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TROPICAL FISH

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GOLDEN GUIDES BIRDS • B UTTERFLIES A N D MOT H S • CACTI CASIN O GAMES •FAMILIES OF BIRDS •FIS H E S FIS H I N G •FLOWERS •FOSSILS • G EOLOGY H ERBS AND SPICES •I N D I AN ARTS •I N S ECT PESTS I N S ECTS •MAMMALS • NO N FLOWERI N G PLA N TS •ORCHIDS PO N D LIFE •REPTILES AN D AMPHIBIA N S ROCKS A N D MIN ERA LS SEAS H E LLS OF THE WORL D SEASH ORES •S K Y OBSERVER'S G UIDE SPID ERS A N D TH EIR KIN STARS • TREES • TROPICAL FIS H WEAT H ER • WEEDS

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3.� �IB®IPl!CD£ill lFl!�Ill A guide for setting up and maintaining an aquarium for tropical fish and other animals by BRUCE W. HALSTEAD and BONNIE L. LANDA illustrated by GEORGE SANDSTROM

® GOLDEN PRESS

•

NEW YORK

Western Publishing Company, Inc. Racine, Wisconsin

F O RE W O R D Few animals provide the profusion of colors, diversity of form, and beauty of movement offered by aquatic life, particularly tropical fish. Establishing and main­ taining an aquarium offers an insight into the complex­ ities of the natural world-an exciting and rewarding opportunity to observe ecological principles in opera­ tion. Ecology is the scieF)ce that deals with the relation­ ship of animals and plants to their environment and to each other, and these dynamic environmental forces can be seen clearly in an aquarium. On a larger scale-, simi­ lar environmental factors control mankind's destiny, for today's world faces unprecedented problems and chal­ lenges in maintaining a balance of nature. This book was written to help hobbyists with one of the most exciting and educational of all sparetime pur­ suits: studying a closed ecological system in an aquari­ um. The fish and other organisms described and illus­ trated in this book were selected largely on the basis of their availability, beauty, and general interest. Those who master the basic principles of maintaining aquari­ ums will probably find it challenging to experiment with animals (and plants) not included in this brief manual. The aquarium hobby truly has no limits.

B.W.H. B. L. L. Credits: Mel Venti, C h ester C o unty Aqua- Pet, Inc., Paoli, Po., and J o h n R. Pox­ son, Exton Hardware Store in Exton, Po., for providing specimens for t h e art i st.

Copyright © 1975 by Western Publishing Company, Inc. All rights re­ served, including rights of reproduction and use in any form or by any means, including the making of copies by any photo process, or by any electronic or mechanical device, printed or written or oral, or recording for sound or visual reproduction or for use in any knowledge retrieval system or device, unless permission in writing is obtained from the copy­ right proprietor. Produced in the U.S.A. Published by Golden Press, New York, N.Y. Library of Congress Catalog Card Numbe" 74-80977. ISBN 0-307-24361-3

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4

SELECTING THE AQUARIUM

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6

FILTRATION

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TROPICAL FISH

GRAVEL WATER

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DECO RATIONS

LIDS AND A RTIFICIAL LIGHTS TEMPERATURE

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SHOPPING LIST

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FISH HYGIENE

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HEALTH CHART

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34

BASIC DIET

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SOURCES OF TROPICAL FISH

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FRESHWATER S NAILS

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OTHER AQUARIUM INHABITANTS TROPICAL FISH FAMILIES

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Bony-tongued Fish • Freshwa ter Bu tte rflyfish • Elephontfish • Characins • Hatche tfish • Gymnotid Eels or Knifefish Electric Eels or Knife Eels • Carps and Minnows • Gyrinoch eilids • loaches • Spiny Catfish • Callichthyid Arm ored Catfish • Sucker-mou thed Armored Catfish • Banjo Catfish • Glass Catfish • Pimelodid or Adipose Fin Catfish • Bagrid Catfish • labyrinth Catfish • Upside-down Ca tfish • Electric Catfish • Halfbeaks • Sticklebacks, Sea horses, and Pipefishes • Killifish or Toothed Ca rp • Fou r-eyed Fish • livebearers • Glassfish • Tigerfish • Sunfish • Fingerfish • Archerfish • Argus Fish • leaf Fish • Cichlids • Mudskippers • labyrinthfis h es • Silversides • Soles • Spiny Eels • Puffe rs MORE INFO RMATION INDEX

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1 57

T R OP I C A L F I S H Ever since the fi rst Goldfish was k e pt ca ptive i n C h i na, more t h a n a thousa nd yea rs ago, t h e keep­ ing of fish has g rown stea d i l y i n pop u l a rity . T:.e de­ mands and cu riosity on the pa rt of enthusiasts d u r­ ing the last few decades has resu l ted i n more i nfor­ mation a nd eq u ipment beco m i ng ava i l a b l e for the m i l l ions of hobbyists a l l over the wor l d . Stresses a n d problems o f everyday l iv i n g a re easi ly forgotten as you watch underwater spectacles i n you r own l iv i n g room . An a q u a r i u m stocked with fish and p l a nts provides la s tin g and cont i n u o u s en­ terta i n ment, and the g rat i fica t i on that comes from creating you r own m i n iature u n derwate r wor l d is without com pa re. Fish a re u n i q ue pets. They do not m a ke noises, run away, eat l a rg e a mou nts of food, or chew u p your favorite p a i r of sl i p pers. For the price of only one or two ca n s of pet food, you can b u y a bea utiful tropical fish. La n dlords who pro h i b i t other p ets g e n­

era l ly a l low a q u a r i u ms. Ma ny owners have ta u g ht the i r pets to eat from thei r fi n gers or to swim to the surface to rest i n their hand or to be pette d . If their offspring a re ra ised and sold, pets ca n more than pay for their room and boa rd . An a q u a r i u m a dds to a home's decor, and its m a i ntenance is not d ifficult. The a q u a r i u m shou l d be a rra nged with care prior to p u rchasi ng a ny fish. When ecol og ica l pri nci p les a re bei n g considered seriously, esta b l ishing a nd m a i nta i n i n g an a q u a r­ i u m becomes m uch more than a s i m p l e hobby . Ord i­ narily only q u a l ified technicians ca n study these 4

An aquarium adds live entertainment to a room's decor.

closed systems a n d then apply their f i n d ings to the outside world . Experienced, professional aquacultur­ i sts raise fish by the mi l l i o n s in l a rge outsi d e ta n ks as a source of food for huma n s . This is a possible way to i n c rease the ava i l a b le protein for under­ nourished peoples. 5

S E L E C T I N G T HE A Q U A R I U M Buy the l a rgest tan k possible. I n genera l, the more space fish have, the better they do. Also, it is m uch easier to keep a l a rge ta n k clea n. Different species va ry in thei r activities, g rowth, and space dema nds. As examples, ten baby Guppies req u i re consider­ a bly less space than ten of the sma l lest Gol dfish . Kee p i n m i nd, too, that it is a l most i mposs i b le to resist a d d i n g new i n ha b ita nts to the ta n k, a n d so extra vol ume is soon util ized. The smal lest tan k i n which one shou ld i nvest is ten g a l lons. If a new ta n k is too expensive for the budget, look for a ba rg a i n i n newspaper ads o r at a uctions. An i nexpensive or second-hand a q ua r i u m m a y l ea k, but it c a n b e resea led. NON-TOXIC SEALANT should be used to prevent or stop leaks. Often the seepage may be in the i n si d e top corner, but the water l ea k s out the opposite bottom outside sea m. Excess sealant ca n be trimmed off with a razor blade. Be careful not to scratch the g l ass or plastic.

Put t h e a q uariu m in a d ry, clea n place and a l l ow the sealer to d ry a n d set for at l east two weeks. Then age the a q uarium in aerated water for a nother wee k before using it. lea ks in an o l d aquarium con sometimes be sealed by f i l l i n g the ta n k slowly with hot water.

Seal a l l seams of aquarium with sealant that can be bought in a pet shop.

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AQUARIUMS

SIZES AND SHAPES of a q ua ri u m s va ry . Recta n g u l a r tan ks with sta i n less-steel fra mes a n d g l ass sides a re the kind m ost recom mended. These a re relatively sha l l ow tan ks, prov i d i n g the g reatest su rface a rea per vol ume of water for the exchange of oxyge n a n d ca rbon d ioxide. If a g l a ss p a n e is broken, it can be rep lqce d . Ta n ks made of a l l g l ass can not be re­ pa i red. P l a stic a q u a r i u m s a re eas i l y scratched, a nd with age the panes sometimes become d iscolored . Wooden ta nks must be emptied, d ried, a n d re­ coated with res i n from time to time. GALLON VOLUME of a rectan­ gular tank is determined by the formula (in inches) below:

width

x

length

x

height

231 This volume must be known when it is necessary to add

medicines to the water. O rna­ ments and gravel take up space. If they a re already in place, it may be easiest to mea­ sure the volume of wate r as the tank i s being filled. Note this figure a n d keep it where it will not be lost.

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LOCATION m u st be decided before selecti n g the k i n d a n d size o f a q u a r i u m . Keep i n m i n d t h a t e a c h g a l­ lon of water we i g h s a p p roximate l y 81f3 pounds, so the sta nd m u st be stu rdy. Its location m ust be per­ mane nt, the su rface level . Mov i n g or ti l t i n g a ta n k that i s even pa rtia l ly fu l l of water o r g ravel often resu lts i n l e a ks . AVOID having to use extension

cords. Put the aqua rium near an electrical outlet. Do not place the aquarium on top of a television set or a h i-fi, where the water may overheat and kill the plants and animals. I n too much light, g reen algae th rive on the glass and in the water. The algae do not harm the fish but are not attractive. Controlling algae can be a con­ stant struggle, so locate tank away from windows. The temperature of the room should be constant, and there should be no drafts. The air m ust be clean. Insecticides, household sprays, paint fumes, and tobacco smoke can be dan­ gerous to fish and plants. BE SANITARY. Before working

5 teaspoons o f salt to lon of cleans ..

water

1

disinfects

gal­ and

with the aquarium, wash your hands with soap. Rinse repeat­ edly. Scrub the soap and dirt from under your fingernails with a stiff brush. Rinse all the way up your arm if it will be submerged. Then rinse your hands and equipment in a strong salt solution, which both cleans and disinfects. Finally, rinse again with fresh water. Never a l low cleansers or h a n d lotions n e a r tanks.

TO SIPHON, f i l l t h e tube (old hose or plastic tu be) full of water. Hold a t h u m b over each end of the tube. Put one end i n t h e aquari u m water a n d m a k e sure the o t h e r e n d i s below the

l evel of the tu be in the a q uar­ i u m . Now rem ove the thumbs, a n d the water sho u l d flow freely. A s i pho n i n g tube m a d e es pecially f o r a q u a ri u m s c a n b e purchased at o p e t store.

TEST A NEW TANK FOR LEAKAGE before you put it i n p l a ce. T h i s test w i l l prevent t h e soa k i n g o f va l ua b l e fu rnitu re a n d r u g s . T h e g u a ra ntee on a n e w ta n k may b e honored, b u t a warped piece o f f u rn i t u re o r a sta i ned rug a re not covered b y t h e g ua ra ntee. Sel ect a waterproof su rface where coo l water ca n be hosed or pou red i nto the ta n k. Be s u re the bottom of the ta n k is d ry before fi l l i ng it, or you wi l l not be a b l e to determine if the ta n k is rea l ly l ea k i n g . Al low the ta n k to sit for at least twel ve hours. Afte r the test, scoop or siphon the water fro m the ta n k . Do not l ift the ta n k with wei g h t i n side it. Ri nse with a s a l t so l u tion. Even thoug h ta n k does not l ea k, a q u a r i u m may swea t at fi rst. Put waterproof m a ­ teria l u n der a q u a r i u m t o catch this moisture. 9

FI LTRAT I O N Filtration, if the u n i t i s properly operated, saves hours of clea n i n g . By prov i d i n g a g reater surface a rea for oxygen to enter the ta n k, fi l te r i n g a l so i n ­ creases fi s h capacity. There a re two basic types of fi l ters: cha rcoa l -floss a n d u nderg rave l . A CORNER FILTER, located in· side the aquarium, is a plastic box containing aquarium char­ coal (also called carbon) on the lower half and filter floss on the top. The charcoal cleans the water and absorbs many impur­ ities; the floss removes debris. Wate r is ci rculated through these two, which become soiled and must be changed eve ry two weeks. Always rinse new charcoal thoroughly. Store u n used dry ca rbon in an airtig ht container

where it cannot absorb poisons from the air. Activated high­ quality charcoa ls may be cleaned and reused several times by simply rinsing and dryin g them i n a clean place. Buy filter floss, not glass wool. Pa rticles of glass can lodge in and injure the fi sh's gi lls or can be transferred to people's eyes from their h a nds. Never pack the floss into a fi lter. This reduces the o perat­ ing efficiency of the fi lter and puts a strain o n the pump.

OUTS I D E FI LTER

charcoal Screen

cartridge

undergravel

filler

AN OUTSIDE FILTER is

also a plastic box, with floss in the upper half and cha rcoal in the lowe r half. Water is sucked up one o r m o re siphon tubes, d ropped into the box hanging outside the aquarium, and passed thro u g h the cha rcoal and the floss before retu rning to the ta n k. One siphon tube must reach almost to the bot­ tom to pick up a n y settled wastes. The s;:oho n tube should have a pinched or screened end so thot fish are not sucked up. C ompared to the corner filter, this type is e a sier to clean, does not take up space inside the tank, and i s not li kely to lose pa rticles of floss inside.

UNDERGRAVE L OR S U B STRATA FILTERS come in a variety of

models. These a re highly desir­ able filte rs, consisti ng of plates lhol fi t on e nti re floor of lank ond are covered by one or two inches of g ravel. Water and debris are sucked through the g ravel. Oxygen-lov ing bac­ teria that grow on the plate decompose the debris, reduc­ ing it to a h a rmless silt that stays under the plate. This cleans a n d somewhat purifies the water. A disposable char­ coal cartridge fits where bub­ bles are released. Be sure not to use fine g ravel in the filter. It will s i ft through slits of plastic plates of filter.

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THE AIR PUMP is the com pa n ion of the fi l ter. It is lo­ cated a bove the water level , outside the ta nk. Aqu a r i u m tubing connects the fi l te r to the pump. Be­ tween them there shou l d be an o i l a n d dust fi lter that p revents back p ress u re i nto the p u m p . Air trav­ els t h ro u g h the tubing to the fi l ter. Outside fi l ters may come with their own magnetic-drive motors a n d n o t need pum ps. Many types of pumps a re ava i l a b le. Before buy­ i n g a pu mp, check to m a ke certa i n it ca n h a n d l e the g a l l o n vol u m e of you r ta n k . Remember that the pum p will be working 24 hours a day. It is wiser to i nvest i n a h i g h -q u a l ity p u m p, which should have a g u a ra ntee for a m i n i m u m of a yea r. A good pum p w i l l outlast severa l o f t h e i nexpensive ones. A

METHOD

OF

FILTRATION

for tanks of more than 25 gal­ lons involves a combination of outside and undergravel filters. This eliminates the charcoal cartridge on the undergravel post. Siphon out about a fou rth of the water every month and

replace with fresh. Before pou r­ ing g ravel over the filter, cover bottom of ta nk with an i nch of water and shake the submerged plate to remove air b ubbles. Cover filter with g ravel and sweep your fingers through it to release air pockets.

loops outside filter

charcoal undergravel tiller undergravel tiller

- plug s em of underg ravel tiller

siphon

12 . •

Gravel

fine lsandl

medium

best g ravel for sub­ strata filter is i rreg u­ lar i n s h a pe and a bout 'I• i n ch i n size

GRAV E L Put the ta n k i n its permanent l ocation before a d d i n g g rave l or wate r . T h e ta n k ca n not b e moved after these a re added. Use natu ra l g ravel . T h i s is the usual and fa m i l ia r floor covering fo r most fres hwater fish. Col ored g ravel s a re attractive but o re not recom ­ me nded beca use they m a y fade or c l o u d t h e water. Buy ste r i l ized, washed a q u a r i u m g ravel without l i me o r m eta ls. As a p reca ution, was h the g ravel a g a i n . Use a clea n p l a stic, g l ass, o r e n a mel con­ ta i ner. A newly purchased pl astic pa i l is just right for a q u a r i u m use. Rinse g ravel i n hot ta pwater. Cont i n u e to rinse unti l the water runs from the pa i l crysta l c l e a r . For good meas u re, wash the g ravel five more ti mes. Fina l ly, rinse the g ravel in col d water before pouring it i n to t h e ta n k . Sl ope the gravel u pwa rd towa rd the back of the ta n k-from one to two i nches. In t h i s way, a ny debris fa l l i ng to the bottom wi l l settle in the front where it ca n be seen a n d e a s i l y s i phoned or netted . S l o p i n g a l so g ives depth a n d interest to the a q u a ri u m . 13

WAT E R Aged ta pwater i s usua l ly best. Al low the wate r to aerate for severa l days in the tank. Th is w i l l age o r season i t . Tapwate r is genera l ly treated w i t h ch lor­ ine, which i rrita tes a fish's g i l ls. If the g i l l s a re bad ly damaged, they may be unable to assi m i l ate enough oxygen, and the fish wi l l d ie. Fortunately, c h l o r i n e a n d a few o t h e r ha rmfu l gases w i l l escape t h e water d u r i n g the a g i n g period . Minera l compou nds, how­ eve r, w i l l i ncrease i n concentration as water eva po­ ra tes. Many a q u a rists keep a supply of a ged wa ter stored for use in e mergencies. TO F I L L A TANK, a l low the wa­

ter to dribble slowly dawn the front pane of g lass. Do nat dump in a l l the water at once. Fill the tank halfway, then add the deco rations (p. 16). Then add water to within one or two inches of the to p. for use in an aquarium: Rainwater, which is often con· laminated with atmospheric poisons. Lake or stream water that may be poisono u s or harbo r ha rmful bacteria and parasites. Demineralized water, because it lacks the essentia l · minerals fish need.

UNFIT WATERS

Water that has been stored in iron, zi nc, copper, or lead vessels is poisonous to fish. Yellowish water in established tanks indicates overcrowding a n d overfeeding. To remedy, siphon the tank partially and

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replace with fresh water; add new cha rcoal to the filters. Cloudy water the first d ay afte r setting up a new tank is p robably due to bacteria. Never introduce fish i nto such water. If the water is not crys· tal clear in two weeks, remove water and start over. In a n old tank, cloudy water may be due to a fi lter not func· tioning properly. I t i s most often caused by a dense g rowth of microorganisms that are de­ composing debris in the ta n k. Make certain the fish are not fed too much and that they are not ove rcrowded. Less than a ga llon of water per inch of fish is crowding. C loudiness af this sort can not be removed by or· dinary fi lters, though a diatom filter will do so. Siphon off h alf the water; eliminate the excess food a n d / or fi s h . Add new water a n d then check to see if problem has been remedied.

GREEN WATER is caused by blooms of microscopic plants (algae). The algae are not harmful but a re not attractive in large a mounts. I f all of the algae die and decay, they foul the water, util izi ng the oxygen needed by the fish. I f the water has become opaque, m a ke a complete change of water and clean the gravel. I f the water is just beginning to turn green, the excessive growth of algae can be discouraged by reduc­ ing the a mount of light. Algae· eatin g fish can be· introduced and also larger plants that will compete with the algae for nutrients in the water. WATER is generally a sign of decay. An odor is a danger signal. Find its source and eliminate it.

FETID

CONCENTRATION OF HYDRO­ GEN IONS, called pH, indicates

whether the water i s acid, neu­ ·tral, or alkaline. H a rd water is alkaline; soft water is neutral to acid. Knowing the pH o.f the water is especially important when breeding fish. A sudden change of pH im· plies that something is wrong in the tan k, such as overcrowd­ ing o r overfeeding. Slight daily fluctuation s a re normal. Kits are available for mea­ suring a n d settin g the p H . Do not change to the desired pH quickly. Wait several hours for water to stabilize to get new, accurate reading. Activated carbon keeps water neutral. Resin charcoals buffer the woter to a specific pH.

DH kit

DH, degree of hardness, in­ creases due to calcium and magnesium compounds, possi­ bly from dead snail shells or some kinds of ornaments. Ex­ cessively hard- 150 ppm or more-can be s oftened by dilut­ i n g it with distilled water (no more than 60 percent). OF WATER is important to the aqua rium in· habita nts. Bubbles from filters do not add oxygen to the water. The oxyge n is absorbed at the su rface, then circulated th rough the tan k. CIRC U LATION

- to outside filter

ff71F------,

15

DEC O R AT I O N S A bal a nced a q u a r i u m-conta i n i n g on l y fi s h, wate r, g ravel, a n d p l a nts-is a cha l l e n g i n g p roject for the a dva nced or experienced hobbyi st: For beg i n ners, the res u l t is often dea d, decayi n g pla nts that mess up the ta n k. Pla nts a re i m porta nt in the theoretica l l y ba l a nced a q u a ri u m . As they g row, they uti l ize the wa stes from the fish, but beca use the water is ci rcu l a ted by a p u m p a nd fi l ter, the a mount of oxygen s u ppl ied by the p l a nts beco mes i n s i g n ifica nt. If the fi s h a re fed g reens, the l ive pl ants ca n be e l i m i nated from a n a q u a ri u m without h a r m . Artificial a q u a r i u m p l a nts look a uthentic a n d a re long-last i n g . Check for exposed wires that may rust a n d conta m i n a te the water. If poss i b l e, buy p l a nts that a re constructed entirely of non -toxic p lastic, such as polyethylene. A creative a rra ngement of l ive p l a nts or a m i xture of l ive a n d a rtifici a l p l a nts is p l easing a n d a l so p ro­ vides fi s h with food a n d with a p l a ce to spawn. The a q u a ri u m p l a nts themselves a re a g row i n g hobby, with more t h a n 1 50 species fro m w h i c h to se l ect. Aquasca p i ng i nvolves blending colors, s h a des, tex­ tu re, a n d size . la rger, fast-g rowing p l a nts a re a n ­ chored at t h e b a c k of t h e ta n k; s m a l l e r o n e s at t h e sides, center, and front. Rocks ca n b e b l e nded with the p l a nts to a c h i eve a natura l - l ook i n g u nderwater worl d . J ust m a ke certa i n to l eave space for the fi s h t o swi m . Dig g i ng or pla nt-eating fi s h ca n r u i n a n a q uasca pe i n o n l y a few ho u rs. I n a d d ition, fish med i cations such as methylene b l u e or sa lt (more than 1 teaspoon per g a l lon) can k i l l p l a nts. 16

Pla nts a re sold rooted, bu nched, or floati n g . Buy only crisp p l a nts, with no brown, dead pa rts. Keep them moist unti l you g et them to yo u r a q u a ri u m . Avo i d u s i n g p l a n ting sticks; fi n gers a re best. P l a nts need 8 to l 0 h o u rs of l i g h t d a i l y .

ROOTED PLANTS a re often most bea utifu l . Locate each p l a nt by d i g g i n g a wi de, shallow hole in the g ra ve l . H o l d the p l a n t by its top and fa n out the roots i n the hole before refi l l i ng it. Anchor the p l a n t if necess a ry. The swol len base o f t h e stem shou l d be j ust a bove the s u rface of the g ravel . C u t the l i g ht i n h a l f a few days to a l l ow p l a nt t o root. The p l a nts obta i n nourish ment from the g ravel, so in older ta n ks p l ace the p l a nts where the g ravel h a s been ferti l ized b y the fi s h . Rooted p l a nts g row wel l in ta n ks with u nderg ravel fi l ters, but the roots be­ come ta n g l e d in the fi l te r pl ate. When the ta n k is d isma ntled for clea n i n g , the p l a nts may be i n j u red, resu lting in thei r stunting or death. C l i p off old, brown l eaves. MADAGASCAR

LACE

PLANTS

a re expensive and hard to keep alive. Live plants a re propa­ gated from bulbs p lanted just under the g ravel. The tough, brittle leaves g ro w slowly but may become 21f2 feet long. Rub off algae o r dirt that may collect on the leaves. A mid­ winter d rop of 1 0 degrees is beneficial for this plant but not for delicate fish. The plant is used best a s a somewhat iso­ lated cente rpiece. I t requires at least 1 0 hours of subdued light per doy.

MADAGASCAR LACE PLANT Aponogeton fenestra/is

to 2112 ft.

17

C RYPTOCO RYNE

Cryptocoryne to 8 in.

affinis

CRYPTOCORYNE does wel l without great amounts o f bright lig ht, as in tanks with floatin g pla nts. S l i g h t l y acid, soft aged water is best. Many species a re available. Some pla nts produce red leaves that g row above the surface of the water. SWORD, a typical rooted pla nt, g rows new plants by sending out runners. These should be pushed below the g ravel. Amazo n s a re a n effec· live decor. As soon as young pla nts develop roots, they can be snipped from runners and transplanted. The Pigmy Amazo n (to 4 i n.) wi l l carpet a 10-ga l l o n tank. The regular Amazo n (to 24 i n.) should have at least 25 gallons in which to spread. One plant may have a s many a s 40 leaves. In new tank setup s with h a rd wate r, Amazons a re delicate. I f the leaves discolor, increase the daily light d u ration. AMAZON

PIGMY AMAZON SWO RD E. tenellus

to 4 in.

HAIR GRASS OR N E EDlE GRASS Eleocharis acicularis

to 1 ft.

HAIR GRAS S g rows in thickets

6 to 12 i n ches high. It spreads by runners. Hair Grass has o n l y stems, no leaves. I t survives i n w a r m or cool wate r. HYGROPHILA is a rooted plant that does best when pla nted in small bunches. In good l ight, it grows well. Hyg roph ila may be propagated either by cuttings o r by leaves. CAPE

FEAR

S P ATTERDOCK

grows 6 to 8 inches tall, i n slightly a c i d water with plenty of light. But only plants that have a g ood root system.

18

BANANA PlANT Nymph oid e s oquatica

CORKSCREW VAlLISNERIA O R EEL GRASS

leoves 2 or more in. across

Vallisneria spira/is

to 2 ft.

WATE R W I STERIA Synnema triflorum

to 1 0

in.

BROAD l EAF SAG ITTARIA Sagittaria subulata

to

10 in.

BANANA PLANT produces ba­ nana shaped tuberou s roots that lie on top of the gravel. A few stems grow from the roots, with leaves unfolding as the stem s approach the surface. Plant-eating fish like to eat both the stems and the leaves. For this plant, native to ponds and slow waters of southeaste rn U. S., the water temperature should be 70 to 82 degrees F. WATER WISTERIA g rows to 1 0 inches ta l l i n slightly acid water. It requires little light. The bright g reen leaves may g row right out of the aqu a rium.

CORKSCREW VALLISNERIA, a popular aquarium plant, is a tape-leafed grass that forms a dense underwater forest i n either warm o r coal water. Note the dark green stripe that runs down the middle of each leaf. The leaves will g row to the su rface of a ta n k of p ractically any size. SAGITTARIA thrives i n warm or cool water. I t resembles Vallis­ nerio but differs in having a striped leaf. Some species are as short as 2 inches; othe rs grow much tal l e r. All do best in fer­ tile gravel in hard water.

19

BUNCHED P LANTS a re more popula r than e ither rooted or floating pla nts. They a re propagated fro m cuttings, many of them later prod ucing roots. Re­ move the band securing the bunch a n d snip off the bottom tips of the stems. Strip the leaves from the lower inch of the stem and a nchor them i n bu nches of two to fou r stems on top of the g rave l . They will g row fast a n d need tri m m i n g reg ula rly. U se the u pper cutt i ng-the top, g rowin g part of the p l a nt­ a n d throw away the bottom pa rt. I n new water, add a n a q u a r i u m p l a nt vita mi n a n d mi nera l s upplement, ava ila ble at pet shops. CABOMBA, its fi n e leaves ar· ranged in a fan-shape pattern, requires water cooler than 72 degrees F. Without sufficient light and aeration, it fa l l s a part and sheds its leaves over the bottom. Goldfish can nibble it down to stubs. A sudden change in water condition s will also kill this sen· sitive plant. Locate it at the back of the tank, for healthy plants grow quickly-to a length of three feet. Several species of Cabomba are stocked in most pet shops.

or Anacharis, is a hardy, popular plant that does not demand critical water con· ditions. (E. callitrichoides does require water at 72 to 85 de· grees F.) Fish may nibble on it, but genera l l y it grows fast enough to reple nish itself and may add an inch or more to Its length daily. Locate it at the back of th e tank, and prune the foliage often.

