes,
which add to their already bulky
appearance. Four species are
currently recognised, with C.
apurensis from Venezuela, and C.
nigricaudus from Surinam, being the
two most often encountered.
Cephalosilurus live life in the slow
lane. They stay motionless in a
favourite hiding place, snatching
anything that swims by. Barbels
around the mouth enable them to
detect movement in the water, and
their cavernous mou
rows of small teeth to grip their anything that swims by.
ABOVE:
ALAMY
inhaled prey. Larger prey items are Certain Pufferfish also engage in
dragged back to their shelter and burying behaviour. The Hairy puffer, The Bluestripe
pipefish strikes
devoured at leisure. Tetraodon baileyi, and Pignose in 0.002
Unsurprisingly, these large catfish puffer, Tetraodon suvattii, from the seconds.
require equally large aquariums, Mekong basin, appreciate a fine,
with sunken wood, rocks and caves deep, sand substrate, interspersed BOTTOM:
for shelter. To improve your chances with rocks, as do the African Congo The Leaf fish is
of observing them in a tank, try to puffer, Tetraodon miurus, and a top mimic.
position cave entrances so the Fahaka puffer, Tetraodon lineatus.
INSET:
occupant faces outwards. Pufferfish have personality, but a Lurking Puffers
general intolerance of conspecifics, bury most of
Going underground and predatory behaviour towards their bodies.
Other ambush predators prefer to tankmates means
go fully subterranean in their they’re best
ALAMY
hunting efforts. Endemic to São suited to
Francisco River basin in n th-east solo
Brazil, the Pacman catfi
Lophiosilurus alexandri
because its vast
mouth was likened
to the 1980s arcad
game character. I
grows up to 50c
length and spend
majority of time buried
the sand with just its head
SHUTTERSTOCK
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 35
BIOLOGY
Ambush predators

living. As with all Puffers, crunchy

prey items, such as unshelled
shrimps and snails, should be fed
regularly to wear down their teeth
and prevent overgrowth.
For those with truly mammoth
aquariums, another burrower, the
Ocellate river ray, Potamotrygon
motoro, has a particularly novel
approach to feeding. While it was
once thought only mammals chew
their food, these rays have been
observed grasping their invertebrate
prey in one corner of the mouth and
moving the sections of their jaw
from side to side, creating a shearing
effect. Even if tough exoskeletons
are capable of withstanding the
crushing power, they’re no match
for this tearing action.
Come into my parlour
Patience is key for all ambush
hunters, but some species have
specialised adaptions to entice prey
during lean spells. Bioluminescence
is commonplace in the deep ocean,
and an ideal way to get the attention
of passing prey. Some siphonophores,
Erenna sp., use flashing red tentacles
to mimic swimming copepods,
the first recorded example of a
marine invertebrate using red
bioluminescence to tempt in victims.
Numerous deep sea fish use the
same tactic – Barbeled dragonfish,
Chauliodus sp., use an elongated
barbel protruding from their lower
jaw, while Atlantic footballfish,
Himantolophus groenlandicus, have a
modified ray tipped with a luminous
bulb that they flick about to attract
prey in the abyss. In shallower
waters, reef residents also use lures
to grab their victim’s attention.
The Decoy scorpionfish, Iracundus
signifer, is native to the Indo-West
Pacific and its mottled red and white
colouration helps to break up its
body outline against the reef
backdrop. A closer look at its spiny
dorsal fin reveals a prominent black
spot between the first and third fin
rays which, when viewed from the
side in conjunction with the other
spines, mimics the head of a small
fish. This aggressive form of mimicry
lures would-be predators, who in a
flash find themselves inhaled.
Rather than employing a static
lure, the benthic-dwelling Angler
flatfish, Asterorhombus fijiensis, has an ABOVE: The
elongated first dorsal fin ray tipped Barbeled
with a membranous structure. By dragonfish
remaining stationary and flicking the lures prey with
an elongated
fin ray above its mouth, these flatfish
barbel.
can mimic tiny hippolytid shrimps
and bring food right to their mouth. BELOW: The
Goliath tiger
Fishing frogs fish picks off
Another group of reef fish can be disorientated
observed casting their lures in the prey from rapids.
aquarium. Frogfish are members of
the Antennariidae family, and their
lack of a swim bladder means they
crawl, rather than swim, over the
reef. Their impeccable camouflage
mimics a variety of different reef
species, such as sea urchins, sponges,
tunicates and coral. Assorted warts,
fleshy protrusions and coloured
patches allow these predators to
blend in with their environment, and

36 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
they can even alter their colouration
over the course of a week if it’s not
up to scratch.
The Frogfish waits in its ambush
site for a potential meal to approach,
and when one gets close, the show
begins. The fish’s modified dorsal
ray, or illicium, is tipped with a lure,
or esca, which acts like a fishing rod
to reel in any interested parties. As
the prey gets closer, the frogfish
keeps its body compressed to the
ground, and orientates its mouth
upwards in the direction of its quarry.
As soon as it gets within one body
length away – the ‘strike zone’ – the
Frogfish pounces. By forcing its
upper jaw out and lower jaw down,
it can expand its cavernous mouth
12 times its resting state. This
creates a negative suction pressure
within its mouth, sucking in its prey
in a blink of an eye. Such is the
speed of the strike, a mere 1/6000
of a second, that a Frogfish can
Atlantic footballfish,
Himantolophus groenlandicus,
have a modified ray tipped
with a luminous bulb that they
flick about to attract prey in
the abyss
pluck a fish from a shoal without the
others realising what has happened.
The Frogfish’s hunting strategy is
so sophisticated that its esca comes
in different shapes and sizes
depending on the species it’s
mimicking. The Giant frogfish,
Antennarius commerson, and Warty
frogfish, Antennarius maculatus, use
lures resembling shrimp; Randall’s
frogfish, Antennarius randalli, mimics
a juvenile squid; while the Three-
spot frogfish, Lophiocharon
trisignatus, resembles a spidercrab.
Different Frogfish even have
distinctive casts – the Giant frogfish
fishes above its head in the water
column, while the Warty frogfish
waves its lure in a circular motion in
front of its mouth.
Another species, the Striped
frogfish, Antennarius striatus, even
secretes a chemical attractant from
its esca to help it hunt in particularly
turbid waters.
From a freshwater perspective,
the Frogmouth catfish, Chaca chaca,
also uses lures to attract prey,
manipulating the barbels on its mouth
to resemble worms wriggling on the
substrate. If keeping Chaca species
in an aquarium, be aware that they
seem to reduce the pH of their
aquariums. It’s not yet known how
this occurs, but theories include the
release of a chemical lure to entice
prey, extremely potent digestive
juices, or a foul-tasting secretion to
prevent predation. Whatever the
reason, regular water changes and
testing is a must with these fish.
So, if you are considering housing
one of these incredible predators, be
sure to have your tank decor and
layout in check. The more cover you
provide, the more likely your
BELOW:
aquarium inhabitants are to engage The Atlantic
in their natural ambush behaviours. footballfish is
That leaves you to just draw up a a deep water
chair and watch nature in action. fisherman.
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 37
 COMMON
SPECIES
SUBJECT TO
INJECTION AND
DIPPING
6 Albino corydoras
6 Glass fish, Parambassis sp.
6 Parrot cichlids

MP&C PIEDNOIR AQUAPRESS

6 Black widow tetra
6 Giant gourami

WHAT’S WRONG WITH INJECTED FISH?

Fish can be artificially coloured in a couple of ways – or

Fish have their mucous layers stripped, before

dunking in concentrated dyes stains them with artificially
bright colours.
6 Fish are dyed all over including the gills, causing
respiration issues.
6 Ink in the body can have serious effects on organ function.
6 Stripping away mucus leaves fish open to bacteria and
parasites.
Are they legal?
It IS illegal to dye a fish through
dipping or injection in the UK, but
NOT illegal to import or sell them.
Almost all dyed fish are commercially
produced in the far east, and
imported directly.

Fish are stabbed with a needle, and dyes injected.

What can you do?
Ask if retailers have joined up
They may have patterns or words tattooed on the body. to the Practical Fishkeeping
6 Against fish body sizes, needles are huge. Imagine your Dyed Fish Campaign. Started
in 1996, the campaign asks
armbeing injected with a pencil for a comparison. retailers to pledge not to sell
6 Injection sites are access points for infections. any dyed fish. If you see some
on sale, raise your concerns
6 Needles are not cleaned or sterilised, risking infection. with store owners. Because
6 Chemical embolisms from injection can cause fatalities. dyed fish aren’t always
advertised as such, staff may
6 Injecting causes granulomas, tumours and cauliflower genuinely not know they are
like growths. stocking them! Your voice can
help make the difference!
6 The dyes cause inflammation of skin and muscle tissues.
6 Injecting requires rough handing which is highly stressful.

Letters
Your letters, your thoughts and
your experiences shared.
HUMBLE ABOUT BIOTOPES
I was re-reading the March 2018 of
Practical Fishkeeping and stumbled
upon Tai Strietman’s Thai tank
set-up. I find that creating and
recreating biotopes is a lot of fun,
as shown by my earlier letter to
PFK in regards to Nathan Hill’s
Neon tetra biotope set-up.
As you might remember, I talked
about the natural behaviour of
my Sawbwa resplendens in my
Lake Inle tank set-up (which is
sadly no longer active as it faced a
tank crash when I was away, and
a power failure wiped out the fish
population – a sad loss of such
beautiful fish).
I am slowly spreading the love of
biotope tanks in the country I am
from and, regarding the biotope
snobbery that Tai mentioned in his
article, whether intentional or not,
on reflection I may have done so to
my dismay. I know that it is a sad
thing, but I have since then done
some reflection and tried to guide
people in trying their best to create
a habitat or biotope with substitute
fish that might look similar to
the fish that may be available in
the biotope they are creating, or
even the plants.
I sometimes even helped them in
finding out what possible fish those
might be in the area of biotope/
habitat that they are creating for a
communitope kind of set-up if a
true biotope/habitat is not possible.
The only time that I might
dissuade people from putting in
certain fish is when they use the
ornamental versions of angelfish in
an angelfish habitat set-up, though
I do encourage them to try to find
the farmed, wild forms of angels
that are now starting to be more
available in the hobby.
Alternatively, I might suggest they
use those ornamental forms that
The writer of our Letter of the month will win a 250ml pot of their
natural ingredients. Email: editorial@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
still have very similar patterns on
their bodies to the farmed wild
varieties of angels. Or perhaps
using hybrid fish like the electric
blue versions of the Jack Dempsey
or Mikrogeophagus ramirezi or even
the hybrid Electric blue acara in
Central American or South
American biotope/habitat/
communitope set-ups.
This is my personal experience
anyway, and I hope it might give a
bit of thought to those of us who
– like me – sometimes intentionally
or unintentionally go into a moment
of biotope snobbery that might
prevent others from delving into
this fascinating portion of the
aquarium hobby.
Andy Basuki, Indonesia
NATHAN REPLIES: I like to think
that Tai did spark some discussions
with his comments – he certainly
did right here between the PFK
staff! I’m an unashamed biotope
snob, and while I appreciate it’s a
niche of a niche of a niche, I can’t
think of any better way to really
enjoy the wilderness aspect of
fishkeeping. Admittedly, I’ve played
with plenty of communitopes, and
more than a few communities, but
my heart always goes back to the
absolute, purist layout.
Perhaps there’s something about
the untamed, unrestrained and
artistically chaotic nature of nature,
Win
FISHSCIENCE AQUARIUM FOOD
TANK COMMUNITY
choice from this quality range of Fish Science food, which uses
NEIL HEPWORTH
but show me a pristine planted
aquascape, and a mud-filled,
algae-drenched slice of Amazon
oxbow, and I’ll make a beeline for
the tank full of muck every time.
WHERE ARE THE LOCAL
FISH SHOPS GOING?
I used to have three independently
owned LFS that I could visit, but
ABOVE: Electric now there’s only one pet store with
blue Jack some fish, or a long journey to visit
Dempsey.
an out-of-town shop that has a
BELOW: Asian reasonable selection of fish.
rummynose, Where I live isn’t lacking
Sawbwa fishkeepers. There are plenty of us
resplendens. here, and these stores were all rather
well established. Is there a reason
that stores are closing down like
this? I hear the same thing when I
speak to fishkeepers in other
counties too.
B Heldon, email
NATHAN REPLIES: It’s a tough time
for all stores, not just independent
ones. I’m seeing lots of shops
NATHAN HILL
vanishing, and it doesn’t look like a
trend that’ll go away any time soon.
❯
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 39
 Letters
TANK COMMUNITY

Email us at editorial@ Follow us at www.facebook.

practicalfishkeeping.co.uk com/PFKmag

I guess someone just needs to work of Cryptocoryne and about

out what the next evolutionary stage
of aquatic trading should be, and
hopefully we’ll see another golden
age of fishkeeping.
High rents and business rates, high
transport costs, high fuel costs, and
the difficulty of trying to hire staff
with expertise (there really are only so
many, and most of them are already
in the industry) make it a hostile
environment in which to run a shop.
20 smallish rasbora (3cm or so).
My tank coped admirably.
So yeah, I guess in theory you can
do it. Plants uptake ammonium
directly as a food source (they
actually have to convert nitrates
back into ammonium in order to
utilise it), so as long as they’re
established and there’s ample flow
and circulation in the tank, then it
should work. I’ll still always run a
filter ‘just in case’ though.

DO AQUASCAPERS REALLY
NEED FILTERS?
I’m hoping you can answer
something that’s been on my mind.
We all know that plants eat up fish
waste, and that planted aquascapes
have a huge amount of planting
compared to the number of fish in
them. So does that mean I can run
a tank without a filter? And if not,
IN PRAISE OF LIVE FOOD
I wanted to thank you, and
especially Gabor Horvath, for your
recent feature on breeding live
foods. I’m a bit of a hoarder and
I’m unable to throw out my old,
scratched tanks – they’ve been
clogging up my shed and parts of
the garden for years.

just how much planting would I
need to stop needing a filter?
Gary Sneddon, email
NATHAN REPLIES: I’ve had a
situation where I accidentally left a
filter off over a whole weekend in a
planted ‘scape, and only noticed
when I spotted there was less flow
and a little more debris on the base
than usual. Obviously, I panicked
and tested the water straightaway –
only to find zero ammonia or nitrite.
That was in a 99 l tank with a LOT
After reading Gabor’s piece, I
cleaned up two of them to put in a
sunny spot in the garden, and
bought myself a couple of bags of
Daphnia and Cyclops to grow in
them. After a slow start where
nothing happened for the first week,
they had a bloom of life and now I
have more than enough wriggling
things to treat my fish to a daily live
feed. They love it!
I’m now awaiting a delivery of
microworms I bought online, and
have my porridge oats at the ready!
GABOR HORVATH
ABOVE: Gabor’s With all the live food they’re now
simple infusoria getting, I don’t think it will be long
set-up. before my Kribensis start to spawn,
so I want to be ready for it!
R Marsh, email
GLASSY EYED
I was fascinated by Tai Strietman’s
glassfish tank in the October issue of
PFK and have now decided I want to
set one up for myself. My only
question is, where can I get quality
glassfish from?
I don’t feel brave enough ordering
online, knowing that there are so
many injected ones out there, and
my local stores all seem to have
quite tatty fish. I’m based not far
from Derby.
Jenny Sands, email

NATHAN REPLIES: I think Tai’s fish

came from a Maidenhead Aquatics,
and I believe there’s a Derby branch
worth a visit. If you get no joy there,
LEFT: give Wharf Aquatics at Pinxton a try.
Aquascapes – Phone up in advance and if they
the ultimate haven’t got any, I bet the guys there
veg filter. will happily order some in for you.

40 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 Write to us at Practical Fishkeeping, Bauer Media, Media House, Lynchwood
Business Park, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE2 6EA
THE VOICE OF YOUTH
I was reading the November issue of
Practical Fishkeeping and I found
the opinion piece on young people
in (or rather, not in) the fishkeeping
hobby very interesting.
I’m a 20-year-old living in Ireland
and while I’m fairly new to this
hobby, I like to think I still
qualify as ‘young blood’,
so I thought I might
give my own take on
the topic.
The article touched
briefly on what I think
is the key issue – cost.
Fishkeeping is a hobby
that, particularly when starting out,
requires a great deal of investment,
not only in money, but also in time.
I must have spent hours on end
researching before I even bought a
single thing. The set-up itself has
cost me the equivalent of two or
three smartphones.
However I consider myself very
Tai is clearly an
inspiration to
fish keepers.
STARTING WITH CLUE 5 GUESS THE FISH USING AS FEW CLUES AS POSSIBLE
5 This fish is probably the best known
of all the species highlighted by the
Big Fish Campaign, which seeks to stop
their trade for home tanks.
privileged to be able to take on that
cost. I work part time, along with
university, but I’m also able to live WE ASKED...
in my family home, so I pay very If you had to choose, which
little in rent or utilities. Many way would you go?
students are renting or living in
on-campus accommodation, many º CLEARWATER TANKS
of which don’t allow fish tanks due
º BLACKWATER TANKS
to the risk of water damage. Even if
they did, many students then
return home for the summer
YOU SAID...
and transporting a fish
tank of any size is
Leer of something of an ordeal.
For younger children 62%
the Month and teenagers still in 62%
primary or secondary CLEARWATER WINS!
education, the barrier is 38%
still monetary cost for many. They
don’t have jobs, so their parents
must foot the bill, and attempting to
convince most parents that you
need to spend more than £50 on a
fish is a task in and of itself.
Not to mention that many of us
have had fish in the past – a goldfish
perhaps, in a 10-litre bowl. It died
after a week or six months or a year,
and we convinced ourselves that we
must be fish murderers, and
shouldn’t put any more living
creatures in such perilous hands
ever again. This was my experience,
until I tentatively began to look back
into the hobby again. The typical
childhood experience of fishkeeping,
except for those with parents in the
know, is often lacklustre.
That said, I know quite a few
people my age who would certainly
be interested in the hobby – just not
right now. Much like having any pet,
many of us simply have to wait until
circumstances become favourable.
I certainly plan on upgrading once
I’m older – once I have a house, and
a career to pay for it. Who knows
when that will be, but I’m hopeful it
could happen some day.
Alex Twyford, email
4 As well as natural forms, there are
now multiple hybrids of this fish
in circulation, most of which have
3 While best suited to public aquaria,
the young of these fish are often
sold very cheaply as ‘kittens’ in the
2 Though it looks quite predatory,
it actually feeds on a mixture of
fish, fallen fruits and invertebrates,
1 The largest-ever specimen of this
fish was measured at 134cm long
and weighed over 40kg. They are
terrible deformities. hobby to unwary aquarists. including freshwater crabs. rumoured to get even larger in the wild!
(Answer on Tailpiece, page 114)
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 41
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TROPICAL
Rummynose tetra

The
Rummynose
Trio
Some of the planet’s prettiest fish are right under our noses.
Time to take a fresh look at the familiar Rummynose tetra trio.
WORDS: STEVE BAKER

44 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 NEIL HEPWORTH

A Rummynose tetra
– but which of
the three is it?

