I’ve been in the fish hobby since I was 11 yrs old. I don’t remember not having a fish tank in my childhood well up until now.
I recently got into what we call “summer tubing”. I purchased 4 different types of stock tanks from Tractor Supply company, only to end up with 3: a 25 gal, a 10 gal, and a 40 gal. The 4th was a 100 gal but I read many negative reviews on using the tough stuff stock tank and decided against it.
I live in North Florida, the emerald coast. The heat can get serious here so I encountered several issues: maintaining a safe environment for them to live in (we have Hawks, snakes, rats, even lizards will eat fish here), maintaining adequate temperatures, and whether or not I actually needed to do water changes. Mind you, I’ve NEVER tried breeding outdoors before. We’ve had turtles and small 300 gal goldfish pond at my parents house as a kid, but never before have I been in charge of setting up and keeping my own pond!
I used many different strains of guppies: yellow cobra, red Mosaics, Red Dragon Dumbo ear, and Purple Mosaics.
I started the end of February. I dug up the old tenant’s garden just outside my patio. I added Scott’s organic topsoil as a base for plants I wanted around the pond, as well as some Coco fiber leftover from my Pacman frog substrate changes. The soil here is hard, compact, and sandy with very low nutrients. Next I leveled the area, but (and this is a newbie move) I didn’t add anything underneath to account for the weight of the tub. I filled the bottom of the tub with old sand substrate (another newbie move). I was able to add the guppies late March.
Now here’s what I’ve learned the past couple of months of doing this:
1) Level your ponds with hardscape! Use pea gravel, rocks, flag stone, anything HARD! Down here in July it rains for days at a time, sometimes the whole month! The newly added soil which benefited the plants, shifted my tub. I’ve been able to work things out over time but it’s been a pain.
2) DON’T add substrate to your small tubs, 100 and under! Especially if you’re breeding guppies. You don’t want to spend hours and hours in summer heat trying to dig up guppy fry
3) Know your stock source! I’m fairly new to guppy breeding but have learned the hard way if you get bad stock, you’ll spend MONTHS culling deformed fry. I had bend spines, lopsided dumbo ears, twisted tails, etc all of which I had to get rid of. Even 2nd generation fry were horribly deformed and this comes from not adding new genetics to a pure line.
4) Keep lots and lots and LOTS of floating plants! Yes it can make spotting your stock harder but trust me! Even the larger ponds can heat up and fry the stock. I find that water Hyacinth is the best at providing both shade and cover for fry. They are an invasive species in Florida and I’ve actually collected a bunch from city workers who pull them out of our ditches!
All in all, I had a blast this summer and will continue to be able to keep my tubs outside until the end of October. It doesn’t get really cold here until mid November (low 70’s) Good ole Florida weather!
I have been asked many times and so have many others what got them into the hobby. Well mine is a little different since my cousin has been involved with Orcas ever since the first one was ever kept in captivity. It was back in 1964 in the month of July that a television broadcast out of Vancouver had released footage of the first ever Killer Whale is in captivity and being under creative commons a link that includes that footage is in this article.
I was 7 years of age back then and my parents had their holidays in August that year so it was let us go to the Vancouver Aquarium to see this mammal that lives in our oceans and generally throughout my early years we would visit Vancouver quite often.
The first time however was special looking at all the interesting freshwater and saltwater displays that ranged from Discus with Cardinal Tetras to that of the Native fish including the wolf eel that inhabit the Pacific Ocean. I was totally amazed at the diversity of aquatic life forms but what really made me hooked on aquatic life was the Orca whale. Moby Bell was huge but was a very graceful swimmer that I basically stood there with my mouth open in amazement. I wanted her.. and what made me want her was my cousin said come here you want to feed her. I stated yes so he handed me this fish and just whistled to her like a trained dog. She swam up to the enclosure edge and opened her mouth and my cousin said pet her tongue at that moment I was sold on the idea of having fish and bothered my parents for months after to have an aquarium by Christmas time.
Needless to say my father explained that we did not have room to keep a pool large enough to house an Orca but I got my aquarium and got involved with fish keeping as well as joining the local Calgary Aquarium Society In which throughout time I have been on the board of directors.
The rest of the article is on a video that has to do with two endangered populations (races) of Orcas that can be found on this video that I have done for the Boston Aquarium Society education committee.
A Look At Aquatics Orca Whales on BBC One Full Presentation
WHEN THE TIME COMES… to close the fish room.
The Struggles in closing a Fish room
Sometimes there comes a time in our life that we have to weigh our priorities and make difficult decisions.
Susan shares some of her sorrows and blessings that came from her changes.
First of all, the decision making process.
1. Weighing Priorities
2. Purpose out ways desire
3. choosing to sell or give away
4. timeline
5. dealing with depression
6. making good choices
1. Family First. This is usually the way we go because our Priorities should be in order, but sometimes, they get out of wack! I am an all-In type of person that when I decide start a new project, that’s all I think about and dream about. I try to learn as I go and that will often put me in a predicament where I was not prepared for the long haul.
God, family, self, work. So where does a Hobby or Business fit? Gee, when researching Priorities, there were so many choices and different formats, I became Overwhelmed.
You have to choose what list fits your lifestyle and commitments.
As a christian, God must be first priority in my life, but there, I see variables. God is Love, so love life, first, but in loving Life, my priorities should be what produces life. Resources we need to sustain life, are physical. Air, water, food, health. What produces good Health? Mental outlook and physical provision: nourishment, rest, oxygen, water, exercise, sunlight, social engagements, and in my case, spiritual relationship with my God. I had no idea, I was going to go this way. If too heavy for you, disregard for your peace of mind. LOL.(What does Fish Keeping have to do with Faith?) Oh that’s another Topic! Haha, don’t worry, I’m not going there!
So as you see, Priorities will be individually designed. So choose what is important to you and do your best and get help when needed. đ 2. Purpose will be determined and influenced by what your priorities are. In my case, I was asked to come help care for our aging mother. Priority in this case: Family. So I need to free my time and not put more on other family members, therefore, dismantling my hobby, the Fish Room. đ 3. Because of my financial need was going to increase due to travel and maybe temporary relocation, I needed to decide to sell my stock and maybe supplies as time goes.