ELODEA,

20

BACOPA has thick, fleshy leaves, spaced far apart on the stem. It is a slow grower a n d needs at l e a s t 1 0 hours of light daily. Floati n g does not show off this plant at its best. HORNWORT is fragile and crumbles easily. In nature, it floats just below the surface In cold water. In an aquarium, it can be a nchored. A few pieces provide refuge for baby fish. Hornwort does not develop roots.

is a cold-water plant, doing well in water be­ low 72 deg rees F . The water should be well aged. If a n ­ chored with a porous rock, it will attach to surface. WILLOWMO S S

its leaves in swirls around the stems, g rows fast in soft water. It needs 8 to 10 hours of light daily. Re move it routinely and rinse in fresh water. This results in bushy plants.

AMBULIA,

ELO D EA O R ANACHARIS

Elodea densa (also Egeria densa) to 1 0 ft. long

E. callitrichoides to 10 ft. long

CABOMBA OR FANWORT Cabomba caroliniana 3 or 4 ft. long

BACOPA Sacopa caroliniana

HORNWORT Ceratophyllum demersum

WI LLOWMOSS

Fontinalis gracilis

AMBU L I A

Limnophila sessiliflora

leaf whorls 3-4 in. across

21

LUDWIG lA Ludwigia natans leaves to 1 lf2 in. long

DWARF FOUR-LEAFED CLOVER Marsilea hirsuta

LUDWIGIA survives at most water temperatures in aquar­ iums, from cool to warm. At lower temperatures-60 to 70 degrees F.-the underside of the leaves of the species illus­ trated turn a pretty red. Some of the leaves are adapted for growth above the surface (emersible), others far below the surface (submersible). Given adequate space, these plants become quite bushy. They produce yellow flowers. New plants are started from cuttings planted in soil fer­ tilized with fish wastes. Several species of this bog plant are available in pet shops. DWARF

is

FOUR-LEAFED

CLOVER

a

small, hardy plant that does well at most tempera­ tures. It is showy, hence attrac­ tive when planted at the front of the aquarium. The leaves are on long stems. MILFOIL OR FOXTAIL Myriophyllum spicatum

22

MILFOIL turns light green and becomes brittle in inadequate light. If it receives 8 hours of light per day, it is fast-growing and turns a deep, bright green. Several species of Milfoil are available in shops. They prefer cool waters and are easily choked by the debris stirred up by rooting fish. Compare Milfoil with Cabomba, Hornwort, and Ambulia and note the differ­ ences.

FLOATING PLANTS red uce the a mount of l i g ht that can enter the water, hence a re desira b l e where it i s i m portant t o have a d i m ly l i t tan k . It is wise to g row them in patches so that some l i g ht can reach the p l a nts below. If the a q u a r i u m has just been set up, a d d some a q u a rium-plant vita m i n s to the water. F loati ng plants a re genera l ly rel ished by herbivorous fish. WATER SPRITE is a floating plant sold in bunches. Even if anchored in the grovel, it will stretch its leaves to the sur· face and produce new plants that multiply as they float. Wa­ ter Sprite does well in most aquariums, as its demands are not critical.

is very popular for an aquarium from light. Large fish espe­ cially like to eat Duckweed, which can quickly cover the whole surface of a tank with its tiny leaves. In large tanks or in outside pools, it may become a nuisance.

NITELLA has no roots. The wa· ter should be neutral to alka­ line. Nite/la, and they also seem to en joy swimming around it.

CRYSTALWORT grows fast. It requires a minimum of six hours of light daily. Keep it thinned inch in thickness. Fish spawn in this plant.

Most fish eat

DUCKWEED

shading

strong

WATER SPRITE

Lemna min or leaves about

lh

in. across

Riccio fluitans

NITELLA Nite/la gracilis 23

sandstone

quartz

slate

petrified wood

volcanic rock

glass marble

Some Safe Aquarium Ornaments

ORNAMENTS a re second on the l ist of decorations. Thousands of plastic or cera mic decorations can be bou g ht, ra n g i n g from m i n iatu re s u n ken ships to d ivers and treasure chests. Most of them a re safe, though unnatura l . Avoid using seashe l l s a n d cora l s, for u n l ess properly treated, they ca n poison the water. Coins a re a l so dangerous. Neigh borhood rocks may be the best. They ca n be used to create natura l -looking caves, a rches, houses, and mounta ins. C h i l d ren en joy hel ping with these creations. Al l stones a re not safe, of cou rse. Soft rocks, such as cement or l i mestone, m a ke the water a l ka l ine as they dissolve. Rocks conta i n i n g meta l s wi l l poison fish . I f you a re i n dou bt, a s k t h e a dvice of a geol ogy instructor. Remem ber, too, that orna­ ments su btract from the vol u m e of water, so take them i nto account when stocki n g the ta n k or adding med ications to the water. 24

L I D S A N D A RT I F I C I A L L I G H T S To prevent fish from leaping out, a q u a r i u m s should have a l id that stretches all the way across the top. A pa ne of g lass may be used, but do not place it d i ­ rectly on t h e a q u a r i u m fra me. Leave a bout a fou rth of a n inch of air space by putting a small rock u nder the g l a ss at each corner. If the ta n k is away from windows, as it shou l d be (p. 8), the room's l ig h t is not adeq uate for the g rowth of m ost plants. An a q u a ri u m reflector hood is genera l l y used to p rovide overhead l i g hting. Fl uorescent l ig hts cost more i nitially tha n do incan­ descent l ig hts, but they use less e lectricity a n d last longer. Fu rther, they do not heat u p, w h ile i nca ndes­ cent l i g hts (norma l fila ment b u l bs) ca n overheat small ta n ks. Be sure to pu rchase tu bes that a re made especia l l y for aquari u m reflectors. Do not buy b u l bs in ha rdwa re stores . Those that a re made to prod uce natu ra l l i g ht for the ta n k a re best. Too much l i g ht ca uses g reen a lgae to g row a bunda ntly. Most pla nts need 8 to 10 hours of l ig h t per day.

side view of aquarium showing position

fluorescent light

_,_

*'

incandescent light

Jj

D

25

T E M P E RAT U R E Goldfish a n d some other k i nds of a q u a r i u m fi s h do not req u ire water warmer than room tempera t u re. If tropica l s a re the choice, however, a n a q u a r i u m heater is necessa ry. These heaters a re eq u i pped with thermostats so that the water is kept at a consta nt tempera t u re. When the heater is operating, a s ma l l l i g ht b u l b g l ows. T o set the u n it, heat the water to the correct tem peratu re, then turn the a djustment knob until the l ig h t blinks . Plug i n the heater only when it is properly s u bmerged. Before s i phon i n g , u n p l ug t h e heater. A heater wi l l melt plastic, so secu re it wel l away from the sides of a plastic tank. Large fish, l i ke cichl ids, w i l l b u m p heaters a n d brea k them . Their tan ks m ust be eq u ipped with the u n brea ka b l e type of heater that is now on the ma rket. The tem perature of the water shou ld be checked daily with a thermometer. Beca use the tem peratu re is critical for m a ny tropica l s, it is wise to buy a n i nexpensive second thermometer s o that t h e accura cy of one ca n be checked a g a i nst the other.

' lI

round

•'

e;

,(·

..,

,,

.,

Thermometers

� 26

honging

S H O PP I N G L I ST This shopping l ist wil l hel p i n estimating the tota l cost of your a q u a r i u m setu p. Write down the price bes ide each item. Using this l i st s h o u l d a lso e l i m i­ nate the need for extra trips to the store to pick u p forgotten items. To t h i s l ist you ca n fi n a l l y a d d the fi s h a n d their a ssortment of foods, w h i c h s ho u l d be pu rchased a bo u t two weeks later. oquorium and stand filter charcoal and floss air·line tubing valves (if needed) dust and oil filter air pump gravel pH kit water hardness testing kit (optional) plants and weights ornaments reflector light bulbs heater feed ing ring with suction cup

thermometer siphon pail and sponge feeding ring fish net emergency tonic (p. 30)

27

BAS I C D I ET An a q u a r i u m a n i m a l 's wel l -being depends not only on the q u a l ity of its environment but a lso on the food it eats. DIET is impor­ tant for any animal. Few foods contain all the essentials of a balanced diet, and sa do not feed the same food more than a few times consecutively, even if the fish obviously like it. Many commercial and live foods ore available, and hun­ dreds of types of packaged foods can be found on store shelves. Choose those with the highest percentages of proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins. Today there is no excuse for not having a variety of foods -even as many as a dozen. VARYING THE

FEED

28

OVERFEEDING is the most com­ mon mistake of beginners. Feed fish frequently, at least two times daily, but feed small amounts. Make certain that ab­ solutely all of the food is con­ sumed at each feeding-say, within ten minutes. Leftover food fouls and spoils the water. Unless the bottom feeders be­ gin to eat it, this food should be removed by siphoning. Never shake a container of food over the water unless the flow can be controlled perfectly. Sprinkle pinches of food over the surface.

FISH A VARIETY OF FOODS.

LIVE FOODS

white worm

Daphnia

'VJjJ tubifex worms mosquito larvae

�

IN THE KITCHEN are many foods that are fine for fish. Shredded canned spinach is a good vegetable supplement. Fine baby cereals are also ex­ cellent. Lean beef heart or liver and fish or shrimp can be shredded to the proper consis­ tency. For baby or tiny fish, wrap a small piece of hard­ boiled egg yolk in wet linen. Squeeze one or two drops through the linen into the tank. Pieces of food should be no greater than half the size of the fish's mouth.

moy be an inconvenience but is reward­ ing. Mony can be raised on commercial baby foods, but they grow slowly. The ·growth of newly hatched fish is speeded by feeding them in­ fusoria-a broth of micro­ scopic plants and animals. Most pet shops carry infusoria. An alternate is using the legg yolk already described above. Older fry are fed newly hatched brine shrimp. Eggs of brine shrimp and directions for hatching them can be bought at the pet shop. FEEDING BABY FISH

�

nat arvae

ADULT FISH are usually fed at least twice daily. One meal con­ sists of a high-quality staple food. The ather can be one of the following: live tubifex worms thawed sea lettuce shrimp meal meal pellets baby guppies or mollies vegetable flakes and tablet foods conditioner daily food live brine shrimp commercial liquid tube food shredded white fish canned spinach or cereal food chopped or shredded beef heart chopped earthworms Live foods are now frozen or freeze-dried convenient for feeding. They con be substituted occasionally for the real thing. Thaw frozen foods to room temperature; do not refreeze. If you go on vacation, put a "vacation feeder11 into the tank. Healthy fish can survive for more than a week without food. If friends volunteer to feed your fish, caution them not to overfeed.

29

FI S H H Y G I E N E Only heal thy fi s h should be pu rchased, a n d their good hea lth s h o u l d be m a i nta ined. It i s i m porta nt to be a b l e to recognize a hea l thy fish's a p pea ra nce. Know the a natomy and behavior of the various spe­ cies kept. Study the d i a g ra m a nd a l so the cha rts on pp. 34-3 5 . Check each pet once every day for a ny cha nges that may i n d i cate an i l l ness. Even in the best ca red-for a q ua r i u m, p roblems may a p pear suddenly. Sick fish m ust be treated im­ mediately. A day's delay may mean the death of the fish. Keep on hand some good emergency gen­ era l ton i cs to treat the most com mon fish d isorders. Ask a rel i a ble dea ler to assist you i n sel ecti ng these broa d-spectrum medici nes, of which there a re many. HEALTHY FISH, the fins stand straight aut. They are not frayed or held close to the body. Select active fish that have clear eyes, bright colors, and a smooth skin end no dis­ colorations. Distended or red gills indicate infection. Do not pick the fish that lingers shyly behind decorations when oth­ ers of the same species are in clear view begging to be fed. Even such shy types as Gour­ amis are alert and dash about madly when disturbed.

IN

TAP on the aquarium glass when window shopping for fish. Tapping confuses and frightens the fish, causing them to dash into objects and injur­ ing themselves. Vibrations can also result in internal disorders. NEVER

30

The advice commonly given not to buy from a tank contain­ ing even one dead fish is mis­ leading. The dealer may have gone through all of his aquar­ iums scooping out many dead fish just ten minutes before you walked into his store. Those re­ maining may be ill. One or two dead fish in a tank does not necessarily mean that all of the . inhabitants are ill. If the dead fish have clearly visible signs of disease, the water may be con­ taminated. If a dead fish looks as though it was healthy and other fish in the aquarium are nibbling at its body, chances are that it died of old age or perhaps as a result of shipping. During their long journey from their source (p. 35), fish may be bruised or go into shock.

spiny rays

I st dorsal fin

2nd dorsal fin

caudal (tail) fin

caudal

t

barbel

line

PARTS OF FISH (idealized) BEFORE

MAKING

SELECTIONS

give the dealer a list of the kinds of fish you have. The dealer should be gentle with the fish as he catches them so that they are not harmed or unnecessarily frightened. If a fish jumps and lands on the floor, wet your hands before picking it up. Dry hands will rub off some of the fish's pro­ tective slime and leave it sus­ ceptible to disease. The water in which the fish travel from the shop to your home must be taken from the tank in which they were liv­ ing. If the fish you select are from six tanks, then you should have at least six containers. Too many fish in one results in nipped fins, especially if aggres­ sive species are mixed with shy.

The net used for catching the fish should be clean. If the deal­ er does not have a separate net for each tank, have it dipped in a disinfecting solution, such as salt or methylene blue, to re­ move any harmful microorgan­ isms. This disinfecting should be done between each catch. USE PLASTIC BAG S for shipping fish. Make certain that plenty of air is trapped above the water in each bag, which should look like a blown-up balloon. Do not allow the sales­ man to fill the bag by breathing into it. His respired air is full of carbon dioxide, and the fish may suffocate before they reach their destination. The air should come either from an air tank or from the room.

31

WITH THE P LASTIC BAG IN POSSESS ION, m a ke one last check for signs of disease before ta k i n g the fish from the store. Be ca refu l not to j i g g le the bag. Do not a l low yo u n g c h ildren to ca rry it, for they may d rop or sway the ca ptives and h a rm them. As soon a s possi b le, p l ace the p l a stic bag in a b rown paper bag . The d a rk ness wi l l h e l p ca l m the frig htened creatu res. H u rry home . Remem ber, the fish have a l i m i ted a mount of oxyge n . A T HOME, float t h e p l a stic bag(s) i n t h e seasoned a q u a r i u m to equal ize the tempera t u res of the two waters a nd a lso to a l low the fish to become ec­ q u a i nted with the i r new surro u nd i n gs. Afte r fifteen m i n u tes, open the bags and slowly (over a period of a bout ten m i n utes) dip water from the ta nk i n to the bags. Afte r the ba gs conta i n mostly a q u a r i u m water, n e t t h e fi s h a n d free t h e m i nto t h e i r new home. D ispose of the water from w h i c h they were j u st removed. Some aq uarists recom mend isol a t i n g n e w specimens f o r a week or two before introd u c i n g them i n to a n esta b l ished com m u n ity ta nk. I f a spare ta nk a n d eq u i pment a re ava i l a ble, t h is is a good p reca ution a ry step a g a i nst i ntrod u c i n g a d i sease .

float bags in aquarium to equalize temperature 32

NOT DO CATCHING

WORRY

ABOUT

from pet fish. The few diseases that are transmittable to man are rare and can be contracted only by eating the infected fish. A

D I S EASE

PREVE N TIVE CARE is easier than treating diseases. Take extra time to keep the tank clean, at a constant tempera­ ture, and the fish well fed. On the same day that fish are pur­ chased, buy some broad-spec­ trum medicines for treating the most commo n diseases. SALT A N D DYES used in treat­ ing fish diseases may kill plants. Iso late diseased fish in a plant­ less aquarium or use alternative medicines, such as antibiotics.

are: which form a brown coating on glass, gra vel, and decor. They are often incor­ rectly cal led brown algae. An infestation can be kil led by in­ creasing the amo unt of light. Algae can be dangerous (p. 1 5 ) in l arge a m o u nts. Both green and b lue-green algae may coat gla ss, gravel, and decorations. To e l i m i n ate them, reduce the amount of light and / or introduce kinds of fish that eat algae. Hydras may farm a white coat­ ing on the glass. They are car­ nivoro us, hence a threat to fry. Go uramis eat them. D u gesia or Planaria are free­ living fl atworms that are found in m a n y freshwaters. In an a q u ar i u m, they eat fish eggs and fry. Bettes eat them.

A Q U AR I U M PESTS

TREATMENTS are recom­ mended in the disease section of the hea lth chart (pp. 34-35). For each illness there is also a large selection of cures. Diagnosis of the disease is most important. After determin­ ing the ail ment, go immedi­ ately to the local pet store and buy the medicin e that claims to be effective in treating it. Read and follow the directions on the package. Before buying the medicine, describe the symptoms to the fish specialist in the stare to make certain your diagnosis is correct. If in doubt, consult books that have detailed ac­ counts and prescriptions. Ex­ ternal sym ptoms of diseases often overlap. For any disease, microscopic examination is the final diagnosis. NO

Diatoms,

DR UGS that are commonly used to treat the various kinds of diseases of aquarium fish a re: Antibiotics erythromycin, (chloromycechloramphenicol tin), chlorotetracycline (auteo­ mycin), oxytetracycline (terra­ mycin), penicillin, streptomysin, and tetrocycline. Dyes - acriflavine, brilliant green, malachite green, and methylene blue. Others - castor oil, copper, formalin (37-40 % formalde­ hyde), mepacrine hydrochlor­ ide (mepacine), merbromin (mercurochrome), pocroc acid, potassium dichromate, potas­ sium permanganate, quinine hydrochloride (quinine), silver nitrate, and sodium chloride (common salt).

33

H EALTH C H ART SYMPTOMS

DISORDERS

TREATMENTS

Inherited Tumors

growths on body� especia lly tail

no cure known

Deformities

usually in spine

no cure known

Environmental

(often leading to secondary infections):

Constipation (from i m proper diet; not enough exercise}

appetite dwindles; belly swells s l i g h tly; feces may trail

feed flake food saturated with castor oil, or sh reds of earthworms; vary diet

Stomach or I n testinal (from monotonous diet)

s l u g g i s h ; belly area usually dark or light

starve fish for several days, then feed varied diet

Shock (due to changes in water temperature or chemistry)

l o s s of color a n d appetite: may gasp, fins held close

heat water to 80-85 degrees F.; add 2 tsp. sea salt per gallon

Swim Bladder Disease (a temperature shock)

gasp at surface a n d gulp air

as above

Suffocation (from overheating, overcrowding, decay)

gasp a t surface

e l i m i nate cause

Chlorine Shock (form of suffocation)

same as above

age water before use

Torn Fins, Wou n d s

fins split or frayed, scales missing

warm water to 80 d e g rees F.; give salt treatment and a balanced diet

Deformities

abnormal spine or fin development

from improper diet; may be i n h erited

D I S EASES

SYMPTOMS

Viral Diseases Caul iflower D i sease, Lymphocystis (a pox virus)

caul iflower-shaped growths may be white, gray, red

Bacterial Di se ases C o l u mnaris, Body F u n g u s, Mouth Fungus (Chon drococcus)

Fin-rot, Tail-rot, Black Molly D i sease, Fin Congestion (from i nvasion of bacteria)

34

not a fungus; flns degenerate, split; white patches turn slimy; fish may shi mmy; contagious fl n s ore red and strea ked with veins; may deg enerate

Bacterial G i l l Disease

Pop-eye, Exop h t ha l m us

fish ride around in currents of water; sluggish; loss of appetite; g i l l s become inflamed eye(s) bulge; may be clouded

Dropsy (Pseudomonas, AeromonasJ

fish swe lls; scales may stand out; fish lies on bottom; eyes may protrude; ulcers

Tuberculosis lMyxobacterium)

loss of weight, appetite, color; ulcers, eyes may protrude; lou of equilibrium; yellow spots on caudal peduncle

Furuncu losis CAeromonasJ

open ulcers, mainly dorsal

Fungal Diseases

Fungus (Saprole gnia J

white or gray blotches, usually on wounded areas or weak fish; contagious a n d common

Eye Fungus

a s above but in eye

lch, White Spot llchthyopthirius)

white flecks, spreading from fins; common and contagious

Protozoan Diseases Velvet, Rust (Qodinium)

yellow

S l i my Skin D i sease (ca used by Ch i l odonel la, Cydochoeto, Costio, TrichodinaJ, and ot h e r s

color lost; white, gray, bl uish­ white or off-white slime ex­ creted from skin and covers body

Neon Tetra D isease tPiistop horaJ

color fades; equilibrium is lost: affects other species

Whirling Disease tM yxosom a J

Discus Disease

or

rust-colored

patches

same symptoms as a bove

looks like tiny worms on head

Helminth Diseases S kin and G i l l F l u kes IGyrodoctylusJ

fish dash about, rub against objects; exha ustion; contagious

Gill Flukes IDactylogyrusJ

same as above but restricted to g i l ls, w h i c h become lnftamed1 fish have difficulty breathing; flex gill covers frequently

leeches (Piscicolo)

heart-shaped grayish worms

B l o c k Spot Disease ( D iploslomiasis, Neocliploslom u m )

brown to black body; carried by

Eye Cataract CHemistomumJ

eyes

cysts cover snails

get cloudy

Crustacean Diseases Anchor Worm (LernaeoJ

common o n Goldfish; fish on gravel a n d objeds

rub

Fish "louse" (ArgulusJ

attaches externally; dark brown to pole green

35

S O U RC E S O F TRO P I CA L F I S H Every yea r m i l l ions of fish a re shi pped to markets from breed ing houses and fish fa rms. As soon as the ba by fish reach a size su itable for sel l i ng, they a re packed i n la rge, heavy-ga uge pl astic bags fi l led with water a n d oxygen . These a re placed i n card­ board ca rtons, insu lated with styrofoa m a nd h u r­ ried to thei r destinations by truck or by a i r p l a ne. The fish descriptions i n this book refer to the na­ tive ra nges of the species. Most of the fi s h bought in stores proba bly ca me from commercial breed i n g houses or fish fa rms. F i s h t h a t a re n o t prol ific i n captivity, however, a re best col l ected i n t h e w i l d . Ra pid a i r tra nsport has g reatly red uced the risk of getti ng these fish to m a r kets. It has a l so made it pos­ sible to i ntroduce new, u n u s u a l species. This is espe­ cia l ly a ppea l i ng to the hobbyist and ma kes it worth­ w h i l e to h i re natives to net fish i n the w i l d .

CONDITION TANK BEFORE A balanced aquari�m (p. 1 6) con ­ taining no filtration is difficult to achieve. The aquarium must first be conditioned-that is, it m ust support beneficial n i trifyin g bac­ teria that remove from the water taxlc compounds, such as am­ monia, and convert them i nto less toxic substances, s u c h as nitrites, n itrates, nitrous oxide, and free n itrogen. The aquari um will not be suc­ cessful unl ess this nitrogen cycle is operating properly. It can do 36

BUYING FISH

so at an opti m u m in an under­ gravel filter bed (p. 11) and will start about two weeks after the n ew tank is set up. No delicate a n i mals should be placed in the aquarium until the cycle or con d i tion i n g begins. The stabilization can be hastened by a dd i n g some gravel or water from an established aquarium or by introd u c i n g some hardy an­ i m al s during the first two weeks while th e cycle is gelli ng under­ way toward attaining a balance.

F R E S H WA T E R S N A I LS Sna i l s were once considered to be the best scaven­ gers for a n a q u a r i u m . Today, a l gae-ea t i n g fish and catfish a re used i n tropical a q u a ri u m s beca use of the d isadvanta g es of sna i ls. Even with no specia l food or ca re, one sna i l ca n i n a short time produce n u merous offs p r i n g . Soon there a re l itera l ly h u n d reds of s n a i l s . Thou g h they do cons u m e u neaten foods, they a lso contribute t h e i r own wastes, and they a l so eat fish eggs. Wild o r poo l-bred sna i l s may ca rry da ngerous fish d iseases. Despite these negative fea tu res, sna i l s ca n add interest t o t h e a q u a ri u m . They hel p keep the g lass a n d decorations clean . MYSTERY SNAILS are desirable and not prolific. They need an abundance of food. They will not harm aquatic plants if given an occasional lettuce leaf or some cooked spinach.

very pop­ ular for either warm ar cold water aquariums, are bright red. Fish eat hatchlings. RAMSHORN SNAILS,

WANDERING SNAIL should be avoided. It eats plants and produces a poison fatal to fish.

MALAYAN BURROWING SNAIL

plows in search of food, pre­ venting gravel from packing. Water should not drop below 70 degrees F. ACUTE BLADDER SNAILS are exceptionally prolific in most aquariums-to the point of be­ ing considered pests. Fish can­ not eat the hard-shelled babies.

MYSTERY SNAILS Ampul/aria

to 2% in.

,

BLADDER SNAIL Physa acuta

to Y2 in.

WAND E R ING SNAIL Lymnaea ovata peregra to 1 in.

RAMSHORN SNAIL

MALAYAN SNAIL

Planorbis corneus

M e lan oides tuberculata

to 1 % in.

to 1 in. 37

OTHER AQUARIUM INHABITANTS

its entire life under water. It will not hop out of the tank. Needs varied diet of fish foods, both d ry and live. Arrange the aquarium a s for any tropical fish, using floating plants. This animal is .. sed in laboratories for pregnancr tests.

a re safe ta add to an aquarium. They eat infusoria. As adults, however, they will eat fish if they can catch them. Most frogs must get out of the water to bask and will jump out of tanks. In es­ tablished tanks, they can also stir up a mess as they kick.

SALAMANDERS and newts need

FRESHWATER

damp land areas, for they leave the water occasionally. They eat fi sh eggs, insects, worms, snails, and unwary s mall fi shes. These a mphibians a re quiet and quite tame, accepting food from fingers.

a re not true shrimp. I n the wild, they eat algae and debris. Cap· five specimens will eat most fish foods. Their home is on the tank's floor, but they will not uproot or eat plants. Large fish will gobble them up.

AFRICAN AQUATIC FROG lives

SMALL TADPOLES

GHOST

SHRIMP

( m any kinds are s uitable I

AFRICAN AQUATIC FROG Xenopus /aeuis

JAPANESE NEWT OR SALAMANDER Mo/ge pyrrhogastra

38

FRESHWATER GHOST SHRIMP Gammarus spp.

TURTLE AQUARIUM

BABY TURTLES a re proba bly the m ost m istreated pets sol d in pet shops and variety stores beca use their needs a re so poorly understood . I f treated wel l , they may l ive for more than ten yea rs. DO NOT put them in shallow, plastic "turtle bowls." In these liowls, they are too cramped, and the water fouls quickly. Do not feed them commercial tur­ tle foods ar• raw hamburger. Commercial foods are usually dried ant eggs and flies, offer­ little or no nutrition. The raw hamburger contains too much fat, which bloats the turtles. PUT THE TURlLE in an aquar­ ium in which the water is deep enough for it to exercise. Hang turtle rafts, available in pet stores, several inches below the reflector lights. Allow the turtle about 8 hours af light each day for basking. If the water is not heated, leave a light on all night on cool evenings. The water temperature should be 72 to 80 degrees F. Feed the turtle a balanced diet; fish foods, dog food, lean beef, raw fish, cottage cheese,

row shri m p, freshwater snails, worms, fruits, a rd- b oil e d eggs, and lelluce. A turtl e will eat belle r if it is in com pany with other turtles. If fed daily, it will not bother fish, though the long, flowing fins of a slow­ moving fish m a y be too m uch to resist.

h

Turtles become unbelievably tame. They will swim to fingers to grab morsels of food. Given basking lights and a proper diet, they rarely become ill. Swollen eyes or soft shells are a result of mistreatment. For swollen eyes, place the tur­ tle in an antibiotic or sulpha bath two times daily. Feed it as much as it will eat of its favorite foods. Soft shells are hardened by giving the turtle large amounts of sunshine and calcium supplements in the diet. The cruel practice of painting shells will eventually kill the poor victims. 39

AROWANA Osteoglossum bicirrhosum to 20 in.

