Aquariums

Brunei is a small nation within Borneo, neighboring Malaysia and the South China Sea.  The area is home to a jungle environment with rich biodiversity.  Betta macrostoma is one of these gems that inhabit the area. In a small tannin stained stream below a trickling waterfall Betta macrostoma can be found . Some …

This morning we travel to the Western coast of Australia, to the twin port cities of Dongara and Port Denison in the shire of Irwin. They are both sleepy crawfishing spots with small populations. Here locals all have a favorite creek to collect at so we follow a local. Among …

Tonight we will become investigators on a confusing case, that even I am not positive where the answer lies. Its a tale of two nearly identical fish, and its still going strong. It begins in 1908, on the Island of Dutch New Guinea (currently West Papua) when Weber describes an …

Today we travel to the verdant forests of Eastern Nigeria, following the meandering path of the Cross River and its associated systems. Dense rainforests envelop this area, the humidity creating mists and fogs. Here is one of the last bastions of Cross River Gorillas, only fully described in 2000, first …

I get made fun of for many things but one of them is my disdain for “low tech” planted aquariums. It’s not the tank, it’s the actual term “low tech”. It’s misleading in my opinion. It doesn’t mean necessarily cheap or low maintenance. There are 3 main classes of tanks.  …

Today we travel to Cilicap, Indonesia in Central Java. We have left civilization far behind. This is a dense rainforest area and guides are your best bet for finding our quarry. We trudge through the dense undergrowth, looking for a lower spot in the forest that might hold water from …

Some parts of the country are prone to power outages, especially where hurricanes and tornadoes are more frequent. Other areas are more prone to wildfires, floods, and earthquakes. Scheduled and impromptu power supply interruptions are also common in the workings of the power infrastructure. Fishkeepers must be prepared, or at least …

Years ago I found this beautiful movie: What Dreams May Come. It was not only the idea about an afterlife but the way it was shown. Great scape, great colors, a place made by yourself and for yourself. And then I saw the house.  That was the moment when I started to …

Aquatic plants, fish, substrate, and hardscape. Technical description: Blackwater Rio Negro shallow water aquarium biotope. Tank Dimensions: 24″ * 12″ * 12″ (l*d*h) Lighting: Finnex FugeRay Planted+ Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights Tannin stained dark water is not easy for light to penetrate the water column.  To get enough light to grow …

by Walter Vázquez Aquatic plants, fish, substrate, and hardscape. Technical description: A biotope aquarium thought to be maintained over time can have a constant evolution from its initial planning because the more we investigate about the chosen biotope the more we want to approach the visual aesthetics and its naturalness. …