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Today, the ZZF published its commissioned “Expert Opinion on the Legal Admissibility of the Introduction of a National Positive List for Pets”. The expert opinion, prepared by Prof. Dr. Dr. Tade M. Spranger of the University of Bonn, unequivocally proves that a positive list for pets would be illegal and would violate international law, EU law and the German constitution.
Prof. Spranger states in his 167-page report that although stricter measures for the protection of animals are permissible in principle, a national positive list would be a violation of international law. Moreover, the introduction of such a list in EU law would be a violation of the free movement of goods, among other things. A positive list also violates fundamental rights such as freedom of occupation and the general right of personality. Such interventions are not compatible with the principle of proportionality.
In view of the currently louder voices on the introduction of positive lists or political developments such as in Spain, the expert opinion is of great importance for the German, European and international pet industry.
an emotional and eventful year 2022 lies behind us. And the coming year 2023 certainly holds many challenges for all of us in view of the world political situation and the still raging pandemic. That’s why this Christmas, even more than usual, we hope that you and your loved ones will be able to find a few days of peace and quiet and wish you strength, happiness and health for the New Year!
The ornamental fish industry, as an international, global player, is naturally particularly affected by the pandemic; however, it is not only the virus and its direct effects that are causing problems for breeders, catchers and exporters around the world. Climatic changes, industrial conversion of the landscape, water pollution and social aspects also have a major impact on the ornamental fish trade. In addition, there are local, site-specific challenges and, of course, national and international legislation. In addition, the ability to plan exports is very problematic due to air travel, which is still severely restricted. Unfortunately, little leaks out about the direct impact on our suppliers and their specific problems on the ground. We have therefore asked them to describe their situation to us. In irregular order we bring the experiences of our business partners as a newsletter.
We start with our supplier from Sri Lanka:
1.- General information about the company
Company founded in ? 1994
Number of employees? 92
How many family members depend on it? approx. 368
Number of direct suppliers? 35
How many family members depend on it? approx. 140
Number of outgrower? 26
How many family members are dependent on it? approx. 104
Size of the facility? Total square meters: 46,817.
Approximately what percentage of your country’s population is vaccinated against Corona? 60% (as of today). The accuracy of this figure is questionable.
Approximately how many of your employees are vaccinated against Corona? 100% as of August 2021.
Typical fish we obtain from SriLanka
2.- What are the biggest challenges currently facing your company?
Answer: We breed and raise all fish needed for export. No fish are taken from the wild. Ornamental fish are bred to meet the needs of the market. Therefore, the breeding and raising of fish must be done according to a planned program that includes the following:
A. Preparation of required parental breeding stock
B. preparation of regular replacement stocks for the parental stocks
C. Rearing of fish for export
D. Grading of fish for export, including initial rearing at the nursery and subsequent transfer to nursery ponds
E. Preparation and administration of appropriate nutrients and feeds according to species/variety
F. Fishing and selection of good quality fish for export.
All of the above tasks and many more must be performed under daily supervision.
During the pandemic period that started in March 2020, many of the required care activities could not be carried out in time due to domestic travel bans, (lockdowns, etc.) We worked with a skeleton staff after obtaining special permits. Nevertheless, we were not able to work according to the planned program. The lack of flights to ship export-ready fish contributed to overstocking and disease. We had to feed thousands of fish to prevent the spread of disease. This had a negative impact on the supply chain, especially for certain guppy varieties that are produced in large quantities. We are now only gradually getting back on track, and it will be a while before we can again consistently supply high quality fish of the pre-pandemic quality.
Transport of the fish needed for export. Normally, of course, this takes place in iso- lated small trucks, but due to the adverse circumstances, improvisation is necessary at the moment.
3.- How have prices and the supply situation changed in the last weeks/months and what are the biggest changes/difficulties?
Answer: 1.- Purchase prices
Due to the instability of the export market caused by Covid 19, we have reached an agreement with suppliers and kept the purchase price stable until now.
However, we will have a price increase of 10% to 15% for purchasing fish from November 2021.
The cost of raw materials, including fish feed and packaging materials, has increased by approximately 30% since January 2021 due to the rapid devaluation of the Sri Lankan currency. We expect prices to increase further in the near future due to the continued depreciation of the Sri Lankan currency against the US dollar and the Euro. As an example, 425 g of Artemia cysts purchased for US $32 in 2020 now cost US $44. Dry fish food that cost US $0.75 per kg now costs US $1.25.
Medicines have become enormously more expensive. The lack of imports of items needed for fish farming has also contributed to the rapid increase in prices due to the lack of foreign exchange reserves.
2.- Additional stocks
Additional inventories of raw materials – obstacle to cash flow.
Normally, we hold a 3-month supply of key raw materials worth approximately US$35,000. Currently, we are holding 4 to 5 months of inventory, which is hindering the company’s cash flow. The value of raw material inventory is currently US$47,500.
3.- Food/medicines for people
Since fish farming and rearing of freshwater ornamental fish are labor-intensive activities, the most important thing in our facility is the people – that is, our employees.
Prices of staple foods such as rice, wheat flour, milk, eggs, chicken, and vegetables have increased by 20% to 50%, and the cost of medicines has increased by 50% to 100%, due to the shortage of supply resulting from the devaluation of the Sri Lankan currency and the lack of foreign exchange reserves.
On the left a part of the plant BEFORE a weather change in intact condition, on the right a part of the plant AFTER a heavy thunderstorm.
4.- How has the situation of the employees changed in the last weeks/months?
Answer: our pre-epidemic workers are still employed by us, but are having great difficulty surviving due to the rapid increase in the cost of food and medicine.
5.- What impact does Corona currently have on their daily work?
Answer: The negative factors are
A. Rapid increase in the prices of raw materials.
B. Short supply of raw materials
C. Shortage of flights
D. High freight costs
6.- What is the impact of weather conditions on fish procurement/availability?
Answer: heavy rains have a negative impact on the achievement of farming objectives and lead to a shortage of exportable quantities of fish
7.- What influence do weather conditions have on the keeping of fish in your facility?
Answer: Again, it is mainly heavy rains that are dangerous. There is a tendency for diseases to spread. However, thanks to careful monitoring, we have managed to keep disease cases to a minimum.
Anlage eines Outgrowers nach einem Unwetter.
8.- How has the general quality of the fish changed?
Answer: The quality has decreased due to
A. Delays in husbandry practices
B. overstocking
C. Lack of “just in time” control. However, we are now back on track to achieve “Pre-Endemic Quality”.
9.- In your view, is there any way to make the current situation more tolerable or to solve the current problems more quickly?
Answer: a disciplined community of Sri Lankans working towards a common vision.
10. – Keyword sustainability: does it play a role in your everyday work? If so, what is it?
Answer: yes, of course. We make sure that employees have a happy life.
The balance of the annual bonus will be paid in December 21.
The annual salary increases will be paid in January 22.
School books, shoes and socks, and school uniforms will be issued to employees’ children in January 22.
11.- Is there any support from the government for the current problems (probably mainly Corona)?
Answer: only in relation to the vaccination program for people.
12.- Do you have any expectations for the coming weeks/months on how everything will develop with you?
Answer: We hope to achieve pre-endemic consistency in terms of delivery reliability and quality by the end of January 2021.
13.- Is there anything you would like to share with us that we should inform our customers about?
Answer: They should have confidence in us that we will achieve pre-endemic consistency in both quality and deliveries as we are a dedicated team. It was announced today by the Export Development Board of Srilanka that the Presidential Award for the category of Ornamental Fish Exports, has been awarded to us for the years 2019/20 & 2020/21 (period April to March of the following year). We have won the award for 4 consecutive years, starting with 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21. Many thanks to Aquarium Glaser and its customers, we are honored.
Best regards to all and thank you to the entire staff of Aquarium Glaser for their continued support.
The rabbitfishes of the genus Siganus are well known to marine aquarists. They are beautiful animals that usually grow to 15-30 cm in length and eat mainly vegetable food. Until now no freshwater species of the genus was known, only Siganus vermicularis is regularly found as juvenile in the brackish water of river mouths.
Now, for the first time, we have been able to import a rabbitfish species from the only freshwater lake in the Easter Islands in the Pacific Ocean – Hare Lake – where it appears to be fully adapted to freshwater life due to geographic isolation. The species was recently scientifically described as Siganus iocatus. Our, about 15 cm long specimens are already sexually mature and even spawned in our fishhause. Interestingly, the eggs were colorful, there were red, yellow, blue and green eggs, some even had spots and squiggles.