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 45
TROPICAL
Rummynose tetra
T
HE DOWNSIDE of
being a household
favourite is that it’s
very easy to become
overlooked. You can
hang the most beautiful
painting in your hallway
and you’ll stand and
stare at it many times during the first
month. If it’s lucky, there might be
appreciative glances for a few months
more before it becomes part of the
scenery. Other people, laying eyes on
it for the first time, will be quick to
show their enthusiasm, which might
even re-ignite your love for the
painting. Eventually, though, you just
get used to having it around and it no
longer gets the attention it deserves.
There are quite a few tropical
favourites I can think of that have
fallen foul of the same issue as that
painting. At least they have for me,
which almost makes me feel envious
of new fishkeepers. It would be
great to have that excitement all
over again!
If I’d never seen a Rummynose
tetra before, I’d be amazed at the
sight of them – they’re a stunning,
bright, active fish, and renowned as
one of the best shoaling fish in the
trade. The red nose steals the show,
46 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
but I’m just as taken by the flag-
striped caudal fin myself.
We see Rummynose tetras for sale Because of its bolder head
in nearly all aquatics shops now and markings, H. belheri is most
it’s been that way for years on end. desired and also the most
They’re regarded as a trop tank commonly sold of the
staple and many think they’re well three species.
worth the small extra cost over
tetras like Neons and Glowlights.
So, Rummynose tetras are lovely,
shoaling community fish, but once
you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them
all, right?
Wrong! There are three described
species that get sold under the
common name of Rummynose
tetra. Even if you see the scientific
name displayed on the pricing label,
it may be incorrect as identification
at the exporter stage is rather
unreliable, and nearly all imports are
listed as Hemigrammus rhodostomus,
rightly or wrongly.
No need to panic, though. It’s not
as if any of the Rummynose species
When you’ve
seen one, you’ve
seen them all,
right? Wrong!
grows into a 2ft-long, tooth-wielding ABOVE:
predator, and there’s very little Bright shades
to tell them apart either physically of red are
or behaviourally. encouraged by a
varied diet.
A very shiny nose LEFT:
So, what do we need to know about H. rhodostomus
keeping these Rudolph-like pisces? fights down a
The three species in question are bloodworm.
Hemigrammus rhodostomus, H. bleheri
and Petitella georgiae. They all RIGHT:
Although the red
overlap in Brazil as far as distribution
heads of these
is concerned, and they’re all happy
MP&C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM
fish are duller,
in very similar conditions. In nature their stripy tails
all three species are found in forest stand out.
streams and rivers adorned with
fallen tree trunks, branches, twigs
and leaves that have got soaked and
come to rest over a muddy or sandy
 Don’t forget their greens. Rummynoses are unlikely
to tear a slice of cucumber apart, but they’ll nibble the
edges of lettuce and blanched spinach leaves
base. Both the Hemigrammus species
are found more often in blackwater
conditions, where tannins have
leached from the sunken flora and
stained the water like tea. Tannic
and humic acids leach and lower the
MP&C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM
pH of these forest streams. Micro
fauna is abundant in the layers of
leaf litter as bacterial and enzyme
action breaks down the organic
flotsam. Simple life forms such as
rotifers and copepods feed on the
bacteria, in turn being eaten by fish
MP&C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM
who are used to prepared foods.
It’s well worth providing a wide
variety of foods though. Not only
will it boost health and vitality, but a
varied diet will also go a long way to
keeping those red noses bright.
Feeding regularly with live or frozen
Cyclops, Daphnia, black mosquito
larvae and small brineshrimp will
keep them happy and bright. It will
also help if the dry food contains
carotenoids (a natural red colour
enhancer) and don’t forget their
greens either. Rummynoses are
unlikely to tear a slice of cucumber
MP&C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM
apart, but they’ll nibble the edges of
lettuce and blanched spinach leaves
– or just make sure their dried diet
Rummynoses are includes some vegetable matter.
regarded as top In terms of aquarium equipment,
shoalers. Rummynoses are undemanding.
They need the right temperature,
basic filtration, some form of hide or
and other higher life forms. cover, and little else. Being small,
These three omnivores efficient fish, these tetras
have small mouths, so we don’t produce much in the
need to supply small way of physical waste
food particles for and they’re quite
them. They will Having larger but peaceful adaptable to
happily eat fish (like Festivum cichlids) will different flow
dried diets such encourage shoaling fish to rates, so any style
as flake food and swim together more of filter will suffice
micro granules – as long as it’s suited
tightly.
nearly all Rummynose to the size of your tank.
tetras for sale in aquatics Lighting isn’t essential but
shops will be tank-bred fish it helps us to admire our fish.
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 47
TROPICAL
Rummynose tetra
Their natural habitats are dimly lit;
the tannin-stained water blocks out
the sun quickly if it manages to
penetrate the forest canopy, but
these tank-raised tetras are quite
happy in brighter set-ups as long
as there’s planting or some other
cover, and they look great against
a background of different greens.
If you’re going with a well-lit
tank, it’s advisable to use a dark
substrate to contrast with the
fishes’ markings. Pale substrates
reflect the light and tend to wash
their colours out, so go for black
MP&C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM
sintered glass, gravel, black sand
or a dark planting substrate.
Another thing that limits the
Rummynoses’ colour vibrancy is
hard, alkaline water conditions,
48 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
and these will have an overall
effect on the long-term health and
life expectancy of your fish, as well
as their colouring. The natural pH
range of all three species spans
from neutral (pH 7.0) down to an
acidity of pH 5.5. With most of
these fish being tank-bred. they’re
more adaptable, but you should still
provide a pH no higher than 7.5.
Tankmates
When it comes to tankmates, the
most difficult part for you will be
making decisions.
The three Rummynose species
are peaceful fish. Occasionally
they’ll have disputes within their
own shoal, but these rarely end
with any physical damage. One
limiting factor, though, is water
values – there may be no argument
between a Rummynose and a
guppy, but they won’t suit the
same conditions.
The other thing is simply not to
mix them with any fish that may
pose a threat to them. Being
slender tetras, I would avoid most
fish of 10cm or more. While there
are larger fish with small mouths,
like Festivum cichlids, many bigger
fish will revel in a taste of tetra.
Often with shoaling fish, it’s more
effective to focus on one species in
an aquarium and go for numbers.
A shoal of 20 Rummynose tetras
will have much more visual impact
than four groups of five different
fish, and they’ll shoal tighter too.
 FACTFILE
HEAD TAIL
RUMMYNOSE TETRA The red is a far stronger colour The true Rummynose has well-defined
6Scientific name: Hemigrammus than in Petitella georgiae. It covers markings on the caudal fin that may
rhodostomus the head, not just surrounding the bleed partly, but narrowly, into the
6Pronunciation: Hemi-gram-us eye, but confined to the head, not body. This can be more reliable than
road-oh-stow-mus extending to the trunk of the body. head colouring, which is more likely to
6Origin: Venezuela and Brazil: lower alter with mood and condition.
Amazon and Rio Orinoco basins
6Size: 5cm
6Tank size: 60x30x30cm for six (54 l)
6Water requirements: 5.5-7.0 pH,
2-15°H
6Temperature: 24-27°C
6Feeding: Flakes, microgranules, small
live and frozen foods
6Availability and cost: Very common;
around £3.50 each

54 l+

FACTFILE
HEAD TAIL
FIREHEAD TETRA If the red head markings extend to Hemigrammus bleheri displays three
6Scientific name: Hemigrammus the body, then it’s Hemigrammus broken, dark bars on the caudal fin.
bleheri bleheri – however, when stressed, Markings do bleed slightly into the
6Pronunciation: Hemi-gram-us this colour will fade and differences caudal peduncle (or wrist), but do not
blair-eye will be far less obvious. In general, extend to the body.
6Origin: Brazil and Colombia: Rio Negro the red colouring is stronger than
and Rio Meta seen on P. georgiae.
6Size: 5cm
6Tank size: 60x30x30cm for six (54 l)
6Water requirements: 5.5-7.0 pH,
2-15°H
6Temperature: 23-26°C
6Feeding: Flakes, microgranules, small
live and frozen foods
6Availability and cost: Commonly sold as
true Rummynose; around £3.50 each

54 l+

FACTFILE
HEAD TAIL
FALSE RUMMYNOSE The head colouration on the false Three solid dark markings are present
6Scientific name: Petitella georgiae Rummynose is less vibrant than on the tail of the false Rummynose.
6Pronunciation: Pet-it-ella george- either of the other species and Contrary to the others, a wide central
ee-aye concentrated around the eye and marking extends well in to the body
6Origin: Peru and Brazil: Rio Purus, Rio mouth. Being less colourful in the – an obvious sign for identification.
Negro and Rio Madeira head means P. georgiae is generally
6Size: 5cm the least desirable Rummynose.
6Tank size: 60x30x30cm for six (54 l)
6Water requirements: 5.5-7.0 pH,
1-12°H
6Temperature: 22-26°C
ILLUSTRATIONS: STEVE HALL-MAXTED

6Feeding: Flakes, microgranules, small

live and frozen foods
6Availability and cost: Often sold as
true Rummynose; around £3.50 each

54 l+

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 49
SPECIES SHOWCASE
Halfbeaks

H They’re odd looking, fragile and like to wrestle each other.

But Gabor Horvath says they’re well worth the effort.

GABOR
HOVARTH
A Hungarian
aquarist now living
in the UK, Gabor is a
prolific fish breeder,
project undertaker
and writer.

50 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
T
HERE ARE beautiful
fish and even more
beautiful fish. There’s
no such a thing as an
ugly fish – I prefer to
call them odd.
The halfbeak family,
hemiramphidae, got
more than its fair share of oddity,
with overgrown lower jaws and
rugged heads – just take a closer
look at them. Most of the halfbeaks
are marine species, but there are a
few interesting livebearer ones that
spend their lives in freshwater or
brackish-water environments.
The halfbeaks available in the
market share many similarities, but
there are still some significant
differences between them that you
need to consider if you want to keep
and breed them successfully.
The freshwater halfbeaks most
frequently sold in the UK belong to
the genera Dermogenys and
Nomorhamphus, and here we’ll be
looking at the former of those.
These slender pike-like fish had
been on my aquarist bucket list for
ages, but for some reason I couldn’t
get hold of any. Then my luck
changed and I spotted a nice group
of Wrestling halfbeaks at the JMC
Aquatics’ stand at the Aqua Telford
show. Fortunately they let me have
10 of them (thank you, Jane!) and
I could begin my halfbeak project.
I’ve learned a lot about these
interesting and very loveable fish in
the past few months, so now it’s
time to share this knowledge.
The trio
The genus Dermogenys includes
several species, such as D. pusilla,
D. sumatrana and D. siamensis.
The smallest and the least colourful
of the trio is Dermogenys siamensis,
barely reaching 4cm in length. In the
other two species, the females can
grow up to 7cm while the males stay
a little smaller, peaking at 5cm.
Colour-wise, the two larger
species are quite similar, with the
GABOR HOVARTH
Odd but not ugly.
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 51
SPECIES SHOWCASE
Halfbeaks
males sporting orange or reddish
dorsal and anal fins. The easiest way
to tell them apart is based on the
position of the ventral fins. In the
case of the true Wrestling halfbeak,
Dermogenys pusilla, they’re
positioned around midway between
the pelvic and the anal fin, while
Dermogenys sumatrana has them
closer to the anal fin.
Wrestling halfbeaks can vary
greatly in body colour, from the
‘natural’ silvery brown, through to
gold, and to the almost white
‘platinum’ variety. All three
Dermogenys species mentioned
make appearances from time to time
in the shops, and all are traded
under the collective name of
Wrestling halfbeak.
Fish that feed on foods that
drop into their habitat from
elsewhere are called
allochthonous feeders.
Natural fighters
The ‘wrestling’ moniker originates
from the males’ keenness to get
involved in territorial disputes with
their rivals – a behaviour that’s
especially prominent in wild-caught
fish. Those long beaks serve a
purpose – to decide who’s boss they
grab each other’s beak and try to
wrestle down their opponents.
These fights can sometimes last
over an hour, especially in the
confined spaces of aquaria.
In the fishes’ countries of origin,
people use them for fish-fights,
with bets placed on the outcomes,
just as happens elsewhere with
Siamese fighting fish. In aquaria
this fighting spirit is unwanted, but
with clever positioning of tank
FACTFILE
WRESTLING HALFBEAK
6Scientific name: Dermogenys pusilla
6Pronunciation: Durr-mow-gen-iss pew-sill-ah
6Size: Females to 7cm, males to 5cm
Origin: Many countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam,
6
Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and India
Habitat: Usually slow or still waters, canals, rivers, lakes
6
and ponds
6Tank size: 90x45x30cm for a small group
Water requirements: Close to neutral – 6.5 to 7.5pH,
6
hardness 5-15°H
6Temperature: 23-26°C
6Temperament: Males will spar with
each other (wild fish more so),
otherwise peaceful
120 l+
6Feeding: Dried and frozen surface-
floating foods; flakes and pellets,
bloodworm, mosquito larvae and Daphnia
6Availability and cost: Relatively common;
starting around £3 each
 MP&C PIEDNOIR AQUAPRESS
The ‘natural’ silvery
brown male (below) and
female (above).

Bloodworm is a Halfbeaks are very interesting and

favourite food.
challenging fish to keep and breed. I
can strongly recommend them to those
wanting something different
decor we can significantly reduce among this surface greenery, waiting
fight frequency by breaking up lines for an occasional insect to fall in.
of sight and dividing the tank into Their elongated lower jaw and
MP&C PIEDNOIR AQUAPRESS

distinct territories. up-facing mouth enables them to

My fish are fortunately quite quickly pluck the unfortunate fly
docile, as they were probably from the surface.
tank-bred, so most of the time their To keep them in peak condition we
sparring only goes as far as a bit of should provide them with a similar
fin-flaring and mouth-gaping. environment and diet in the fish
Sometimes the females also join tank. As Halfbeaks, especially
in the territorial disputes, but those belonging to the
those don’t last for long. Dermogenys genus, tend to
The plentiful floating stay near the top, the
plants (Salvinia) amount of surface
in my tank area is much
definitely help more important
to reduce than the height
aggression, as of the aquarium.
they break up the A fish tank with a
lines of sight and also 90x45cm base and a
offer a retreat for the tight-fitting cover is perfect
weaker fish. to house a small group of them.
They’re very adaptable and can be
Making a home kept in a range of water conditions,
The natural habitats of the so long as the extremes are avoided
Dermogenys halfbeaks include and the water quality is pristine.
slow-moving rivers and still waters Fill up their tank with water
in South-East Asia. Most of these around 23-26°C, with a hardness of
biotopes have dense vegetation, 5-15° and keep it close to neutral –
GABOR HOVARTH

with floating plants or submerged 6.5-7.5pH – and you should have no

plants reaching up to the surface. problems. Keep the parameters
Halfbeaks spend most of their time steady, as these fish can be sensitive

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 53
SPECIES SHOWCASE
Halfbeaks
to sudden changes in both acidity
and temperature.
Sometimes, halfbeaks can be found food and they’ll become braver.
in brackish habitats in the wild, and
to mimic this some aquarists put a
little aquarium salt into their water.
It’s not essential though, and every
species discussed here will happily
live and breed in completely
freshwater tanks at the parameters
listed above as well.
Decoration-wise, they’re
not very fussy. Basically,
they don’t care about
anything below
their eye level. Keep your halfbeaks
When choosing high temperatures
decor avoid hard speed up spawning
rocks and other similar
blunt objects, which could
damage their beaks.
Beak injuries are quite frequent,
as halfbeaks are easily spooked.
When startled, they dart around the
tank like tiny missiles, hitting the
glass or jumping out of the water
altogether. So for the first few days
after their arrival, be very careful
when approaching their tank.
Use lots of floating plants or other
vegetation reaching the surface to
help relieve this initial stress. Dense
floating vegetation also helps if you
want to breed them, as it provides
protection for the newborn fry.
54 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
Persevere and in time your fish will
learn that your appearance means
My Wrestling halfbeaks are always
the first to get to the food now,
frequently poking my fingers with
their beaks to release their favourite
treat of bloodworm.
Feeding and tankmates
Halfbeaks are not very picky
eaters, as in nature they
would grab anything
edible falling into the
water, be that a
at worm, insect
to or plant.
If you imitate this
cycles. natural variety by
feeding a range of frozen
meals – bloodworm, Artemia
or DIY frozen food – as well as
flakes, floating granules and live
foods such as Daphnia, mosquito
larvae and fruitfly, they will be
eternally grateful. The only thing to
remember is that if the food sinks
further than 15cm or so from the
surface, the halfbeaks will rarely
bother to follow it. To avoid water
pollution, it’s a good idea to keep
some cleaning crew with them to
pick up these falling morsels.
Despite the pike-like, predatory
appearance of halfbeaks they’re
BELOW: generally peaceful and can be kept
You can see well together with similarly sized
where the beak community fish. Avoid boisterous
will develop fish as tankmates, as halfbeaks won’t
from in the fry.
withstand even light harrassment.
Also avoid excessively small fish
(like Boraras microrasbora), because
they may be considered as dinner.
I house my halfbeaks with Peacock
gobies, Tateurndina ocellicauda, and
it’s a match made in heaven – the
halfbeaks always stay near to the
surface, while the gobies occupy the
lower regions, breeding away.
Corydoras catfish, mollies, platies,
small rainbowfish and deep-bodied
tetras are all suitable tankmates.
Baby ‘beaks
Dermogenys halfbeaks are livebearers,
but probably the hardest of the
halfbeaks to breed. Even when
successfully bred, the brood is quite
small, consisting of only six to 20
youngsters after a 26-42 day gestation
period, dependent on temperature.
The difficulty isn’t getting them
pregnant, as mature males make
constant use of their andropodium
– a modified fin-ray used as a
MP&C PIEDNOIR AQUAPRESS
reproductive organ, much like those
of guppies – to ensure progeny.
The problem is that females will
give birth prematurely if frightened,
or produce stillborn fry despite
 GABOR HOVARTH
being given the best possible care. takes a few weeks before they begin frozen fare. Among the members of ABOVE:
One reason often given for this is to fully resemble their parents. the first group, half of the fish Fry look
the lack of certain vitamins in the Since my first success I’ve had became somehow deformed and suprisingly
normal, not even
adults’ diet. I’ve always tried my best several broods, the largest consisting even the rest remained much
quarterbeak.
to provide my fish with rich food, of 14 fry. Luckily I didn’t experience smaller than the ‘lucky’ fry in the
which included regular portions of any of the pregnancy issues, probably second group. They obviously BELOW:
black mosquito larvae from my due to the extra care taken around wouldn’t make ideal breeding stock. Less striking,
water butt. Nevertheless, I was still a water changes and a varied diet. Wrestling halfbeaks are interesting but the natural
bit nervous when I saw two of my The latter is a key factor to success. and challenging fish to keep and strain is more
females getting progressively I did a small experiment to see the breed. I can strongly recommend colourful.
plumper, which is a sure sign of an effect of feeding on the development them to those wanting something a
ongoing pregnancy. of the juveniles. I divided one lot of little different. If you’re prepared to
I’d read contrasting reports about fry into two, feeding the first group go the extra mile and treat them
adults preying on their fry, so to with high-quality dry food only, and well, I’m sure these happy halfbeaks
ensure the survival of the offspring, the second with a variety of live and will give you a smile.
I moved one of the females to a
well-planted separation tank when I
thought the time was right, and
divided my breeding aquarium into
two with a hard plastic mesh to
protect the newborns.
I must have guessed the timing
right, as next morning I found eight
tiny silver ‘splinters’ hiding among
the vegetation. Compared to the fry
of common livebearer types like
platies, these were quite large at
around 6-8mm long. This meant
feeding them caused no problem at
all, as they accepted newly hatched
MP&C PIEDNOIR AQUAPRESS

Artemia and powdered floating

flakes straight away.
Interestingly the newborn fry of
the halfbeaks have no beaks yet –
they just look like a ‘normal’ fish. It

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 55
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 ADVICE
Answers
Got a fishkeeping question? PFK’s crack team of aquatics experts
are on hand to answer whatever you need to know...
questions@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
Win
The Question of the
Month gets a Tetra
goodie box!

THE EXPERTS
TROPICAL
DR PETER
BURGESS
Is answering all your
disease questions and
suggests what to do about a shark with
a suspected tumour on page 59.

BOB
MEHEN
Is answering all your
community questions
and considers why aquatics shops don’t
sell ready-matured filters on page 56.

NATHAN
HILL
Is answering all your
planted tank questions
and tackles the difference between
liquids and carbon dioxide on page 63.

How do I encourage my catfish out?

JEREMY
GAY Please do you have any tips for tempting my
Raphael catfish to come out during the day?
Is answering all your
cichlid questions and I have had him in a 450 l/100 gal large fish
discusses breeding Electric blue Jack community with rainbows and barbs for about
Dempseys on page 57. five weeks now, but he has wedged himself into
a cave and all I’ve seen of him so far is his tail!
I presume he’s coming out at night to feed, but
NEALE it must be long after I’ve retired to bed as I’ve
MONKS sat up after lights out and he hasn’t moved.
PHIL THOMAS, EMAIL
Is answering all your
biotope questions and
BOB REPLIES: As you are discovering, ‘talking
looks at setting up a species tank for
Bumblebee gobies on page 58.
catfish’ such as the Striped Raphael or Humbug
catfish (usually Platydoras armatulus), are
incredibly secretive, almost entirely nocturnal
encouraged to become a little more sociable
with the right incentive, and I’ve always found
they will stir from their hiding place – even
during daylight – for a tasty treat, with
bloodworm seeming to be a favourite.
Gamma-irradiated frozen bloodworm is the
best choice, being safe from the possibility of
introducing something nasty to your tank,
unlike the live alternative. Simply defrost a
cube, drop it into the tank and see what
happens. Your other fish will probably grab
most of it, so you may need to add a couple of
cubes worth. If your lights are on a timer then
it’s best to add the cubes just before the lights
switch off as the catfish is likely to be waking,
MP&C PIEDNOIR AQUAPRESS

fish seldom seen out during daylight hours. To ready for its usual nocturnal scavenging.
DAVID many catfish fanatics, me included, this is part It may take a few attempts to convince the
WOLFENDEN of their charm – the fact that you might not see catfish that it’s worth braving daylight, so it can
Is answering all your your bashful charges for weeks, even months at also be worth dropping some in just after ‘lights
marine fish questions, a time, only for them to suddenly make an out’ and watching to see its reaction. Use a
and explains how to set up a small, unexpected, show-stopping reappearance! torch covered with a red film so that you can
temperate reef tank on page 62. However, like most of us they can be see the catfish, but it can’t see you.
❯
EXPERT AQUARIUM CARE WITH OUR DIGITAL Every question we receive gets a reply from our
experts. Include as much information as you
WATER TEST APP, DOWNLOAD HERE: can about your set-up. Photos are useful, too. 57
ADVICE Answers

TROPICAL

Question of
the Month

TETRA PRIZE
Philip wins a box of Tetra goodies:
100ml TetraMin and TetraPro Colour foods,
Holiday Food, Pleco Algae Wafers,
FunTips Tablets, 100ml SafeStart,
EasyBalance and AquaSafe water treatments
and Tetra Test 6 in 1.
JACQUES PORTAL
Why don’t shops sell
ready-matured filters?
I’m completely new to the aquarium hobby and have just cycled my first 90 l/20 gal
freshwater tank after a long period of research and conflicting advice. After weeks
of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate testing I can’t wait to stock my tank, and dream of
tackling the bigger set-ups and more exotic fish detailed in PFK every month.
As a beginner, this may be a stupid question, but why do aquarium shops not sell
already cycled ‘secondary’ filters that could be added to a new tank?
PHILIP CAMPBELL, NORTHERN IRELAND
BOB REPLIES: It’s great to hear of a new hobbyist thoroughly researching before
taking the plunge; many people dive straight in with disastrous consequences.
I’ve often wondered the same thing myself regarding cycled filters and media as
clearly it would make things far more straightforward, as well as allowing
newcomers to the hobby to add fish safely much sooner.
Many years ago, I knew of a shop that did more or less what you suggest by
offering mature filter media for customers buying a new filter. However, this
initiative was short-lived. When I asked the retailer in question why they’d stopped,
they explained that it was hard enough trying to get people to cycle their tanks
before adding fish, and when they tried to sell the mature media, newcomers often
thought it was some sort of con – ‘dirty’ secondhand media being handed over and
the lovely, ‘fresh’, clean new media that came with the filter being taken by the
shop! It all comes down to a lack of research by the customer.
There is also the practicality of keeping lots of mature media alive for the
purpose, especially when most shops sell a wide range of filter types and sizes, and
foam media tends to be cut to a specific size.
At the end of the day I suspect that this worthy and useful idea is just too tricky to
implement, and it’s easier for shops to sell a customer wanting accelerated stocking
a ‘bacteria in a bottle’ product and recommend low initial stock levels of hardy fish.

