Retour de vacances

Sept jours sans beaucoup d’attention et le riparium ne s’en trouve que mieux. DSC05011J’en suis à deux poissons “disparus” derrière le décor peut-être (un néon et un brigittae) DSC05012et ce matin, après avoir remarqué qu’une red cherry était bien “grise” je la retrouve morte un planaire voir plus dedans.DSC05013 D’ici à en conclure que mes “vers” (planaires et vampires — les sang-sue-) que je n’arrive pas à supprimer en sont la cause… mais non et puis que faire… une sorte d’équilibre semble s’être installé dans le riparium, et deux ou trois nouvelles crevettes transparentes comme le mâle red cherry sauvage et un peu rouge comme leur maman de un bon centimtre me force à penser, puisque je ne les ai même pas vu venir, que rien ne sert de trop intervenir dans cette équilibre qui s’instaure…  DSC05014Chaque heure à observer et à croire à des solutions ou des interventions sont inutiles si au départ l’équilibre est trouvé. DSC05015Les 4 corys par exemple sont toujours là même si une femelle a toujours cette rougeur sur le flanc (vers ou blessure?), les naissances impromptues des crevettes, autre exemple me forcent à croire qu’il ne faut rien faire, même plutôt copier la non-intervention des vacances, lorsque Andy venait tous les 2 jours donner quelques “pinceaux” de vers de bananes microscopiques. DSC05016Ce qui a beaucoup changé dans cet intervalle des vacances? mes brigittae que j’avais essayé de faire sortir déséspérément par tous les moyens de leur cachette sont là dans tout l’aquarium cherchant ça et là leur nourriture microscopique, surtout au fond, alors qu’ils n’étaient qu’en surface ou cachés….DSC05017 J’ai cherché pendant longtemps comment arriver à ce résultat et seule la non-intervention y est parvenue avec de longues plages d’obscurité car ces petits poissons n’aiment pas la lumière trop présente. DSC05018Les néons sont devenus les géants de ce monde tutti microscopique.DSC05019 J’ai ramené quelques plantes et nouvel instectes qui ont tenu le voyage de 7 heures du ruisseau au riparium. et dehors dans la cour, une petite bassine bleue avec un petit monde discret de tubifex, daphnies, escargots et autres micro world s’est aussi installé. DSC05020C’est pourquoi aussi je ne pense pas qu’on peut appeler vermine comme beaucoup d’aquariophiles le disent cette faune là et Amano ne fait voir que la beauté d’un monde microscopique à peine visible, derrière le décor,  la “vermine” travaille à l’équilibre de ce monde d’une beauté unanime. DSC05021Par exemple, je ne sais trop comment ma larve de demoiselle est de retour plus verte et extraordinaire que jamais et je l’ai vu chasser les petits escargots qui pullulent trop donc je lui dois ne fière chandelle et prend le risque (pour mes bébés crevette) de la laisser chasser dans ses mouvements lents de Diane.           DSC05022 DSC05023 DSC05024 DSC05025 DSC05026 DSC05027 DSC05028 DSC05029 DSC05030 DSC05031 DSC05032 DSC05033 DSC05034 DSC05035 DSC05036 DSC05037 DSC05038 DSC05039 DSC05040 DSC05074

Pendant ces vacances cependant j’ai trouvé au fond du jardin un petit filet d’eau, un ruisseau tout ce qu’il y a d’équilibré où j’ai mis quelques plantes aquatiques et plantes de forêt  trouvées dans un arboritarium à quelques kilomètres de la maison, et pour patienter j’ai mis ce petit monde dans un filet d’eau du ruisseau et s’y sont installés toute une faune de “vermine” fragile… De retour après 24 heures à l’eau supposée du puits et un voyage de 7-8 heures, j’ai vite mis les plantes dans le riparium et le reste  dans la petite bassine bleue à tubifex dehors…

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Update: Blue brown bee Shrimps

Sur un site aquariophile de Budapest je trouve pas mal de gens qui vendent des crevettes… Il y a beaucoup plus de choix que dans les magasins de poissons tropicaux. Par contre mes petits corys ne sont pas proposés. Voyons les brigittae… rien du tout depuis 2010… en hongrois la communication n’est pas simple non plus mais ça vaut le coup d’essayer. D’abord pour le prix (la crevette se vend autour de 1000 HUF et deux à trois fois moins sur ce site) et pour connaître un moyen de vivre ou au moins rentabiliser ma passion-arium localement… Continue reading

Envie de se lancer dans d’autres aquariums…

J’ai de plus en plus envie de recommencer l’aventure avec d’autres aquarium aux différents PH : un d’eau saumâtre pour les escargots, loches et tetraodon (séparés puisqu’ils mangent les escargots… un autre avec un PH de 7.5-8 d’eau “du robinet”. Un autre avec un PH de 6 et garder le PH du riparium autour de 6.6. Aujourd’hui il est malheureusement de 7.2 donc je regarde les osmoseurs. Mais aller chercher de l’eau osmosée paraît plus facile et même moins cher avec le petit volume du riparium…

Trois différentes souches de vers :

By CanadaBetta.com

Les microvers, les vers de Walter et les vers de bananes sont indispensables pour la survie et la nutrition des alevins pendant leurs premiers jours de vie à partir de la nage libre. Ils sont très utiles en nourritures de départ pour les alevins  lorsque leur taille ne leur permet pas d’attraper des nauplies d’artémias. La combinaison des 3 cultures donne des résultats surprenants.

Le microvers, Anguillula silusiae de son nom scientifique, fait parti de la famille des nématodes (parasites de plantes et détritivores). C’est un  minuscule vers blanc mesurant de 1,0mm à 3,0mm de long. Le microvers est assez gras, il contient 48% de protéines et 31% de lipides. Il s’agit donc de s’en servir idéalement comme complément nutritif et non comme nourriture unique.

Le vers de Walter est apparenté au microvers mais, il est environ la moitié en taille de ce dernier, soit 0,5mm à 1,5mm. Le vers de Walter contient 59% de protéines et 18% de lipides, soit 11% de plus en protéines et 13% en moins de lipides que le microvers. Il est plus nutritif et encore plus prolifique. Le vers de Walter semble capable de survivre et rester en suspension plus longtemps dans l’eau.

Le vers de bananes est la plus petite des trois variétés disponibles et a la teneur en protéines la plus élevée. Il mesure moins de la moitié du microvers et contient60% de protéines et 23% de lipides. Il est utile pour nourrir de très petits alevins comme les bettas, les killies, les apistogrammas, etc.

Ces trois variétés se cultivent facilement sur substrat de gruau, de nombreuses recettes sont disponibles sur internet. Vous pourrez les conserver sur une très longue période avec un entretien minimal et les soins appropriés.

Oeufs de l’escargot neritina, qu’en faire?

Ce matin il y a des oeufs blancs plats sur les deux côtés du bac, sur la racine et sur le verre. Une vingtaine en tout. Il est facile de savoir que ce sont des oeufs de l’escargot neritina. Ensuite pour ce qui est de l’eclosion et de l’apparition des petits, c’est plus contradictoire que jamais ; voici un exemple de ce qu’on peut trouver sur internet à ce sujet et en fin de parcours la conclusion qui s’impose à propos de ces oeufs :

— impossible de trouver quoi que ce soit sur le sujet … Il parle de passage dans de l’eau saumâtre , mais passage de combien de temps ? a quel température ? etc… Enfin bref c’est le flou complet, j’ai bien envie d’essayer , en mélangeant eau de mer et eau douce, Mais vais enlever tout les œufs qu’il y a dans le bac, histoire de faire le tri et n’avoir que des “frais” . Il faut bien que ce soit possible

J’avais un seul Neritina dans 240 litres, c’était la foire :D , ça pollue beaucoup (tas de crottes) ces bêbêtes avec en plus 2 telescopes, faut voir, peut être pas rajouter de Neritina si le bac fait moins de 150 litres, ce serait risquer de polluer un peu trop le bac si tu vois ce que je veux dire.

sans personne pour les féconder ils ne donneront rien et resteront là où ils sont.

le neritina ne pond des oeufs qui peuvent eclorent que dans une eau saumatre.
des tentatives ont echouees, a ce jour aucun particulier n’y est arrivé,

J’ai acheté il y a quelques temps 2 Neritina, qui font très bien leur travail d’ailleurs, plus une algue après leur passage.

les neritina ne sont pas herma, et il faudrait trouver un mâle pour justement féconder les œufs

Ah je viens d’isoler une partie des oeufs dans un bac de 9L avec pompe, j’ai salée l’eau a 6g/l. Le reste j’ai nettoyer. Les paramètres de l’eau sont :

No3 : 15
No2 : 0
pH : 7

Repro échoué. A retenté avec une eau plus salée

DSC05175

Si tu as du temps tu peux tenter avec genre 5-6 nanos aquas que tu sales à des degrés différents… 🙂
J’ai tout de même une explication sur la reproduction des japonica, ou crevettes bambou et du Gabon idem pour les escargots ….
Tu peux éviter le passage en eau saumâtres et salées en mettant dans ton bac une fois par semaine des gélules d’oméga 3 , ce qui permet aux espèces citées ci-dessus de se reproduire en eau douce, de plus cela est inoffensif pour les autres habitants de ton bac.

Notre projet est l’étude du neritinas natalensis, escargot d’eau douce qui est à la base un escargot d’eau saumâtre, nous voulons étudier plus précisément ses oeufs et notre but ultime serait de réussir une reproduction de neritinas.
Pour cela nous devons donc recréer un biotope de mangrove asiatique (par contre nous n’avons à disposition qu’un aquarium de 100l, pas plus) dans lequel nous comptons installer entre 15 et 20 neritinas que nous comptons commander sur crustashop, est ce une bonne adresse? Nous savons qu’il faut donc une eau saumâtre mais pas précisément quelle concentration, il faudrait aussi peut-être recréer une vase riche en matière organique, nous ne savons pas si nous devons également maintenir des poissons dans le milieu ou si c’est inutile, quelles plantes supportent l’eau saumâtre, si un filtre classique convient à une eau saumâtre… Enfin bref nous avons besoins de conseils pour démarrer.

Lire plus: http://www.aquaportail.com/topic-7722-21-mangrove-a-neritina-pour-projet-scientifique.html#ixzz2Yp5fV0XK

Pour les plantes d’eau saumâtre : microsorum ptéropus sûr, peut être la cératophyllum mais je n’y mettrai pas ma main à couper, voir sur internet ou dans la littérature spécialisée

http://www.aquaportail.com/topic-5640-20…erement-saumatre.html

Pourquoi pas des poissons ? tant qu’ils ne dévorent pas tes escargots (bannir les tetraodons)
les filtres s’adaptent pour l’eau de mer et l’eau douce

au niveau des plante: microsorum, anubia barteri, vallisneria, ceratophyllium, myriophyllum,… tiennent le coup 
MAIS! ces plantes sont elever en eau douce quand tu les achete, il faudra donc les faire passer delicatement jusqu’à l’eau saumatre en 3/4 semaines,… sinon, elle risque de claquer… 

la presence de poissons n’est pas du tout obligatoire 

mais si tu tien à mettre des poissons pour le plaisir ou egailler les recherche: les gobies (brachygobius, stigmatogobius,…), chanda ranga, dermogenys siamensis, aplocheilus, … feront ton bonheur 

pour un bac légèremet saumatre, un filtre classique suffira  , mais il faudra peut-etre prendre un truc pouc faire des vague…

pardonne mon ignorance en materiel et en milieu marin…

l’occupant végétal habituel d’une mangrove est le palétuvier, surtout Rhizophora mangle en aquarium.

La fiche sur l’escargot Neritina natalensis mérite un coup de dépoussiérage, je m’y attaquerai un jour…

Votre projet est ambitieux car si vous voulez observer des pontes rapidement, il va déjà falloir tomber sur des spécimens matures, et ça, c’est pas gagné… Si les escargots ne font que 2 cm et pas 3, j’ai des doutes qu’ils se reproduisent déjà, surtout que c’est une reproduction sexuée!

Sincèrement, je ne connais pas le protocole exact de la reproduction de ces mollusques en aquarium, mais il faut probablement un changement de salinité (progressif ou brutal??? est-ce l’escargot qui va tranquillement en milieu salé, ou est-ce une hausse rapide du niveau de l’eau dans les mangroves qui la rend salée?) pour provoquer la ponte.

Attention, dès que les oeufs sont observés, il faut surtout arrêter tout système de filtration et le filtre devrait se résumer à un bloc de mousse sur exhausteur. Il faut aussi faire des recherches sur Wilma Duncan qui aurait réussi à mener à bien des repros.

Je te recommande de réaliser des recherches en anglais sur les moteurs de recherche avec “breeding Neritina natalensis” ou “Neritina natalensis hatchery” (ou hatcheries au pluriel). Par contre, cette page http://www.planetinverts.com/zebra_nerite_snail.html n’est pas très encourageante…

– on a changé de fournisseur, on arrète crustashop et on commande à l’aquarium du discus de Diebling, qui est quand même la référence dans l’Est de la France, est-ce un meilleur choix?
– On laisse tomber les poissons qui sont trop cher et qui demanderont trop d’entretien.
-Merci pour la liste de plantes, je les connaissais deja et je ne pensais pas qu’elles étaient compatibles avec l’eau saumâtre.
-Merci pour vos liens d’informations, on va les visiter pendant les vacances.
– Pour le gradient de salinité on a tout prévu, à la fin des vacances les escargots et les plantes seront mis en place et commenceront à subire le gradient de salinité, qui durera sans doute 3 ou 4 semaines pour arriver à une valeur d’environ 8g.l, qui est une moyenne de ce qu’on a trouvé.
-Pour les vagues il ne vaut mieux pas car ça va remuer la vase et une mangrove ne subit, sans doute pas, de remous.
– Pour le palétuvier rouge on essait de voir comment on peut s’en procurer, avez-vous des idées?
-Pour les escargots matures, c’est sure qu’il faudra qu’ils soient adultes, mais j’avais déja acheté un neritina au discus et il a retapissé mon aquarium au bout de deux semaines, donc ça devrait aller je pense…
-Pourquoi arréter le système de filtration lors de la ponte? Les oeufs sont très solides donc je ne vois pas comment la filtration peut leur être néfaste?

Voila! si vous avez encore des pistes pour nous, n’hésitez pas! à bientôt.

pour la pompe, s’est pas telement les oeufs mais les nouveau né qui pourrait rentrer dans la pompe et rester coincé 

Pour les palétuviers, tu peux en trouver sur Biocorail, Marine Life, peut être Poisson d’or. De temps en temps il y en a meme dans les boutiques aquariophiles, mais pour etre sur qu’il s’agit de la bonne espèce, alors Là, bonne chance.

Beaucoup de bonnes nouvelles, le bac se porte bien, aucun mort déclaré. Le bac est tellement équilibré qu’il n’y a pas suffisamment d’algues nécessaires aux escargots, on doit donc compenser leur alimentation avec une gamme de pastilles de fonds.

Ils ont commencés à pondre début février et on constante déjà qu’il y a des œufs blancs, et des œufs noirs au milieu, on soupçonne que les noirs sont fécondés et les blancs non.

