hose readers of AQUALOGnews

who have been with us for a little

time, may remember that I reported in

Issue No. 13 (November 1997) that

Brazilian exporters of wild-caught

ornamental freshwater fish had to

operate under certain restrictions with

regard to the species that they were

allowed to export legally from the

country. I also said that there was hope

for improvements ahead and that I

would report back to our readers as

soon as I had further news. I now have

these news, so – as promised – here is

an update on the latest situation.

Background

First, though, it would be useful to

summarise the story “so far“.

Six years ago (1992), IBAMA (Institute

Brasileiro de Meio Ambiente e dos

Recursos Naturais Renovaveis) – the

Brazilian agency responsible for

environmental protection and natural

resources – published a “Clean List“ of

to Brazil do not have to operate under

such conditions, it is easy to

understand why Brazilian exporters

have been feeling rather unhappy

about the existing list.

Last year, though, Professor Ning

Labbish Chao, the leader of Project

Piaba, based in Manaus, took on the

responsibility of producing an new

“Clean List“. The first draft contained

some 500 species and, although the

latest contains fewer species – around

400 – this still represents a great

improvement on the 1992 list. This

total includes four species of

freshwater stingray which were added

to the original 180 species earlier this

year (February) and which can now be

exported under controlled annual

quotas.

On production of the first draft of the

list that Prof. Chao compiled last year,

he circulated it (as reported in my

above-mentioned AQUALOGnews

article) to a dozen Brazilian

ichthyologists for their comments.

Disappointingly, only one responded.

At the time, I was also informed by

Prof. Chao that, subsequent to re-

ceiving feedback from the scientists,

he would then present the list to the

ornamental aquatic industry for its

views. This, he has now done via

I n t e r n a t i o n a l N e w s p a p e r f o r A q u a r i s t s N O 2 1Aqualognews

PETS – LIVING PRESENTS ?

MISUNDERSTOODBEAUTIES

BITS AND PIECES

32 4 8

OFFSPRING IN THEAQUARIUM (PART 2)

B R A N D N E W

180 species of freshwater fish that

could be legally collected and ex-

ported from the country.

There were 180 species on that list

and, impressive though this figure

may sound at first, further though

shows that it is pretty restrictive when

one considers that there are well over

2,000 freshwater fish species in the

Amazon basin. When we also take into

account the fact that collectors and

exporters in neighbouring countries

New “Clean List”From Brazilvon John Dawes

The exporters of ornamental fish from Brazil had to work under

certain restrictions. Lately a change of this situation seems to be

in sight.

he latest discovery to come out of

“Aquaria“ is a cichlid in whose

evolution various Lake Malawi species

undoubtedly played a part. This fish is

sold as Aulonocara “Painted“. It has

the body shape of the peacock

cichlids of the genus Aulonocara, but

other features are more reminiscent of

various other haplochromines. But the

most unusual thing about this fish is

its unique checkered colour pattern,

which resembles nothing previously

seen in either group. Whatever your

feelings about hybrids, this fish, which

grows to about 10 cm, is certainly an

eye-catcher. If you decide to keep it,

then you should buy 7–10 specimens

at the same time. There are unlikely to

be two identical individuals among

them. The males – and the vast

majority are males – have distinctly-

marked egg spots on the anal fin.

Maintenance is problem-free, but the

water should not be too soft and

never acid. Aulonocara “Painted“ is

peaceful towards other fish species,

and quarrels among themselves are

species, which comes from Venezuela

(upper Orinoco) is particularly easy to

recognise. Unlike many other loricariid

catfishes these fishes exhibit very little

variation as far as coloration is con-

cerned. Recently 2 specimens arrived

in Germany, impressing everyone with

their beautifully marked dorsal fins.

Not only that, but they were a pair! At

present they are about 12 cm in

length but undoubtedly still have

some growing to do. The female can

be distinguished from the male by

smaller fin size and fewer and smaller

spines on the body. Moreover her

coloration is fainter, but it is im-

possible to say from just two

specimens whether or not these

sexual differences apply to the species

as a whole. The pH in nature, at the

time of the collection of the type

specimen, was 6.5 at a temperature of

27°C. The fishes were caught in rocky

caves in the bank, so we can assume

they are cave-spawners. Attempts are

currently being made to breed these

unusual fishes. In the event that these

are successful, you will, of course, read

all about it in your news right away.

A very unusual goby from western

Sumatra has reached Aquarium

Glaser. It is a member of the genus

Sicydium, a taxon whose range

extends throughout tropical areas of

Asia, Africa, and South and Central

America. On the basis of its origin it is

probably Sicydium macrostetholepis, a

member of the subgenus Sicyopterus,

and it is under this name that it is

appearing in the trade. Its most

striking feature is its splendidly

coloured tail. In nature these fishes,

which grow to about 9 cm, live in clear

streams with a stony substrate. The

males are blue-grey, while the females

have a beige base colour with dark

vertical bars. The males occupy small

territories while the females go

around in small groups of 5–6 in-

dividuals. Their main food source is

Aufwuchs but they will take any of the

usual foods in captivity. The fry are

tiny and delicate and are taken out to

sea by the current, migrating back to

the streams after their progressive

development. Using their very well-

developed ventral sucker (modified

ventral fins) these creatures can even

climb up waterfalls, so keep the

aquarium tightly covered!

A very pretty killifish is currently being

imported from Cameroon in increased

numbers: the broad-finned lamp-eye,

Procatopus nototaenia, colour variety

“Yabassi“ (LOG A74062). This colour

form is notable for its unusual anal fin

markings: the fin is covered with

horizontal red stripes, while the

“normal“ P. nototaenia has just red dots

in this area. These incredibly colourful,

very peaceful, and constantly active

fishes are truly a sight for sore eyes.

They should always be kept in a shoal;

then the males will compete with one

another in harmless mock battles and

display to the females. These

extremely peaceful creatures should

Aquaria– The “Sixth Continent“

(fs) As far as the ornamental fish trade is concerned there are

now 6 continents. To Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, and America

we can add “Aquaria“, an apparently inexhaustible source of

never before seen fish varieties.