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58 FOR HEALTHY FISH PE2 6EA. Email us at questions@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
 MARINE
Why is this media clumping?
I have an issue with the sump I’m
building. I have designated one of
the sections for K1 media, but after
adding the K1, I’ve found that the
media remains at the surface and
doesn’t move or tumble.
I have a large circular air stone
attached to a Blagdon Koi pump
which appears to produce enough
water turbulence. I have tried
moving this around but the pieces
of K1 media just become stacked
up on one another in a clump.
I have included a photo (right)
taken from above the sump to
hopefully give you an idea of what is
happening. Any advice would be
greatly appreciated.
DUNCAN GILL, EMAIL
JEREMY REPLIES: The K1 in the
photograph looks pure white and
brand new, and when it’s in that
TROPICAL
state it will sit on top of itself at the
surface and not move. It will take
several days of soaking to bring it
down lower into the water where
it should be, or you can use a
maturation gel to coat the media,
also aiding sinking.
Some long-term users also
‘mature’ K1 with potassium
permanganate, a medication, which
coats the media and provides a key
for the bacteria to stick to.
One common issue with K1 is
actually using too much in relation
to fish load. K1 loves load (it comes
from the waste water industry) but
using too much can mean
maturation takes longer and the
eventual biofilm is too thin (again
causing floating issues.)
DUNCAN GILL
Start with just a few litres of K1
and mature that first, then add a
little more at a time if required.
Will these fish
breed true?
I would like to keep a pair of Electric blue Jack
Dempseys. Please could you tell me what size tank
I would need and how to get a pair?
Do they breed true? How should I furnish their
tank and what should I feed the babies on?
ROBERT SCOTT, EMAIL
JEREMY REPLIES: Electric blue Jack Dempseys are
hybrids and differ in head and body shape. They also
won’t breed true, so some people pair them with a
natural Jack Dempsey instead. Adult males will
reach 20cm in length, with females smaller.
A nice long-term home for a pair would be a tank
in the region of 120x50x45cm, although I have bred
medium-sized Jack Dempseys in a 75cm-long tank.
Provide lots of substrate with rocks, wood and slate
laid horizontally as they will dig everything up, and
choose spawning sites and spare pits to move the fry
to once hatched. Place a sponge over any filter inlets
to prevent the fry being sucked in.
I’ve raised Jack Dempseys on crushed flake food,
which the parents then chew up further and present
to the fry, but if I were doing it professionally and
wanted fast growth, I would start them on newly
hatched Artemia, and feed several times a day.
NEIL HEPWORTH
Calanus is good too, and you will see the little bellies
of the fry turning pink from feeding on it.
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TROPICAL
How do I set up a biotope for Bumblebees?
I have a tank that holds roughly 80 l/
18 gal and I'd like to set it up as a
single-species tank to keep Bumblebee
gobies. I'd like to reflect the habitat they
come from as much as possible so what
would you recommend in terms of water
parameters, furnishing and so on?
How many will I be able to keep in a
tank of this size please?
ANNIE MATTHEWS, EMAIL
NEALE SAYS: Defining the right habitat
for Bumblebee gobies is tricky for two
main reasons. The first is that most
species are distributed across a range of
environments, from blackwater streams
to brackish mangrove swamps. In some
cases, there are distinct populations, so
you can get one batch of a given species
that thrives in a normal freshwater tank,
another batch that needs a bit of salt to
stay healthy, while a third does better in
soft and acidic blackwater conditions.
The second problem is that there are
numerous Brachygobius species that
have been referred to as Bumblebee
gobies over the years, and little or no
effort is made to properly identify them
on collection. So what you’ll see in your
local fish shop could be one of several
similar-looking species. Ichthyologists
have gone so far as to state that the only
way to safely identify Brachygobius
species is by looking at their DNA.
The Bumblebees you’ll see in aquatics
shops are most likely to be one of two
Southeast Asian species, Brachygobius
doriae and B. sabanus. Since both
species occur in freshwater and
brackish water habitats, and have the
same preference for small live and
EVERYTHING YOU NEED
60 FOR HEALTHY FISH
NEIL HEPWORTH
frozen foods, distinguishing between Air-powered sponge filters are ideal, ABOVE:
them isn’t particularly important, and and if the water currents are gentle, you Bumblebee
there are, in fact, lookalike species can use live Daphnia and Artemia to gobies are
from the same general area, such as feed these fish with ease, and it’s small and full
Brachygobius kabiliensis, that may get usually feeding, not water chemistry, of character. A
imported from time to time. You could that makes or breaks Bumblebee goby biotope setting
set up the tank as a freshwater system systems. Most Bumblebees that die will suit them
or brackish water system as you prefer, prematurely do so from lack of food, best.
though medium hardness water with a not water chemistry, so while
neutral pH and a specific gravity discussions about their natural habitat
between 1.001 and 1.002 is are important, you shouldn’t
probably a good default. worry too much if you can’t
Regardless of water ID the specimens in
chemistry, both these front of you – instead
gobies come from focus on ensuring
streams filled with your gobies get
vegetation and One species you won’t see on sale regular offerings of
decaying wood, so a is Brachygobius xanthozona – the healthy live foods.
planted tank and fish most often seen in books. In the right tank
lots of driftwood is Now called Hypogymnogobius these gobies are
what you’re after. not difficult to keep
xanthozona, it is very rare
Most plants tolerant of and can be very
hard water will put up in the wild. rewarding, especially
with a little salt without once they start spawning
complaint, but hardy and you get to watch the males
Cryptocoryne species are perhaps the look after their offspring.
most authentic for this situation, such As far as stocking goes, 40-45 l/9-10
as C. wendtii, or the brackish-water gal is probably ample for your first
specialist C. ciliata. half dozen specimens, and you’ll want
Snail shells, ceramic caves, or hollow to allow another 5-6 l/1-1.5 gal per
ornaments of whatever kind will all be additional specimen, with the proviso
used as shelter, with the males being that you provide plenty of caves and
very protective of their home territories, visual obstructions to ensure the males
as well as any eggs produced after aren’t fighting all the time.
spawning. Plants and wooden roots help You also need to keep a group, not
to break up the territories, ensuring just two or three specimens, to ensure
rival males can keep out of each other’s any territorial aggression is spread out
way. The females are less territorial and and hopefully diluted by the presence
may even form loose schools at times. of a sufficient number of females.
Since these gobies are so small, they So your 80 l/18 gal tank should
don’t require a lot of filtration or space. comfortably hold a dozen or so fish.
Send your questions to: Fishkeeping Answers,
Practical Fishkeeping Magazine, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough,
PE2 6EA. Email us at questions@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

HEALTH
Does my shark have a tumour?
I have a Red tail black shark that is around
five years old. I got him when he was very
small and until recently he was developing
and growing well. But around six months
ago a lump started to grow on his upper left
flank. It has continued to get larger and is
now quite a size.
I’m assuming it is some sort of tumour.
He is in a 200 l/44 gal mixed community
tank that is well established and all his
tankmates are healthy and active. Is there
any danger of the growth bursting and
damaging the other fish in the tank?
I’m wondering at what point euthanasia
might be appropriate. He eats well and his
behaviour is unchanged. There are no
secondary infections such as finrot, fungus
or dropsy, swimbladder fine, so I don’t think
he is under any particular distress at the
moment. I’d appreciate your advice.
HOWARD DAVIES, EMAIL
PETER SAYS: I agree this fish has some
sort of tumour. The slow growth of the lump
is typical of many tumours and, as you say,
the fish appears to shows no other signs of
ill-health and no obvious infections.
Unfortunately, although the photos you
sent were very helpful, we are unable to say
what type of tumour is causing the lump. To
categorise the tumour would require taking
a sample of the growth and examining the
tissue under a microscope (using special
chemical stains), which would be expensive
and won’t affect the outcome anyway, given
that we have no medications to combat
tumours in fish.
Depending on the type of tumour, it could
spread to other parts of the fish’s body, or it
may stay as a single mass. It could grow even
larger and start to push or press on vital
organs, causing significant harm or death.
Or it may stop growing and cause no further
discomfort or damage. On the plus side, the
tumour won’t harm your other fish, even if it
bursts. And the chances are it won’t burst.
So, my advice is to do nothing, other than
closely monitor the fish for any signs of
abnormal activity, such as unusual
swimming behaviour (including difficulty in
swimming), lethargy, loss of appetite and so
on. If it develops any of these abnormalities
then that may be the time to consider having
it put to sleep to prevent pain or distress.
Also, ensure that none of the other fish in
the tank are bothering it.
HOWARD DAVIES
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COLDWATER
ALAMY
Can I keep a
young Pike?
Please can you tell me whether it is
possible to keep a young native Pike
of approximately 15cm in an aquarium,
just over the winter? If so, what should
I feed it?
SHAUN BUCKLEY, EMAIL
JEREMY ADVISES: If overwintering a
native Pike, I would actually do it
outside, perhaps placing the aquarium
in an unheated garage or shed. The
inside room temperature will be far too
warm, especially if the room the
aquarium is located in is centrally
heated, so you would probably need to
invest in a chiller.
Wild-caught Pike will not be used to
feeding on anything that isn’t alive. I
don’t believe in or recommend feeding
live fish, so try river shrimp and
earthworms or, if you are lucky, you
might be able to get it to take whitebait
thrown onto the surface and moved so
that it looks alive.
It will take time and perseverance to
get a Pike onto dead foods or even dry
foods, but it is possible, and by far the
best long term. As when fishing for
them, it’s all about how you present that
food to start a strike or feeding response.
You may even need to be out of the
room, or hiding behind the door, and
use actual fishing line (minus the hook!)
and wiggle the food around.
Wild-caught
Pike will not be
used to feeding
on anything that
isn’t alive
61
ADVICE Answers
POND
Why won’t my pond’s nitrite level fall?
I'd like to ask your advice regarding a
stubborn nitrite level I just cannot shift
in my 3,047 gal Koi pond.
The pond was completed and filled
in the summer of 2017, but due to
ongoing building work I only added the
first three 20cm fish in May this year.
The pond is covered all winter with an
untreated wooden frame (sealed with
G4) with 10mm twin wall polycarb sheet
and heated with an air source heat
pump. I run a Nexus 310 with 40 l of
K1 in the central chamber and 150 l of
K1 in the biological chamber. The pond
has an EA 35 UV after a Blue Eco 750
pump set at 2,200 rpm. Two returns at
opposite ends, one low and one below
the water line, give good variable flow
and keep the pond clean. I also have a
Spindrifter aerated bottom drain.
The first three fish were thriving, so I
added two more 30cm Koi in early July.
Everything is working well and the fish
are happy, healthy and growing.
Ammonia levels are zero but I have
been unable to lower my nitrite to less
than 0.03 mg/l. Nitrate is a constant
50 mg/l, pH a constant 8.2 and KH
184. These never seem to fluctuate, so
at least there are no swings in values.
It's worth noting my tapwater is pH 6.8,
TROPICAL
Which gourami would best suit this tank?
I have a community set-up that needs
a feature fish or two. It holds
approximately 45 gal and has been
set up for four months. It has a mix
of real and fake plants and lots of
branchy wood with fine gravel at the
bottom. It has a Fluval filter.
Stock includes 10 Harlequin
rasboras, three platies, seven Cherry
barbs, four Otocinclus catfish and six
Sterbai cory catfish. I’m also planning
to get a Peppermint plec or
something similar at a later date.
I would quite like some larger
gouramis for this tank as feature fish.
Which would be the best choice?
Dwarf and Honeys are a bit too small.
Also, how many can I keep? Are they
best in pairs or groups and will my
other fish be compatible with them?
DAVE STUART, EMAIL
EVERYTHING YOU NEED
62 FOR HEALTHY FISH
nitrite 0.03mg/l and nitrate 50mg/l.
I live in East Devon, with decent hard
water but a high nitrate level. I am
surprised my pH is considerably higher
than my tapwater and wonder if this is
affecting bacteria colonisation of the
K1? I have tried EA Pond Bombs and
used EA Filter Start but this doesn’t
seem to have any effect. It may just be
a time thing, as I’ve noticed the K1 is
only just beginning to colour up. Your
advice would be most welcome.
KAI ROCKLIFFE, EMAIL
BOB SAYS: Gourami are very
underrated fish – over-familiarity
sometimes means fishkeepers ignore
what are actually some of the most
brightly coloured, attractive
community fish available.
An excellent candidate for your
tank would be the Pearl gourami,
Trichopodus leerii. These are
gorgeous, graceful mid-sized gourami
that reach around 12cm and don't
generally have the aggression issues
associated with their similar-sized
cousin Trichopodus trichopterus, the
Three spot/Blue/Opaline gourami.
Your tank has a volume of around
200 l/44 gal, so unless it has
unusual dimensions that mean it is
tall and thin, then you should have
room for a group of three – ideally
two females and one male. They
Send your questions to: Fishkeeping Answers,
Practical Fishkeeping Magazine, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough,
PE2 6EA. Email us at questions@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
JEREMY SAYS: With an identical
nitrite level of 0.03ppm in both pond
and tap, I would say that this is down to
the accuracy of your nitrite test kit,
and that you actually don’t have any
nitrite level at all.
If it was higher than that and you only
had three to five fish, I would actually
Below: Long- advise removing 100 l of the K1 from
term nitritre the outer chamber of the Nexus, as
readings could the surface area will be so great in
be down to relation to fish load, proper biofilm
inaccurate tests. development would be hindered as it
would be so thin. But I wouldn’t worry
about that nitrite level, especially if
your fish look happy.
Regarding the pH, it may be worth
re-checking your tapwater pH at
different times of the day and
even different times of the year, and
also seeing if letting it stand makes a
difference, with CO2 gassing off and
oxygen diffusing in.
If the pH remains consistently lower
than in your pond, then something is
raising the pH, be that some ceramic
filter media somewhere, or a
NEIL HEPWORTH
blanketweed treatment perhaps. Check
there is no concrete in contact with the
water anywhere from the pond design
and build, or any water course.
appreciate a well-planted tank
(floating plants are also a good idea),
with some open swimming space and
only gentle water movement.
Pearl gourami,
ALAMY
Trichopodus leerii.
 TROPICAL

NATHAN HILL

ALAMY
TROPICAL
Will corys clean
Which halfbeaks are best my dirty gravel?
for brackish tanks? I have a 70 l/16 gal tropical tank with an
Interpet PF2 filter. It’s currently stocked with
I’m planning a future brackish tank and have been trying to get some solid five Lemon tetras, three Cherry barbs (I’m
information on brackish halfbeaks, including their sizes and water parameters. hoping to get another), a bent Silver-tip tetra
Please could you offer some advice? that has survived a year, an 18-month-old
NATHANIEL BULLOCK, EMAIL female guppy and a tiny female Bristlenose
catfish I've had 10 months.
NEALE SAYS: Halfbeaks are very common in estuaries and mangroves all around I'd like to get some Corydoras catfish to stir up
the world – the problem for us aquarists is that relatively few, if any, of those my sand which, despite regular stirring, is
species are regularly traded. becoming quite stagnant. My nitrates are quite
The one truly brackish water genus of halfbeaks that has been traded is high, so I don't think Panda corys are best. I’ve
Zenarchopterus, in particular, the River halfbeak, Z. buffonis. While these are very been considering Dwarf or Pygmy corys. Would
rarely imported, they do appear on the stock lists offered by wholesalers, so those they suit my tank and how many should I have?
retailers who specialise in importing oddballs and rarities may be able to get them ESTHER CLARK, EMAIL
in as a special order. Zenarchopterus are quite large – 15-20cm is typical – and
highly social, which means you’ll need a big aquarium able to provide a safe home BOB SAYS: As you suggest, Corydoras can be
for a school of these nervous, easily injured fish. They appreciate strongly brackish helpful in gently stirring up sandy substrates to
water, with a specific gravity of 1.005–1.010, and require very clean water with keep them clean. However, if your tank's sand is
plenty of water movement and oxygen. becoming stagnant it's worth looking at the
When it comes to the common halfbeak species seen in aquarium shops, those causes of this before adding the catfish, as a
divide up into three groups – the Wrestling halfbeaks, Dermogenys spp., the stagnant substrate can be bad for their health.
colourful Sulawesi halfbeaks, Nomorhamphus spp., and the Bearded halfbeaks, How deep is the sand? Unless you’re growing
Hemirhamphodon spp.. lots of plants, I would recommend a shallow
We can dismiss Hemirhamphodon immediately. All are more or less blackwater bed of 2cm maximum. This way it’s unlikely to
specialists that inhabit rainforest streams. They have little tolerance for hard water compact, and fish like the corys can easily dig it
conditions, let alone brackish. Although very attractive, they’re best suited to expert over so it shouldn't become stagnant.
fishkeepers willing to set aside an aquarium that caters to their special needs. You mention high nitrates, so it may be worth
Nomorhamphus species are the most commonly seen halfbeaks, especially the upping your water changes. The maximum
lovely Celebes halfbeak, Nomorhamphus liemi. Again, we’re dealing with species amount allowed in tapwater is 50mg per litre, so
adapted to freshwater environments. While they aren’t too fussy about water chemistry, even if you live in an area with readings that high,
provided extremes are avoided, they’re not commonly reported from brackish water. you should be able to keep your tank level below
Things become more interesting when we get to Dermogenys. Although mostly that with weekly 25% water changes. Using a
found in freshwater, they’re also quite common in brackish streams, and will 50:50 mix of RO and tapwater for changes can
tolerate slightly brackish conditions indefinitely, provided all else is amenable to also help keep the reading down in
them. I wouldn’t recommend keeping them at a specific gravity above 1.003, but high nitrate areas. If your
that still makes them perfectly viable candidates for a mixed species set-up that tapwater doesn't have a
includes other small, peaceful fish species. high level of nitrates,
They’re especially good companions for gobies and flounders because they offer then this points to
no competition at feeding time. You could also keep them with any small possible overfeeding
livebearers that need brackish water to do well, such as Micropoecilia species. or lack of water The Pygmy cory, Corydoras
Identifying Dermogenys is a bit hit-and-miss though, despite the widespread use changes, as well as
of the name Dermogenys pusilla to describe any Wrestling halfbeak offered for sale! too-deep substrate.
pygmaeus, is lively, but won’t dig
Luckily, they’re all pretty similar in terms of care. Medium hardness freshwater, Corydoras panda in the substrate to any great
with or without a little salt, seems to work well, along with good water quality. should be fine in your degree. It’ll happily rest on plants
Like all halfbeaks, they’re nervous but quarrelsome, so keep a reasonable number tank if you can keep or swim in midwater.
(at least six, with females outnumbering males) and provide them with some your substrate clean and
overhead shade, but also plenty of open swimming space where they can feed nitrate below 40mg/l.
without being harassed by their tankmates. Ideally, you need a
ALAMY

Adult size varies. Males reach around 4-5cm depending on the species, but the group of at least five.
females can get quite a bit bigger, 7-8 cm in some cases, and are far more stocky
in build than the slender, even scrawny looking males.

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ADVICE Answers

MARINE

How do I set up a small temperate reef tank?