For our customers: the animals have code 666666 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Again and again it is circulated that the wild caught of ornamental fish threatens species and the diversity of species, is predatory exploitation of nature. However, there are no scientific studies that would prove this. All scientifically founded, serious work on the topic proves the opposite: Wild caught of ornamental fish is a clean thing!
In an elaborate documentation Don McConnell illuminates the background of the wild caught of ornamental fish in Amazonia. This documentary is a must for all those who are interested in ornamental fish, aquarium science and species protection even in the slightest.
Click here for the stream: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/wildcaughtaquariumfish/471489992?fbclid=IwAR1LOxszF-f6CkFa4SjmYaCJMgqQIb61He-oGgPTiksI5-7IfO6BqneMBQk
After our excursion to the Rio Guaviare we went by boat in direction to Rio Inirida, up the river of the same name up to the Caño Bocón. The Caño Bocón is a small tributary of the Rio Inirida that carries black water. Leonell catches his fish here, which we later keep in our aquariums in Germany. But until the time comes, the fish are kept about three hours upstream at a collecting point in large outdoor ponds with fresh water supply. Many of the fish we know swim here in 26°C warm water with a pH value of 4.2 and 21 microsimens, such as Paracheirodon simulans (GERY, 1963), the blue neon or Crenuchus spilurus GÜNTHER, 1863, a magnificent tetra.
Puerto Inirida – harbourBoulengerella lateristriga (BOULENGER, 1895), Rio IniridaHydrolycus armatus (JARDINE, 1841), Rio Inirida
We used our stay at Caño Bocón to fish a smaller inflow, the Caño Jota in the estuary area. This small inflow had everything what one imagines from a small jungle creek, if …yes, if there were not an infinite number of small blackflies that could make the life hell. Since we arrived here in the early afternoon, we only had to dress up thick until sunset to avoid being completely bitten. During the night and the following morning we had the opportunity to look for fish without blackflies. Since such places with lots of blackflies are not really popular, we drove down the Caño Bocón again towards Rio Inirida around noon.
Caño BocónHemiodus immaculatus KNER, 1858Brycon amazonicus (SPIX & AGASSIZ, 1829)
Dicrossus gladicauda SCHINDLER & STAECK, 2008Microglanis iheringi GOMES, 1946Caño JotaCrenuchus spilurus GÜNTHER, 1863 from the Caño JotaCollecting station at Caño Bocón, Roland Rietsch measuring water chemistryWater parameters at Caño BocónParacheirodon axelrodi (SCHULTZ, 1956)The catch of a fisherman on the Caño Bocón is examinedPterophyllum altum PELLEGRIN, 1903Monocirrhus polyacanthus HECKEL, 1840Chelonoidis denticulatus (LINNAEUS, 1766) a forest turtle in the village of Comunidad RemansoRoland Rietsch films in a clear water tributary to the Rio Inirida
The following day we reached the Comunidad Remanso at the Rio Inirida, there are the last foothills of the Guyana Shield. Three round granite rocks, the Cerro Mavicure, Mono & Pajarito form a natural obstacle for the Rio Inirida, with a big rapids. Here it was also possible to stay for three days to explore the surrounding area. We circumnavigated the Cerro Pajarito in a day trip and in the evening we fell in our hammocks from the manifold impressions of the day. A little above the rapids there is a small black water inflow of the Caño San Joaquin, which turned out to be an interesting fishing water for us. On the way back to Puerto Inirida, we made a short stop to climb the Cerro Mavicure and enjoy a bird’s eye view of the breathtaking landscape of the Guyana Shield. In Puerto Inrida we visited the export station of Leonell and accommodated our self-caught fish there.
View from Cerro Mavicure to the Cerro Mono & PajaritoView from Cerro Mavicure to the rapids of Rio IniridaCaño San JoaquinMesonauta insignis (HECKEL, 1840)Brycon falcatus MÜLLER & TROSCHEL, 1845 a common tetra in the regionApistogramma lineata MESA & LASSO, 2011, maleLonchogenys ilisha MYERS, 1927, a typical blackwater fish with large eyes from the Caño San JoaquinExport station in Puerto Inirida by Leonell, we get to choose fishExport station in Puerto Inirida, fish bags for the weekly transport to Bogota and Europe are preparedBryconops caudomaculatus (GÜNTHER, 1864) a common inhabitant of the Orinoco systemCollecting fishes at the Caño CocoHemiloricaria formosa (ISBRÜCKER & NIJSSEN, 1979)Dekeyseria scaphirhyncha (KNER, 1854)
We took the opportunity to look for interesting fish in Leonell’s ponds, which we could have sent to Germany with the fish we caught ourselves. The end of the really great fishing tour was at Caño Coco, which is a tributary of the Rio Atabapo and of course also hosts some of the species that are found there.
Our tourguide and fish collector Leonelland his son Camillo
A big thank you to Aquarium Glaser, as well as to Leonell, his son Camillo and our Indian boatman Kortez, without whom this tour would not have been possible.
All spiny eels of the currently 24 species of the genus Macrognathus are recommended aquarium fish. They remain relatively small (10-15 cm, only very rarely larger specimens are reported) by spiny eel standards and are peaceful to fish that are not suitable for food. In addition, most are still pretty colored.
Perhaps the prettiest is Macrognathus zebrinus from Burma. It inhabits the basins of big rivers Irrawaddy, Sittang and Salween. In addition, the species is also found in Nepal and allegedly also in Indonesia, but is imported from Burma or as bred ones. The largest specimen documented so far measured about 17 cm, but this is the exception. Our current imports with their length of 10-12 cm are already sexually differentiated, the females are clearly fuller and somewhat paler colored.
For the care of spiny eels, a substrate consisting at least in part of sand is important, because the animals like to burry themselves in. The feeding can be done with all kinds of frost and live food, as long as it is adapted to the body size of the fish. Acclimatized specimens also often accept granules. The aquarium for spiny eels must be covered absolutely escape-proof, and also the openings of filters must be secured against an intrusion of the fish, otherwise it can come to fatal accidents.
For our customers: the animals have code 425343 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesalers.
Every aquarist probably wants to visit the habitat of his fish once. We were 6 aquarists from the Berlin area as well as from the south-southwest of Germany. Through Roman Neukirchen from the company Aquarium Glaser we got the opportunity to have a look at the transport routes from the catch of the fish in the rivers of Colombia to the transport to Germany in our domestic aquariums.
Daniel welcomes us in Bogota
The flights were quickly booked. Meeting point were the airports in Berlin and Munich, in January 2019. After a 12 hour flight from Munich we landed in Bogota, the capital of Colombia. The next day Daniel, one of the owners of Acuario Norte, who supplies Aquarium Glaser with freshwater fish from Colombia, welcomed us in the centre of Bogota. He gave us the opportunity to have a look at one of the fish export facilities.
Aquarien und Kunstoffbehälter zum Zwischenhältern der Fische bis sie zum Export gehen
Aquarien und Kunstoffbehälter zum Zwischenhältern der Fische bis sie zum Export gehen
eine zusätzliche Heizung um die Raumtemperatur in der Aquarienanlage zu erhöhen
The city Bogota lies on 2.650 m height, its temperatures vary in the night between 7 – 10 °C and reach on the day approx. 20 °C. This requires the heating of the aquarium system to pleasant temperatures for the fish of 24 to 26 °C for the period of their intermediate holding, of up to three days.
In order to keep this time for the fish as short as possible, Daniel runs a catching & collecting station in the Llanos, where he keeps fish from various fishermen from all over Colombia until they are shipped.
Artesanias, hier bekommt man indigenen Handwerksprodukte aus Kolumbien zu kaufen
Handwerkskunst im Goldmuseum in Bogota
After our very informative meeting with Daniel we took the opportunity to see some of the sights in Bogota and a crater lake outside the city.
At the end of our meeting Daniel gave us a contact in Puerto Inirida from one of his fishermen.