R E P O R T

The famous “meeting of the waters“ between the Amazon’s two main tributaries, the muddySolimoes and the dark tannin-stained Rio Negro. Each river system holds a wealth of species,many of which appear in the new “Clean List“. photo: U. Glaser to be continued on page 6

T

T

Leporacanthicus triactis, variety. This species is knownas „L91“. Above picture shows the male, left smallerphoto the female.photos: F. Schäfer / A.C.S.

Procatopus nototaenia„Yabassi“photo: F. Schäfer / A.C.S.

A pair of the goby Sicydium macrostetholepis,the male in front.photo: F. Schäfer/A.C.S.

not be kept with more boisterous

tankmates, but otherwise they are

undemanding. They spawn in rock

crevices, and the eggs take 3 weeks to

develop. In general they enjoy flake

food, but should also be given small

frozen foods, and, if possible, live foods

such as water fleas and Drosophila

(fruit flies).

not normally serious unless you have

just a pair or too small a group.

From South America comes the

suckermouth catfish Leporacanthicus

triactis, which is still known by the

identifier L91 which it was given prior

to its scientific description. This

Aulonocara “Painted“, pair. photo: F. Schäfer / A.C.S.

Aqualognews N U M B E R 2 1 2

ndoubtedly the parents have the

best of intentions and hope that

caring for a pet will have a positive

influence on the child. But all too often

the reality is quite different after only a

little while: the creatures are kept in

cages or aquaria that are too small, too

restrictive,or otherwise unsuitable.Many

animals are particularly sensitive to stress

during the settling-in period, but, not

surprisingly, children want constantly to

handle and stroke their new pet,

spending most of their time with it. The

whole thing is viable only if, before

purchasing the animal,both parents and

children have researched the main-

tenance requirements of the new pet.

Failing this, then beginners’ errors, which

could have been avoided,may have fatal

consequences for the creature con-

cerned.

Animals should not be given to small

children, as the amount of maintenance

necessary is often underestimated and

the young pet-owner is quickly over-

whelmed. In general children of school

age are capable of looking after a pet in

the long term, given adult back-up.

Whether or not a child will be able to

cope, safely, with a pet depends, of

course, on the type of animal chosen:

budgerigars, guineapigs, and aquarium

fishes are more suitable than turtles,cats,

and dogs. It is best, as a fall-back

measure, if you yourself can arrange to

have enough spare time to take over the

care of the animal for a while in case the

child temporarily loses interest. In the

event that you are planning to set up an

aquarium, make sure you ask the child if

he or she likes the idea. Once you are

reassured on this point,give the tank and

equipment as a present,but please leave

buying the fishes till later, however

difficult it may be to resist the temptation

to do so now. A few basic special

requirements are necessary for keeping

aquarium fishes: do you have

somewhere to site the aquarium which is

close to an electric socket but not next to

the heating or a window? Please do not

opt for a min-aquarium of less than

60 litres capacity, as the water may

quickly become polluted, and the fishes

will need room to grow.

Do you know the hardness of your tap

water? Some fishes require particularly

soft water in order to remain healthy. As

far as equipment is concerned,do not try

and make do without a heater in the

tank, as the majority of fishes available in

the trade originate from the tropics and

will soon die if the water is too cold. The

water should be filtered, and the larger

the filter, the better the filtration.

However, the filter should be appro-

priate to the volume of the tank! When

choosing the fishes you should select

only species that will get along well

together and can be fed on dried foods.

Some fish species need to be fed live

foods, but providing these can quickly

become a problem. Discuss these points

with a dealer or a friend who is an

aquarist. In addition a well-illustrated

textbook will facilitate your introduction

to the hobby, and help develop your

interest. You can also ask your dealer to

sell you a voucher to be exchanged for

fish later on. Festively packaged, such a

voucher will be just as good a present,

and just as great a source of excitement,

as live fishes, come Christmas Day. Allow

your imagination free rein,but be sure to

plan the arrival of your new pet(s) with

the utmost care. If you follow this advice

then nothing will stand in the way of a

harmonious Christmas and the success-

ful integration of the new member(s) of

the household. Good luck!

For many people Christmas is an opportunity for making others

happy,and for the exchange of gifts. Year after year,however, living

creatures find themselves given as presents, especially to children.

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Top-Ten: HONG KONGChina is the birthplace of fishkeeping, as well as of many other

aspects of human culture. David Lam of Ceylon Aquarium, Hong

Kong, provides this month’s TopTen.

In first place, not just as the top

aquarium fish kept in Europe, but as

the top pet fish overall, is the gold-

fish, Carassius auratus. Of course the

term “goldfish“ includes not only the

original form, but also the

numerous, centuries-old, cultivated

varieties, for example the bubble-

eye, veil-tail etc. Second is the gold-

fish’s larger cousin, the koi, a

cultivated form of the carp (Cyprinus

carpio), developed by intensive

breeding over the past 200 years.

Third place: the discus cichlid

(Symphysodon aequifasciatus). In this

case it is the numerous cultivated

forms of the “King of the Amazon“,

developed over the last 30 years,

that are particularly prized. In fourth

place: the arowana, Osteoglossum

bicirrhosum. Please also read the

report by John Dawes in this edition

of the news. But not only large fish

species are bestsellers in Hong

Kong. Many South American tetras,

above all the cardinal (Para-

cheirodon axelrodi) are extremely

popular and occupy fifth place. In

recent years the Asian breeders have

applied themselves increasingly to

the cichlids of the lakes of the great

Rift Valley of east Africa. One of the

results has already been mentioned

in this issue of the news: the

Chinese breeders, take eighth place.

