Infolific » Freshwater Aquariums

Social Learning

Max Lepley — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:10:46 +0000

Fish seldom live out of contact with others, be they of the same species or entirely different. The actions of other fish in the same environment can provide information for any fish that tunes in to what is happening. For example, if an observer fish sees panic spreading through the [...]

Daytime Fish Behavior

Max Lepley — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:25:55 +0000

Most tropical fish species are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day, when the light allows them to use their eyesight to hunt and avoid predators. In the tropics, day and night are of similar length, so the fish have a great deal of activity to pack into 12 [...]

Vallisneria

Max Lepley — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:52:34 +0000

Vallisneria spp. is better known as eelgrass, val, or tape grass. If exposed to strong light, it will form a dense screen that is useful for camouflaging items within the tank. Though these plants prefer medium hard water, they will grow acceptably in hard water. The greatest factor in growing [...]

Feeding at the Substrate

Max Lepley — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:45:05 +0000

The bottom sediments of aquatic habitats are rich in decaying organic matter from both plant leaves and stems and the bodies of everything from plankton to fish. These sediments are home to countless small invertebrate animals, themselves feeding on the sediments or hiding among them. Although sometimes thought of as [...]

Using the Environment to Survive

Max Lepley — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:30:27 +0000

Refuges may prevent detection or prevent attack.Those that prevent detection by a predator are usually hiding places in one form or another. But prey animals sometimes head for areas where they know that predators may not be able to follow.As well as physical shelters, such as rocks, crevices, and weed [...]

Myriophyllium

Max Lepley — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:52:21 +0000

Many aquarists know these plants by the common names of foxtail or water milfoil. In appearance they are denser and more delicate plants. There are two main groups of Myriophyllium. The first are long-leaved and are better as a spawning medium; the second has shorter leaves and is more durable. [...]

Hygrophila

Max Lepley — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:14:58 +0000

Hygrophila corymbosa is a good choice for larger aquariums as it will grow with less light intensity than Ludwigia. It grows quite rapidly. Hygrophila polysporma is a similar species that does not require as large an aquarium. At the onset of evening, it is known to close up its leaves. [...]

Freshwater Fish for Experts

Max Lepley — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:14:16 +0000

Keeping some of the 'easier' freshwater tropical fishes successfully can encourage you to accept a challenge. Here we look at some 'difficult' freshwater species that need just that little extra care and attention in the home aquarium. In many cases the aquarium conditions need to be more precisely controlled; some [...]

Understanding and Managing Algae Growth

Max Lepley — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:04:21 +0000

Algae are nonflowering plants, which, though primitive, are so well adapted to survive in such an array of environments that it is virtually impossible to find any body of water that does not contain at least some algal cells or spores. Traditionally, algae are regarded as problem plants in aquaria [...]

Understanding pH and Water Hardness

Max Lepley — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:18:17 +0000

Natural water contains a variety of dissolved substances which affect its characteristics, and these in turn can have a drastic effect on the fish living in it. Water hardness is a measure of the amount of dissolved lime and other minerals. Tap water from limestone areas is normally very hard: [...]

Marsh and Ditch Habitats

Max Lepley — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:19:54 +0000

Many of the fish that find their way into aquariums originate from harsh, inhospitable habitats. Some of the conditions found in aquatic habitats in Southeast Asia are among the most difficult. Constrained into receding marshes and ditches for most of the year, the onset of the rains expands their environment [...]

Fish Diets in the Wild

Max Lepley — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:00:39 +0000

In their natural habitats, the majority of tropical aquarium fishes are opportunists, or generalist feeders. If they come across a tempting morsel, they investigate it, often by mouthing it; if it is edible they will eat it, if not they will eject it, spitting it back out of their mouths. [...]

Fish Predators of Eggs and Fry

Max Lepley — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:49:30 +0000

It's a tough life being a fish, especially a young fish. Everything, but everything, can and will eat you. The prospects for a newly fertilized egg are grim. Survivorship for these eggs to adulthood can be as low as a fraction of 1%. Most of the mortality occurs in the [...]

Chemical Cues - Taste

Max Lepley — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:42:43 +0000

For fish that seek their prey under cover of darkness or search among a silty, muddy substrate, vision is of little use in hunting. If they encounter food under these conditions, they need to be able to respond to it quickly, especially if that food has ideas of escaping. As [...]

Safety in Numbers

Max Lepley — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:42:07 +0000

The single most important benefit that fish gain from schooling is thought to be the reduction of predation risk. Schooling works in a number of ways to confound hunters, but the net effect -- survival of the school members -- has been shown again and again. Can a predator sneak [...]

Using Camouflage to Avoid Detection

Max Lepley — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:47:52 +0000

When predators are at large, it obviously pays to be inconspicuous. One way is to blend into the background, hoping to avoid detection by a hunter. Camouflage, or crypsis, is used widely by fish species for this purpose. A fish whose color matches its environment will live a great deal [...]

Catfish

Max Lepley — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:42:43 +0000

Although almost absent from temperate waters, there is a huge diversity of catfishes in the lakes and rivers of the tropics. Their diet is just as diverse as the catfish themselves, but among them is a large group of specialist algae-eaters. These include a number of long-standing aquarium favorites, particularly [...]

Underwater Eating

Max Lepley — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:19:00 +0000

The importance of our hands for feeding ourselves is huge. We use them to catch food, to process it, and to carry it to our mouths, where we can hold it in place while we bite it. It may be obvious to point out that fish lack arms, yet this [...]

Chemical Defenses

Max Lepley — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 09:42:27 +0000

Several groups of animals produce poisons, either to use as venom to subdue their prey or for protection against their own predators, or even both. Poison arrow frogs are particularly notorious for their potent chemical defenses. But whereas a number of marine fishes use chemicals to deter overly inquisitive hunters, [...]

Aponogeton

Max Lepley — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:29:50 +0000

The most striking of this particular group is the Madagascar lace plant (Aponogeton fenestralis). As stated by Innes around 1966, this plant was among the earliest of all aquarium plants that have been used in the hobby. It is a relatively high-priced plant when it can be found for sale. [...]