I have a tank of approximately 72 l/
16 gal which I would like to set up for
keeping Catalina gobies. I understand
they are temperate, so I’d like to know
the best temperature and specific gravity
(SG) and how best to set up the tank.
Will live rock still work at a lower
temperature and are there any inverts
(mobile and sessile) I can keep with
them? What about live sand – will that
be OK? How many gobies can I keep
together (they will be the only fish)?
I have kept a reef tank in the past and
it was quite successful, so this wouldn’t
be my first attempt with marines.
WILL, EMAIL

DAVE SAYS: The Catalina goby,

Lythrypnus dalli (right), is an absolutely
stunning fish, with its bright red body
and electric blue stripes. They’re small
(topping off at about 6cm), and benefit

from a system tailored to their needs, so
a dedicated nano tank is perfect for
them as they can get lost in larger tanks.
Crucially, this is a subtropical species
as you’ve pointed out, being found
around the Pacific coast of the Americas
from the top of Southern California down
to Peru. This means they require cooler
water temperatures than we’d keep
typical reef inhabitants. Ideally, you’re
looking at an optimal temperature of
18°C, with a maximum of 21°C. Higher
temperatures lead to stress and
shortened lifespans, and also obviously
NEIL HEPWORTH
limits potential tankmate choices too.
It’s definitely possible to keep them,
however – you’ll need a chiller, and the
tank should be decked out with a mixed
sand and rubble substrate for these

I have tried to keep Daisy ricefish now

TROPICAL on two occasions but they keep getting
whitespot. I have a 45 l/10 gal tank
with a heater, the filter is cycled and
Why can’t I keep these water quality is always good. The tank
is planted with long-stem plants so

ricefish successfully? the fish have lots of hiding places.

There is also some bogwood and a
gravel substrate.
I have been keeping fish for eight
years and have two other tropical
community tanks that run without
problems, but I just can't get these fish
right. Please could you tell me what
they need so I can work out what I'm
doing wrong? I really like them and
would like to breed them eventually.
LUKE, EMAIL

NEALE SAYS: Ricefish are normally

quite easy to keep, but there are one or
two things to think about before you try.
The first is water chemistry. Daisy
ricefish, Oryzias woworae, may well be
adaptable up to a point, but slightly hard,
ALAMY

neutral to slightly basic water chemistry

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64 FOR HEALTHY FISH PE2 6EA. Email us at questions@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
primarily benthic fish. This could be
live sand, and the micro-organisms on
the sand will survive at these slightly
lower temperatures. As far as live rock
is concerned, you can expect much of
the life on reef live rock to survive in the
range of 18°C-21°C, although some of
the ‘macro’ life may experience die-off,
particularly towards the lower end of
this range. You’ll just need to keep an
eye on this, and monitor water quality
in case it’s impacted.
Clean-up-crew and mobile
invertebrates might be tricky, although
genuine subtropical species such as the
Margarita snail (Margarites pupillus) are
sometimes available. Salinity for
Catalina gobies is exactly the same as
for a typical reef tank – 32-33ppt,
which at 18°C is around 1.024 SG.
While one specimen can be kept in a
72 l/16 gal aquarium, do bear in mind
they can be quite territorial, so it’s best
to consider 150 litres or so if you’re
thinking of establishing a pair or trio.
Alternatively, a tropical goby might be
worth considering as you’ll have more
choice for tankmates, including mobile
invertebrates and perhaps even some
small corals. The tiny (2.5cm) red
striped goby, Trimma cana, from the
western Pacific springs to mind here.
It’s a very attractive and peaceful fish,
perfect for a nano system, and it does
well in small groups if several are
introduced simultaneously.
PLANTS
Am I dosing enough ‘carbon dioxide’?
I’m trying to improve growth of my plants
by using liquid carbon dioxide, but I know
that an overdose is harmful to fish, and my
plants don’t seem to be growing any better
now that I’m using it.
Just how much can I go safely over on the
dose rate before I hurt my fish?
TREVOR FARRIS, EMAIL
NATHAN SAYS: There’s no such thing as a
safe overdose as far as the fish are
concerned. Your product will have been
tested to a standard called an LD-50, which
is the dose at which half the study sample
of organisms it was tested on died. This is
then used to calculate a safe dose.
Cutting to the chase, what you have there
isn’t liquid carbon dioxide, it’s a carbon
dioxide alternative, and while some of it
eventually decays into carbon dioxide, that’s
not what it is. The active ingredient in most
of these liquids is something called
glutaraldehyde, and it’s potent stuff.
Not all plants get on with glutaraldehyde,
and the likes of Vallisneria in particular tend
to die rather than thrive where it is used.
If you see your plants dying while using
liquid carbon, chances are there’s an
incompatibility, especially if the leaves
become transparent and start to dissolve. If
they turn other colours, then it’s more likely
a deficiency of some essential nutrient.
Before writing off the liquid carbon, check
that the other parameters are all in line. Are
you using enough fertilisers for the tank?
Are you providing enough of the right kind
of light for the plants to grow? Is there
adequate circulation, and is the substrate a
plant-friendly type? Beyond that, are you
trying to grow particularly slow or difficult
plants? There are many factors at play here.
If everything else is suitably plant-friendly,
then I’d suggest trying injecting actual
carbon dioxide into the tank. While
daunting at first, it’s actually pretty easy to
use once you have been hands-on with it,
and it is surprisingly economical over time.
In my own experience, liquid carbon and
carbon dioxide works well together. I had a
planted tank where I used both and a heavy
fertiliser regime, and the plants grew so fast
they were almost a nuisance!

seems to suit them best. If

adding a little aquarium
salt is necessary to
be used during spawning
as well, the females
depositing their eggs
We Recommend...
stymie whitespot, a When trying to breed ricefish, among them one If you struggle with Oryzias woworae, it might be
therapeutic dose enrich their diet for a few days at a time. But worth trying the Indian ricefish, Oryzias dancena
of 2g per litre will also of use is the instead. This hardy and inexpensive ricefish is
do them no harm beforehand with Daphnia, cover the plants often sold as Oryzias melastigma, so you might
at all, even across brineshrimp, fruit provide, sheltering find it available under that name. Regardless of
many weeks. They don’t flies or Grindal newly hatched fry from this taxonomic confusion, it’s a pretty fish with
need salt, of course, but at the potentially beautiful electric blue markings on the fins which,
this very low dosage it’s an
worms. cannibalistic adults. in the case of the males, are elegantly extended
easy way to inhibit whitespot I’ve never found ricefish into lacy threads. It’s very easy to keep and breed,
without the need to use any other difficult to feed, with all the usual and makes a great choice for planted nano tanks.
medications. It’s just possible that small fish foods being welcomed,
some standard whitespot medications including powdered flake food,
have proved toxic in your situation, as is Daphnia, even frozen lobster eggs! But
sometimes the case with sensitive fish. their small size, slow swimming speed,
The second thing to bear in mind and generally shy demeanour does
about ricefish is that they come from mean they will lose out if kept
sluggish streams and pools, rather than alongside other surface-swimming
rivers. The ideal aquarium for them species, such as danios.
will have very gentle filtration – an Far better to keep them on their own,
air-powered sponge filter is probably the with the tank tailored to their specific
ideal – as well as numerous clumps of needs – in other words, with floating
JJPHOTO.DK

floating vegetation. Needless to say, the rather than rooted plants, and sluggish
roots and leaves of floating plants will rather than brisk water currents.

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ADVICE Know-how

SETTING UP
EXTERNAL FILTERS
Lots of people are daunted by external filters, but they’re easier to set
up than you might think. Here are the essentials you need to know…
WORDS: NATHAN HILL

Some filter designs come with a heater

built in. These require extra care when
removing the head, as a jarring move
will break the heater. To control the
heater, the thermostat will be
somewhere on the filter exterior,
probably on a dial
or similar.

66 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
E
XTERNAL CANISTER filters are great.
They’re big, which means they can house
a lot more media than internal filter types,
and that in turn makes them more
efficient and versatile. They’re also
conveniently placed out of view,
underneath or beside the tank where
they’re not an eyesore.
Over the following pages we’re looking at three
different canister filters, and the parts of them that
seem to cause confusion.
Aquamanta EFX200
The Aquamanta EXF 200 is the smallest in the EFX
range and suitable for tanks from 100 l (comfortably)
up to 200 l (at a stretch). Once out of the box, there are
a few things you need to do to get it up and running.
1 2
Unclip the four clasps holding the lid in place.
To do this, pull them outwards from the bottom
and then slide them in an upwards direction.
Once you’ve loosened all four clasps, you can
remove the head.
4 5
Remove the three media baskets. One contains a mesh
bag filled with carbon – leave this as it is. One a block
of foam – leave this. The third contains biomedia balls
in a plastic bag. These MUST be removed from the bag
before use. Briefly rinse them under a tap to remove dust.
7 8
Next position the canister’s head unit on top of the
body so that the protruding ‘spout’ underneath the
head aligns with the downpipe.
Don’t try to push it into place at this stage. Just
concentrate on aligning it the right way round.
How to prime
Most canister filters will not start unless they’re already
filled. The easiest way to do this is to remove the canister
head and use a jug to fill the body with water from an
aquarium. When filled, replace
the head, ensure the hoses in
and out of the tank are connected
and the valves open, and
vigorously push up and down
on the priming (or start) button
while the filter is running.
After a big blast of bubbles,
everything should run just fine.
3
Turn the head upside down and find the impeller well Remove the impeller and inspect for damage such as
chamber. Twist the cover of the well anti-clockwise and cracks or broken vanes. Reinsert the impeller and
gently pull it away – be careful not to pull out at an replace the impeller well cover, making sure that the
angle as you risk snapping the impeller shaft, which ceramic shaft fits neatly down the middle of the
may be attached as shown in the photo above. impeller. Twist the cover clockwise to lock it in place.
6
Place the three media baskets back in the canister – Find the plastic grid in the packaging.
carbon at the bottom, biomedia balls in the middle and Place the grid on top of the top media basket
foams on the top. (the one containing the block of foam and fine
Ensure that all three trays are aligned so that the foam pad), so that the canister filter’s downpipe
downpipe runs neatly through all three. is exposed.
9
Now gently push the head unit down. If it doesn’t sit Insert the hose connection assembly into the slot in the
flush, remove and replace the baskets and try again. head, with the central lever in the ‘up’ position. Push
DO NOT force the head unit down. the lever down to lock it into place and open the valves.
Once it’s sitting comfortably, secure the head unit in (Lifting this lever locks the valves, retaining water in
place with the clamps. the pipes and stopping syphoning when disconnected.)
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ADVICE Know-how

Aqua Medic Aqua Fresh 50

This small and visually appealing filter is robust and
capable of filtering between 75 l (comfortably) and 150 l
1 2
(at a stretch). However, it has no priming facilities, which
makes it tricky to start. With limited media inside, this
product is likely aimed at planted aquascape keepers.
As this filter has no priming mechanism, in order to
start it you need to syphon water through it. Attach one
hose to the tank, and lower the other one below the
water level, into a bucket. Start a syphon action (you
can buy handpumps to do this) until the filter and all
hosing is filled with water. Reattach the hose used to
syphon and turn the canister on.
Alternatively, you can use a funnel to pour water down
the hoses until the canister and hosing is filled.
Open the filter by pulling the fastening clips Once you’ve removed the head, arrange
Note that to access the impeller you will need to away from the canister. The metal clasps will the media inside so that the little metal
remove the pump unit from the canister and this now lift away from the holding attachments stand sits on its legs at the bottom of
requires a screwdriver. on the filter head. the canister.

Place the black

3 sponge on top of the

metal stand, and the
white sponge on top
of the black sponge.
Hold both in place
with the metal
spacer and then
replace the lid,
clamping it
back down.

This filter comes without valves, strainers or

4 water-return accessories, so buy these to your

taste (aquascapers tend to use glassware for
filters like this). To connect the hoses, push
them over the inlet nozzle (at the bottom) and
return nozzle (on top) using the provided
hoseclips to secure them in place.

Tight hosing can be softened

by immersing it in hot water
Connecting hoses for 20 seconds or so. This
Assemble any inlet and outlet pipes – makes fixture and
downpipes and strainers at one end of fitting a lot
the tank, spraybars or duckbill returns
on the other. Cut hosing to fit and
easier.
attach by pushing it over the stem and
then clamping down with the threaded
nut. (See photo right). Biomedia fact
Connect your hoses to the filter valves Biomedia loses efficiency if it
the same way (using the locking nut becomes impregnated with waste
to secure them). Note that nozzles and may need replacing. Do this
marked ‘IN’ are for water coming from
over a prolonged period, removing
the aquarium, and those marked ‘OUT’
are for water leaving the filter and going up to a quarter of the media in
back to the aquarium. (See right). one go and replacing with fresh.
Repeat every four weeks until the
media is replaced entirely.

68 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 Carbon adsorbs organic waste until
its holding capacity is exhausted, so
JBL CrystalProfi e902 in a relatively clean tank it may last
The e902 is a terrific all-round canister filter with a flow that makes for months; in a dirty tank, just
it suitable for tanks of between 90 l (comfortably) and 300 l (at a weeks. The industry standard is to
stretch). Because of its low wattage (11w max consumption) it’s replace the carbon entirely
also one of the most economic filters on the market. every six weeks.

1 2 3

Remove the head unit by unfastening the four clips Turn the head unit over and then remove the Remove the impeller and inspect for damage such as
holding it. Pull them away at the bottom and then slide impeller well cover by gently twisting it in an cracks or broken vanes. Reinsert the impeller and
upwards until they release. anticlockwise direction. replace the well cover, twisting clockwise to secure it.

4 5 6

Remove the four media baskets from the canister body Place the basket of biomedia balls in the bottom of the Attach the head, making sure the wide spout fits flush
and check them. Two of the baskets should contain filter. Place the two plain blue foam baskets above, with the aperture on the top basket. Use the clips to
plain blue foam, one a block of corrugated blue foam, making sure they align. Finally place the basket with secure the head to the canister body. If the head isn’t
and the fourth contains the biomedia balls. the corrugated blue foam on the top. sitting flush, remove the baskets and check alignments.

7 8 9

To attach the hose connection assembly, there are Now firmly push the hose connection assembly Once the assembly is locked, push the two smaller
three levers. Ensure that the two levers on the canister into place. levers to the ‘open’ position.
body are set to the ‘closed’ position, and the central Ensure that you push down the central lever on the This will open the valves inside the assembly so that
lever on the assembly is in the ‘lifted’ position. assembly FIRST so that it locks into position. water can flow through it.

Connecting
spraybars
Some spraybars have
multiple parts that need to
be connected together with
a short length of rubber
Don’t lose the cap! hose. Note that the longer
Some spraybar assemblies come with a loose you make a spraybar, the
cap that needs to be inserted into one end if the less flow you will have from
spraybar is to work properly. each outlet.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 69
ADVICE Know-how

S T
Sand, gravel, soil or enriched clay – what’s the best
choice of substrate for your tank and your fish?
JACQUES PORTAL

70 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 C
HOOSING THE 6There’s nothing for plants to root they forage for food. Sharper grades
right substrate is one themselves into, so you’re limited of gravel may cause so much
of the most to artificial plants, floating damage that the fish become
important decisions plants, or epiphytic plants prone to bacterial infections.
to make when attached to bogwood 6While stirring the gravel
setting up a new or rocks. helps when cleaning
NEALE MONKS aquarium. There are 6Overhead light out dirt and debris,
so many options will reflect plant roots will
Neale is an aquatics
available that it’s easy to end up upwards off make it harder
author with a
passion for brackish with the wrong kind or, at least, one the glass to do this
water species. that doesn’t work out quite as well bottom, stressing properly.
as you’d hoped. Replacing substrate the fish and causing 6It’s devoid of
is an expensive and time-consuming them to exhibit mineral nutrients, so
LAVA ROCKS
process, so it’s something you’ll subdued or washed-out provides little benefit to
want to get right from the off. colours to try to blend in. plants beyond anchorage.
In some cases, the choice of
substrate comes down to personal PLAIN GRAVEL COLOURED GRAVELS
COLOURED taste, but often, the best one for the For decades this was the default These are usually smooth gravels
GRAVEL job really depends on what fish choice, usually on top of an that are painted and then covered
you’d like to keep or which plants under-gravel filter plate, where the with an aquarium-safe varnish.
you’re trying to grow. gravel acted as the biological While not to everyone’s taste,
medium. While still a popular they’re often popular with children.
NO SUBSTRATE choice (and rarely a bad one), think
Leaving the tank bare is a good about the alternatives before going Pros
option for tanks where cleanliness down this route as plain gravel does 6Lots of colours to choose from.
PLAIN GRAVEL is the number one priority. This have some shortcomings. 6Darker gravels, particularly black,
includes breeding tanks, hospital can highlight certain fishes’ colours.
tanks and quarantine tanks. Pros 6Chemically inert, so won’t change
6Cheap and easily obtained. the pH or hardness of the water.
Pros 6Lime-free gravel from aquatics
6Faeces and decaying organic shops is chemically inert, so it won’t
matter are easily syphoned out change the pH or water hardness.
during water changes. 6Numerous grades available, from
PLANTING 6Medications circulate around the fine pea gravel ideal for small fish Can you mix
SUBSTRATE SOIL aquarium more effectively, making communities, to almost pebbly substrates?
it harder for pathogens to survive. gravels less easily disturbed by There’s no reason
jumbo species. why you have to stick
Cons 6Its dark colour minimises to one substrate
6Looks unattractive. upwelling light, enhancing the throughout the entire
6There’s nothing to shore up colours of your fish. aquarium. Mixing
rockwork or piles of bogwood, so silver sand and fine
you need to use self-supporting Cons gravel, for instance,
COLOURED SAND creates something that
ornaments and caves, such 6Scratches and shortens the
as flowerpots. whiskers of catfish and loaches as resembles river gravel,
which would be ideal
for a biotope housing
Australian rainbowfish
and other river species.
Or, you could use
SILICA SAND
one substrate over
most of the tank, but
put a plant-friendly
substrate into plant
pots hidden behind
rocks and bogwood.
This is a good way
to get the benefit of
NO SUBSTRATE expensive substrates
without spending too
much money.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 71
ADVICE Know-how
Cons
6Unnatural in appearance – and
can look a bit naff!
6Brighter colours, particularly
white, reflect light upwards, which
can stress fish and cause them to
exhibit subdued colouration.
6Fish with delicate colours look
dull next to red, blue and other
vivid gravels.
6Don’t contain mineral nutrients
for plants.
6Pricier than plain gravel.
SILICA SAND
This lime-free sand is
chemically inert
and widely used
by gardeners.
There are two
types available
– sharp sand and
smooth (or silver) sand.
Don’t use sharp sand as it
will scratch bottom-dwelling
fish like loaches and catfish, but
silver sand can work very well if
cleaned thoroughly before use.
Silver sand is also marketed as
pool filter sand, which is usually
much cleaner than the smooth sand
sold by garden centres.
Pros
6Inexpensive and easy to obtain.
6Makes a fabulous substrate for
tanks with catfish, loaches, and
other burrowing or digging species.
6Natural in appearance, and a great
choice for biotope tanks.
6Won’t cause a change in the pH or
hardness of the water.
6Set up correctly, deep sand beds
become partially anaerobic,
fostering the growth of denitrifying
bacteria that can lower nitrate levels.
Cons
6Contains little in the way of
mineral nutrients, though plants will
root readily.
6It reflects some light upwards, so
some fish will show weaker colours.
6Big fish can move it about,
potentially undermining rockwork.
6Some sand may end up in the
filter if the filter inlet is too close to
the substrate.
6Sand will scratch the tank if
caught between the glass and an
algae scraper.
72 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
COLOURED SANDS
Some are artificial, some natural,
and some are industrial by-products.
Whatever their origins, they look
superb in the right tank, offering
more variety than plain silica sand.
Pros
6Usually chemically inert – but
check with the manufacturer.
6Various dark shades are available,
including black volcanic sand that
can look absolutely fabulous in
planted aquaria, showing
off the subtly coloured
fish and shrimps to
best advantage.
Cons
6Dearer than
plain silver sand.
6Some are too
sharp, so they aren’t
suitable for burrowers like
catfish and loaches.
6Some types contain mineral
nutrients that enhance plant
growth, but most of them don’t.
SOIL
We don’t recommend you dig up
your garden, but natural soil
products from aquarium shops are
useful for helping to replicate the
substrates found in rainforest
streams or pools.
Pros
6Very naturalistic, especially with
What about using peat?
In the past, peat was widely used in
aquaria to create rainforest biotopes –
much like aquarium soil, but with the
added benefit of softening the water and
reducing the pH. This was seen as a good
way to create the conditions required
by species like killifish, who would lay
their eggs in the peat, enabling it to be
removed to another tank before hatching.
However, peat is an unpredictable tool
for softening water, and has been almost
entirely replaced by RO filtration.
More importantly, peat harvesting is
unsustainable. Peat bogs develop slowly
across many many thousands of years,
and cannot support industrial peat
extraction. If you come across an older
aquarium book that recommends peat,
use aquarium soil instead and manage
the water chemistry in whichever way
you prefer.
some Catappa leaves and bogwood BELOW:
roots added. A stark contrast
6The dark colour enhances many between a
naturalistic look
fish, especially those with
and colourfully
fluorescent markings. adventurous.
6Tends to tint the water over time,
further enhancing colours. The
tea-coloured water is particularly
appreciated by blackwater habitat
species, such as Discus.
6Burrowing fish love it and behave
in a very natural manner –
especially elephantnoses and spiny
eels, which don’t thrive in tanks
with gravel substrates.
6Plants root quickly, as you
would expect.