Maintenant on arrive au cœur du problème, comment les faire grandir et éclore?! avez-vous des idées à proposer?

J’ai vu des neritina en milieu naturel lors de mon voyage en Thaïlande.

Je vais voir si j’arrive à remettre la main sur les photos de l’environnement.


Ils étaient à 1 ou 2km de la mer et la rivière subissait l’effet des marées

oui c surement ça que j’ai mais je voulais savoir sils etaient forcément fecondés quand ils sont pondus ?

En théoris oui Smile
Les escargots mettent 3 à 5 semaines avant de sortir, et il s’en suivra deux ou trois mois avant que tu ne les vois, car ils vont s’enfouir directement dans le sable Wink

Mais en fait je me demandais si une femelle seule ne pouvait pas pondre sans nécéssairement être fécondée (comme une poule quoi).
Mais d’apres ce que tu me dis il est nécessaire qu’elle soit fécondée.

NovoTab Ornement - 100ml (JBL NovoTab contient: du poisson et des dérivés de poisson, des céréales, des légumes, des levures, des produits végétaux dérivés, des insectes, des crustacés, des algues ainsi que des œufs et produits à base d’œufs. Coller, en l’appuyant sur la paroi de l’aquarium, la pastille pour nourrir plus spécialement les poissons des couches moyennes. )

Tu peux biensur avoir une repro avec deux individus. Il suffit d’un mâle et d’une femelle Wink
Non elle ne pondra pas seule. Tout comme les Neritina et les ampullaire, un mâle et une femelle sont indispensable.

bon ben je confirme que même avec 2 spécimens j’ai eu des oeufs, et surtout ils ont éclos.
ya au moins 4 mini escargots, sont trop beaux !!

mais moi je voulais pas de repro à la base !!
enfin bon, je trouverai bien des acquereurs lorsqu’ils seront plus grands !

 Neritina natalensis

Message par françois le Jeu 21 Mar 2013 – 14:53

température : 20 à 26°CpH : 6 à 8Dureté : supérieure à 3°KH, facteur très important sinon la coquille se détruit rapidement.Cohabitation et comportement :
Très pacifiqueAlimentation et nourriture :
algivore presque pur, en tout cas ne touche pas aux plantes

bon ben je confirme que même avec 2 spécimens j’ai eu des oeufs, et surtout ils ont éclos.
ya au moins 4 mini escargots, sont trop beaux !!

mais moi je voulais pas de repro à la base !!
enfin bon, je trouverai bien des acquereurs lorsqu’ils seront plus grands !

je viens d’avoir 3 naissances également dans mon 240L

Plutôt je regarde et plus j’en trouve, combien peut-il y en avoir pour une ponte?

sachant que je n’ai que deux escargots adultes mais qui copulent comme des fous 

les parents peuvent ils mangeaient leur petits?

Personnellement, lors de la repro, mes anentome pondent une quinzaine d’œufs environ.
On ne les vois que deux/trois mois plus tard, une fois qu’ils sortent du sable dans lequel ils se cachent.

j’en suis a environ 8 petits, 6 d’une meme taille, et 2 un peu plus petits, de ce que j’ai pu compter dans mon nano, peut être yen a t-il d’autres.
Je m’attendais vraiment pas a en avoir autant ni meme en avoir tout court, partent de 2 seulement!

Je ne pense pas que les parents mangent les petits, même si j’ai retrouvé une toute petite coquille anentome vide.

Je sais pas vous mais les adultes je ne les vois que très très rarement, par contre les petits sont tres actifs et ils grossissent vite quand meme !

ça m’embete qu’ils copulent aussi vite, surtout qu’ils sont dans un nano, mais pas envie de les mettre dans mon 240l, ou j’ai 4 ampullaires bleu

je n’ai aucune idée du temps au bout duquel ils eclosent, certains n’ont jamais éclos.
Je dirai au moins un mois.

Les jeunes se nourissent des granules des crevettes ou bien des tout petits escargots

pour info ils adorent aussi les larves de moustiques de plus ça a l’air de les stimuler pour les repros Wink

Pour comparer : comment faire éclore des oeufs de corydoras pygmaeus ?

en images: 

comparer avec l’oeuf de l’escargot neritina :

CONCLUSION :

Il est possible de réussir la reproduction de cet escargot même en eau douce. Il semble que le principal c’est que le bac soit rempli de feuilles en décomposition et surtout de plantes vertes en pagaille comme mon riparium en ce moment… Des centaines d’escargots de marre minuscules et de toutes tailles seraient aussi déclencheur car les petits neritina se nourriraient de micro-escargots ?? reste à prouver. Comme toujours dame nature fait bien les choses et ce surnombre devrait pousser aux prédateurx d’apparaître… mes nouveau 4 guppies ne suffiraient donc pas!  le petit neritina éclorait après quelques semaines puis s’enfouirait dans la vase, donc il leur faut un substrat adéquat comme j’ai mélange de tourbe et de gravier spécial crevette (noir) , de cailloux et sable grossier (quartz etc.)… puis un mois après les mini escargot neritina viendraient dévorer les feuilles en décomposition (pas les plantes) comme les parents, les algues sur les plantes et parois et la micro faune dont les mini escargots en pagaille?? voilà pour la conclusion positive, en admettant que les oeufs soient fécondés, j’ai deux neritina mais je ne les ai jamais vu ensemble! par contre peut-être grâce à mon éclairage très diversifié : très lumineux par endroit et très sombre à d’autres endroits, les deux neritina néttoient très éfficacement de toute algue mon bac même le jour. Je les vois tout le temps : au début l’un des deux était totalement invisible (acclimatisation sans doute pendant une semaine, pour le plus sombre : le zébré) maintenant c’est lui que je vois le plus, même plus que l’élégant et géant escargot ampullaire qui tombe et transforme le paysage…

 

DSC05019

 

Oeufs de neritina ce matin près du filtre… Filtre :  j’ai monté un filtre artisanal très bien et bien intégré ; le seul problème du filtre bouteille est de voir la bouteille. En décorrant sur plaque de polystyrène et mousse expansive, un peu de gris beige acrylique et des cailloux quartz ou autres collés avec du sillicone, c’est le meilleur des filtre je trouve…

 

DSC05018Un des neritina a pondu également sur le bois et à côté sur le quartz collé…

 

Nourriture vivante: d’abord le Tubifex, (plus tard, daphnies et vers microscopiques de bananes…)

Feeding fry live food instead of powdered flake food or similar increases the survival rate for most species and will
also aid rapid growth and development. Live food is less likely to foul the water, since live creatures will stay
alive until consumed instead of starting to decompose.

Dans la nature, ils vivent dans la vase de rivières à courant lent ou sur le bord des mares
J’en donne à mes Apisto… et les Cardinalis se font une joie de se jeter dessus…

chris bozarth:

those worms are probably actually helping hold back the contamination just a theory not fact but they digest bacteria as well as sediment and their not dangerous by any means they actually sell them in like pet smart and stuff as food for aquatic animals

Voici la technique que j’utilise pour leur culture…

Méthode d’élevage
Les Tubifex se mettent en boule lorsqu’ils sont sans substrat.
Ceux situer au centre de la boule meurent étouffés…
Il faut donc recréer un substrat.
Personnellement, j’utilise de la mousse de java, mais vous pouvez utiliser du sable, sphaigne, vase

Food and feeding

Tubifex worms feed on decaying organic matter, detritus, and vegetable matter which commonly available in segment drains.

Reproduction

Tubifex worms are hermaphroditic: each individual has both male (testes) and female (ovaries) organs in the same animals. These minute reproductive organs are attached to the ventral side of the body wall in the celomic cavity. In mature specimens, the reproductive organs are clearly found on the ventral side of the body.

Le matériel
– une bouteille de 5 litres d’eau
– mousse de java
– une souche de Tubifex
– Cladophora aegagropila (facultatif)

Copulation and cocoon formation

Although the Tubifex worms are hermaphrodites, the male and female organs become mature at different times; thus self-fertilization is avoided, and cross-fertilization is encouraged. Two mature Tubifex worms undergo copulation by joining their ventral and anterior surfaces together with their anterior ends pointing opposite directions. Thus, the spermathecal openings of each worm is nearer to the male apertures of another worm. The penial setae of one worm penetrate into the tissues of other worm and thus the conjugants are held together. At this stage, the sperm of one worm is passed into the spermathecae of the other worm. After copulation, they separate and begin to produce egg cases containing eggs, called cocoons. The cocoon is formed around the clitellum as a soft, box-like structure into which the ova and the sperm are deposited.

Tubifex tubifex

Soon, the Tubifex worm withdraws its body from the egg case by its backward wriggling movements. As the worm withdraws, the cocoon completely closes and becomes a round-shaped case containing both sperm cells and ova. Fertilized eggs form in the cocoon, and undergo complete development in the using the case’s albuminous nutritive fluid for growth. The period of development varies with temperature and lasts for two to three weeks. After complete development, the young worms emerge.

La culture
– Coucher la bouteille et découper une ouverture sur le dessus.
– Remplir mettre de l’eau provenant d’un aquarium en fonction (2-3 cm de hauteur)
– Disposer la mousse de Java dans l’eau
– Introduire la souche.

 voir: http://www.benchi.fr/nourriture/elevage-nourriture-vivante-la-preparation/#more-978

Culturing Tubifex

At least two species of Tubifex are raised commercially, mainly for fish food: the reddish Tubifex tubifex and a slightly larger, darker species, the “black worm”. Tubifex can be easily cultured on mass scale in containers with 50- to 75-mm thick pond mud at the bottom, blended with decaying vegetable matter and masses of bran and bread. Continuous, mild water flow is to be maintained in the container, with a suitable drainage system. After the arrangement of the system, the container is inoculated with Tubifex worms which can be obtained from nearby muddy canals or sewage canals. Within 15 days, clusters of worms develop and can be removed with mud in masses. When worms come to the surface due to lack of oxygen, they are collected and washed under brisk stream of water to remove residual mud attached to their bodies.

Alimentation
Les Tubifex se nourrissent de matières organiques en décomposition, on peut leur donner :
– des pastilles de fond
– des carottes
– salade
– escargots mort
– feuilles mortes…

Attention : comme pour toutes les petites bêtes d’élevage, faire attention à ne pas suralimenter !
Sinon, cela peut polluer leur environnement et éliminer votre souche…

Récolte et distribution
Prélever la petite boule de Cladophora et la mettre dans votre bac.
Votre boule étant remplie d’eau, elle devrait directement couler.

Une fois que vos poissons auront remarqué la présence des Tubifex….
Se sera la course !!!

Par contre, il y a un risque pour que vos poissons détériorent plus ou moins votre boule….
Les miens mangeant proprement… je n’ai pas eu de soucis….

Vers Aquatique
La technique d’élevage est identique !
D’ailleurs, sur les photos de distribution, une boule contient des Tubifex et l’autre des vers aquatique…

L’élevage de Tubifex et Vers Aquatique est lente.

Elevage nourriture vivante : la préparation

septembre 9, 2009 in Nourriture

J’ai enfin 5 minutes ce soir pour prendre quelques photos de la préparation de l’élevage de nourriture vivante !!!

nourriture-vivanteComme vous pouvez le voir, c’est loin d’être fini ;)
L’étage supérieur servira au phytoplancton. Notez cette belle collection de bouteille vide…
Je vais essayé de vous d’écrire l’installation en partant du haut vers le bas de l’étagère

tubifex_0Sur l’étage en dessous du phyto, nous avons :

  • Cyclop
  • Aselle, Tubifex et Vers aquatique
  • grammare, Ostracode

daphnieA droite, nous avons les Daphnies (daphnie magna et daphnie pulex)

anguilluleA l’étage du dessous, nous avons à gauche :Anguillule de vinaigre, microvers, nauplie d’artémia.
A côté des anguillule, nous trouvons le support avec les éprouvettes pour la récolte.
Le bac à droite sert à l’éclosion des nauplies.
La boîte de flocon d’avoine va bien évidement être retirée de l’étagère.

vers-grindalA droite, se trouve les Vers grindal. Les neufs tiroirs de vers grindal assurent une production très abondante !
Ce sont le même tiroir que j’utilisais avant. Ils ont besoin d’un petit coup de lavage avant l’arrivée des grindal ;)

Pour les six bocaux situés sous les vers grindal, ils serviront aux Drosophiles et Paramécie.
J’ai zappé le gros plan photo….

Ce qu’il me reste à faire :

  • Faire le support pour l’élevage du phytoplancton
  • Installer un éclaire à LED pour les daphnies
  • Préparer les supports de chaque bébêtes
  • Faire les courses pour pouvoir donner à manger à toute ces bébêtes

Tout ceci se trouve actuellement dans mon garage. L’élevage devrait être opérationnel pour Octobre (j’espère).
Lorsque les bébêtes se seront reproduite, je repiquerais l’ensemble afin de dupliquer l’élevage dans l’arrière cuisine. Ainsi, je préserverais les souches en cas de grand froid cet hivers….

;)

Tubifex worms are often used as a live food for fish, especially tropical fish and certain other freshwater species. They have been a popular food for the aquarium trade almost since its inception, and gathering them from open sewers for this purpose was quite common until recently. Most are now commercially obtained from the effluent of fish hatcheries, or from professional worm farms.

Using these worms as a live food has come with certain problems over the years. When harvested from sewers, open bodies of water, and even from hatcheries, they may be infected with various diseases. This risk can be partially solved by keeping the worms under brisk running water until they have voided the contents of their digestive systems. However, the worms can still be vectors for whirling disease, which can affect salamanders and certain tropical fish. Additionally, they are very difficult for some fish to obtain in the wild, so certain fish, such as Rift Valley cichlids, will obsessively consume them until they make themselves sick. Additionally, while the worms have good-quality proteins, they also are very fattening, and are poor in certain importantamino acids. Fish fed on them can grow rapidly, but may be less healthy and colorful than fish with more balanced diets. Lastly, in poorly cleaned aquaria, Tubifex can become established as a pest species, covering the bottom of the aquarium in a thick carpet which may be considered unsightly.

Dans mon jardin, je dispose d’un bac pour la culture de mousse de java.

indent-4Afin de préparer un bac pour l’élevage de Tubifex (Elevage de tubifex qui devrait reprendre en Septembre), j’ai récupérer une partie de la mousse de java.

Avec la mousse de java est venue une forte population de bébête….