Then researching what others were charging for species of fish, snails, and plants was another time consuming process of breaking down the fish room. Pride, and personal quality and worth came into play. Many told me I wasn’t charging enough and then some said, it’s worth it but I can’t afford that. So I began giving things away at the end. Time has changed things as well with world pandemic issues that has caused me to reconsider even opening a fish room again. But I can’t even shut down everything yet, emotionally holding on to fish and tanks and listening to the water movement in the empty tanks is comforting, but not really helping the situation. (frustration) 4. Timeline, was of the essence. THEN… COVID-19 STRUCK!!!! My timeline was pushed back and then staying home and job duties changed and depression hit with selling my fish, that I had grown attached to and cared for daily and the maintenance in the fish room fell to an alarming neglectful state. But guess what, everything is thriving and reproducing and reproducing. ugh, to a point of HELP! Panic, my blood pressure is rising and Oh well, I’ve gotten off coarse again! TimeLINE has been adjusted, my sibling is having to ask the other sibling to step up and help and mom has come to the conclusion that I will get there one day. Shaking my head and trying to come to terms with it and make plans to get back into the fish room and finish emptying tanks and cleaning equipment for the next hobbyist to enjoy. 5. Dealing with depression. well so far, I’ve been able to fake with many others and direct my mental concentration on what is at hand with my current job duties changing that has busied my daily schedule with video editing and broadcast programming and scheduling and training of others to do what I do. I Know this is not a Good practice when dealing with Depression. It is real, and it can take a toll on ones mind, and physical health if ignored. I have to take time to breathe and meditate on the goodness of the Lord and all He has created. I also take time to walk in the sunshine and eat well and rest. My personal study in God’s Word helps remind me, that I am not alone, my visits in the Live Streams with some of my Fish Family helps take my mind off of my concerns. I miss you all and hope to visit streams and watch videos to be with you. My depression does not need medication at this time, but I am aware that I should ask for help before it becomes more than I can handle. For now, I am able to pull myself up by the boot straps as we say, and relax and think on good things and appreciate life! Thank you for being there! You know who you are. đ 6. Making Good Choices: Taking one day at a time, one project at a time, and disciplining my mind and thoughts to Not get Overwhelmed. I have taken care of some things concerning the Fish Room, and decided to do what I can when I can. I’m in the process of scheduling for a Covid-19 test to carry a medical paper with me when I travel to see my Mom. I plan a short visit for now to access the situation and help my sister make an educated decision concerning her long term care. I will finish breaking down the fish room and sell much of the tanks and equipment for local pick up for now. Over the last two months, I have found more strength mentally than I thought I had. Usually that happens for me under extreme pressure and purpose driven energy! My husband has been so supportive through this all, understanding the responsibility and love that life has for us.
In conclusion: Love of this Fish keeping Hobby will never leave me. I hope to continue to make contact with all of my beautiful #FishFam and will continue to share with you of my life experiences as long as you want to hear them. This is not Good Bye, but See you Later! I love you <3.
-Susan for SLC Aquatics
#fishfammom
"Touching Lives One Fish at a Time"
Day 8
Saturday
I awoke at 5:45 a.m. and went down to breakfast at 6:30 a.m. I hung out in the lobby until 8:00 a.m. when 8 of us including Sezar headed out by taxis to the Mele market. This was an open market where people from all over come to barter for clothes and food. There were plecos, turtles, Oscars, Pacus, piranhas, tigrinnis catfish, alligators, pigs, and other creatures for sale for food. We walked down towards the river and Sezar pointed to the dried mud/water levels on the walls of buildings and houses. During the rainy season this whole part of town gets flooded out if they are not on stilts or floats.
We then followed a sidewalk passing a lot of houses on stilts. We came to a blue shack on stilts that Sezar thought the owner had fish for sale. He spoke in Spanish to two women on the steps and they invited us up. We walked into his house and saw about 60 tanks in 3 rows and 2 tanks high. They were loaded with fancy plecos, sting rays and knife fish. A few of the tanks had a species of whiptail pleco that I had never seen before and neither did anyone else, including Dr. Dave Schleser. The males were a grayish white color with a black stripe that went from head to caudal fin. The females were jet black with white on their sides and bellies. The owner of the house called them Loricaria chameleon. I purchased 6, Luis 8, & Dave 4 all for $3.00 each.
From there we went by taxi to the exporter and placed them in our tanks. The taxis then took us to the local zoo which was a half hour ride. When we arrived, we noticed a stand set up and decided to get something to drink. Sezar noticed a box with live grub worms in it. He showed us a lady cooking them over a barbeque on a stick. There were 5 or 6 of them together like a shish kabob. Sezar bought one stick and asked if we wanted to try one. Luis went first and ate one then it was my turn. It tasted pretty good, like the skin of a chicken. I was expecting it to be mushy inside, but it wasnât.
We went into the local zoo. I took some great shots of the animals. At the end of the zoo there was a beach on a lake where people could cool off. We returned to the hotel at 3:00 p.m. and I went across the street to a hamburger joint that looked like a throwback to the fifties. The food was good. In fact, the food on the whole trip was great! I went back to the hotel and showered and packed for the ride to the airport. I left the hotel with Jaap and Willem and arrived at the Iquitos Airport at 8:30 p.m. for a 9:45 p.m. flight. We were early and first in line to check in, but the flight was 30 minutes late. We flew to Lima, Peru and stayed at the Manhattan Hotel. It was not a great hotel, but it was ok for one night.
Arrival of Fish
About a week later we received an email from Devon stating that there was a delay with shipping the fish. There was a problem with getting space on the airline. Later in that day he emailed us that he got in touch with Guillermo. He went to the exporterâs building and to check that all the fish were still doing well in their tanks. Devon emailed everyone the next day with an update. The problem was that the fish would not depart until 10:10 a.m. that day, meaning that they wouldnât arrive in Miami until after 4:00 p.m. This was too late in the day for Customs, Fish and Wildlife, etc. to check them in. This would also mean the fish would sit overnight in boxes at the airport.
The exporter did get them on a flight that would arrive in Miami at 6:00 a.m. Tuesday 9/6/05. Typically, the fish never made the 1:00 a.m. flight. There wasnât enough room due to an overbooked abundance of asparagus! The fish finally arrived in Miami around 12:30 p.m. I received an email from the Miami airport that the fish would be on an American Airlines flight with an air bill number stating they would arrive at 11:18 p.m.! I was able to track it online but had a strange feeling about it so I called the airlines before I left. They told me that due to customs not releasing the fish 2 hours before the flight they did not accept them aboard! I was told they would be on a flight leaving Miami at 9am and arriving in Philly at 12:00 p.m.! I was really getting worried how many would survive. Other people were having the same issues with their fish arrivals. Some werenât getting boxes until after 9:00 p.m. later that night.
Finally, after paying the airlines $65.42 I was handed 2 boxes of fish. As I drove out of the building and into the parking lot, I opened one box and I could see there was only one dead fish. I hurried home to acclimate them. I was surprised that out of the 200 fish I collected, 31 were DOA and 20 of them were missing. They must have died during the 2 weeks at the exporterâs place. So I started acclimating 100 fish. Over the next two weeks I lost 12 fish before they finally settled in. I think if I would have medicated sooner, I would not have had as many losses. Live and learn.
So out of all the flight delays and fish losses it was by far the best vacation of my life! It was everything I thought it would be and then some. The food on the boat was excellent and the heat and mosquitoes were not a factor. I made a lot of friends on the trip and renewed past acquaintances. Margarita Tours (Devon) were gracious hosts along with his crew, especially Segoundo & Sezar.
Thanks!