Cons
6Better in tanks with small fish.
Larger fish will disturb the soil,
making the water murky and
potentially clogging the filter inlet.

ALAMY
6Contains some mineral nutrients,
particularly iron, but this varies
between brands, so you might need
ALAMY

to use additional fertiliser. 6Rough texture forms a secure Pros ABOVE: The
6Quite expensive, although in base for securing bogwood 6The best choice for aquariums wrong substrate
tanks without rooted plants and rockwork. with rooted plants. can destroy
catfish whiskers.
you only need enough to 6Dark in colour, so shows 6Vigorous plant growth is the
cover the bottom glass. off fish well. easiest way to avoid algae
6Some types problems, so plants that get their
LAVA ROCK include minerals nutrients from the substrate, rather
CHIPPINGS for good plant than from the water column, will
This is similar growth, though really appreciate this stuff – as will
to the large periodic use of your tank and fish.
pieces of ‘lava rock’ fertilisers may still 6The better brands are guaranteed
sold as decoration and be needed. to last for five years before needing
makes a good alternative replacement.
to plain gravel. Cons 6Fine and smooth, so good for
6Rough texture, which can burrowing fish.
Pros cause damage to burrowing fish. 6Dark brown, so works well against
6Lighter than gravel. 6More expensive than gravel. the colours of your fish.
6It has a porous structure, which
allows slow movement of water PLANTED AQUARIUM Cons
through the substrate. This creates SUBSTRATES 6Very expensive,
partially anoxic conditions that Often based on mineral-enriched although this is offset
foster the growth of denitrifying clay, which slowly releases beneficial by the reduced need
bacteria, and maintenance of minerals around the roots of your for periodic fertiliser
non-oxidised mineral ions that plants. Plants are more fussed about dosing. And the better
plants can use. light intensity than anything else plant growth means
6Open structure, so good for though, so if your tank doesn’t have that you won’t be
under-gravel filters and tanks with strong lighting, a fancy substrate replacing your plants
substrate heaters. won’t make much difference. every few months!

Can I use coral sand?

Coral sand is mostly sold for use in
marine aquaria, but it does have some
niche applications in the freshwater side
of the hobby. Because it’s made up of
calcareous minerals, such as aragonite
and calcite, however, it will harden the
water and raise the pH, so it’s not suitable
for normal community tanks.
For fish from hard water environments,
like Malawian and Tanganyikan cichlids,
it’s ideal. On the other hand, because
coral sand is bright white, it’s not a good
choice for fish that dislike upwelling light.

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ADVICE Know-how

HONEY,
I HURT
THE FISH
Whether you’re new to the hobby, or fancy
a refresher, here are the most common
fishkeeping mistakes to watch out for...
WORDS: STEVE BAKER

Not preparing water correctly

The chlorine, fluoride and heavy metals that occur in
tapwater all present problems for aquatic life. Use a
good dechlorinating fluid or carbon-filled canister to
neutralise or absorb these unwanted compounds when
doing a partial water change. Untreated tapwater will kill

NEIL HEPWORTH
beneficial filter bacteria and irritate fishes’ gills and skin.

Scratching glass
If you’re new to fishkeeping,
it’s all too easy to scratch
the inside of a pristine, shiny
aquarium. Often, it’s down to
cleaning, and getting a piece
of gravel between your sponge/
magnet and the glass. Be very
careful not to pick up any stray
bits around the substrate layer;
NEIL HEPWORTH
Location, location, location
Spending time deciding where to site your new
aquarium could save a lot of headaches later.
Avoid placing the tank in direct sunlight. This
will encourage algae to grow over your ornaments
and plants – or the water might just turn bright
green. Keep it away from vents and radiators,
which will affect the tank’s stable temperature.
And don’t place it near a busy door – regular

even a single grain of sand can movement and banging will disturb the inhabitants.
leave an obvious scar. Also, make sure there’s power nearby.

Buying a too-small tank Adding

It’s understandable to think that spending less substrate
money on a smaller tank is a good way to find out straight in
whether you like the hobby or not. The reality is When you’re full of
that reduced volumes of water fluctuate more,
and small tanks are restrictive, harder to maintain
enthusiasm, it’s tempting to put
and hold little value secondhand. in new gravel or sand straightaway, but
Although a 70 l tank might cost £30-40 more it needs a thorough clean first. Most
than a 30 l tank, the equipment is similar, it substrates are very dirty and
won’t need much more by way of maintenance, the ‘dust’ will cause
NEIL HEPWORTH

there’s lots more you can do with it, and a 70 l

water quality
tank has a far better resale value if you decide
fishkeeping’s not for you. issues.

74 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
Introducing fish too quickly
It’s tempting to put new fish straight into your
aquarium so you can watch them, but patience is a
virtue in aquatics and a slow introduction is best for
your fish. First, turn off the light to keep your new
fish calmer. Float the bag in the tank to equalise
the temperatures, then open it (rolling the bag down
so it floats), and add small amounts of tank water
regularly, over an hour or so, to introduce the fish to
your tank conditions. Catch the fish with a net, and

NEIL HEPWORTH
discard the transport water.
Leave the lights off for a couple of hours so that
your new introductions settle in with minimal stress.

Know your tank volume

Correct dosing of your aquarium will be important, so whether you’re
using filter-boosting bacterial remedies, or medicating for parasites or
bacterial ailments, you need to know how much water your tank holds.
Overdosing some medications can lead to toxic shock and the death of
your fish; under-dosing could fail to treat an issue, potentially leading
to advanced problems and possible loss of fish.
NEIL HEPWORTH

To calculate the volume, use the sum:

Length x height x width (in cm), divided by 1,000 = volume in litres.
Then deduct 10% for substrate and ornament displacement.
Alternatively, just measure how many litres of water you add the first
Not researching fish
time you fill up your aquarium.
Many fishkeepers have fallen foul of buying a
fish on a whim only for it to cause destruction
in a community tank before outgrowing it.
Unfortunately, ‘tankbusters’ are being regularly
offered for sale again, so you really need to be Leaving the lights on
aware of what you’re buying. Some people miss the point that lights need to go off at night for the
If you don’t know, ask – but ideally, do your own good of the fish and the aquarist. Although fish don’t fully sleep, they
research. You must be prepared to care for every do enter a transient state that’s as important to them as sleep is to us.
fish you buy long-term and within the guidelines Constant illumination will ‘burn out’ the inhabitants, as well as causing
of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. lots of algae growth.
If you can’t programme your lighting, you can use a simple plug timer
to stick to the same photoperiod each day. (It also looks like you’re at
Turning the power off home when you’re not.)
Just be careful not to use a digital timer with an LED light. Some
It still happens. If you haven’t LEDs don’t like it and the light unit might be damaged.
been told to leave aquarium
equipment running 24/7, then you
might not realise, but heaters and Know your water
filters need power all the time (other Soft or hard, acid or alkaline? These make big differences
than during maintenance) to keep to fish health, so test your tapwater to find out which fish
balanced conditions. This is why are best suited to it. Unless you want the extra challenge
prolonged power cuts can be of altering your water chemistry, of course.
catastrophic for fish.
NEIL HEPWORTH

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 75
ADVICE Know-how

JACQUES PORTAL
Feeding the wrong food
With an estimated 34,000 species of fish in
the world’s waters in 2018, there are some very
different approaches to aquatic life out there, and
diet is a major part of that.
Don’t assume all your fish have the same culinary
needs. Research the correct diets for each fish
you’re considering keeping, and look at the
ingredients of prepared, dry diets before you buy.

Not cleaning gravel

I’m surprised by the number of people who
use a jug to remove tank water, or just syphon
water from the top half of the tank when doing
water changes. Water changes are the perfect
opportunity to syphon settled waste from the
lower water column and vacuum your gravel to
remove trapped waste.
Don’t vacuum gravel if there’s plant substrate
below it. And if you’re using sand, just rake
your fingers through it, then syphon out any
disturbed waste.
Replacing an old filter with new
This applies to the filter as a whole, or just the filter media. It’s easy to
think removing an old, dirty filter and putting a nice, clean one in its
place is a sound idea but it’s not. Filter bacteria are THE most important
part of any tank and they need time to colonise a new filter or media.
Either have both running for six weeks before removing the old filter, or
remove the media from the old filter and place it in the new one (in other
words, transferring the bacteria).
Replacing a sponge? Change no more than 50% at a time. Cut it in half
if needed, and wait six weeks before changing the second half.

Holiday feeding Over-cleaning

It’s a common dilemma. You go on holiday, There’s rarely a good
a neighbour pops in to feed the fish, and a reason for large-scale
week later you get home to problems. Fish- overhauling of fish
sitters tend to overfeed, not realising the tanks. Draining tanks,
effect this can have on water quality. Even if rinsing or boiling
they have fish themselves, they won’t know gravel and ornaments,
your tank or how much you normally feed. and keeping fish
Strategy 1: Buy a one-week pill box and in a bucket in the
put your normal daily serving in each meantime, are all ways
compartment. (And hide the rest of your to upset the biological
fish food). balance of the tank
Strategy 2: Most common aquarium fish can and stress your fish.
go a week without food, so you could add Little-and-often water
live plants to nibble on and leave them be. changing and cleaning
NEIL HEPWORTH

Strategy 3: Automatic feeders can be very is the way forward.

useful, but set one up Even if things have got
a few days on top of you lately,
before you a small clean each
NEIL HEPWORTH

go away to day for a week is

check the far better than one
settings. big overhaul.

76 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 Not feeding plants
Aquatic plants are just like
other plants – they use
lots of different elements
for growth and we need to
provide them. Fish waste
will provide some food for
plants, but liquid additives
or nutrient-rich substrates
should be used to provide
both major and minor
elements needed for
lush growth.
Lighting is also very
important for plants,
Buying the wrong plants
Many aquatics shops
still stock and sell
unsuitable ‘aquarium’
plants. Common houseplants
like Dracaena, Caladium,
peace lily, parlour palm,
spider plant, Fittonia,
Ophipogon, Acorus grass
and some ferns which just
rot away underwater.
This causes pollution of the
tank and encourages people
to replace them, spending
unnecessary money.

SHUTTERSTOCK
so make sure your bulb What to look for? Fleshy stems –
produces around 6,000 and remember, no variegated plant
kelvin for better results. belongs underwater.

Washing filters in tapwater

After building up a colony of healthy filter bacteria, the last thing you should do
is clean your filter with tapwater. The chlorine will immediately kill the colony
and water quality will deteriorate rapidly, along with fish health. Instead, wash
NEIL HEPWORTH

filters in a bucket of water taken from the tank during your water change –
they don’t need to be spotless.

Not cycling your filter

Your biggest allies in keeping fish are
filter bacteria, but they aren’t present
in a brand new filter. Before you add
any fish to a tank you need a colony
of bacteria and there are two ways
to do it.
‘Cycling’ is the act of adding
organic waste to give bacteria
something to feed on in the absence
of fish waste. Household ammonia
is most often used (raising levels
to 4.0ppm), but some fishkeepers
use fish food products. Monitor the
water parameters and perhaps add
live bacteria to secure a colony. Once
water test results are good (which
normally takes four to six weeks), you
can start stocking.
The other option, if you have
a fishkeeping friend, is to
transfer some mature Contaminated
filter media from equipment
their filter to yours,
adding a small Using the same bucket for
group of fish cleaning the aquarium and the car is
at the same likely to be disastrous for your livestock. Play
time. Mature it safe and buy a new bucket, pipe, sponge and
media
net to be used on the aquarium only. If
NEIL HEPWORTH

moved into an
empty tank will
die back unless fed
with fish waste.
you run more than one tank, it’s
best to have separate
equipment for
each one.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 77
TROPICAL
Mormyrids

ELECTRIC
ELEPHANTS With their distinctive trunk-like snouts and bigger than average
brains, elephantnoses are intelligent, unforgettable oddballs.

DAVID
WOLFENDEN
Dave is a former
aquatics lecturer
and is curator of
SHUTTERSTOCK

the Blue Planet

aquarium in
Chester.

78 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 Demanding but
rewarding, the
elephantnose needs an
experienced keeper.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 79
TROPICAL
Mormyrids
W
ITH THEIR
bizarre and
unforgettable
looks, unique
behaviour and
incredible
ability to ‘see’
using electricity,
the elephantnoses truly deserve
their oddball status. While they can
make incredible aquarium subjects,
they’re also somewhat cryptic and
demanding, so you need to put a lot
of thought into catering specifically
for their needs.
Elephantnoses belong to the
Mormyridae family, which currently
contains 228 recognised species.
All come from Africa and are found
in a variety of freshwater habitats –
in some locations they’re extremely
abundant. None are found in
brackish water as even slight levels
of salinity raise the conductivity of
the water, affecting the fish’s
electrosensory abilities.
The strange appearance of the
mormyrids gives these species a
definite wow factor, but there is
80 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
huge diversity across the group.
When the term ‘elephantnose’ is
mentioned, most fishkeepers think
of species with a highly moveable,
protruding snout – the wonderfully
named schnauzenorgan, used for
detecting food in muddy or sandy
substrates. The morphology of this
appendage varies according to the
predominant substrate type in the
species’ habitat.
But not all species have a
schnauzenorgan; there are also
blunt-nosed species that tend to
feed in mid-water, rather than near
the bottom, and have more of a
dolphin- or whale-like appearance.
Friends electric
Schnauzenorgan or no, all
elephantnoses are weakly electric
fish. This means they generate an
electric current from an organ in
their caudal peduncle – essentially
highly modified muscle tissue.
Mormyrids generate pulses of
electricity – typically 20 pulses per
minute at rest, as opposed to the
constant waves produced by South
American knifefish, although the
general principle is similar.
The head, plus the dorsal and
ventral parts of the fish’s body,
are covered in very sensitive
electroreceptors that can detect
the electric field generated, which
is known as the electric organ
discharge (EOD). Objects entering BELOW:
the EOD field create distortions G. petersii
is the most
that the mormyrid can detect and
common and
interpret, and the degree of most suitable
distortion varies depending on elephantnose for
whether the object is inorganic home aquaria.
FACTFILE
PETERS’ ELEPHANTNOSE
6Scientific name: Gnathonemus petersii
6Pronuciation: Natho-nee-mus peter-sea-eye
Origin: Widespread over central and
6
western Africa
Habitat: Slow-moving areas of dark,
6
muddy rivers with heavy plant growth. 400 l+
6Size: 35cm max, rarely more than 25cm
6Tank size: 200x45x45cm for five
Water requirements: 6.0-7.5 pH, 5-15°H
6

6Temperature: 24-28°C
6Cost: Around £15 each.
ALAMY
 With their bizarre looks, unique
behaviour and incredible ability to ‘see’
using electricity, the elephantnoses truly
deserve their oddball status
(a rock, for example), or organic
(such as a predator or prey).
The EOD is an amazing adaptation
to a nocturnal lifestyle in turbid
water and is used for navigation,
foraging and communication. Using
the EOD, mormyrids appear to be
able to distinguish between different
materials in the water, and even
whether prey is alive or dead. EODs
are species-specific, and also vary
between male and females of the
same species, playing a crucial role
in courtship behaviour.
Mormyrids are intelligent fish,
having proportionally large brains
and a well-developed and
specialised cerebellum with a
tightly folded portion known as the
valvula cerebelli. The convoluted,
ribbon-like morphology of this
part of the brain gives it the huge
surface area needed to process the
highly complex information the fish
attains from the EOD. Unravel the
valvula cerebelli of a mormyrid, and
it’ll stretch to over 10 times the
body length of the fish itself.
Water parameters
Mormyrids are sensitive to changes
in water chemistry, so provide stable
conditions – a mature, fully cycled
system is a must.
They will need a temperature of
24-28°C, with zero ammonia and
nitrite. Aim to maintain nitrate as
low as possible, too. Medium
hardness and a pH of 6.0-7.5 suits
them fine. Treat water with a
conditioner, and ideally age the
water by aerating and pre-heating
it over several days before
performing water changes.
Mormyrids have been shown to
have exceptionally high oxygen
Elephant drums
As well as the EOD, mormyrids also
communicate through a complex
system of clicks generated by their
swimbladders. Specialised muscles
‘drum’ on the swimbladder to generate
sound, and some species appear to have
evolved ‘hearing aids’ known as tympanic
bladders. These tiny gas-filled structures
brush against the fish’s ear bones in
response to external noise, amplifying
the sound and significantly boosting
hearing sensitivity.
demands (necessary to maintain
their huge brains) so you need to
ensure adequate turnover and
aeration to maintain oxygen as near
saturation levels as possible.
Choosing & quarantining
When buying mormyrids, select
your specimens very carefully.
Elephantnoses can suffer damage
BELOW:
G. schilthuisi, or be generally stressed by shipping,
a rare ‘short so you need to closely inspect them
snout’ type. in the flesh. Ensure they’ve settled
MP&C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 81
TROPICAL
Mormyrids
in at the dealer’s, and look for
full-bodied individuals with no signs
of emaciation. Ask to see them
eating if possible – a good mormyrid
should be actively foraging and
greedily feeding.
Elephantnoses are often imported
with internal and/or external
parasites, so quarantining new
specimens is highly recommended.
The quarantine tank can be kept
quite dark, allowing the fish to settle
in and adapt to captive diets before
being moved to the main aquarium.
Mormyrids are scaleless fish,
so they are very sensitive to
medications. Most of the common
treatments that might safely be
given to other fish are a no-no,
including copper and formalin. Even
salt will cause issues, although
praziquantel appears to be safe if
treatment for flukes is required.
In general, resting the fish with
minimal disturbance, ensuring that
they feed in the first few weeks, and
maintaining optimal water quality is
the best way to get them in good
health. For the quarantine system,
you’ll need a pre-matured filter and
be prepared to perform small,
frequent water changes.
Substrates are often omitted in
quarantine systems on hygiene
grounds, but with elephantnoses
it’s essential to include one.
82 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
We Recommend...
Tankmates
Diurnally active species that feed in mid-water,
such as the Congo tetra, Phenacogrammus
interruptus, can work well with elephantnoses.
They don’t do their best when housed with other
nocturnal species, or with lots of bottom-feeding
fish who tend to outcompete them for food.
I’ve seen different mormyrid species housed
together with seemingly few problems, but on
balance it’s probably best to keep them in
single-species tanks to reduce hetero-specific
aggression. Some aquarists keep them with
South American knifefish, such as the Black
ghost knifefish, Apteronotus albifrons, but
obviously this isn’t a natural mix and can cause
issues with competition and aggression.
LOCATION OF ELECTRICAL ANATOMY
Electroreceptors Elephant house
Central nervous system Elephantnoses need a set-up that
Electric organ caters for their particular and
exacting requirements. They
don’t fare well as an afterthought
addition to a community tank, and
now that aquarists and responsible
stores have wised up to this fact,
they are thankfully not offered for
sale as frequently as they were a
few years ago.
Mormyrids need larger tanks than
many people think. The most
commonly offered species,
Gnathonemus petersii, needs at least
a 2m-long tank for a group of five
or so, slightly less for an single
specimen. Overall volume is less
important than area, and the bigger
the better – these are definitely not
fish for a nano tank.
They’ve been known to jump
when startled, so a coverglass, lid or
hood is a wise precaution.
Being nocturnally active and
well-adapted to murky water,
mormyrids may become stressed in
NATHAN HILL
gin-clear, brightly lit aquariums if
they’re unable to hide, so provide
 FACTS
& STATS
The largest mormyrid is
Mormyrops ang
the Cornish jack
It’s widespread
across Africa an
extensively fished
Adults can reach
1.5m in length
and weigh in at a
15 KG
whopping 15kg.