En voici un aperçu en image

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Conclusion : il ne faut pas trop nourrir les poissons de tubifex qui n’est pas un aliment complet et qui est plutôt gras…

Crevettes et guppies

Hier on a découvert un nouveau magasin de poissons et vipères en tout genre très intéressant au pied d’HLM. C’est de loin la plus chouette de toutes les maisons à poissons (sur plus d’une demi-douzaine que j’ai visités ces dernières semaines). Attila a choisi des guppies, 4 dont un a été offert, une femelle et trois mâles. J’ai demandé une femelle guppy d’une espèce différente des mâles ;  la femelle est assez petite et presque aussi belles que les mâles de l’espèce qui n’est qu’un mélange de panachés noirs et qui forment dans le bac de 60 litres carré un groupe d’une centaine et avec les femelles on a l’impression d’une sorte de kaleidoscope très peu coloré mais beau. Le mâle en cadeau est le plus petit presque sans couleur, les deux autres mâles sont tous de l’espèce dite “guppy sauvage” caractérisée par un picasso orange, jaune, noir et blanc sur le corp et la queue (cas du second mâle) enfin j’ai choisi le seul mâle du groupe qui soit jaune orangé vif avec des tâches blanches et orange sombre sur tout le corps et la queue. Ils sont impossibles à photographier tant ils sont agités comme le montrent ces  quelques nouvelles photos du riparium…

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Hier matin j’ai éclairé soudainement la lumière et j’ai surpris une larve de demoiselle déjà entrevue il y a deux semaines mais elle a doublé de volume (j’ai lu que la chaleur de l’eau accélère leur croissance ce qui me permettra de m’en débarrasser plus vite) elle mesurait à peine 6 mm lors de l’introduction de mes premières plantes ; aujourd’hui elle fait plus de 2 cm! Dangereuse pour les alevins j’espère la capturer un jour et aussi j’espère qu’elle ne s’attaquera pas à mes brigittae chéris…

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Mes brigittae ne sont donc plus que 5, à moins qu’un se cache toujours… le riparium est plein de cachettes.

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La queue palmée de la larve de demoiselle…

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Hier j’ai passé plus de deux heures très tôt le matin à jardiner avec mon nouveau ciseau reçu avant-hier… Cette multitude de plantes grâce à l’acquisition de la dernière plante-trèfle qui comportait une dizaine d’autres plantes dans ses racines est bien ce qui me plait le plus dans ce riparium et il faudra que je fasse comme un herbier du riparium un de ces jours…

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ce matin les deux femelles grillon sont mortes à cause de champignons filandreux qui en deux jours ont envahi leur sachet plastique. Le mâle hier soir a entoner un chant du cygne d'une heure devant la femelle mais je ne me suis pas aperçu des champignons qui l'ont tué cette nuit.

ce matin les deux femelles grillon sont mortes à cause de champignons filandreux qui en deux jours ont envahi leur sachet plastique. Le mâle hier soir a entoner un chant du cygne d’une heure devant la femelle mais je ne me suis pas aperçu des champignons qui l’ont tuée cette nuit. J’attend que leurs oeufs éclosent d’un jour à l’autre pour renouveller les deux femelles (ou trois) avec un mâle de plus (soit quatre larves maintenue en vie pendant sept semaines, leur maturité)

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Les plantes du mur du riparium continuent d'être aspergées régulièrement, en plus du goutte-à -goutte (qui dure des heures, une fois par jour... elles se portent relativement bien : le lierre ficus s'asséchait mais j'ai réajusté le petit pot de terre à l'arrière, le "palmier" en haut à droite perd des feuilles et les renouvelle tous les 2 ou trois jours, les autres plantes y compris les deux orchidées continuent à végéter seule le phylandrium fait des racines blanches qui vont atteindre l'eau du riparium qui se trouve à 20 cm en bas...

Les plantes du mur du riparium continuent d’être aspergées régulièrement, en plus du goutte-à -goutte (qui dure des heures, une fois par jour…

les plantes du mur se portent relativement bien : le lierre ficus s’asséchait mais j’ai réajusté le petit pot de terre à l’arrière, le “palmier” en haut à droite perd des feuilles et les renouvelle tous les 2 ou trois jours, les autres plantes y compris les deux orchidées continuent à végéter seule le phylandrium fait des racines blanches qui vont atteindre l’eau du riparium qui se trouve à 20 cm en bas…

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J’ai aussi trouvé deux crevettes hier. L’une d’elles est “transparente”. J’essaie de voir pourquoi : voici deux réponses possibles…

http://www.planetinverts.com/Amano%20Shrimp.html

Amano Shrimp

Caridina multidentata

Overview

The Amano Shrimp is a very popular shrimp in the hobby. It is second in popularity to the Red Cherry Shrimp. The name Amano Shrimp originates from the well known aquarist Takashi Amano who frequently uses the shrimp in his aquariums as algae eaters. However most people do not know that the Amano Shrimp is a difficult shrimp to breed and that virtually all Amano Shrimp are caught in the wild and then sold to hobbyists. Captive breeding has been achieved but is rare.

Popularity

As stated above the popularity originated from the aquarist Takashi Amano. Most local fish stores carry this shrimp and even the large pet chains carry it as well. Hobbyists sometimes begin with this species to due the ease of acquiring it. The notion that it is a superb algae eater also attracts aquarists who are into planted tanks. Unfortunately most of the hobbyists who acquire the Amano Shrimp do not know that it cannot be bred in freshwater and wonder why the pregnant females with many eggs never produce babies.

Deaths

It is not uncommon for the Amano Shrimp to die shortly after introduction to the aquarium. Virtually all Amano Shrimp are wild caught and are not used to captive conditions. Also, a lack of feeding can cause death as well. Most first timers keeping these shrimp think that they are solely algae eaters and can live off of the tank and require no food. You must feed this shrimp. Deaths are also caused by stress from shipping, handling, lack of acclimation to new conditions and from being introduced to multiple tank parameters. Remember that the Amano Shrimp is caught in the wild. It goes through a lot of stress during capture and during shipping around the world. Once it reaches the local fish stores it undergoes even more stress. When it ultimately ends up in the hobbyists tank it can be marked for death regardless of what the hobbyist does to keep it alive. Do not be surprised if this shrimp dies on you shortly after introduction.

Breeding

As stated before the Amano Shrimp requires brackish water in order to breed successfully. The pregnant females carry many eggs, most likely due to the loss rate of the larvae after hatching. The shrimp hatches as a tiny larvae free floating in the water. It is not like other shrimp which hatch as miniature adults. The larvae are very delicate and require special care. Below is a quick run down on information required to breed this species in captivity. It is a difficult task to captive breed the Amano Shrimp. However, if you are up for the challenge then good luck. It is definitely an achievement if you are successful!

Captive Breeding

The adults are kept in a 40 gallon ‘breeder’ tank with a sponge filter and lots of hornwort. The pH is close to neutral and the temperature around 75 degrees F. They eat ‘GP Pellets’ plus the occasional algae tablet — there’s also a lot of hair algae in the tank, more than they can keep up with.

Larvae are raised in full-strength (35 ppt) seawater that’s pea-green with Tetraselmis algae. No supplemental foods are added. The latest batch was raised in a 2.5-gallon tank — there was somewhat high mortality, so more space may’ve been helpful.

I’ve tried a variety of raising conditions. So far, the best results are with:

24-hour lighting
Gentle aeration
mid-70’s Farenheit

In those conditions the larvae began metamorphosing into postlarvae after about 20 days. Higher temperatures seem to slow development. It took just about 6 months for a full life-cycle from hatching to egg production.

Feeding

It is recommended that the Amano Shrimp be fed like any other shrimp in the hobby. Using this species solely for the purpose of algae eating will not suffice in the long term for the shrimps health. These are rather large shrimp and require a good supply of food. They eat anything from blanched spinach, zucchini, algae wafers, shrimp pellets, fish flakes, bloodworms, and more. Feeding is best done once a day. Only feed an amount of food that the shrimp can finish within 2-3 hours maximum. It is not good to feed in excess and have food sitting for too long.

Additional Photos

http://www.planetinverts.com/Neocaridina_Heteropoda.html

Neocaridina Heteropoda

Neocaridina heteropoda “wild”

Overview

The Neocaridina Heteropoda species is the wild-type invertebrate of the common Red Cherry Shrimp and Yellow Shrimp. Both of the species were selectively bred from this wild-type in order to obtain their solid red and solid yellow coloration. This is the original Red Cherry Shrimp and Yellow Shrimp quite simply.

Background

The Neocaridina Heteropoda is found in Asia, its exact location is unknown. This wild species has been used by hobbyists to selectively breed color morphs, such as the Red Cherry Shrimp and Yellow Shrimp. If you look closely at each of the photos you can see some coloration of either yellow or red. Selective breeding is done by taking the characteristics, in this case coloration, and breed the wild shrimp that exhibit that color over many times. Eventually a solid color is developed after several generations. This must be a very difficult task. The exact amount of generations that it took for the Red Cherry Shrimp and Yellow Shrimp to become fully colored is unknown.

Water Parameters

The Neocaridina Heteropoda Shrimp can be housed in many different water parameters. Just like the Red Cherry Shrimp, this species can be kept in a pH range from 6.0 to 8.0, soft and hard water, temperatures from 72F to 84F and in many different soils like ADA Aquasoil and normal gravel. When following water parameters for this species it may be best just to refer back to the parameters of the Red Cherry Shrimp species if you have successfully kept it.

Breeding

The Neocaridina Heteropoda Shrimp is extremely prolific, just like its red colored cousing, and will breed readily and virtually around the clock. Clean water and proper water parameters will ensure that this species breeds constantly. Females will have green colored eggs when pregnant. The saddle will also be green and the appearance of a saddle while there are eggs is a good sign that hatching is days away.

It is typically 30-45 days from pregnancy to hatching. Another way to tell is by the emergence of a new saddle when the female still has eggs. The emergence of the saddle is the indication that the female is prepared to have a new set of eggs and that the current eggs are close to hatching. For more information on the reproduction cycle of freshwater aquarium shrimp please read the article Shrimp Reproduction.

Male attempting to mate with a female

Feeding

The Neocaridina Heteropoda will eat anything from blanched spinach, zucchini, algae wafers, shrimp pellets, fish flakes, bloodworms, and more. Feeding is best done once a day. Only feed an amount of food that the shrimp can finish within 2-3 hours maximum. It is not good to feed in excess and have food sitting for too long. Overfeeding is a known cause of death and can also cause water quality issues. Remember that shrimp are scavengers in the wild. They will eat whatever they find and are not used to a constant food source 24/7. Not feeding for one or two days is fine and will not harm this species at all. Sometimes I will not feed for a couple of days in order to let the shrimp cleanse their systems and keep the water clean at the same time.

Sexing

Sexing the Neocaridina Heteropoda is not difficult at all. Females are easy to identify as they are larger than the males, have a much darker coloration, and also have a curved underbelly. Females will also have a saddle or even have eggs. In the photo below you can see how the female Neocaridina Heteropoda has a green saddle and also has the tell tale curved underbelly.

Female Neocaridina Heteropoda

In the photo below you can see how the male is smaller, has very little coloration and the “under belly” is a straight line with no curved shape.

Male Neocaridina Heteropoda

Coloration

This wild-type variety has a camoflauged coloration to it to obviously help it hide in the wild. If you look at the first photo below you will see how well the two females are able to blend in with the rock. Such a scattered coloration must make it extremely difficult to selectively breed out and fill a new variety with solid coloration. However, some breeders of this species have noted that some of the offspring will show a somewhat red coloration and perhaps this is where the Red Cherry Shrimp idea began. Please see a photo below of two females on a rock.

Two Female Neocaridina Heteropoda

Je penche pour la deuxième solution. D’ailleurs la photo est plus proche de ma crevette (pas de point bruns comme a l’amano) et le vendeur disait qu’il s’agissait d’un mâle red cherry. Ci-dessous des photos qui datent d’avant les guppies et deux nouvelles crevettes (3 à 5 jours plus tôt) :

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Test PH 7, amonia zéro

Test PH 7, amonia zéro

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Enfin voilà le plus sûr moyen d’identifier mâle et femelle entre vos crevettes. Mais moi j’hésite encore. Seule la transparente semble être possiblement un mâle et encore ça reste à prouver…

Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp Reproduction

An explanation of the reproduction process

Overview

The Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp has a unique reproduction process of which some aspects are unknown. What is known can sometimes be skewed or misunderstood. This article is meant to try and fully explain as much as possible the reproduction process of the Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp. This article is meant to explain the process for shrimp which do not have a larval stage during reproduction. This article pertains to those species which produce miniature adults directly from the egg during reproduction.

Sexing

Of course when attempting to understand the reproduction process one of the most important aspects is the ability to sex the shrimp. However, this is not that easy. Some species are very easy to sex whereas others are virtually impossible to sex with what is known now. Species such as the Red Cherry Shrimp, Yellow Shrimp, Snowball Shrimp and a others are very easy to sex. Other species such as the Red Goldflake ShrimpCardinal ShrimpHarlequin Shrimp and others can be extremely difficult to sex. Sexing really does depend on the species you are observing. Check out each species info page to read the detailed information on that particular species and how to sex it.

Age: Sexing of course depends on the age. Trying to sex adults is a lot easier than attempting to sex juvenile shrimp. Juvenile shrimp can be very difficult to sex, sometimes impossible depending on the size and species. Sexing sub-juvinile shrimp will most likely be impossible due to the fact that the shrimp is not old enough to display any gender identifying attributes, etc. It is definitely a good idea to only attempt to sex adults.

Size & Coloration: With many species the female is typically larger than the male. Also, the female is sometimes darker or more robust in coloration. As with the Red Cherry Shrimp, the female is not only larger but a much darker red coloration. The male Red Cherry Shrimp is instead almost colorless at times and much smaller. Females of some species may also display a line down their backs. Below is a photo of two Red Cherry Shrimp, one male and one female. Notice the size difference and more importantly the difference in coloration.

Male and Female Red Cherry Shrimp

Gender Attributes: There are also other methods to easily sex a shrimp. Certain identifiers, or attributes, can differentiate a male from a female without question. These attributes typically involve the female and certain aspects of her anatomy that do not appear in males. Some of these attributes also occur at certain periods whereas some with appear at all times. Of course a female currently holding eggs will tell you that it is indeed a female. However, when eggs are not present there are other ways to tell.

The “Saddle”: Once of the most common and distinguishable attributes is the appearance of a “saddle” or miniature undeveloped eggs in the ovaries. The term “saddle” comes from the fact that that the undeveloped eggs appear on the back of the shrimp, behind the head, which looks like the saddle on a horse. Below is a photo of the Yellow Shrimp with both eggs as well as a “saddle”. Notice in the first photo how the “saddle” actually looks like a real saddle you would find on a horse. In the second photo notice the tiny undeveloped eggs that actually make up the “saddle”.

Yellow Shrimp with Eggs and Saddle

Close up of the Saddle

Curved Underbelly: Another way to tell the difference between a male and a female is the appearance of a curved underbelly, or the region underneath the tail. When the female is pregnant the underbelly acts as a defense against potential damage to the eggs. The curved underbelly appears in females of many species of shrimp but there are some species which do not possess this characteristic regardless of sex. The lack of an underbelly does not necessarily mean that the shrimp is a male. It really depends on age and more importantly the species of shrimp in question. Below is a photo of a Crystal Red Shrimp Female with a distinctive curved underbelly.

Crystal Red Shrimp Female with curved underbelly

Mating

The “Act”: Mating between a male and female shrimp happens extremely fast. In a matter of seconds the male latches onto the female abdomen to abdomen, deposits his sperm, and quickly then releases the female. Sometimes you can actually observe a male constantly harrassing a female in an attempt to grab onto her. Next time you think that the shrimp are fighting it may be a male trying to mate instead. Below are a couple of photos of a male Red Cherry Shrimp latched onto a female and depositing sperm.