In Puerto Inirida, arriving after a 1 1/2 hour domestic flight, Leonell, our local contact and fisherman, welcomed us. With Leonell we planned our first tour. We were accompanied by his son Camillo and the Indian boatman Kortez. The next morning we drove the Rio Inirida some kilometres downstream, there the Rio Inirida flows into the Rio Guaviare, a white water river.
wir Angeln und genießen den Sonnenuntergang am Rio Guaviare
Triportheus cf.orinocensis Malabarba, 2004 im Rio Guaviare geangelt
Tetragonopterus argenteus Cuvier, 1816 im Rio Guaviare geangelt
Aphanotorulus cf.emarginatus (Valenciennes, 1840) im Rio Guaviare geangelt
Leiarius marmoratus (Gill, 1870), im Rio Guaviare geangelt
Ageneiosus inermis Linnaeus, 1766, im Rio Guaviare geangelt
Brycon whitei Myers & Weitzman, 1960, im Rio Guaviare geangelt
Panaque nigrolineatus (Peters, 1877) am Flußufer in einer Senke vertrocknet
We drove the Rio Guaviare by boat upstream. In order to get good photo and film shots under water, however, we had to switch to clear & black water tributaries. With our local Indian boat guide Kortez the chance to meet such biotopes increased, which also resulted in several hours of foot marches at 35 degrees in the shade on land to find these streams and residual water depressions in the dry season. In some places the shore landscape in the middle of the dry season had partly steppe-like character, which made the search an adventure for us and brought us bubbles on our feet.
Farm on the bank of Rio Guaviare
Rio Guaviare
Myleus cf.torquatus (KNER, 1858) attracted by a corn cone
Currently we have a really unusual species of fish in our fishhouse: Polynemus paradiseus. The Polynemidae family is almost unknown to hobbyists, despite the fact that over the centuries 96 species have been described, 42 are still valid, and these fish are important food fishes in their home range. Two species of the genus Polynemus have only 7 spines in the first dorsal fin (most species have 8), namely P. paradiseus, a species decribed as early as 1758 by Linné and P. hornadyai, described in 1936 by Myers. While P. paradiseus has a very wide distribution along the whole eastern coastline of the Indian subcontinent to Thailand, P. hornadyai is known so far only from the Malayan part of Borneo.
We have some very charming youngsters of P. paradiseus from Thailand in stock. The fish come from aquaculture and are only 6-8 cm long, but the long filaments are much longer than the body inluding tail fin. These filaments serve as sensitive organs, comparable to the ventral fins of the gouramis (Colisa and Trichogaster). The origin of the filaments in Polynemus are the pectoral fins. Basically speaking, Polynemus inhabit river mouths and prefer brackish water. Maximum length reported for P. polynemus is 30 cm, but only very rarely specimens longer than 17 cm are collected.
These unusual fish should be kept in large aquaria with sandy bottom and as little furnish as possible; they need free space for swimming. They feed on small invertebrates, bloodworm is a perfect food for them. Against conspecifics and other fish, P. paradiseus are completely peaceful, but one must take care that other fish do not nip on the long filaments. These fish need high oxygen contents and are very sensitive against organic pollution of the water. In a long time sight they should be kept in strong brackish water (10-15 g salt/litre) or in pure marine water, although our specimens are adoipted to pure freshwater.
For our customers: the fish have code 443842 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Monos are classics among the brackish water fishes. Much of the aquarium literature about them mentions that these fish can be adapted easily to freshwater. But – what should this be good for? Is it really that difficult to put some salt (10-20 g per litre) in water? If one keeps them in brackish water and at a water temperature of about 26-28°C these racehorses among the fishes will bring only joy for the keeper. Currently we import quite often Monodactylus kottelati from Thailand. This fish reaches a length up to 20 cm and should be kept in a large (!) school of conspecifics. Otherwise they can be very quarrelsome.
For our customers: the fish have code 436242 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
We can offer now for the first time a species of the strange genus Kneria (shellears) as German bred ones. Nobody will buy a shellear for the bright coloration. These fish become about 5 – 7.5 cm long (depending on the species). They have a number of peculiarities that make them extremely interesting from a biological point of view. So, for example, they are able to move the head to the left, to the right and upwards – very unusual for a fish! The odd name „shellear“ refers to an adhesive organ the males have on the sides of the head and that looks a bit like an ear in shape of a shell. This organ is used by the male to attach on the female during mating, but the exact sense of this is not understood yet. Moreover, shellears can breath atmospheric air like anabantoids do.
Kneria stappersii originates from the upper Congo basin. Here it inhabits exclusively the Lubumbashi river. This species becomes about 5 cm long. The animal lives bottom-orientated and here it also searches for food. The omnivorous fishes are easy to feed, any type of usual fish food will be accepted. One should keep Kneria in aquaria with a good current and not too warm (18-24°C). The fish are free spawners that do not take care for the eggs or fry.
For our customers: the fish have code 141962 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Finally
we were able to organize an importation from Guinea once again! It
contains a number of varieties from the Pelvicachromis-humilis-complex
(Liberia Red, Dighiya, Sierra Leone, Falesade, P. signatus), the rare P.
roloffi, beautiful Hemichromis (H. cristatus, H. letourneauxi, H. sp.
Guinea II), some rare species of Polypterus (P. ansorgii, P.
buettikoferi, P. palmas), and dwarf fishes: the lampeye Aplocheilichthys
normani, the charming Pseudepiplatys annulatus, and the dwarf tetras
Lepidarchus adonis and Ladigesia roloffi.
And here, as first appetizers, the dwarf tetras:
Ladigesia roloffi
This
beautiful tetra becomes only 3-4 cm long. Nevertheless it should be
kept in comparatively large aquaria, for it loves to swim a lot. The
males can be easily recognized by the shape of the anal fin. The sense
of that structure is not researched yet. The species is very peaceful. A
dark gravel is the best choice for a tank for Ladigesia, because the
unusual orange coloration of the fins is shown most intensively by
specimens kept over dark bottom.
Lepidarchus adonis
The
Adonis tetra also becomes only 3 cm long. However, it has a completely
different temper, compared with its orange-finned cousin: Adonis tetras
are very quiet fish that love dense plantation and lots of hiding
places. Small tanks are much better suited for keeping them than large
tanks, because in the latter they simply get lost. Males and females
differ significantly by coloration and the finnage. One keeps this
little jewels best in company of their own kind or maybe along with
Pseudepiplatys annulatus or other, really peaceful dwarf species.
For
our customers: Ladigesia roloffi has code 144003, Lepidarchus adonis
code 145302 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the
wholesale trade.
One
of the most beautiful fish of the World, the six-striped Distichodus
(Distichodus sexfasciatus) is also represented by a good number of
specimens. We have no doubts that this species would be among the most
wanted aquarium fish at all, were there not some characters that make
the animals suitable only for the very long-suffering and extremly
patient hobbyist: they grow (even in smaller tanks) to a length of more
than 30 cm, are extremely quarrelsome and will – for sure! – eat any
plant in the aquarium.
Usually
this species has six stripes on the flanks. In our current shipment are
also several specimens with other numbers of bars, most often seven.
But do not think that these fish would represent other species; most
often seven bars occur only on one side of the body while the other one
has a regular number of stripes.
Seven
is a lucky number: in any case it brought luck for our Congo
importation, for all fish are healthy, stable and feel very well in
their new environment!
For
our customers: D. sexfasciatus has code 128001 (3-5 cm) and 128002 (5-7
cm) on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the
wholesale trade.
Is it possible to compare discus with guppys? Hardly! Both are wonderful fish, but completely different. A discus, more sailing than swimming through the tank, is fascinating to look at even for non-aquarists, but it is also almost impossible not be excited by the brilliant guppys. So one can say: whoever wins the semifinal tonight, both are already
winners for a very long time!
we are glad to introduce to you our ew employee: Friedolin. Friedolin is a professional fisherman and originates from the house of Playmobil. Any time really large fish come into play, it is Friedolin´s part to face the truth. He is a real brave guy and helps you, dear reader, to realize how big the photographed fish really are.
Currently Friedolin had to stand his first adventure in our fishhouse: large Chinese Ryukin. We can tell you that all participants of the session left without any harm. Friedolin did a great job. And although it looks on picture 2 as if he would be successful in angling: none of the Ryukins did bite.
Currently about 80% of the freshwater ornamental fish traded worldwide are bred specimens. A larger part of them is bred in Malaysia and Singapore. The drought there is extreme, February 2014 was the driest February in the region since 1869! This affects strongly the breeder´s facilities. One of our suppliers wrote:
“The weather issue has affected the fish production, the breeder is facing shortage of water supply as there is no rain, and it has certain impact on certain fish production, for your shipment we might face some supply issue like Fantail 5cm (which we always update every week), Silver Marble Molly, Red Platy, Blue Gourami, Lemon Tetra, Pristella Tetra, Panda Cory and Red High Fin Sucker , the supply is limited at this moment and the breeder not able to tell us how many pcs they can supply to us on every week it will have to wait until they do the harvesting. Weather issue also affect certain level on the fish quality, due to the production issue the breeder might not able to supply us the good size fish on some varieties.”