T R O P I CA L

F IS H

F A M I L I ES

BONY-TONGUED FISHES (O s teog l o ssida e ) This fa m i l y of freshwater fis hes, bel o n g i n g to the same order a s herri ngs, is d istributed ove r South America, Southeast Asia, Borneo, Sumatra, Aus­ tra l ia, a nd Africa . Al l of the membe rs o re l a rg e .

AROWANAS a re sometimes imported from South America a s j uveni les, o n ly 3 to 4 i n c h es long. If you a re w i l l i n g to p rovide for a fi sh that w i l l g row to 20 i n ches l o n g in ca ptivity, the Arowa na ma kes a n u n u s u a l pet t h a t m a y l ive more th a n t e n yea rs . Their relation s h i p to prehistoric fish makes them especially i nteresti n g a n d u n usual a q u a ri um pets. You n g specime n s a re peacef u l ; older o nes must be i solated . P l a n a head . A ta n k of at least 75 to 1 00 g a l l o n s wi l l be needed w h e n the you ngster g rows u p . In a roomy ta n k the species s h ows off its g ra ce. ful, s l e e k movem e nts. Temperature of the water s h o u l d be 75 to 78 deg rees F. Arowa n a s prefer l a rge l i ve foods, such as Goldfish, but they can be taught to take c h u nks of raw fish or beef. Pa rents are said to carry their eggs a n d ba bies i n their mouth . 40

FRESHWATER BUTTERFLYFISH (Pa ntodontidae) This fa m i l y conta i n s only one genus a n d one species, occurring in western Africa.

FRESHWATER BUTTERFLYFISH is a l ea per. Spread ing its la rge pectora l fi ns, i t can g l ide over the s u rface of the water. If the l i d is left off a n a q u a ri u m, t h i s fi s h is l i kely t o "fly" out. Note the l a rge, u ptu rned mouth . This is a feature cha racteristic of fish that l ive i n the u p per strata a nd feed at the s u rface. The ta n k sho u l d be spacious (20 g a l l ons or more), d i m ly l it, a n d moderately p l a nted, especi a l l y with a few floati ng p l a nts. The water shou ld be sl i g htly acid, soft, and 7 5 to 8 5 degrees F . Feed these fish by spri n k l i n g food on the s u rface . C h u n ks of raw beef or fish, flying i nsects, earthworms, mea lworms, and l ive fish a re rel ished. Beca use they a re ca r­ n ivorous, Butterflyfi sh shou ld be kept o n l y with their own species.

FRESHWATER BUTTERFLYFISH Pantodon bucholzi 5 in.

to

41

ELEPHANTFISH Gnathonemus petersi

to 9 in.

ELEPHANTFISH (Mormyridae) ELEPHANTFISH, native to the wa rm, freshwaters of tropica l Africa, a re not bred com merci a l ly but a re occasiona l l y i m ported for sa l e i n pet shops. Thoug h they a re expensive, their oddity ma kes them of i n ­ terest. One of t h e severa l species i s i l l u stra ted here. An E l e p h a ntflsh may show p l ayfu l behavior. With its s u rprisin g ly flexible, long nose, it w i l l dig a n d fee l a round i n sea rch o f food. It genera l l y ignores prepared dry foods, hence l ive foods m ust be pro­ vided . Beca use of its sma l l mouth, an Elephantfish ca n swa l l ow only sma l l bits. House the E lepha ntfish in a l a rge ta n k with aged water at a tem perature of 75 to 8 0 degrees F., i n a norm a l pH a n d with some p l a nts. Since the fish is nocturnal, provi de dark a reas i n which it can hide. Beca use of its shy, del icate natu re and its occa­ sion a l agg ressive be havior, the Elephantfish is not a good com m u n ity fish and is not reco m mended for a mate u r a q u a rists. 42

C HARACINS (Cha racidae) C h a racins, found i n South a nd Centra l America a n d i n Africa, com prise o n e o f the l a rgest fa m i l ies of fres hwater a q u a r i u m fi shes. Most of them have a n a d i pose fi n a n d teeth. Al l lack barbe l s . C h a racins scatter e g g s t h ro u g hout the ta n k; they a re not l ive- bea rers. With few exceptions, they do not ca re for either the eggs or the offspri n g . The s ma l l school ing, or shoa l i n g , species a re a mong the most pop u l a r a q u a r i u m fish beca use of t he i r color, peacef u l tem perament, h a rd iness, a n d ease of ha n d l i n g . Mem bers of the fa m i ly usua l ly do best i n sem i - l i t a q u a r i u ms w i t h soft, s l i g htly a c i d water.

BLIND CAVEFISH, natives of caves in the reg ion of Sa n l u i s Potosi, Mexico, have such h i g h ly developed senses of s m e l l a nd touch that they rarely b u m p i n to a nyth i n g . They swi m with the i r head ti lted s l i g h t l y downwa rd, eat i n g a ny food contacted. B l i n d Cave­ fish scavenge, but provide a varied d iet of foods that wil l s i n k to the bottom . Thoug h s u i ta b l e com­ m u n ity fi s h w h i l e you ng , a d u l ts may become ag­ g ressive. The water te mpera t u re i n the aq u a r i u m m a y ra nge from 70 t o 8 5 deg rees F.

43

BLOODFINS s how off the i r bri l l ia n t red fi ns best when they a re i n l a rge schoo l s · in a roomy tank. They l ay non-a d hesive eggs and w i l l eat them if they a re not removed after spawn i n g . For this spe­ cies, the optim u m water tem pera t u re is 75 deg rees F., but tempera t u res. from as low as 65 a n d to as h i g h as 85 tolerated . CARDI NAL TETRAS a re bel i eved by many a q u a rists to compare in bri l l ia nce with the sal twater tropicals. They resemble the s ma l l er Neon Tetra (p. 5 2), but in this s pecies, the red extends down the ventra l side of the body. Card i n a l s a re l ess com mon, hence more expensive than Neons. SPLASH TETRAS display a cou rts h i p behavior u n l i ke any other characins. After much playin g a n d chas­ ing, the m a l e leads h is fema le to the spa w n i n g p l a ce he has chosen. This is located a bout two inches a bove the s u rface of the water. I n nature, the pa ir may s pawn on a n overha n g i n g leaf o r a rock . I n ca ptivity, a sma l l p a n e o f sanded g lass a n g led across the a q u a r i u m w i l l suffice. The g l ass m u st be san ded so that the egg s w i l l ad here. The pa i r fi rst j u m p out of the water a n d c l i n g t o the su rface a n u m ber o f ti mes without spaw n i n g . After these pre l i m i n a ry j u m ps, t h e actual spawni n g j u m ps a re made, with eggs deposited and fertil ized in sma l l g rou ps. About 50 to 1 75 eggs a re l a i d over a period of an hou r or so. As many as a dozen leaps a re made i n t h i s ti me. The fem a l e then swi m s away and shows no more i n terest in the eggs, but the ma le retu rns pe­ riod ica l ly a nd splashes water on the eggs with h i s 44

BLOODFIN Aphyocharax rubropinnis to 2 in.

CARD I NAL TETRA Cheirodon axelrodi to l Y2 in.

SPLASH TETRAS Copeina ornoldi to 3 ln.

egg

tai l . This prevents them from dehyd rating . The eggs hatch i n three days, a n d the you n g either fa l l or a re splashed i nto the water. Hatchl i ngs shou l d be sepa ­ rated from the pa rents. Splash Tetras do best in neutra l water a t 75 de­ g rees. F . Cover the ta n k so that the fish do not j u m p out. " R ipe" femal es-t h a t i s , fi l led w i t h eggs-are p l u mper a n d shorter tha n the males.

SWORDTAIL CHARACINS, native to Tri nidad a n d Venezuela , should be purcha sed w h e n they a re m a­

tu re, because they a re then l ess suscept i b l e to d is­ ease. A mature male has a t h rea d l i ke extension from the g i l l pl ate and a t the end of the extension a shovel-l i ke a ppendage ca l led a "corynopoma." D u r­ i n g courtship, the m a l e shows off this extraord i n a ry feature to h is pa rtner. Older ma les a lso have ex­ tended rays i n the ventra l fi ns. I n mating, a capsul e, or spermatophore, is de­ posited i n the femal e's ovi d u ct. I nside this capsu le a re sperm that can l ive for a n extended period of time. They c a n ferti l ize eggs expel l ed by the fem a l e l o n g after the m a l e is removed. Beca use these fish a re not obsessed with eating thei r eggs or you ng, they a re easier to ra i se tha n a re most. Swordta i l Characins do wel l i n pa i rs a n d a re q uite peacefu l i n a com m u n ity ta n k, w i t h the water m a i nta i ned at 70 to 80 deg rees F . a n d with plants. They shou l d be fed a varied d iet.

·

BLACK TETRAS, from Pa rag u ay, a re peacefu l when you ng but may become aggressive with a ge, n i p­ p i n g other less active, l ess agg ressive fish. By the time the fish mature, the black fades to a l ig h t g ray. Col or fading a l so occurs i n you nger fish when they become i l l or a re frig htened. Fema les a re noticea bly d isten ded when ripe. Pro­ ' vide plenty of space for these a ctive egg scatterers in wate r that is 72 to 85 deg rees F. Schools of these fish can move with amazing speed to snatch up bits of food in the i r varied d iet. They req u i re the sa me ca re a s other tetras ( p . .48). Long fi n ned Black Tetras, a new stra i n, a re g a i n i n g in popu l a rity . 46

SWO RDTA I L CHARAC I N Corynopoma riisei to 3 in.

ripe

LONGFINNED BLACK TETRA

BLACK TETRA Gymnocorymbus ternetzi to 2 Y2 in.

female

GOLDEN TETRAS have a n i ntense g o l d shi ne, difficult to show i n a n i l l ustration. Req u i re ments for Gol d en Tetras, a peacef u l schoo l i n g species from British Guia na, a re the same as for other tetras. They do best in g rou ps of fou r to eight kept in l a rge, roomy ta n ks in which they can school. A natura l environ­ ment is p rovided by dense cl usters of p l ants p l a ced at random . Both bright (su n ny) and dark (caves) a reas shou l d be ava i l a ble. The water shoul d be s l i g htly acid, soft and l ow in l i me. Opti m u m tem­ peratu res ra nge from 70 to 80 deg rees F . Give them a varied diet. A l l of the tetras a re from South a n d Centra l Amer­ ica. Members of the genus Hemigrammus h ave sca les at the base of the ca u d a l fi n . Most m e mbers of the genus Hyphessobrycon do not. SILVERTIP TETRA, a peacefu l shoa ler from southeast­ ern B razi l, l ooks ha ndsome aga i n st a dark back­ g rou nd, with overhead lig hting to emphasize its silver-ti p ped fi n s . A red stra i n is a lso ava i l a ble.

GOLDEN TETRA Hemigrammus armstrongi 1 "h

to

in.

S I LVERTIP TETRA Hemigrommus nanus 2%

to

48

in .

BUENOS AIRES TETRA, from the La P l a ta Basi n a round Buenos Aires, g rows t o 4 i nches l o n g , hence shoul d be kept i n a l a rge ta nk. This species is fre­ quently housed in schools while young, but older fish may nip the fins of any fish kept i n the tan k with them. Fem a l es i n pa rticu l a r become q u i te ag­ g ressive. The tem perature of the water shou ld ra nge from 68 to 78 deg rees F. Plant the ta n k sparing ly, for this tetra l i kes to n i b b l e on p l a nts a nd u p root them . It has a good a p petite a n d wi l l gobble l a rge pieces of food. Feed i ngs shou ld be freq uent. GLOWLIGHT is a m i d-strata swi m mer that l ooks very i m p ressive i n l a rge schoo l s in a n a q u a ri u m with a dark bottom a n d spri n kled with p l a nts. Its bea uty approaches that of the C a rd i n a l Tetra ( p . 44) . I n spawn i ng, t h e p a rtners lock fi n s a n d rol l from side to side in thickets of p l a nts . Opti m u m water tempera­ ture is 75 to 80 deg rees F . The Glow l i g ht s h o u l d be fed the ba sic d iet. This species i s sensitive to Neon Tetra Disease ( p. 35).

Hemigrommus coudovittotus

to 4 in. G L OW L I G H T TETRA H e m i g ra m m u s gracilis

to 1 1h i n .

49

HEAD AND TAIL LIGHT, a lso ca l led Beacon, occurs throughout the Guia nas, espec i a l l y i n the Amazon reg ion. A peacefu l com m u n i ty fish, it l i kes a wide variety of foods. It is a shoa l in g fish, a m i d -strata swi m me r, a nd needs pla nts i n which to retire. The water shou l d be soft and s l i g htly acid, kept at 75 to 8 0 deg rees F . Beca use of its i ridescence, this fish l ives wel l i n the compa ny of Neons, Card i na l s, Glow l ig hts, and other such shoa lers . The r i pe fe male is more p l u m p than the mal e . Ma les someti mes have a s ma l l wh ite spot on the a n a l fi n . They develop a hooked a n a l fi n that can easi l y snag i n a net. RUMMYNOSE, from the lower Amazon, is g a i n i ng i n popu l a rity. I n proper cond itions, which a re a d i m l y l i t ta n k a n d soft water at 78 t o 80 deg rees F., the red nose, single dark horizonta l l i ne, and black striped ta i l stand out magn ificently. This species does best in schools.

EAD AND TAI L LIGHT

RUMMYNOSE Hemigrammus rno,aoS1rom,us to l Y2

ln.

50

SERPAE OR J EWEL TETRA is vari a b l e i n its colors. Stud ied extensively, this species i s d i vided i nto six s u bspecies by some a uthorities. Most of them have a red t i nt over the i r body. Some have a black spot on the shou lder reg ion . Serpaes school from the m i d d l e to the l ower strata . The water should be soft, neutra l , a n d 70 to 80 deg rees F. Feed them the sta n d a rd va ried d iet. They may nip fi ns. HALF-BANDED CHARACI NS a re ra re ly fou n d i n a q u a ria beca use they d o not breed s u ccessfu l ly i n ca ptivity. I f obta i ned, however, this species i s peace­ ful in a com m u n ity ta n k of at l east 20 g a l lons. The schoo l s will hover i n the lower strata, but they a re capa ble of ra pid movements, j u m p i n g out of the tan k and s k i l lfu l l y dod g i n g or lea p i n g from nets. Keep them i n neutra l water at a bout 75 deg rees F . a n d feed t h e m a basic d iet, i ncl u d i n g p l a nts on which t hey ca n n i bble. 51

FLAME TETRA is a l so ca l led Red Tet from Rio, the Rio referring to Rio de J a n e i ro where t h i s species is bel ieved to have originated. The F l a m e Tetra l i kes an a q u a ri u m with plenty of h i d i ng p l a ces, beca use it is easily frig htened and wil l l ose its bri l l ia n t colors d u ring such sessions. I t is a peaceful shoa l er, or schoo l ing fish, req u i ring neutra l water at 70 to 75 deg rees F.

NEON TETRAS come from the Peruvi a n Amazon where they l ive in shaded j u n g l e waters. Neons shou l d therefore be housed i n a sem i-dark a q u a r i u m w i t h t h e bottom a n d sides i n d a r k co lors . Black tis­ sue can be ta ped to the sides of the a q u a ri u m to s i m u late the natural environme nt, but keep the tis­ sue a t lea st half a n inch from the water l evel a t the top of the ta n k beca use the dye in the paper ca n k i l l fi s h . Light the a q u a ri u m d i m ly from a bove. If n ecessa ry, use patches of a floating p l a n t to red u ce the i ntensity of the l ig ht. 52

N EON TETRA Hyphessobrycon innesi to 1 V2

ln.

male

female

In the Neon's j u n g l e habitat, the water is replen­ ished freq uently by soft, fresh ra i n . To provide com­ pa ra b l e con d itions i n the a q u a ri u m , add boi l e d ra i n water or ta p water week l y, m a i n ta i n i n g its temper­ ature at 72 to 78 deg rees F. a n d its pH at 6 . 5 . Viewed from a bove, a ripe fem a l e Neon i s broa der tha n the m a l e. She is a n eg g -scatterer. Neons a re shoa lers, the school s swi m m in g i n the m i d d l e to lower strata . The fish is peacef u l with oth­ ers of the sa me size. Feed a va ried d iet. Neons a re suscepti b l e to Neon Tetra Disease (p. 35). 53

LEMON TETRA Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis to J Y, in. male f e m a le

LEMON TETRA has a l emon-colored bel l y, seldom seen i n aq u a r i u m fish. I n a ta n k, a school of Lemon Tetras l ooks especi a l ly stri king with a schoo l of Bl ack Tetras. The Lemon Tetra is a cal m but active co m­ m u n ity fish that needs a b i t more ca re tha n do most tetras. It is h i g h l y sensitive to changes in the pH, te m­ peratu re, and hardness of the water. If these a re abru pt, the fi s h may go i nto shock, l osing its color or even dyi ng. Water changes must be made g rad­ u a ll y, watch i n g the fish ca refu l ly to m a ke certa i n they a re n o t reacting u nfavora bly. ROSY TETRA, from the Amazon Basin, is colorful when you n g but fades with a ge. Some a uthorities consider the Rosy Tetra to be a su bspecies of the Ser­ pae Tetra (p. 5 1 ), d ifferent only i n h a v i n g a black spot on its shou lder. Adu l t m a l es have long, a l most hooked dorsa l fi ns. Be ca reful not to brea k these fi n s when hand l i ng the males with a net. The tem­ perature of the water shou l d be 72 to 8 2 deg rees F. Va ry the diet. 54

ROSY TETRA H . rosaceus

to

1 112

in.

BLEEDING HEART TETRA H . rubrostigma to 3 Y2 ln. -

BLEEDING HEART TETRA is a l a rger, more a g g ressive species tha n most mem bers of the g e n u s . Keep it i n schools o f fou r to ten fi s h . The ta n k shou l d be s u p­ pl ied with soft, s l ightly acid water a t 7 2 to 78 de­ g rees F . Place dense c l u sters of p l a nts a t random thro u g hout the tan k to provide a natural environ­ ment of both bright and shady a reas. Be ca reful in hand l i ng mature m a l es, which have sickle-sha ped dorsa l fi n s . You n g a re sensitive to water changes. 55

SILVER DOLLARS have a ferocious a ppea ra n ce which, coupled with thei r l a rge size, cou ld g ive the i m p ression that this species is u n desira b l e for a com ­ m u nity ta n k . Actua lly, Si lver Dol l a rs a re shy. T hey wil l not bother flsh l a rger tha n 1 to 2 i nches. Mix them with other species i n the beg i n n i n g , or they wil l become possessive of their territory a n d n i p the ti n s of i ntruders. Silver Dol l a rs wi l l feed on spinach, fru its, l ettuce, and aq uatic plants i n addition to their d a i l y va ried d iet. They seem to en joy u p rooting pla nts, hence it is best to decora te with rocks and a rtificia l p l a nts. Shoa l s of two to five flsh w i l l dash from one hiding place to a nother i n the lower strata . The water tem ­ perature shou l d ra nge from 75 t o 8 5 deg rees F . With age, Silver Dol la rs lose a ny dark s pots or stripes. RED HOOK METS not only l ive in ha rmony with the Silver Dol l a r but a l so have identica l req u i rements. In size and shape, they are s i m i l a r to the Silver Dol­ l a r, but the i r bright red anal fi n is sickle-sha ped . They have not been bred i n g reat n u m be rs i n cap­ tivity and a re ra rely seen i n a q u a ri u ms. EMPEROR TETRAS a re bea utiful fish that a re q u ite suita b l e for a com m u n ity ta n k with fish of the same size. Males a re i dentified by their extended ca u d a l fi n a n d b y t h e i r splendid coloration, which becomes especia l l y vivid when they a re cou rting the fema les. A pa i r of Em peror Tetras does best i n a spacious ta n k, but since the i r g rowth i s sl ow, it may be best to keep them temporarily in l i m ited-size a reas. Feed them a va ried d iet. The opti m u m tempera t u re for these flsh is 72 to 78 deg rees F. 56

S I LVER DOLLAR Metynnis schreitmuelleri to 6 ln.

RED HOOK MET

Mylop/us arnoldi to 6 i n .

EM PEROR T ETRA Nematobrycon pa/m e ri to 2 in.

male

female

57

PIRANHAS a l ways create interest, for everyone seems to have heard ta les a bout how schools of these So uth American fish skeleton ize even the l a rg ­ est o f victims i n a matter o f m i n utes b y sl icing o u t l a rge bites with the i r razor-sha rp teet h . Owners who t i re of watc h i n g the i r P i ra n ha tea r a pa rt other fish for d i nner someti mes set them free i n the nea rest pond, l a ke, or ca n a l . In the w i l d , the P i r a n h a be­ comes a threat to native species, and a uthorities a re j ustifia bly concerned in wa rmer states that it m ight become esta bl ished . For this rea son, a per m i t may be req u i red to keep this fish i n you r state. C heck with state officia ls before you obta i n a s pec i m e n . P i ra n ha s a re n o t advised pets f o r most hobbyists. P i ra n has travel in schoo l s in the w i l d , but in con­ fi n e m e nt, they may turn on thei r own k i n d . In one i nsta nce, two P i ra n has of the same species l ived in the same ta n k peacefu l l y for more tha n a yea r a nd a h a l f. Then one morn i n g the head a n d g i l l s of one of them were fou n d floating on the su rface. Keep only one P i ra n ha in a tan k ! Provide a P i ra n ha w i t h a p l a ce t o h i d e a n d feel secu re, fo r odd ly, this fish w i l l eat o n l y when it senses no danger. Try feed i n g c h u n ks of non-fa tty beef, such as hea rt, kidney, a n d l ivers. Raw fish is sometimes accepted. If the pet does not consume dead matter, try l iv i n g ea rthworms, mea lworms, t u bifex worms, or goldfish (a favorite). Keep the water tem perature at a bout 7 8 deg rees F. When catc h i n g a P i ra n ha, rem e m ber that it can ea sily bite holes in nets a nd fi ngers. It may be ind if­ ferent to h u m a n flesh and not attack h a n d s s u b­ merged i n the ta n k for a wee kly clea n i n g but t h i s practice i s n o t reco m mended . 58

P I RAN HA

Rooseveltiella n attereri to 1 1 - 1 2 in. (also known as

Serrasalmo nattereri}

PENGU INFISH a re na med for the i r black-a nd-white m a rkings and for their characteristic ta i l -down rest­ ing position. Althoug h del icate d u ri n g s h i pping, these fi s h become q u ite h a rdy after they a re esta b­ lished in an aquariu m . A school of Pen g u i nfish adds character to the mid-strata of a large ta n k . House them with fish of the sa me size or larger, for Penguin­ fish have a tendency to pick on the s m a l ler fellows. The water should be soft, slig htly acid, and 72 to 78 deg rees F. The aquarium should include pla nts for n i b b l i n g . Penguinfish will seldom bottom -feed . PENGU I N F I SH

59

PENCILFISH Nannostomus eques 2 in.

to

DWARF PEN C I LFISH N . marginatus l '\12 in.

to

TH REE-BAN D ED PENC I L FISH N. trifasciatus 2 in .

to

PENCILFISH a re na tive to South America, where they i n ha b i t q u iet freshwater strea ms a nd l a kes. For keepi n g these fish, the a q ua ri u m water shou l d be aged and its tem perature ma i nta i ned at 72 to 78 deg rees F. The a q u a r i u m sho u l d be wel l s u p p l ied with pla nts. These torpedo-sha ped fish swi m in spu rts. Some species rest i n a hea d - u p pos ition, others in a hori­ zontal pos ition . At night the stri pes on their sides fade i nto i n d istinct bl otches . Do not mix the d ifferent species i n the same a q u a ri u m, for they may become q ua rre lsome. Keep each species sepa rate and in g ro u p s of three or more. 60

NORMAN'S HEADSTANDER, from the l ower Amazon reg ion, l ives u p to its name by rest i n g and swi m ­ m i n g i n a cha racteristic 45-deg ree head-down pos i ­ tion. It dwel l s i n t h e lower strata o f t h e ta n k a n d wi l l isolate itse l f i n a territory which i t i ncreases i n size as it esta b l ishes itself a n d g rows l a rger. Smal l e r, less a g g ressive nei g h bors w i l l be chased from this terr i ­ tory. This headsta nder i s a j u m per, s o t h e ta n k m u s t b e covered. The best water tempera t u re i s 7 5 t o 8 5 deg rees F. Watch a t feed ing t i m e t o m a ke certa i n eno u g h food is eaten from the va ried d iet provided. Veg eta b l e matter is rel ished . SPOTTED HEADSTANDERS a re a mong the most d e l i­ cate and shy of the a q u a ri u m tropica l s . Ca re m ust be ta ken to ma ke certa i n they get enough food . Sma l le r bits o f food a re preferred t o l a rger c h u n ks . Aged water a n d plenty of rooted pla nts a re necessa ry for success with these fi sh, and the tem perature of the water shou l d be m a i nta i ned between 72 a nd 8 2 de­ grees F . I n g ro u ps of two to fou r, the contra sti ng bla ck-a n d -white checkered pattern of the l a rg e sca les is displayed q u ite effective ly. NORMAN 'S H EADSTANDER

SPOTTED H EADSTANDER ' Chilodus punctatus to 4

in.

61

RED OR STRIPED HEADSTANDER is one of a special g ro u p of cha raci ns that i n ha bit fresh waters of Cen ­ tra l a nd South America and Africa . Beca use of the i r i n teresting s h a pe a nd stri king marki ngs, they are favorites of a q u a rists. T h e i r na me comes fro m the i r pecu l ia r h a b i t o f resting a n d a l so swi m m i ng i n a head-down position. The Red Headsta nder pos itions i ts penci l-shaped body, with its three d a rk brown or black stri pes, head down in the water when rel a xed. It th rives best i n g ro u ps of two to fo u r and is peacef u l if kept with other fish of the same size. Si nce it is fond of vegetation, encourage the g rowth of a l g a e by keep­ ing the ta n k we l l l it. lettuce, spi nach, and water plants may be substituted for a l gae. Aug ment the d iet with other foods. Note the position of the Red Headsta nder's mouth which i s d i rected u pwa rd l i ke a su rface-feeder's . This affects the eating behavior, for when the fi s h feeds on t h e bottom, it m u st i nvert itself. LEPORINUS eats vegetation, so p rovision its ta n k spa rsely with vertica l p l a nts o n which i t wi l l n i bble. It will a lso g raze i n the l ower strata, picking up choice morsels or l ive a n d d ry foods. The vertica l stri pes a long its sides i ncrease in n u m ber by divid­ ing i n two a s the fish g rows . T h i s fi s h is a j u m per, hence the ta n k must be kept covered . Some i n d ividua ls may become pesky, nipping to s h reds the fi n s of other species. Schoo l s o f both species o f handsta nders kept i n the s a m e a q u a r i u m a re impressive. The fish a re a bo u t t h e s a m e size a n d are com patible, and t h e contrast o f t h e horizonta l a nd vertica l stri pes i s stri k i n g . 62

RED OR STR I P ED H EADSTANDER Anostomus anostomus to 7 in.

LEPORINUS Lepori nus fasciatus to 6 i n . 63

HATCHETFISH (Ga steropelecidae) These fish a re native to South America, where they l ive in the u p pe r strata of soft, s l i g htly acid water. If a l a rmed, the fish wi l l either hide o r u se their strong w i ng l i ke pectora l fi n s to ra ise themselves h a lfway out of the water w h i l e g l id i n g q u i c k l y a long t h e s u rface. Keep t h e a q u a r i u m covered so that they do not "fly" out of the ta n k . Ha tchetfish need plenty of s u rfa ce wate r in a l ong ta n k without obstructions. One a rea of the ta n k shou l d provide s h a de-g i v i n g p l a nts i n which the fi s h ca n h i d e . With­ out this refuge, a frig htened Hatchetfish may fl y i nto the g l ass a n d i n j u re itself. Hatchetfi s h a re peacefu l , but they do not l ive long i n ca ptivity. Com m u n ity ta n ks a re not reco m mended beca use these fi s h a re shy a nd wil l not get enoug h food . T hey do best i n g roups of from th ree to six i n wate r a t a temperature of 7 5 t o 85 d e g rees F. Feed them foods that float or rem a i n in the top strata, i n ­ c l u d i n g p l enty o f l ive food . Ad u lt m a l es a ppea r thin­ ner tha n adult fe ma les when viewed from a bove. These fish a re s u sce ptible to the com mon lch Disease, described in the cha rt on p. 3 5 .