The parrot, a cultivated form derived

from South American cichlids, is now

available in more than 20 different

colour varieties. It is very evident

that the attitude of aquarists

T O P T E N

1. Goldfish

2. Koi

3. Discus (artificial varieties)

4. Arowana (wild-caught)

5. Cardinal tetra (wild-caught)

6. African Cichlids

7. Guppy

8. Neon tetras (tank-bred types)

9. Parrots

10. Suckermouth catfishes

Goldfish (veil-tail)photo: Archiv A.C.S.

Neon tetra (Paracheidron innesi) photo: Archiv A.C.S.

towards this fish varies considerably

from country to country. In Germany,

for example, the creation of this

deformed fish is regarded as cruel,

and it is boycotted by many retailers.

Yet in Asia it is so greatly prized that

it occupies 9th place in the Top Ten.

By contrast the popularity of the last

in the list knows no boundaries:

Loricariid catfishes are prized world-

wide, including in Hong Kong, where

“plecs“ are the tenth most common-

ly sold fishes.

Animals like these turtles are no toys! photo: F. Schäfer / A.C.S.

✭

U

Aulonocara “Painted“. The African

cichlids bred by the Asian

professionals occupy 6th place in

the Top Ten. Next, another cultivated

form, using the singular loosely in

this instance: the guppy (Poecilia

reticulata), in its innumerable, Asian-

developed, cultivated forms is the

7th most popular fish in Hong Kong.

The cultivated forms of the neon

tetra (Paracheirodon innesi) (the

white neon, brilliant neon, etc. – see

AQUALOG Special: Fishes of the Year

– The Highlights), produced by

Discus-ChampionshipDuisburg 1998

For the second time the international

Discus Championships in Duisburg

were organised by Norbert Zajac.

More than 16,000 visitors made sure of

attending the event. These onlookers

saw a splendid red-turquoise discus

adjudged “Best in Show“, although “his

Majesty“ was a trifle wary of our

photographer! The proud owner of

this fish is Hiroshie Irie, from Japan. In

the next issue of our news we will

report in full on the prizewinners and

the fishes on show. AQUALOG South

American Cichlids IV portrays all

discus for the first time, in the

categories used at such exhibitions.

S P O T L I G H T

The red-turquoise discus of Hiroshie Irie, Best inShow, Duisburg 1998. photo: F. Teigler / A.C.S.

Pets in Your Christmas Stocking– Lucky You?by Uwe Krüger

Aqualognews N U M B E R 2 1 3

he basic requirements for breeding

the anemonefish Amphiprion

ocellaris have been explained in part 1

of this article (AQUALOGnews No. 20).

This continuation will tell you about

the necessary preparations for egg-

laying and the subsequent procedure

post-spawning.

Take note of every detail!

In order to be able to transfer the

subsequent spawn into the hatching

hatching, while the rest of the spawn

fungusses.

My tip:

Calculate the approximate time of

hatching (2–3 hours after the tank has

been made completely dark). To be

safe allow an additional 2 hours after

the calculated hatching time, and then

set the timeswitch to turn the light on

I am not, dear reader, normally in the

habit of getting up early in the

morning. But with the prospect of

seeing 200, 300, or even 400 tiny

anemonefishes before my very eyes,

time and again I have dragged myself,

heart pounding, from my bed at some

unearthly hour long before the

lighting timeswitch has done its job.

Anyone who has once experienced

this moment will know that it is im-

possible to describe the quite over-

whelming sight represented by several

hundred fry. I just hope that you too,

dear reader, will have the pleasure of

this unique experience.

The care and maintenance

of our young fishes

During the following days and weeks

the daily chores will become routine.

Depending on the number of larvae,

feed about 6 litres of plankton. Every

evening siphon off mulm and food

residues – and, unfortunately dead fry

– using narrow-bore airline tubing.The

discarded water should be replaced,

added a drop at a time, with aged

water from the parents’ aquarium.

Every day please – without fail! It is

Offspring in the Seawater AquariumThe Challenge! (Part 2)

by Jürgen Brei (Marine Aquarium, Messel/Germany)

container prepared beforehand, place

a flat stone, dish, piece of flagstone, or

similar in the spot where they

spawned previously. In general Mr. and

Mrs. Ocellaris will duly cooperate, and

then you will have no problems with

the transfer.

This is where it gets exciting …

Soon the hoped-for second batch of

spawn, salmon-red and 5 cm in

diameter, will be gleaming on the sur-

face previously provided.

Now we must think about raising the

young. After the 8–9 days (at 27°C) of

careful tending by the parents it will be

time – the tiny fry will hatch during the

following night, after the aquarium has

been in complete darkness for

2–3 hours.

Before this stage is reached:

Using water from the breeding

aquarium, fill the hatching container to

M A R I N E S

From the Chancellor’s office

to Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler!

For more than 14 years Helmut Kohl

enjoyed the company of his “room-

mates“, including armoured catfishes,

tetras, and dwarf cichlids, which he was

given as a present following a visit to the

Berlin Zoo. When he left his office in the

Chancellory, the fishes went too.

There was no problem finding a taker for

the 240 litre aquarium; but the fishes

were found a new home at the aquarium

club in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, with

the aid of the Chief of the Federal Border

Police, Hand-Jochen Brecht. The club is

now hoping for a visit from the former

Chancellor!

n e w s f l a s h

any good aquarium handbook. Young

Amphiprion inevitably die of

constipation if they eat Artemia shells

left in by accident. In order to broaden

the diet of out little ones, they can be

given one feed of powdered food per

day, sprinkled on the surface of the

water. At this stage a small internal

filter with a foam cartridge can be

installed.The fry will now begin to take

on the body colour of their particular

species. In Amphiprion ocellaris this is a

glorious orange. And when they are

swimming in the open water they

already exhibit their characteristic

swinging movements.

Thus it will give you more and more

pleasure, with each passing day, to

follow the development of these tiny

clowns. After 3–4 months they will

grow on better if transferred to a larger

aquarium. Anemones can then be

introduced – though this is not

obligatory; but it is a particular delight

to see the little orange fellows “surfing“

through a white anemone. So do not

deprive yourself of this experience.

such a depth that the spawning

substrate, complete with eggs, can be

stood vertically underwater.The spawn

must now be carefully transferred,

without coming into contact with the

air, from the spawning aquarium to the

hatching tank, using a suitable con-

tainer (a basin or something similar).