Edâs Picknupcichlids
Here is a list of what I brought back and a list of where we collected every fish:
BOX MANIFEST:
Fish Scientific Name Common Name # of individuals
Apistogramma pevas Pevas dwarf cichlid 8
Apistogramma sp. Dwarf cichlid sp. 48
Brochis multiradiatus Giant Corydoras 4
Dianema longibarbis Porthole catfish 4
Corydoras leucomelas Leucomelas Corydoras catfish 15
Bunacephelus kneeri Banjo catfish 1
Amblydoras hancocki Hancockâs catfish 2
Loricaria sp. Whiptail catfish 11
Farlowella sp. Twig catfish 7
Ancistrus sp. White-spot ancistrus catfish 1
Pterophyllum scalare Angelfish 10
Biotodoma cupido Cupid cichlid 1
Hero appendiculatus Green Severum cichlid 4
Cichlasoma Amazonarum Amazon keyhole cichlid 4
Hoplosternum thorocatum Bubble-nest catfish 3
Loricaria âchameleonâ Chameleon whiptail catfish 6
Loricaria âhigh dorsalâ Whiptail catfish sp. 9
Plecostomus guimaraes Ranger suckermouth catfish 28
Acanthicus Adonis Adonis suckermouth catfish 13
Corydoras algodon Algodon Cory catfish 9
Corydoras aeneus âorangeâ Orange Cory catfish 11
Plecostomus vittata L204 L204 suckermouth catfish 9
Total of 208
Authors: World Aquarium Singapore & Chewy Ltd
January 31, 2020
The introduction of this video was done by YouTuber World Aquarium Singapore for the purpose of this educational video. However, unlike the video that is on the World Aquarium Singapore channel where he discusses the issues of choosing ornamental Asian Arowanas and their care, this video gets into the knowledge about why these ornamentally raised fish by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora registered Asian Arowana farms in various different countries in Asia.
The Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora are involved in many different fish species. Aquarium hobbyists know about throughout the world from a variety of families that are bred in conventional fish farms without the issues of being a prohibited species and without a form of tracking unlike the Asian Arowana.
What some people may not realize is that these sanctioned farms in Asia go through strict security that have set guidelines that are over seen by this organization to assure that each of the fish are properly chipped (GPS tracking Chip) that is easily scanned and tracked as well as strict bio security unlike the fish farms in Florida and other parts of the United States. These farms also have to be licenced by CITES and each farm gets a special tracking chip just in case fish get stolen or released into the wild.
Asian arowanas are no different than any other endangered fish in the aquarium hobby each fish that is kept in low population will have some issue with human manipulation of genetics. So like guppies there are various different ornamental strains of this fish available to those countries that accept the registration of these farm raised animals.
The laws involving wild Asian Arowanas and other fish still are under the guidance of the laws determining these fish in the wild.
So why is it that the United States is not part of the acceptance of importing Asian Arowanas with the fish actually costing money for paper work to prove that the fish is farm raised as well as the fish easily being traced by a GPS chip. When this cost so much money it is very unlikely that some person would be ignorant enough to let them go when these fish in the Canadian Market place for example can average well over a $1000.00 and be traced back to its owner unlike the other fish that are invasive to several parts of the United States
Now a question would also be is the USA government and their representative aware of endangered fish?
Quite obviously yes as many other hobby organizations that really have no say in government policies have been involved in bringing in fish that are just as endangered that you see not only on Youtube but in Aquarium Hobby today.
In the description of the video there will be a link to the sanctioned farms and to legally breed Asian Arowanas the farm or breeder must be registered with C I T E S unlike most of the other fish that are endangered and bred in conventional fish farms
Since I was around 30 years old, I had always dreamed of going collecting tropical fish in South America and swore by my 50th birthday I would do this. Well I turn 50 in January of 2006 and on August 13, 2005 I went on the vacation of a lifetime! I always read articles in magazines and online, sit through speakers talking about their collecting trips and watch their slide shows. I was very intrigued by this and really wanted to go.
About 2 years ago Luis Morales came up to me and asked me if I would be interested in going collecting in Peru. He was at the beginning stages of putting the trip together and would email information on further details to me. A few months later he sent an email with all the prices and locations where we would collect. There was a tour on the first week of the trip to the Visit Cuzco, capital of the Inca Empire and principal city of the Spanish colonial era. The second week would be for collecting with another week to follow for collecting in different locations. I chose the first fish collecting week. According to the itinerary, we would board a boat on the Amazon at Iquitos & stop at various creeks, lakes, & streams along the way heading north or travel up the Amazon.
Well for the next 6 months I bugged Luis with emails monthly asking when I could send in my deposit. Finally, in January of 2005 it was due. I think I was the first deposit paid. I sent it into Margarita Tours, Inc., and so my quest began to collect Tropical Fish.
Luis had a website with a lot of helpful hints on preparing for the trip. Margarita Tours also had a website with a document center that gives you everything you need to know.
Preparing for the Expedition
The first thing I needed to do was to obtain was a passport. Next, I went to a travel medicine doctor for shots. It was great how prepared the doctors were. When I made the appointment, they asked where I was going. Even though I knew what I needed for my appointment they had a list of required medications printed out from websites. I received shots for yellow fever and tetanus and pills for malaria and typhoid fever. Hepatitis shots are also required but I already had all of them.
Next I started gathering things I needed on my lists. Dip nets are a must item and even though I could have borrowed them, I ordered online from the Sterling Company. Gathering everything took quite a while and I procrastinated until the last couple weeks for a few items such as boots, hats, long pants, shorts, batteries, flashlights, etc. I never realized how much stuff was needed until I had collected it all.
Day 3
Monday
I woke up early at 5:30 a.m. so I decided to take a shower. I quickly learned to take a shower in the evening. The water was ice cold and took my breath away. The water came from a storage tank that sits on the top of the boat. It warms during the day and really cools off at night.
We drove upriver to the Yanamona distillery. The man working there makes rum and molasses the old fashion way. He had a donkey attached to a pole and walked in a circle as he fed the sugar cane through a tube that squeezed all the juice out of it. Then he took the filled container and dumped it into a vat over a fire. The vapors went up a tube and into a bottle where the purest rum came out. He made 4 different brands of rum by adding molasses and other ingredients. I purchased 2 bottles of molasses from him.