MARBLED HATCHETFISH a re t h e m ost com monly en­ cou ntered of the hatchetflsh. I n the shade of a c l u m p o f p l a n ts, thei r s i l ver or g o l d h i g h l i g hts become pea r l - l i ke, and the dark i rreg u l a r strea ks a l ong the sides of the body a re q u i te distinct. In an u nfavor­ a b l e e n v i ronment, the fish become d ra b a nd faded­ out. This i s the most ha rdy species of the i m ported hatchets, a n d it a l so has a longer l ife spa n than do other species in the g roup. 64

SILVER HATCHETFISH a re not as durable as a re the sma l ler Ma rbled Hatchets. Some i n d i v i d u a l s wi l l a c­ cept d ry fi s h foods, but many demand l ive mea l s. I n the wild, they util ize thei r "flying" a b i l ity to catch pass i n g i n sects. In captivity, they ca n be fed fru it­ fl ies that a re fi rst a l most d rowned in a jar of water to prevent the i r esca pe and then spri n kled on the s u rface for the fish to pick them u p . They w i l l a l so eat t u bifex worms, brine s h r i m p, a n d a variety of fish foods . Silver Hatchetfish a re known to l ive more than a yea r a n d a h a l f. They sho u l d be kept i n s l i g htly a l ka l i ne water. MARBLED HATCH ETFISH Carnegiel/a strigata to 2 v.. i n .

t;�;=�::::!�::::a

S I LV E R HATCH ETFISH Gastropelecus levis to 21f2 in. 65

GYMNOTID EELS OR KNIFEFISH (Gym notidae) Gym notid eel s, from South and Centra l America, t:� re close l y rel a ted to cha racins (p. 43). Africa n a n d Asi­ atic "Kn ifefish" a re si m i l a r i n a ppea ra nce but a re not rel a ted, belo n g i n g to the fa m i ly Notopteridae. Mem bers of both fa m i l ies, ca red for i n the same way, a re noctu rna l a n d a re vicious predato rs. By wav i n g their highly developed elongated anal fin, gymnotid ee ls ca n move either backwa rds or for­ wa rds with eq u a l ease.

BANDED KNIFEFISH lack dorsa l, pelvic, and ca udal fi ns, a nd the pectora l fi ns a re s ma l l a n d tra nsparent. The anal fi n i s prom inent and h ig h ly developed . The a n u s is l ocated u nder the hea d . El ectric organs en­ a bl e the fish to s u rvive in the m u ddy, dark waters of its natura l ha bitat. If the ta n k is darkened, the Banded Kn ifefi s h wi l l a d j ust to eating d u ri n g the day rather tha n at n i g ht. Feed l ive mea l s and c h u n ks of food . Ba nded Knifefish a re ca n n i ba l istic, he nce it is wise to keep the species i solated. The temperature of the water sho u l d be 72 to 85 deg rees F. The l ife span of a wel l ca red-for Ba nded Knife­ fish often extends over ten yea rs. BAND ED KN I F EFISH Gymnotus carapo to 1 2 in.

66

EL ECTR I C EEL Electrophorus electricus to 7 ft.

ELECTRIC EELS OR KNIFE EELS (Ei ectrophoridae) E lectric eels l a c k dorsal a nd ventra l fi ns. They pro­ pel themse l ves with their l a rge a n a l fin in the same manner as gym notid ee ls (p. 66) . Their e l ectric or­ ga ns, studied extensively, a re located over a bout 80 perce nt of their body . The tiss ues form i n g t hese or­ gans a re pos itioned one beh i n d the other i n col ­ u m ns, l i ke the pl ates i n a battery. Electrica l i m p u l ses, each lasting only a fra ction of a second, a re d i s­ cha rged i n waves that move from one end of the fi s h to the other. The a mount of volta ge generated depends on the tota l n u m ber of plates or "el ectro­ plasts" in the eel 's body. Receptors on the fish's head rece ive reflected i m p u lses a nd a i d the fi s h in fi n d i n g food or i n sensing da nger.

ELECTRIC EELS, from So uth America, a re not reco­ mended for the private col lector. Each eel req u i res a tan k of a h u n d red g a l l ons or more. Beca use they l a c k sca l es a n d have a sl i my skin, ha n d l i n g them is not easy. Heavy rubber g l oves m u st be worn, fo r this fi s h has a bout 6,000 p lates a n d ca n generate u p t o 800 volts. I n a l a rge a q ua r i u m w i t h a fi n e-g ravel bottom , h i d i n g p l a ces, and soft, s l i g htly acid wa ter, the E lectric Eel is long-l ived. Usua l l y o n l y l ive food is a ccepted, but if the fish is h u n g ry, it wi l l eat c h u n ks of raw beef or fish. 67

CARPS AND MINNOWS (Cyprinidae) Cypri nids com prise the la rgest fa m i ly of fres hwater fi s h . They a re na tive to Asia, Africa, E u rope, a nd North America and have been i ntrod uced to Aus­ tra l ia a n d other a reas by ma n . A typical cypri nid has a n e longate, ova l t o ro u nd body . The ca u d a l fi n is usua l l y forked, a nd there is no a d i pose fi n . Sca les a re a bsent on the head, but those on the body a re d i stinct and often a re sil very. Barbels a re freq uently present, but they a re l i mited to two pa i rs . Cyprinids do not have teeth in thei r jaws; they chew with pharyngea l teeth , wh ich a re toothed p l a tes l ocated i n their throat. Afte r bei n g chased by her m a te, a ripe fem a l e scatters h e r e g g s . T h e cou rti ng m a l e t h e n fe rti l i zes them. If not i m mediately sepa rated fro m their spawn, the cou ple will gobble the i r eggs. Fe rt i l e eggs w i l l hatch i n two t o fo u r days. F r y ca n s u rvive on i nfusoria (p. 2 9) for one to two weeks. Thereafter they s h o u l d be fed com merci a l ly prepa red food for baby fi s h .

BARBS m a y or may n o t possess ba rbel s. The genus is com monly d i v ided i nto t h ree g roups: those with no ba rbels, those that have two ba rbel s, and those with fou r barbe l s . Reg a rd less of their g ro u ping, a l l barbs a re active school ing fi s h . Someti mes the l a rger i n d ivid u a l s i n a school a re agg ressive towa rd sma l l ­ er fi s h . Barbs prefe r a wel l - l i g hted a q u a r i u m i n which there a re at lea st severa l p lants. T h e water shou ld be wel l -aerated and kept at 70 to 80 deg rees F. O n l y a few of the most ava i la b l e species in this large genus a re treated here. 68

S POTTED BARB

ROSY BARB

8.

conchonius lo 3 i n .

SPOTTED BARBS a re d ifficu l t to identify beca use thei r spots va ry i n n u m ber, size, i ntensity, a nd a rra nge­ ment depen d i ng on the i n d i v i d u a l's a g e a n ci ori g i n . For these fish to a tta i n the i r ful l or maxi m u m size, a roomy ta n k with water a t 75 to 78 deg rees F. a nd plenty of food a re needed . ROSY BARBS i n h a bit cool (64 to 74 deg rees F.), slow­ movi ng waters of strea m s in northern I nd i a . In their natural habitat, they a tta i n a length of six i nches o r l o n g e r but rarely exceed half this size i n a n a q ua r­ i u m . Ma l es d is p l a y a bri l l ia nt red or rosy col or i n the spring spa w n i n g season . T h e fem a l e is com pa ra ­ tively d r a b . Feed these fi s h t h e sta nda rd basic d iet. They l ive for t h ree to fou r yea rs . 69

CUMMI NG'S BARBS a re ha rdy, a ctive fish from Cey­ lon. They eat a wide variety of foods a n d ofte n join scavengers on the bottom to pick u p food m i ssed by other fi s h . Shady spots shou l d be provided i n the ta n k i n wh ich the water is kept a t 7 2 to 7 8 deg rees F. In some s h i p ments of this species, the fish d isplay yel lowish i nstead of bright orange fi ns. Only the ma les exh ibit bright colors. CLOWN BARBS, a mong the l a rgest of the ba rbs, got their name from their col o r pattern . Two pa i rs of barbels a re evident. This species does best i n ta n ks of more tha n ten g a l lons. The water shou l d be 72 to 75 deg rees F. a n d shou ld conta i n some p l a nts. STRIPED BA R BS a re a l so la rge, eq u a l ing the size of the Clown Barb. Even the young of this species re­ q u i re plenty of space for school i n g . Keep the water tempera ture at 72 to 78 deg rees F. These African barbs a re sensitive to the conditions of the i r env i ron­ ment and req u i re more attention than do m ost spe­ cies of the genus. SIX-BANDED BARBS a re delicate when you n g, h e n c e t h e y a r e often i n a w e a k e n e d co ndition by t h e t i m e they r e a c h the i r desti nation. Add the reco m m e n ded

dosage of a ge nera l tonic (p. 30) before they a re i n ­ trod uced t o the i r new home. Feed them a n a bun­ dance of l ive foods a t fi rst to b u i l d u p t h e i r resist­ a nce. The water shou l d be 72 to 78 deg rees F., soft, a n d barely acid. Once establ ished, these s hoa l e rs from Su matra a re pea ceful com m u n i ty fi s h . Their bea uty increases . Note the six bands, one r u n n i ng thro u g h the eye a n d the l a st at the base of the ta i l . 70

CUMM I NG'S BARB

Barbus cummingi Ia 2 i n .

C LOWN BARB

B. everetti to 4¥2 in.

STR I PED BARB

S I X-BAN D E D BARB

B.

h exazana

to 2 V2 in.

71

''T" BARBS a re ca lled Spa nner Barbs by the British. They a re n ative to the Ma lay Pe n i nsu l a a nd I ndo­ nesia . Some i ndividua l s have red -ti n ted fi ns . In you n g T Ba rbs, vertical and horizonta l ba rs a re d i stinct, but at maturity, these ba rs a re not u s ua l ly wel l defined. " T " Ba rbs a re active fish a n d req u i re s pa ce. Schoo ls of two to fou r fish a re ideal for the the l a rger com m u n ity a q u a r i u m . "

"

ma les i n good condition will peri­ o d i c a l ly disp lay their strawberry red bod ies and purple hea d . For most of the i r l ife, u n fo rtunately, they show l ittl e or no col o r a n d rese m b l e the d ra b fe­ ma les. A ma jority of males in a ta n k resu l ts i n more freq uent disp lays of col o r but may a l so g ive rise to fi g h t i n g a n d to n i pped fins. Keep this s pecies i n water 70 to 80 deg rees F., w i t h cl u m ps of floating p l a nts. Black Ru bies a re suscepti b l e to fungus d i seases descr i bed on p. 3 5 .

BLACK RUBY BARB

"T" BARB

Barbus /ateristriga 6 in.

to

BLACK RUBY BARB·

B . n igrofasciatus to 21/, in.

C H ECK E RBOARD BARB

8. oligolepis to 2 in.

DWARF BARB

8. phutunio to 1 % in.

SC H U BERT'S BARB

8 . schuberti to 2% in.

CHECKERBOARD BARBS a re peaceful shoa lers that will eat a varied d iet a n d a lso often g raze a t the bottom of the ta n k . A b i t of vegetation added to their d i et en hances their checkerboa rd pattern. Keep the l i g hting s u bd ued and the te m pera t u re of the water at 65 to 75 deg rees F . These ba rbs a re sus­ cepti ble to Oodinium ( p . 3 5 ) . DWARF BARBS m a y b e p l a ced i n sma l l e r ta nks than other barbs, but m a ke certa i n the water i s a d e­ q uately aera ted . Plant the ta n k spa rsel y to g i ve the fish schoo l i ng space. Ma i n ta i n the water te m pera­ t u re at 7 8 to 8 0 deg rees F . Dwa rf Ba rbs a re n a tive to I n d i a and to Cey l o n . SCHUBERT'S BARBS a re n o t fo u n d i n the w i l d . They a re a variety devel oped by a professiona l b reeder a nd now sol d commercia l l y in g reat n u m bers. They a re ha rdy, peaceful com m u n ity fi s h . 73

TINFOIL BARBS a re a mong the l a rgest of the ba rbs. I n a n a q u a r i u m of 30 g a l lons or more, a you n g T i n ­ foi l B a r b may atta i n a length o f 9 i nches i n a bout six months. Tinfo i l Ba rbs a re long - l i ved a n d a ctive. The older they get, the more colorf u l they become. The basic d iet m ust be a u g mented with vegeta ble matter every day. Avi d j u m pers, these fi s h manage to esca pe by j u mping thro u g h the s m a l lest crevice i n a ta n k l i d . As with most ba rbs, extremes of tem ­ pera t u re result i n u n hea lthy fish t h a t have fa ded o r often l ittle color. Keep t h e water tempera t u re a t 7 4 to 80 deg rees F. HALF-BA NDED OR CHINA BARBS a re peacefu l , ha rdy shoa lers from C h i n a . They w i l l s u rvive in water from 7 to 8 deg rees F. Sc h u bert's B a rb s (p. 73) w e r e developed from t h i s species. T I N FOI L BARB Barbus schwanenfeldi to 1 2 in.

B . semifasciolatus to 3 in.

74

TIGER BARB 8. tetrozona to 2% in.

CH ERRY BARB 8. tiHeyo to 2 in.

TIGER OR SUMATRAN BARBS a re the most pop u l a r of a l l t h e barbs f o r a q u a ri u ms . They a re ha rdy a n d reta i n t h e i r color a l l yea r . Keep the m i n l a rge school s. Often one or two of the l a rger i nd iv i d u a l s i n a school become fi n n ippers. T h e o n l y remedy for this is to iso l a te the m . These fish w i l l d i s p l ay their fu l lest coloring if they a re provi ded with a g ood basic d iet, soft water and p lenty of a e ration. An a l bi no form is a lso ava i l a ble. CHERRY BARBS, from Ceylon, va ry i n the h ues of their stri k i n g cherry color. Althoug h h a rdy, they ca n a lso become q u ite shy ' if placed with agg ressive species. This reti r i n g behavior ca n be s u p p ressed by kee p i n g them in l a rge schoo l s a n d a l l owi n g only fi s h o f t h e s a m e s i z e to m i n g l e with them. K e e p the water a t 75 to 8 0 deg rees F. in a we l l -planted ta n k . 75

GOLDFISH req u i re l iving cond itions d ifferent from a l l other cyprinids descri bed in this book . Not true tropica l s, they do best in water at l ower tem­ peratu res, s u rviving in cond itions that a Neon Tetra, for exa m p l e, cou ld not. Gol dfish ca n be fou nd i n backya rd ponds o r i n pint-size bowls. A two-i nch Gol dfish req u i res at least two g a l lons of water. In l ess wate r, its g rowth wil l be stunted and its l i fe span shortened . I n a favora b l e e n v i ron­ ment, however, a Goldfish wi l l l ive for a s long a s 1 5 yea rs . If there a re too ma ny Gol dfish i n a n a q u a ri u m, they wil l be seen gasping at the s u rface for a i r. If the fish m ust be kept in a n unaera ted conta i ner, sel ect the one that has the l a rgest s u rface a rea . More oxyge n wi l l be a bsorbed thro u g h this g reater a rea . A bowl with no aeration must be cleaned at least once a week. Even in aerated fi l tered ta n ks, Gol d ­ fish a re messy. There shou ld be only two o r th ree

GO LDFISH Carauius aurafus

1 0-gal lon aquarium 76

VA R I ETI ES OF GOLDFISH

Bubble-eye

fi s h per five g a l lons of water. If only an u nderg ravel fi l te r i s used, i t w i l l clog rather q u ickly. A corner fi l ter is better, and a n outside fi l ter is sti l l more desi r­ a b l e . An u n d e rg ravel fi l te r may be uti l ized in con­ ju nction with either a corner or a n outside fi l te r. Gol dfish s h o u l d a l ways be p l a ced i n water that has been a g ed at least twenty-fo u r hours. P utti ng th e m in fresh ta pwater may resu l t i n a chemica l o r temperatu re shock. C l e a n , u nca pped g l ass j u ice o r m i l k bottles c a n b e used fo r a g i n g t h e water. Gol d ­ fish a re sensi tive t o extre mes o f a c i d or a l ka l i n e water com position. Never u s e a heater, for Gol d ­ fish do best at roo m te m pera t u res. Water a t a tem­ pera t u re a bove 85 deg rees F. wi l l, i n fact, e ncoura g e i n fections, especia l l y f u n g u s d i sea ses. Gol d fi s h t h a t beg i n to l ose their color proba b l y need more vegetation a nd l ig ht. D i rect s u n l i g h t i s best. These fi s h com monly lose some o f t h e i r co lor with age, however. 77

VA R I ET I ES O F G O L D F I S H

(cont 'd )

Veiltail

Al l owed to eat their fi l l , Gol dfish w i l l overeat to obesity . Keep i n m i n d that a Gol dfis h's stomach is norma l ly o n l y s l i g htly l a rger than its eye. Feed it only enou g h to fi l l a bout "1 V2 eyes." Gol d fi sh l i ke to n i bble on p l a nts, so keep them suppl ied with a k i n d they ca n not pick t o pieces . A n archis i s a good plant for Gol dfis h . Do not feed them excl usively on one kind of boxed food . Fol l ow the basic d iet reco m­ m e n ded i n this book (p. 2 8 ) . Gol d fi s h ca n become territori a l . A newcomer placed where others have become esta bl ished may get a l l of his fins n i pped off or be chased to dea t h . Al l o f t h e Go ldfish t h a t a re t o co- i n ha bit e a c h ta n k sho u l d b e p l a ced together with i n o n e month-before thei r territories a re too fi r m ly esta b l i s hed . 78

(C.

Koi C.

auratus x

carassius)

P l aced in outside poo ls, Gol dfish do q u ite wel l , ex­ isting on i nsects, a l gae, water p l a nts, or the food you supply the m . U n l ess the water gets too hot or freezes, is pol l uted, or is i n some other way extre me, the fish usua l ly s u rvive. Gol dfish thrive s i n g l y i n a q u a r i u ms, but outside, they d o best i n schoo l s . Despite their g reat va riety o f col or a n d fo rm, a l l Gol dfish be long to the s a m e species Carassius au­ ratus auratus . They wil l g row to a size dete r m i ned by their env i ron ment. I n l a rge pool s, they may rea c h a l e n g t h o f two feet. A l l of the varieties were deve loped either by the C h i nese or J a panese except the Comet. Its ori g i n i s America . Devel oping n e w va rieties o f Gol dfi s h has become a highly specia l ized fi e l d . -

79

DANIOS a re a g ro u p of active, ha rdy, undema nding cypri nids. They a re sl i m a n d strea m l i ned, b u t ripe femal es a re a bit l a rger than ma les a n d have d is­ tended bel l ies. Dan ios shou l d be kept in l a rge schools. The opti m u m water temperatu re for them is 72 to 80 deg rees F. PEARL DANIOS a re native to stre a m s a n d rivers of B u r m a . They en joy sunshi ne, a nd in a wel l - l i g hted a q u a r i u m , they reflect a ra i n bow of co lors from the i r fi ns a n d body. Thei r pea rly sheen may va ry from shades of s i l ve r to gold, p i n k, or bl ue. Keep the ta n k near a w i n dow where it rece ives sunshine d a i ly, b u t control the inco m i n g l ig h t eno u g h to re­ strict the g rowth of a l gae. The l a rge school s sho u l d be p redomina ntly fema les. SPOTTED DANIOS a re somewhat del icate and do not breed a s easily i n captivity as do othe r m e m bers of the g roup. For this reason, they a re fou n d only occa­ siona l l y i n stores.

PEARL DAN IO Brachydanio albolineafus to 2%

in.

DANIO

SPOTTED 8. nigrofasciatus to 1 V2

in.

80

ZEBRAFISH 8rachydanio rerio to 2¥2 in.

GIANT DAN I O Danio malabaricus to 4'A ln.

ZEBRAFISH, or Zebra Da n io, is bol d ly stri ped. Note how the stripes continue down the a n a l fl n . From eastern I n d ia , this a ctive s hoa ler is one of the most popu l a r of the a q u a r i u m flsh, and beca use of its a b u n da nce, it is inexpensive. Zebrafl sh may l ive for two to th ree yea rs. They a re very h a rdy if kept i n schools o f a bout s i x flsh i n a roomy ta n k . Zebraflsh a re sensitive to sudden cha nges i n the water, but otherwise, they a re rema rkably tol era nt. Keep the temperature of the water at 72 to 80 deg rees F., a n d feed them t h e basic d iet for a q u a r i u m fl s h . During the b reed i n g season, ma les may acq u i re a hand­ some golden sheen . Fem a l es lay non-a d h esive eggs. GIANT DANIOS a re peacefu l, ha rdy com m u n ity flsh, but beca use of the i r size, do not mix them with sma l l e r, mouth-sized species. A la rg e ta n k, nicely p l a nted, is mandatory. Fem a l es lay a dhesive eggs. 81

FLYI NG FOX fpa/zeorhynchu1 ka//opterua to "' ln.

FLYING FOX is a lso cal led Tru n k Fish beca use of its strong, protru d i n g snout, which it uses to root food out of the g ravel on the botto m. To prevent the fish from bruising its snout, a soft bottom i n the a q u a r­ i u m is necessa ry. The Flying Fox is omn ivorous-that is, it w i l l g raze on a lgae b u t a l so readily accepts l ive foods. I t rests on rocks, l eaves, or the bottom by su pporti ng its slender body on its pectora l fi ns. Note the h ig h, cu rved, dorsa l fi n . Beca use i t h a s not yet been bred com mercia l ly a n d is ra rely i m ported from its ndtive Su matra, this species is not com mon i n aquari u ms. One speci men per ta n k w i l l be peaceful with other species. Two i n the sa me ta n k w i l l fi g h t each other. The opti m u m wate r temperature i s 7 5 deg rees F. 82

FLYING BARBS, from southern Asia, a re ada pted to l ife in the u pper water strata . Note that the sma l l mouth ope n i n g is ang l ed upwa rd, ena b l i ng the fi s h to pick u p food from t h e su rfa ce. Flying Ba rbs a l so breed a t the top of the water. Then, if the water i s n o t sha l l ow, t h e y wi l l d ip deeper swiftly t o gobble up thei r own eggs as they sink. Ma rbles on the bot­ tom of the ta n k w i l l prevent fish from reach ing thei r eggs and eating them. I n their natura l habitat, Flying Ba rbs swim i n sma l l schools, a few ind ividu a l s often l a g g i n g be­ h i n d to sea rch for food . As their n a me suggests, these fi s h a re l i kely to "fly" out of the water. It is therefore i m porta nt to keep the ta n k covered. They a re ha rdy and wi l l l ive for severa l yea rs i n a wel l ­ mainta i ned a q u a ri u m .

FLYING BARB Esomus danrica to 3Y2 ln.

83

RED-TAILED "SHARKS" a re native to T h a i l a n d . They have a b l ack, sha r k l i ke body with b r i g h t ora nge-red · cau d a l and pectora l fins when they a re you n g a n d hea l thy. Their two pairs of barbels a n d strong l i ps, with an i nterna l sucking organ, a i d them in scoop­ i n g u p the i r favorite food-a l gae, which i n aq uari­ u m s shou l d be provided i n add ition to their basic diet. Soa ked g reen l ettuce may be s u bstituted for the algae if necessa ry. These and other similar "sharks" live in the lower strata, hence they need roc k s or caves i n which to hide i n a n aquari u m . Keep them in soft, neutral water at a tem perature of 72 to 75 d egrees F. Individuals may be quarrelsome toward others of the same or different species. These "s ha rks" a re cypri nids or mem bers of the m i n now fa m i ly a n d a re not related to true sharks, wh ich a re ca rt i l a g i nous fishes. BLACK "SHARKS" kept i n ta nks of 1 00 g a l lons or more may g row to a length of nea rly 20 i nches. I n s m a l ler a q u a ri u ms, they ra rely exceed 1 2 i nches. They a re very hardy and w i l l eat most foods. Algae i s a n essentia l for keeping them in good hea l t h . B l a c k "Sharks" a re a g g ressive even when young a n d m ust be kept with fish of equal size a nd tem­ pera ment. Ol der speci mens may be a faded black. RED-FINNED SHINERS are active m i n nows that l ive in strea ms in midwestern a nd southern U nited States . They a re members of a l a rg e genus of m i n nows that a re hardy a n d a convenient size for a l a rge home a q u a ri u m . Red -fi n ned Shi ners req u i re cool (65 to 72 deg rees F .), wel l-aera ted water. They wi l l eat most foods offered . 84

RED-TAI LED "SHARK" Labeo bico/or to 4% in.

Morulius chrysophekadion to 20 in.

RED-FINNED SHINER Notropis /utrensis to 3 in. 85

HARLEQUIN RASBORAS, native to the Ma l a y Pen i n ­

s u l a , a re the most pop u l a r o f the n u merous ras boras ava i l a b l e for a q u a r i u ms. They a re peaceful shoa lers

a n d become s hy if kept with a g g ressive species. Sup­ ply the ta n k with thickly rooted p l a nts i n soft, neu­ tra l water a t 74 to 80 deg rees F. Feed them the basic d iet. This species easi ly beco mes i n fected with l ch d isease (p. 35).

SCISSORTAIL RASBORAS have a habit of flexi n g their forked ca u d a l fi ns i n a scissorl i ke fashion when

resting or when beg i n n i n g to move. The motion is

e m p h asized by their colori n g . This h a rdy s pecies, needs water of a bo u t

72 deg rees F. The you n g fish

have an a l most tra nsparent body.

HARLEQUIN RASBORA Rasbora heteromorpha to 2 ln.

SCISSORTA I L RASBORA Rasbora tri/ineata to 5 ln.

86

male

Bin ERLING R.hodeus seric:eus to 3 ln.

female with ovipositor extended

BITTERLINGS do poorly i n water a bove 72 or below 60 deg rees F . They a re not recom mended for tropi ­ ca l fi s h ta n ks. They a re co m monly kept i n a q u a r i u m s i n E u rope, where they a re native, b u t they a re ra re in the U n ited States. B i tterl i n g s and their c lose re l atives in Asia have u n i q u e bree d i n g h a bits. About Apri l , the m a l e

c h a n ges fro m s i l ver t o red, and t h e fem a l e's oviposi­ tor extends. The male sel ects a s u ita b l e hea l t hy m usse l , a n d h i s m a te i n se rts her ovipositor i n to the m u ssel's incu rrent siphon, depositing severa l e g g s .

She may repeat this seve ra l ti mes over a p e r i o d of a few days. After each l ayi ng, the m a l e satu rates the water a ro u n d the m ussel with s p e r m . Eggs

ca u g h t i n the m u sse l 's g i l ls a re ferti l i zed by the m i lt in t h e water that is d rawn over th e m . Mussels respire by d rawi ng water i nto the incu rrent sip h on, passing it over the g i l l s, then out the excu rrent si phon .

The eggs develop a n d hatch in the g i l l s . After

a bo u t

30 days, hatc h l i n g s have a bsorbed the food

in their yol k sacs . Then they e m erge, l eav ing the m u ssels u n ha rmed . Both the you n g and the a d u lts s ho u l d be fed heavily with l ive foods. 87

WH ITE CLOUD Tanichthys a/bonubes Y2 ln.

to 1

WHITE CLOUDS a re ha rdy cypri n i ds. The species was d i scovered i n 1 932 in a fa st-mov i n g stre a m on White C l o u d Mou n ta i n nea r Ca nton, C h i n a . The C h i nese Boy Scout who fo u nd the fi s h presented his l ive catch

to h i s emperor, Li n-Sh u -Yen . Biologists later named the new species Tan ichthys (tan, mea n i n g boy, a nd ichthys, fish) albonubes (mea n i n g w h i te cloud) . White C louds do best in l a rge schools. They can tole rate

a

tem peratu re ra nge from 60 to 90 deg rees F. but shou l d be kept at as nea rl y 72 deg rees a s poss i b l e .