Thereafter you must be careful to

ensure the embryos receive sufficient

oxygen, using a stream of air bubbles

close to, but not disturbing, the eggs.

This oxygenation will be required in

the rearing tank for roughly the next

4–6 weeks.

Please do not install any additional

water circulation or a filter! Now,before

the hatching tank is darkened, slowly

A. ocellaris with eggsphoto: J. Brei

Eggs shortly before hatching. The eyes of the embryos are already clearly recognisable.photo: J. Brei

A group of juvenile A.melanopus at the age of about 3 monthsphoto: J. Brei

Eggs of A. melanopusphoto: J. Brei

A Growing SuccessTropica Aquarium Plants

Box 3 · 8530 Hjortshoej · DenmarkTel.: +45 86 22 05 66 · Fax: +45 86 22 84 66

e-mail: tropica@tropica.dkwww.tropica.dk

Tropica is proud to present its newcatalogue, containing a complete listand description of each of our more

than 150 top-quality plants foraquariums. The new catalogue also

contains a comprehensive descriptionof Tropica’s cultivation methods, as

well as plenty of tips and good ideasfor both beginners and more

experienced aquarium owners.

TROPICAAQUARIUM

PLANTS

pour in about a litre of your plankton

culture. The aquarium must remain

completely undisturbed throughout

the coming night.

Be patient until next morning. Please

do not sneak a look to see if a few fry

have hatched. In my experience this

will lead to only some – if any –

for about an hour at that time. This will

ensure that the food-less night is not

too long for the fry; for, of course, they

feed only when it is light.

An overwhelming sight

By 7 am at the latest you should be at

the ready, in order to provide the

necessary food supply.

important, for successful maintenance,

that the plankton culture should

always be of the highest quality.

In general from the 9th or 10th day on

I have provided supplementary food in

the form of small amounts of freshly-

hatched, vitamin-treated, Artemia. You

should watch the fishes closely!

Only when all the fry are taking

Artemia is it safe gradually to phase out

the planktonic food. The utmost care is

required in separating the newly-

hatched Artemia from their egg-shells

(by sieving). Every dedicated aquarist

should know how to culture Artemia,

failing which details can be found in

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schmettkamp

T

Aqualognews N U M B E R 2 1 4

here are species that live in trees,

and others adapted to a life

underground. All the world’s snakes

are beautiful, and almost every species

is worth keeping and observing in a

terrarium.

Poisonous beasts?

All snakes are poisonous. This

statement is based on the fact that the

saliva of all known species of snakes

contains powerful digestive enzymes,

which, if they enter the human

bloodstream, have a highly toxic

effect. And snake venom is nothing

more than the saliva of these

ground and are specialised feeders

(ant pupae and termites), so that their

maintenance by the layman with a

general interest is out of the question.

The giant snakes, which grow to a very

large size – for example the reticulated

python (Python reticulatus) and the

anaconda (Eunectes murinus), which

can grow to 6 metres in length – are as

a rule unsuitable for maintenance by

the private individual. Venomous

species of the families Elapidae (to

which belong, for example, the cobras,

mambas, and kraits), Viperidae (eg. the

adder and the horned viper), and

Crotalidae (eg. rattlesnakes) are about

have to be fed alive. One can divide

them roughly into 3 main trophic

groups. The first of these groups feeds

on warm-blooded animals. These

snakes eat birds and suitably-sized

mammals (mice, rats, rabbits). In

general they are easy to maintain,

their food available at all times.

Although not everyone finds it easy to

feed cute little rodents to the reptile.

The second group are the fish-eaters.

In nature these snakes live in moist

biotopes where they feed on fish and

frogs. For conservation reasons the

latter should not be used as food. Live

fish are available at all times. And the

majority of species will, after a short

time, learn to take deep-frozen fish

(defrosted first, of course!), so that

maintaining their food supply poses

no difficulties. The problem with these

snakes lies in keeping them alive at all.

When imported from the wild they are

infested with all sorts of internal

parasites connected with their natural

habitat. The unavoidable stress

associated with capture and

transportation compromises their

immune systems, which in turn leads

to an explosive increase in the parasite

burden. Without treatment many of

these snakes are thus doomed to die.

But the required treatment is, in

general, beyond the capabilities of the

beginner. If he nevertheless decides to

keep these snakes, then he should

always obtain captive-bred

specimens, even if they are more

expensive than wild-caught. Captive-

bred individuals are generally largely

parasite-free. Without the parasites,

the fish-eating snakes are among the

easiest to keep.

The third group is that of the lizard-

eaters. These are species that, in

nature, feed largely on various species

of lizards. The beginner should

undertake their maintenance only

with extreme circumspection. One

should never catch lizards from the

back garden for food! The alternative

is the tropical house geckos of the

genus Hemidactylus, which are found

in such numbers everywhere in the

tropics that they can be used as food

with a clear conscience. But even this

mode of feeding is not without

problems; can you really be absolutely

sure that an adequate food supply will

always be available? Moreover these

geckos are carriers of parasites and

need to be kept for some time, and

medicated, before being used as food.

In general the lizard-eaters will quickly

learn to take new-born, still hairless,

mice as an alternative. But one must

face up to the fact that some

individuals will obstinately refuse to

accept this food and then must be fed

on feeder-geckos for their entire lives

(which can be 10–15 years). Thus a

medium-sized mouse-eating snake is

recommended for the newcomer to

the hobby of snake-keeping. The most

suitable are the North American

species of the genus Elaphe, such as

T E R R A R I S T I C

Snakes– Misunderstood Beauties (Part 1)

by Frank Schäfer, Dipl. Biol.

With more than 2,700 species, snakes inhabit every habitat

worldwide where the temperature spectrum is overall suitable

for reptilian life. They are found in deserts, in the deep sea, on

the Tundra, in the mountains, and in the rainforest.

