Sunday, July 8, 2007

New video of the Betta Splendens

This fish is very shy, so was difficult to record it today. What we got for now is just this 10 seconds video. We will try to get something better in the future.

New fish and plant

Today we put in the big tank the new Betta and the three Otocinclus we got last week.
The 55 gallon tank is plenty of Platy fry and the plants are growing very well. I am removing all Mondo Grass from the aquariums as it is not a real underwater plant. It doesn’t grow well there.

The 10 Gallon tank is empty now, so we will left it for fry or hospital.

Today we made the profile for the Betta Splendens and a new plant we got; Baby Tears. Tomorrow we will post some original pictures of the aquarium with its new inhabitants.

Baby Tears (Hemianthus micranthemoides)

Baby Tears 
Source Fishprofiles.com

Water: 66-82 °F (18-28 °C), pH 5-8, 1-18 dCH 

Size: 4-12 inch (10-30 cm) Height, 2-12 inch (5-10 cm) Width.

Light: Moderate to Strong Light

Characteristics:

This is a nice stem plant from Central America. It is fast growing and requires therefore relatively high light and a nutrient rich substrate. It is also a valuable plant in terrariums where it forms a beautiful carpet at the land water border. The plant is easily reproduced by cutting off the apex which is replanted in the substrate

Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta Splendens)

Family: Fighting fish, Osphoronemidae

Characteristic: 2.4 in (6 cm), male more colorful and longer-finned.

Tank and water: 12 Gal (45 Lt), pH 5.5-9.5, 76-83 F (24-28 C)

Care: Keep in pairs in densely planted tank furnished with floating plants. Males, especially cultivated forms, very aggresive toward each other. Keeping males singly in glasses, as was once custom, is animal cruelty!

Habits: Surface fish found in weed-filled waters in Thailand, where probably eats chiefty insects larvae.

Compatibility: With small barbs and bottom fish.

Personal note: This fish should be peaceful along other community fish, like guppies and platies.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Where fish eats

The position of the mouth in the fish, tells us where it eats and lives.

Fish like guppies have the mouth aiming up, so they will eat from the surface. Platies have the mouth aiming forward, so we can tell they will live in the middle of the aquarium. And other fish like otocinclus and corydoras eats from the bottom, as their mouth are aiming down.

It is important to feed this last ones with algae wafers so they have the chance to eat well also.

This video explains this very well.