For more informations on the topic, please check:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/drought-forces-water/1015684.html
However, even bred ornamental fish are a product of nature and one is well advised never to forget this fact!
The political situation in Guinea is not stable at all. So it is very difficult to organize an importation from there. But now we were successful once more and we proudly present to you some of the ornamental fish species from Guinea:
Aplocheilichthys normani
A single specimen of that lampeye is a quite drab creature, but a larger school of them in a tank with dimmed light is like magic! The blue eyes drift like small fireflies through the underwater world – wonderful!
Code 302392 on our stocklist
Pseudepiplatys annulatus
The Clown killi is one of the smallest species of killifish at all and a perfect fish for so-called nano tanks.
Code 322002 on our stocklist
Polypterus ansorgii
Opposite attracts. Some hobbyists like small fish, some other one like large fish. A species for the latter group is the very rare Polypterus ansorgii, which we have obtained in specimens of 35-60 cm length.
Code 162407, 162408, and 162409 on our stocklist
Pelvicachromis rubrolabiatus Dinkinya
In this pretty cichlid the females are even more attractive than the males. The fish were also a containment of the present import from Guinea. Male become around 10 cm long, females stay smaller.
Two of the most often traded algae eaters have been re-named some time ago, namely the Stone Lapper and the Flying Fox. The Stone Lapper has been called Garra taeniata for a long time, but this name is a synonym to the elder name Garra cambodgiensis, which is valid.This species has been confused very often with the Flying Fox (for example in the very popular Aquarium Atlas). The Flying Fox was called Epalzeorhynchus (or Crossocheilus) siamensis. This name also proofed to be a junior synonym of the elder – and thus valid – name Crossocheilus oblongus.
Both species can be easily told apart:
Stone Lapper (Garra cambodgiensis)
– black stripe does not extent to caudal fin (tail fin) – dorsal fin (the fin on the back): painted with three zones – no barbels on nose, but only barbels in the corner of the mouth – no small black dot in front of dorsal fin on the back
Flying Fox (Crossocheilus oblongus)
– black stripe extends in the caudal fin – no colour at all in dorsal fin – one pair of barbels on the nose, another pair of barbels in the corner of the mouth – always a small black dot in front of dorsal fin on the back
Both species are excellent algae eaters and should be best kept in schools. In Garra cambodgiensis males and females can be told apart by the shape of the head, in Crossocheilus oblongus females can be recognized by the plumper body only.
For our customers: Garra cambodgiensis has code 416302 on our stocklist, Crossocheilus oblongus code 15502. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
We received 3 specimens of very nice Lepisosteus oculatus and also 3 specimens of pretty Polypterus ornatipinnis. Both have sizes of 40-50 cm, so they make ideal show fish!
For our customers: the animals have code 164007 (P. ornatipinnis) and 848019 (L. oculatus) on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Dear customers,
our weekly importations regularly content species and varieties we never or only very occassionally had in stock. Thus they are – at least for us – new. Sadly
it is for different reasons not possible to portray all of them in detail. However, we want to show you at least some of the most interesting of them by a photograph. Enjoy!
our weekly importations regularly content species and varieties we never or only very occassionally had in stock. Thus they are – at least for us – new. Sadly
it is for different reasons not possible to portray all of them in detail. However, we want to show you at least some of the most interesting of them by a photograph. Enjoy!
our weekly importations regularly content species and varieties we never or only very occassionally had in stock. Thus they are – at least for us – new. Sadly it is for different reasons not possible to portray all of them in detail. However, we want to show you at least some of the most interesting of them by a photograph. Enjoy!
our weekly importatios regularly content species and varieties we never or only very occassionally had in stock. Thus they are – at least for us – new. Sadly it is for different reasons not possible to portray all of them in detail. However, we want to show you at least some of the most interesting of them by a photograph. Enjoy!
our weekly importatios regularly content species and varieties we never or only very occassionally had in stock. Thus they are – at least for us – new. Sadly
it is for different reasons not possible to portray all of them in detail. However, we want to show you at least some of the most interesting of them by a photograph. Enjoy!
our weekly importatios regularly content species and varieties we never or only very occassionally had in stock. Thus they are – at least for us – new. Sadly it is for different reasons not possible to portray all of them in detail. However, we want to show you at least some of the most interesting of them by a photograph. Enjoy!
our weekly importatios regularly content species and varieties we never or only very occassionally had in stock. Thus they are – at least for us – new. Sadly
it is for different reasons not possible to portray all of them in detail. However, we want to show you at least some of the most interesting of them by a photograph. Enjoy!
our weekly importatios regularly content species and varieties we never or only very occassionally had in stock. Thus they are – at least for us – new. Sadly it is for different reasons not possible to portray all of them in detail. However, we want to show you at least some of the most interesting of them by a photograph. Enjoy!
our weekly importatios regularly content species and varieties we never or only very occassionally had in stock. Thus they are – at least for us – new. Sadly it is for different reasons not possible to portray all of them in detail. However, we want to show you at least some of the most interesting of them by a photograph. Enjoy!
sadly we became aware only now that for some days the link for subscription of our free newsletter did not work. We were able to solve the problem and apologize for all those who gave up frustrated.
Sadly it was not possible to research if this Astronotus really was collected in the Brazil state of Bahia. Currently no scientific reports of the occurence of the genus in Bahia are known. So we have to leave the question open, if this population was brought to Bahia as a food fish or if they do not occur there at all.
Despite all this the new „Bahia Red“ is a beautiful wild variety of oscar which developes a lot of red coloration in the lower part of the body. Keeping oscars is pretty easy given the fact that they need a really spacy tank for they easily reach a length of 30 cm and even more. As long as tankmates are not too small (then they end up as oscar food) they are not in danger, for this species of Astronotus is really peaceful even when taking broodcare.
Brachychalcinus orbicularis is also known in the hobby under the name “Silver Dollar Tetra”, which might lead, however, to confusion with tetras of the genus Metynnis, which are also called “Silver Dollars”. Ephippicharax orbicularis is a well known synonym for our fish, which is quite popular in the hobby despite the fact that it displays not much coloration. The reason for its popularity is probably the unusual shape of the body which forms almost a disc when the fish are fully grown. This and their schooling behaviour is a nice contrast to all the colorful fish in a community tank.
Silver Dollars are omnivorous and might feed on waterplants if they are not fed regularly with plant material by the keeper. Breeding is not complicated. They spawn free and take no care of their brood in any way. Males develop minute hooks on the rays of the anal fin, which can be observed by using a magnification glass. When the fish are catched by using a very fine meshed net, these hooks attach for a short time to the net and this enables also to recognice the males.
The fish are completely undemanding regarding the water chemistry. Temperature should be between 20 and 28°C. The higher temperatures are used for breeding.
The natural distribution of this species are the costal drainages of Suriname and Guyana. We offer bred ones.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The latest sport in swordtails is this gorgeous variety. In swordtails exists an interesting gentic phenomenon. The gene for „albino“can be combined with body colours, if the body colours derive from a cross with platyfish. A real albino swordtail has red eyes and a whitish body. In the Platin Orange swordtail the red eyes clearly show that it is an albino, but obviously the splendid red back and the Hamburg coloration (black with reflecting zones) which can be observed in some specimens have been crossed in using platys.
The fish can be kept like all swordtails. That means one should keep in mind that the males can be really irreconcilable among each other. So one should keep either only one male per tank or a bigger group of at least 5 specimens. The number of females is more or less meaningless, but it should at least equal to number of males. As albinos are more sensitive to light than usual, the tank should not be illuminated too strong.
The Noble or River cray, Astacus astacus, is sadly in danger of extinction in central Europe. The reason for this are the extreme destruction of the natural habitats in combination with the introduction of a Northamerican species between 1860 and 1870. This species, the so-called Camber cray (Orconectes limosus) was infested with a disease. This fungus does no harm to the Camber cray at all, but kills all European species. The disease was called the crayfish pestilence. Later, another Northamerican species (Procambarus clarkii) was introduced in southern Europe and brought the crayfish pestilence in the remaining territory of the native European species. Both Camber cray and Procambarus clarkii were introduced as food sources.