Red Cherry Shrimp Male on Female by Peter Maguire

Red Cherry Shrimp Male on Female by Peter Maguire

Fertilization: As discussed earlier in the article the female contains tiny undeveloped eggs in the ovaries, also known as the “saddle”. The male deposits the sperm into the female before the eggs are passed from the ovaries and into the undercarriage. As the eggs are passed down into the undercarriage they become fertilized by the previously deposited sperm. There is a big misconception that the eggs are fertilized after they appear in the undercarriage which is untrue. You will not see a female mate if eggs are present, you will only see a female mate when eggs are not present. It is believed that the male has a tiny “appendage” that it uses to deposit the sperm into the female. Below is a photo of the “appendage” as well as a zoomed photo.

Male Red Cherry Shrimp Appendage by Peter Maguire

Male Red Cherry Shrimp Appendage Zoomed by Peter Maguire

Unknowns: There are many unknowns as to the exact science behind the mating process. It is believed that shortly after molting the female is ready to mate. The way in which the male knows that the female is ready to mate is unknown. Perhaps she releases a chemical signal or some other type of notification that only shrimp can detect. It is known though that when a female molts the males in the tank will swim around the tank in a drunken manner looking to find the ready female. When you see a bunch of shrimp swimming around in the tank against the glass make sure to sex the shrimp first. If you look closely you may notice that they are all males. If that is the case then everything is ok, they are just looking to mate.

Bororas Brigittae

Sur mes 6 Brigittae, un a déjà bel et bien disparu.  Je traduis ci-dessous leur fiche pour essayer de comprendre cette disparition… et aujourd’hui je vais m’attarder sur un point précis : (google: what mean hardness 179 ppm?) La dureté de leur eau ne doit pas dépasser 179 ppm. Avec mes tests je trouve que mon GH est déjà monté à 12 (il était à 17 au début puis je l’ai fait descendre en ajoutant 23 litres (sur 50-55) d’eau osmosée) que mon KH monte également mais très doucement et qu’il est à 7. Que mon PH grâce au faible CO2 qui fonctionne encore est à 6.8. Alors où en est la dureté de l’eau du riparium dans tout ça ?

Boraras brigittae (VOGT, 1978)

Mosquito Rasbora

Classification

OrderCypriniformes FamilyCyprinidae

Distribution

Sud Ouest de Borneo. Localité Bandjarmasin, un port indonésien de la région Kalimantan Selatan (le Sud de Kalimantan), et d’après Kottelat (1991) on trouve ce poisson jusque dans le Bassin à l’Ouest du fleuve Jelai Bila, près de la ville de Sukamara, où il cotoie le poisson qui lui ressemble beaucoup, nommé B. merah (photo ci-dessous)

à comparer avec le Brigittae ci-dessous:

Habitat

Il peuple les eaux teintées et sombres des ruisseaux et marres qui se trouvent dans des tourbières à la place d’anciennes forêts…

C’est pourquoi, caractéristiquement, l’eau y est très douce (d’une dureté négligeable) acide (le PH descend jusqu’à 4!) et souvent ombragée à cause de la forêt au-dessus, ainsi que la densité de la flore autour des points d’eau… Dans tout le Sud-Est de l’Asie, ce biotope indispensable est menacé par lesexploitations de caoutchouc et d’huile palmière, la prolifération des constructions ainsi que par d’autres activités humaines…

Taille maximum

15 – 20 mm.

Taille du bac

Bien que minuscule, ce poisson a besoin d’espace pour nager et pour que les mâles dominants créent des territoires temporaires pour la fraie : l’aquarium fera donc au minimum  40 ∗ 20 cm.

Maintenance

Comme il leur faut une eau aux plantes très nombreuses, ils sont parfaits pour les jardins de plantes aquatiques (aquascaping). Des plantes flottantes et des branches de bois mort permettent de diffuser la lumière et semblent être appréciés par les Brigittae…

Le filtre ne sera pas fort puisqu’ils vivent en eau saumâtre et qu’ils peuvent avoir des problèmes si le courrant est trop fort.

Note : 1er cas possible de disparition

On pourra recréer leur biotope avec un sol doux et sableux, des racines et des branches formant de nombreuses cachettes et endroits ombragés dans l’eau. Le chêne et le hêtre font de très bons bois dans ce cas…

Ajouter un lit de feuilles sèches (hêtre, chêne, amandier de Ketapang ; pourquoi pas les trois nà la fois) rendra encore plus naturel leur milieu et encouragera la culture de colonies de planctons au fur et à mesure de leur décomposition. Ces micro-animaux formeront un aliment sûr pour leur alevins tandis que le tanin et autres libérations de produits naturels par les feuilles en décomposition sont bénéfiques pour les espèces de poissons à eaux sombres. On peut choisir de laisser ces feuilles se décomposer entièrement ou on les enlève toutes les deux ou trois semaines.

Une lumière très diffuse doit leur être dispensée afin de simuler le biotope de ce poisson. Vous pouvez y faire pousser des plantes qui peuvent survivre dans de telles conditions telle que la Microsorum pteropus et la Taxiphyllum barbierior Cryptocoryne spp. Ne pas mettre de Boraras dans une eau non prête car ils sont sensibles aux fluctuations chimiques de l’eau. Note : 2e cas possible de disparition la chimie de l’eau avec également trop de lumière…

Water Conditions

Temperature23 – 28 °C

pH5.0 – 7.0

Hardness0 – 179 ppm

Là je m’arrête car j’ai du mal à comprendre ce maximum de 179 ppm. Il semble qu’il faut multiplier la valeur du GH par 20 soit 20*12=240! je serais donc loin du maximum ce qui confirme aussi ce ph très proche du maximum (ph 6.8 parfois 7) que j’ai depuis deux semaines.

Note : 3e cas possible de disparition / la dureté de l’eau.

Nourriture

Comme tout bon Boraras le Brigittae est un prédateur de micro-animaux tels que de petits insectes, vers, crustacés et autres zooplankton qu’on trouve dans la nature. On peut le nourrir avec des flocons de tailles réduites à leur bouche mais ce ne doit pas être exclusif.

Chaque jours il lui faut des Daphnia, des Artemia vivant ou congelés ainsi que des flocons et des granulés de bonne qualité ; cela leur donne une excellente couleur et les pousse à se reproduire.

http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/boraras-brigittae/

Behaviour and Compatibility

Très tranquille, il n’est pas cependant à mettre dans un aquarium communautaire à cause de sa petite taille et de sa timidité. On peut toutefois le faire cotoyer des espèces toute aussi petite que lui telles que Microdevario,SundadanioDanionellaEirmotusTrigonostigma, pygmy Corydoras and small Loricariids such as Otocinclus.

Note : 4e cas possible de disparition / le poisson colibri.

Il est aussi un bon compagnon des timides anabantoids  tels que le Sphaerichthys, le Parosphromenus  ou les plus petits des Betta, on les mettra aussi dans une eau remplie de plantes et de crevettes telles que les Caridina  et Neocaridina.

C’est un poisson qui vit en banc par nature et il ne doivent pas être moins de 8-10 spécimens. Ainsi ils seront moins nerveux, ils déploieront toutes leurs couleurs tout en devenant plus intéressant par leur comportement…

___________________________________________________________________________

Je fais une recherche sur un nouveau poisson compatible avec le Brigittae, le…

Eirmotus octozona SCHULTZ, 1959

Classification

OrderCypriniformes FamilyCyprinidae

Distribution

The type series consisted of aquarium specimens apparently originating from a lake named Bueng Boraphet in central western Thailand, but despite extensive sampling of the region in the years since thisspecies has never been recorded there.

Specimens used in Tan and Kottelat’s 2008 revision of the genus were also obtained from the aquariumtrade but appeared to come from western Peninsular Malaysia. The authors subsequently suggested that if it does occur in Thailand it’s likely restricted to the southern, peninsular section.

Information obtained from a collector in the same study hints that it was once found in areas of peat swamp forest around the town of Ayer Hitam in Johor state, Peninsular Malaysia along with other speciesof mysterious origin such as Gymnochanda filamentosa. The peat swamps in this area have been severely disturbed with many of the original habitats destroyed so the current status of the species is best described as unclear. It’s possible that some of the fish imported for the hobby as E. octozona are actually E. insignis.

Habitat

Unconfirmed. Other members of the genus variously inhabit shady, slow-moving forest streams with densemarginal vegetation, leaf litter/mud substrates and slightly acidic water or heavily-vegetated swamps (E. insignis), peat swamp forests (E. furvus) or flood plains and the margins of lakes (E. isthmus).

Maximum Standard Length

Around 1.4″/3.6cm.

Aquarium Size

An aquarium with a base measuring 60 ∗ 30 cm or larger is recommended.

Maintenance

Will thrive in a heavily-planted or forest stream-type set-up, the latter comprising a soft substrate, dim lighting, roots, branches and leaf litter as décor. You could also add aquatic plants that can survive under such conditions such as MicrosorumTaxiphyllum or Cryptocoryne spp. Filtration does not need to be particularly strong as it mostly hails from sluggish waters.

Eirmotus species can be tricky to acclimatise to captive life as they often arrive in poor condition and seem sensitive to fluctuating water chemistry. Never introduce them to biologically-immature aquaria and perform small, regular water changes of around 10% tank volume.

Water Conditions

Temperature22 – 26 °C

pH5.0 – 7.0

Hardness0 – 143 ppm

Diet

Likely to feed on small invertebrates, algae and other zooplankton in nature. In the aquarium it will accept dried foods of a suitable size but should not be fed these exclusively. Daily meals of small live and frozen fare such as DaphniaArtemia and suchlike will result in the best colouration and encourage the fish to come into breeding condition.

This species can be quite weak on import and small live foods are highly recommended as an initial diet, introducing the dry and frozen products as the fish become settled. It’s also noted as something of a shy, even reluctant, feeder.

Image of Eirmotus octozona

Behaviour and Compatibility

Unsuitable for most community aquaria as it may be intimidated or outcompeted for food by larger or more boisterous tankmates. Small, peaceful cyprinids such as Trigonostigma or Boraras species are suitable companions and we suspect it will also do ok with many small South American characins, Otocinclus or pygmy Corydoras catfishes.

Accommodating it in a biotope-style community of Malaysian species is also a possibility with some of the more suitable ones including Trigonostigma heteromorphaBoraras maculatusDanio albolineatusD. kerri, ‘Puntius partipentazonaBrevibora dorsiocellataTrigonopoma gracileT. pauciperforatum, and Acanthopsoides molobrion plus various NemacheilusPangio, and Homaloptera spp.

It’s a shoaling species by nature and really should be kept in a group of at least 8-10 specimens. Maintaining it in decent numbers will not only make the fish less nervous but will result in a more effective, natural-looking display. Males will also display their best colours and some interesting behaviour as they compete with one other for female attention.

Sexual Dimorphism

Adult males are noticeably slimmer than females and exhibit a pale red colouration in the unpaired finswhen in good condition.

Reproduction

Unrecorded as far as we know.

Notes

Prior to revision by Tan and Kottelat (2008) the genus was monotypic for almost 50 years, with E. octozona the sole representative. There now exist four species all of which uncommon in the aquarium hobby and very similar in appearance.

E. octozona can be told apart from congeners by the following combination of characters: bar 1 present; presence of a large and distinct black mark anterior to anus, visible in lateral and ventral views; simpledorsalfin rays black, sometimes extending onto first branched ray; other rays hyaline or with diffused chromatophores on last dorsalfin ray, adjacent to upper extremity of bar 6; 25-31 serrae on last simpledorsalfin ray; uppermost ray of pectoral-fin with faint black margin; width of bar 5 equal to 1-1½ lateralrow scales; mouth terminal, lower jaw wide, rounded anteriorly.

The numbered bars mentioned here refer to the black body bars which the authors ordered from 1 to 8 beginning with the anteriormost one across the snout and ending with the small bar across the caudal peduncle. This patterning also gave rise to the common/trade name of ‘false eight-banded barb‘ under which both E. octozona and E. insignis can sometimes be seen on sale.

Members of this genus possess rows of sensory papillae on the snout, cheeks, throat, opercle andinterorbital area that are lacking in most other cyprinids but present in a few other genera includingOreichthysCyclocheilichthysNeobarynotus and a handful of other species. They are further characterised by a small adult size of less than 36mm SL, body patterning consisting of eight dark bars on a red to yellowish background, relatively large scales, an incomplete lateral line with only 2-6 perforated scales, serrations on the last simple dorsal ray and a lack of barbels.

Mangroves

Lentilles d’eau

Cela fait plusieurs semaines voir plusieurs mois que je parcours les forums avec des “journaux” concernant la tenue d’aquarium, terrarium et riparium. La plupart après reflexion ne sont que de belles photos prises juste après l’achat d’une plante ou d’un poisson et ne garantie pas du tout la survie de la-dite plante ou du-dit poisson dans son nouveau environnement… et la plupart du temps on n’entend plus parler d’eux, l’aquariophile recommence inlassablement à acheter, composer une nouvelle fausse harmonie, la prendre en photos etc. C’est pourquoi aujourd’hui je me suis attardé sur un journal de riparium où l’auteur a l’honnêteté de parler de ses problèmes et autres échecs, en photos avec une simplicité d’amateur… La plupart des journaux d’ailleurs seront à présent choisis en fonction de cette honnêté. Je commence par les informations sur les fameuses lentilles d’eau si souvent décriées et qui ont un rôle à mon  avis essentiel : je réussis aujourd’hui la culture de daphnie grâce à elles. Elle sont de vraies plantes pour les daphnies (à leur échelle!) mais elle demandent un nettoyage permanent pour ne pas devenir un facteur négatif pour l’eau : à un certain stade elles bloquent les échanges gazeux entre l’eau et l’air en surface… Aujourd’hui j’ai préparé cinq pots où je vais faire dérouler ma culture de daphnies pour mes brigittae toujours dans l’espoir de les voir se reproduire (je pourrais d’ailleurs relâcher les daphnies adultes trop grosses pour leur minimètre de bouche et mature pour la prolifération…) Car mon premier objectif avant toute chose est d’accroître ma population de brigittae afin qu’elle créé un banc non craintif et capable peut-être de prendre le pas sur les autres poissons plus gros. (Note: j’alterne ce journal avec des reportages sur les mangrove afin de lier le riparium à la réalité sur le terrain de la mangrove et son rôle écologique…)

(From a riparium journal/forum: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/)

“Have those riparium plants started to root in their planters yet?

If you haven’t already you might like to scoop out some of that duckweed. It can look nice, but if it covers more than about 1/3 of the water’s surface it can hinder gas exchange and also cast a lot of shade.

— The sword was removed from behind the driftwood. I replaced it with close to 10 small Crypt. Balansae! They are melting pretty badly, as has all the balansae I’ve ever dealt with. No worries. It just takes time. I’m trying to keep the tank clear of the dead plant debris.

