Tuesday morning Danni, my driver, guide and I headed about 1 hour east of Panama City, on the main highway, then headed another half hour north off the main road, near the pueblo of San Martin to the Carriazo river, much like two weeks prior, to the foothills of Panama's Cordillera Central mountain range.
The rainy season is just beginning, but not quite in full swing yet, so the river is still low, the banks were visibly about 6 to 8 feet lower than when the river is flowing at full strength.
The air cool, and the sky, a bit overcast.
Water temp felt much cooler than the weeks before, moving more quickly quickly than in the last few collecting ventures. It was colored brown from particulate flowing from the forest leaf fall, and soil carried off the mountainous spine of Panama, eroded by the newly fallen rains.
As usual I tested for ph (using the high range reagent), and for nitrate, both using the typical aquarium API liquid kit, and as usual, pH tests appeared to be around 8, and nitrate was (as always) undetectable.
In most of the rivers in this area, tetras are the most abundant group of fish, and in the first few casts of the net , over a dozen tetras of a few different species, were added to the bucket, so we started tossing tetras back, after enough had been landed. They ranged in size from 1.5". to about 3".
The ratio of non-tetras compared to the amount of tetras caught during those couple hours, reflected that lower population density ratio, only 4 young Andinoacara cichlids (average 2"), 4 juvie Ancistrus Plecos ((2-3"), and one 6" goby ended up in the bucket.
Keeping the fish cool and aerated during the couple hours of transit, seems to be one of the most important factors in getting them back alive.
I grabbed an extra gallon of cool river water to do small water changes during the trip back, removing and tossing older waste saturated water at opportune times, and replacing it with water from the plastic jug.
Airstones from a battery operated pump, are added immediately while at riverside, it was plugged into a car jack while on the highway, and returned again to battery power on the dock, and on the half hour ferry ride.
During the couple hours of the car ride back, and subsequent ferry ride, the Gobiomorus polished off at least a couple of the smallest tetras, that easily fit in its mouth.
The rainy season is just beginning, but not quite in full swing yet, so the river is still low, the banks were visibly about 6 to 8 feet lower than when the river is flowing at full strength.
The air cool, and the sky, a bit overcast.
Water temp felt much cooler than the weeks before, moving more quickly quickly than in the last few collecting ventures. It was colored brown from particulate flowing from the forest leaf fall, and soil carried off the mountainous spine of Panama, eroded by the newly fallen rains.
As usual I tested for ph (using the high range reagent), and for nitrate, both using the typical aquarium API liquid kit, and as usual, pH tests appeared to be around 8, and nitrate was (as always) undetectable.
In most of the rivers in this area, tetras are the most abundant group of fish, and in the first few casts of the net , over a dozen tetras of a few different species, were added to the bucket, so we started tossing tetras back, after enough had been landed. They ranged in size from 1.5". to about 3".
The ratio of non-tetras compared to the amount of tetras caught during those couple hours, reflected that lower population density ratio, only 4 young Andinoacara cichlids (average 2"), 4 juvie Ancistrus Plecos ((2-3"), and one 6" goby ended up in the bucket.
Keeping the fish cool and aerated during the couple hours of transit, seems to be one of the most important factors in getting them back alive.
I grabbed an extra gallon of cool river water to do small water changes during the trip back, removing and tossing older waste saturated water at opportune times, and replacing it with water from the plastic jug.
Airstones from a battery operated pump, are added immediately while at riverside, it was plugged into a car jack while on the highway, and returned again to battery power on the dock, and on the half hour ferry ride.
During the couple hours of the car ride back, and subsequent ferry ride, the Gobiomorus polished off at least a couple of the smallest tetras, that easily fit in its mouth.