Ma t u re ma l es h a v e a l onger dorsa l fi n and a re sl i m­

mer a n d more col orfu l t h a n the fema l es. Feed them l ive food i n ad dition to the ba sic d iet to b r i n g out t he i r richest col o rs. 88

GYRINOCHEILIDS (Gyri nochei l idae) The Algae Eater, from Tha i l a nd, is the o n l y pop u l a r a q u a r i u m fl s h i n t h e s i n g le g e n u s i n t h i s fa m i ly.

ALGAE EATER is a s u c k i n g catflsh, using its s u c k i n g d isc i n the e a t i n g p rocess a n d a l so fo r a nchora g e in

the ra p i d l y fl o w i n g water o f t h e strea m s i n w h i c h i t l ives . Most fi s h b reathe by ta k i n g w a t e r i n t h ro u g h

their mouth . T h e A l g a e Eater ta kes water in thro u g h a s l i t between t h e edge a nd t h e base o f its l i ps a l l a ro u n d its mouth.

A l g a e Eaters a re vegeta rians. They a re genera l ly kept i n a q u a r i u m s to ea t a lgae off the g lass sides

a n d off the decora tions. They may a lso feed a s scav­ engers on the dead

bodies of other fi s h . When

yo u n g , Algae Eate rs a re peacef u l ; ol der ones may fi g ht each other a n d a lso attack a ny other fl s h that

moves slowly. About one out of five deve lops this h a b it. If they re lease their hold on a nother fi s h ,

a

c i rcu l a r red s pot is l eft where the d i sc was attached .

This may become i nfected . Isol ate these u ndesira b l e

Al g a e Eaters, o r try feed i n g them more. I ncrea s i n g the a mo u n t of l ig ht i n t h e a q u a ri u m w i l l enco u ra g e t h e g rowth of more a l gae. Keep the water s l i g htly basic a n d at a bout 77 deg rees F. ALGAE EATER Gyrinocheilus oymonierl to 8 ln.

·

LOACHES (Cobitidae) Cobitids co m p r i se a n Old Wor l d fa m i ly of fish. A l l

o f t h e m e m bers have th ree or more pa i rs o f barbe l s a n d no j a w teeth; t h e fi ns a n d sca les a re sma l l . Cobi­

tids a re ada pted to life on the botto m ; many a re b u r rowers. So me a re o b l e to l ive i n oxygen-depl eted

waters by r i s i n g to the su rface a n d g u l p i n g a i r. The

i n testi n e i s util ized as a n accessory respiratory or­

g a n . T h i s does not mea n that aeration a n d clean

water a re u n necessa ry, however.

Loaches h i d e d u ring the day. Prov ide shel ls, cave­

l i ke rocks, or s i m i l a r she l teri ng decorations u n der

which they ca n ret i re. An extremely do mestic pet may a ba n don its noctu rna l habits, but u n t i l this de­

pa rtu re from the norm a l is clearly esta b l ished, it is

wise to spri n k l e o bit of food i n the water before

t u r n i n g out the a q u a r i u m l i g hts at n i g ht. Loa ches have a wel l -devel oped sense of s m e l l a nd ca n ea sily

fi n d t he i r food i n the dark.

KUHLI LOACHES have worm l i ke bod ies a n d move thro u g h the water l i ke sna kes. Beca use of the i r u n­ usuol s h a pe a n d marki ngs, they a re pop u l a r a q u a r­

i u m fi s h . Nea r the eye is a stiff spine that ca n p u nc­

t u re the s ki n , or it may ca tch in nets. With this spi ne,

the fish ca n dig in the botto m . Its eyes a re protected by a tra nspa rent covering . The head is not protected

from i n j u ry by s h a r p objects, however, a n d so it is best to prov ide a soft botto m, such a s sa n d . If f u n g u s a ppea rs on fi sh's body, treat with tri p l e s u l p h a . Get advice of fish specia l i st if g rowth persists. K u h l is do best i n g roups of at least t h ree. They

w i l l crowd together u n d e r one rock or orna ment. If 90

KUHLI LOACH Acanthophthalmus kuhli kuhli to 3 in.

MYERSI KUHLI

HALF-BANDED KUHLI

SHELFORD'S PRICKLY EYE KUHLI A. shelfordi to 3 in.

t h i s h i d i n g p l a ce is l ifted, the fish expl ode in eve ry

d i rection . Keep the temperature of the water at 72 to 76 deg rees F. Feed the basic d iet.

Note the d iffe rences in the five K u h l i s i l l u stra ted .

Al l a re ca red for i n the same way.

91

SKUNK LOACH 8otia horae to 4 1n.

C LOWN LOACH

B . macracanthus to 6 i n .

SKU NK LOACH ES, from Tha i la nd, become a ctive at

the end of the day. I n a brig htly lit aq u a r i u m , they keep h idden u n der objects o r stay in the shadows·. A refuge of thei r own is recom mended . Large cu rved pieces of clea ned coconut shel l have been used s u c­ cessf u l ly. Fee d them the basic d i et, with p l enty of l ive food a n d c h u n ks of meat.

CLOWN LOACHES, the most col o rf u l and most popu­ l a r of the leaches, a re i m po rted from S u matra and

Borneo. I n d i s p lay ta n ks, they often swi m peacefu l l y i n school s o f barbs that a re s i m i l a rl y m a r ked a nd

a bo u t the same size or s l ightly l a rger. C l own Leaches s hy fro m l i g hts at fi rst but usua l l y lose this tendency. 92

STRI PED LOACH 8. hymenophysa to 5 in.

ORANGE-FINNED LOACH 8. modesto to 5 in.

STRIPED LOACHES a re ra rely i m porte d . When they

a re, they sel l fast and a re expensive. L i ke other mem bers of the i r genus, they prefe r soft, s l i g htly acid, crysta l -clea r water a t 72 to 75 deg rees F. T hey do we l l in g ro u ps. At n i g h t they ca n be seen da rt­ i n g excited l y up a n d down a nd back a n d forth a l ong

the g l ass. Some i n d iv i d u a l s become fin n i ppers.

ORANGE-FI N NED LOACHES, only recently ava i l a bl e,

a re sensitive to m a n y to n i cs, pa rticu l a rl y dyes (p.

33). O l der i n d i v i d u a l s a re not frie n d l y to most other

fish. These fish lack the typica l sna kel i ke body of most loaches, but their l a tera l ly co m p ressed s h a pe a n d other body featu res i d e n tify them as cobitids . 93

SPINY CATFISH (Dora d idae) TALKING CATFISH a re seen rarely-both beca use they a re not common and beca use they h i de u n der the g ravel d u ri n g the day. They come out to search

actively for food at n i g ht. P rov ide a soft bottom so that the catfish ca n b u ry itself easily.

Al l of the catfish i n this fa m i l y from South Ame rica

have bony p l a tes a l o n g the l atera l l i nes of the i r

thick body. A s p i n e protrudes fro m each p l a te. O n

t h e fi rst r a y o f t h e dorsa l a n d pectora l fi ns a re stiff spines that can infl ict a pa i n f u l prick. H a n d l e these fish with ca rel These ca tfi sh so metimes e m i t a croa k­ i n g sou n d when ca ptu red. They a pp a rently use the i r modified a i r b l a dder t o m a ke these noises. Ta l ki n g Catfish w i l l attack sma l l er fi s h a n d eat the m . They w i l l a lso scavenge, a s do other catfi s h . Provide t h e m w i t h t h e basic d i et.

TALKING CATFISH Acanthocloras spinosissimus to 6 in.

94

CALLICHTHYID ARMORED CATFISH (Ca l l ichthyid a e)

Of the a rm o red catfish, Corydoras is the p redo m i n a n t g e n u s . The d ifferent species i n t h e g e n u s a re so s i m i ­ l a r t h a t they a re d i ffi c u l t to identify .

Eve n the clea nest aq u a r i u m ca n benefit from hav­

i n g at least two peace-loving

Corydoras that busy

themselves most of the time d i g g i ng in the g rave l i n sea rch o f food . They w i l l not thrive wel l o n just l eft­ overs, however. A va ried, ba l a n ced d iet should be provided, a n d they a re especia l l y fon d of l ive foods. Be s u re the food s i n ks to the bottom, past the fi s h

that a re l i v i n g i n the u p per stra ta . S h a r p stones w i l l i n j u re t h e mouths o f these probing ca tfish, so cover

the bottom with smooth, ro unded g ravel.

I n their native South America, these catfi s h l ive

i n waters low in oxyge n and with m uddy bottoms.

They have evo lved the trait of d a s h i n g suddenly to the s u rface to ta ke i n a g u l p of air and then h u rry­ ing bac k to the botto m . The a i r is forced t h ro u g h

t h e intesti ne, res p i ration occ u r r i n g

i n t h e heavi ly

vasc u l a rized tissues of the h i n d g ut. A p roper en­ v i ro n ment for them consists of water that is neutra l ,

soft, a g ed, a nd

65 to 80 deg rees F. I n clean wate r,

the fi s h a re hea lthier a n d a l so more energetic. A sharp spine is located on the dorsa l fin of ma ny species. Be ca refu l not to snag this spine in nets.

Also, a prick from one of these spi nes is pa i nf u l , the h u rt lasti n g for a n h o u r o r more.

95

AENEUS CATFISH, a l so ca l led Bronze Catfish, a re the most popu l a r of the Corydoras. Older specimens a re extremely h a rdy, ideal for a ny a q ua ri u m . If a l a rg e r fi s h tries to m a ke a mea l of one, the catfish's

spi ked fi ns snag in the predator's mouth . U s u a l ly, the

catfi s h is spit out. Occasiona l l y, a catfi s h becomes per m a nently hooked i n the attacker's t h roat. In such

cases, both the predator and the prey d i e .

Ad u lt fem a l e Ae neus Catfi s h a re f u l le r-bodied

than the ma les. A s m a l ler a l bino v a r iety of this spe­ cies is often ava i l a bl e . The a l binos genera l l y p u r­

chased a re j u ve n i l es a bout h a l f a n i nch l o n g . Their p i n k bod ies show clearly i n most a q u a ri a .

AEN EUS CATFISH Corydoras aeneus

to 3 in.

albino variety to 2 in.

96

AGASSIZ'S CATFISH Corydoras agassizi to 3 ln.

=

-

..

..

=

-

AGASSIZ'S CATFISH is sma l l a n d stout. The fi s h was na med for lou is Agassiz ( 1 807 - 1 873), who was a

professor of biology at H a rva rd U niversity. Agassiz

was known for his work with both recen t and exti nct types of fi shes. He be l ieved fi rm l y i n studyi n g a n i ­ m a l s in t h e i r natura l e n v i ro n ment.

Agassiz's Catfish e n joys the company of other cat­ fish of the same genus. Although not typical school ­ i n g fi s h , t hey m a y sea rch for food o n t h e bottom i n g rou ps, or l oose school s. If they a re not ove rcrowded

and a re well fed, all of the different species of Cory­

doras are peaceful.

97

SKUNK OR ARCHED CATFISH Corydoras arcuatus to 2 ln.

MASKED CATFISH C. metae to 2 112 ln.

MYER'S CATFISH C. myersi to 2% in.

SKUNK CATFISH, MASKED CATFISH, MYER'S CATFISH -these th ree species confuse a m ate u rs a tte m pting to identify their pets. Fu rther, reta i l e rs m ay l a be l them i ncorrectly. The i r d i ffere nces a re s hown clea r ly i n the

i l l u strations a bove, howeve'r. A l l th ree a re cared for i dentica l ly.

A pair of Corydoras of the same species and somet i m es of d i fferent species soon become i n t i m a te friends in a n a q u a r i u m . One a l ways checks to see if the other is in sight. As one exa m p l e of t h e i r des i re

for com pa n ionship, only one Sku n k Catfi s h was kept in a com m u n ity ta n k for a bout six months. Then a n ­

other w a s a d ded t o t h e a q u a ri u m . It w a s g reeted

with g reat enthusiasm by the o ri g i n a l catfish. A l l d a y it ci rcled t h e newcomer excitedly a nd w a s there­ after a lways at the side of its co m pa n io n .

98

ELEGANT CATFISH are not really as elegant as

m a ny other Corydoras. I n fa ct, they a re rather p l a i n .

I n teresting ly, the two i dentifying, i rreg u la r, d a r k ba nds on each s i d e may fade or ' da rken a ccord i n g

t o t h e fish's mood. U n l i ke most catfi s h i n t h i s g e n u s,

this species m ay l eave the l ower water stra ta to sea rch a bove for food on pla nts a n d rocks.

ELEGANT CATFISH C. elegans to 2 ¥2 ln.

DWARF CATFISH C. hastatus to 1 % ln.

DWARF CATFISH a re ideal for the five-g a l lon fish

ta n k . Beca use of the i r s m a l l size, they a re not cra m ped in these sma l ler q ua rters. Be s u re to keep at least two in each ta nk.

Dwa rf Catfi s h leave the bottom strata i n s m a l l

groups t o frol ic i n the mid-strata . Other fish t h a t a re extremely a g g ressive may pick on these s ma l l cat­ fish, so keep them with m i l d - m a n nered fi s h .

99

LEOPARD CATFISH a re stri k i n g l y spotted, hence their n a m e . Try p ressi n g a sma l l sq u a re of d ry, frozen

t u b ifex worms a g a i nst the front pane of g l ass i n s i de, a bout h a l f an i n c h a bove the g ravel . At the same

t i me, supply a ny other fi s h w,i th enoug h to keep them occ u p ied a bove. You w i l l d iscove r that a l l or nea r l y a l l m e m bers of the Corydoras comm u n i ty join i n the feast.

SAD DLEBACK CAT F I S H , like all of the Corydoras, have a n outer "a rmor" that hel ps prevent m a ny ex­

terna l diseases. Eve ry other occ u p a n t in a ta n k may be i n fl icted with l c h (p.

35), but the catfi s h w i l l re­

m a i n hea l thy. They a re not tota l l y i m m u ne to dis­ ease, however, and once sick, they seem to be more d i ffi c u l t to c u re than most other fi s h .

lEOPA R D CATFISH

Corydoras iulii to 2112 i n .

C. melanistius to 2 V2 ln.

1 00

PEPPERED CATFISH C. pa/eafus to 3 ln.

RABAUT'S CATFISH C. rabaufi ta 1 3,4

in.

PEPPERED CATFISH have a spri n k l i n g of s m a l l , d a r k spots over the i r bod y. Before breed i n g , ma les swi m

excited l y a ro u n d in one a rea . A m a l e a n d a fe m a l e

then pa i r off. With the i r mouths, they clea n a ny

possi b l e spawn i n g sites. D u ri n g spa w n i n g , the two join-breast to brea st. The fe m a l e l a ys eggs in a pocket formed with her ventral fi ns, a n d there they

a re fert i l ized by sperm e jected by the ma le. The fe­ male then sticks the eggs to clean s u rfaces that were

previously sel ecte d .

RABAUT'S CATFISH is a dwa rf species t h a t may be

e a s i l y sna gged i n a net. If this ha ppens, t u rn the net i nsi de-ou t ca ref u l l y a n d su bmerge i t i n the · water where the catfi s h is to be p l aced . If the catfi s h m ust be h a n d led, keep in m i n d that the s p i nes ca n ca u se a pa i nf u l p u n cture. 101

SUCKER-MOUTHED ARMORED CATFISH (lorica ri id ae) Severa l d iverse forms com p rise this fa m i ly of a r­ mored

catfi s h

that

l i ve

in

sma l l ,

swift-flowi n g

stre a m s o f northern South America . They u s e the i r "su c ker" mouths for atta c h i n g t o or h o l d i n g onto stationa ry objects a nd a lso fo r feed i n g . The "suck­ i n g " mouth is s u bte r m i n a l or p rojected downward

for feed ing on vegeta tion on the bottom . As they

feed on p l a nts in the i r natu ra l enviro n ment, these catfi sh a l so consume m a ny tiny a n i m a ls. For t h i s

reason, t h e vegeta b l e d iet o f those i n ca ptivity m u st

be s u p p l e mented with other foods . I n a l l membe rs

of the fa m i l y, three or more rows of bony scutes o r

p l a tes extend f r o m t h e h e a d a long the l e n g t h o f

t h e body. P lace these fi s h i n ta n ks o f a g ed water that is richly p l a nted a n d is

65 to 7 8 degrees F.

TWIG CATFISH a re u nfortu nately short-l ived a nd shy i n ca ptivity. To avoid obta i n i n g a ha lf-sta rved speci­ men, p u rchase only from ta n ks that have an obvious

g rowth of g reen a lgae. If a l g a e a re not a b u nda nt in yo u r ta n k, add soft peas or chopped lettuce o r s p i n­

ach (boiled a bo u t one m i n ute) to the water reg u l a rly u ntil a g rowth is obta i ne d .

TWIG CATFISH Farlowe//a acus to

6 in.

1 02

WHI PTAJL CATFISH Loricaria parva to

4 in.

DWARF OTOCINCLUS Otocinclus affinus to

2 in.

WHIPTAIL CATFISH a re ea sily camouflaged i n the

g ravel on the bottom of a n a q u a r i u m . Keep thei r wate r we l l ae rated a n d clea n . Do not house these fish with m essy a n i ma l s, such a s Gol d fi s h , that de­ mand a clea n i n g of the ta n k freq uently . If it i s neces­

sa ry to do a co m p l ete clea n ing, save h a l f the water. S u b merge a ny a l ga e-covered roc ks or p l a nts so that they do not d ry w h i l e the a q ua r i u m is being clea ned .

Do not scr u b the s i des or bottom of the ta n k com ­

pl ete ly

clea n

of

a l gae.

Afte r

the

a q u a ri u m

is

cleaned, l eave the l i g hts o n l o n g e r than u s u a l to en­ cou rage a ra p i d reg rowth of the a lg a e a nd other p l a nts in the ta n k .

OTOCINCLUS a re t h e s m a l lest co m mon a q ua r i u m sucker catfi s h . They rema i n sma l l , ha r m l ess scaven­

g e rs a n d a re not destructive-that is, they will not

eat p l a nts o r d i g u p the bottom. These l ittle catfi s h speci a l ize i n clea n i n g a l gae o ff p l a nts. Keep them i n sma l l g ro u ps o f at least four. T h i s is a del i cate spe­ cies, and if there is not s ufficient vegeta b l e food, it wi l l die q u ickly.

1 03

PLECOSTOMUS CATFISH g row l a rg e . They shou l d not b e kept i n ta nks sma l le r tha n 2 5 g a l lons. Beca use they become a g g ress ive, o n ly one per ta n k is reco m ­ mended. I t ca n b e put i n a ta n k with com m u n ities of

l a rger fi s h . Petrified wood is often used in the a q u a r­

i u m's decor beca use its su rface is i dea l for s u pport­

ing mats of soft a l gae and a l so beca use t h i s fi s h l i kes

to ca mouflage itsel f on the "woody" su rface w h i l e

eating o r resti n g . U s e water t h a t has bee n a g e d a t least o n e month.

These fi s h a re d iffi c u l t to catch. They will d a rt fro m

one h i d i n g p l a ce t o a nother, a n d even if cornered a g a i nst the g l a ss, they w i l l a ttach themse lves to it fi r m ly with thei r sucker mouth a n d w i l l not swi m into the net. They m u st b e s l i d a l on g the g l a ss to get them o u t of the water. Use a soft leaf to b rea k

t h e i r s u ction a n d get them i nto the net. Once in the

net, the catfish com monly snags its high dors a l fi n . B e ca ref u l not t o i n j u re t h e fi s h i n removing it.

The Bristle-mouthed Catfish is cl osely rel a ted to

Plecosto m u s but is ea sily d i sti n g u i shed by its p ro m i ­ nent "wh i s kers." PLECOSTOMUS Hypostomus plecostomus

to 8 in.

�"

��

BRISTLE-MOUTHED CATFISH Anc:lstrus dolichopterus

to 6 in.

/""" · /

>- �\underside ��) }showing mouth � and whiskers ">r,r

BANJO CATFISH Bunocephalus coracoideus to 7

in.

BANJO CATFISH {Bu nocephal idae) BANJO CATFISH a re una rmored catfi s h from South

America . Their head is wide a nd flat. The name of the gen u s, Bunocephalus, mea ns " h i l ly hea d," re­ fer r i n g to the b u mps that exte nd a l so down the sides. A soft, spa rsel y p l a n ted botto m is essenti a l be­ ca u se of the fi sh's d i g g i n g be havior. Ba n jo Catfish

a re noctu rna l , so p rovide pl enty of d a ytime h i d i n g p l a ces. They a re o m n ivoro u s feeders. Keep t h e tem ­ pera t u re o f t h e water a t

70 t o 75 deg rees F .

GLASS CATFISH (Si l u ridae) GLASS CATFISH stay i n the m i d -strata, s u spen ded in s ma l l schoo l s . Peacef u l and slow-mov i n g , they do

poorly if m ixed with active species. They snatch their food a s it s i n ks by o n its way to the botto m . They

rel ish l ive foods . T u bifex worms encl osed i n ste r i l e

g a uze o r cheesecloth and dang led in the water a l ­ l ows them t o feed free ly. I n a p p ropriate l ig hting,

G l a s s Catfish reflect ra i n bows of co lor.

GLASS CATFISH Kryptoptereus bicirrhis to 4

in.

105

PIMELODID OR ADIPOSE FIN CATFISH (Pi m e l od idae) P i m e l o d i d catfish ra nge throu g h southern Mexico,

Centra l

America,

a nd

South

be rs of the fa m i ly have a

Ame rica .

Al l

mem­

long, s l i m body. The

ca u d a l fin is forked, and the dorsa l fi n, which has

a t least o n e e rect spi ne, i s set fa r forwa rd on the body. The a d i pose fin is l a rge. P i m e lodids usual ­ ly possess th ree pa i rs of ba rbe l s that sweep back

a lo n g the body.

SLENDER CATFISH a re noctu rna l, w h i c h is typical for m e m bers of the fa m i ly. The l a rger and more c l u t­ tered the i r ta n k is, the more they en joy it. Roots, p l a nts, rock p i l es, a n d decorations a re i d e a l p laces

for h i d i n g d u ri n g the day. These catfi sh do best i n water that is neutra l , aged, a n d 70 t o 80 deg rees F. I n o l d e r fish, the stri pes d isa ppea r.

POLKA-DOT CATFISH a re pa rti c u l a rly fo nd of worms

but w i l l gobbl e u p most meaty foods. They w i l l over­ eat so much that t h e i r stomachs b u l ge, ra i s i n g their w h o l e body we l l a bove the g rave l . I f not fed wel l

enough, howeve r, they may atta ck other fish. Ma ­ tu re speci m e n s lose their spots a n d become bl u ish­ g ray. Som e you n g have no spots.

S HOVELNOSE CATFISH a re odd ities. If you have a spa re shal low ta n k (30 g a llons or more), this may be p recise ly the fi s h to p l ease yo u . Note the flat­

tened

head a n d the d u ck l i ke s nout. The

mouth,

u nder the snout, i s l a rge enough to e n g u lf c h u n ks

of food of considera b l e size. Give this species the sa m e ca re as other members of this fa m i l y .

106

SLENDER (OR GRACEFUL) CAT F I S H Pimelode lla gracilis

to 5 i n .

POLKA-DOT CATFISH Pimelodus clarias to 1 0 in.

S H O V E L N O S E C AT F I S H Sorubim lima to 1 8 i n .

BUMBLEBEE CATFISH Leiocassis siamensis to 7

in.

BAGRID CATFISH (Ba g ridae) BUMBLEBEE CATFISH, fro m the O l d Wo rl d, a re si m i ­ l a r t o the p i m e l o d i d s ( p . 1 06), b u t t h e i r s k i n i s

na ked, with no sca les or bony p lates. Pea cefu l a n d l o n g - l ived i n a com m u n ity ta n k , these catfi s h w i l l ma ke a mea l o f a n e i g h bor's fi n s i f h u n g ry.

1 07

LABYRINTH CATFISH (C i a r i i dae) ''WALKING" CATFISH were i mported from South­ east Asia severa l yea rs a g o . Those t h a t escaped

or were set free by thei r owners now pose a t h reat to the environ ments they have i nvaded . These u n us u a l fi s h have both g i l l s a nd pri m itive l u ng l i ke org a n s . Swish i n g their ta i l a n d u s i n g their sto u t pecto ra l fi ns a s "legs" to prope l themselves,

they ca n l itera l l y "wa l k" on l a nd. In t h i s way they esca pe when the waters they i n ha bit beco me u nsu it­ a b l e. D u r i n g d roug hts, they stay moist by d i g g i n g

into m u d a n d brea t h i ng atmospheric a i r. I n or o u t of

the water, thei r e i g ht barbels a i d in l ocati n g prey, whether eggs, i nsects, o r fish twice their own size.

They soon d o m i nate whatever water they i n ha b it. In co m m u n ity ta n ks, these catfi s h w i l l atta c k a nd

eat other fish, hence they m ust be kept isol a ted . They

have ravenous a p petites. The tem peratu re of the water ca n be 5 0 to

95 deg rees F. Cover the a q u a r­

i u m , b u t leave sufficient a i r space a bove to permit the fi s h to s u rface for breath i n g . I n m a n y sta tes, it is now i l leg a l t o possess these fish, so note the i r a ppea ra nce. Thei r co lor va riations incl ude g rays and browns.

"WALKING" CATFISH Clarias balrachus to

1 08

8 ln.

UPSIDE-DOWN CATFISH (Mochokidae) AFRICAN POLKA-DOT CATFISH a re ra re a nd expen ­ sive, b u t t h e y a re des i r a b l e f o r a l a rg e com m u n i ty ta n k . They a re hardy a n d pea cef u l , b u t they shou l d

be prov i ded with h i d i n g p l a ces. The water tem pera ­

tu re sho u l d ra nge from

72 to 80 deg rees F. T h i s spe­

cies occa siona l l y sw i m s inverted o r u ps i d e down.

UPSIDE-DOWN CATFISH h a ve a dark be l l y and l i g h t-co l o red back, opposite the usua l col o r i n g of

a a

fi s h . T h i s is a n ada ptation to t h e i r h a b i t of swi m ­ m i n g u pside dow n . As the fi s h matu re, t h e y swim i nve rted more freq uently. I n a dimly l i t, wel l -p l a nted

a q u a ri u m,

a

school of these fish wi l l g ra ze on a l gae

a nd scave n g e over su rfaces. Note the l a rge eyes of

this species a nd a l so of the one a bove .

AFRICAN POLKA-DOT CATFISH Synodontis onge/icus to

8 in.

UPS I D E-DOWN CATFISH S. nlgriventris to 3%

in.

ELECTRIC CATFISH (Ma l a pteru ridae) ELECTRIC CATFISH, the o n l y species in its fa m i ly, has

electri c org a n s si m i l a r to b u t wea ker t h a n t hose of

el ectric e e l s (p. 67) . The s hock is strong e n o u g h to

electrocute tiny fish, to n u m b l a rge ones, a n d to sta rtle a n u nwa ry h a n d l e r . These fi s h a re vicious and w i l l a ttack a l l othe r fi s h . They m u st be iso lated .

The water s h o u l d be neutral a n d 72 to 8 0 deg rees

F. P rovide l eafy p l a nts for g reens; a l so meaty a nd l ive foods.

WRESTLING HALFBEAK Dermogenys pussillus to

3 1n.