We can offer Noble crays from special, disease free breeding farms for pond and aquarium keeping. The small underwater knights are omnivorous, but the main part of their natural diet forms dead plant material. So dead leaves from oak, beech and so on should be available for the animals the whole time through. It is esssential that the water temperature never gets higher than 18°C.
Males and females can easily be distinguished from each other. Only the males have a special pair of legs, the so-called gonopdes, which serve as genitals. The gonopodes reach in between the last pair of walking legs. In females there is simply nothing between the swimming legs (pleopods) and the walking legs. After mating the females carry the eggs between the pleopods until they hatch.
The Dogtooth characins (Hydrolycus) are small genus of tetras (four species) that have a wide distribution in tropical South America. They have in common very long saber-like teeth in the lower jaw. In the upper jaw cave-like notches are present, as otherwise the fish would not be able to close the mouth.
These saber-teeth are used to stab the fish the Dogtooth characins feed on to death before they eat them.
Hydrolycus scomberoides is one of the largest species of the genus. The maximum length reported so far is more than a meter. This fish weighs around 18 kg. So it is clear that this species can be kept in very large aquaria only.
H. scomberoides can be easily recognized by a distinct black spot on the innermost rays of the pectoral fins. This is a feature unique to that species.
In the aquarium H. scomberoides require not much space (compared with other fish), as well settles specimens do not move much. They stand in their genus-typical head-down position and wait for prey. Although these predators stand clear to congeneers they are not aggressiv e at all. Water temperature should be between 22 and 28°C. The remaining water conditions are of no great importance. Live fish are prefered as prey, but well settled specimens will also accept dead fish for food.
For the first time ever we were able to import this tiny fish in larger numbers. Until now the fish was available only by accidental by-catches. Please read more about this new jewel for nano tanks:
Within the family Lebiasinidae, sixteen scientifically accepted species of the genus Nannostomus are known. Still, in aquatic specialist shops only seven different species are offered: N.beckfordi, N.harrisoni, N.marginatus, N. mortenthaleri, N.trifasciatus, and the two 'head-ups' N.eques and N.unifasciatus. occasionally N. digrammus, N. espei and N. limatus are also available.Until today, one other species, N.britskii, is completely unknown to the aquatic world.
Hardly anything can be said about colouration or appearance in general. All other species are fairly known to aquarists but not available in the shops because there is no demand for them. Every now and then, some specimens of the species N.anduzei FERNANDEZ & WEITZMAN, 1987 come as accidental catches to Europe.It can sometimes be found in catches of the Blue Neon, Paracheirodon simulans.Very often, the fish are ignored due to their smallness: they only reach a maximum length of 1.8 cm! With this maximum length, N.anduzei is the smallest species of the genus. By the way: the genus type is N.beckfordi. The authors FERNANDEZ and WEITZMAN named the pretty dwarftetra in honour of Dr Pablo Anduze who supported their research of the fish world of southern Venezuela in every possible way.The reference specimens of this fairly 'new' species come from a collection of a freshwater lagoon that is about 15 km north of Puerto Ayacucho, in the upper regions of the Rio Orinoco. The water temperature in the lagoon was nearly 30° C, the pH differed from 5.0 to 7.0. A second place where N.anduzei was found is in northern Brazil. Dr WEITZMAN was asked to identify a collection of fish from this particular place; several specimens of N.anduzei were among them.The fish had been collected in the waters of a savanna in the Rio Negro area. These stretches of water belong to the Rio Ererê which comes from the North and flows (about 250 km northwest of the mouth of the Rio Branco) into the Rio Negro, near the Rio Padauari which came to our knowledge through exciting catches of Dwarf cichlids.This particular place is one of the socalled 'black water' regions. Interestingly, the fish caught there have the same colouration as the specimens caught in Venezuela but the males of the Brazilian form have a much longer anal fin. N. anduzei differs from all other Nannostomus species in the lacking of dark spots or bars in night colouration. In night colouration these fish seem to be transparent and display a golden shine while the red in the anal fin and the caudal base is hardly recognizable. The fish that are imported as accidental catches probably come from the Rio Ererê region. For keeping them one needs only a small aquarium with a volume of about 10 to 30 litres. At water parametres of 27° C, pH 7 or slightly below and 10°dH hardness the precious little fish are absolutely unproblematic to keep. For feeding one should use (due to the smallness of the fish) very fine, sieved Cyclops, sometimes small Grindal Worms or artemia nauplia.Occasionally they also enjoy fine dry food. If you keep a swarm of N. anduzei under the conditions mentioned above you will soon observe the first courtship rituals of the males.Now, the dominant males display a blood red caudal fin base and anal fin. The golden horizontal bar shines in a light green and the brown back as well as the brown horizontal band below the gold-green bar turns grey-brown. After this impressive courtship display one of course hopes for numerous offspring of this pretty and rare fish. But although I very often watched courtship rituals the fish never spawned. So I decided to try to breed with a swarm of four males and six females which were all animals that I had picked out from several Blue Neon imports. I set up an 8 litre breeding tank; 2/3 of the bottom were cushioned with Java-moss, the surface was covered by Ceratopteris. The spring water I used had pH 6.3 and 2° dH hardness.The swarm was kept like this for ten days; artemia nauplia were fed daily.The food remains accummulated in the light front part of the tank and were carefully sucked out every two days.Afterwards I filled up the tank with fresh spring water. Three days after I had removed the adults from the breeding tank I could see tiny zygotes that stuck to the panes.This way it was easy to measure them: they were three milimetres long, grey-white in colour and very thin. The head with the clearly visible eye was thicker than the rest of the body. Every two days I carefully added two drops of Liquifry to the tank water. At the beginning of the third week I gave some artemia nauplia into the tank but I could not see whether they were eaten or not. After three weeks I removed all plants from the tank.To my disappointment, there were only six young fish. Still, those six were now 4 mm long and had put on considerable weight.As the plants were removed, I could now watch the fry eating the nauplia. At this stage I dared to suck out some mud and fill up the tank with spring water. For eating food remains I put in several Posthornsnails. Although this very first breeding of N. anduzei was not too successful regarding numbers, it still showed that it is possible to breed the dwarf species in the aquarium. It might be possible that the species is (like many of its relatives) a predator of its own eggs. If this is the case it could be wiser to breed only in pairs. It will surely be possible to improve breeding results so that the pretty species can be part of its owner's life for a long time.
Text & Photos: Dieter Bork
Reprint from AqualogNews No 7, actualized 4/2009
The beautiful eartheaters of the Geophagus-surinamensis relationship are among the most colorful cichlids, shining in all colours of the rainbow. There are numerous species and some of them even have colour varieties in different river systems. As these are currently not recognized by scientists, we help ourselves in adding the river´s name behind the scientific name in these cases.
Six species of that group (in the widest sense) occur in Venzuela. Two of them, Geophagus dicrozoster and G. abalios, are regularly imported by us. Their natural range is the Orinoco river, the Casquiare river (this is the river that connects the Orinoco and the Rio Negro) and – at least G. dicrozoster – also the upper reaches of the Rio Negro. Both species are really lookalikes, at least as juveniles, and often occur together in the wild.
The only feature observable in live fish that enables one to distinguish young specimens of these two species is the prsence or absence of a black stripe on the pre-operculum. In G. abalios this stripe is always missing, in G. dicrozoster always present. Sadly fish under some stress (for example when they are caught with a net) often do not show the stripe at all. So it is often impossible to sort young fish in the wholesale trade.
We are therefore not able to give a 100% guarantee that all our fish belong to G. dicrostoster. The one or the other G. abalios may hide among them. So we decided to give them the name G. cf. dicrozoster on our stocklist.
G. dicrozoster can become around 20cm long, as well as G. abalios. In rare occasions they even might grow a bit larger. The species should be kept in clean, soft and acidic water. In the wild they are stricly limited to blackwater streams. Only when kept under those water conditions they develope the full colours. G. dicrozoster like it warm, temperatures of around 28°C are perfect. It is essential to enable the fish to „eat“ fine sand. This is an important part of the natural behaviour of the fish. Moreover it keeps the fish healthy for this „sandeating“ cleans their gills in a way that is comparable with our teethbrushing.