T

No Glass TopDo not use a glass top under a ReptiSun5,0 UVB bulb as common glass filters out 95%of the beneficial UVB rays that your reptilesneed (in order to prevent metabolic bonedisease). No glass under the bulb or a screentop with 1 cm square screen mesh is okay.

No Corn For Iguanas!In the wild Green Iguanas eat the leaves of abean plant (high fiber, vegetarian proteinsource) which is what builds muscle and givesthem an extremely fast growth rate. Zoo Med’sAll Natural Iguana Food formula is based onwhat Green Iguanas eat in the wild. Do notfeed colored pellet type foods that are corn

creatures. But only the so-called

venomous snakes possess specially-

structured teeth which enable them

to deliver the saliva directly into the

bite wound. In consequence the bite

of the majority of snakes is quite

harmless to man. Of course it is not

possible to tell from a snake’s external

appearance whether or not it has

poison fangs. It is essential to have an

exact knowledge of the species in

order to evaluate the degree of

danger posed by any particular snake.

For this reason the layman should

never pick up a snake in the wild. It is,

however, safe to believe the pet-trader

when he assures you that the species

on offer is non-venomous.

Snakes never attack people without

good reason or out of “wickedness“.

Even the largest of the giant snakes do

not attack Man as a prey item. In the

mind of the snake Man is not Man, but

merely a large, inedible, potentially

dangerous animal. When a snake

attack occurs, then it is always a

defensive move by the attacking

individual. These basic points must

always be borne in mind when it

comes to maintaining snakes in the

terrarium.

Which snakes are

suitable for the terrarium?

It has already been stated at the

outset that, basically, practically any

snake is suitable for the terrarium.

There are, of course, exceptions. Thus

the pelagic seasnakes that live in the

depths of the sea can hardly be kept in

captivity. Certain blind snakes

(Typhlops) live exclusively under-

as unsuitable for the beginner as the

boigine snakes (Boiginae), with whom

a chance encounter in unfavourable

circumstances can lead to a venomous

bite.

What do snakes eat?

The would-be snake owner must first

of all decide what types of prey he is

prepared to offer. Snakes feed mainly

on whole animals, which generally

the corn snake (E. guttata), or the

ground snake (E. obsoleta), which have

already been bred in the terrarium for

many generations. The beginner can

gain experience with these totally

harmless, splendidly coloured, friendly

snakes, so as later on to be able to

devote himself to the more difficult,

but no less beautiful, species as well.

To be continued in AQUALOGnews No. 22

Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri photo: F. Schäfer/A.C.S.

Elaphe guttata photo: F. Schäfer/A.C.S.

Portrait of a garter snake Thamnophis sp.photo: F. Schäfer/A.C.S.

based as this will only result in your Iguanagetting metabolic bone disease within3–9 months in captivity.

Tips For Terrarists

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Aqualognews N U M B E R 2 1 5

X - M A S

your reference work on all Cichlids

ISBN 3-931702-04-9 ISBN 3-931702-07-3 ISBN 3-931702-75-8 ISBN 3-931702-10-3

Demnächstcoming soon:

African Cichlids IIMalawi Utaka

Autor: Erwin Schraml

NEW

Ihr Nachschlagewerk über alle Buntbarsche

Supplement No. 2for AQUALOG all Labyrinths(ISBN: 3-931702-86-3)

Internet: www.aqualog.defor the latest information

Supplement No. 9for AQUALOG Loricariidae: all L-NumbersISBN: 3-931702-84-7

Supplement No. 10for AQUALOG Loricariidae: all L-Numbers(ISBN: 3-931702-85-5)

Neue Ergänzungsbögen erschienen:New supplements available now:

African Cichlids I MALAWI Mbuna

Like all good things, this book took quite a while to befinished at last. But, we finally made it and now we are proudto present to you the first comprehensive book on all knownMbunas and their variants.The book contains approx. 1.400 excellent photos in fullcolour of renowned photographers among others A.Spreinat, A. Konings, W. Staeck.Easy-to-read instructions make working with this book apleasure. The second volume of this ambitious project,which covers the rest of the species Haplochromis is alreadyscheduled for 1999.The supplementing stickers of newdiscoveries guarantee an up-to-date reference work for years.

240 pages, Hardcover.

NEW

Vertrieb in Deutschland: amtra - Aquaristik GmbH,Liebigstraße 1, 63110 Rodgau, Tel: 06106 - 690 150, Fax: 06106 - 690 158

International sales: Verlag A.C.S. GmbH,Liebigstraße 1, D- 63110 Rodgau, Fax: +49(0)6106 - 644692, e-mail: acs@aqualog.de

From the advisory series ”Freshwater Coral Fish” Cichlids from Lake Malawi

ISBN 3-931702-48-0ISBN 3-931702-79-0

Advisory + Poster

full english version

care instructions by specialists

Everything a beginner need for

successful maintenance. of this

beautiful species from the African

Lake Malawi.

Easy-to-read instructions and useful

tips from the specialist: Erwin Schraml

quaria can be left to their own

devices for a few days now and

again without problem.They also offer

even young people the opportunity to

gain experience at dealing with living

creatures, and to study nature “live“ in

the fascinating microcosm of the

aquarium.

Undoubtedly live fishes have no place

under the Christmas tree, as first of all

the correct habitat must be provided

for the new residents. Thus technical

equipment must be provided as well

as the aquarium itself – a suitable filter,

a heater-stat, and a lighting unit are all

necessary. All the many other bits and

pieces that are sold for the

optimisation of the aquarium environ-

ment can left until later. In the past it

was necessary to wait 4–6 weeks

before introducing the first fishes,

because as a rule it takes that long for

the filtration to mature to some extent

and for the initial pollution to be

biologically broken down. Now,

however, there is the amtra easy start

KIT for the quick-starting of the

aquarium filter, including a com-

prehensive manual on running a new

aquarium and a checklist of things to

do during the first 100 days. As early as

the day after Christmas you will be

able to begin introducing fishes.