HALFBEAKS (He m i ra m p hidae) WRESTLING HALFBEAKS, l i ve-bea rers i m ported from Southeast Asi a , a re not bred co m m e rci a l l y. In Tha i ­ l a n d , m a l e s a re bred se lective ly f o r "fi g hting" con ­ tests i n w h i c h a fi g hter l ocks h i s j a ws a ro u n d a n opponent-a m e m ber o f the same species. I n home a q u a r i u ms, keep the water a t 6 8 to 72 d e g rees F.; add th ree fo u rths of a ta b l espoon of sea sa l t per

g a l lon of water. These su rfa ce feeders must be g iven l ive foods. The "bea k" i s ea s i l y i n j u red, so be

ca refu l i n h a n d l i n g . These fish a re s hort- l i ved. 1 10

STICKLEBACKS (Gasteroste i d a e) FOUR-SPINED STICKLEBACKS a re bra c k i s h -water fi s h

t h a t l ive i n estua ries o f t h e Atl a ntic a l on g the nort h ­ e r n coast o f North America . The w a t e r s h o u l d b e cond itioned w i t h 1 tabl espoon o f s e a sa lt per g a l l o n

of water. Its te m perature s h o u l d b e 65 t o 68 d eg rees F. At the bree d i n g season, the colorf u l m a l e b u i l ds

a t u n n e l - nest of vegetation held together with sticky

secretions. He a nd h i s m a te enter the t u n ne l repeat­ ed ly. Each visit she l ays eggs, and he fe rt i l izes t h e m .

The m a l e p rotects the e g g s a n d then the young. T h i s species i s q u a rrel some, so keep it isol ated.

SEAHORSES AND PIPEFISHES (Syng n a t h id a e) PIPEFISH a re in the sa me fa m i ly as sea horses a n d

often a re co n s i d e red m a r i n e fi s h .

Li ke sea horses,

they a re cove red with bony p l a tes. Ma l es cra d l e the eggs a nd the yo u n g in fol d s on their be l l y .

Sea sa lt m u st b e a d d e d t o t h e water i n the ta n k .

Fol low the d i rections on the b a g t o g et a sa l i n ity of a bout 1 .0 1 8 . P i pefi sh eat only l ive food, s u c h a s brine s h ri m p, D aphnia, a n d you n g l ive- bea rers . The fish suck the food i n to thei r s l i m snout. P i pefish ofte n swi m vertica l ly a n d may a lso j u m p out of the

water.

Syngnothus spicifer to 6 in. 111

KILLIFISH OR TOOTHED CARPS (Cy p r i nodont i dae) Kill ifi s h lay eg g s, tho u g h they be long to the same order as l ive-bea ring fi s h (p. 1 1 8) . More tha n 200

species, m a ny of them col orfu l , occ u r i n tropica l a n d

wa r m waters o n a l i conti nents except Austra l i a . K i l l ifi s h have a long body (from 1

V2 to 6 i nches)

a n d a flat h ea d . They do not have barbels or a n a d i ­

pose fi n . K i l l i fi s h a re not recom mended f o r co m m u ­ n i ty ta n ks o r for beg i n n i n g aq u a rists.

SPANISH KILLIFISH, na tive to Spa i n and Algeria, l ive i n the upper water leve l s . They i n h a bit brackish to m a r i n e waters. Keep two a d u l t fem a l es (o l ive-g reen)

for each mature m a l e (bl ue-g reen ) . They may spawn i n the p l a nts. Feed them mostly l ive foods . If th e fish

a p pear to be s l u g g i sh gra d ua l ly a d d 1 - 2 teasp oo n s o f sea sa l t f o r e a c h g a l lon o f water i n t h e ta n k. ,

SPAN ISH KILLI FISH Aphanius iberus to 2 ln.

R E D L Y R E TA I L A p h yosemion b i v ittatun to 21h in.

112

RED LYRETAILS a re one of more tha n 20 species of Aphyosemion that a re i m ported fro m Africa's west

coast, east of Dahomey Ga p. Most of the s pecies a re d iffi c u l t to d ifferentiate. They may i nterbreed, a n d their offspring a re g e nera l ly steri le.

The Red Lyreta i l needs a d i m ly l it ta n k with wel l ­

p l a nted h i d i n g a rea s . Keep t h i s s pecies i n s m a l l

g roups

consist i n g

mainly

of

fe m a l es.

Hatch l i ng s

g row more s l o w l y t h a n do those of other m e m be rs

of the s a m e g e n u s . There a re n u m e ro u s a n d v a r i ­ o u s l y colored s u bspecies.

K i l l ifi s h a re m o re d i ffi c u l t to feed than a re m a ny fi s h . Many w i l l a ccept o n l y l i ve foods, w h i c h a re

w h o l es o m e but i m p ractica l to p rov ide. Those that become fussy a bo u t thei r ea t i n g may be pers u a d e d

to accept o t h e r foods by m a k i n g o n l y the a l te rnate foods a va i l a b le. See basic d iet ( p . 2 8 ) .

LYRETAILS do best i n s l i g htly acid, a g ed water that is treated with a tea spoon of sea sa l t p e r g a l l on . The water te m perature shou l d not exceed beca use

warmth

shortens

thei r

75 deg rees F .

l ifespa n .

L i g hts

sho u l d be fi ltered thro u g h dense cl u m ps of p l a nts. For the botto m , where the fish w i l l l ive, use fi ne s a n d o r cha rcoa l . Keep two o r th ree fe m a les f o r eac h m a le. M a l e s m a y fi g ht. E g g s a d h e re to p l a nts. Lyre­ ta i l s need p l e nty of l i ve foods. I n a d d ition to the o n e shown, a g o l d e n va riety is ava i l a bl e � LYRETA I L

A . australe 2'12 i n .

to

1 13

STEEL-BLUE APHYOSEMION is a l ively, q ua rre lsome botto m dwe l l e r that is best kept isolated-one a d u l t per tank. T h e a q ua ri u m shou l d b e s h a ded, t h e water

aged and acid . A ye l l ow v a riety is a l so ava i la ble. To prepa re b reed i n g ta n k, s i m mer peat ( n o ad­

d itives) i n boi l ed water. P ress a nd cove r with soft water.

Afte r

the

peat

sett l es,

i n trod uce

mature

a d u l ts . The m a l e cha ses h i s mate v i g o rously in cou rt­

s h i p . Provide leafy p l a nts in wh ich she ca n rest, o r

s u p p l y m a l e w i t h two o r t h ree fe m a l es .

Remove fert i l e e g g s (not w h i te) with a g l ass tube

a n d p l a ce them in j a rs half fi l led with soft water to which a drop of

5 pe rce nt methyl ene blue i s a dded .

Store them in a d a r k, cool (70 deg rees F.) p l a ce for th ree to seven wee ks. To sti m u l ate hatch i n g , add a p i n c h of d ried fl a ke food on w h i c h bacte ria feed a n d

a l so

beg i n t o deco m pose t h e eggshel ls.

Remove

hatc h l i ngs fro m co nta m i n a ted water a t o nce.

BLUE GULARIS a re q ua rrelsome, ha rdy eaters. Ma l e s a re jewe l - l i ke . Color varieties a re com m o n . Give them the same ca re as a bove. Cover the ta n k !

STEEL-BL U E APHYOS EMI O N

Aphyosemion gardneri to 2 V2 in.

BLUE GULARIS

1 14

L I NED PANCHAX Aplocheilus /ineatus

to 4 in.

ARGENT I N E PEARL FISH Cynolebias bellotti

to 3 in.

F I R EMOUTH PANCHAX Epiplatys dageti • E. chaperi)

(formerly to 2Y2 in.

LINED PANCHAX

,

from

Ceylon

and

I nd i a ,

l ives

m a i n ly o n i n sect l a rvae in natu re, hence req u i re l i ve

foods i n a q u a r i u ms. It is a g g ressive. Keep o n l y with

l a rg e r fish. Cover the ta n k! This species l ives i n u p ­

p e r water strata a nd spawns i n floati n g p l a nts.

ARGENTINE PEARL FISH l ive i n ponds that d ry up in s u m mer. The a d u lts d ie, but t h e i r e g g s, b u ried i n the

m ud, hatch when ra i ns come a g a i n . To cond ition

b reeders, feed them l ive foods. Prepa re peat (p. 1 1 4), a n d after the fi s h have spawned, remove them and siphon off the water. Sea l the damp (not wet) peat in a p l a stic bag a n d store it in d a r k ness for th ree to five months. Then s u b merge the peat i n water, a n d the eggs w i l l hatc h . The vora c i o u s hatch­ l i n g s matu re i n a bo u t eight wee ks; they l ive only

a bout e i g ht months. Ma l es fi g ht.

FIREMOUTH PANCHAX shou ld be fed m a i n l y l ive

foods . Two to three fe m a l es a nd one m a l e will

school peacefu l l y i n a co m m u n ity ta n k .

115

GOLDEN EAR

FLORIDA BLU EFIN (FLO RIDA BLU E DACE) Lucania goodei Ia

2 in.

GOLDEN EARS, native to so u theastern U n ited States,

a re a g g ressive, so shou ld not be kept with shy spe­ cies. Mid-strata dwel lers, they spawn in p l a nts.

AMERICAN FLAGFISH a re stout, ha rdy Florida fish. Ma l es kept in the same q u a rters beco m e a ntagon is­

tic. After spa w n i ng, ma les protect a n d ca re for the broo d . The you n g eat a l gae; a d u l ts a re o m n ivorous.

FLORIDA BLUEFINS do best i n roomy, wel l - p l a nted ta n k s, the water not warmer than 70 deg rees F .

They l ive a n d spawn i n pla nts i n the top a n d m i d d l e stra ta . Fem a l es m a y lay severa l e g g s d a i ly f o r more

tha n a month a n d w i l l eat them if they a re not re­ moved . P rotected eggs hatch in a bo u t two weeks.

MEDAKAS a re pea cefu l , ha rdy fi s h - idea l for com­

m u n ity ta n ks. In J a pa n , they l i ve i n padd ies and a re va l ued for eati n g mosq u i to l a rvae. C l u sters of eggs

stick to the fe m a l e's vent a n d a re fert i l ized there . They a re then r u b bed o ff onto p l a nts. S h i p ments of deformed ( h u m pbacked) specimens, u n hea lthy a n d usua l l y ster i l e, a re fo und occasiona l l y i n pet shops.

1 16

MEDAKA OR RICE FISH Oryzias latipes to Y2 in.

1

GOLDEN PH EASANT RolofRa occidentalis to 3Y2 in.

GOLDEN PHEASANT is rowdy, hence not a com m u n ­ ity fi s h . T h e water sho u l d b e a bo u t 72 deg rees F. Bree d i n g i s t h e sa me as for Argentine Pea rl Fish ( p .

1 1 5), but d a m p periods l a st a m o n t h o r t w o l onger.

I t l ives i n l ower water strata . Feed i t l ive foods.

FOUR-EYED FISH (An a b l epid ae) FOUR-EYED FISH a re d i ffi c u l t to keep in an a q u a ri u m .

They feed i n schoo l s a s t hey s k i m j ust beneath the su rfa ce. With the i r b u l g i n g eyes, they ca n see either

in a i r o r i n water. A show-type ta n k of a t l e a st 5 0 ga l l o n s is needed . The water shou l d b e 72 t o 7 5 de­

g rees F . Feed them a va ried d iet. The sex u a l o rg a n s o f these fi s h a re t i l ted to the l eft o r to the rig ht. A "l eft" fem a l e ca n cop u l ate o n l y with a "rig ht" m a le a nd v ice versa . T hey a re l ive-bea rers. FOUR-EYED FISH Anab/eps anab/eps to 1 2 in.

1 17

LIVEBEARERS (Poeci l l i dae) livebearers a re native to North a n d South A merica

a n d the West I nd i es. They a re shoa lers that i n h a b i t

sha l l ow waters, usu a l l y cl ose e i t h e r t o d e e p water or to dense p l a nts i n which they ca n ta ke refuge.

H a rdy a nd easy for beg i n n e rs to m a n a ge, l ivebea r­ e rs a re the most pop u l a r of a l l aq u a ri u m fi s h except Go l d fi s h . They ra rel y exceed t h ree inches i n l ength,

making them ideal fo r most home a q u a ri u ms. Their

l ifespa n i s o n l y two or t h ree yea rs, but these fi s h a re

so pro l i fi c that they prod uce ma ny generations i n the i r l ifetime, t h u s perpetuating themsel ves.

Livebea rers bea r thei r young a l ive, the fertil ized

eggs devel oping i n the fe m a l e's ova ry. I nformation

on ca r i n g for l ivebea rers is on p.

1 20.

PIKE TOP MINNOW, from South and Centra l Amer­ ica, is exception a l l y l a rge for a poeci l l i d . I t req u i res

a ta n k of

50 g a l l ons, with the water at 75 to 85 de­

g rees F . and two o r th ree teaspoons of sea sa l t ad ded p e r g a l l o n . Other l ivebea rers a re o m n ivoro u s, but the P i ke Top Min now is ca rn ivorous. Its ra pacity

a n d l a rge-toothed mouth ma ke it a t h reat to de­

fen seless neig h bo rs, pa rtic u l a rly you n g fi s h . Even

fe l l ow Pi kes may be a ssa u l ted . The species is pro­ l i fic, but it w i l l gobble up i ts own u n p rotected you n g . Pi kes a re an inch long at b i rt h . U n de r n o u r­ ished mothers produce sti l l borns.

PIKE TOP MI NNOW Belonesox belizanus to 8

in.

All livebearing males develop a "gonopodium." With this or­ extension of the anal deposits sperm in females' oviducts.

GAMBUSIA (MOSQU ITO FISH) Gamb usia affinus to 1 % in. to in.

male, female, 2Y2

DWA R F TOPMINNOW Heteran dria formosa male, to 3f.l i n . female, to 1 % in.

GAMBUSIAS, natives of southern U n i ted States, have been i ntrod u ced throug hout the worl d to aid i n con ­ trol o f mosq u itoes, especia l ly w here m a l a ria a n d yel low fever a re a threat. These t i n y fish ca n eat d a i ly thei r own we i g ht in mosq uito l a rvae or p u pae. Thou g h d ra b, Ga m busias a re i n teresting a n d easy to keep in a n a q u a r i u m . There shou l d be at l east th ree fem a l es for each m a l e . Fe m a l es a re s i m i l a r to the fem a l e g u ppy but have d a r k specks on their ta i l . Isolation i s necessa ry beca use these fi s h bite t h e fi n s of other fi s h . Pa rents e a t the i r you n g . Ga m busias were the fi rst of the l ivebea rers offered for sa l e to hobbyists. A ma rbled va riety has been deve loped . DWARF TOPMINNOWS, natives of southeastern U n ited States, a re the s m a l l est of a l l l ivebea r i n g a n i ­ m a l s a n d a re a l so o n e o f the sma l lest o f a l l l iv i n g vertebrates. These active fish a re s u i ta bl e f o r even the sma l l est a q u a ri u m . The idea l water tempera t u re is 70 deg rees F . but ca n ra nge from 5 5 to 95 . Be­ ca use the e m b ryos devel op i n sepa rate stag es, o n ly a few ba bies a re born each day for one or two wee ks. A month after the l a st ba by is born, b i rths may beg i n a g a i n . If wel l fed, the pa rents w i l l not con s u me their offspring. 1 19

GUPPIES a re the favorites of a l l the tropical fi s h . They a re peacefu l , friend ly, h a rdy, a n d so prol ific that on e pa i r ca n fi l l an a q u a ri u m with offs p r i n g in

a short time. They a re va l u ed for mosq u ito control a n d for l ive food for other fi s h . In a q u a r i u ms, a l ­

ways have a m a jo rity of fema les. Need basic d iet. Ma l e g u ppies a re foreve r co u rt i n g . If a fem a l e rem a i n s station a ry a n d h e r pa rtne r conta cts her vent

with h i s go nopod i u m, she is fe rti l ized . The sperm is

preserved i n the fem a l e's ov id uct, a n d so even a fter m a l es a re re moved, a fe m a l e i s ca pa b l e of h a v i n g

six or more broods. Gesta tion a ve ra g es a month

b u t ca n be m u c h l onger, depend i n g on the ti me of yea r, hea lth of the fe ma l e, a nd con d itions in

the ta n k.

A preg n a nt fema le can be identified by the g ra v i d spot (da rkened a rea) behind her a n a l fi n j ust poste­ rior to the be l ly. When viewed from a bove, her sides a ppea r swo l l e n . To prepare her for del ivery, keep

the fe m a l e in sha l l ow (about 8 i n . ), aged water at 75 to 80 d e g rees F . P rovide floati n g p l a nts at l ea st two i nches t h i c k i nto which the newborn ca n scu rry,

for even the mother wi l l eat the m . If other fish m u s t b e kept i n the sa me ta n k, feed t h e m heavi l y t o s u p­ press thei r h u nger. Distu rbing a preg n a n t fema l e may resu l t i n p rem a t u re d e l iveries. O n e fem a l e may

have a s ma ny a s 200 ba bies; the average is 40 to 50. Yo u n g fe males have s m a l ler l itte rs. A l l of the newborn a re a bout a q u a rte r of an i nc h long. Feed them s ma l l mea ls a t least three ti mes d a i ly. G u p pies l ive a bout two yea rs . B reeders have de­ vel oped m u ltitudes of fi n colors and patte rns. Ma ny c l u b s breed w h a t they bel i eve a re exce l l e n t speci­ mens a nd then hol d g u ppy shows to d i s p l a y t h e m .

1 20

GUPPY Poecilio reticuloto (formerly Lebistes) mole, to 1 % i n . fe m e , 2 % in.

al to

Cobra Robsontoil

Holfblock

Veiltail

Varicolored Fl gta i

a

l

TAI L SHAPES

. �..�. ,..-� �. ,.-&.__ ,--. �.JC: �c ro und

Pin

robson

&'-

flag

top swo rd

spade

bottom word

s

spear

.,

lyre

delta

121

BLACK-BELLI ED LIMIA Limia melanogaster (also Poecilia me/anogaster) to

2 in.

BLACK-BELLIED LIMIA'S name refers to the perma­ nent black g ravid spot on the fema le. These peace­ ful fish a re from J a m a ica. Ca re for them as for other l ive-bea rers. They seldom have more than 40 ba bies at once, and the young g row slowly. MOLLIES, from Centra l and South Amer ica, a re often sol d i nexpensively as fish for beg i n ners. T h i s is u n­ fortunate, for u n less g iven specia l ca re, the fish w i l l perish. T o ready a n a q u a r i u m for Mo l l ies, fi l l it with s l i g htly a l ka l i ne, aged water, a d d i ng two to th ree teaspoons of sea sa l t per g a l lon. Keep the tem pera­ ture between 73 a n d 75 deg rees F . As with all l ive­ bea rers, p rovide the basic d iet, but in a d d ition, m a ke certa i n that vegeta ble matter is ava i la b l e d a i ly. Without a lgae, t h e fish wil l b e u n hea l t hy. I f d istu rbed, p reg nant fe m a l es wi l l m i sca rry or d ie. The plastic bags i n which shi p ments of Moll ies a r­ rive i n stores a re often pop u l a ted with newborn fry . If the a d u lts a re wel l fed, they w i l l n o t e a t thei r you n g . Mol l ies a re sensitive t o com mon fi s h disea ses (p. 34), so treat new ly acq u i red fi s h with methylene blue ton ic. A l l of the many ava i l a b l e va rieties of mol l ies wil l i nterbreed, but their offspring may be steri l e . Co m mercia l ly ra ised va rieties usua l ly l ack t h e hig h dorsa l fins of w i l d speci mens. Ma ny l ive for a bout th ree yea rs.

122

GREEN SAILFIN MOLLY Poecilio lotipinno (formerly Mol/ienisio) 4 in.

to

BLACK MOLLY to 2Y:z in. P. sphenops

OTHER VARIETIES OF THE BLACK MOLLY

Marble to 2 Y:z

Sphenop or in.

in.

Oronge·toil

to 2 V2

1 23

SWORDTAIL Xiphophorus he/Jeri to 5 i n .

SWORDTAILS were i m ported orig i n a l ly from Mexico. They were the g reen va riety. Si nce then, their flashy a ppea ra nce a nd many va riations have made them one of the most popu l a r of a l l a q u a r i u m fi s h . P ro­ vide one to two gal lons of water per fish. The water shou l d be s l ig htly hard (pH of 7. 2), and its temper­ atu re shou l d be m a i ntai ned between 72 a n d 78 de­ grees F. Cover the ta nk, for these fish a re accom­ pl ished j u m pers. Feed them the basic d iet at least twice d a i l y . Usua l ly only m a l es have the extended ta i l fin or "swo rd ." I ndivid u a l s va ry i n te m pera ment, but ma l es freq uently fi g ht. Keep one m a l e with more tha n two fema les i n each ta n k . B reed i n g is t h e same as for g u ppies ( p . 1 2 0). Broods of more tha n a h u n d red a re not u ncom mon, but pa rents may q u ickly red uce this n u m ber by eat­ ing their you n g . A lack of hormones may ca use some a d u l t females to revert to m a l es. New va rieties a ppea r on the ma rket reg u la r ly. Hybrids a re developed by crossing with other Sword ta i l s and a l so with Platys (p. 1 2 6). Sha des of red, as one exa mple, may va ry from a true red to a velvet red or a brick red .

124

VARIETIES OF SWORDTAILS

PLATY to 3 in.

Xiphophorus macu/atus

PLATYS, from Mexico and Guate ma la, a re peaceful com m u n ity fish. Ca re a nd breed i n g i s the sa me as for other l ivebea rers . Selective breed i n g has pro­ d uced many va rieties. Those i l l ustrated a re only a few of the most common . The sha des of the col ors may va ry as wel l as the markings. VARIATUS, from the same reg ion as the Platy, has a longer do rsa l fi n and a more elongated body. Ca re and breed ing a re the same as for other l i vebea rers. VARIATUS

VARIETIES OF VARIATUS

1 26

VARIETIES OF PLATYS (others ore possible)

Gold Wag

Albino

1 27

GLASSFISH (Centropo m i dae) INDIAN GLASSFISH o re nu merous i n fresh waters of I n d i a and nea rby reg ions . I n a q u a r i u ms, use me­ d i u m - h a rd water, wel l aged with two to th ree tea ­ spoons of sa lt per gal lon of water. I n itia l ly these fish o re t i m id, but they become q u i te ta me. Hatch l i ngs a re so t i ny they a re d i ffi c u l t to feed . On ly m a l es have the bl ue edging on the rays of their fi ns. The g ray orga n v i si b l e i nside the fish is the sw i m b l a dder. T I G E R F I S H (Thera pon i d ae)

TIGER FISH a re a rece nt i m portation . You n g speci­ mens (a bOut 3 i n ches) a re expensive. Given ade­ q u a te space (a 50 gal lon to n k) a nd p l enty of food, they g row q u ick ly. Keep them with fish of equal size. Tigers that a re not co mforta b l e a n d we l l fed lose the i r color, beco m i n g fa ded-out b l a c k fi s h . A 1 5 - i nch Tiger Fish may eat severa l th ree- i nch Gol d fi s h da i ly a n d be a l ways h u n g ry fo r more. SU NFISH (Centra rchidae) SUNFISH a re col lected i n q u iet waters of No rth America . Once secu re, with h i d i n g p l a ces nea rby, they lose their s hyness. Note the l a rge g i l l covers. These fish have the u n u s u a l habit of wa d d l i ng a l o n g t h e bottom on t h e i r pectora l fi ns. Keep t h e m w i t h s u n fi s h o f t h e sa me size. I n esta b l ished ta n ks, new m e m bers a re not tolera ted . Eggs hatch in l ess tha n a week. Ma l es protect both the eggs a n d the you ng . Water kept at room te m perature i s s u i ta b l e . It s h o u l d b e nea r neutra l i n p H . 1 28

INDIAN GLASS FISH

Chanda ranga 2 in.

to

S I AMESE TIGER FISH

Datnioides microlepis to 16 i n .

Elassoma evergladei to l lf• i n .

BLACKBAND E D S U N F I S H

Mesogonistius chaetodon to 3 i n .

1 29

MONO

Monodactylus argenteus to 5 in.

ARCHER Toxotes ;aculator to 4 in.

FI NGERFISH (Monodactyl idae) MONOS, from the brackish coa sta l waters of east­ ern Africa to Ma laysia, req u i re a spacious ta n k con­ ta i n i n g aged water to which th ree tea spoons of sa l t per g a l lon have been added. These fi s h do best in schoo ls. Q u i c k move ments outside the ta n k may ca u se them to pa nic and i n j u re themselves. They ca n be kept with other brackish-water fi s h . Feed them a n a b u nda nce of l ive foods, and keep the te m pera­ ture of the wate r a t 75 deg rees F. ARCHERFISH (Toxoti dae) ARCHERS, natives of brackish waters i n the I ndo­ Austra l i a n reg ion, ca nnot be provided with con d i ­ t i o n s i n a nor m a l ta n k t o perm it watch i n g them "spit" down insects from a bove the water. They a re accu ra te to a d i sta nce of a bout fi ve feet a n d even a l l ow for the reflection of l i g ht in water a s they m a ke the i r a i m . Keep them i n aged water to which two tea spoons of sa l t per gallon have been a dded . The te mpera t u re of the water sho u l d be 78 to 80 deg rees F .

130

ARGUS FISH (Scatophag idae) SCATS come from tropica l I ndo-Pacific estua ries. Keep them in water that has a te m peratu re of about 75 degrees F. Buy a t lea st two yo u n g . Ask a t what sa l i n ity they have been l iv i ng and d u p l icate it. For every i nch of g rowth thereafte r add a h a l f to a fu l l teaspooon o f sea sa l t u n t i l a mea s u rement o f 1 . 0 1 8 density is reached. ( A hydrometer, ava i l a b l e at pet shops, g i ves this mea s u re ment.) Sca ts a re peacefu l a n d beco me q u ite ta me. Feed them the ba sic d i et, a d d i n g da i l y doses of vegeta b l e matter. U nsatisfactory co nditions often resu l t i n lch d i sease ( p . 3 5 ) . Ma rkings on this fish a re varia ble. The fi n s p i nes a re venomous. LEAF FISH (Na ndidae) LEAF FISH, from So uth America, looks re ma rka bly l i ke a dead l eaf floati ng slowly i n the water. Tho u g h t h e fi s h a p pears del icate a nd h a r m l ess, it is a ctu a l ly pred a tory a n d m ust be fed enormous a mo u nts of l ive foods. A Leaf Fish ca n eat i ts own wei g h t i n G u p pies d a i ly. Keep the tem peratu re of t h e water at 72 to 76 deg rees F. Yo ung have wh ite s pecks.

131

CICHLIDS (C ichl idae) C i c h l i d s usua l ly fro m either South o r Centra l Amer­ i ca, have wel l -deve l o ped l i ps a n d on ly one nost r i l on e a c h s i d e o f t h e head. T h e head, eyes, a n d sca les a re l a rge, and the l a tera l l i ne is d i v i ded in the m i d­ d l e . The a n terior rays of the dorsa l a nd a n a l fi ns a re spi ny. Older fish develop a s p i n a l h u m p a n d ro u g h sca l es; they do n o t close the i r m o u t h i n resp i ratio n . F o r most cich l i d s, a ta n k s m a l l e r t h a n 1 5 ga l l ons is c ra m pi n g . Grave l sho u l d be med i u m to coa rse. For decoration, use we l l -a nchored,- heavy ob jects. la rge cich l i ds w i l l brea k heaters . Cichl ids a re be l i eved by many to be the most i n­ te l l igent of a l l fi s h . The i r beha vior va ries with the species and the i n d i v i d u a l . A breed i n g pa i r tests thei r com pati b i l ity by l ocking jaws a n d tugg i n g a t each other. If o n e partner brea ks t h i s test, i t m a y be attacked by the other. If the "ki ss" is favo ra b l e, the pa i r esta b l ishes a spawning territory. For seve ra l days they scra pe a spawn i n g site to clean it. In both sexes, sma l l tu bes devel o p at the vent. The fe ma le deposits a l ayer of eggs o n the clea ned - su rface, and the m a l e promptly fert i l izes the m . Both pa rents fa n the eggs, remov i n g a ny that a re i nfe r­ ti le or i n fested with fungus. At 80 deg rees F., hatch­ ing occ u rs i n five days. The pa rents pick up the hatc h l i ngs in their mouths and move them to pits in the g ravel. In the process, they sco u r the yo u n g by a chewi n g action. The free-sw i m m i ng ba b ies l a ter school a ro u n d thei r pa rents . If a ba by wa nders away, a parent sucks it up at once a nd sq u i rts it ba ck i nto the school . Cichlids do not mate fo r l ife, but i n a q u a r i u m s, co m p a ti b l e p a i rs mate repeatedly 1 32

BLUE ACARA Aequidens pulch e r (formerly A. /otifrons) to 6 in.

