The varied current of natural habitat
- Thread starter neutrino
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ONe of the first things I do if a new species I am keeping starts looking less that happy is adjust flow. Either up or down depending on research on that species. It is often long, constant stress of the environment that leads to ill-effects.
And observation of the fish and the tank as a whole, is needed. Not just look to enjoy the colors of the fish. Sit still and don't move for a few mins and the fish stop the usually begging for food or glass riding. After 10 mins you start seeing what is going on. After 20 mins when all fish think they are alone and get back to antics that happen when you are not around, you find out what is really happening. It needs time, patience and a willingness to do it.
it also gets me when people say the fish has issues, be it sick, hiding, etc., and describe what they have done to combat it. it is often the case that so many variables were changed that it is nigh on impossible to ascertain which one made a difference. Or, sit and wonder out loud what it could be. Not thinking the 7 changes made this week in the tank, in conjunction with new noises and vibrations, or whatever is going on around it all affect the fish.
Quarantine and time in the QT gives you the opportunity to study that/those fish and see how to best add them or adjust the tank before they go in so later less changes have to be made.
This is so important with high oxygen needs, or any other niche environment our fish come from.
Back to flow. I have spent the better part of the last 7 years keeping rheophilic fish in high flow tanks. It is very nuanced by species, size of fish and area fish inhabits. Even the most streamlines, torpedo shaped, water-rocket fish will find areas to rest. And not for a little while, for hours at night and non-feeding times.
I believe, as touched on before, there are differences in high flow and large water turnover. High flow aquarists use is often 2-3 circulation pumps pointing in different directions to blow mulm off the substate and keep the tank clean. When in fact, that same mulm should be collecting in quieter spots where fish can rest. A high volume turnover helps with DO but is not the always the best indicator that tank and water currents are set up properly.
Unidirectional flow, though harder to setup initially, has proven in my experiences to be the way forward. The fish seem happiest and harmonious as flow is predictable and almost every piece of hardscape has a lee side.
And observation of the fish and the tank as a whole, is needed. Not just look to enjoy the colors of the fish. Sit still and don't move for a few mins and the fish stop the usually begging for food or glass riding. After 10 mins you start seeing what is going on. After 20 mins when all fish think they are alone and get back to antics that happen when you are not around, you find out what is really happening. It needs time, patience and a willingness to do it.
it also gets me when people say the fish has issues, be it sick, hiding, etc., and describe what they have done to combat it. it is often the case that so many variables were changed that it is nigh on impossible to ascertain which one made a difference. Or, sit and wonder out loud what it could be. Not thinking the 7 changes made this week in the tank, in conjunction with new noises and vibrations, or whatever is going on around it all affect the fish.
Quarantine and time in the QT gives you the opportunity to study that/those fish and see how to best add them or adjust the tank before they go in so later less changes have to be made.
This is so important with high oxygen needs, or any other niche environment our fish come from.
Back to flow. I have spent the better part of the last 7 years keeping rheophilic fish in high flow tanks. It is very nuanced by species, size of fish and area fish inhabits. Even the most streamlines, torpedo shaped, water-rocket fish will find areas to rest. And not for a little while, for hours at night and non-feeding times.
I believe, as touched on before, there are differences in high flow and large water turnover. High flow aquarists use is often 2-3 circulation pumps pointing in different directions to blow mulm off the substate and keep the tank clean. When in fact, that same mulm should be collecting in quieter spots where fish can rest. A high volume turnover helps with DO but is not the always the best indicator that tank and water currents are set up properly.
Unidirectional flow, though harder to setup initially, has proven in my experiences to be the way forward. The fish seem happiest and harmonious as flow is predictable and almost every piece of hardscape has a lee side.
Woof!Yeah...we're in an alternate dimension...or at least I am...or maybe you are...or...or........
The average fish keeper goes into a Pet smart depot, or mom and pop shop to spend $16 to $19f or a pretty fish, and it might live in an average 50 to 75 gal tank, in local tap water, throws it in with a couple gouramis an angelfish, and some rasboras, and is satisfied.
And many old time keepers , those who stay in the hobyy longer than a year) have developed stratgies to to maintain that and a little more
And there may be quite a number of those aquarists here on MFK.