And another cheering thought – once

your friend has become “hooked“ by

our fascinating hobby, never again will

you need to wrack your brains for

sensible ideas for presents. There are

always plenty of “desperately needed“

items on every aquarists “wish list“.

IDEAS FOR PRESENTS

FOR AQUARISTS

For the marine aquarist:

Electronic hydrometer: ever marinist

needs to measure salinity regularly,

but unfortunately this is a very long-

winded process and the methods

used very inexact. The company

SELZLE has recently brought out the

first electronic hydrometer. Using this

the salinity of the aquarium can be

measured very exactly and in seconds,

with auto-

matic tem-

perature com-

pensation.

A genuine in-

novation for

our hobby.

And as a

bonus it can

also be used

to measure the aquarium

temperature.

For the freshwater aquarist:

Tepor – an “intelligent“ bottom heater:

the Tepor is a particularly good idea if

the recipient is setting up a “new“

aquarium, as it is, of course, very

difficult to install bottom heating as

the entire aquarium must first be

emptied. The Tepor is by far the most

up-to-date bottom heater offered at

the present time, as it regulates the

temperature of both the substrate and

the water using 2 separate tem-

perature sensors, thus perfectly the

simulating conditions in the natural

habitat of our aquarium plants.

If desired there is a de luxe digital

model with dual digital displays and

aquarium one should not neglect the

security just as every other modern

electrical equipment includes safety

devices. The detector has been

developed by the company SELZLE for

the special conditions in the

aquarium.This device combines a loud

acoustic warning signal and an optical

one. It is activated as soon as a voltage

of more that 25 V occurs in the

aquarium. Further the “luxury-

version“: Additionally to the acoustic

signal it will turn off any electrical

device which is connected to it.

Remember: Safety first – as well for the

aquarium!

The amtra easyStart KIT helps to

reduce the timewhich is usually

needed to buildup the right

biologicalbalance of the

aqaria waterduring the timethe filter needs

to settle. It helpsto create healthywater conditions

for the fishes inyour newly set

up aquarium.

An Aquarium as a Present?by Gregor Beckmann

Animals as Christmas presents? We are – quite rightly – warned

against that. For the acquisition of an animal should be well-

thought-out, and animals are certainly not suitable as spur-of-

the moment gifts. But it is a bit different with an aquarium.

An aquarium makes a splendid gift – provided you follow a few basic rules! photo: amtra

Dear Reader!

The AQUALOGteam would like to thank all loyal readers of the news for their positive and

enthusiastic feedback in the past!

So that we can continue to research and work in yourbest interests, we will be delighted to hear more ofyour suggestions and questions on various topicsconcerning the aquarium and terrarium hobbies.

We wish you all a merry Christmas and

a Happy New Year for 1999!

Your AQUALOGteam

✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮

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✭

A

Safety in the aquarium:detector (left) protector (right).

integral nocturnal cut-out. An ideal

present for fans of aquaria with many

beautiful plants.

No aquarium without the detector!

We all know that the aquarium hobby

is a very beautiful one. As there is quite

some electrical equipment in the

Aqualognews N U M B E R 2 1 6

F I S H D O C T O R

16 x 12 cm

MESSE AQUA FISCH,FRIEDRICHSHAFEN

R E P O R T

Ornamental Fish International, first by

publishing the complete new draft list

in the May 1998 issue of the OFI

Journal and, secondly, by presenting a

paper at the OFI Conference held in

Nürnberg during Interzoo ‘98, also in

May.

Feedback Wanted

By offering the list to the industry for

comments, Prof. Chao will receive very

valuable information which will

influence the compilation of the final

list that will, eventually, be submitted

to the Brazilian authorities. However,

the views of hobbyists are also

important and Prof. Chao would

welcome requests for the list, either

from individual aquarists, or from

associations. He can be contacted by

e-mail at:

ictio@fua.br and piabas@aol.com so if

you require more information, please

contact him direct.

Some Comments

One of the major obstacles which the

original 1992 list presented – the

omission for all species considered to

be “food fish“ – has been overcome by

the new draft. As a result, fish such as

the Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) and

the two arowanas (Osteoglossum

bicirrhosum and O. ferreirai) are now in-

cluded. So are Cichla ocellaris and

C.temensis,known as Tucunaré in Brazil.

With the exception of the Guppy

(Poecilia reticulata), the original 1992

list contained no livebearers. The new

one contains four. In addition to the

Guppy, it features two species of Four-

eyed Fish (Anableps anableps and

A. microlepis), along with the One-

sided Livebearer (Jenynsia lineata). In-

terestingly, though, it does not include

either of the two species often

referred to as the One-spot Livebearer

(Phalloceros caudimaculatus and

Poecilia vivipara) – both of which

appear to be quite abundant in the

wild. Neither is the somewhat rarer,

Striped or Barred Millions Fish

(Phalloptychus januarius).

Numerous catfish species are also

included in the new list, but none of

those Loricariidae which are referred

to (or known) by their L-numbers in

the hobby or trade. The main reason

for this omission appears to be lack of

knowledge of both the exact identity

of these species, or their relative

abundance (or scarcity) in the wild.

Closing Comment

Those people who know Prof. Ning

Labbish Chao will vouch for his

dedication, enthusiasm, profound

knowledge and extremely sensible

and enlightened approach, both to

the science and socio-economics of

the Amazonian fishery and the

Amazon itself. It therefore comes as no

surprise to learn that he has compiled

the expanded proposed list with these

criteria in mind. I would therefore like

to close with a direct quote from him

that encapsulates the thinking that

both he and countless aquarists and

members of the aquatic industry itself

share: „I believe that making more

species available to the tropical fish

industry will, not only reduce pressure

on the few “bread and butter“ species,

but will also slow down local de-

forestation processes by providing

alternative employment… The partici-

pation of scientists, government and

the ornamental fish industry is vital to

ensure the proper use of fish resources

for leisure and profit. I therefore here-

with present a draft species list for

comments from those who are in-

volved in the fish hobby and industry.“

New “CleanList“ from Brazilfrom page1

The Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) – seen hereharpooned by a caboclo – is one of thosespecies that is considered both as a food fishand an ornamental and is now re-instated asbeing collectable. photo: J. Dawes

Soft Tropical Aquarium Water

– Without the

Expense of Technology!

by Dr. (med. vet.) Markus Biffar

How often have you seen some fish or other that you fancied in

the aquarium shop, but not bought it because your tap water

was simply not suitable for the species concerned?

