Discus expertise

Posted on February 16, 2012 by

I consider myself a Discus expert … and I’m sure most Discus experts will disagree with me …. I’ve hardly ever kept Discus and have never bred them …… then again when it comes to any aquarium fish I feel I’m an expert … regardless of any hands on experience …..it’s definitely all the mistakes I’ve made over 50 years …. and mistake by mistake I’ve improved.

Basically the literature covers the basic ingredients for success .. although I caution you to read many, many books & magazines … this research is important with Discus as well as any other fish available to the hobby …… regardless of price!

Emulating their natural environment is rule number one … in some cases such as Discus, the fish are less tolerant and the margin of error is slim or nil ….

Discus HAVE lived for more than 17 years in captivity … think about that …..

PH, water quality, temperature, lighting and physical layout …. it’s not rocket science ….

Many fish die because the aquarium keeper loses interest, gets lazy, wasn’t ready to properly care for the aquarium, or went on vacation :-)

The most important ingredient for breeding fish is nutrition … in many cases knowing something about “spawning triggers” such as changes in climate … rainfall, temperature, sunlight(periods of light), PH etc will increase the chance something happens …..

The rules I preach for all aquariums apply to all fish … one is water volume … since the more water volume the more stable the physical and chemical environment …. stability is important unless instigating a change in conditions as a spawning trigger ….. of course knowing a LOT about the fish you are working with is essential ….

Breeding fish like anything else in life is easy or difficult depending on how much effort you put into knowing what you are doing …… READ!

Breeding is without question the most enjoyable aspect of the aquarium hobby … the different characteristics of fish offer plenty of challenges and insight into the wonderful world of nature that surrounds us.

The successful aquarist believes in the concept that understanding how to keep up a successful aquarium leads to an understanding of how important nature is to properly support our planet. Conservation, ecology, environment and nature are the most important words in our lives. Now more than ever

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Corporate owned & sponsored Media ignores shrinking GOTP effect on polls

Posted on February 14, 2012 by

The GOTP (Grand, Old, Teapublican, Party) would appear on the surface to be concerned with social issues to the detriment of the economy and education and rebuilding OUR nation’s infrastructure.

The fact is that the OLD GOP is abandoning the NEW GOTP and moving in droves to the middle as independents.

Thus the percentage of remaining GOTP voters who favor the more radical positions on social issues is growing as a result of the mass exodus away from the GOTP by conservatives.

In fact I myself feel strongly that conservatives and progressives think more alike than not when it comes to balance and compromise and fairness in the tax code.

I spew forth quite a bit on Newsvine which is a popular site for citizen’s to seed and write articles  - most being news centric.

But as is the case in all aspects of our society today .. the corporate foot print is clearly visible on the backs of OUR necks … and the truth has a difficult time getting pass the censors of the corpocracy.

Who are these surrogates of the fabled BIg Brother we all are being told is OUR Government?

Corporations ….. and lest you forget  … the media is owned, sponsored and managed by the corpocracy.

In addition the media has been drifting away from facts and injecting more and more opinion into news over the decades.

What is unpleasant tends to lower ratings …. but unfortunately what is often the truth is often unpleasant.

Another feeling I have about reality TV shows …. which are for a growing number of americans a substitute for the harsch reality of their lives.

What I’m writing here I’m sure does not sit well with many readers.

But it must be written  - over and over  - as well as spoken over and over.

Americans are in the firm grasp of the corporate controlled mind machine we think is benign but that is in reality a malignant cancer that is eating away our minds and replacing individuality with “group think”

 ……. Coral atlas

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Rare Complete Six Volume Set “Breeding Tropical Fishes” … worth it’s weight in gold!

Posted on February 10, 2012 by

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Some indigenous Rift Lake – Lake Malawi East African Cichlids

Posted on January 30, 2012 by
Aulonocara stuartgranti

Aulonocara stuartgranti “Neon Violet Ungi Peacock” – Adult

Aulonocara stuartgranti “Neon Violet Ungi” males feature an electric blue head, dorsal fin and tail, with a yellow body and large yellow ventral fins. Females have a drab appearance which is characteristic of the genus. Aulonocaras are called Peacock Cichlids due to the fantastic coloration developed by dominant males. They are Malawi mouthbrooders, and there are many color variants that have developed within species at different points in the lake. Peacock cichlids may be housed with other species of Lake Malawi fish with similar temperament. They should not be housed with other Peacocks unless ample room is provided, and males may not develop brilliant colors due to dominance issues. Research will help the aquarist pick out the most appropriate fish to mix. Aulonocara will accept both flake or pellet food soon after being introduced into the aquarium. A variety of foods is recommended to encourage coloration and supply the fish with appropriate vitamins and minerals. They may also be fed frozen foods as a healthy treat.

 

Protomelas taeniolatus

Protomelas taeniolatus “Red Empress” – Adult

Protomelas taeniolatus “Red Empress” is the red and blue variant of the species. This fish is found all over Lake Malawi, but the strain is believed to have originated in Namalenje Island. Red Empress has since been line bred for more intense color patterns. The dominant male exhibits a blue head, intense orange-red coloration on the flanks and red speckling on the fins. Females feature drab gray-brown with black horizontal striping. These fish are not terribly aggressive, but will actively defend territory especially when breeding. Females are mouth brooders and will carry fry for up to three weeks before releasing them. These fish mosty herbivorous, and will pick at algae on the rocks, but cichlid pellets and frozen cichlid formulas in addition to green treats will provide well-rounded nutrition.

 

 

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Aquarium Decor

Posted on January 23, 2012 by
Natural Elements 7 Myriophyllum Plants on Root Wood

Natural Elements 7 Myriophyllum Plants on Root Wood

Create a scene of natural beauty and elegance with a Natural Elements Myriophyllum on root wood. Realistic colors and textures make fish feel at home and give them lots of places to hide and explore. Details like roots and smaller accent plants make many pieces blend seamlessly in your aquarium d?? 1/2cor, along with a solid base of realistic looking root wood. Varying heights and textures of this thick bush allow each arrangement to be used individually or placed with others to make a unique aquascape. Durable plastic foliage is easy to place and maintain. When used with other root wood ornaments, you can recreate a river, quarry or lake for your fish to live in.

 

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