<1volt is the
EOD of
mormyrids and presents no

NEIL HEPWORTH
risk to aquarists, unlike
the infamous electric
eel, Electrophorus
electricus, which can
discharge several
hundred volts.

plenty of cover and dimly-lit areas.
Stable rock caves are a good
addition and can be safely built
around pieces of PVC tube for a
discreet, natural look.
Soft, fine sand in which the
mormyrid can search for food is
an absolute must. Too often,
elephantnoses are placed in systems
with coarse gravel, which is totally
unsuitable. Large, rough-grained
substrates can damage the sensitive
snout and make it difficult for the
elephantnose to forage. Add some
smooth cobbles and wood to help
the fish feel at home.
Thoughtful planting can add visual
interest and provide excellent cover
for mormyrids, although the bright
lighting you need for some plants
may cause the fish to hide, so you’ll
need to strike a balance.
A planted system suitable for
mormyrids could have focused spots
of plant-rich zones, with other areas
left relatively dimly lit. Suitable
African plants include Anubias
species, which can be placed in the
substrate or attached to wood, and
African water fern, Bolbitis heudelotti, ABOVE:
20 pulses per minute
at rest is typical
of mormyrids.
which needs to be placed on rocks A shoal of
or tied to wood. elephantnoses
turn the sand
over while
Female elephantnoses have
Feeding mormyrids feeding. shorter electrical pulses
The largest mormyrid species are than males.
predatory, but those offered in the LEFT: The
trade tend towards smaller prey Worm-jawed
mormyrid grows
such as larval and adult insects,
plus small snails and crustaceans.
That large brain requires a lot of
to 40cm.
2cm is how
deep
into the ground
fuel, and mormyrids can rapidly
the electrical organ
lose condition if their feeding needs
aren’t being met.
can sense if a bug is
A well-fed elephantnose should dead or alive when
have a slightly plump appearance looking for food.
– if the body isn’t slightly rounded,
the fish needs more food, and if the
body looks hollowed-out, then it’s
in real trouble. 10 times the length of
the body is how long
the valvula cerbelli would
Ideal foods for mormyrids include
bloodworm, tubifex and glassworm, be if unravelled.
plus crustaceans like Daphnia.
These should preferably be live
when the fish are newly introduced
to encourage feeding, but once
settled, they will accept frozen and
35cm is the
length
Peters’ elephantnose
freeze-dried versions (although can reach in the wild.
quality live food is best).

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 83
TROPICAL
Mormyrids
Breeding blues
Breeding mormyrids is a challenge,
although studies on Brienomyrus
brachyistius suggest courtship can
be initiated by lowering the water’s
conductivity from around 300 μS cm-1
to about 20 μS cm-1 by adding
de-ionised water. Breeding follows, with
nest-building and egg deposition.
However, that’s not the whole story.
While newly caught specimens of several
species appear to readily breed in
laboratory conditions, success with long-
term captive mormyrids remains elusive.
A classic study on Gnathonemus petersii
provides some clues. After only two weeks
in captivity, the EODs of male and female
fish became identical, meaning courtship
will not be initiated effectively. After a
month, the fish changed physiologically.
Marked hormonal changes were observed,
with some females exhibiting higher
testosterone levels than males.
This goes a long way to explain why
long-term captive mormyrids are so
difficult to breed.
84 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
Provide as much variety as
possible and experiment to a degree,
but do keep an eye on the condition
of the fish to make sure they’re
receiving adequate nutrition.
Importantly, these fish can’t
efficiently chew their food, so large
pellets and meaty chunks won’t
cut the mustard.
Peters’ elephantnose
Of the 200-plus known mormyrid
species, only a handful make it to
the aquarium trade, and one species
makes up by far the vast majority
of individuals imported. Peters’
elephantnose, Gnathonemus petersii,
comes from the Niger and Congo
basins and for most aquarists, it’s the
quintessential elephantnose fish.
In terms of looks, G. petersii is
quite attractive compared to certain
other members of the family – it’s
not exactly pretty by any stretch
of the imagination, but it has
interesting bar-like markings on the
posterior half. It varies from light
brown to black in colour, and there’s
sometimes a subtle iridescence
NEIL HEPWORTH
Elephants need
cover and areas
of darkness.
when it catches the light.
The fish’s most obvious feature is
its prominent schnauzenorgan – see
one in action searching the substrate
and you’ll understand why providing
soft sand is so important.
G. petersii can reportedly reach
35cm in length, but most aquarium
specimens rarely exceed 25cm.
Even so, that’s still a big fish that
needs a considerable amount of
room, especially if it’s going to be
kept in small groups.
Keeping pairs can be problematical
as two individuals may fight
incessantly, so aim for five or even
more fish if space permits. The
feeling here is that aggression is
spread out in a group, so no one
individual is targeted (much the
same way as Malawi cichlids fare
best in densely stocked tanks).
Some aquarists suggest that while
sub-adults may tolerate one another,
aggression and territoriality increases
as the fish reach sexual maturity.
This isn’t always the case, but
providing adequate space and hiding
places can reduce any problems.
 Assorted elephants
While Gnathonemus petersii is the species you’re most likely to see in aquatics stores,
others occasionally find their way to specialist dealers.

 MORMYRUS KANNUME
This species is relatively widespread across Eastern Africa
in a variety of habitats, including Lake Victoria and the
Lower Nile basin, but is not often imported. It has a
drab grey colouration, a relatively long dorsal fin and a
fairly short snout, which gives it its common name, the
Bottlenose. A solitary species, it feeds extensively on
chironomid (midge) larvae and can reach 1m in length,
although 50-60cm is a more typical size. Obviously, it
needs an extremely large system to accommodate it.

CAMPYLOMORMYRUS TAMANDUA 
The Worm-jawed mormyrid from West and Central Afr
can reach 40cm, so it needs a very large system – ea
2m-long for a single adult. Coupled with the fact it’s
intolerant of conspecifics in captivity, this is probably
fish for most folks to avoid. Juveniles are quite attrac
with disruptive colouration, but this fades in adulthoo
and the fish assumes a uniformly drab colour

 CAMPYLOMORMYRUS RHYNCHOPHORUS
The Double-nosed elephant fish gets its name from the
distinctive morphology of its schnauzenorgan. It’s a peaceful,
gregarious species that’s rarely seen in the trade, but can make
a good choice in the right system. It comes from the Congo
River basin in Central Africa and grows up to 20cm in length.

BRIENOMYRUS 
Members of the Brienomyrus genus are occasionally
imported from West and Central Africa. All three recognised
species are relatively small, growing to 10-20cm,
but classification for the genus is still unresolved, so
identification can be difficult.
They lack a prominent schnauzenorgan, which gives them
more of a whale-like appearance, but in spite of their cute
STEVE HALL-MAXTED

looks, they can be territorial and are best either kept singly,
or in groups of five or more in larger tanks. They’re bottom
to mid-water feeders, and need a diet of Daphnia,
bloodworms and other invertebrates.
MARINES
Jawfish

TRISTAN
LOUGHER
Tristan is an aquatic
author who has
worked on various It may look terrifying,
SHUTTERSTOCK

research projects. but it's only a male

His day job is at jawfish incubating
Cheshire Aquatics. his eggs.

86 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
JAW
They live in burrows,
the males look after
the eggs, and they can
puff up their mouths to
look big if threatened.
Welcome the jawfish.
MARINES
Jawfish

Housing and feeding

W
HILE WE
should be
careful not to
project human
attributes onto
the fish in our
care, some
really do seem
to have wonderful characters and a
unique, fishy ‘personality’. Many are
also beautiful, some are pretty
disease resistant, and there are even
species that offer the opportunity
to spawn and rear them at home.
Some of those types can be found
within the fabulous jawfish of the
Opistognathidae family.
The Opistognathidae is a group of
small to medium-sized marine fish
that range from just a few
centimetres in length to around half
a metre – specifically, a species
originally named the Giant jawfish,
Opistognathus rhomaleus.
There are currently four genera
contained within the family, of
which one, Opistognathus, accounts
for the vast majority of species, with
over 65 currently described, and is
also home to all of the species
available in the hobby – it's
represented by species from all
around the globe.
The other genera are Lonchopisthus,
a group of largely deeper-water
jawfish restricted to the subtropical
and tropical Atlantic; Stalix, a genus
where all member species are found
in the Indo-Pacific; and a more
recent addition to the family, the
genus Anoptoplacus – currently
represented by a single species, the
tiny, deepwater Caribbean pygmy
jawfish, A. pygmaeus.
The jawfish’s common name
derives from the size of its head,
which can be 'inflated' through
muscular contractions to appear
substantially large, and make the
fish look more of a fearsome
proposition to predators than it
actually is.
Jawfish have a well-developed sense
of place; a phenomenon called site
attachment. They aren’t natural
roamers, instead finding a place they
like and staying there – often for the
entire duration of their lives. Many
of the best fish for marine aquaria
are those for whom natural
territories could be contained within
the confines of a fish tank and many
jawfish tick this box.
There has been much written on
the requirements of jawfish with
regard to minimum depths of
substrate but, as with so many
aspects of the marine aquarium
hobby, any generalisation only tells
part of the story. In their natural
environments jawfish reside in
burrows that they excavate and tend
to themselves. These can differ in
composition and form between
species and also are influenced Jawfish can
burrow in many
strongly by the types of substrate types of substrate.
available to a particular individual.

Blue spoed jawfish

6Scientific Name: Opistognathus rosenblatti
6Provenance: Eastern Pacific; Sea of Cortez
6Cost: £150-250
6Maximum Size: Around 12cm

A desirable species commanding a

high price. This subtropical fish can
be reclusive when stocked without
members of the same species, but
its territorial aggression means
aquaria need to be very large to
accommodate more than one
individual comfortably – a 100cm
distance between burrows is the
average in the wild. Otherwise, it
NATHAN HILL

can fit well into aquarium life, but

check individuals are settled and
feeding before purchase.
 Many texts concerning jawfish
stress the need for substrate depths
of between 7cm and 15cm as an
absolute minimum. The truth is that
many species will make do with only
a fraction of this, and some are
highly resourceful in what they will
use to construct a burrow in which
they feel at home.
I've seen certain Caribbean species
pull substrate from all over the
aquarium to construct a conical
burrow, with an opening at the top
that gave it an appearance much like
a volcano. Others seem happy
beneath rocks and in crevices that
they fill and shape with rubble and
sand from the surrounding locale,
SHUTTERSTOCK
SHUTTERSTOCK
which they will inhabit when other
areas of the aquarium seem to offer
a more textbook habitat for them.
To closely simulate their natural
environment, deeper substrates with
a mixture of rubble, sand and gravel
are preferred, but these aren't always
favoured by aquarists.
Jawfish love to dig and fuss about
their burrows, and watching them do
this and then return to sit inside their
latest creation is part of the enduring
appeal of these fish. However,
placing them into a well-established
aquarium can cause problems as
they disturb detritus-bearing sand
by digging and can potentially
undermine rock structures. It’s a

Yeowhead or Pearly jawfish

Scientific Name: Opistognathus aurifrons
6
Provenance: Western Central Atlantic
6
Cost: £20-35
6
Maximum Size: 10cm
6

The most commonly available jawfish in the hobby is

the best studied and most widely kept. It has been
successfully spawned and reared in captivity. Colonies
of four to six individuals can be kept in an aquarium of
200 l with adequate floor space. Broods are incubated
by the male for seven to nine days before the eggs
SHUTTERSTOCK

hatch. At just 15 days after hatching, the fry undergo

metamorphosis and begin building their own burrows.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 89
MARINES
Jawfish

shame as jawfish are reef-safe and
can be trusted with all but the tiniest
fish and ornamental shrimp, and are
otherwise wonderful aquarium fish.
However, the biggest hazard for a
jawfish is probably an open-topped
tank. Use of a lid is compulsory to
prevent them from leaping from
aquaria. Jawfish are particularly
nervous when first stocked into the
aquarium and it's no coincidence
that it's during the first weeks after
introduction that they're most likely
to be found outside the tank.
Some jawfish are planktivores
whereas others consume a variety
of benthic invertebrates – small
crustaceans and worms. Some
include small fish in their natural
diet. Most, if not all, should readily
accept frozen diets such as Mysis
and brineshrimp in the aquarium
and many can be weaned onto flake
and pellet diets.
Tankmates
Although it's difficult to argue
that jawfish will thrive in
otherwise-peaceful
aquaria with a handful
of boisterous
tankmates Due to their digging, it's
best to introduce jawfish into
– something
that’s pretty aquaria before the sand has
CREATIVE COMMONS
remarkable
resilience
when placed in
aquaria with the
likes of tangs and
dwarf angelfish. But, as with so many
fish combinations, compatibility can
be highly context-specific – placed Dusky jawfish
with jawfish, aggressive species like
6Scientific Name: Opistognathus whitehursti
dottybacks and some wrasse often
6Provenance: Western Atlantic
go on to be bullies. 6Cost: £25-40
It pays to make jawfish an early 6Maximum Size: 14cm
addition to any set-up, allowing
Although not the most colourful species listed here,
them time to create a place to call
the Dusky jawfish is perhaps one of the best candidates
home and develop it in a relatively
for sole residency in a reef aquarium. It will dig, but
sedate environment. Add the busier appears highly resourceful in its choice of burrow
fish afterwards and your jawfish will material and can incorporate practically anything into
feel much more secure. its structure. As with many species of jawfish, providing
a range of substrate sizes, from sand grains to gravel
Breeding and rubble, assists the fish in creating a lasting burrow
Male jawfish typically court females that it feels safe in. It settles well but care should be
before spawning and it's then that taken when housing it with small fish as they could
any differences between males and definitely be on the menu.
females can be observed. The Blue
spotted jawfish male, for example,
develops a white front half, while Tiger or Blackcap jawfish
the rear part of his body turns
6Scientific Name: Opistognathus randalli
almost black as he darts up
6Provenance: Indonesia and the Philippines
and down in the water 6Cost: £32-40
column – this is his 6Maximum Size: Around 12-14cm
way of displaying
his readiness For most aquarists, a single specimen of this hard-
to-sex species will be plenty. Males are known to be
to mate. In
highly aggressive and prone to wrestling bouts featuring
O. solorensis the
jaw-locking – the loser is quite likely to be evicted from

much true for all
fish – they can show
SHUTTERSTOCK
a chance to hold too female appears
his burrow. The gold appearance of the upper portion
much organic bright yellow during
of the eyes can be useful for identification purposes
waste. – because of this, the species is also known by the
lt ti name of 'gold-specs' jawfish.
e and this is a beautiful fish to care
um.

90 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 In their natural
environments
jawfish reside in
burrows that they
excavate and tend
to themselves
the breeding season. Unfortunately,
these visual cues aren't likely to be
displayed by fish in shop tanks, so
buying a group and allowing them to
sort themselves into a little colony
where space allows is often the best
way to proceed. However, don’t try
this in smaller aquaria unless you’re
100% confident that the specimens
will tolerate one another’s presence.
If in doubt, keep jawfish singly.
Breeding can occur in the burrow
of either sex, or sometimes in a
halfway house built by the male for
the purpose. Successful spawning
results in a mass of fertilised eggs
that are incubated in the mouth of
ALAMY

the male. Different species have

varying brood sizes, but many consist
of hundreds of eggs that must be
regularly ventilated by the male. In
ABOVE:
Breeding can
take place in his
Red headed jawfish
the case of the yellowhead jawfish, 6Scientific Name: Opistognathus solorensis
burrow, hers or a
he will partially spit out the eggs and 6Provenance: Eastern Indian Ocean to Tonga Central Pacific.
halfway house.
take them back into his mouth. 6Cost: £30-40
Male mouth-brooding is seen in 6Maximum Size: Around 8-10cm
other marine aquarium fish, notably
One of the most popular species in the UK hobby, the Red-headed jawfish
the Cardinalfish (Apogonidae). The
is sold under various common names. It is hardy once settled and can be
male invests in the brood, limiting maintained in groups where space allows; offer around 300-400 l for four
the number of his offspring annually, to six individuals. Supplies of these fish can be a little sporadic; sometimes
and sticking with the eggs from one one or two may be available, then there's an abundance of them.
female at a time – some species are
practically monogamous. This way,
he can guarantee that the brood he
is incubating is actually his.
Among the jawfish you'll find
everything from the affordable to
the exclusive. I've a feeling jawfish
are still to have their day and, as the
aquatics world expands its collective
knowledge, they'll likely be shown to
have even more to offer.
To fully appreciate them we must
be able to tolerate their relentless
re-aquascaping of the substrate and
their potential to bury corals or strip
the aquarium base of sand and gravel.
SHUTTERSTOCK

Are Jawfish so great we're prepared

to turn a blind eye to such antisocial
shenanigans? Only you can decide…

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 91
CICHLIDS
Pelvicachromis subocellatus

Jewel of
While not as well known
Africa
as its Kribensis cousins,
this stunning little fish
is the perfect dwarf
cichlid for beginners.

RADEK
BEDNARCZUK
ALL PHOTOS: RADEK BEDNARCZUK

A pharmacist by
trade, Radek has
been keeping fish
since he was seven
and has a legacy of
breeding successes.

92 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 P. subocellatus mix well with
other dwarf cichlids that
like similar conditions.
Companion fish will help
to reduce timidity.

Low demand, high

reward – what’s not
to love?

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 93
CICHLIDS
Pelvicachromis subocellatus

I
T’S A safe bet that you’ve
all seen Pelvicachromis
pulcher, the Rainbow
kribensis. I might even
venture the suggestion
that it’s the iconic, signature
species of dwarf cichlid,
probably on par with the
German ram, Mikrogeophagus
ramirezi. However, there’s another
member of the Pelvicachromis genus
that’s gentler and more hardy than
the better-known Krib, and it’s
rather surprising that it’s not more
popular and better-known than the
ubiquitous Rainbow.
Pelvicachromis subocellatus,
sometimes called the Ocellated
kribensis, inhabits slow-flowing
streams and still waters. It’s
colourful, doesn’t exceed 10cm in
length and is easy to keep. It’s also
easy to breed, and while there are
many colour morphs of this
species, to preserve line purity
they shouldn’t be cross-bred.
P. subocellatus is
distributed in West
Africa from Gabon
To encourage spawning,
to Congo, with
the particularly some breeders recommend
attractive cooling the water down
‘Moulondo’ variety and adding salt (a
hailing from the teaspoon to 10
Moulondo region litres). Fry are well
of Gabon. camouflaged.

Ideal home
The species grows to a maximum
size of 8-10cm, so your tank doesn’t
need to be tall, but it should be
relatively long, with a large footprint.
For an adult pair, the aquarium
should be at least 60-80cm long,
30cm wide and 30cm tall. The
bottom of the tank is best covered
with fine sand as the species spends
most of its day down there, digging
in the substrate in search of food.
Add a good number of caves in
the form of coconut shells, roots,
flower pots and lengths of PVC pipe,
as well as plants like Java moss,
Anubias, Microsorum, and some
floating ferns – this cichlid doesn’t
like bright lighting. Except when
spawning, P. subocellatus is pretty
peaceful, and – another bonus – it
doesn’t destroy plants.
Water current – from a filter or a
diffuser, for instance – shouldn’t be
When we see a female looking rotund and
very colourful, with a purple spot on her belly,
tensing her fins and arching her body repeatedly
towards a male, completely lost in the mating
dance, it can mean only one thing
too brisk. The species likes calm, FACTFILE
lazily flowing, well-oxygenated OCELLATED KRIBENSIS
water. The filter should be 6Scientific name: Pelvicachromis subocellatus
reasonably efficient, so that 6Pronunciation: Pel-vic-ah-crow-miss sub-oss-ell-ah-tuss
metabolite levels remain Origin: Africa: Nigeria, Gabon, Democratic
6
undetectable. Routine maintenance Republic of the Congo
Habitat: Coastal pools and slow-moving
6
should include weekly water
changes, regular vacuuming of the
streams (some brackish water) 70 l+
6Size: 8cm
tank bottom to remove any food 6Tank size: 80x30x30cm
remains, and cleaning of the 6Water requirements: 6.0-7.5 pH, 5-18°H
sponges in internal/external filters. 6Temperature: 22-26°C
P. subocellatus is flexible with 6Cost: In the region of £15 a pair
regards to physical and chemical

94 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 The female sees to caring
for the fry while the male
defends their territory.

conditions. The species does well in

Coconut shells
both soft and hard water, and will make ideal
tolerate pH values from 6.0 to 7.5. shelters.
However, in the long run, they
prefer their water soft and slightly
acidic. It’s best to use natural
acidification methods, such as
Catappa, beech or oak leaves.
As for feeding, vegetable foods
should predominate. The length of
this fish’s intestines far exceeds that
of its body, so the fewer animal
foods in the diet, the less the
likelihood of intestinal complaints.
For this reason, offer lots of plant
fibre and Spirulina, with only
occassional shrimp mix,
glassworms, Krill and black
mosquito larvae. They can also be
given dry foods, particularly
granulated types that fall to the
bottom, as they love to dig in the
substrate in search of periphyton.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 95
CICHLIDS
Pelvicachromis subocellatus
Purple passion
Adult male P. subocellatus are bigger
than the females, and the species is
monogamous. When we buy a
group of fish, there’s a good chance
a natural pair will emerge – all we
need to do then is to wait patiently
for the spawning.
When we see a female looking
rotund (as if she were about to
burst), and very colourful, with a
purple spot on her belly, tensing her
fins and arching her body repeatedly
towards a male, completely lost in
96 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
the mating dance, it can mean only
one thing – eggs will be laid very
soon in one of the tank’s hiding
places, such as a coconut shell or
flower pot. An extended
ovipositor is another indicator
that spawning will occur soon.
So, there’ll come a day when
you can’t see the female.
Don’t worry, she’ll most likely
be ensconced in one of the
caves, guarding her eggs.
Anything from a few dozen to a
hundred eggs (though some females
The larvae feed from
their yolk sacs for the
produce up to 200 grains) will be
laid on the cave ceiling.
Some breeders use a simple trick
to encourage spawning by
replicating natural behaviours –
they half fill a coconut shell
with sand, or push it deep into
When it comes to spawning, the substrate. The female will
the female plays the leading then dig out the sand, just as
role – she is the one she would do in the wild.
to initiate it. While the female is in the
hideout with her eggs, the male
fiercely guards the territory. He’ll
become very aggressive, so it’s a
good idea to remove the rest of the
fish from the tank, or separate the
pair from the others with a pane of
glass or acrylic.
first few days.
Some people do leave two mated
pairs in a tank, with caves for each
at opposite ends of the aquarium.
If any aggression or territorial
battles are seen, the aquarium can
then be divided.
Krib kindergarten
After a few days, depending on the
temperature, the young hatch.
Usually they are then moved in the
mouth to pre-dug pits in the
substrate, though in my tank, they
remained in the coconut until the
resorption of the yolk sac. After
about a week, the yolk sacs will be
resorbed and you then need to start
feeding the young. Freshly hatched
Artemia, microworms, grindal
worms and all kinds of foods for
egg-layer fry will be readily taken.
An amicable pair take care of their
young in turns, leading the cloud of
fry to various spots in the tank
(so-called ‘canteens) where they’ll
discover meals of detritus and algae
on decaying leaves and so on.
These fish can be fascinating to
watch as the parents communicate
with their offspring by opening and
closing their pelvic fins, and
vibrating the whole body. In the face
of potential danger, following a
signal from the parent, the fry fall
motionless to the bottom of the
tank, playing dead.
Sometimes, however, squabbles
Add a good number of
caves in the form of coconut
shells, roots, flowerpots
 Both parents will
be defensive, even
towards each other.

break out between the pair, leading influence the sex of these fish,
to losses among the fry. In such
cases, the young may be left with
only one parent, usually the
which is determined during the first
few weeks of life. If you want the
sex ratio to be roughly even, the
We Recommend...
female, or the whole batch may optimal pH is 7.0 and the Tankmates
need to be raised artificially. temperature about 24°C. When breeding it’s best to avoid other tankmates,
Do remember that With lower pH values but normally P. subocellatus are quite welcoming.
during the first few and higher Many tetras, rasboras, catfish and barbs mix well.
spawnings, temperatures there You could stick to West African species with either
disagreements If a pair looks reluctant will be more the One-lined characin, Nannaethiops unitaeniatus,
between the to spawn, try giving them females among or Phenacogrammus interruptus, the Congo tetra.
young couple, live foods such as black the offspring;
resulting in the fry mosquito larvae and higer pH and
being eaten, are quite glassworm. lower temperatures
likely – they are will lead to a
practising at being parents, preponderance of males.
so don’t worry too much about If you love small, colourful
it. Usually, after a few failed dwarf cichlids, this species is sure
attempts, they’ll get it right. After to take your fancy. They are ideal
four to six months, the new little fish to help you learn about
generation themselves are ready cichlid keeping, being relatively
ALAMY

to procreate. tolerant of water conditions, easy to

Interestingly, water parameters keep – and, best of all, beautiful.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 97
FRESHWATER
Goby cichlids

‘ i
La
With their strange swimming movements and fascinating
shared parenting behaviour, make space in your tank for the
cute goby cichlids of Lake Tanganyika.