Mangroves (Blue Carbon) in the City of Abu Dhabi, UAE

Mangrove Forests

salt marshes | mangrove forests

Scroll down to read detailed information about mangrove forests

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/estuaries/media/supp_estuar06b_mangrove.html

03-20-2013,

I have been doing a been doing a 5 gallon +whatever has evaporated (usually about a gallon) once a week. I am refilling the tank with RO water remineralized with Shirakura CA+.

I regularly see at least two nice little shrimp. I would guess there are more then I think still in the tank. I feel like I am ready for another small batch of shrimp. I started to get more a couple weeks ago but decided I was better off waiting longer to make sure I was ready for more shrimp.

The riparium plants have really started to take off! Pictures to come within the next day or two!!

Mangroves (Blue Carbon) in the City of Abu Dhabi, UAE

Year: 2011

From collection: Blue Carbon

Taken by: Peter Prokosch

Healthy natural coastal ecosystems, such as mangrove forests, saltwater marshlands and seagrass meadows provide a vast array of important co-benefits to coastal communities around the world, including throughout the Arabian Peninsula. These benefits include ecosystem services such as a rich cultural heritage; the protection of shorelines from storms; erosion or sea-level rise; food from fisheries; maintenance of water quality; and landscape beauty for recreation and ecotourism. In a “Blue Carbon” context these ecosystems also store and sequester potentially vast amounts of carbon in sediments and biomass.
Mangrove forests or mangals grow at tropical and subtropical latitudes near the equator where the sea surface temperatures never fall below 16°C. Mangals line about two-thirds of the coastlines in tropical areas of the world.http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/estuaries/media/supp_estuar06b_mangrove.html

  Mangroves, Comoros wallpapers

Mangroves, Comoros
 2012

Mangroves are a natural habitat for marine organisms and serve as a breeding ground for shrimp, crab and fish species

03-25-2013,

mangroves

Welcome to Cayo Santa Maria a place blessed with amazing scenery, natural beauty of the tropical mangrove trees.
Bliss on a beach, powder perfect sand squishes between the toes and warm turquoise waves lap the beach. Schools of fish dart through the crystal clear water, a starfish washes up on the sand.
A herons, flamingos or pelicans swoops overhead, looking for its next meal. Destination for adventure and ecotourism getting closer to nature. Colourful coral reefs has such an abundance of fish, divers might believe they are in an aquarium – beware of cayos wildlife.

Oh I would just leave those white mangroves alone in that planter. If you like you can rearrange the planters so that that one is between others and hidden. It takes a little while to get started, but once it grows up the white mangrove really is a cool plant.

Beautiful plants!
__________________

110g Tropical Community  & Sakura Shrimp 
55g BN Breeding Grounds, Peacock Gudgeons, Panda, Pygmies, & Smudge Spot Cories, Rili Shrimp  
10g RCS and show guppies
Peacock Gudgeons:
Minimum Tank Size: 15 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 72-77° F, KH 5-12, pH 7.0-7.8
Max. Size: 2½”
Color Form: Black, Red, White
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: Tank Bred – Asia
Family: Eleotridae
overview

The Peacock Gudgeon sports a gorgeous array of electric colors. With its magnificent, multi-colored markings and distinct, peduncle “eye spot,” it is easy to see why it is named after the vibrantly colored peacock. Though small in size, the Peacock Gudgeon is big on traits appealing to both beginning and experienced hobbyists. The Peacock Gudgeon is a colorful, peaceful, and easy-to-care-for addition to the community aquarium, planted aquarium, or biotope aquarium. The Peacock Gudgeon offers the seasoned hobbyists the excitement of breeding these gorgeous fish.Proper care in a well- decorated or well- planted aquarium with good filtration can encourage this fish to spawn in the home aquarium. Male Peacock Gudgeons are larger than their female counterparts, have rounded heads, and develop cephalic humps. Female Peacock Gudgeons are smaller with slightly more streamlined features. When female Peacock Gudgeons are ready to spawn, a prominent yellow patch develops on their abdomen.When ready to spawn, these egg-layers will clean out a selected spawning site in rockwork, cave, PVC pipes, flowerpots, and other niches. Once the eggs are laid, the male Peacock Gudgeon will defend the eggs until they hatch.

Mangroves

Forests of the Tide

At the intersection of land and sea, mangrove forests support a wealth of life, from starfish to people, and may be more important to the health of the planet than we ever realized.http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/02/mangroves/warne-text

Offer Peacock Gudgeons a varied diet including quality prepared foods such as flake foods, as well as frozen or freeze-dried foods. Meaty, protein-rich foods like bloodworms and brine shrimp can encourage spawning.

100 metres from the beach, looking west along Noah Creek.

Just around the corner is . . .

Peacock Gudgeons are one of the most beautiful and interesting freshwater fish. They come from Papua New Guinea and are a member of the Sleeper Goby group, but unlike most other sleepers, they can be seen swimming throughout the entire aquarium. They are also known as Eyespot Sleeper Gobies because of the black eyespot that can be found on their tail. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myFish.php?do=view&p=185

They are very peaceful and timid and can be housed comfortably with other peaceful, slow moving fish. They are good candidates for the planted aquarium because they will not eat or uproot plants. They are not aggressive, but males can be territorial, so it is important that each gudgeon has its own cave to defend. After spawning, males will defend the eggs, but once they hatch the male will likely eat them so fry are best reared artificially.

They can be difficult to feed, as they will not usually accept flake, pellet, or freeze dried food. They prefer live foods such as worms and artemia, but can be persuaded to accept frozen food with time. They are slow feeders and should not be housed with fast moving fish, including tetras and danios, because they will likely be unable to compete for food.

Information

Common Name: Peacock Gudgeon, Eyespot Sleeper Goby
Proper Name: Tateurndina ocellicauda
Category: Others
Temperature: 23 – 28 C
Temperament Timid
Maximum Size: 7 cm

It may be wise to avoid shrimp as tankmates as they will likely become a meal.

i currently have a pair. and i love these fish, super colorful an full of personality. i currently have mine housed with a CPO, and many Red Cherry Shrimp. unlike the person above has said (for me atleast) they do not eat my shrimp, and RCS colony is growning in the tank. mine will eat nearly any frozen food i put in the tank, from blood and glassworms to BrineShrimp, and emerald entree. They also really love crushed snail. i have a snail problem in my shrimp tank, so the ones i catch i crush and give to my gudgeons. when they are young it is difficult sex them, but the males mature quickly and it become very obvious who is what. I am still trying get fry to survive.

 photo 100_3817_zpsb4cf3f91.jpg

The Peacock goby hails from the island of New Guinea where it has been found in a limited part of eastern Pompau, near two small towns named Safia and Popondetta. This region is covered in rain forest and the Peacock goby habit consists of the many slow moving streams and ponds that can be found in this part of the New Guinean jungle. Due to the very limited range of this species and the inaccessibility of the rainforest, the Peacock goby was only known by the local New Guinean inhabitants until the mid 20th century. It was first stumbled upon by foreigners in 1953, and within two years it had been official described by John T. Nichols of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. It would however take an additional three decades before it was introduced to aquarists in Australia and Europe.

Tina called out to me saying I shouldn’t be standing in this water.

She was right.  I am not used to worrying about crocodiles.  This is a very dangerous thing to be doing!

Lloyd Nielsen writes that there are about 69 species of true mangrove in the world, with 34 being found in the Daintree area.  I assumed that all mangroves were related, but in fact there are different families of them, mainly descended from rainforest plants in quite separate families.

We are on the south bank of Noah Creek.  Just at the edge of the creek bank and the beach we found these green ants in a nest on a branch of a mangrove.

Lloyd Nielsen writes that worker ants use silk-exuding larvae to sew the leaves together after other worker ants have pulled the edges together.  He also writes of a “Moth Butterfly”, the larvae of which feeds on the ants and grows to maturity in the nest!  The moth has loose scales which fall off when the ants attack it as it escapes after it matures.

I wonder how long these nests last.

Does the queen decamp to a new nest if the leaves start to die?

http://www.firstpr.com.au/show-and-tell/green-ants/

 photo Picture003_zps4aa07fc2.jpg

Housing

For a single pair, a 10-20 gallon aquarium is big enough to serve as breeding tank. If you want to keep more than one couple, you should ideally get a bigger aquarium to prevent the males from fighting each other during the breeding period. Peacock gobies spend there adult life close to the bottom and are therefore often housed together with fish species that prefer to stay in the upper parts of the aquarium.

The Peacock goby is known to appreciate a dimly lit aquarium where the temperature stays within the 76-80 degrees F range. The recommended pH-value is 7.0-7.4 and the total water hardness should not exceed 80 ppm (gh 4).

mangrove trees

If you want to breed Peacock gobies you must provide them with suitable spawning sites. You can for instance include caves, flowerpots and PVC pipes in the setup.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/gobyfish/peacock.php

Eggs
When the male has chosen one of the spawning sites he will start to swim around it and try to make a female enter it. If she is willing to breed with him, she will swim inside and start attaching her adhesive eggs to the roof. The male will alternate between staying inside and fertilizing eggs and staying outside to keep any intruders at bay. When the female has released all her eggs, the male will chase her away and stay to care for the eggs alone. A female Peacock Goby can produce up to 200 eggs per spawning, but young and small specimens produce much less than this.

There are about 80 species of mangrove trees, all of which grow in hypoxic (oxygen poor) soils where slow-moving waters allow fine sediments to accumulate (Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 2000). Many mangrove forests can be recognized by their dense tangle of prop roots that make the trees appear to be standing on stilts above the water. This tangle of roots helps to slow the movement of tidal waters, causing even more sediments to settle out of the water and build up the muddy bottom. Mangrove forests stabilize the coastline, reducing erosion from storm surges, currents, waves and tides.

It is recommended to let the male stay with the eggs because he will fan them with fresh water, thus preventing fungus and bacteria from attacking the eggs. He will also remove any unfertilized eggs and keep all other adult fish away from the spawning site.

Fry 
As the fry emerge, the male will stop caring for them and they can therefore fall prey to other adult fish in the aquarium or even be eaten by the father. It is therefore safest to move them to a separate fry rearing aquarium. The rearing aquarium should be set up well in advance and contain live plants, e.g. Java fern and Java moss, since infusoria that lives among the plants will serve as first food for the tiny fry. Soon they will be big enough to eat microworms and when they are roughly one week of age you can start giving them newly hatched brine shrimp.

A thick stand of mangroves with tangled roots lines an island creek in Panama.<div class='credit'><strong>Credit:</strong> Ilka C. Feller/Smithsonian Institution</div>

A thick stand of mangroves with tangled roots lines an island creek in Panama.

Credit:

Ilka C. Feller/Smithsonian Institution

Poor water quality will result in high fry mortality and small and frequent water changes are therefore imperative. Even when kept in ideal conditions and provided with nutritious food Peacock goby fry are slow growers and will normally not develop any coloration until they are at least three months of age.

I like that light hanging solution. You could probably sell something like that.

I haven’t tried that Bacopa in a riparium planter, but B. monnieri makes real nice carpeting lawn effect. It works best to put many stems into each planter. If you trim the stems when they grow past the trellis rafts they will grow more bushy and cover really well.

The tank pictured above is where I got the idea for using Bacopa. So would you recommend using it on a trellis raft instead and replant something different in the planter?

I originally wanted bacopa colorata but I could only get a couple stems of it, so I put them in my new emersed set up to maybe grow a few more stems of it.

This is the way to plant Bacopa. Put several stems in the planter, then let them drape forward onto the trellis raft. You should put it next to plants that won’t cast a lot of shade so that it can grow nice and thick.

I had Limnophila aromatica planted the same way in that tank and you can see it over on the left side.

There are various other emersed stems like Rotala and HM and others that you could probably grow like that. You could even stick two or three species in the same planter.

I also got a few stems of alternanthera reineckii, I planted them in my emersed tank, but I was thinking about adding them to this tank after I get them growing emersed. My plan with my emersed set up is to grow some different stems but mainly to keep crypts in hopes of them flowering.

The bacopa that I planted in the riparium planter doesn’t seem to be doing too hot. I think I’m going to pull the whole planter out and move it to my emersed tank. I figure if I can get it well established in the high humidity set up, I can then slowly make the transition to low humidity. Seems like the bacopa might have a better chance of it thriving then if I just leave it as is.

Mangroves are survivors. With their roots submerged in water, mangrove trees thrive in hot, muddy, salty conditions that would quickly kill most plants. How do they do it? Through a series of impressive adaptations—including a filtration system that keeps out much of the salt and a complex root system that holds the mangrove upright in the shifting sediments where land and water meet. Not only do mangroves manage to survive in challenging conditions, the mangrove ecosystem also supports an incredible diversity of creatures—including some species unique to mangrove forests. And, as scientists are discovering, mangrove swamps are extremely important to our own well-being and to the health of the planet. The question is: Will mangroves be able to survive the impact of human activities?

Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) nest in a mangrove in Ecuador�s Galapagos Islands.<div class='credit'><strong>Credit:</strong> Mark Jones</div>

04-13-2013

I just tossed in a little shrimp food. This is the first time I’ve fed them since I received them. So far I’ve had a lot of shrimp cruise by to check it out but only two have really stopped to eat.

Mangrove roots provide a tangled underwater habitat for many marine species.

A spectacled caiman patrols a salty pond at a Smithsonian research station in Panama.<div class='credit'><strong>Credit:</strong> Steven Paton, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</div>

Life Among Mangrove Roots

Dive underwater, and amangrove’s smooth brown roots suddenly take on the textures and hues of the multitude of marine organisms clinging to its bark. Anchored in mud, the roots are literally coated with creatures—barnacles, oysters, crabs, sponges, anemones, and much, much more. The dense, intertwiningroots serve as nurseries for many colorful coral reef fishes and for fishes valued by fishermen. Juvenile fish find shelter there during their first vulnerable weeks of life, before swimming off to deeper, more dangerous waters.

Marc Frischer from the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography studies bacteria at a Smithsonian field station.<div class='credit'><strong>Credit:</strong> Smithsonian Institution</div>

http://ocean.si.edu/mangroves

Mangrovestory4.jpg.scaled.500 What are Mangroves all about?

Mangroves live on the edge of land next to the sea. They live in mud
and salt water in an existence that would kill ordinary plants. They
have enormous root structures that hold them in place. Mangroves have
an ultra filtration system to keep much of the salt out, and support
biologically complex ecosystems in the complexity of roots.

So I think it’s time to prune the Pilea … http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=165107&page=11

 and replant the tops! I’ve also got one of my rip planters in my emersed set up to get the bacopa well established in it! I am wanting to add some more riparium plants but I haven’t figured out what! Suggestions anyone?

Mangrovestory7 What are Mangroves all about?

Mangroves act as nursery grounds for fish; a food source for monkeys, deer,
tree-climbing crabs, kangaroos; and nectar source for honeybees and
bats. Birds roost on the canopy, shellfish attach themselves to the
roots, and snakes and crocodiles come to hunt.