A fish that requires soft water: Apistogramma

hongsloi. photo: Jürgen Glaser

enerally the problem is that the

available tap water supply is too

hard and often has too high a pH,

while many particularly attractive

aquarium fishes originate in regions –

for example the Amazon basin or the

rainforest areas of west Africa– where

the water is soft and slightly acid.

Although fishes as a group are fairly

adaptable, including where water

chemistry is concerned, it is important

that the process of acclimatisation

should not be too punishing. Other-

wise one may be subjecting the fishes

to long-lasting stress, potentially

harmful in the long term. The

consequences of stress in fishes are, in

the first instance, erratic behaviour in

general and an increased suscepti-

bility to disease. In the past we have

been advised to prevent this by pre-

paring the water in advance using re-

latively expensive technical equipment.

In order to reduce hardness and pH,

both important parameters in

fishkeeping, this normally meant an

ion-exchange or a reverse osmosis

unit. These items of equipment are

expensive and labour-intensive and

are thus worthwhile only for very large

aquaria or entire fish-rooms. Using

amtra trop, however, a liquid product

formulated with the requirements of

fishes in mind, it is possible to reduce

hardness and slightly acidify the

water. This is of particular interest to

the average aquarist with one or two

normal-sized aquaria, who never-

theless wishes to provide conditions

which are as biotope-correct as

possible for his fishes.

amtra trop is the only liquid product

demonstrably capable of softening

any tap water and, in addition,

lowering its pH. The salts causing

hardness are bound up very efficiently

by amtra trop, such that they can no

longer exert any influence on the

extremely dangerous pH collapse that

can occur in soft water.

And because one can combine amtra

trop very effectively with the strongly

acidifying amtra Eichenextract, it is

also easily possible to provide a very

low – but stable – pH in demineralised

water for fishes requiring such

conditions.

The outstanding effectiveness of

amtra trop is impressively de-

monstrated by the fact that there has

been a considerable reduction in

acclimatisation problems with wild-

caught fishes, in particular difficult

species such as altum angels

(Pterophyllum altum). For this reason

amtra trop is now widely used in

importation and quarantine facilities

for ornamental fishes.

And finally, an insider tip

Experiences in professional fish

establishments have shown that even

using a much smaller dosage than

that recommended (1/4 to 1/2) whose

softening effect can be measured only

by expensive laboratory testing, the

visible effects on the well-being of the

fishes remain undiminished.

The arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) – food fish or ornamental fish?photo: F. Teigler/ A.C.S.

Very Christmassy!

Time and again at Christmas thequestion arises: what shall I put underthe Christmas tree for my loved ones?Then one thinks about what eachmight find useful. Something for afavourite hobby is a good idea andnever unwelcome.

The literature portrays the aquariumhobby in all its many facets. And thuswe recommend that you give books asChristmas presents.

Together with personal contact withother aquarists, and advice fromaquarium shops, books are the mediumby which the accumulated wisdomregarding all aspects of the hobby canbe passed on to the aquarist. TheAQUALOG-pictorial lexicons cataloguethe multiplicity of species that can bekept, and, because they are designed tobe updated, keep the aquaristconstantly informed regarding thelatest state of our knowledge.

Together with the books in theAQUALOGspecial aquarium guideseries, in which professionals provideadvice on the care, maintenance, andbreeding of fishes, these are the idealgift for any aquarist friend.

So, how do you go about buying a bookfor Christmas? Information on books inthe AQUALOG series can be obtaineddirectly from

Verlag A.C.S. GmbH,Liebigstrasse 1, 63110 Rodgau, Germany.Tel. +49 6106-690140Fax +49 6106-644692

or from your retail outlet!

✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮

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G

fishes. At the same time a slight

organic acidification ensures that the

pH decreases somewhat. In addition,

there is a so-called buffering effect,

preventing the much-dreaded and

The Latest Up-Date ForYour AQUALOG Books!

ISBN: 3-931702-84-7

Supplement No. 9

for Loricariidae: all L-Numbers

ISBN: 3-931702-85-5

Supplement No. 10

for Loricariidae: all L-Numbers

ISBN: 3-931702-86-3

Supplement No. 2

for all Labyrinths

The Three New Supplements:

qualA og

Aqualognews N U M B E R 2 1 7

Die neue Futter-Generation.

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Jetzt gibt es das gesunde,artgerechte Ernährungskon-zept für Aquarienfische:amtra SANO. Diese neueGeneration von Fischfutter

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mit Nährtieren, die IhrenAquarienfischen schmek-ken. amtra SANO wirdim schonenden CRYOVAC-Verfahren schockgefrostet.So bleiben alle Nährstoffeoptimal erhalten.

Für ein langes, gesundesFischleben. amtra SANOfinden Sie ab sofort in derpraktischen Blisterver-packung im Gefrierschrankbei Ihrem Zoofachhändler.

amtra Aquaristik GmbHD-63110 Rodgauwww.amtra.de

n the wild, some plants used in the

aquarium grow naturally on stones

and tree roots. Prime examples are

Anubias, Microsorum, Bolbitis and

F L O R A

Aquarium Plants –Cultivated On Stones and Tree Roots

by Martin Petersen

Tropica Aquarium Plants offers plants on wood and lava stone

which makes it possible to create stunning submerged

sceneries.

from easy. The production process is

space-intensive, and the plants often

grow so slowly that they take up to a

year to reach their target size.