AD KONINGS
Ad is an author,
photographer and
ichthyologist who
is widely regarded
for his work with
African cichlids.

98 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 A
SMALL GROUP of
Tanganyika cichlids
is often referred to
as the goby cichlids.
There are five
species described
and none grows
larger than about
9cm. The most common species are
Eretmodus cyanostictus, E. marksmithi
and Tanganicodus irsacae – the latter
rarely grows bigger than about 7cm.
Environment
Goby cichlids are adapted to the
turbulent water of the surge habitat
of Lake Tanganyika to such an
extent that this is the only place
you can find them. They’re
distinguished from other cichlids by
their anatomy, as well as their
feeding and breeding behaviour.
All members of the group have a
similar anatomy: a short, laterally
compressed body with a remarkably
long dorsal fin. To prevent them
from being swept away by the surge,
their swim bladders are reduced to
such an extent that they’re unable to
keep the fish buoyant. When they
rest on the substrate – while not
swimming – their pectoral and
pelvic fins are used to secure them
in position between rocks, and it’s
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 99
common to see the hind parts of
their bodies swaying in the current,
while their heads stay relatively
still in the sometimes vigorously
moving water.
In the lake, goby cichlids occur in
pure rocky habitats, rarely occurring
in shallow areas with sand, so if you
want to duplicate their natural
habitat as closely as you can, the
aquarium should contain a fair
number of rocks. If possible, these
should be piled up close to the top
in some part in the tank, as in
aquaria, goby cichlids are normally
found in the middle and upper parts
of the rockwork.
NEIL HEPWORTH
Above:
Eretmodus cyanostictus
‘Mpimbwe orange
dorsal’.
FRESHWATER
Goby cichlids

Adaptations
The dorsal fin of the goby cichlids is
long compared to that of other
Tanganyika cichlids and consists of
up to 25 spines. Generally, cichlids
use the soft-rayed rear part of
the fin to fine-tune their position
in the water column, but with A surge habitat is the ‘wave
goby cichlids, any movement zone’ of a giant lake, where is oxygen-rich water. Most of
of it will push the fish nearer
waves crash on the shore,
the substrate. This, of course, is
much like at the
just what they need in turbulent
seaside.
water. The drawback is that when
they want to move from one place
to another, they can only hop or
energetically beat their pectoral fins.
This odd swimming behaviour is
just one of the peculiarities of these
species that makes them so popular.
There’s no need to duplicate this
turbulent water in an aquarium
however. While goby cichlids can
handle a strong surge, they
probably prefer to expend less
energy in calmer waters.
What they do need, though,
the time, the gobies rest on the
substrate, so they actively need
to pump fresh water over their
gills. Fish that constantly swim can
breathe more easily as they only
need to open their mouth to allow
the water to flow over the gills.
So an excellent aeration system is
essential in a goby cichlid aquarium.
If you frequently notice the fish are
around the filter outlet, it probably
means there’s not enough oxygen in
the water. Excellent surface
turbulence can be provided with
airstones and/or power heads.
Most goby cichlids are monogamous
and live in relatively small areas of
about 2m diameter. In captivity they
are best kept as pairs and the only
way to tell the sexes apart with
certainty is to check the vents. Adult
females are smaller than males,
which is obvious in Eretmodus, but
less so in Tanganicodus. For a single
pair, you need at least a 100 l tank.
Suitable tankmates include cichlids
like Simochromis and Tropheus sp.

AD KONINGS

100 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING

 FACTFILE
STRIPED GOBY CICHLID
6Scientific name: Eretmodus marksmithi
6Pronunciation: Eret-mo-dus mark-smith-eye
Origin: Africa: Endemic to the northern
6
two thirds of Lake Tanganyika
6Size: Males 5cm
6Tank size: 90x30x30cm for a pair.
Water requirements: Hardwater: 8.0-9.0
6
80 l+
pH, 12-25°H
6Temperature: 24-28°C
Feeding: Herbivore pellets, spirulina flakes,
6
blanched spinach, occasional frozen foods

AD KONINGS
6Cost: In the region of £15-£20 each

Diet ABOVE: species, S. erythrodon and S. marlieri, Propagation

The various goby cichlids have
different feeding specialisations,
although all species feed on
aufwuchs – the layer of algae and
micro-organisms covering the rocks
and rubble of their environment.
Insects and their larvae, small
invertebrates, and mites find refuge
in this algal mat, and provide food for
Tanganicodus irsacae.
The two Eretmodus species, E.
cyanostictus and E. marksmithi, are
pure herbivores while the Spathodus
FACTFILE
STRIPED GOBY CICHLID
6Scientific name: Eretmodus cyanostictus
6Pronunciation: Eret-mo-dus sigh-an-oh-stick-tus
6Origin: Africa: Endemic to the southern
part of Lake Tanganyika
6Size: Males 8cm
6Tank size: 100x30x35cm for a pair
6Water requirements: Hardwater: 8.0-9.0
pH, 12-25°H
6Temperature: 24-28°C
6Feeding: Herbivore pellets, spirulina flakes,
blanched spinach, occasional frozen foods
E. marksmithi, appear to be omnivores. As is the
‘Kigoma’ case in so many other Tanganyika
Tanzania. herbivores, it’s the blue-green algae
LEFT: (cyanobacteria) they’re after.
E. cyanostictus, Eretmodus are unique among
‘Kasanga’ Tanganyika cichlids by having a set
Tanzania. of chisel-shaped teeth that they use
grazzing. to scrape off algae from the rocky
substrate. All other Tanganyika
herbivores either comb or pull algae.
In captivity it’s recommended to
feed goby cichlids Spirulina flake
food or other types of food with a
high vegetable matter content.
Planktonic crustaceans such as
Cyclops and Mysis are suitable to
feed too, but Artemia and other
soft-structured food shouldn’t be
given as they may upset the
digestive system.
Algae growing on the aquarium
100 l+ rocks provide supplementary food,
and their growth can be encouraged
by placing a strong light directly
over the rocks that are near the
surface. Goby cichlids will reward
AD KONINGS
Spawning takes place on a
horizontal or slightly slanting rocky
surface. Egg laying is preceded by
the male moving over the spawning
site and assuming a head-up and
slanting posture while quivering his
anal fin, probably simultaneously
releasing his sperm. The female then
nuzzles the male’s vibrating anal fin,
after which she assumes a head-up
position and quivers her anal fin in
turn. And now it’s the male that
nuzzles the female’s ventral region.
After a few of these pre-spawning
rounds, the female, assuming the
same head-up and slanting position
as before, releases an egg, which she
quickly picks up in her mouth.
After each egg has been laid and
collected, the male assumes the
head-up, fin-quivering position, and
the female then nuzzles his anal fin,
collecting milt. The eggs are
therefore fertilised inside the
female’s mouth, although some of
them may already have been

6Cost: In the region of £15-£20 each such effort by showing their best fertilised as soon as they were laid
colours and spawning frequently. and touched the substrate.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 101
FRESHWATER
Goby cichlids
Tanganicodus produce about 20
eggs per clutch, Eretmodus about 35.
The female broods the eggs and
young for the first 10 to 14 days
until the young are around 8-10mm,
but all the time the male stays close
by her side. At the end of this
period, the female tries to get her
partner’s attention once more,
signalling her readiness to transfer
the young, days before the male
finally takes them. At first it looks as
if the pair are going to spawn again,
with both male and female active in
chasing away intruders.
Once they’ve secured their
‘swapping site’, the exchange of
young begins. The female starts
shaking her head and releases one
youngster at a time to be carefully
taken up by the male. The male is
well aware of what is going on, and
waits impatiently with his mouth
half open. Sometimes it looks as if
he’s begging the female for another
youngster, and almost picking them
out of her mouth!
After all the young have been
transferred to the male’s mouth, he
broods them for seven to eight days.
The male and female stay close
together during the entire brooding
period, and a mouthbrooding parent
does not eat. The fry are normally
released in extremely shallow water
among pebbles.
While you can breed gobies in a
special breeding tank, the simplest
way is just to leave them with other
cichlids in a community aquarium.
When a male and female have been
introduced into the tank, they
normally form a pair and stay
together most of the time, including
when they are not breeding.
Mouthbrooding females are easily
recognised by their swollen buccal
pouch. Never remove a
mouthbrooding female from the
tank because the larvae will be
transferred to the male two weeks
The female starts shaking her head and
releases one youngster at a time to be
carefully taken up by the male. The male is
well aware of what is going on, and waits
impatiently with his mouth half open
102 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
FACTFILE
SPOTFIN GOBY CICHLID
6Scientific name: Tanganicodus irascae
6Pronunciation: Tang-an-ee-co-dus
ear-rass-say
6Origin: Endemic to the northern part of
lake Tanganyika
6Size: 7cm
6Tank size: 100x30x35cm for a pair
6Water requirements: Hardwater:
8.0-9.0 pH, 12-25°H
6Temperature: 24-28°C
6Cost: £15-£20 each
100 l+
after spawning. When you want to
grow the fry in a separate aquarium,
you could catch the male, once he’s
holding the larvae, and place him in
a nursery tank.
Alternatively, you could leave the
mouthbrooding male with the
female and try to have a more
natural way of reproduction by
creating an area in the upper
5-10cm of the water column that’s
flat and decorated with small rocks
and pebbles. This will be the nursery
area where the males will eventually
release their free-swimming fry.
To build up to such a shallow
nursery, you could use imitation
AD KONINGS
rocks instead of real ones, or you
could make one with a piece of
glass about 15-30cm long and
12-15cm wide – glue this inside a
fake rock or out of sight against the ABOVE:
rear glass of the tank. Fill the little T. irsacae,
platform with small rocks (nothing Spotfin goby
cichlid.
larger than 10cm across) and
sprinkle with a thin layer of sand to RIGHT: Pebbles
prevent the fish from ‘arguing’ with in extreme
their reflection. shallow water in
When lights are placed directly over Lake Tanganika.
the small stones on the platform, a
lush algal vegetation will grow to
welcome the newborn gobies.
AD KONINGS
 Another name for the
goby cichlids is
‘Tanganyika
clowns’.

Eretmodus Tanganicodus
marksmithi have smaller,
‘Mzungu’. thinner mouths.
AD KONINGS

AD KONINGS

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 103
ADVERTISING FEATURE
As eSHa celebrates its half century, it reveals how it’s stayed true to its
core aim of making high-quality health care products for aquarists.
T’S A FAMILIAR story
– a keen tropical
fishkeeper sees an
untapped potential and
goes on to develop a
product that achieves
worldwide acclaim.
eSHa’s story is much like
this, and it all began with its
Dutch founder, John de Cocq.
Over the past 50 years, he and
his son Marc de Cocq have
transformed eSHa into an
international business operating in
more than 25 countries.
John de Cocq
studies ichthyology before setting up
his own aquatics shop, Sea Horse.
Unimpressed by the efficacy of the
aquatic remedies then on the market,
he begins doing his own research
with help from a friendly pharmacist.
John launches eSHa (the
‘SH’ after his shop Sea Horse), in
Maastricht, Netherlands. eSHa was
officially registered in the Chamber
of Commerce in 1968, making it
50 years old this year.
Development
begins with the production of a
landmark product – today known as
eSHa 2000 – that treats fungi,
bacteria, fin rot and more. Thanks to
its popularity, more products are
added to the range, eliminating
more specialised diseases.
As word spreads, demand
grows and eSHa evolves into a
wholesaler and production company.
It branches out into making glass
aquariums, importing accessories
from the Far East, and sets up a
plastic blow-mould facility for
aquarium filters and other products
in Maastricht.
104 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
A decision is made
to take eSHa back to its roots and
focus on what it does best. eSHa
rationalises its product portfolio, and
sells its wholesale operations, print
shop and aquarium and accessories
manufacturing facilities. All attention
turns to research, consultancy,
medicine production and more.
Regulations over
medicines are tightened across
Europe, which sees a major
shake-up in the industry. The Dutch
government is one of the first to
implement the new EU laws, using
the big pharmaceutical companies
as a template. As a result, more than
three-quarters of Dutch veterinary
medicine producers and
manufacturers cease production.
Nikki Boumans, head of UK sales
and marketing, says: “We were lucky
to stay in business, but had to build
a new manufacturing site and install
new quality control labs. However,
this meant we were able to
improve our products and ensure
quality research laboratories.”
The
aquarium and
pond markets
experience
strong
growth in
the UK and
across Europe. eSHa responds,
investing in more manufacturing
facilities and increased
mechanisation.
eSHa introduces a
world-first: the five-in-one eSHa
Aqua Quick Test, an easy-to-use dip
test measuring nitrate, nitrite, GH,
KH and pH. The latest version is a
six-in-one test, which adds chlorine
to the list.
The Dutch Ministry of
Since the Health and Ministry of Agriculture
launch of its make it mandatory for manufacturers
first product, to hold manufacturing licences for
eSHa 2000, the production of medicines for fish.
the company
has been at
the forefront of Today eSHa employs 18
research into staff members across its 1,800m2
highly effective production facility and has two
medicines, warehouses. Although John died in
supplements 2009, eSHa is still family owned.
and testing kits Research and production is solely
for the aquatic
hobby. concerned with health care products
and supplements for ornamental
fish, products to combat aquatic
snails and algae, aquatic plant
supplements, and water test strips.
The company will no longer venture
into other fields, “simply because we
believe in specialising in what we do
best,” says Nikki.
Research and new product
development is ongoing, and the UK
will soon have access to 18 products.
The latest, eSHa alx, has been
formulated to combat parasitic
crustaceans and can be used in
freshwater and marine aquariums.
Find out more at eshalabs.eu
 1968
Est.

eSHa 50 YEARS:
TH
THE SOLUTION FOR RELIABLE
AQUARIUM PRODUCTS
eSHa OPTIMA FISH HEALTH BOOSTER
Water conditioner for ornamental ishes in fresh-
UK/USA: Pl
water aquaria.
miner ant extracts (400m
healthy wa als and trace element g), vitamins,
increases reter. Builds up the immus for natural,
colour sple sistance against dise ne system,
il ness. Reandour. Speeds up a fuase, itness and
freshwaterd lealet before use. Apl recovery from
children andaquariums. Keep out plication in
place and i pets. Store frost-freof reach of
n original pac e in a cool,
eSHa OPTIMA is a unique combination of the
kaging. dark
GR: Φυτικά
βιταμίνες, μέεκχυλίσματα (400mg)
φυσικό και ταλλα και ιχνοσ ,
ανοσοποιη υγιεινό νερό. Αναπτύ τοιχεία για
essential components found in tropical rivers,
Algae Vitamines Για ταχύτερτικό, έντονα και φυσι σσει το
Διαβάστε τ η ανάρρωση απο ασθέκά χρώματα.
Για χρήση σεο φυλλάδιο πριν τη χρήνειες.
lakes and streams. These components are
Κρατήστε τ ενυδρεία γλυκού νε ση.
εκτός ψυγεο μακριά από παιδιά. ρού.
ίου μόνο στ Διατηρήστ
HU: Növényi
η συσκευασ ε το
ία του. blended with trace elements, minerals, vitamins
vitami kivonatok (400
rmészetes ésnok, asványi anyagok,mg),
nyo
tja az immuegészséges vizet bizt melemek
ét és egész nrendszert, kondícióosítanak.
s t
gségek kezégét. Gyorsítja te je és a halak
and natural growth enhancers to give your ish
s a át a haselése után. Az a lkácósfe ép lést
vízi halak. Védználati utasítá tAjánl eőt
gtől. Az üve je fagytól, fén t l ot az
lja eredeti c get és a hasz ála i u és
what they are accustomed to in their natural
somagolás ta íá t
ban. Healthy water for healthy ish
Gezond water voor gezonde vissen
Gesundes Wasser für Gesunde Fische
environment.
De l'eau saine pour un poisson en bonne santé

AGAINST SKIN FLUKES, GILL FLUKES eSHa gdex®

Crustaceans Nematodes AND TAPEWORMS
Veterinary medicine for ornamental ishes in
freshwater and marine aquaria.

eSHa gdex® treats skin lukes, gill lukes (Mono-

genea like Gyrodactylus and Dactylogyrus) and
tapeworms (Cestodes). It can be used with all
our other freshwater medicines for an extremely
Freshwater turtles Goldish broad range of action.

eSHa gdex® does not colour the water and it will

not lead to a bacterial bloom.

eSHa HEXAMITA DISCUS DISEASE TREATMENT

Veterinary medicine for ornamental ishes
in freshwater aquaria.
Plants Red leaf plants
eSHa HEXAMITA is a unique treatment
that combats diseases in Discus and other
Cichlids like ‘Hole in the head disease’,
fungal and bacterial infections. It will pre-
vent diseases in newly acquired stock and
will protect the ish from secondary infec-
tions. eSHa HEXAMITA can be used in com-
bination with eSHa EXIT and / or eSHa gdex.
Coral Marine ish

eSHa 2000®’s wide range eSHa EXIT treats all

action treats over 18 kinds of ‘Spot’ (Ichthyo-
50 x 6
300 Tests
symptoms and disease phthirius multiiliis), it
organisms. It treats also cures Velvet. It is
many fungal, bacterial safe to use with sensi-
Ch
lor,
Ch lore Ch oor
and parasitic infections, tive tropical ish.
helps heal wounds and
protects the skin layer.
Testkit

www.eshalabs.eu
L18I24

eSHa Labs - Postbus 431 - NL 6200 AK, Maastricht #eSHalabs

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6Ethical Debate
6New gear
NEIL HEPWORTH

reviewed

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 107
 GEAR FIRST
SHOPS & EQUIPMENT

LOOK
Want to know how the goods on sale really perform? We put them
through their paces so you can sort the good from the bad...