Get full text; support writer, producer of the words:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/weymouth/news/lifestyle/columnists/x114012197/Mom-and-Pop-mangrove-forests-act-as-supermarkets-to-poor

There are 70 species from two-dozen families, and range from humble
shrubs to towering 200-foot-high timber trees. They are most prolific
in Southeast Asia and live mostly within 30 degrees of the Equator,
but some have adapted to temperate zones, and one lives as far from
the Equator as New Zealand. Mangroves exist on the shores of Baja,
California; Florida and Central America, South America, Africa, India,
Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and around the Red Sea. Mangroves are
land builders of superior ability as their plants of interlocking
roots stop river borne sediment from coursing out to sea, and trunks
and branches diminish the erosive power of waves. The mangrove forests
act as supermarkets to the poor throughout the tropical world. They
come as woodcutters, cutters of thatching grass, palm-frond cutters,
harvesters of wild honey, seafood, fruits, medicines and raw materials
and for beer and cigarettes.

Mangrovestory6.jpg.scaled.500 What are Mangroves all about?

04-28-2013

You should cut the Pilea back quite a bit so that there is just one or two leaf nodes above the trellis raft. Each stem should sprout two new shoots from the base of each leaf node, so as it grows back it will be more bushy.

To replant the stems that you have cut just trim the pair of leaves from the bottom leaf node and then plant in the hole in the trellis raft.

This setup could look good with other Ruellia ‘Katie’. You might also like some Lysimachia  in there as a carpeting plant.

05-12-2013

So I figured it was time for a little update! This tank has been doing very well, both plants and shrimp! I had a nice looking female that was berried about a month ago. She disappeared for about a week, and reappeared sans eggs. I finally found a baby today! The baby shrimp was maybe a quarter of an inch long. The moss in there had been doing well so I didn’t really expect to see any of the young shrimp until they were at least that big.

Btw, What is a group of newborn/young shrimp called?? Batch, clutch, litter?!?! Hahaha…

Baby Shrimp!

Mangrovestory2 What are Mangroves all about?

Unfortunately, mangroves are under threat worldwide. Housing developments, aquaculture ponds, roads, port facilities, hotels, golf courses, and farms are destroying them. Also, oil spills, chemical pollution, sediment overload and disruption of their sensitive water and salinity balance are all factors working against mangroves. Perhaps the greatest threat to mangroves is from shrimp farming. Shrimp has overtaken tuna to become America’s favorite seafood, and rich countries have an insatiable appetite for it.

o..O darn, I wish I saw this journal before. Looking amazing and now I have to play catch-up.

On a side note, isn’t Devin just amazing? He spent a ton of time dealing with my silly questions.

also a couple shots of my 20L emersed tank!

Mangrovestory3 What are Mangroves all about?

The shore zone inhabited by the mangroves is perfect for shrimp farms, and commerce trumps the mangrove. To make matters worse, shrimp farmers abandon their ponds after a few crop cycles – to avoid disease and declining
productivity – and move to new sites, destroying more mangroves. Shrimp farming pioneers, such as Thailand, the Philippines and Ecuador, who have been uprooting their mangroves for decades, are being joined by mangrove-rich Brazil. In the port city of Fortaleza of Brazil, ponds the size of football fields crowd the landscape. Paddle wheel aerators froth the water as workers in kayaks fill feeding trays with fish meal, and even where mangroves have been spared, access is blocked by shrimp farms.

Get full text; support writer, producer of the words:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/weymouth/news/lifestyle/columnists/x114012197/Mom-and-Pop-mangrove-forests-act-as-supermarkets-to-poor

05-14-2013

06-09-2013

Shrimp are pretty sensitive to water changes especially between extreme water differences. From what I’ve read you are doing water changes with tap but doing top offs with RO water(no need to add prime, RO is just pure water).It could be that the RO water is causing a shock to the juvie shrimp and killing them. For cherry shrimp tds is not as important as consistent water quality(which also means keeping the tds at a reasonable level).I’m suspecting the RO water is the culprit, not because anything is wrong with it but because it is vastly different from your current water conditions. If it contained copper you would be seeing a much larger die off(I would assume).Basically it comes down to what maintenance regimen you want to have. If RO water top off is the cause of death for the shrimp(its the only variable that changes before the shrimp die) then you can change your methods and see if you find a better method.Regular tap water changes wont bring your tds below what your tap water is but you can maintain your tds to near what your tap is and provide a more consistent ecosystem. If your tds gets out of hand( I do not even believe this is a big issue for neos) then you could try 50% RO 50% tap(de-chlorinated of course) for your top offs/water changes.Different things work for different people, its all about finding what works for you. From my experience all neos need is good kh/gh levels and consistent water quality(I have a 20g with 50+ cherries started from 10 and a 5g with the beginnings of a blue velvet colony).Good news is your shrimp are breeding so you are obviously doing something right! 
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3 tanks, one bedroom. 5/10/20g Low tech.



The room 20g Long
The current 20Specs:-20gallon long
-t5NO 2x18w lighting fixture
-Azoo Aqua soil
-Aquaclear 30
-Marineland 75w heater-Amazon Swords (removed)
-Ludwigia
-Java Moss
-Java Fern
-Anubias
-Water Sprite
-Rosefolia (died)
-Dwarf Hairgrass (doing so so)
-Some kind of Sagittaria
-Rotala Vietnam
-Hydrocotyle Verticillata (Pogo!)-Alpine Manzanita driftwood
-Various slate peices
-Ryuoh stoneThe Journal(newest to oldest):
6/29/13
The 20g is now co2 equipped. After some fiddling with the diffuser (in conjunction with the tank flow) and bubbles per second, the tank is growing astronomically well. The above photo was taken about 6 weeks after the addition of co2. Compare how far we have come below:
5/14/13
First day with co2.


4/21/13
This tank is doing great. Had a bit of a disease issue for a while and lost some embers and galaxies. Most likely it was costia or parasite infection. Treated with aqua cure pro and kanaplex. Removed and euthanized infected fish. The cherry shrimp population is up to around 40 or 50 now displaying a variety of colors, red, brown, pinkish, rili looking etc. Just letting it do its thing and letting nature take its course. The tank is also very heavily planted with a variety of stem plants. Added 2 siamese algae eaters about 2 days ago which seem to be liking their new home. I have been dosing liquid co2 now for about a week and the plants are responding well. (battling hair algae :O)


1/8/13
20 is doing well, trimmed the moss a bit. Looking for a cheap co2 setup 😡


12/8/12
Cherry shrimp been breeding as they do, have about 25 now. Letting the tank get overgrown.


11/15/12
Shrimp breeding like crazy, tanks getting overgrown and pretty full. Moved the java fern to the front and the root system is nice looking. Tanks doing well, had to break up the large anubias into several peices.


9/14/12
Long time no update, this is how the 20 looks right now, pretty planted 10 ember tetra 7 galaxy rasbora 6 cherry red shrimp 3 oto cats. 21 different types of plants, assassin snails, filter baffle. Not dosing anything. Just light and substrate.


7/15/12
Got a lot more plants and rearanged everything. Added some moss to the wood via fishing line and moved a lot of the slate around. In between this time and the previous date I also leveled the tank(was getting on my nerves seeing the waterline off :O. Not sure if this is the final setup, kinda like it and don’t so unsure.


7/6/12
Planted some more plants and weighed the driftwood down with some slate.

Mangrovestory5.jpg.scaled.500 What are Mangroves all about?
Villages are shut out from their traditional harvesting grounds in Port do Ceu- ‘the gates of Paradise’ – by an electric fence. Even worse, the shrimp farms have no lining, so salt water has percolated through the sandy soil and contaminated the aquifer beneath. Wells that drew fresh water to the surface are now saline and undrinkable. Demonstrations have been organized against Big Shrimp in Curral Velho, a community to the west of Fortaleza. Land deals have been challenged, and a public education center set up to
raise awareness to the environmental damage the shrimpers are causing.
10 gallon
-2 5100k cfl bulbs
-MiracleGro Organic potting soil
-Aquaclear 20
-Topfin 50w heater-amazon swords
-ruffle swords
-java moss
-a variety of anubias
-java ferns
-duckweed
-anacharis
-driftwood-7 neon tetras
-3 amano shrimps
-2 oto meowmeows
-2 assassin snailsThe Journal(newest to oldest):
4/21/13
The 10 is still alive and kicking! Lost one neon to constipation/overfeeding issue. It was a female food hog. I am now feeding less and they seem to be responding well. Lots of floating plants in this tank taking over, so far I’m liking the look and the nitrates are noticeably reduced. Have about 70+ assassin snails in this tank which are being fed algae wafers and flakes and seem to be thriving. Possibly going to sell some of them to lessen the population. Dirted tank is really awesome but the gravel does get a bit icky, mts might solve that issue but with the amount of assassins they would be instantly consumed :x.
1/13/13
Changed the scape on the 10 to give the neons more room. Trimmed the plants and moved the driftwood back a bit.
1/8/13
Replaced the stock hood with a glass top and light fixture with two screw in cfl bulbs. Added a ton of plants I picked up from someone off craigslist. Neons ottos and amanos are still doing fine. The male amano went missing for a week but showed up out of the blue just when I thought he’d left for good. Having some issues with fungus on the wood and black beard algae. Not so much since I got the new fixture though, it cuts back the light a bit.
12/5/12
First tank is doing good still, assassin snails breeding like crazy, have at least 40 now and feeding them algae wafers. Neons got pretty big, swords growing, some algae issues but nothing major.
7/16/12
Update on the 10g. Moved one of the swords to the 20g tank, anacharis is growing like crazy and managing to keep the duckweed under control. Also have tons of baby assassin snails. Might sell them to my local fish store  The anubias second on the right had some algae problems and one of the leaves is falling off. Ruffle sword not doing too well also. Other than that all is good and the fish are happy.


6/22/12
Added small branch driftwood around the tank to even things out a bit. Made a moss tree with one of the branches behind the large driftwood. Trimmed some of the sword leaves that were dying off. Ended up turning the driftwood around and moving some plants around to provide a better feel to the tank.


6/14/12
Added anubias coffeefolia to the front center of the tank. Moved the heater to a new location because it was causing the duckweed to gather inbetween it and the filter(made a mess  ). Java ferns growing a ton!


6/8/12
Weekly water change. Moved the heater to a less visible position and moved the moss onto the driftwood. Moss tree! 


6/2/12
Neons getting bigger and tank still growing well, Also added 2 oto which seem to be doing well.


5/26/12
Tank starting to become grown. Added 3 java ferns.


5/10/12
Added 3 Amano shrimp! 2 females with eggs and 1 male.


5/4/12
Clear Water after water change.


5/2/12
Water a bit brownish due to leached tannin from the driftwood.


4/24/12
Added 4 neon tetras around this time.


4/18/12
Removed faux drift wood/added moss/more anacharis.


4/2/12
Day 1 After filling the tank(water a bit murky due to the dirt still seeping though the gravel).

Mangrovestory What are Mangroves all about?
Mangrovestory What are Mangroves all about?
I believe young shrimp are more prone to falling victim to metals or slight fluctuations as a result of spikes caused by substrate disturbance.Topping off with RO shouldn’t be causing a huge parameter shift unless you’re adding gallons and gallons and the TDS, hardness and such are wildly fluctuating. If you’re not doing daily top-offs – or if you are and it’s a ton of water – try slowly dripping your top-off water back into the tank instead of pouring it all at once.Mangroves are carbon factories, and the carbon remains sequestered for thousands of years, but the shrimp ponds allow the stored carbon back into the atmosphere – but 50 times faster than it was sequestered! Calls for mangrove preservation gained following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but only briefly. Intact mangroves served as natural breakwaters, and lessened property damage while saving lives.
06-18-2013
07-04-2013
Just like the high and low areas of salt marshes where specific types of grasses are found, mangals have distinct zones characterized by the species of mangrove tree that grows there. Where a species of mangrove tree exists depends on its tolerance for tidal flooding, soil salinity, and the availability of nutrients. Three dominant species of mangrove tree are found Florida mangals. The red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) colonizes the seaward side of the mangal, so it receives the greatest amount of tidal flooding. Further inland and at a slightly higher elevation, black mangroves (Avicennia germinanas) grow. The zone in which black mangrove trees are found is only shallowly flooded during high tides. White mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa) and buttonwood trees (Conocarpus erectus), a non-mangrove species (Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 2000), face inland and dominate the highest parts of the mangal. The zone where white mangrove and buttonwood trees grow is almost never flooded by tidal waters.

A unique mix of marine and terrestrial species lives in mangal ecosystems. The still, sheltered waters among the mangrove roots provide protective breeding, feeding, and nursery areas for snapper, tarpon, oysters, crabs, shrimp and other species important to commercial and recreational fisheries. Herons, brown pelicans, and spoonbills all make their nests in the upper branches of mangrove trees. (Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 2000). (Photo: Rookery Bay NERRS site)

Voici pourquoi j’ai parlé de mangrove aujourd’hui : ici la plante qui fait le lien entre le journal du riparium et la mangrove :

Status of Philippine Mangroves

The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands bordered by 36,300 km coastline along mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and coral reefs. It’s bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the South China Sea to the west, the Bashi Channel to the north and the Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea to the south. The country is divided into the geographical areas of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Its capital, Manila, is in Luzon while the premier city of Cebu is in Visayas and Davao City is Mindanao.

The recent report of FAO (2007) listed a total of 73 true mangroves worldwide; of which Philippines has 35 species (Primavera et al. 2004), Indonesia has 43, India has 32, Malaysia has 41, Singapore has 32, Thailand has 34, China has 28, Japan has 11, and Cambodia has 16 among others.

Among the mangrove sites in Philippines with high diversity were the island-province of Guimaras with 30 species (Sadaba et al. 2009), Davao Gulf with 30 species (Flores 2003), Semirara Island with 28 (Barnuevo in press), island-province of Bohol with 26 species (Mapalo 1992), Pagbilao Bay in Quezon province with 24 species (Bravo 1996), east coast of Samar with 22 species (Mendoza and Alura 2001), Ibajay in Aklan province with 22 species (Primavera 2000), and Puerto Galera, Mindoro and San Remegio, Cebu with 18 species (Baconguis et al. n.d., and Buot 1994).

Mangroves are considered to be a unique ecological environment that host richassemblages of species, a highly-valuable ecosystem to sustain biodiversity, and encompass economic and social aspects. However, despite the significance of mangroves they remained under constant threat from direct and indirect anthropogenic pressures. Human pressures on coastal ecosystem are often high, with land competition for aquaculture, agriculture, infrastructure, and tourism (FAO 2007). The main causes of loss of mangrove area in Asia have been exploitation and the development aquaculture farms. Around 50% of mangrove loss in the Philippines can be traced back to brackishwater pond construction (Primavera 1995). From half a million hectares at the turn of the century, Philippine mangroves have declined to only 120,000 ha while fish/shrimp culture ponds have increased dramatically to 232,000 ha (Figure 1). Pond area construction peaked at 4,000 – 5,000 ha/yr in the 1950s and 1960s with government incentives in the form of loans. Another widespread mechanism by which mangroves have been lost from public domain is when local residents or even outsiders stake claim on mangrove areas by paying to municipal governments a real estate tax on such areas. In addition, anthropogenic activities such as firewood gathering, harvesting of timber products and fishing poles, among others contributed also to the degradation of mangroves.