We have imported this pretty small freshwater mussel from Thailand again now. The species has a wide distribution in Asia. It is recorded from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, India and China. Nevertheless very little is known about the species. Scabies crispata is a member of the Unionidae family. The central european large freshwater mussels of the genera Anodonta, Margeritifera, Pseudanodonta and Unio are also members of that family. Like these Scabies crispata (which is by far more attractive and with a maximum length of 5cm much smaller) has an unpleasant property: they can cause a fish disease! The larvae of the Uninidae are called Glochidia and they are fish parasites. Depending on the species the glochidia live parasitically on the fins, the body or the gills.
When the glochidia have attached on the skin they encapsulate themselves. Medical treatment is impossible as any substance that is able to kill the glochidia in the skin will for sure also kill the fish. A few glochidia, which look a bit like Ichthyophthirius-spots for the bare eye, do not harm any fish. But mass-infection may become fatal. Our native mussel species are host specific and even more than that: they are population specific. This means that the very same fish species can serve as a perfect host in one population whereas specimens of other populations of the same species may be completely immune. Very little is known on Scabies crispata in this respect, except that it has unhooked glochidia which are typically found in gill parasiting species.
Most often Unionidae have different sexes, eg males and females. The males release the sperm in the open water from where it becomes breathed in by the female. The eggs are produced in sacks in the gills and become fertalized here. But it is also known the the uppermost (nearest to the spring) specimens in a flowing water can be hermaphrodites that are able to produce both sperm and eggs. It is not known wether this is genetically determined or an ontogenetic phenomenon.
May it be as it is: Scabies crispata are highly interesting animals and allow a lot of fascinating observations. You must have an eye on them to hinder the glochidia to do harm on the fish. Glochidia are released over a period of several days or weeks. So if you spot some on your fish you should separate the mussels for some time from the fish and keep them in an extra aquarium. As already mentioned, an otherwise healthy fish will not become harmed by some glochidia. Scabies crispata is a filterer, so it must be fed with a solution of yeast and water that has to be placed near the mussels by a pipette.
The „real“ piranha, Pygocentrus piraya, is restricted to the river system of the Sao Francisco in southern Brazil. It is a up to 30 cm long species, which is characterized by its deep red breast and the mighty jaws when it is fully grown.However, even juveniles display a very attractive coloration.
Most piranha species belong to the genus Serrasalmus. Externally Pygocentrus and Serrasalmus are very similar, but the behaviour of the members of the two genera is completely different. All Serrasalmus are fin eaters and solitary fish whereas all three Pygocentrus species (P. caribe, P. nattereri and P. piraya) are schooling fish.
This means that P. piraya should be kept in real big aquaria, as it becomes a large fish and must be kept in groups. When they reach maturity, pairs build up small territories (places around large plants are most wanted). They dig out spawning pits by hitting away the gravel with the caudal fin and defend this against other fish. Only the male defends eggs (many thousands) and fry. The brood care ends when the young become free swimming.
Usually no piranha will attack a human being. Nevertheless you should keep respect as the fish have razorsharp teeth and can give really heavy bites. There is only real danger when the aquarium is too small for the fish and they cannot get out of the way or during feeding times, as by chance the piranha can take the keeper’s finger for food by mistake.
All in all P.piraya is a gorgeous fish for show tanks where it can also show its faszinating and highly developed behaviour.
Breeding of „Crystal Red“ shrimps has become a widespread hobby. These dwarf shrimps are real pets in the sense of domesticated animals, a very interesting fact under the aspect of culture history: this is the first case of a crustacean that has been cultivated for that reason since the rise of men on earth! A very characteristical feature of a domesticated animal is that it is impossible to apply it to a species on the basis of anatomical appearances. This is the reason why the Crystal Red bears no scientific name, as it does not appear in the wild and there is no natural species that can be identified as the wild ancestor of the Crystal Red without strong doubts.
In contrast to wild living animals, pets are not doomed to the (in our eyes often cruel and radical) rules of natural selection. There are no predators in the aquarium and food is available unlimited. The only thing a breeder has to look at is the sensibility against diseases and parasites.
Until very recently breeders in Europe mainly looked for the development and brightness of the red colored parts on the body of the shrimps. In Eastern Asia, on the other hand, breeders were more fascinated by developing the white parts in coloration. This white colours are contrasting with the red in a very attractive way. However, nowadays even pure white strains exist. This white colours are reflecting which makes the shrimps almost shine. A typical feature of these pure white strains is the fact that the red has been substituted by an orange colour. Depending on the grade of orange in the body ground coloration, the animal looks either like platinum white or golden white.
Breeding and general care of the Snow-Whites is the same as in all Crystal Reds.
For our customers: the animals have code 485340 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale market.
One of the most beautiful tetras of South America is availble now in brillantly colored wild collected specimens. The Amapa tetra is an uncomparable eye-catcher for any well suited community tank for South American fishes. As usual, among these wild collected fishes were also specimens of other species, so-called by-catches. This gives us a good idea about the community of species the Amapa tetra lives in in the wild and also suggests perfect tankmates:
Beside these species, however, also some less attractive species were among the Amapa tetras. We show them here anyway (please use button “Further pictures”).
The brook loaches of the genus Schistura are far spread over South and Southeast Asia. There are hundreds of species, most of them still scientifically undescribed. Almost each flowing water has it´s own species. So it is no surprise that some of the species also became cave-dwellers.
We could import a small number of individuals of a very special species now: Schistura cf. jarutanini. All cave fishes have naturally a very limited distribution. Thus we have the self-limitation to import these animals only occasionally and in small numbers to make sure that there is no danger for the natural population by over-collecting.
The very spezial thing in Schistura cf. jarutanini is the fact that we so to say look over the should of evoltion while observing them. There are individuals which are completly blind and have no eyes at all (at least no visible eyes) . This is usual for cave fishes. But there are others with well developed eyes also! And in between are specimens with eyes that are deformed. The coloration is very variable. The blinder the animals are the less contrasting is the coloration.
In the aquarium these fish can be easily kept. They are omnivorous and one has to keep an eye on them to hinder them to become too fat. Against any tankmates – may they be of the own or another species – they are completely peaceful. In contrast to most other loaches they are restless swimmers. All in all this loach is (also in respect to it´s relative rareness) a fish for specialized aquarists only, but fulfills all the desires a researcher may have.
It is quite long ago that we were able to import this wonderful tetra. But now we can offer it again! Including the caudal fin the males can reach 12 cm in length. Males are generally larger than the females. A characteristical pattern for the species is the black line that extends to the level of the dorsal fin. The species originates from the upper and central Amazon river basin.
Systematically speaking this species is an enigma, as the type specimen is in a poor condition and only the hinder part of the specimen is extant. Thus it is possible that in the future our fish might be re-named.
In the aquarium Pyrrhulina laeta is an ideal tankmate for community tanks. It is very peaceful. However, tankmates must be not too small, otherwise they are taken as food. Only in breeding condition males defend their territory and might become a bit quarrelsome.
Like all its congereers P. laeta is a broodcaring species. The eggs (up to 500) are deposited on the top of a large leave. The male defends and cares for the eggs until they hatch.
Water temperature should be between 24-28°C, pH and hardness are of little importance. They feed readily on live, frozen and dry fishfood. Plants are neglected.
Seven species of Archerfishes (Toxotes) are known. Three of them (T. lorentzi and T. kimberleyensis from Australia and T. microlepis from South East Asia) are usually found in fresh water. Two are practically unknown, at least they have not been kept in aquaria so far: T. blythi from Burma and T. oligolepis from the Moluccas. The remaining two species have an extreme wide spread distribution in the Indo-West-Pacific region. They are found in brackish water (especially T. chatareus) or even in pure marine environment (T. jaculatrix).
Toxotes chatareus can easily be recognized by its typical pattern (alternating large and small spots), whereas T. jaculatrix is the only species of archerfish with only 4 spines in the dorsal fin (all other species have 5). Both features are recognizable in live fish and serve as the basis for the determination.
For a while we already receive shipments from one of our thai suppliers with wonderful T. chatareus that are collected in pure freshwater. They stay in perfect condition when kept in freshwater. The last shipment contained for the first time mainly T. jaculatrix. The specimens from this population also thrive extremly well in pure fresh water.
In 1949 Werner Ladiges mentions a blue dwarf angel (Pterophyllum scalare) that appeared by chance (problably by mutation) in a large breeding stock before WW2. Beside its unique blue coloration a characteristicly feature of these fishes was their small adult size. They never grew bigger than 5 cm body height. Although this stock survived WW2 it was not possible to establish a pure bred strain, as the blue dwarfs did not spawn easily.