Next we drove one hour up the Amazon and docked at the mouth of a small Cocha and stream. We grabbed our buckets and nets, walked down a path and came upon the village of Atun Cocha. Sezar spoke to the locals in Spanish and one of them took us down by the stream and showed us homemade boxes (3â high and 15â square) that were lined with plastic and filled with water. They contained lots of cories, catfish & tetras! Then we walked behind the village and followed a path that led to the Atun Cocha Lake. I was very cautious when we arrived at the lake and followed everyoneâs lead into the water. About 3â from shore one sank in the mud up to about 6â and sank to about 1â of mud once you got near the water. This was difficult to get used to; especially not knowing what was going into your boots. I had hard soled dive boots on that worked out quite well. Hardly anything got inside of them for the whole trip and they dried out nicely too. Once past the mud, I saw a lot of water lettuce floating in front of me. I shoved my dip net under them and came up with some tetras and apistoâs! I moved on to a spot by myself where I found a sunken log in the water and a bank of leaves and sticks on the bottom. It was a lot easier to stand and I didnât sink in the mud too much. When I lifted the log up I was able to catch a Raphael cat, 2 large ancistrus, 2 hoplo cats, and a Farlowella cat! Then I went closer to the shore and dug my dip net under the leaf litter and found Apisto heaven! Every time I pulled up my net I had a ton of Apistogramma cacatuoides. After collecting enough fish, I decided to take a few pictures, with my new digital camera, of everyone who was still collecting. Additionally, I took some great shots of butterflies and weird shaped trees. One tree looked like someone tied it in a knot. Then I got back in the water to help with seining. After 2 pulls we had enough fish! Along with the fish I mentioned previously, we also caught piranhas, tetras, hatchet fish, Leporinus, headstanders, knife fish, wood cats, pimelodus cats, Hoplosternum cats, Cichlasoma Amazonarum, Aequidens tetramerus, & green severums.
The catches were brought back to the boat. Everyone kept what they wanted and placed the extras in the community tank. Any unwanted fish were released back into the Amazon. We then ate lunch while the boat headed up to the village of Apayacu. After docking, the group got into the skiff boat and headed up the Apayacu creek which was about 20â wide and 4â or so deep. We went about a couple of hundred yards down the creek and dropped out of the boat into the water. We all grabbed hold of the seine and let the weighted end go to the bottom. The seine was dragged to shore where the mud was so deep that we all sunk past our knees! Again, it was scary not knowing what was in the water. We worked through it and after pulling up a couple of seines we caught tetras, characins, hatchet fish, wolf fish, gracillis, headstander, doridadae cats, pimelodid cats, hoplos, large Loricaria, ancistrus, freshwater puffers and drums. Devon and one of the guides, Segoundo, went down a semi-dried up stream to see if it was worth collecting. However, it was dried up and they found no fish. On their trek back to the boat Segoundo sunk up to his hips in the mud. Devon took full advantage of the situation by scooping up a pile of mud and dumping it onto Segoundoâs head. This turned into one big mud fight between the two of them! Once back at the main boat I kept the fish I wanted and placed unwanted ones in the community tank. Then I took a shower and a nap.
When darkness arrived after dinner, we got back into the skiff and headed up the Apayacu creek with our flashlights looking for caiman and other night creatures. I was surprised that my large flashlight that I bought at Home Depot was the brightest! As we crawled along on the creek, we would all shine our lights along the banks and trees hoping to catch a glimpse of something alive. The first thing we saw was a pair of red eyes looking back at us so headed for shore right at it. Segoundo was hanging off the front of the boat and reached out and grabbed it. It was a caiman, about 15â. The crew put it in a container so we could get some pics of it during daylight. Next, he saw an Owl but it flew away just as he crept up to grab it. A few feet away I noticed more red eyes shining from my light. Segoundo went and tackled the largest bull frog I had ever seen. The colors on him were incredible. I was glad to have brought my camera along. We saw many other exciting creatures such as spiders and birds but unfortunately, we could not get too close. We did however bring back a large moth & a tree frog to photograph.
Day 4
Tuesday
The group went up a few creeks near the village of Yanayacu. The first creek was mostly dried up with only a few rivulus and apistoâs found. The next stream had a lot of characins, Apistogramma agassizii fry and small adults. While I was collecting in the stream, I heard Devon yell âWhoa!â He was about 20 feet from me I rushed out of the stream because he said he saw a large electric eel. He picked the 5â eel with up a big stick and lifted it out of the water. Sezar went back to the boat for the seine on which they loaded the eel to carry it upstream. By the time we were ready to leave the eel had swam back down to the spot we caught him! We also collected Cichlasoma Amazonarum, knifefish and a few woodcats. We returned to the main boat and ate lunch while heading to Pevas. At the mouth of the Rio Apayacu there were quite a few freshwater bottlenose dolphins and I got a few pics of them.
Upon arrival at Pevas we visited one of the largest houses in the city. It belongs to artist Francisco Gripa who is also well known in the states. They told us that Sean Connery has over 30 of his paintings. Mr. Gripa was very hospitable and gave us beer and soda and invited us to stay the night in his house. We thanked him for his offer but decided to stay on the boat. As it was getting dark, we left his house and headed up to the center of town. There had to be at least 30 steps we had to climb to get to the center of the town and groups of children followed us everywhere, running up to touch us then running away. After the walk we went back to the boat for dinner. We were joined by 2 female exchange students from England who were both interning to be doctors at the clinic in Pevas.
Following dinner we went, accompanied by the 2 internists, for a walk through the rainforest. We followed a path through the forest. It was very muggy and there was a light mist to the air. The first thing we found was a large brown tree frog attached to the side of as toilet. The toilet was not in use thankfully but set up like an ornament. We went up a hill and passed a bunch of small toads that were all over the grass. Next, we came upon a horn toad. It was really neat looking, and we took several pictures of it. Walking back, we took quite a few pictures of weird bugs, spiders, flowers, etc. It was a long hike up and down the hills and I was ready to go to bed when we got back.
Day 5
Wednesday
We got up and walked behind Pevas to 3 small streams. There were only a few tetras, Loricaria, ancistrus, & the largest Apistogramma Pevas male I had ever seen. He was found in the first stream we came upon. The second stream held only a few fish and the third was clearest blackwater stream seen on the trip. It also was the emptiest as far as fish were concerned. We found about 5 Apistogramma pevas and not much else. Since I was feeling sick to my stomach all morning I decided to head back to the boat. Warren gave me some Pepto Bismal tablets and I decided to take a nap. The nap lasted until the next morning! While I slept some of the guys went seining at shores of the Rio Ampiyacu. They caught some chocolate cichlids, sting rays, a few apistoâs and a beautiful pair of 6â pike cichlids.
Day 6
Thursday
It rained hard from 3:00 a.m. to 6: a.m.! A few beds got wet and one of the crew gave up his bed for Marilyn since her mattress got wet. We drove downstream for 4 hours and pulled over to the shoreline. We all got into the skiff and stopped on the Amazon at the mouth of a small stream. Devon walked up along the banks while we setup the seine in front of the streamâs mouth where it empties into the Amazon. About 100â upstream Devon picked up a large stick and entered the stream. He proceeded to bang the stick in the water while walking toward us. This frightened any fish right into the seine. We only found a few tetras and catfish. Next, we drove 100 yards downstream to a bunch of reeds growing out of the water. The area of reeds was approximately 15âx20â. We all got out and, while some people surrounded the reeds with the seine, the rest were on shore pulling all the reeds out one by one. We found quite a few tree frogs on the reeds. The reed removal took a little bit of work but was well worth it! We found 12â Farlowella cats, pimelodus cats, Raphael cats, ancistrus, tetras and wolf fish. The second pull of the seine brought up the big cats: a RedTail that was 2â long and another 15â catfish. We stopped seining, got back in the skiff and headed back to the main boat. Warren held the two catfish in his arms while we took some great pics of them!