A. maronii to 4 i n .

fro m South America, oy g r u bbing i n the g rave l . This kicks u p l a rge a mo u nts of d i rt, so keep the water fi ltered with an a u xi l i a ry outside o r corner fi l ter. Add a bout a t h i rd fresh water b i­ monthly. Except when they a re excited, the o l der fish do not have the dark vertica l ba rs that a re promi nent i n the yo u n g . BLUE ACARAS,

K EYHOLE C I (:HLIDS l ive i n strea ms i n northern South America . They ca n be kept i n com m u n ity ta n ks, for they sel dom d i g in g ravel or u p root p l a nts. These a re shy fish that need h i d i n g pl aces. The "keyhole" b lotch may or may not be conspicuous. C l ea n water is req u i red; ideal te m perature 80 deg rees F. PORTS a re na med fo r the loca l ity where they were fi rst fo u nd- Porto Aleg re, Brazi l . Their orig i n a l pop­ u l a rity cl i m bed beca use of their ease in breedi n g a n d their devotion i n pa renthood . Ports d i g , espe­ cia l l y at breed i n g ti me. Tempera t u re of the water sho u l d be 70 to 80 deg rees F . 1 33

AGASSIZ'S DWARF CICHLIDS a re shy fi s h of streams of tropica l South America. I n a q u a r i u ms, they ra rel y u p root p l a n ts, which p rov ide idea l hiding p l a ces for them . The water shou l d be soft-sl ig htly acid. Fema l es lay red eggs i n caves or in dense g rowths of p l a nts. After he fert i l izes the eggs, the male is ban ished by h is partner. Remove h i m from the ta n k. Fem a l es may eat their fi rst spawn but care for s u bseq uent broods . Species easi ly contracts lch d i sease (p. 35). Add medications g ra d ua l ly. YELLOW DWARF CICHLIDS, a lso from South Amer­ ica, a re a rel a tively peaceful fish, hence ca n be kept i n a com m u nity ta nk. They p refer soft, sl i g htly acid water at 80 deg rees F. Of a l l the dwa rf cich­ l ids, they a re the best pa rents . The male is often a l l owed to sha re in the domestic chores-the rea r­ ing of the you n g . AGASSI Z'S DWARF C I C H L I D Apistogramm a agassizi �� ma le, to 3 i n . female, t o 2 i n .

..;;;=::-:�.....

CICHLID

YELLOW DWARF pertense mole, to 2 i n . female, t o 1 % in.

A.

1 34

RAM O R RAMIREZ'S DWARF CICHLID

Oscars are n o t fou n d nature.

Astronotus ace/latus 1 2 in.

to

Man- bred

Thailand even

are

brighter

i m ports

bright, when

in

from

beco m i n g fed

small

Goldfish.

RAMS, sti l l a nother South American cich l i d, a re un­ tun ately often as anxious to eat the i r eggs a s they a re to lay t h e m . Remove spawn-eating pa rents, a nd rea r the eggs a rtificia l l y by a l lowi ng a i r bu bbles to c i rcu late water (not bubbles!) over the m . Remove wh ite eggs. Hatc h i n g occurs in t h ree days. Ra ms usu a l l y l ive only two yea rs. They a re sensitive to lch disease (p. 35). OSCAR, fro m the l a rge rivers of the South Ameri­ ca n tropics, has cl i m bed i n popu l a rity i n recent years. The breed ing of new color and pattern vari­ eties has p u t them more i n dema n d . Owners com ­ mon ly boast of t h e i ntel l igence and i n d ivid u a l ity of these pets. Osca rs a re heavy eaters a n d g row fast on a d i et of l a rge morse l s of prepa red food and s m a l ler l ive food. They breed i n the usual cichl i d m a n ner a nd a re model pa rents. Water con d i tions a re not too critica l , but a ba by a n i nch l ong w i l l req u i re at l ea st 5 0 g a l l ons i n a yea r, w h e n he i s g rown. Heaters a re not necessary for a d u l ts.

135

JACK DEMPSEY Cichlasoma octofasciatum (formerly C. bioce//atum) 8 in.

to

CHOCOLATE CICHLID C. coryphaenoides to 10 ln.

JACK DEMPSEYS, from Centra l America, were na med after the heavyweight boxing cham pion. The i r a g g ressiveness d i m i n ishes in ta n ks exceeding 2 5 g a l l ons, but these fish a re defi n itely not for com m u n i ty ta n ks . With watchf u l ness, they ca n be kept with Dem pseys of eq ual size . J a c k Dem pseys a re fond of d i g g i n g a nd destroying p l a nts. Their g ravel ca n be leve led in the morn i ng, but by eve­ n i n g it is a g a i n mounta i nous. Colors i ntensify at breed i n g or feed i n g ti mes. Pets become q u ite ta me a nd may l ive as long as ten yea rs. CHOCOLATE CICHLIDS, from the Amazon reg ion of South America, a re a mong the most q ua rre l some of a l l the cichl ids. Amateurs a re shocked when their shy inch-long ba by g rows (if space a l l ows) i nto a ten-i nch monste r that does not even get a l ong with its own kind. One pa rtner may be k i l led d u ring cou rts h i p . Feed l a rge morse l s of food, such as ea rthworms, c h u n ks of beef hea rt, a n d sma l l l ive fish . The water temperature sho u l d be 78 to 80 de­ g rees F. These fish q u ickly deepen or fade in color.

136

RED DEVILS a re not for the average fi s h hobbyist. Grown a d u l ts need 1 00-ga l l on ta n ks and a con­ sta nt supply of l ive foods. They a re occa siona l l y seen i n p u b l ic a q u a ri u ms. Natura l l i g h t e n h a nces the i r contra sting black and red, which in some va­ rieties may tend to be a fa ded ora nge. Some v a ­ rieties a l so lack the l a rge l i ps cha racteristic of the species. Their range is Centra l America. FESTJVUMS a re preva lent i n their native h a bitat in the Amazon River. They a re often fou n d school i ng with A n g e l fi s h (p. 1 4 2), and the two ca n a l so be m ixed in captivity. P l a n t their a q u a r i u m heavi l y a nd keep it we l l aerated with clea n water at 8 0 deg rees F. The s hy, fl i g hty a d u l ts m a ke u n satisfac­ tory parents. Eggs shou l d be rea red a rtificia l l y (p. 1 3 5). Hatc h l i ngs a re del icate.

F ESTIVUM C. festivum to 6 in.

1 37

FIREMOUTH i nd iv i d u a l s va ry i n te m pera ment from p u g nacious to peacefu l . It is d ifficu l t to pa i r com ­ patibl e breeders, but once esta bl ished, they a re good parents. If they become excited, they may d istend a bright red membra nous a rea of skin be­ l ow the t h roat. F i remouths a re from Centra l Amer­ ica a n d Mexico. CONVICTS, from Central America, a re typica l scra ppy c i c h l ids. Their d i g g i ng a n d m a u l i ng of pla nts q u ickly u psets a nicely a rra nged a q u a ri u m . Sma l ler fi s h a re a ttacked . I n natu re, Convicts a re stri ped . Com merci a l breeders propa gate a l bi nos. SEVERUMS, natives of northern South America, a re peacefu l when you ng, rese m b l ing Discus (p. 1 44). On a ha rdy d iet, you n g Severums g row q u ickly i nto powerfu l a d u l ts . Native a d u lts are g ray with red spots. An a l bi n o va ri ety is now com m o n l y sold i n pet shops. F I R EMOUTH Cichlasoma meelci to 5 in.

CONVICT

S EVERUM C. severum to 8 in.

1 38

C H E C K E RBOA R D C I C H L I D Cren icara maculata

���!IIi

;,

to 4 i n .

PIKE CICHLID Crenicichla lepidota to 8 i n .

O RA N G E Etrop/us maculatus to 3 i n .

CHROMADE

CHECKERBOARD CICHLIDS a re not com monl y fou n d i n stores. Pa i rs spawn i n caves, a n d broods a re suc­ cessfu l l y rea red now and then. These fish a re d ra b i n bad ly ma naged ta n ks that a re spa rsely p l a nted . PIKE CICHLID is one of the ma ny elongated cich l ids from tropica l South America . I t eng u l fs u nsuspect­ i n g prey swiftly . The ta i l of a n oversized vict i m eventu a l ly d isa ppea rs a s t h e mea l i s downed i n g u l ps. P i kes spawn i n p i ts, a n d m a l es assume rea r­ ing responsibil ities. Cover the ta n k . ORANGE CHROMADES a re na tives o f I n d i a . Com­ mercia l b reeders use one teaspoon of sa l t per g a l ­ l o n o f water, which is ma inta i ned a t 8 0 deg rees F . E g g s a re l a i d on concea led s u rfaces i n t h e usual cich l i d m a n ner, a n d the non -swi m m i ng fry a re at­ tached on s hort threads. The you ng feed on pa renta l sl i me (p. 1 44). 1 39

D I RTEAT E R Geophagus jurupari to 10 i n .

EGYPT IAN MOUTHBRO O D E R

Hemihap/ochromis mu/tico/or (fo r m e r ly Haplo chro m is m u /tico /o r) to 3 in.

DIRTEATERS, natives of the tropics of northern South America, ha bitua l l y p l u nge the i r pointed snout i nto the bottom a n d scoop up a mouthful of g ravel . They sift out food pa rticles i n the g ravel, which i s then spewed from the g i l l covers. Beca use o f this, prov i s i o n the a q u a r i u m with smooth, rou n d peb­ bles. Su bstrate fi l ters a re u ndes i ra b le. These peace­ ful mouth brooders occa siona l l y breed in ca ptivi t}t . EGYPTIAN MOUTHBROODERS do not breed i n the usual cich l id ma n ner. A prospective ma le digs a pit a n d then forcef u l l y coaxes his m a te i nto it. Afte r her eggs a re l a i d, the fe ma l e gobbl es them u p a n d stores t h e m i n h e r throat s a c . Decoyed b y "egg s pots" on the m a l e's a n a l fl n , the fema l e comes cl ose to the m a l e to suck up a ny overlooked "eggs." He then re l eases sperm and fert i l izes the eggs. Afte r this .o ccu rs, remove the m a l e . For two weeks the fe­ m a l e i n c u bates the eg gs in her mouth, and d u ri n g this ti me, s he does n o t e a t . B y a chew i n g action, she cleans and aerates the eggs. For a bo u t a week afte r hatching, the free-sw i m m i n g fry use the fe­ m a l e's mouth as a pl ace of refuge. 1 40

a re p u g n a cious cich l i d s that at­ tack othe r fish. They a lso d i g i n the bottom . Typ i ca l of the g ro u p, however, they a re model pa rents. They breed easily in a q u a r i u ms and in the usua l cichl id m a n n e r . At breed i n g ti me, they change from a drab g reen to a strawberry red . Over-a nxious m a l es may a ttack a n d k i l l u nwi l l i n g fe ma les. By the t i m e the ba bies from a brood a re two months old, they a re assa u l ti n g each other. Water com posi­ tion is not critica l , b u t its te mperatu re s h o u l d be a bout 78 deg rees F .

AFRICAN J EWELFISH

AF R I CAN P U R P L E

C I C H L I D S req u i r e a n esta b l i s h e d

s l i g htly acid at 80 deg rees F. A tea spoon of sea sa l t per g a l l o n is recommen ded f o r the i r wel l -be i n g . Spawn i n g is cich l i d - l i ke, with the eggs be ing placed on shady su rfa ces-such as the i n side of a p l a nt pot . The fa ­ male protects her young a n d may beco me so u pset by her mate's presence that he must be removed before she h u rts h i m . The yo ung a re very d e l icate. a q u a r i u m with w a t e r that i s soft a n d

A F R I CAN J EW E L F I S H He michromis b imaculatus to 5 i n .

A F R I CAN PU R P L E C I C H L I D Pelm atochromis p ulcher to 4 i n .

141

ANGELFISH

Pterophyllum sea/ora to 5 in.

ANGELFISH a re known to a nyone who has owned a n a q ua r i u m . These cich l ids a re peace- loving and non-destructive. Occasiona l ly a l a rge Angelfish be­ comes aggressive. They th rive i n the normal con­ ditions of a we l l -ma naged tropica l fi s h com m u n i ty ta n k i n which there a re other q u iet fish. The water shou l d be 75 to 8 5 deg rees F. a nd ba rel y acid. Thousa nds of Ange lfish a re b red a n n u a l l y by commercial fi s h dealers. In a home a q ua r i u m , it is a rewa rd ing experience to watch two wel l -pa i red Angels spawn on a n Amazon P l a nt or on a stri p of slate that is s l i g htly a n g l ed a g a i nst the g lass. The rea ring of the fa m i l y by the pa rents can a l so be o bserved. Some a re poor pa rents, however. Eggs can be rea red a rtificia l l y by placing the leaf or the egg -covered slate in fresh ta p water that has 1 42

been a l lowed to reach the same temperature as the spawning ta n k . Air b u b b l es shou l d circulate water past the eggs but not touch the m . Hatc h i n g wil l occ u r i n two or t h ree days. As soon as their yol k sac i s d issolved, the newl y hatched, free-swi m m i ng fry s ho u l d be fed brine shri m p a n d other fi n e foods . It is n o t u n usua l for two fem a l e cich l i d s t o b reed s i m p l y to rid themsel ves of eggs. If i nferti l e eggs a re prod uced repeated ly, try rep lacing a pa rtner. One of the pa i r may be steri l e . Angels ti re o f repetitious d iets a n d may q u it eat­ i n g . Feed them a 1 va ried menu from the basic d iet. Newly a cq u i red speci mens a re shy, b u t they soon become ta me e n o u g h to acce pt food from the fi n g ­ ers. Ma ny va rieties o f Angelfi s h h a v e been devel ­ oped from t h e orig i n a l S i l ver stra i n . 1 43

DISCUS, from the Amazon reg ion, a re for the a d ­ vanced a q u a ri u m hobbyist. T h e wate r must be soft, acid i n pH, a n d 80 deg rees F. Ha rd, a l ka l ine water wi l l k i l l these fi s h . Freshen a t h i rd of the water with new, a ged water t h ree ti mes a month. One tea ­ spoon of sea sa l t per g a l l o n h e l ps prevent s ickness. If new specimens a re i nfected with "worms" (pro­ tozoa ns) a ro u n d head, trea t with a n t i b iotics (p. 33). Pla nts provide secu r ity . Ad u l ts need a ta n k of 5 0 g a l lons o r more. Feed a va ried d iet with ple nty of l ive foods in freq uent sma l l mea l s . Discus a re peaceful fi s h , b u t pa i rs shou l d b e iso­ l a ted a t breed i n g . They spawn l i ke other cich l id s a n d ca re for their broods. Artificia l rea r i n g is un­ wise, for a s soon a s the young a re free-sw i m m i n g , they feed on a sl ime secreted from the pa rents' s k i n, browsing off fi rst one parent a n d then the other. After a bout a week, beg i n feed i n g newly hatched brine s h r i m p, rinsed i n fres h water.

BROWN SCH U LTZ _

�

Symphysodon o equifosciata to 8 i n .

BLUE SCHULTZ (va riety

RAINBOW SCHULTZ (variety of

S.

of S.

aeq uifasciata)

aeq uifasciata)

RED HECKLE DISCUS )�§�,)

1 44

S . discus

to 8 in.

BLACKCHIN MOUTHBROODER Tilopio me/onotheron 7 in.

to

MUDSKIPPER Periophthalmus barbarus in.

to 1 2

BLACKCHIN MOUTHBROODERS a re a b u ndant in l a kes a nd rivers of Africa . This species is often tra nspla nted for rea ring i n ponds as a food fi s h . I n a q u a r i u ms, a u g ment their diet with a mple a mou nts of p l a nt matter. Eggs a re fe rtil ized where they a re l a i d, then incu bated a nd ca red for a s i n the Egyptia n Mouthbroode r (p. 1 40)-except the m a l e i ncu bates the eggs. MUDSKIPPERS (Periophthal midae) MUDSKIPPERS have b u l g i n g eyes that emerge fi rst when these fish come out of the water of the m a n g rove swa mps where they l ive. They wa l k or j u m p on the i r pectora l fi n s-"ski pping" across the m udflats . They pa use i n m u ddy pools to wet their g i l l s . They may even climb onto logs o r rocks to bask b u t j u m p back into poo ls when a l a rmed. Ta n ks shou l d be covered a nd pa rtly terrestria l , with poo l s o f water fou r t o six i nches d e e p . A d d two teaspoons of sea sa l t per g a l l o n of water. 1 45

CLIMBING PERCH A nobos testudineus to 8 in.

LABYRINTHFISHES Fish in this fa m i l y g u l p atmospheric a i r into a l a by­ rinth of storage cha mbers a bove the g i l l s . The oxy­ gen i n this stored a i r s u pplements that a bsorbed by the g i l ls i n respiration. Ol der fish rely wholly on this a i r a nd w i l l d rown if they do not have surface a i r to breathe. If the a i r is much colder than the water, the fish develop respi ratory i l l nesses. Cover the ta nk. Labyrinthfishes a re ava i lable at a ny fish store. They a re idea l for beg i n ners. I n a wel l-man­ aged com m u n ity ta n k, they com monly l ive for more than five yea rs. They a re peacefu l, thoug h two a d u lt m a l es of the same species w i l l fi g ht. They a re o m nivorous. Most species in this fa m i l y b u i l d b u b b l e nests for breed i n g .

CLIMBING PERCHES (not t r u e perches) a re a food fish in Asi a . I n captivity, these predators ca n leap throug h sma l l g a ps. Propel l ing themselves on thei r g i l l plates and pectoral fi ns, they w i l l then "wa l k" away. Eggs float ra ndom ly until hatchi n g . BETTA, o r Fig hting Fish, m a l es a re u n m a n ne r ly only towa rd other mal e Bettes . Condition these fish with a basic diet that i s high in l ive food. The tempera­ ture of the water sho u l d be 80 deg rees F . Do not put a male and a fe m a l e together unl ess they a re ready to breed. In sha l low, sti l l water, a m a l e w i l l pre­ pare a foa my bubble nest. A d i sten ded, rea dy fem a l e w i l l fol low her flamboya nt m a l e to this nest. 1 46

bubble nest

FIGHTING FISH Betta splendens to 2'12 in.

Some Asian peoples stage pub­ lic fighting contests between male Bettas. Over the years of selective breeding, many va rieties of fins and colors have been ach ieved for this species. D o not mistake a

short-fin ned immatu re male for a female. Males only a few weeks old will fight each other. Females never fight. Males keep their bubble nest in repair and fry in place until they leave the nest.

After a spawning e m b race, which may l a st to­ ta l l y for hou rs, the fem a l e re leases eggs, w h i c h the m a l e i m med i a tely ferti l izes . Before the eggs s i n k, the ma l e catches them i n h i s mouth a nd "b lows" them i nto the nest. After spawn i ng is com p l eted, re­ move fe ma le. P l a ce her in med icated water to hea l a ny torn fi n s . Ma les care for spawn a n d a l so for young u n t i l they a re free-sw i m m i ng . Then remove ma le. You n g fis h's fi rst food is i nfusoria. Feed often . Bettas a re o l d at two yea rs.

147

native to northea stern I nd i a, have g a i ned popu l a rity recen tly. They a re peacef u l but shy, need ing h i d i ng p l a ces to escape rea l or i m a g i ned da ngers. Ma les ofte n rei nforce the i r b u b b l e nest w ith bits of p l a n t materia l . Both sexes norma l l y have a dark stripe a l o n g t h e i r fl a n ks. A t spawn i n g t i m e, t h e fema le's stripe fades, and the m a le's deepens i n color.

DWARF HO NEY GOURAM IS,

a re by no mea ns the "g i a n ts" of the go u ra m i world, fo r Kiss i n g Goura m i s g row to twice t h e i r length. Tho u g h p rol ific, m a ny males a re poor nest b u i l ders. B u b bles a re scattered i n floating p l a nts. Eggs usua l ly float u p i n to the nest from the pa rents spawn ing be l ow. Ma l es s p ray a strea m of fine b u bbles over the nest period ical l y .

G IANT GOURAMIS

DWA R F H O N EY G O U RAM I Colisa c h u n a to 2 i n .

C. fasciata to 5 in.

148

THICKL I P GO U RAMI Colisa labiosa to J V2 in.

DWARF GOURAMI C. /alia to 2 in.

occasiona l ly show up with oth­ er goura m i s h i pme nts but a re not u s u a l ly for s a l e i n l a rge n u m bers. T h e na rrow d a rk b a n d a ro u n d the i r l i ps ma kes the i r l i ps a ppea r hea v i e r than they a re. In a co m m u n ity ta n k of 1 5 g a l l o n s or l a rger and kept we l l fed on a basic d iet, these a re peace­ fu l fi s h . Ma l es a nchor their b u b b l e nest haphaz­ a rd l y i n s u rface p l a nts. D u r i n g spawn i n g , eggs float u p i nto o r a re spit i nto the nest.

T H I C K L I P GOURAMI S

a re shy but peacef u l a n d desir­ a bl e . The m a l e constructs his b u b b l e nest pa i ns­ ta k i n g l y, wea v i ng i n to it p ieces of lea ves, a l gae, a n d twi g s for rei nforcement. Nests of other species cover a l a rger s u rface a rea a n d fa l l a p a rt after the eggs h a tch, but the m a l e Dwa rf Gou ra m i 's nest has a sma l l d ia mete r, is deep, and re ma i n s i ntact l ong afte r the you n g depart. The basic d iet m u st be a u g ­ mented with vegetation .

DWARF GOURAMIS

1 49

K I SS I NG GOU RAMI Helostoma femmincki to 1 2 i n .

PARAD I S E F I S H Macropodus opercularis to 4 in.

KISSING GOURAMIS a re known for t h e i r habit of exte n d i n g thei r thick fleshy l i ps and kiss i n g . T h i s k i s s i n g is n o t bel ieved t o b e l i n ked with sex, for eve n i m m a t u re K i ssi n g Gou ra mis see m to e n joy "kiss i ng . " Keep these flsh in ta nks of a t l east 20 g a l lons, a n d satisfy their h u g e a p petites by serv­ ing mea l s a t least twice d a i ly. Vegeta ble matter shou l d be a d ded as a s u pp lement a t least one mea l . Kiss i n g Goura m i s engage i n t h e typica l spawn i n g em bra ces of l a byrinthfls hes, but t h e y do n o t bu i l d a b u b b l e nest. large flsh may prod uce a thousa nd eggs that float ra ndomly u n t i l hatch i n g . PARADISE FISH have s u c h u n des i ra b l e tem pera ments that the i r popu l a rity has g reatly d i m i n ished . The te m perature of the water m u st not exceed 7 5 de­ g rees F . Meaty foods a re a n essentia l i n their basic d i et. Pa rad ise Fish fight either by loc k i n g jaws in the usua l cichl i d fas h ion or by biting the i r op­ ponent's fl a n ks. Ma l es attack other flsh and g u a rd the i r nest viciously. An a l bino variety of this species is a lso ava i l a b le. 1 50

PEARL GOURAMIS a re pl easing pets . Thou g h shy a t fi rst, they become q u ite t a m e a n d easy t o keep i n m ed u i m -sized com m u nity ta n ks . T h ey wi l l sel dom attack other fi s h . The ma le is a gentl e m a n d u ring cou rts h i p, not d riving the fe m a l e too h a rd a n d not n i pping her fi ns. Re move the fe m a l e a nd other fish afte r spawn ing is com p leted so that the male can g u a rd h i s l a rge bubble nest i n peace . This species i s also c a l l e d Lace Goura m i o r Mosa i c Gou ra m i . Pri m e m a l e s have red c h ests.

MOONLIGHT GOURAMIS a re a food fish i n their na tive Tha i l a n d . Ca re a nd disposition a re the sa m e as f o r t h e previous species, but l a rg e speci mens may pick on s m a l l e r more docile species. Th e se fish a re a l most ful l g rown before they reach sexua l matu rity a n d b reed. Their s h i m mering, meta l l ic s i l ve r color resu lts from the reflection of l ig ht from their nu merous t i ny sca les.

P E A R L G O U RAMI Trich ogaster leeri to 4 i n .

MOO N L I GH T GOU RAMI T. m icrolepis to 6 i n .

151

SNAKESKIN GOURAMI

SNAKESKIN GOURAMIS, a mong the l a rgest of the g o u ra m is, a re considered to be the most pea cefu l and gentle of the g roup. A fa m i ly of these fish ca n be ra ised i n a ta n k without worry of ca n n i ba l ism . They a re b u b b l e nest b u i l ders. The mod ified pel v i c fi n s, or fee lers, a re com mon t o a l l g o u ra m is. T hey ca n be moved in a ny d i rection to hel p the fi s h test a n d sense his envi ronment. BLUE GOURAMIS, the most pop u l a r of a l l the gour­ a m is, a re h a rdy, inexpensive, pro l i fi c, a n d easy to ra ise. They a re someti mes kept in l a rge schoo l s of predom i na ntly fe ma les. Encounters may occ u r be­ tween m a l es, but usua lly no harm res u l ts. Ad u l t m a l es have a long, poi n ted dorsa l fi n ; i n fe ma les, the dorsa l fin is rou nded . Bl ue Gou ra m i s b reed by producing a l a rge b u bb l e nest and then spawn i n g i n t h e u s u a l l a byrinthfish fas h i o n . T h e bu bble nest g ives the fry an adeq uate s u p p l y of oxyge n . B l u e Goura m i s a r e often p u t i n a q u a r i u m s t o eat Hydra, w h i ch m a y be d a n gerous to a l l of t h e yo u n g fish .

Goura m i s a l so red u ce an overpopulation of s n a i ls. They m ust be p rovi ded with the basi c d i et, how­ ever. Of the severa l color and pattern v a r i eties, t h e most co m m o n is the O p a l i n e Goura m i . 1 52

BLUE GOURAMI T. trichopterus

to 6

in.

O PA L I N E G O U R A M I

(a vari ety of t h e B l u e Goura m i )

. •'

" C ROAKING" GOU RAMI Trich opsis vittatus

to 3 i n .

is the n a m e earned by the male of this s pecies. D u r i n g courts h i p or when con­ fronted by a nother m a l e, he ma kes a croa k i n g o r p u rr i n g so u n d b y g u l p i n g i n a i r. T h e m a l e often constructs h i s b u b b l e nest u nder l eaves. After spawn i n g , fe m a l e may be permitted to hel p gather s i n k i n g eggs for placing them i n the nest.

"CROA K I N G" GOURAMI

153

SILVERSIDES (Antherin idae) DWARF AUSTRALIAN RAINBOW FISH a re peacef u l , active schoo lers o f com m u n ity ta nks. O n e tea spoon of sea sa l t per ga l l o n of water is benefici a l . Eggs a re l a i d i n p l a nts on severa l consecutive morni ngs, a nd if not eaten, they hatch in one o r two weeks. SOLES (Soleidae) DWARF FLOUNDERS a re i n a ctive, bottom-dwe l l ing fl atfi sh. You n g flou nders a re norma l i n shape, but a s they g row, they turn onto the i r side, their eye a l so m i g rating so that it is on top . T h e i r mouth a l so twists. Feed these fish the basic d iet. P rovide them with sand i n which they can d i g and ca mouflage themselves. Use one tea spoon of sea sa l t per g a l l o n o f water t o p rovide proper sa l i n ity. DWA R F A U ST R A L I A N RA I N BOWF I S H M e la n otae n io macculochi

to 3 i n .

DWA R F FLO U N D E R Achirus fasciatus to 6 in.

1 54

SPINY EEL Macragnathus acu/eatus to 8 in.

--�-����.-Ql��:-=.o;:� GREEN PUFFER

normal

SPINY EELS (Mastocem bel idae} SPINY EELS have a n e longated, rou nded body, but they a re not true eels. They a re noctu rna l . I n brig ht l i g ht, they hide under the g ravel with j u st their snout protrud i n g . Feed m ixed foods. Their favorites a re worms and tiny fi shes. Cover the ta n k com­ pl etely, for these fi s h ca n s l i t h e r out of a ny gaps. PUFFERS (Tetraodontidae} PUFFERS become n i ppy towa rd other fi s h as they g row o l d e r, hence they shou l d be kept i n isolated ta n ks. The i r water s h ou l d be sa lty-a teaspoon of sea sa l t for each g a l lon of water. A flower pot cov­ ered with a lgae a nd set on its side wi l l p rovide a secu re home a s wel l as some vegetation on which to n i bble. Feed them such l ive foods a s s na i l s, mea l ­ worms, tu bifex worms, a nd ea rthworms.