Now Aquarium Glaser has also a blue angel in stock. It is very difficult to express the colours in a picture, because the camera flash always expresses much more the silvery parts of the coloration. In the beginning Aquarium Glaser was stocking the fish due to its interesting colours, but after some time it became clear that these blue angels also represent a genetically dwarfish variety – the same phenomenon as described by Ladiges.
So now we can offer a beautiful coloured angel that is also suitable for much smaller tanks than all other varieties known so far.
For our customers: the animals have the code 693403 in our stocklist
Literature:
Ladiges, W. (1949): Eine Diskussion über die Arten der Gattung Pterophyllum. Die Aquarien- und Terrarienzeitschrift 2 (3): 50-52
Described in 1991, Limnopilos naiyanetri Chaung & Ng, has only just been discovered by the hobby.
Crabs are found in pure freshwater in the roots of floating vegetation, ie. water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) and fine-leaved aquatic plants along the riparian zone (river banks). They have hairy bodies and appendages which collect mud and dirt and may function to trap food particles. They are not carnivorous, and behave like Caridina shrimps in their scavenging behaviors, where care and feeding are probably the same. Suitable for nano-tanks, and is the first crab species available which has attributes suitable for such.
In such tanks they will stay closely associated with mosses and fine leaved-plants. Max size 1 cm.(Photo C.Lukhaup, Text K.Diehl)
(Nov.10th 2008) The so called „gold dust disease“ of the bloodfins is a very interesting phenomenon, which happens to very many
bloodfin species. The best known one surely is the gold-tetra, Hemigrammus rodwayi whose number of gold-dust-sick
animals in nature is higher than of the normal coloured ones. The gold-dust-sick animals were even considered as
own species (Hemigrammus armstrongi). The cause of the gold dust disease is unknown. Often it was theorized that
the disease was a result of a parasitic flatworm infection passed during the young fish stage, but this was never
really proved. It is a fact that animals covered by the gold dust disease are not restricted in their health or
life expectancy. Also it was never successful to transfer this phenomenon on descendants bred inside the aquarium.
Therefore all gold tetras are always and only wild caught fish. A display aquarium with different gold tetras, such
as ornament tetras (Nannostomus beckfordi), cardinals (Paracheirodon axelrodi) and gold tetras (Hemigrammus rodwayi) looks fantastic. A highlight in such a tank are the rare and particular attractive redback bleeding heart tetra (Hyphessobrycon pyrrhonotus), which Aquarium Glaser is offering currently.(Photo & Text F.Schäfer)
(Nov.6th 2008)Due to its unusual head shape the horseface loach A. coirorhynchos is one of the most popular aquarium fish.
In nature they often are residents of clear rivers, where you can find them especially on sandy grounds.
Inside the aquarium you also have to provide sandy ground, which allows them to completely bury themselves.
Considering this, you can raise this species for many years in a small group (6-8 specimen). The females
will grow bigger than the males and are more corpulent. Their maximum length is approx. 15cm. From scientific view the genus Acantopsis is hardly understood. Therefore it is not sure at all that all loaches, which are traded under the name “A. Coirorhynchos” really belong to this species. Aquarium Glaser was now able to import a horseface loach from Thailand for the first time, whose colours deviate clearly from the Acantopsis known so far. Whereas the colouring of each animal is different intensive. The spectrum extends from almost colourless to strong and pertaining to a high contrast. The identification was not
successful yet. From the scientific litertature we know three species of this genus from Mekong, which
were not specified yet. With A. guttatus and A. thiemmedhi two already specified types from the region
join, whose live colouring is unknown until now, however. No matter which species the now imported
animals are , they are interesting fish, which enrich the spectrum of loaches that are kept in aquariums.
(Photo & Text F. Schäfer)
(Aug.6th 2008) A brand new star is born: Herichthys sp. Blue-Galaxy. We are proud to be able to supply limited numbers of this this beautiful breeding form for the first time. They are pubescent in a size of 6-8cm, which
they have successfully demonstrated in a tank in our office. Since they should not get as big as other
members of the Herichthys family, they will be found soon in many tanks.(Photo R.Neunkirchen, Text K.Diehl)
(23.Aug.2008) From Indonesia we received this beautiful neon-blue goby. Stiphodon semoni grows up to 4-5cm and was
several times imported under the wrong name Sthiphodon elegans. Its habitats are fast floating hillstreams with
rocky ground. It is found in Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guniea and the Solomon Islands. The nourishment
for this item is easy: we feed it dry food and life Tubifex. All in all a very fabulous goby which should be
kept by advanced hobbyists.(Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)
(21.Mai 2008) Last week we received from the Matano Lake in Indonesia a very beautiful crab: the panthercrab.
Since they live nearly totally under water, they need only a small terrestrial part in their tank. A hard water with a temperature from 25-29°C is favored. They can be easily fed with all kind of foods; from pellets to frozen food they eat nearly everything. Assure that the tank you keep them in is closed in a proper way, because they are real jailbreakers!(Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)
(9.April 2008)For the first time we can offer some offspring of Uaru fernandezyepezi. The home of this extremely rare cichlid is in the border area of Colombia and Venezuela, where they occur in the area of the Rio Atabapo. From there origin some challenging fishes such the Altum-Angels. Their requirements are similar, the water hardness should be low, temperature high (around 29°C)
and the pH value significantly in the acidic range. High temperatures and a low germinal
improve environment.(Photo F.Schäfer, Text K.Diehl)
(18. Feb.2008) Last week we received this loach which was described by FANG 1930. Their habitat is from the Nanpan-jiang and Xi-jiang basins in Guangdong to Guanxi provinces in China. The maximum size is about 8-10cm.
They should be kept in cold water, not over 22-23°C, and they have very high oxygen requirements. To offer the perfect conditions, use a pump to bring a heavy stream in your tank, because they live in fast streaming
hill rivers. The pH should be from 7.0 to 8.0. This species feeds, like only some others of its family, mainly with carnivorous food. Algaes will not be eaten.(Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)
(14.Feb.2008) The adult size of the gecko-loach, Homaloptera tweediei, is only approx. 4cm. This species is very interesting for the hobbyists, because they can be kept for a longer period in a water temperature of more
than 24°C. The main reason is the origin in central Thailand. After acclimatisation they are very thankful and easy to keep; even in a community tank. Interesting to know: they are highly reproductive, in the wild the number of fish can double in less than 15 month!(Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)
(11.Feb.2008) Again a new “crawler”: Coenobita cf.pseudorugosus. From Asia we received this super red hermit crab. The conditions to keep them are similar to all other land hermit crabs. Noteworthy are the nice flats they carry: from screwdriver snails of 5-6cm which the hermit quit the leasing contract…because of own requirement….(Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)
(16.Jan.2008) These beautiful, agile, steel-blue shining tetra, which grow up to approx. 6cm were caught by Hoffmann & Hoffmann in a clearwater stream in Peru nearby the Andes in 2004. Six animals reached Germany and could be bred. They do not need much warmth, 24°C are sufficient. The youngsters grow slowly.
An exact classification was not successful so far, it seems to be an undescribed species.
(Photo & Text P.& M.Hoffmann)
(16.Jan.2008) The most colourful type of the three different Cheirodon/Odontostilbe species caught by Hoffmann & Hoffmann in Peru in 2004, which cannot be classified exactly is Cheirodon sp. (A). The animals have red coloured belly- and anal fins, males more intense than females. Also these fish were already often bred. They are productive and fast-growing.(Photo & Text P.& M.Hoffmann)
(21.Dec.2007) Streched Puffer is his name. This week we recieved this frisky puffer from Thailand. They are easy to keep and do not need special water parameters. In bigger sizes they can tend to fight between themselves. All in all
it is an interesting puffer, which will be kept mainly from experts or experienced hobbyists. (Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)
(19.Dec.2007) This, very attractive, probably scientifically not described hillstream sucker reached us from Vietnam.
They remember on Sewellia lineolata but their point pattern is finer and also is the for S. lineolata
characteristic “stripe” missing. Like all hillstream suckers they come from fast flowing water, there
they inhabit rapid flowing streams where they graze on boulders. This means for the fishkeeper that
their high demands on the water quality and oxygen content have to be fullfilled. A strong filter
generating a high flow, rounded rocks and a strong lighting (algae growth!) are important. As they
feed on Algae and small invertebrates their diet should not be to rich in content.(Photo F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl).
Just in time for the new year, the “Aqualog Calendar-Yearbook 2008” is out now.