The degraded mangrove forest of Philippines consequently brought a chain effects in other ecosystem functions. With the destruction of mangrove areas, parallel destruction of equally important coastal ecosystems like seagrass and coral reef ecosystems have also deteriorated (Figure 2). About 70% of the Philippines’ coral has been destroyed, with about 25% still in good condition and only about 5% in excellent condition. As a result, the productivity of coastal fisheries measured in terms of fish catch also suffered a serious decline. It is estimated that there is a reduction of 670 kg in fish catch for every hectare of mangrove forest that is clear-cut (Melana et al. 2000, CRMP 1998).
Because of these alarming threats to Philippine mangrove forests, efforts to restore the area have been tremendous. Multilateral agencies extended funds to rehabilitate the damaged mangrove forests. Table 1 shows the major externally funded mangrove rehabilitation projects in the Philippines. Moreover, the Philippine government promulgated several laws and policies to protect and restore the mangrove areas.

The earliest documented mangrove plantations in the country more than 100 years are those of bakhaw Rhizophora species and nipa palm Nypa fruticansaround Manila Bay (Brown and Fischer 1920). Generally, mangrove planting for coastal protection has been undertaken mainly in the Visayas, in the central part of Philippines whose numerous islands are more vulnerable to typhoons (Primavera and Esteban 2008). In particular, as early as 1950s local residents of Banacon Island, Getafe, Bohol planted mangroves through the visionary leadership of Nong Denciong. For his pioneering effort and visionary spirit, he was given the Likas Yaman Award by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in 1989 and the best Farmer Award by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the King of Thailand in 1991. Nowadays, the island of Banacon is now known for its 425 ha man-made mangrove forest.

With the concerted efforts of mangrove restoration coming from the Philippine government, non-government organizations (NGO), local residents, academe, and several multi-lateral agencies, recent estimate of Philippine mangrove showed a significant increase (Table 2). Base on the global rankings of mangroves area in terms of area cover, Philippines ranked number 15th with an area of 263,137 ha or 1.9% global contribution. Indonesia has the highest with more than 3 million hectares of mangrove forest.

Fast Facts About Mangroves

Family: Rhizophoraceae, Acanthaceae

Genus: Rhizophora (Bakau), Acanthus

Common Names: Red and Black Mangrove

Number of Species: 110

Salinity Tolerance: between 30 to 90 ppt (parts per thousand, grams of salt per kilogram)

Name of habitat: Mangal (found in depositional tropical coastlines)

Mangrove Fruits: Propagules

Rate of survival: 10%

MANGROVES have a great propensity to sequester carbon from the atmosphere and store this in their wetland substrate and give in more oxygen.

This reduces the amount of excess carbon in the air, thereby lessening the greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

Mangrove trees thrive in salty conditions. It has the ability to grow where no other tree can. Their coverage of coastal shorelines and wetland in Olango Island provides many diverse species of birds, mammals, crustaceans and fish a unique habitat. Fish hatches their eggs on mangrove roots; angroves preserve water quality and reduce pollution by filtering suspended material and assimilating dissolved nutrients.

The tree is the  foundation in a complex marine food chain and the detrital food cycle. As mangrove leaves drop into tidal waters, they are colonized within a few hours by marine bacteria that convert difficult to digest carbon compounds into nitrogen rich detritus material .

The resulting pieces covered with microorganisms become food for the smallest animals such as worms, snails, shrimps, mollusks, mussels, barnacles, clams, oysters. These detritus eaters are food for carnivores including crabs, fish, birds and follow the food chain culminating with man.

Propagule Planting

The fruits of the most mangrove trees are called Propagules. They are collected by  volunteers from Barangay Sabang either by shaking fruiting branches, by collecting recently fallen propagules, or by manually detaching them from the branches.

Propagules already germinate even before detaching from the tree’s branches (viviparous) and thus very easy to plant.

It  requires 75% of the body be directly planted in the sand  because of the water current around, and 10% only of the planted propagules may successfully root in the muddy sand and grow.

White Cloud Mountain Minnows : Menu frétin de la Montagne au nuage blanc

Ce matin un mini Brigittae et une crevette manquent à l’appel…
DSC05019
Deux ou trois grosses femelles Minnows (qui veut dire “frétin” en anglais) sont très nerveuses et agressives, ce qui pourrait expliquer que les autres se cachent. L’eau est à 25 en surface (moins en profondeur) et le frétin a besoin d’une eau de 23 maximum.
DSC05037
Je ne les ai nourri que de daphnies, fourmis et oeufs de grillons en petite quantité depuis mercredi et lundi seulement je leur donnerai des flocons. Est-ce une raison supplémentaire pour être agressive?
Grillons...

Grillons…

Je veux voir leur comportement lorsqu’ils ne reçoivent pas de flocons. Je veux aussi qu’ils mangent au moins les oeufs de poissons de marre et autres bébés plannaires qui peuplent l’eau. Résultat :  j’ai réussi puisqu’il n’y a plus de plannaires depuis deux jours et moins d’oeufs d’escargots.
Escargots...

Escargots…

Ci-dessous je copie les raisons pourquoi ils sont agressifs : eau trop chaude, petit groupe et petit bac explique les raisons pourquoi ils vont partout pourchassant n’importe qui, n’importe quoi :
I know that white cloud mountain minnows are supposed to be a peaceful schooling fish, but my group of 5 seem to really chase each other and my other fish. Is this common? They have been chasing my lemon tetras and cardinal tetras. I have moved them to another tank due to temperature differences, but I was curious since they were so busy chasing the other fish…
Colonie de pucerons. Il y a beaucoup de fourmis en ce moment et les feuilles de la Sword Amazonia étant disposée de façon à ce que les fourmis peuvent venir élever leurs pucerons, ces pucerons font aussi une nourriture pour les poissons...

Colonie de pucerons. Il y a beaucoup de fourmis en ce moment et les feuilles de la Sword Amazonia étant disposée de façon à ce que les fourmis peuvent venir élever leurs pucerons, ces pucerons font aussi une nourriture pour les poissons…

what size tank do you have ? and how many fish in total are there?
They are good community fish and mine school together without any problems among the other fish in the tank.
Le PH oscille entre 6.8 hier et 7 ce matin. Le KH est aussi de 7, ce qui fait que le CO2 est bon mais je dois faire baisser le PH pour mon but : la reproduction des Brigittae...

Le PH oscille entre 6.8 (vert très clair sur cette photo) hier et 7 (vert clair) ce matin. Le KH est aussi de 7, ce qui fait que le CO2 est bon mais je dois faire baisser le PH pour mon but : la reproduction des Brigittae…

Shoaling fish (meaning, fish that live in large groups in nature) must be maintained in groups in an aquarium. Six is usually considered minimum for most shoaling fish, though there are exceptions (needing more than 6). When shoaling fish are kept in smaller numbers, aggression is often the result, even from otherwise “peaceful” species. Not long ago I posted a link to a recent study proving heightened aggression in shoaling fish when the group was less than 5-6.

DSC05043

Photo de mercredi lorsque tous les poissons étaient en acclimatation avant leur mise en eau… L’aquarium est volontairement très planté dès le départ. Je jardinerai en fonction ensuite… J’attends toujours les ciseaux d’ebay d’Australie (près d’un mois d’attente!) pour éliminer les feuilles…

The other issue is tank size; fish in tanks that do not provide enough space also will frequently show increased aggression, or aggression from again an otherwise peaceful species. Fish that like to swim, such as White Clouds, need space to do so, or they will feel “boxed in.”

Voilà à quoi ressemblait la maison des grillons une fois emballés en magasin : carton à oeufs et deux femelles, un mâle.

Voilà à quoi ressemblait la maison des grillons une fois emballés en magasin : carton à oeufs et deux femelles, un mâle.

Temperature is another factor. You’ve mentioned that, so I won’t say more, other than keeping cool water species in warmer tanks can cause stress, and aggression is one result of stress.

J'ai donné aux grillon de l'amarante bio soufflée que je n'aime pas...

J’ai donné aux grillon de l’amarante bio soufflée que je n’aime pas…

Thanks for the info. It is a 45 gallon tank. I had 6 lemon tetras, 6 pygmy cories, and the 5 white cloud mountain minnows to start (initially 6 of each,but one white cloud passed away). I then added 9 small cardinal tetras and 4 more pygmy cories. I also don’t believe that all of the pygmy cories are accounted for. They were very shy and I couldn’t get a full count.

DSC05044

Mercredi, j’ai aussi trouvée une plante qui une fois sortie par le vendeur du bac aviat une dizaine de pousses d’autres plantes agrippées à elle! génial…

I have moved the white cloud mountain minnows to a cooler tank. I am thinking I will see if the LFS will take them back since the other tank is only a ten gallon. Hopefully the white cloud mountain minnows are happier in the other tank temporarily.

C’est ce que j’ai fait aussi pour les deux grosses femelles agressives et un prétendu mâle pour voir… de toute façon je ne suis pas sûr que je veuille plus de deux ou trois mâles dans le riparium maintenant…

DSC05228

I am now seeing more of the pygmy cories and they are starting to swim with the tetras again, so I think things are improving.

Sounds good. As you are experiencing first hand, there is a lot of wisdom in carefully researching a fish species before acquisition, as many may not be well suited to a particular environment, and having fish in a community tank that share the same environmental needs is a major step to healthy, happy fish.

I need to remember when I am at the LFS to stay on track with what I have studied and not rely on their info for certain fish. After this event I am now going to think about their suggestions and trust the info I have found here and researched myself.

Are white cloud mountain minnows known to be aggressive fin nippers?

Because it seems that out of the 6 white cloud mountain minnows I have, one was bullied to death. There is a very large one, so that could have been the fish that nipped the other to death. I’ve noticed that one of the smaller ones has a nipped fin. How can I solve this aggressiveness?

Additional Details

I have a very small aquarium (less than 3 gallons), so it only contained the 6 white cloud mountain minnows. They never schooled, I guess because it was such a small tank.
No they are not known to be aggressive fin nippers. There are known as being peaceful. Your tank is too small: that is why they are being aggressive. I would get a larger tank and a few more W.C. minnows. Your tank is so small they hardly have room to school and W.C. minnows are definitely schooling fish. Usually in larger groups fish are happier, more secure resulting in more peace. My opinion: bigger tank and a few more friends.
they need to be in schools of at least 6 or they will get stressed and act out in many undesirable ways.
J’ai donc pris trois des plus agressifs et je les ai mis dans un sceau avec plantes, lentilles d’eau, eau de pluie, eau déchlorisée depuis plus de 2 jours ; l’eau est à la température de la petite cour : une vingtaine de degrés. Le frétin (pour ne pas dire la friture!) devrait se plairent là et peut être faire des petits qui fournirait un bon aliment pour les autres poissons et une première bonne expérience d’alevins pour moi. Autant dire qu’ils sont vraiment du frétin mais du beau, j’adore la couleur rouge des mâles éffilés.
DSC05088

Horadandia atukorali, Rasboroides vaterifloris, Trigonostigma heteromorpha

Horadandia atukorali DERANIYAGALA, 1943

Classification

OrderCypriniformes FamilyCyprinidae

Distribution

Native to Sri Lanka and southern India where in the latter it’s restricted to Kerala and Tamil Nadu states plus the Union State of Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry). A subspeciesH. a. brittani, was described by Devi and Menon in 1992 from Pathiramanal Island, Vembanad Lake, Kerala but was brought into synonymy by Menon just a year later.

Habitat

Apparently shows a preference for sluggish and still waters such as rice paddies, swamps and weedy ponds, tending to be most common in flood plains and other lowland areas. It’s also been collected from ditches with dense growths of submerged vegetation. In Kerala species inhabiting similar environments includeCarinotetraodon imitatorLaubuca dadiburjoriAplocheilus parvusPseudosphromenus dayi and P. cupanus.

Maximum Standard Length

20 – 30 mm.

Aquarium SizeTOP ↑

A group is best kept in an aquarium with base measurements upwards of measuring upwards of 45 ∗ 30cm.

Maintenance

Best kept in a densely-planted tank and is an excellent choice for the carefully-aquascaped set-up. The addition of some floating plants and driftwood roots or branches to diffuse the light entering the tank also seems to be appreciated and adds a more natural feel. Filtration should be relatively gentle.

Water Conditions

Temperature20 – 26 °C

pH5.5 – 7.5

Hardness36 – 215 ppm

Diet

Chiefly a micropredator feeding on small insects, worms, crustaceans and other zooplankton in nature. In the aquarium it will accept dried foods of a suitable size but should not be fed these exclusively. Daily meals of small live and frozen fare such as DaphniaArtemia, Moina, etc., along with good quality flakes and granules will result in the best colouration and encourage the fish to come into breeding condition.

Behaviour and CompatibilityTOP ↑

This species is very peaceful but does not make an ideal community fish due to its small size and rather timid nature. It will do best when maintained alone or with other diminutive species such as MicrodevarioSundadanioDanionellaEirmotusTrigonostigma, pygmy Corydoras and small Loricariids such as Otocinclus.

It also makes an ideal companion for shy anabantoids such as SphaerichthysParosphromenus or the more diminutive Betta species and in a planted set-up can be housed alongside freshwater shrimp of the genera Caridina and Neocaridina.

It’s a schooling species by nature and really should be kept in a group of at least 10-12 specimens. Maintaining it in decent numbers will not only make the fish less nervous but will result in a more effective, natural-looking display. Males will also display their best colours and some interesting behaviour as they compete with one other for female attention.

Sexual Dimorphism

Mature females are noticeably rounder-bellied and usually larger than males.

Reproduction

This species hasn’t been bred often in aquaria but the few reports that do exist suggest it’s not too difficult. Like many small cyprinids this species is an egg-scattering, continuous spawner that exhibits zero parental care.

A marshy habitat of the species in the state of Kerala, southern India. © Hayath

http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/horadandia-atukorali/

Boraras naevus CONWAY & KOTTELAT, 2011

Classification

OrderCypriniformes FamilyCyprinidae

Distribution

Known only from southern (peninsular) Thailand with the type series originating from a swamp some 83 km north of Surat Thani city, Surat Thani province. It’s been recorded at additional locations, all within the lower Tapi river drainage on the Gulf of Thailand slope of the Malay Peninsula.

In the description Conway and Kottelat (2011) report the occurence of a similar-looking, possiblyconspecific fish on the Andaman Sea side of the Peninsula, close to Trang province.

Habitat

Inhabits shallow bodies of clear water such as swamps and marshes, with other members of the genustending to prefer areas where submerged vegetation grows thickly. Many of its potential habitats have already been converted to rice paddies.

Maximum Standard Length

15 – 20 mm.

Aquarium SizeTOP ↑

Though small it still needs space to swim and dominant males will form temporary territories when spawningso a group is best kept in a tank with base dimensions of at least 40 ∗ 20 cm.