We drove down the Amazon for the next four hours. Along the way we saw a large red snake swimming in the water. It went under the boat and when it came up on the other side, Segoundo reached down and grabbed it out of the water. I canât remember the species of snake, but it was about 6â and red in color. Devon placed it in a pillow case so we could place it on dry land and take pictures. We arrived at the village of Aisana and Devon laid the snake in the grass. I was amazed that it curled up and stayed still for everyone to get some pictures.
After this we were met by Daveâs friend Adriano. He led us to a couple of creeks. The first one had nothing in it. The second one had the usual wolf fish plus some tetras, Leporinus, Brochis splendens, hoplo cats, porthole cats, Hopostomus, Apistogramma cacatuoides, angel fish, festivums, chocolate cichlids, & Apistogramma eunotus. Nice findings at our last collection station. I walked back before everyone else as I wanted to take some pictures of the setting sun. These were some of the best sunset pictures I have ever taken. I went back to the boat, ate dinner and relaxed on the deck before turning in for the night. My last night on the Amazon!
submitted by Chewy LTD
Collaborated with Dan Hodnett
Nov. 7, 2019
Due to the fact that Canadians can not keep Native Fish except for certain Bait Fish species under the bait fish of the Ontario Fishing licence where they are able to keep only native species to that region (no other province). It is one of my projects to help educate Canadians about Native species that are either prohibited (due to some are thought to be invasive) or due to our law in Canada where we are not allowed to keep any native fish except under permit that can survive in our water ways. I do believe that the Channa (Snakehead) prohibition is being also disputed especially the species that are from India and Africa that Chris Biggs has spoken about on a live on his channel. So far no real word has been put out but it is actually contested due to the fact that none of those fish could survive most of Canada’s winters. I am waiting to hear from Chris Biggs as to my question about why some of the Native Species are not on the CARES list that are endangered that there are fish in the hobby that are kept by people in North American Native Fish Association . It is an interesting question to say the least as those fish could be kept outside in fish ponds. Perhaps it may have to do with the US Fish And Wildlife however various different endangered Pupfish are on The CARES Preservation Program list. that are threatened in their waterways.
Your Native Land and its water ways represent the natural evolution of how the planet developed over several years that are too high to count. This duration of time allowed both fauna and flora species to evolve and to open up another topic for the SLC Aquatics Newsletter. I decided to put together this article dealing with some of the piscine species that are natural species to the area of Canada as a whole, although some native fish may be introduced to other waters in Canada by the federal or provincial government. Very few people can legally keep Canadian species except for those in Ontario under the Bait fish licence of that province. None of the other provinces are allowed to keep any native species unless they have special permits that may be guided from province to province. This is the Bait Fish that those who want to keep Native fish in Ontario. However they must have a registered fishing licence with the province of Ontario.
In saying that, the other provinces have got their laws involved in the species in which the angler has to abide by catch limits and the species that they are allowed to catch and take home and eat for human consumption. So in a presentation, I decided to educate the YouTube @Fishfam. I looked at certain extant, endangered and extinct species to inform the viewing audience about some of the fish that inhabit some of the waterways in Canada. The presentation also includes original music to best describe the land of Canada for the listening audience. The presentation is in memory of Gord Downie, (RIP) the lead singer of the Tragically Hip.
It is not surprising that some of the species that inhabit the Canadian Waterways have other population points in the United States. So lets take a look at the species of fish that are presented here.
1. First off the Arctic Grayling (Thymallus arcticus) that inhabits the waterways of northern B.C. from the Peace and Stikine rivers north and in the south in the flathead river. The general habitat is the clear waters of large, cold rivers, rocky creeks and lakes. A very beautiful fish and is commonly consumed by the northern BC population of fishermen and those that visit Northen B.C on Fishing Trips.
2. The Bowfin (Amia calva) are demersal freshwater piscivores native to North America, and commonly found throughout much of the eastern United States, and in southern Ontario and Quebec.
3. The brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) is a small freshwater fish that is distributed across the US and Canada. It grows to a length of about 2 inches. It occupies the northern part of the eastern United States, as well as the southern half of Canada.
4. Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere in North America, to Iceland, Europe, and Asia.
5. The smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus. One of the black basses, it is a popular game fish sought by anglers throughout the temperate zones of North America, and has been spread by stocking as well as illegal introduction to many cool-water tributaries and lakes in Canada and more so introduced in the United States. The maximum recorded size is approximately 27 inches and 12 pounds. The smallmouth bass is native to the upper and middle Mississippi River basin, the Saint Lawrence River and Great Lakes system, and up into the Hudson Bay basin. Its common names include smallmouth, bronzeback, brown bass, brownie, smallie, bronze bass, and bareback bass.
6. The bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) is found in the cold, clear waters of the high mountains and coastal rivers of northwestern North America, including Yukon, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana, as well as the Jarbidge River of northern Nevada. A population of bull trout exists east of the Continental Divide in Alberta, where it is the provincial fish. The historical range of bull trout also included northern California, but they are likely extirpated.
7. Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) are native to the Nearctic, being well distributed in lower Canada and the eastern and northern United States, as well as parts of northern Mexico.
8. The common carp or European carp (Cyprinus carpio) is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The native wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Information about the Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio), a warm-water fish introduced to Ontario by the government. The species is not a natural species to Canadian waters but was introduced into the the Great Lakes region from the upper St. Lawrence River to Lake Superior. At the time that this article was written a debate about Exotic Species and what to do with them has been discussed through many YouTube Channels and many of the Exotics in various different places have been introduced for the fisherman for Human consumption.
9. The flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) also called by several common names including mudcat or shovelhead cat, is a large species of North American freshwater catfish in the family Ictaluridae. It is the only species of the genus Pylodictis. Ranging from the lower Great Lakes region to northern Mexico. It has been widely introduced and is an invasive species in some areas. The closest living relative of the flathead catfish is the much smaller widemouth blindcat, Satan eurystomus.
10. The green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. A panfish popular with anglers, the green sunfish is also kept as an aquarium fish by hobbyist. The green sunfish is native to a wide area of North America east of the Rocky Mountains, from the Hudson Bay basin in Canada, to the Gulf Coast in the United States, and northern Mexico.
11. The lake chub (Couesius plumbeus) is a freshwater cyprinid fish found in Canada and in parts of the United States. Of all North American minnows, it is the one with the northernmost distribution. Its genus, Couesius is considered monotypic today. The genus was named after Dr. Elliott Coues, who collected the holotype specimen.
12. Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides are native to North America, and its native range was generally restricted to the fresh waters of eastern-central North America including the lower Great Lakes. Largemouth Bass is a freshwater fish that has currently, a distribution similar to the smallmouth bass in Canada, although it is not found in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island and probably not in Newfoundland. It is probably best known in the Kawartha and Rideau Lakes in Ontario. In B.C., Largemouth Bass are found in the Columbia River system including, Vaseaux, Osoyoos, Christina and Kootenay lakes.
14. The Longnose Gar (Lepisosteus osseus) is found in the St. Lawrence River, along the eastern seaboard, Quebec and all the Great Lakes except Superior. They prefer slow moving water in large rivers, lakes and streams. They are found in both freshwater and saltwater .
15. Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) a cool-water fish native to Ontario. The species are found from the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes basin, north to Lake Nipissing and west to Lake of the Woods.
16. Northern Pike (Esox lucius) a cool-water fish native to Ontario and is widely distributed throughout most of the province although it is not historically found in parts of central Ontario but gradually expanding into these areas. The Northern Pike is also considered an invasive species in the province of British Columbia and the BC Government has got a $10.00 bounty on the head of A Pike. See information below B.C. offers bounty to encourage pike fishing
18. The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is native only to the rivers and lakes of North America, west of the Rocky Mountains, but its value as a hard-fighting game fish and tasty meal has led to its introduction throughout the world.
19. The smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus. One of the black basses, it is a popular game fish sought by anglers throughout the temperate zones of North America, and has been spread by stocking as well as illegal introduction to many cool-water tributaries and lakes in Canada and more so introduced in the United States. The maximum recorded size is approximately 27 inches and 12 pounds. The smallmouth bass is native to the upper and middle Mississippi River basin, the Saint Lawrence RiverĂą; Great Lakes system, and up into the Hudson Bay basin. Its common names include smallmouth, bronzeback, brown bass, brownie, smallie, bronze bass, and bareback bass.
20. The spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) is native to North America and its current range is from southern Ontario to the west from the Nueces River in Texas east to the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico and southeast to the lower Apalachicola River in Florida. The gar population is small in the north and is being threatened in Lake Erie by the destruction of their habitat and pollution. The gar is more common in the southern waters like the Mississippi River basin from southern Minnesota to Alabama and western Florida. Historical records indicate the spotted gar resided in the Thames and Sydenham Rivers in Ontario, Canada. Also, the fish was once common in Illinois in the Green and Illinois Rivers to the swamps in Union County; though sporadic, the population has dwindled in these water systems because of the loss of specific habitat they need to live, clear pools with aquatic vegetation.
21. The fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) is a species of temperate freshwater fish belonging to the genus Pimephales of the cyprinid family. The natural geographic range extends throughout much of North America, from central Canada south along the Rockies to Texas, and east to Virginia and the Northeastern United States. This minnow has also been introduced to many other areas via bait bucket releases. Its golden, or xanthic, strain, known as the rosy-red minnow, is a very common feeder fish sold in the United States and Canada. This fish is best known for producing Schreckstoff (a distress signal).
22. The walleye (Sander vitreus, synonym Stizostedion vitreum) also called the yellow pike, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European zander, also known as the pikeperch. The walleye is sometimes called the yellow walleye to distinguish it from the blue walleye, which is a subspecies that was once found in the southern Ontario and Quebec regions. It is now presumed extinct.
23. The White Sucker (Catostomos commersonii) Restricted to North America, and widely distributed throughout Canada. In our province, the species occurs only in Labrador.
24. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) are North America’s most popular freshwater fish, having been commercially harvested for more than a century. Weighing up to a pound (450 g), they live in large schools in the shallow waters of the Great Lakes. Lake Erie, being the shallowest of the Great Lakes, has the most productive commercial fishery for yellow perch.
25. The banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus) is a North American species of temperate freshwater killifish belonging to the genus Fundulus of the family Fundulidae. Its natural geographic range extends from Newfoundland to South Carolina, and west to Minnesota, including the Great Lakes drainages. This species is the only freshwater killifish found in the northeastern United States. While it is primarily a freshwater species, it can occasionally be found in brackish water. The Newfoundland population is considered a threatened population. The Banded Killifish can not be kept by any Canadian as it is not legal to keep or transport the species from its habitat. I inquired with American Killifish Association member Dan Hodnett as to whether any of this population would be available for foreign aquarist to maintain as under many situations according to the C.A.R.E.S Preservation Program. Due to it having its own population genetics, it would be interesting to find out if this particular race of the species is available in the Aquarium hobby to try to ensure it’s survival. To listen to Dan’s answers check his life stream where the topic came up. Livestream #96
26. White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) In 2003, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) identified six Nationally Significant Populations (NSPs) of White Sturgeon in Canada: Lower Fraser River, Middle Fraser River, Nechako River, Upper Fraser River, Upper Columbia River, and Kootenay River. The first two of these NSPs were declined for listing and the latter four were listed as Endangered under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) in August 2006. A final Recovery Strategy addressing the four listed NSPs was published in 2014.
27. The Banff longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae smithi) was a diminutive (about five cm. long) version of the eastern longnose dace. Its range restricted to a small marsh fed by two hot springs on Sulphur Mountain in Banff, a National Park in Banff, Alberta.
Since most Canadians can not keep native species in Canada and many of the species inhabit the United States where the The North American Native Fishes Association is operated out of the United States. There are many different channels that touch the subjects of collecting Native Fish such as this recent video done by titled NATIVE FISH COLLECTING IN THE SWAMP! – W/ (AQUA FUNK AQUATICS) would be interesting for any one of the #FishFam that are interested in Native American Fish from Florida https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g6KZls9vIw Another excellent live stream to check out to deal with the topic of collecting Native Fish is done by Wild Fish Tanks with the topic DOs and DONTs of Collecting Wild Fish For Aquarium with Q&A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8nlaElTyNk&t=851s
To close this off: What questions would you ask? Does the country that you live in allow you as a hobbyist to keep Native Fish found in Your Native Land?