350 top quality colour photos, published for the first time.
600 details of conferences and exhibitions worldwide.
500 zoos, public aquaria, and nature parks worldwide.
500 aquarium and terrarium associations worldwide.
500 European veterinary practices for fishes and terrarium animals. Maps of rivers and lakes in Africa, Asia, South America, etc. Worldwide national customs codes, holiday dates, places to visit,and lots of other useful tips and information. This valuable work is the ideal present for any aquarium or terrarium enthusiast, for any occasion. To place your order just click HERE!
(17.Dec.2007) Pistolshrimp…that`s what they are called. Currently we have a very limited number in stock.
Generally this is a brackish item, which is totally adapted to live in freshwater. They come from the peninsula
of Malaysia. They can create a sound like the shoot of a pistol, which is why they are called Pistolshrimp. You
can hear this very well even outside of the tank! Among themselves they are incompatible. We recommend to keep
them single. You can feed them with all kinds of different foods….they just eat everything.
(Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)
This amazing shrimp arrived last week: Macrobrachium sp.RED CLAW. We received a very limited number of this item, which is coming from east Borneo. Our supplier told us that he
never shipped them to Europe before. This picture is showing a male, if you click on the small blue fish next to the picture, you will see the female. (Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)
(29.Nov.2007) Currently in stock: one of the rarest Mormyrids in the world: Isichthys henryi. Our supplier from
Guinea informed us that this item appear only 2-4weeks per year! So it only can be called luck to have nearly
one hundret pieces right now in stock! To keep the single is recommended, because they are agressive to others
of the same species. If you want to keep them together, you have to offer them a big, carefully structured tank
with many places to hide. They are very slow eaters; due this they should not be kept with other greedy fish.
If you follow these instructions, you will find in this fish one of the most interesting Mormyrids, which only
grows up to to 10cm.(Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)
30.Nov.2007) Now we are happy to have them available in big numbers : the mandarinshrimp, Caridina cf. propinqua.
Yesterday we received a good quantity of this beautiful shrimp from our supplier . Their origin is the isle of
Sulawesi. So far we can say are they easy to keep; the females grow up to 2cm , the males remain a little bit
smaller. From our experience we can not confirm the rumors that this is a brackish species. First trials to
breed them are still made. We are sure that this beautiful shrimp will find a regular place in our tanks.
(Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)
(27.Nov.2007) Last week we got giant screwdriver-sanils: Brotia herculea. This snail grows up to 10cm and belongs to the Pachychilidae family. There are also other interesting members of this genus like B.pagodula and B.henrietta;
the second one is even currently available. They are easy to keep like most other snails and are mainly active from dusk till dawn. They are eating all kind of dead plants and algaes. They can be fed with tablets which contain many herbal ingredients.(Photo C.Luckhaup, Text R.Neunkirchen)
(26.Nov.2007)The genus Macrobrachium rosenbergii is playing a very important role in the Aquaculture in many regions of asia. Mainly in Thailand they are bred in huge numbers for human consumption. This shrimp belongs to the family Palaemonidae and from time to time they are mported to Europe. But when you find this very nice shrimp in a shop, do not underestimate this item: they grow up to 25-30cm body-size, including their claws even up to 50cm!!! Therefore they should only be kept by experienced hobbyists! Needless to say that they need big tanks with many places to hide. But this real beauty is worth to be kept, check the beautiful picture by Chris Luckhaup! Mentionable is that they are sensitive during the time of transport, so single packing in big bags is very important to guarantee a save arrival.(Photo C.Luckhaup, Text R.Neunkirchen)
(15.Jan.2008) FINALLY in good quantities available: MICROPOECILIA PICTA RED. From now we will have this beautiful fish on a regular base in stock. We get it from our breeder by pair. A much better availability is now guaranteed. (Photo & Text R. Neunkirchen)
(19.Oct.2007) Last week we received another new item: Schistura pridii. This beautiful small loach (grows up to 4.5cm) comes from Thailand. Exactly they were found in the upper Chao Praya Bassin in the Chiangmai province in the north of Thailand. They come from cool (18-24°C) & fast floating rivers, containing hard and alkaline water, which is highly oxygenated. Rumors says that only a few thousands pieces are available, so we hope that only real specialized hobbyists will try to keep this item with the aim to breed them! (Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)
(12.Oct.2007) Last week we received a real beauty from Zaire: Phenacogrammus cf. ansorgei. This species grows up to 8cm and was caught in the Lac Mai Ndombe. In the past this lake was called Lac Leopold II. This is a “blackwater” lake, this means all fish from there should be kept in a pH of about 6,00. We will try to breed them and we are sure we can offer in the near future the first german bred ones of the really beautiful item! (Photo F.Schäfer, Text R.Neunkirchen)
Actually in small numbers available: Sicyopus zosterophorum. This loach is coming from the Pinang river in the western part of Sumatra. Until now they were not imported in big numbers, so we do not know much about keeping them. But an experienced hobbyist should not be faced with big problems with keeoping this item.
From now available: the snail-eating snail ANENTOME HELENA. This item coming from asia, is perfect cleaning your tank from snails. The snail is finding her victims with her trunk. With a total length of about 1,5cm is this item also suitable for very small tanks, in which many hobbyists are keeping dwraf shrimps. In such small tanks it is nearly impossible to reduce other snails with loaches of puffers After eating all snails, you can feed those with protein containing food. Just try them! (Photo F.Schäfer Text R. Neunkirchen)
Just last week we got a few pieces of the beautiful thai crab Demanietta sirikit! This crab lives in 50-100cm long tunnels near by the riverside. They are building their homes so deep until they reach the level of the groundwater. In the mating season they look for a partner. This happens during the rainy season….when many fruits becomes ripen.
The youngsters grow under the pleon of the female and when the are fully developed, they leave their mother and start their own lifes.
As one of the main innovations you can subscribe to our newsletter from now on!
No matter if you are our customer or “just” an ornamental fish hobbyist, who is interested in news around his hobby.
Simply subscribe to our newsletter and you will be getting informed regularly (until revoked) with news and interesting facts.
Just enter your e-mail address and a password of your choice in the column Newsletter. You will promptly receive an e-mail from us with a link, which you have to confirm.
You can cancel our newsletter again or change your e-mail address in exactly the same way. Fast, easy and simple!
We will try to provide you every month with current news! Enjoy your hobby!
Herewith we would like to warmly welcome ALL hobbyists dedicated to ornamental fish on our newly designed website!
After weeks of thinking, many different possibilities and changes – optically and in content – we did it: Our new homepage is ready…with many news and improvements. We especially thank the company Aspiria Informationstechnologie in Hanau, Germany, which realized our wishes 100%!
With the new layout we succeeded to create our page more functional and more user-friendly. New features such as “Fish of the week” on the first page, the login for stocklist download for our wholesale customers as well as the Newsletter make our website (hopefully) even more interesting for you!
And here our tip for all, who cannot buy the fish of their dreams directly from us: Simply click the pdf-symbol below the fish description, print it and ask your retailer or wholesaler for your favourite fish!
We hope that you will like our page and we would be glad about your regular visits!
This splendid land crab (Halloween-Crab, Gercarcinus ruricola) occurs in two colour variants, specifically with red or white base coloration. The colour variation involves both sexes. A mixed pair lived together in harmony for several weeks in my terrarium. These creatures are essentially vegetarian, but will occasionally take frozen foods intended for aquarium fishes, eg bloodworm. They are particularly comical to watch when they gnaw the stem of parsley which looks like theyíd hold bretzel sticks. Even though these crabs remain on land for most of the time, a shallow dish containing regularly changed water should be placed in the terrarium for them. These crabs are crepuscular, preferring to remain in hiding during the day. Even if they appear to be very peaceful among themselves, it must always be borne in mind that crabs (like all crustaceans) are soft and vulnerable after moulting. Hence newly-moulted specimens require secure hiding-places in order to be safe from the very real danger of cannibalism by their companions. These creatures are exceptional climbers, so the container must be tightly covered! Planting the container is problematical on account of the feeding habits of the crabs. Be especially careful to avoid poisonous houseplants!(Photo F. Schäfer, Text K. Diehl)
Angaben zum Tier
Herkunft
Zentralamerika
Name
Gercacinus ruricola
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Picture: Fehlerteufelchen © by Hidenori Nakano, 2009
Just in time for the new year, the “Aqualog Calendar-Yearbook 2008” is out now.