155

FOR

M O R E I N F O R M A T I ON

San Fra ncisco Aq uari u m Soci ety, Stei n h a rt Aquar­ i u m , San Fra n c i sco, C a l i f.

Aq u a r i u m J o u r n a l ,

Aq u a r i u m M a g a z i n e,

Lil

&

Len R u b i n , Maywood, N.J.

Axelrod, E m m e n s, Scuttherpe, Vorderw i n k l er, Pron e k , Exot i c T ro p i c a l F i s h e s, T F H Pu b l i cations, I n c., E n g l ewood C l i ffs, N.J., 1 96 1 . Axel rod , Herbert R. a n d Leonard Schu ltz, Ha n d b o o k o f A q u a r i u m F i s h es, McGraw- H i l l Book Co., I nc., N.Y., 1 955.

Tro p i c a l

The Complete Aq u a r i s t ' s Guide to Freshwater Trop i c a l F i s h es,

by John G i l bert, Gol d e n Press , N.Y., 1 970.

Conroy, D.A. a n d R.L. Hermon , Textbook of tions, I nc., E n g l ewood C l i ffs, N.J., 1 970. Dog iel, V.A., Pa rasitology wood C l i ffs, N.J., 1 96 1 .

of Fishes,

F i s h Diseases,

TFH Publ ica­

TFH Publications, I n c., E n g le­

Gol dstein , Robert J ., Ana bantoids Gouramis a n d TFH P u b l i cations, I n c., Eng lewood C l i ffs, N.J. , 1 97 1 . Goldste i n , Robert J., Introduct i o n t o I n c., E n g l ewood Cl iffs, N.J., 1 97 1 .

the C i c h l i d s,

I n n es, W i l l i a m F., Exotic Aquarium E n g l ewood C l i ffs, N.J., 1 97 1 .

Fish es,

Jacobs, Kurt,

ed ited

Livebearing Aq uarium Fishes,

Related

Fishes,

TFH P u b l i cations ,

T F H Publ ications, I n c.,

The MacMi l l a n Co., N.Y.,

1 97 1 .

Langl er, Ka rl F., John Ba rda c h, and Robert Miller, I c h t h yo l og y , Joh n

W i l ey

&

Sons, I n c., N.Y., 1 96 2 . The Pet Library, Ltd., H a rrison , N.J.

P e t L i b ra ry G u i d e Series,

Scheel, Jorgen , Rivu l i n s o f t h e E n g l ewood C l i ffs, N.J., 1 96 8 .

S c h n e ider, Earl, A l l About B reed i n g I n c. , E n g l ewood C l i ffs, N.J., 1 966. Spotte, Stephen H., fish Sons, I n c., N.Y., 1 970.

TFH P u b l i cations, I n c . ,

O l d World,

Trop i c a l f i s h es,

TFH Publications,

and Inve rtebrate C u l t u re,

Joh n Wiley

&

Sterba, Gunthe r, A q u a r i u m Care-A C o m p re h e n sive Ha n dbook, Stu d i o V i sta Ltd. & E.P. Dutton & Co., I n c., Nexo lei pzig, 1 967.

Sterba , Gunth er, freshwater Fishes Lon gacre Press Ltd ., London, 1 963. Stodola, J i r i , Encyclopedia wood C l i ffs, N.J., 1 967.

the

of Water Pla nts,

Zi m , H .S. a n d H. Shoema ker,

1 56

of

Fish es,

World,

V ista Books,

TFH P u b l i cations, Engle­

Gol den Press, N.Y., 1 955.

I N D EX A bramites m i cro­ cep h a l u s , 61 A canthodoras spinosiss i m u s , 94 A ca n t h o p h t h a l m u s

Aq uari um c o n t ' d

Barb us cant' d

cond i t i oned, 3 6

cummingi, 7 1

d e c o r a t i o n s , 1 6 - 2 .4

evere t t i , 7 1

f i l ters , 1 0 , 1 1 , 27

fasc i a t u s , 7 1

g al l on vol ume, 7

hexozono, 7 1

g rovel , 1 3 , 27

lateristrigo, 7 2

k . s u m a tranus, 9 1

heater, 2 6 , 27

n i grofasciatus, 7 2

m yersi, 9 1

l ea k a g e , testing for, 9

oligolepis, 7 3

s e m i c i n ctes, 9 1

l ids, 25

phutunio, 7 3

l i g h ts , 2 5

schuberti, 7 3

kuhli, 9 1

sh elfordi, 9 1 Accra, bl ue, 1 3 3

l o cat i o n , 8

sch wanenfeldi, 74

A c h irus fasciatus, 1 54

ornamen t s , 24

sem ifosc iolotus, 7 4

A e q u idens p u lcher, 1 3 3

plants, 1 7- 2 3

tetrozono, 7 5

moron i i , 1 3 3

seal i n g , 6

t i t t e ya , 7 5

portolegrensis, 1 3 3

selec t i n q , 6

B a s i c d i et , 2 8

Air pump, 1 2

s h a pes , 7

B e lonesox b e l i z o n u s , 1 1 8

Alg ae, 1 5 , 3 3 , 3 7

s h o p p i n g l i st, 27

Betta, 1 46 , 1 47

A l g a e eater, 89

s i p h on , 9, 2 7

A m p u llario, 3 7

s i zes, 7

Ano bantidae, 1 46

tempera t u re, 26

B e t t a splendens, 1 4 7

A n abas test udineus, 1 .4 6

t h ermometer, 2 6 , 2 7

B i tterl i n g , 8 7

Ana b l e p i dae, 1 1 7

water, 1 4 , 1 5 , 3 6

B l o o d f i n , 44, 4 5

Com bod i a , 1 47 g reen, 1 .47

Bl uefi n , Fl ori d a , 1 1 6

A n a b leps a n a b leps, 1 1 7

Archer, 1 30

A n cistrus dolichopterus,

Arc herf i s h , 1 3 0

Bony-tong u ed f i s h e s , .4 0

Arg u s f i s h , 1 3 1

Sofia horae, 92

1 04 Angel f i s h , 1 4 2 - 1 4 3

Arowono, 40

A n opt i c h t h ys ;orda n i , 43

A stonotus oce lfatus, 1 3 5

An t h er i n i d o e , 1 5.4

Bacopo coro l i n iona, 2 1

Ape ltes q uodrocus, 1 1 1

B o g r i d ae, 1 07

A p h a n i u s iberus, 1 1 2

Barb, 6 8

A p h y ochorox rubrip i n n i s , 44 Aphyose m i o n oustrole, 1 1 3

A f r i c a n s t r i ped , 70

B unocep h a l i d o e , 1 0 5 B u nocep h o l u s

gordn e r i , 1 1 4

clown, 70, 7 1

114 A p istogra m m a agassiz,

80 n i g r ofasciatus, 8 0 rerio, 8 1

block ruby, 72 c h erry, 7 5 C h ino , 7 4

A p h yosem i o n , steel - bl u e,

m a croca n t h u s , 9 2 Brach ydon io o lb o l i n e a t u s ,

c h e c k erboard, 73

bivittatum, 1 1 2 sjoested t i , 1 1 4

h y m e nophysa, 93 m odesto, 93

A n ostom u s anosto m u s , 6 2

C umming ' s , 70, 7 1

coracoideus, 1 0 5 B u tterfl y f i s h , 4 1 Cobombo coro l i n ia n o , 2 1

dwarf, 7 3

Col l i c h t h y i d ae, 9 5

f l y i ng , 8 3

Carassius o urotus, 7 6 , 7 9

h a l f- banded , 74

carassi us, 7 9

rosy, 69

Corn e g i e l lo strigato, 64

pertense, 1 3 4

S c h u bert ' s , 73

Carp, 6 8

ramirezi, 1 3 5

s i x - banded , 70, 7 1

1 34

A p loc h e i l u s l i n e a t u s, 1 1 5

spotted, 6 9

Aponogetum fenestra / i s ,

stri ped , 7 0 , 7 1

17 Aq u a r i u m , genera l , .4 aera t i on , 1 2 air pump, 1 2 b a l anced, 1 6 , 3 6

t o o t h ed , 1 1 2 C a tf i s h , African p o l k a- d o t , 1 09

"T," 72

a d i pose f i n , 1 0 6

t i g er, 75

aen e u s , 96

t i n fo i l , 7.4

A g a s s i z ' s , 97

B o r b u s b i n otatus , 69 conchon i us , 69

armored cal l i c h t h y i d , 95

1 57

Catf i s h co n t ' d b a g r i d , 1 07

N

0

"' ... w ... ; ;: � .., u " z .. "' ... : ... ; j i ..,

!

w J

.. �

A f r i c a n p u r p l e , 1 .4 1

ba n j o, 1 05

A g a s s i z dwarf, 1 3 .4

b r i s t l e - m o u t h e d , 1 04

c h e c kerboard, 1 3 9

b u m b l e bee, 1 07

c h o c o late, 1 3 6

dwa rf, 99

key h o l e , 1 3 3

electric, 1 1 0

pike, 1 39

1 8 tenellus, 1 8 E co l og y , 2, 4 E e l , 66, 6 7 e l ec t r i c , 67

R a m i rez ' s dwarf, 1 3 5

k n i fe , 6 7

g l ass, 1 05

ye l l ow dwarf, 1 3 4

spiny, 1 55

l a b y r i n t h , 1 08

C i c h l idae, 1 3 2

Elassema evergla de i , 1 29

leopard, 1 00

Clarios b o troch us, 1 0 8

E l ec t r o p h o r i dae, 67

m a s ked, 9 8

C l a r i idae, 1 08

Myer' s , 9 8

C l o u d , w h ite, 88

o t o c i n c l u s , 1 03

C o b i ti d o e , 9 0

Electrophorus electricus, 67 Eleoch oris acicularis, 1 8

pepperd, 1 0 1

C o l isa lotio, 1 48

p i m e l o i d , 1 06

foscioto, 1 .4 8

p l ecosto m u s , 1 0.4

lobioso, 1 .49

p o l ka-dot, 1 06 , 1 07

/aHa, 1 4 9

Robout's, 1 01

Convict, 1 38

sadd l e b a c k , 1 00

Cope ino ornoldi, 4 5

s h ov e l n o s e , 1 06 , 1 07

Corydoros, 95

skunk, 98

oene us, 96

s l e nder, 1 0 6 , 1 07

agass iz, 97

s p i n y , 9.4

arcuotus, 9 8

s u c k e r- m o u thed a r m ored, 1 0 2

e legons, 99

t a l k i n g , 94

j u / i i , 1 00

twi g , 1 02

m e lo n istius, 1 00

u p s i d e - d o w n , 1 09

metoe, 98

hostotus, 99

w a l k i n g , 1 08

myers i , 98

w h i pta i l , 1 03

paleatus, 1 0 1

Cavefi s h , b l i nd , 4 3 Centropo m i doe, 1 2 8 Ceratop h y l l u m demers u m ,

23

robouti, 1 0 1 Corydoros, e l e g a n t , 99 Corynopoma riisei, 4 6 Cren icara macu latta, 1 3 9 Crenicich lo lepidoto, 1 3 9 Cryptacoryne alfinis, 1 8

Cha nda r o n g a , 1 29

Cynoleb ias b e l /otti, 1 1 5

C h o ro c i n , 4 3

Cyprinodontidae, 1 1 2

2 C h o racidoe, 43

Cyp r i n idae, 68

h a l f - ba n d e d , 5 1 swordta i l , 46 Cheirodon axe lrod i , 44

N

Ears, g o l d e n , 1 1 6 Ech i n odorus p a n i c u latus,

e l e g a n t , 99

I) 21 z iii Cerotopteris t h o lic troides,

� ... :!

C i c h l id , 1 3 2

Dace, F l o rida b l u e, 1 1 6 D o n i a m o lboricus, 8 1

C h i lodus p u nctotus, 6 1

Da n i os , 80 - 8 1

C h l o r i n e , i n water, 1 4

Datn ioides m icrolepis, 1 29 Dermogenys pussillus, 1 10 DH, 1 5

Ch romode, orange, 1 39 Cich lasoma coryph aenoides, 1 3 6 eryth roe u m , 1 37 fes t i v u m , 1 3 7 meeki, 1 3 8 n i grofoscio t u m , 1 3 8 octofascio t u m , 1 3 6 seve r u m , 1 3 8

1 58

D i rteoter, 1 40

E l e p h o n t fi s h , 4 2 Elodea c a l l i t r i c h o ides, 2 1 denso, 2 1 Epa lzeor h y n c h us kallopterus, 82 Ep iplatys dogeti, 1 1 5 Esom us donrica, 8 3 Etrop lus m a c u la t u s, 1 3 9 Forlo w e l la a c u s , 1 0 2 Festi v u m , 1 37 F i g h t i n g f i s h , 1 46 , 1 47 F i l t rat i o n , 1 0 , 1 1 Fingerfish, 1 30 F i re m o u t h , 1 3 8 Fish, anatomy, 3 1 catch i n g , 3 1 d i e t , 2 8 , 29 d i seases, 34, 3 5 drugs, 3 3 food, 2 8 , 29 h y g i e n e , 30, 3 1 pests, 3 3 prev e n t i v e care, 33 s e l e c t i n g , 30, 3 1 s o u rces of, 3 6 tails, 1 21 F l o g f i s h , A m e ri c a n , 1 1 6 F l o u nder, dwa rf, 1 54 F l y i n g fox, 8 2 Fontina lis gracilis, 21 F o u r- eyed f i s h , 1 1 7 Fres h water b u tterf lyf i s h , 41 Frog , A f r i c a n a q u a t i c , 3 8 F u n d u l us chrysotus, 1 1 6

D i s c u s , 1 44 Di seases, 34, 3 5

Gombusia, 1 1 9

Do l l a r , s i l ver, 5 6 , 5 7

G o m b usio offinus, 1 1 9

Ooradidae, 94

G o m m orus, 38

Gosteropel ecidae, 6.4 Gasterosteidae, 1 1 1 Gastrop e lecus levis, 6 5 Geophagus j urupari, 1 40 G lassfi s h , 1 2 8 Glowlight, 49 G n a t h o n e m u s petersi, .4 2 G o l den ear, 1 1 6 G o l den p h easan t , 1 1 7 G o l dfis h , 4 , 26, 76, 77, 78 G o n o p od i u m , 1 1 8 , 1 2 1 G o u rami, b l u e , 1 5 2 " c roaking , " 1 5 3

Hem iodus sem itaeniatus, 51

Marsilea h irsute, 2 2 Mostocem be l i dae, 1 5 5

Hemiramp h i dae, 1 1 0

Medaka, 1 1 6 , 1 1 7

Hetrondria formosa, 1 1 9

M e l a n o ides t u b erculata,

Hygrop h i la polyspermo, 18 Hyphessobrycon callistus, 51

f l a m m e u s , 52

37 Melanotaenia maccu lloch i , 1 54 Mesogn i s t i us chaetodon, 1 29

imnesi, 52

M e t , red h o o k , 5 6 , 5 7

p u lchripinnis, 54

M e t y n n is schre i t m u e l leri,

rossceous, 54 r u b rost i g m a , 55 Hyposto m u s p lecosto m u s , 1 04

56 Mi l f o i l , 2 2 Minnows, 6 8 , 1 1 8 , 1 1 9 M o c h o kidae, 1 09 M o l g e pyrrhogastro, 3 8

d warf, 1 4 8 dwarf h oney, 1 4 8

Jack Dempsey, 1 3 6

M o l l i e s , 1 22 , 1 23

giant, 1 .4 8

Jew e l f i s h , African , 1 4 1

Mono, 1 30

kissing , 1 50

Jorda n e l la f loridae, 1 1 6

M o n ocirrh us

K i l l ifish, 1 1 2

Monodact y l i do e , 1 3 0

Knife ee l , 67

M o n odactyfus argenteus,

polvaca n t h u s , 1 3 1

moonlig h t , 1 5 1 o pa l i ne , 1 5 2 , 1 5 3 pear l , 1 5 1 snakesk i n , 1 5 2

Knifefis h , bande d , 6 6

t h i c k l i p, 1 49

Kryptop tereus bicirrhis,

G u l aris , b l u e , 1 1 A

1 05

t e r n e t z i , 46 Gymnotid e e l s , 6 6

Morulius chrysophekadion, 8 5

G u ppies, 1 20 - 1 2 1 G y m n ocorym b u s

1 30 M o rmyridae, 4 2

labeo b i color, 8 5

Mosq uitofi s h , 1 1 9

labyrinth f i s h , 1 46

M o u t h b rooder, b \ ac k c hin,

leof f i s h , 1 3 1

Gymnotidae, 66

l e i ocass is siamensis, 1 07

Gymnotus carapo , 6 6

l e m n o m i nor, 2 3

1 45 E g yptia n , 1 .40 M u d s k i p p e r , 1 .45

Gyri n o c h eilidae, 89

l e p o rin u s , 6 2 , 6 3

M y l o p u s arnoldi, 5 6

G y rino c h eilids, 8 9

leporin u s fascia t u s ,

Myriop h y l l u m spica t u m , 2 2

G y r i n och e i l u s a y m o n i e r i , 89 Ho l f b e o k , 1 1 0 w rest lin g , 1 1 0 Hatc h e tl i s h , 64, 6 5

62, 63 l i mia, b l a c k · b e l lied, 1 2 2

Nand i dae, 1 3 1

L i m io m e l a nogaster, 1 2 2

N a n n o s t o m u s beckfordi,

L i m noph ila sess i l i f lora, 21 live bearers, 1 1 8

eques, 60 m a r g i n a t u s , 60 trifasciatus, 60

N e m a tobrycon p a l m e r i , 5 6

Head and tail l i g h t, 5 0

leaches, 90, 9 1 , 9 2 , 93

Head stan d e r , 6 1 , 6 2 , 6 3

l oricario parva, 1 03

He lastom u s t e m m incki,

l o r i cariidae, 1 0 2

N i t e l la gracilis, 2 3

l u cania goode i, 1 1 6

Nitrogen c y c l e , 3 6

1 50 H e m i ch r o m is b i m o c u lo t u s 141 Hem igram m us ormstron g i ,

l ud w i g i a natans, 2 2

N e w t , Japanese, 3 8

N otropis l u trensis, 8 5

L y m naea ovata, 3 7

N up h a r s a g i t t i f o l i a , 1 8

l y retai l s , 1 1 2 , 1 1 3

N y m p h o ides aquatica, 1 9

48 caudov ittatus, .4 9 graci l i s , 49 nanus, 4 8 oce llifer, 50 rh odas t o m u s , 5 0 H e m ihaplochrom i s m u lticolor, 1 .40

Macrogn a t h u s aculeatus, 1 55 Macropodus opercularis, 1 50 Malapte r u r i dae, 1 1 0 Ma lapte rurus electricus 1 10

Oryzias l a t ipes, 1 1 7 Oscar, tig e r , 1 3 5 Osteog l o s s i dae, .40 Osteogloss u m b icirrhos u m , 40 Otocinc l u s , 1 03 Otocinclus off i n u s , 1 03

1 59

Po n c h o x , 1 1 5

'"

Poecilia reticulate c o n t ' d

Panchox l i n ea t u s , 1 1 5

latipinna, 1 2 3

Pan todon b u c h olzi, 4 1

sph e n ops, 1 23

Pon tod o n t i d a e , .4 1

Poecillidoe, 1 1 8

P o r a d i sefi s h , 1 5 0

Port, 1 3 3

Peo r l f i s h , A r g e n t i n e , 1 1 5

Pterop h y l l u m scolara, 1 .4 2

Pe l v i c a c h ro m i s p u l c h e r ,

P u ffers, 1 5 5

Pen c i l f i s h , 6 0

..

..

., • ... iii

;: �

:1

b l e ed i n g h eart, 55 B u e n o s A i re s , 4 9

R a s b o r o , h a r l eq u i n , 86

em peror, 5 6 , 5 7

'Ph ysa acuto, 37·

� :.:

A ustralian, 1 54

Perio p h t h a l m i d a e , 1 4 5

Pheasa nt, g o l d e n , 1 1 7

:: � !

R a i n bowfish, dwarf

c a rd i n a l , 44, 4 5

borborus, 1 4 5

• .., c .. 0 ..

Tan i c h t h y s a l b o n u b e s , 8 8 T e m p e ra t u re , 26

Rom, 1 35

pH, 1 5

!

nigrivantris, 1 09

Tadpo l e s , 3 8

Perc h , c l i m b i n g , 1 46 Periop h th a l m us

z u

Synodo n t i s a n g e l icus, 109

Tetro b l o c k , 46, 4 7

1 41 Pe n g u i n f i s h , 59

S y n n e m a trifloru m , 1 9

s c i ssorto i l , 86

flame, 52

trilineata, 86

golden, 48

R osbora h e teromorpha, 86 Red dev i l , 1 3 7 Red hook met, 5 6

g l o w l i g M , 49 jewe l , 5 1 lemon, 54

P i m e lode llo gracilis, 1 07

R h odeus serice us, 87

n eo n , 5 2 , 5 3

P i m e lodus ciorios, 1 0 7

R iccio l l u tons, 23

rosy, 5.4, 5 5 serpae, 5 1

P i m e l o d i d a e , 1 06

Rice fish, 1 1 7

P i pefi s h , 1 1 1

R o loffio occide n t a l i s , 1 1 7

s i l ve r t i p , .4 8

Piran ha, 58, 59

R ooseve l t i e l lo nottere r i , 5 8

Planorbis cor n e u s , 3 7

R u by, b l o c k , 72

Te traodon f l u v i o t i l i s , 1 5 5

Plants, 1 6

R u m m yn o s e , 50

Tetro d o n t i d o e , 1 5 5

a b u l ia , 20, 2 1

s p l a s h , 44, 4 5

Thoyerio o b l i q u o , 5 9

Amazon sword, 1 8

Sagi ttario s u b u lata, 1 9

bocopo, 2 0 , 2 1

Scot, 1 3 1

banana p l a n t, 1 9

Scotophogidoe, 1 3 1

T h e ro p o n i d o e , 1 2 8 T i g e rf i s h , 1 2 8 , 1 2 9

Ti lapio m e lanotheron, 1 45

b u n c h e d , 20

Scopfophogus argus, 1 3 1

c a b o m b a , 20, 2 1

Sea h orse, 1 1 1

Cryptocoryne, 1 8

Serpae, 5 1

Toxotes jacu lator, 1 3 0

crysto l w o r t , 2 3

Serraso l m o notterer i , 59

Toxot i d o e , 1 3 0

d u c k weed, 2 3

Seve r u m , 1 3 8

Trichogoster leari, 1 5 1

d w a rf f o u r . leaf c l ov e r ,

" S h a r k , " b l o c k , 84, 8 5

22

red·to i l ed , 8 4 , 8 5

e e l g ross, 1 9

S h i ner, red·fi n n e d , 8 .4 , 8 5

E l od e a , 2 0 , 2 1

S h r i m p , freshwater g h os t ,

float i n g , 23

38

Topm i n n o w , d w a r f , 1 1 9 pike, 1 1 8

m i crolepis, 1 5 1 pectora l i s , 1 5 2 trichopterus, 1 5 3 Trichopsis v i t totus, 1 5 3 T u r t l e s , 39

h a i r g ro s s , 1 8

S i l u ri d a e , 1 0 5

h o r n wo rt, 2 0 , 2 1

Si lver d o l lar, 5 6

Vollisnerio spira l i s , 1 9

h y g roph i l a , 1 8

Si l v e r s i d e s , 1 5 4

Var iatus, 1 2 6

Ludwigio, 22

Snails, 37

marigold, 1 26

Madagascar lace, 1 7

S o l e , 1 54

s u n set, 1 2 6

Nitello, 23

S o l e i doe, 1 54

rooted, 1 7

Sor u b i m l i m a , 1 07

Water, 1 4 , 1 5

Sog i tt o r i o , 1 9

Stick lebacks, 1 1 1

White c l o u d , 88

sporterd o c k , 1 8

S u nfish, 1 28

Vo l l i s n e r i o , 1 9 water sprite, 2 3

b l ock- bonded, 1 29

Xenopus l o e u i s , 3 8

Everg l a des pyg m y , 1 2 9

Xiphop h orus h e l le r i , 1 24 ,

wi l lowmoss, 20, 2 1

Swordta i l , 1 2 4 , 1 2 5

wisteria, 1 9

Symphysodon

P l atys, 1 2 6 , 1 2 7

oequ ifosciato, 1 4 .4

P l ecostom u s , 1 04

Syngnath idae, 1 1 1

Poeci l i a r e t i c u lato, 1 2 1

S y n g n a t h u s spicifer, 1 1 1

160

1 25 maculatus, 1 2 h , 1 2 7 variatus, 1 26 Z e b ro f i s h , 8 1

H I J

TROPICAL FISH A GOLDEN GUIDE

®

B R U CE W. H A LSTEAD, M . D ., D i recto r of t h e I n te r n at i o n a l

B i otox i co l o g i ca l Cen te r a n d Wo r l d L i fe Research I n s t i t u te, i s a n a u t h o r i ty o n t h e tox i c p l ants and a n i m a l s of the wo r l d . H e s e rves as a co n s u l ta n t to i n te r n at i o n a l , n at i o n a l , i nd u s t r i a l , e d u ca t i o n a l , a n d p r i vate o rga n i z a t i o n s t h ro u gh ­ o u t t h e w o r l d , a n d i s a m e m b e r o f t h e j o i n t I M C O / F AO/ U N ESCO/WMO/ W H O / I A EA Group of Experts o n t h e S c i ­ e n t i f i c Aspects of M a r i n e Po l l u t i o n . D r. H a l stead h a s ove r a h u n d red p u b l i ca t i o n s to h i s c red i t i n c l u d i n g a th ree vo l u m e work, P O I S O N O U S A N D V E N OM O U S MA R I N E A N I MA LS, p u b l i s h e d by the U . S . Gove r n m e n t P r i n t i n g Off i ce . BO N N I E L. LA N D A i s associ ated w i th t h e Wo r l d L i fe Re­ search I n st i t u te w h e re s h e h a s a wet l a b o rato ry. M o s t of her e a r l y work was done w i t h p o i s o n o u s and ve n o m o u s m a r i n e a n i m a l s , b u t i s n o w c o n c e n t rated o n s a l t - a n d f reshwater f i s h . S h e rece i ved h e r B .A . d e g r e e i n b i o l ogy from the U n i v e rs i ty of Cal i fo r n i a . H e r h o b by is ra i s i n g t u rt l e s from hatch l i ngs a n d h e r co l l ec t i o n s i n c l u d e a b o u t 500 t u rt l e a r t i facts f r o m a l l ove r t h e wo r l d . GEORGE F . SA N D ST R O M

i s a we l l - k nown a n d p ro l i fi c a r t i s t i n the f i e l d of nat u ra l h i sto ry. B o r n i n A rgen t i n a , a n d a g r a d u ate of the U n i v e rs i ty of L i to ra l i n Rosa r i o , h e i l l u strated t h e fa u n a of h i s n a t i ve co u n t ry before com i n g to A m e r i ca i n 1 950. H i s c o n c h o l o g i ca l w o r k s i n c l u d e t h e po p u l a r G o l d e n Books, SEAS H E LLS O F T H E WO R L D a n d S E AS H E LLS O F N O RT H AM E R I CA.

G O L D E N PR ESS • N EW YO RK

24361 -1

A . GOLDEN G U I DE

®

TROPICAL FISH TROPICAL FISH, A Golden Guide, was written to help

hobbyists with one of the most exciting of a l l spare­ time pursuits : studying a closed ecological system i n an aquari u m _ T h e fish and other organisms described and i l l u strated i n this book were sel ected largely on the basis of their availab i l ity, beauty, and general i nterest. I l l u strations are i n fu l l color.

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I S B N 0-307-2436 1 -3