Due to the fact that Canadians can not keep Native Fish, except for certain Bait Fish species, under the bait fish of the Ontario Fishing licence, where they are able to keep only native species to that region (no other province). It is one of my projects to help educate Canadians about Native species that are either prohibited (due to some are thought to be invasive) or due to our law in Canada where we are not allowed to keep any native fish except under permit that can survive in our water ways. I do believe that the Channa (Snakehead) prohibition is being also disputed. The species that are from India and Africa that Chris Biggs has spoken about on his channel. So far no real word has been put out but it is actually contested due to the fact that none of those fish could survive in most of Canada’s winters. I am waiting to hear from Chris Biggs in response to my question about, why some of the Native Species are not on the CARES list, that are endangered that there are fish in the hobby that are kept by people in North American Native Fish Association. It is an interesting question to say the leas, as those fish could be kept outside in fish ponds. Perhaps it may have to do with the US Fish And Wildlife. Various different endangered Pupfish are on The CARES Preservation Program list that are threatened in their waterways.
submitted by Rockford Fish Keeping
January 1, 2020
With the high demand we aquarists put on electric we must be mindful of how much we have pumps filters heaters and lights all have 1 things in common Amps (the draw of power) the more things you have plugged in the more power you draw electrical plugs are fed by the “power” box and are grouped into fuses or breakers along with lights and are normally 15 Amp. meaning you can only plug so many say heaters into a outlet before you trip it. everything you have pluged into a outlet will add to its Amp load for 1 or 2 tanks this is no problem, but when your getting into fish rooms this will become a problem and a new breaker and outlets will have to be used but you only have so much power to work with, that of your main Service type you cant get 200 GPH out of a 100 GPH pump nor can you run 200 amps with 100 amp service
Determining your Electrical system
Types of Service
– – 30 Amp Fuse Panel used up to 1950 120 Volt ONLY – MUST REPLACE
– – 60 amp Fuse Panel Used 1950 to 1965 240 Volt SHOULD REPLACE
– – Circuit Breaker Panel Used Started in 1960’s 240 Volt
Types: 60 Amp,100 Amp,125 Amp,150 Amp,200 Amp and up
Ways to tell what service you have
– Check Main Breaker (its the double pole switch) whatever amp the breaker is, is your service
– Gauge of wire coming into Circuit Box:
6 gauge for 60 Amp 4 gauge for 100 Amp 2 gauge for 125 Amp 1 gauge for 150 Amp and 2/0 Gauge for 200 Amp
– Electric Meter:
Glass Dome mounted on Round Base – 60 Amp
Meter located behind glass opening in metal box – 60 Amp
Glass Dome mounted on Square Box – 100 Amp
Glass Dome mounted on Rectangle Box – 150 Amp and up
– Conduit Diameter leading to the Breaker box
(unreliable- Conduit might be larger then service provided)
1 inch – 60 Amp
1 1/4 inch – 100 Amp
1 1/2 inch – 125 Amp
1 3/4 inch – 150 Amp
2 inch – 200 Amp
Its something a lot of people have a problem with cuz its not “dumbed down enough” … i used to say this all the time working at the many pet shops I worked for.
1. you feed the fish
2. the fish Poop
3. the Poop brakes down into ammonia
4. bacteria grows and eats the Ammonia and produce Nitrite
5. more bacteria grows and eats the Nitrite and produces Nitrate
6. Nitrate is removed via water changes
There is A Head of A Snake in My Aquarium
submitted by Chewy Ltd.
September 2019
For some of us we really do want a Head of a Snake in our Aquariums and as a follow up to the Invasive Species and Exotic species that was done on the Mysis Shrimp Article that was posted in a previous SLC Aquatics Fish Family Newsletter. I decided to take another look into Invasive species and what can be done. I also looked at a certain Family of fish. This Family of fish known as Channidae is broken up into 3 extant(still in existence) Genus known as Aenigmachanna, Channa and Parachanna. This article is going to concentrate on the Genus Channa where some species may be getting a bad rap due to certain species in that Genus. This is due to their representation in YouTube Media as well as media in general and how certain species of this Genus may be a lot different than what people think of how this genus is described. The Genus is known as the Genus Channa and commonly referred to as Snakeheads. First off, like everything there are only so many species of this Genus that have been discovered and classified by science but more like so many other fish, some are actually being discovered since a lot of the resources on the Internet can keep up with this. Places like India where a lot of new species to the hobby have been introduced, relatively lately, such as the Indian Mudskipper and the Indian Pea Puffer that seem to be popular all over with the aquarium hobby as they are a tropical fish that are handled by many pet shops around the world. However when most people think of certain fish by common name they think of the characteristics of those fish in how media have depicted them such as the blood thirsty Red Bellied Piranha that Jeremy Wade of River Monsters has literally gone into a pool without the fish paying attention to him. Could the same be said about a misrepresentation of the Snakehead family? Through watching National Geographic features on the Snakehead the viewer is not actually told about the nature of all of the species just some that have been proven to be invasive due to the fact of the way that the species that they have chosen represent that side of the nature of certain species that are known to be predatory fish that come from Russia and parts of Asia where these fish are actually thought of as a fish for Human consumption and are considered a delicacy when served in some of those Asian Cultures.
Invasion of the Snakeheads! | National Geographic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmU7etSYYqI
Due to when this documentary was released it states out of the 29 species of Snakeheads “Many of the Snakeheads are Predators” which comes down to the specific research that you do on these species. But what about the other species that are not top predators, as this is where the educational factor began for myself as I got to know a current director of the Calgary Aquarium Society that moved from India and was familiar with various different species of Channa that inhabit the water ways of India. That informed me about what is known as the Dwarf Snakeheads in India that are marketed and bred in various different countries of Asia and are actually bred in England by various different hobbyists. (England being the only English Country to not have these particular fish Prohibited according to the information that I was able to research if your country or state allows certain species please comment below with that information). I know how Americans feel about the Asian Arowana and them not being able to keep them however both USA and Canada have the Genus Channa prohibited due to how “Many of the Snakeheads are Predators”. So for a few years I have been studying this particular group of fish to find out more or less some more back ground information as to what Channa species would be dangerous for an environment and the reasons why these regulations exist. It is truly understandable why the Northern Snakehead would be banned from Canada as there would be really no natural predators and would deplete endemic fish stocks if released into Canadian and Northern American States.
At the beginning of my research at the time I was discussing this with my friend from the Calgary Aquarium Society I was intrigued due to the fact that one of the Snakeheads known as the Blotched Snakehead (Channa maculata) was released in Burnaby Park in Burnaby British Columbia that caused the Fish and Wildlife People to become involved in eradicating that particular predatory Channa species from the Lake just before meeting him.
So I did go in not knowing about the other species that this article is about. However when discussing the topics of fish from India and surrounding areas he did mention the fact that he kept a certain species known as Channa Andrao that feeds upon insects and other invertebrates in nature and has the breeding habits of a betta but the parental behavior of the family Cichlidae. The species maintains a size of about 5 inches in length. Kind of sounds like your every day pair of Cichlids that are kept in the hobby that are from Tropical India, but a little less aggressive to fish as some of these dwarf snakeheads can even be seen on YouTube with small fish. Just doing the research to find out that these fish are not exactly portrayed correctly but governments have banned them primarily due to the fact of Identification. It seems as though once they read the word Channa or Snakehead they freak out as though it is a natural disaster. Meanwhile we see various different types of exotic and invasive species swimming around in areas where fish farms are. Little attention is paid to them of the same size such as Jewel Cichlids being found in Florida pools with little thought given by the public. There are many beautiful species of the Snakehead family that are kept in the aquarium hobby that most hobbyists do not know about due to the fact that most of the English speaking countries have prohibited the species. So very little study is done on this group especially by those involved in the hobby. There are few that I would really like to have; a Head of a Snake in My Aquarium such as Channa bleheri (Named after Heiko Bleher), Channa Andrao (Named after Andrew Rao) and the Beautiful Channa Barca that is depicted below and has been shown to live with small tetras and other small fish on Youtube. The video below is of young Channa Barca from the video collection of my friend, Mr. David Leuken of Fengshui Aquatics (Fish Farm and Exporter) of Thailand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZON7Dcq9i4
In closing this article, though I do understand some of the particular issues involved in allowing certain species into countries, but one of the reasons that could be a cause of all species being banned is not many custom workers are trained in the field of species identification, thusly, I would think that permits would have to be required at the point of the exporter similar to the permits that are part of the C I T I E S Golden Arowana program that identifies the fish.