Maintenance

Best kept in a densely-planted tank and is an excellent choice for the carefully-aquascaped set-up. The addition of some floating plants and driftwood roots or branches to diffuse the light entering the tank also seems to be appreciated and adds a more natural feel.

Filtration does not need to be particularly strong as it is likely to hail from sluggish waters and may struggle if there is a fast current. Do not add this fish to a biologically immature tank as it can be susceptible to swings in water chemistry.

Water Conditions

Temperature24 – 28 °C

pH: Seems to prefer slightly acidic to neutral water in the range 6.0 – 7.0.

Hardness18 – 179 ppm

Adult female; note the smaller size of the anterior lateral marking. © Peter Macguire:

Adult female; note the smaller size of the anterior lateral marking. © Peter Macguire

The congeneric B. urophthalmoides is often traded as B. brigittae, presumably in order to obtain a more favourable price. Though these are similar in that they’re the only two members of the genus to possess a dark lateral body stripe B. brigittae is easily identifiable by its larger adult size, lack of distinct dark blotch at the caudal peduncle, comparitively short, often broken lateral stripe and overall brighter, more uniformly red patterning. It’s sometimes seen on sale with the alternative vernacular names ‘chili rasbora’ or ‘dwarf rasbora’.

B. merah is also similar-looking but it lacks colour in much of the body with the red pigmentation tending to be concentrated around the dark body markings which do not form an unbroken stripe.

Boraras was erected in 1993 in order to separate a small group of species from the larger Rasbora assemblage on the basis of differences in morphology and reproductive strategy.

In older literature they are therefore referred to as members of Rasbora and following Liao et al. (2010) the genus is a member of the rasborin sub-group within the subfamily Danioninae (the other sub-group contains the danionins).

This group is further subdivided into six clades (clusters of closely-related species) of which Boraras (or at least B. brigittae; the only species involved in the study) is included in ‘clade three’ alongside Horadandia atukoraliRasboroides vateriflorisTrigonostigma heteromorpha and three species previously included in Rasbora but moved into new genera by the authors; Trigonopoma gracileT. pauciperforatum and Rasbosoma spilocerca.

Of these it was found to form a monophyletic group with Rasboroides meaning these two derived from the same common ancestor. The results for B. brigittae and T. heteromorpha were found to be inconclusive in some respects and further work regarding their phylogenetic position was recommended.

Shortly afterwards a paper investigating systematics of the subfamily Danioninae was published by Tang et al. (2010) Their results differed from those of Liao et al. and their conclusion was to synonymise the four new genera plus Boraras and Trigonostigma with Rasbora based on an incomplete knowledge of relationships within the group, an approach they describe as ‘more conservative’. Boraras and Trigonostigma are retained separately here on SF pending future studies as this is the nomenclature most familiar to aquarists.

The small adult size in Boraras species evolved via a process known as miniaturisation, characterised by sexually mature adults with a significantly reduced size of less than 20 mm SL.

Among bony fishes cyprinids are one of the few groups in which this phenomenon occurs repeatedly with all BarboidesDanionellaMicrodevarioMicrorasboraHoradandiaBorarasPaedocyprisSawbwa and Sundadanio species representing miniaturised taxa along with a few members of DanioLaubuca and Rasbora. All show a preference for still or slow-moving waters, often in nutrient-poor habitats such as forest peat swamps.

The anatomical structure of miniaturised cyprinids can vary greatly, and there are two principle ‘groupings’ with some species possessing intermediate features to some degree. The first contains those fishes which though small are essentially proportionally dwarfed versions of their larger relatives, e.g., BarboidesMicrodevarioMicrorasboraHoradandiaBorarasSawbwaSundadanioDanioLaubuca and Rasbora.

The other includes those in which anatomical development stops at a point where adult still resemble a larval form of their larger ancestor, i.e., Danionella and Paedocypris.

The latter are usually referred to as ‘developmentally truncated’ or ‘paedomorphic‘ and are thought to have evolved via a process known as ‘progenetic paedomorphosis’ i.e. paedomorphosis brought about by accelerated maturation.

They typically exhibit a simplified skeletal structure along with species-specific morphological peculiarities such as the tooth-like projections in male Danionella dracula.

Britz et al. (2009) consider that developmental truncation may have facilitated the development of such novelties ‘by freeing large parts of the skeleton from developmental constraints, dissociating developmentally linked pathways and creating a greater potential for more dramatic changes’.

Boraras species from the Malay Archipelago (B. brigittaeB. maculatus and B. merah) tend to have a slimmer, more elongate body profile than those from Indochina (B. microsB. urophthalmoidesB. naevus) which may assist when attempting to identify them.

NB: Boraras was synonymised with Rasbora by Tang et al. (2010) and members are referred to that genus by some recent authors. This system will undoubtedly change again in the future so we’ve retained Boraras pending confirmation of its validity.

Boraras urophthalmoides (KOTTELAT, 1991)

Classification

OrderCypriniformes FamilyCyprinidae

Some populations have a yellow upper lateral stripe...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
 © Choy Heng Wah.

Distribution

Described from a freshwater swamp associated with the Sai Buri River in Pattani province, southern (peninsular) Thailand but currently considered to range throughout much of southern and central parts of the country, with the province of Narathiwat on the border with Peninsular Malaysia appearing to represent the southern limit of its range.

...others orange... © Zhou Hang.

Additional records are not extensive but it seemingly occurs throughout the Mae Klong and Chao Phrayariver basins and has been recorded in both Vietnam and Cambodia where one notable population inhabits the moats and ponds of the Angkor Wat temple complex near Siem Reap.

http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/boraras-urophthalmoides/

...such as <i>Daphnia</i>. © Peter Macguire

Habitat

Inhabits shallow bodies of water such as swamps, marshes, floodplains and rice paddies where it’s typically associated with submerged vegetation in predominantly clear water. It’s also known to move into temporarily inundated areas during the wet season.

Maximum Standard Length

12 – 16 mm.

This species enjoys small live foods... © Peter Macguire

File:Red Cherry Shrimp 1.jpg

Red cherry shrimp respond to the colour of their background and substrate. If they are kept in a tank with light-coloured substrate, they will become paler, or even transparent. On a darker substrate, they take on their full red colouration. Colour intensity also depends on the types of food available (live foods and those high in protein and fats are more beneficial than flake foods), water pH, and temperature.

File:Red Cherry Shrimp.jpg

Periodically a shrimp will shed its exoskeleton, leaving an empty white ghost of itself caught in the plants or drifting around the tank. This should be left in the tank, as the shrimp will eat it to recover the valuable minerals it contains.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_shrimp

Female pregnant cherry shrimps tend to hide in the dark. If they feel endangered by predators, they will abandon their eggs. They need an environment with wood or plants such as Java moss in which to hide themselves and their babies. When they are carrying the eggs under their bodies, they can be witnessed circulating water over the eggs with their pleopods (swimming legs) to ensure good health.

Red Cherry Shrimp

Sexing

Sexing the Red Cherry Shrimp is very easy. Females are easy to identify as they are larger than the males, have a much darker red coloration, and also have a curved underbelly. In the photo below you can see how the male is smaller, has very little red coloration and the “under belly” is a straight line with no curved shape. After keeping the Red Cherry Shrimp for a little amount of time you will be able to sex this species without a problem.Red Cherry Shrimp Male and Female Comparison

The male is smaller and less colorful than the female. The male’s tail, not being needed to carry eggs, is thinner. The female is larger and displays a much darker and more extensive red color, and often has a “saddle” marking of developing eggs.

Image:Aquarium_plants_red_cherry_shrimp.jpg

Breeding

Red Cherry Shrimp Eggs Close Up Showing Eyes

Breeding red cherry shrimp is as easy as putting an adult male and female together in an aquarium. You can observe the eggs developing in the female’s ovaries as a green or yellow triangular “saddle” marking on her back. When she is ready to lay the eggs, which occurs after moulting, she releases pheromones into the water to signal her availability to males. The male shrimp in the tank will often become agitated, swimming very actively about as they search for the source of the pheromones. After a brief mating process, the female lays her eggs and affixes them to her swimmerettes.

Image:Shrimp05_852.jpg

They have 20–30 eggs, which take 2–3 weeks to hatch. The eggs are green or yellow, depending on the colour of the saddle. They turn darker and darker until the young shrimp hatch after about three weeks. As the eggs near the end stages of growth, tiny dark eye spots of the developing shrimplets within can be observed. When the young hatch, they are tiny (~1 mm) copies of the adults.Red Cherry Shrimp Baby They have no planktonic larval stage. They spend their first few days of life hiding among plants, where they are almost invisible, nibbling on the biofilm on the plants. They then emerge and graze on algae on tank surfaces and ornaments.

Pregnant Red Cherry Shrimp

http://www.fishlore.com/aquariummagazine/sept09/red-cherry-shrimp.htm

These shrimps are ery easy to breed. The females will start to turn very red and you will see yellow eggs being held in their swimlets.

The females can store sperm like guppys and mollys. The female will keep the eggs and then after a while they will release the baby shrimp.

For best breeding results keep shrimp without other fish.

Female with green eggs

Red Cherry Shrimp Female with Green Eggs

Tank size: 1 gallon or more.

Supplements: Calcium, Iodine (helps with molting)

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=1075+2725&pcatid=2725

Female with yellow Saddle

Red Cherry Shrimp Female with yellow saddle

Female with green Saddle

Red Cherry Shrimp Female with green saddle

Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 60-80° F, KH 3-10, pH 6.6-7.0
Max. Size: 1½”
Color Form: Red
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: Farm Raised, Singapore
Family: Atyidae

Red Cherry Shrimp

Keep in mind that new arrivals demonstrate varying degrees of “redness.” They are often clear in appearance until they have properly acclimated and adjusted to their new environment.

Scientific Name: Neocaridina denticulate sinenis “red”

Common Name: Red cherry shrimp/cherry shrimp, RCS

http://www.planetinverts.com/Red%20Cherry%20Shrimp.html :

Once acquiring experience in the hobby through keeping the Red Cherry Shrimp most hobbyists move on to the more difficult species like Tiger Shrimp and Crystal Red Shrimp.

The Red Cherry Shrimp is a selectively bred species, meaning that the red coloration was slowly bred out from the wild variety. A breeder, who is unknown, slowly bred the red trait out of the wild Neocaridina Heteropoda to achieve the all red coloration. Many thanks to whomever it is that completed the tedious task of selectively breeding this species. For more information on the wild type please visit the species information page for the Neocaridina Heteropoda. In the photo below notice the tiny amount of red coloration in the wild type. You can barely see the red speckles. Also notice the green saddle.

Wild Neocaridina Heteropoda Female

In other words, the Red Cherry Shrimp is the hardiest shrimp in the freshwater aquarium shrimp hobby.

The Yellow Shrimp is one of the only yellowed colored shrimp in the hobby. It is a selectively bred from the same wild type as the Red Cherry Shrimp to obtain its yellow coloration. It is favored by many hobbyists due to its unique color, hardiness and breeding rate. http://www.planetinverts.com/Yellow%20Shrimp.html The origin of the Yellow Shrimp lies in Japan and is a color morph of the wild Neocaridina Heteropoda species. The date of their creation seems to be around 2006 or a few years earlier. To my knowledge the Yellow Shrimp were first introduced to other countries in 2006. The exact breeder who created this color morph is unknown. The Yellow Shrimp is now widespread throughout the hobby as it is extremely prolific.

Feeding time is a good indicator of health and also if your Red Cherry Shrimp are breeding well. If a Red Cherry Shrimp colony is healthy then it will rush towards the food and jump all over each other in an attempt to grab a bite to eat, almost like ants. If they swarm the food that is a great sign, and of course if you see babies that is a sign that things are doing very well. Unenthusiastic feeding and constant hiding of the Red Cherry Shrimp is a good indicator that things are not good.

Feeding is best done once a day. Only feed an amount of food that the shrimp can finish within 2-3 hours maximum. It is not good to feed in excess and have food sitting for too long. Overfeeding is a known cause of death and can also cause water quality issues. Remember that shrimp are scavengers in the wild. They will eat whatever they find and are not used to a constant food source 24/7. Not feeding for one or two days is fine and will not harm this species at all. Sometimes I will not feed for a couple of days in order to let the shrimp cleanse their systems and keep the water clean at the same time.

Tank mates

In their natural environment, cherry shrimp are primarily prey animals. When kept in an aquarium, they are easily targeted by fish as potential food. Even fish too small to eat them may harass them and stress them to death, sometimes biting off limbs. Black Tiger Shrimp with orange eyes For best results, breeding should take place in isolation. Small, non-aggressive fish such as the harlequin rasboraneon tetracardinal tetra,dwarf corydorasotocinclus catfishdwarf gouramis, and some species of killifish can be kept with adult cherry shrimp. However baby shrimp are likely to be eaten by any fish other than the otocinclus  and some other herbivorous fish. Most cichlids, including angel fish, will harass and readily eat adults as well. With enough cover and hiding places (live plants such as Java moss work well), one can have a colony of cherry shrimp survive in a tank with larger fish preying on them.

Red Cherry Shrimp - Qty: 10, 20, 30, or 50

Availability

The cherry shrimp has become widely available in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. These shrimp can be purchased from online fish stores, at aquarium stores, and from private breeders — especially through local aquarium societies. There are also many similar Neocaridina species of different color and markings that require the same conditions, these include fire reds, snowballs, blue pearls, rili shrimp, yellow shrimp, and wild types.

Breeding different variations is advised against as most young from such pairings revert to wild coloration.

Will These Shrimp Interbreed?

by Ryan Wood

This is one of the most common questions asked in the shrimp hobby. There is a such thing as a “hybrid” shrimp, which is basically a mut version of a shrimp that has been bred by two different species. Creating a hybrid shrimp may sound cool, but in reality it is nothing more than an ugly shrimp.

A simple rule is that you cannot put any shrimp of the same genus together. Genus meaning the first word of the scientific name of the shrimp. Neocaridina heteropoda sp. “red” is the scientific name for the Red Cherry Shrimp. Red Cherry Shrimp is the common name. Scientific names are vital due to the fact that there can be many common names for the same shrimp, like Cherry Red Shrimp, Red Cherry Shrimp, Fire Red Shrimp, Cherry Shrimp, etc. For example: Neocaridina heteropoda is the scientific name for a wild type shrimp. Neocaridina is the genus, and heteropoda is the species. That is how you identify the genus, and then you can know what you cannot put together. You cannot house a Neocaridina with another Neocaridina. You also cannot house a Caridina with another Caridina. You can however house a Caridina with a Neocaridina.

Shrimp do not breed like other organisms where you can cross two species and combine the best characteristics. You cannot take a Snowball Shrimp and cross it with a Red Cherry Shrimp to create a “Pink Shrimp.” Unfortunately selective breeding is the only way to create a colorful strain. Selective breeding is where you take the color traits of a wild shrimp and breed out the specific color you wish to have. One day I will write an article on selective breeding once I have successfully created a new color strain.

So, to answer this question I have come up with a simple solution: The Shrimp Compatibility Chart.

Complete Shrimp Interbreeding Chart PDF Here

Planet Inverts Shrimp Compatibility Chart