They aren’t COLOMBO CO2 PROFI SET AND SOLENOID

cheap, they aren’t Price: Sold separately – CO2 Profi Set sells for between £150-£200, Solenoid around £65
easy to set up and More info: www.colombo.nl
are risky when Reviewer: Nathan Hill
set up wrong, but
C02 really helps In a market that was for a long while saturated with expensive
plant growth. entry level CO2 diffusers, many of us lost confidence in the idea
of affordable carbon for the aquascaping hobbyist. Some of us
took the risky high road of using CO2 fire extinguishers to make
things economical, willing to offset the chance of a regulator
failure against forking out astronomical prices for aquarium-
designated cylinders of gas. Others persevered with off-the-shelf
designs and rapidly realised how costly it became.
This Colombo offering sits somewhere in the middle. It’s pretty
pricey, but arguably much safer than a fire extinguisher. To its
benefit, it has a cylinder that holds 800g of carbon dioxide –
many of its nano rivals have cartridges (too small to even call
them a cylinder) as little as 20g.
You can assess the efficiency of that for yourself. For 20g
cartridges you’ll pay out somewhere between £10 and £18 for
three of them – 60g total. A refill for the 800g Colombo set
comes in around £40. But then again, I typically pay around
£25 for 2kg of CO2 in a refurbished fire extinguisher. 800g will
supply me enough gas for about two or three weeks at best in a
60x30x45cm aquascape, assuming I’m not gassing heavily.
The regulator itself is weighty, sturdy and has a smooth enough
action. With CO2 dosing you want really fine tuning abilities, and

108 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING

 Check valve,
airline and
this has it. Whether you want one bubble of gas ev
second, second-and-a-half or two seconds, you can
diffuser
it with accuracy. It connects directly to the top of t ccincluded
cylinder through a thread action, and as long as yo
keep the threads absolutely clean (I’d frequently go
over my regulator/cylinder threads with a cotton bu
and some silicone lubricant), then you won’t exper
gas leakage. If it’s the first time you’ve ever connec
regulator to a cylinder, I’d advise being quick, othe
little blast of released gas can give you a sudden ‘h
Also in the package you get a length of CO2 resist
and a bubble counter/diffuser. Depending on how ha
is, that tubing will eventually turn a chalky white a
so I suggest replacing it every few months (but if yo
aquascaper obsessed with everything looking fresh
do that anyway). The bubble counter and diffuser p
the tank easily enough, held in place with a sucker
couple of spares as this will turn chalky after a whi
opening it up to clean it just involves unscrewing t VULTRON AIRPUMP 1500
getting inside. Look closely and you’ll see a little sp g Price: Around £14
as well. That’s the non-return valve that means if you ever run More info: yihufish.com
out of gas, the water won’t start syphoning back out of the tank. Reviewer: Nathan Hill
That’s the whole package. I won’t lie, it doesn’t seem ‘that’
great value, especially if paying near the £200 kit price. With Have you ever bought a product just because it had a cool
£40 for the cylinder, that means I’m paying out £160 for a name? That’s what happened here. The Vultron 1500 is a
regulator, some silicone airline and a bubble counter. I don’t pyramid design airpump with a pumping depth up to
even get any cheap clamps and suckers to tidy up the airline. 36cm, and is the smallest model in a line of five.
You can build on the kit by adding a separately sold solenoid. The 1500 moniker refers to… I’m not really sure. The air
When plugged into a timed socket (around £3 upwards from flow rate (presumably at zero head) is 110 litres per hour
electrical and homeware stores), this allows total on/off control and it will deliver that at the expense of 2W of running
of your gas supply. The usual ‘scaper trick is to turn the gas on power. So it’s nicely economical.
an hour before the lights come on, and have it lead by an hour This model comes with a single outlet, just under 1m
when the lights go off again. This avoids huge swings of pH, as of airline, a non-return valve and funky looking glass-
well as wasted CO2 (since plants don’t use it at night). mounted (with sucker) air diffuser. I’m loathe to call it a
My worry is that the solenoid is in-line. I’ve tried to butcher stone, as it’s a plastic device with a foam pad, but it does
something like this together in the past on a pressurised CO2 belt out air all the same.
unit, and all that happened was that the hose exploded in the
night. Perhaps I was using substandard
hose – or perhaps Colombo knows Is it quiet? Well no, not
something that I don’t.
Either way we couldn’t put it to
particularly, but then it’s no
the test as the solenoid didn’t louder than similar-sized
work when we plugged it in,
and we’ve given up on airpumps either
waiting for the replacement to
come through. Flow is controlled by a curiously smooth rotating dial
on top of the unit which I reckon will be a bit of a headache
to use with wet hands. While you can clearly
VERDICT see the port for the air filter underneath the unit, and while
If you’ve got the money for it looks like it ought to be easy to access, I’ve not quite
the refills and you don’t worked out how to do
mind setting the regulator that yet.
every morning and night,
then great. If you want to
As far as I can see, VERDICT
run it with the solenoid then maintenance will This does the job, and for
I can’t really comment. involve removing four not too bad a price. It’ll be
I would expect a LOT more cross-head screws to interesting to see how much
if I was paying the upper flow it loses when that filter
access the inside.
end for this. gets clogged though.
Is it quiet? Well no,
EASE OF USE:  not particularly, but EASE OF USE: 
FEATURES:  then it’s no louder FEATURES: 
VALUE:  than similar-sized VALUE: 
OVERALL:  OVERALL: 
airpumps either.
❯
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 109
 GEAR FIRST LOOK
SHOPS & EQUIPMENT

WHAT ARE POLYMER BALLS?

These handy spheres are relative newcomers to the pond
treatment scene. We talk to three manufacturers about their use.
When it comes to pond remedies bacteria breaking down elevated What is polymer?
and medications, the stock on most ammonia and nitrite levels. It’s a very loose term; the word
shop shelves hasn’t changed much Enzymes break down organic literally means ‘many parts’ and it’s
over the last few years, but there’s matter, enabling further breakdown used to denote any substance that’s
one obvious newcomer – polymer by bacteria, clearing up water made up mostly (or completely) of
balls. They’re produced for both clarity issues and built-up silt. similar (repeating) molecules
pond and aquarium use, but what Pond balls are mostly suited to (monomers). DNA, cellulose and
exactly are they? And when should boosting the performance of muscle proteins are all natural
they be used? mature filters and ponds – polymers, though most of us would
It was Evolution Aqua’s either in early spring when think of synthetic plastics like
Pure Pond Balls that the bacteria colony is at polyethylene and PVC (poly vinyl
were the first of this an all-time low after chloride) when the word comes up.
type of product on the cold winter So what type of polymers are used
the market. Don’t like the idea of a spent temperatures; BELOW: for pond remedies? We don’t know.
For ideal usage,
They introduced polymer ball bobbing about? Put it when introducing
put the polymer
The companies understandably
the idea of in a filter bag and hang it in more livestock, ball in a small don’t want to reveal their secrets,
polymer for your filter so it can be which increases filter bag and but we did ask the manufacturers if
containing bacteria the bioload; after a pour any liquid any residue (plastic or otherwise)
easily removed.
and enzymes, but now deep clean of the pond; into the pond. was left over from their product.
the larger polymer ‘bombs’ or when you are suffering
are the more popular option. with water clarity issues.
The idea? Just drop the ball in Many pond keepers use them
your filter or directly into your pond to kickstart new set-ups, and
and sit back while thousands of although they will speed up the
little monsters escape the polymer maturation period, there are
and get straight to work. Simple. products out there more suited to
The mixture of bacteria and starting a new system, such as
enzymes deal with cases of poor Evolution Aqua’s pure+ filter start
water quality, with nitrifying gel and Cloverleaf’s Bio Gel.
ALL: STEVE BAKER

110 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING

 AQUA SOURCE
BALANCE SPHERE
First look: Steve Baker
Prices: £14.95
More info: aquasourceuk.co.uk
Is there any purpose to the fluid in the tub?
Aqua Source says: “The liquid inside the tub
is a part of the manufacturing process, and
contains a small food source for the bacteria
to survive, as do the balls themselves. Some
bacteria and enzymes migrate from the
spheres, which is why you must put all of the
contents into the pond. This is how the
product can have a shelf life of two years.
“As with all bacteria, if it doesn’t have a food
source, then it will die, so after treating the
pond or aquarium with Aqua Balance Balls &
Sphere, most of the bacteria will die off if the
food source is not sustained. Effectively, it will
do its job of reducing ammonia and nitrite,
but the effectiveness and longevity depends
on other factors.”
And enzymes?
“The spheres also contain enzymes that will
also get damaged and die off, which is normal.
These specific enzymes chomp on the organic
EVOLUTION AQUA
PURE POND BOMB
First look: Steve Baker
RRP: £14.95
More info: evolutionaqua.com
Is there any purpose to the fluid in the tub?
Evolution Aqua says: “It’s classed as an
activator gel, but it also aids shelf life and
transportation.”
Is there any lingering residue of the bomb
left once the bacteria is spent?
“Yes, the bacteria, enzymes and a food source
lie dormant inside the ball when the product is
on the shelf for up to two years. The bacteria
have everything they need inside the ball to
stay alive and intact until they are needed.
“Once placed into an aquarium or pond, the
bacteria are enticed to leave the ball to feed
on nitrogenous waste. This can be seen by the
ball shrinking and breaking up. If you place
the bomb into a glass of RO water, with no
flow or nitrogenous load, the ball stays the
same size and intact. If you place it in an
aquarium or pond with load and water flow,
the bacteria leave, and the ball shrinks. Our
‘ball’ is actually a net, only allowing certain-
size bacteria in and out.
“A spent ball can be left in the pond where it
will actually act as a substrate media for
bacteria if no better biological filter media is
Treats:
Up to
30,000 l
matter in the water, giving clearer water.”
Is there any lingering residue of the bomb
left once the bacteria is spent?
“There’s no lasting residue from the balls
once exhausted.”
Is there any concern of an allergic reaction?
“We’re not aware of any allergies to humans,
although we do advise that people do not eat
our balls! If swallowed, they would lead to a
dodgy tummy. The bacteria is harmless to
humans apart from that.”
Aqua Source has also adopted polymer balls
as a way of delivering other pond additives
including Aqua Balance Enzyme for promoting
fish health and recovery, Blanketweed Resolve,
and a fish treatment called Remedy.
Treats:
Up to
20,000 l
available. But if you have a decent filter, and
don’t like the look of a spent ball, remove it.”
How do the enzymes and bacteria
work together?
“The enzymes themselves don’t consume
waste, but they can convert waste into other
waste, which bacteria can then use.
“Enzymes are very important, and we talk as
much about enzymes here as we do about
bacteria themselves.”
Is there any concern of an allergic reaction?
“I’ve never heard of one and I’ve seen a few
million bombs get manufactured, sent out,
and used all over the world, but I guess it’s
possible to be allergic to virtually anything.
Some people are allergic to prawn shells,
bloodworm or synthetic sea salt.”
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 111
Treats:
Up to
60,000 l
CLOVERLEAF
ABSOLUTE PEARLS
First look: Steve Baker
RRP: 15.99
More info: cloverleaf.uk.net
You don’t use a fluid to carry the
pearls like other manufacturers
do, is there any reason for this?
Cloverleaf says: “With all due
respect, we do use a ‘fluid’.
Unlike other manufacturers of
most filtration aids, we use living
cultures of various nitrifying
organisms – archaea, anaerobic
and aerobic bacteria, plus the
enzymes these organisms
naturally produce (together with
a few nitrifying fungal and yeast
organisms), as the ‘fluidic soup’
that is absorbed by each of our
Cloverleaf Absolute Pearls.
“In fact, due to temperature
and particular atmospheric
conditions in our retailers, you
will sometimes find a small
residue of this bacterial soup in
some packets of our pearls.”
Is there any residue when the
pearls are fully exhausted?
“Absolute Pearls are made of a
selection of natural organic
polymers that will either be
eventually fully digested by the
micro-organisms in the particular
aquatic environment, or shrink to
a pea-like ball. In time, this will
itself be absorbed by various
micro-organisms.”
Does the user need to be careful
with this product – can there be
any allergic reaction at all?
“We do advise on each packet:
‘Wash hands after use. Keep
in a safe place out of reach
of children’.
“This is only sensible, but no,
Absolute Pearls only carry the
micro-organisms that you would
normally find in a healthy and
well-maintained pond filter.”
 BRISTOL LINCOLNSHIRE

QUAT LINCOLNSHIRE
From plants to SA I Hanger1 • Strubby Airfield
01507 451000

LINC
Woodthorpe • Nr Alford • LN13 0DD

CS
Cichlids, Stingrays EAST YORKSHIRE
Hedon Road • Burstwick
14 01482 898800
to Snakeheads East Yorks • HU12 9HA
SOUTH YORKSHIRE
Great North Rd
01302 711639
The Aquatic Store Doncaster • DN10 6AB
To all our customers – thank you for your support with the PFK Awards

Really does have it all! LARGE SELECTION OF

• Aquariums
HUGE SELECTION OF
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Come & feed our friendly fish
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• Fibreglass ponds Pond Fish • Lighting
www.theaquaticstore.co.uk 01179 639120 • Working Water • Marine Fish & Invertebrates • Food
Features • Tropical & Fancy Cold • Ro-Water
28 North Street Bedminster Bristol BS3 1HW • Waterfall Display
• Pumps
Water Fish
• Pond & Tropical Plants
• Tropical & MarineMix
• Treatments All fish are packed to travel anywhere in the UK

lincsaquatics-lincolnshire lincsaquatics-eastyorkshire lincsaquatics-southyorkshire

CAMBRIDGESHIRE www.lincsaquatics.co.uk

LONDON
CLASSIFIED To advertise here please call the sales team on 01733 366410

The Fish Bowl Ltd

Tropical 133 Dawes Road,
London. SW6 7EA
Marine Tel: 020 7385 6005
www.thefishbowlltd.com
Cold Water email: thefishbowlltd@tiscali.co.uk

Open 7 days a week 01954 214530

www.nuttyaboutpets.co.uk sales@nuttyaboutpets.co.uk OFFICIAL JUWEL STOCKISTS PLUS SPARES
175 St Neots, Hardwick, Cambridge, CB23 7QJ
Aquatic and Pet Shop.
Open 5 days a week 10am to 6pm. Closed all day Thursday and Sunday
COUNTY DURHAM LANCASHIRE

Retailer of
Fish Alive the year
North East
The only true aquatic Superstore, with over 250 stock tanks
specializing in community, rare and unusual cold water, tropical
and marine fish inverts and corals. Largest range of aquariums,
dry goods, frozen and live foods and Tropical plants.
Reef & River
RS ONLY
Opening hours weekdays 10.00 - 18.00, Saturdays 10.00 - 17.00, Sundays 10.00 - 16.00, Closed on Wednesdays
Units 10 & 11, Dragonville Retail Park, Durham DH1 2YB
Phone and fax: 0191 3843590 AQUARIUM RETA IL SHOPPE
G TIMES
MORECAMBE r all your
Thank you fo 1967! AY: CLOSED
support since
● TUES, WED &
Tropicals, marines, coldwater FRI 10.30-6.00
LEICESTERSHIRE ● SAT 10.00-6.00
and pondfish. , London, E
2
● SUN 10.00-2.00
ethnal Green Road 77292444
Wide variety of aquariums 220 B
5356 Fax: 02
0 ww.wholesaletropicalsa
Tel: 020 7739 qu atics.co.uk
IMPORTERS/ and dry goods in stock.
SUPPLIERS
OF RARE Pond pumps, liners, U.V’s
AND EXOTIC
CORALS and plants in season NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
All our corals are CITES registered. Mon 2-6 • Tues 10-6 • Wed 2-6 • Thur 10-6
We specialise in Australian and
hard to find species. Fri 12-8 • Sat 10-5 • Sun 1-5
18 KEYHAM CLOSE, HUMBERSTONE, LEICESTER LE5 1FW 95-97 Lancaster Road, York Bridge, Huge range of Readers’poll
01162 108112 Morecambe livestock in more 2017
than 600 tanks! ODDBALL

www.dreamreef.co.uk 01524 419371

RETAILER
OF THE YEAR

TROPICAL - MARINE - POND & COLDWATER - REPTILES

Readers’poll
Six-time winner of top UK aquatic retailer
2017
www.wharfaquatics.co.uk CICHLID
RETAILER
OF THE YEAR

KENT Tel: 01773 861255

Open 7 Days - 65-67 Wharf Road, Pinxton, Notts. NG16 6LH (near M1 J28)

ABACUS AQUATICS SCOTLAND

Voted one of the Best shops in
the UK for the last 6 years
House of Pisces ~ Scotland’s largest aquatic superstore by far
Now open on Sundays With over 1000 aquariums full of tropical, marine and cold water fish
Huge range of aquariums, aquarium furniture and equipment at discount prices
For more details about the Unit B/G, 207 Strathmartine Road, Dundee, Scotland, DD3 8PH
shop and our opening hours 01382 832000 www.tropicalfish-scotland.com
please visit our website
www.abacus-aquatics.co.uk
168 Halfway Street, Sidcup, Kent, DA15 8DJ
020 8302 8000 / enquiries@abacusaquatics.co.uk www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
WALES WHOLESALERS NATIONWIDE DISTRIBUTORS

AQUASCAPE FISH IMPORTS

Established 1973
55 John Street, Porthcawl, CF36 3AY
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Tel: 01656 784646
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DAILY NATIONWIDE DELIVERIES
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DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR

Please mention when responding to adverts

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sack £29.99
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includes
P&P

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AQUARIUM MANUFACTURERS..supplying direct to the public at trade prices
• Standard sizes from stock

01626 335806 • Made to measure

• Filtration specialists...sumps, wiers, combs, pipe, pumps etc....
• NEW!..Pleco flow tanks, breeding cubes + other sizes
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P L A N T E D AQ UA R I U M S P E C I A L I S TS or call in and see us at:
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www.aquariumgardens.co.uk

To advertise here please call the sales team on 01733 366410

01480 450572 info@aquariumgardens.co.uk MISCELLANOUS
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You can now buy

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OPINION
NATHAN HILL
When it comes to public aquaria,
tight budgets and old equipment is
a challenge. But are they giving out
such a negative message that they
become their own worst enemies?
I
’VE BEEN entertaining this month.
A close friend of mine came across
to the UK to visit, and so I took on
the traditional English role of
tour guide. Given that this friend is
deeply immersed in the aquatic
world, and given that we were in the
same city as a renowned public
aquarium, it was inevitable that after
introducing her to such British delights as
fish and chips, we should saunter on in
and take a look.
Bracing myself
Now here’s a thing. I used to work in
public aquaria. I was aquarist at a Sea Life
centre for a few years in the mid-90s. My
memories of that place involve low-tech
gear and shoestring budgets, and while the
displays we had weren’t exactly cutting
edge, they were at least relatively well
matched to the calibre of home displays
of that time – just a lot bigger.
Fast forward two decades, and it looks
Ashamed yet,
human?
114 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
Nathan Hill
is Practical
Fishkeeping
magazine’s
associate editor,
biotope fancier,
aquascape
dabbler and
part-time amateur
skateboarder.
like while the home hobby has evolved in
a huge way, public aquaria are still using
the same tired equipment that was already
borderline obsolete at its first use.
This was my first time entering a public
aquarium as a paying customer for as long
as I can remember. Since leaving Sea Life,
and because of the contacts I have, if I
ever want to visit one I can usually send
out a couple of grovelling emails and get a
gratis ticket. This time I wanted to pay. So
I did. Then I instantly regretted it when the
price came up. At £18 a head, I expect
guides to do somersaults on request and
follow me around wafting me with a huge
banana leaf and feeding me grapes.
The displays themselves were trying to
make the best of a bad situation. It appears
that since I left that side of the industry,
nobody has yet worked out how to stop
condensation forming on cold glass. It’s
just that these days they don’t bother to
wipe it off. Every time I pressed close to
an exhibit, I risked soaking myself.
NATHAN HILL
Guess the fish answer from page 39: Red tailed catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus.
Changing the world
The other thing that leapt out at me was
how downbeat the information was. I’ve
noticed this at a few public aquaria, and
I’ve no idea why the folks in charge of the
displays think we all want to be told what
total scumbags humans are – I’ve seen a
couple of museums do this as well. I’ll be
enjoying myself watching a shark in a tank
right up until the microphone scornfully
announces that humans kill over 100
million sharks annually. Thanks for that.
In fact, many public aquaria are now
more like shrines of death and destruction
than they are celebrations of aquatic life.
From bleaching of corals to discarded
plastics, the emphasis of the public
aquarium seems to have shifted to two
hours of intense guilt-tripping. When I left
I had no fond memories, only self loathing.
Yet the thing that stuck with me most
was the absence of progress. I repeat, the
domestic hobby of fishkeeping has moved
a long, long way in the last 20 years. Some
public aquariums have made great leaps in
that time – just look at the work on coral
spawning that Jamie Craggs has done at
the Horniman museum. Unfortunately,
other public aquaria seem to have drifted
into becoming foghorns of misanthropy,
hellbent on shaming the everyday human.
All of this combined makes me wonder
if public aquaria, by and large, are going to
become just another evolutionary drop
out. Ultimately, for a moderate outlay, we
are all now capable of putting on a better
display tank at home. And more so, we
can do it without some heavy guilt trip
being laid on us just for existing.
Then again, I might just be sulky
because the shark tank was closed when
we visited.
 A new range of aquariums & accessories
now available in the UK
Distributed in the UK
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If you would like more information or to stock this

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