I don´t consider ar tailor my answers only for them, I am sometimes aiming at those niche aquarists who will spend $!00 to $200 on a single Panda Uaru, or Alcolapia alcolicus, all the while thinking their average tap water, a HOB, will do (and if they are lucky, just might) but....
most of u jaded old timers realize, there´s only less than a 50% chance those (and other niche species) may last a month or 2, and then call the vendor complianig they was robbed.
If an aquarist buys a panda uaru, and drops it in pH 7, average hardness, tap water, I can almost quarantee it will not last more than 6 months.
If that same aquarist adjust pH down to 5, inundates the tank with tannins, mixing with RO, no problem.
If an aquarist buys an few Alcolapia for $200, drops tehm into 7 pH water, at a normal aquarium temp of 75¨or 78 F, they might last less tha a year.
If that same aquarist raises pH to 8, cranks the heater above 82´F, adds a lb of epsom, and 3 lbs of table salt to that 75 gal tank, those same fish might last 3 years, and breed.
If one of those aquarists with a fixation for pike cichlids, tosses a wild caught Orinoci Crenicichla zebrina
in pH 7 tap water, in a 75 gal, with a 25% water change, once per week,
that $200 pike might last 2 months.
but If again pH is acidified down to 4 or 5, in a 100 gal +, hardness is dropped with RO, and given 50% water changes twice per week, it may enjoy a decade, and grow beyond 12¨.
If an aquaraist wants Geophagus harriri, the same above water parameters apply, but also this species prefers to live in a shoal, and needs a strongly moving current to control intraspecies aggression,
but if current is not strong enough to use up that excess energy they born with to cope with that strongly moving, natural wall of water, that´s when aggression becomes problematic.
Too constricting, or nitpicky, buy a betta, a goldfish, or an aquarium strain angel, lemon yellow african from a mixed mutt cichllid tank, or even a mass produced color corodinated discus to go with the decor.
Now on to a rant about pseudo cichlid frankenfish like BPs, FHs and electric blue something of others.
And many old time keepers , those who stay in the hobyy longer than a year) have developed stratgies to to maintain that and a little more
And there may be quite a number of those aquarists here on MFK.
I don´t consider ar tailor my answers only for them, I am sometimes aiming at those niche aquarists who will spend $!00 to $200 on a single Panda Uaru, or Alcolapia alcolicus, all the while thinking their average tap water, a HOB, will do (and if they are lucky, just might) but....
most of u jaded old timers realize, there´s only less than a 50% chance those (and other niche species) may last a month or 2, and then call the vendor complianig they was robbed.
If an aquarist buys a panda uaru, and drops it in pH 7, average hardness, tap water, I can almost quarantee it will not last more than 6 months.
If that same aquarist adjust pH down to 5, inundates the tank with tannins, mixing with RO, no problem.
If an aquarist buys an few Alcolapia for $200, drops tehm into 7 pH water, at a normal aquarium temp of 75¨or 78 F, they might last less tha a year.
If that same aquarist raises pH to 8, cranks the heater above 82´F, adds a lb of epsom, and 3 lbs of table salt to that 75 gal tank, those same fish might last 3 years, and breed.
If one of those aquarists with a fixation for pike cichlids, tosses a wild caught Orinoci Crenicichla zebrina
in pH 7 tap water, in a 75 gal, with a 25% water change, once per week,
that $200 pike might last 2 months.
but If again pH is acidified down to 4 or 5, in a 100 gal +, hardness is dropped with RO, and given 50% water changes twice per week, it may enjoy a decade, and grow beyond 12¨.
If an aquaraist wants Geophagus harriri, the same above water parameters apply, but also this species prefers to live in a shoal, and needs a strongly moving current to control intraspecies aggression,
but if current is not strong enough to use up that excess energy they born with to cope with that strongly moving, natural wall of water, that´s when aggression becomes problematic.
Too constricting, or nitpicky, buy a betta, a goldfish, or an aquarium strain angel, lemon yellow african from a mixed mutt cichllid tank, or even a mass produced color corodinated discus to go with the decor.
Now on to a rant about pseudo cichlid frankenfish like BPs, FHs and electric blue something of others.
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