Chewy LTD’s Response:
Yes I have seen quite a few articles dealing with Snakeheads throughout the 4 years of researching the fish of this Genus for many years there are many different species of Snakeheads so people automatically freak out due to the fact that not all knowledge is known.
This is the northern snakehead however there are over 39 species of Snakeheads this species though is what the media thrives upon .. it is the same as Sharks not all Shark species are man eaters either ⊠Channa Bleheri The Rainbow Snakehead only gets to a maximum of 8 inches which is A Dwarf Snakehead The Genus are banned and it should only be species that can become invasive and cause great issues. The Southern USA is full of invasive big predatory fish plus the government of Florida actually introduced the Peacock Bass (Cichlid from the Amazon) to try to eradicate other smaller invasive species. It is the issues of how big these predatory fish get.
Dwarf Snakeheads can live in a community tank with other fish around their same size that impact their waterways the same as Fire mouth Cichlids that are kept in the aquarium hobby This is a video of a 6 and a half inch Rainbow Snakehead living quite peacefully with Firemouth Cichlids and other fish that are kept in the Hobby.
Here is some information on Channa Bleheri from a few other resources. The Difference between Channa Bleheri The Rainbow Snakehead and The Northern Snakehead are quite different and this is the problem you can even see American Aquarists that I know posting on this while those that have put study into the fish from Hobbyists to Ichthyologists know the difference between species. It is very similar with Catfish it is like comparing the common pictus catfish to a fish like the Big Retailed Catfish out of the Amazon. And the redtail catfish is known as a predator but the North American Hobby has that fish.
The Genus Channa has many different species that come from a wide range each species has its own area and they all range in size just like Cichlids, Catfish, Characins (Tetras) and other families of fish. I know that the USA is plagued by the Russian Snakehead which come from Russia and have a vast range in area and temperatures so they are a prime invasive species but this is like comparing a firemouth cichlid to a Peacock Bass in size. The Dwarf Snakeheads come from a tropical environment so they would not survive winters in Canada and due to their size they would be around the same type of threat as a fish the same size that are commonly kept in the aquarium hobby.
The Northern Snakehead the one in that article you sent me is the POSTER species the one that the media wants to draw attention too and make people think of how bad Snakeheads are I see articles on them All The time they have a massive natural where this species of snakehead fish native to China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea, ranging from the Amur River to Hainan. This species deserves to be prohibited and banned. It is one of the largest snakeheads.
In the United States there has been reported populations of Northern Snakeheads that go from Florida all the way up to Virginia I know of a fisherman that went out with a biologist to gather information on this on a report in Virginia. However the Northern Snakehead is an edible species just like the Peacock bass that fishermen can catch and even eaten. Here is the series of reports done by that fisherman It is part 1 of 4 parts where the biologist appears. You may find it interesting.
Part III with The Biologist from Virginia (You may think about how the media has played this factor once you hear the issues from the biologist from the State of Virginia that is studying the impact of these fish in that state)
The Northern Snakehead is banned in Canada along with every other Snakehead just like all the rest of the countries except England who recognizes the difference so they can keep them, The Dwarf species are also kept in Aquariums in Asia and in Germany France Sweden etc because they realize that the Dwarf species come from Tropical India there is also tropical species of Large Snakeheads in Africa to that would not live in Canadian waters just like every other African fish would not live in Northern Cooler waters.
And here is a thought Canada is very proactive in trying to or eradicating Invasive species such as the Mysis shrimp that I submitted on Invasive species and how they handle that and put up a bounty for fish such as Pike maybe the USA would not have some of the issues that they have as exotic species are even caught in Florida from Swordtails, Platies, Cichlids etc and sold on ebay
Snakeheads are an edible fish as well and are a very popular food fish and are even farmed for human consumption in Asia. So there is money to be made by companies for eradicating species whether exotic or invasive Canadas Mysis issue is a prime example of that as the company is paid by the government to eradicate them plus they get to sell frozen mysis shrimp that is used by the world wide As stated Snake heads are edible . Many starving people out there including disabled and homeless people.
Here the fisherman catches the fish and eats it while he was out on the trip in that 4 part series.
SNAKEHEAD FISH | Giant Snakehead Fish | Snakehead Fish Farming
The giant snakehead or giant mudfish (Channa micropeltes) is among the largest species in the family Channidae, capable of growing to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in length and a weight of 20 kg (44 lb). Very Big Fish that is a food fish in Asia and it is a warm water species so it would greatly affect Southern States but would not be able to survive in Canadian Waters or Northern United States that have Cold Winters as they would not survive the winter time as per this article as the species comes from Malaysia and Indonesia .
The fear of a few Snakehead species being invasive like the Northern Snakehead is very real for Canada and The United States and I agree with them being prohibited as a species but as I stated there are 39 different species it would be like disallowing the Cardinal tetra because it is related to the Piranha âŠ
Snakehead Caught in Burnaby Park in Canada
Vancouver Sun (media blowing it out of proportion due to fear)
The person who first filmed the Snakehead in Burnaby Lake in Canada
The fear that it was the Northern Snakehead was great in the media at that time people got frantic over reacted just like the media has programmed them to do with Shark species and it turned out to be a Blotched Snakehead (Channa maculata) which is a Snakehead again from Asia that would not have been able to survive our winters up here either just like any other tropical fish that can not survive the climate. Just look at the number of people the government used to catch the fish in the video presented by the Vancouver Sun to drain and catch the snakehead only to find out that it was a species that would not survive our winters. Would they do the same for an Oscar if it was seen in Burnaby Lake.? THE HUFFPOST
And direct information out of BC Invasive even admits that this species would not have survived our winters due to our climate. I was talking with the BC Invasive board about these issues so why ban smaller tropical species? Would they do that for Oscars?
OSCAR Found in Burnaby Lake ⊠You can bet the BC Government seeing that fish will not hire anyone to remove it the fish will end up being dead as under our regulations not even a hobbyist can go and catch that fish and it is quite obvious that Hobbyists did put these in as no tropical fish farms are in Vancouver would have storms to flood pools so that the fish can escape into the wild unlike Florida.
Thank you so much, Chewy LTD. for your extensive and thorough research of these species of Snakehead fish, in the wild and in our aquariums.
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