Tree roots heavy enough to weight

down the plants had to obtain in the

right size and in sufficient volume. And

for the reasons of freight the stones

used could not be too heavy. So in-

stead of chuncks of rock, lava

imported from Iceland was chosen.

The shops purchasing the end-

products were delighted. If their fish

were difficult to catch they now simply

removed the plants and the rest was

straight forward! But soon also other

benefits materialised. Newly intro-

duced fish acclimatised much more

quickly to the tank environment

– they assumed their natural colouring

in record time and appeared less

stressed.

An aquarium can now be planted in

no time at all while at the same time

avoiding that newly-planted look! The

plants can also be “stacked“ and used

to cover cables and other technical

installations in the aquarium.

Often as not a newly planted

aquarium is not an unqualified

success in the mind of the designer.

How much better it might have looked

if arranged differently! Rearrangement

is normally deterred by an amount of

work involved, but when the plants are

anchored to stones and roots it’s a

different story. Indeed the ease with

which changes can now be made

tends to stimulate the latent creative

instincts which lurk in all aquarists!

Many aquarists dismiss the use of fish

bowls as totally unsuitable. And even

bowl enthusiasts have to grapple with

the planting difficulties caused by the

inadequate depth of substrate to hold

the plant securely. Plants anchored to

stones and roots provide an admirable

solution to this problem, while at the

same time they are naturally robust

and require minimal light. The use of

fish for decorative purposes is

superfluous in such cases – the plant

and the root are decorative in

themselves.

Javanese moss (Vesicularia). The

typical biotope for such plants is

proximity to a waterfall; either the lake

formed beneath a waterfall or the area

around the waterfall which is

continuously bathed in a fine mist or

spray. The plants colonise fissures and

hollows in stones and tree roots. With

their special adherent roots known as

“crampons“, however, they can anchor

themselves so strongly, even to very

slippery surfaces, as to be almost

impossible to remove undamaged.

The idea for systemising the pro-

duction of such plants was born in an

aquarium shop. Plants were not a

feature of the shop’s aquaria as they

were a nuisance when the fish had to

be netted and when the aquaria

needed cleaning. The logical solution

was to grow plants on easy-to-remove

stones and tree roots.

Although aquarists have been

growing plants on stones and tree

roots for years, establishing a fast and

efficient production system was far

I

They are the “Stick-ups“ in this news!

But, joking aside, let us begin with the

fighting fish.

The labyrinth fish scientifically re-

described in September 1998 as Betta

picta is one of the extremely peaceful,

small, and easily-bred fighting-fish

species. This name has for a long time

been used in the hobby for a number

of fishes, one of which (the Sumatra

form, LOG X17115) has now been

described as Betta falx. Although

enthusiasts have long recognised the

Sumatra form as distinct, TAN &

KOTTELAT’S paper raises a number of

questions about B. picta. “Their“

B. picta has a lanceolate tail such as is

clearly visible in the photo by H. LINKE

(Stickup in this issue). But as far as I

know this tail form is unknown in the

fishes from Java hitherto labelled as

B. picta (LOG X17105). Yet TAN &

KOTTELAT state that B. picta is the only

Betta found in Java, and, moreover,

refer to a photo in LINKE (1990) which is

clearly of X17105.Thus they have used

a relatively atypical feature as a

character for differentiating the

species – an unfortunate choice. There

is a further difficulty: going by the

colour of the operculum, the fish in

Stickup has to be B. falx! Both species

are easy to keep. They have no special

water chemistry requirements, but if

possible the pH should not be higher

than 7.5 or the carbonate hardness

above 15°. They will take the usual

flake and frozen foods. The species is

paternal mouthbrooder.

The catfish portrayed in DATZ 12/98 as

L273, which is assigned to the largely

carnivorous genus Pseudacanthicus,

comes from the Rio Tapajós. Before it

was given its L-number, it went under

the name of Pseudacanthicus sp.“Red-

banded Titanic“. How this incredibly

expensive fish came by its name I

know not. Unfortunately not all

specimens (and I have seen only 3 in

the flesh so far) as are attractively

marked as that in Frank Warzel’s

photo.

We can at present only speculate as to

the eventual size attained by these

fishes. But we can assume that the

species will attain at least 20 cm.

Reference;TAN, H. H. & M. KOTTELAT (1998): Redescription of Bettapicta (Teleostei: Osphronemidae) and description of B.falx sp. n. from central Sumatra. Revue Suisse deZoologie 105 (3): 557-568

S T I C K U P S

What Do a Mouthbreeding

Fighting Fish And a

Loricariid Have In Common?by Frank Schäfer

Aqualognews N U M B E R 2 1 8

t present increasing numbers of

tankbreds of the various forms of

this 30 cm or so mouthbrooder are

available. In order to promote the well-

being of these fishes, they need

A community aquarium contains fishes

of different types. Generally these will

include 2–3 shoals of fishes with the

rest of the population grouped around

them.Barbs, rasboras,and tetras are the

species is currently available in

increased numbers, and a 20-strong

shoal of these indefatigable swimmers

is an unequalled eye-catcher. They

always swim around in a group,

whereas sooner or later most barbs

If you like to contact any hobbyist in the world, the news gives

you the chance to do it: with a free privat small ad. Please

remember: Animals, plants, food or equipment offers will not

be published!

Your free private ad could be placed here!

Kontakt International

Ich bin 14 Jahre alt und suche Brief-kontakt zu Leuten, die sich mit L-Nummern (vielleicht sogar mit L-18und L-81?) oder mit Zwergbunt-barschen beschäftigen.Jan Scheunert, Lichtendorfer Str. 64,44289 Dortmund

S43273-3

220 / 99-2

ööKKNNPPQQGGUUVVccXXgg

L273 Pseudacanthicus sp. DATZ 12/98Pseudacanthicus ”Titanic”Brazil, Pará: Rio Tapajós, W, 30 cm (?

Photo: Frank Warzel

X17128-5

219 / 126-3

ööLLNNPPQQGGVVbbXXffII

Betta picta (VALENCIENNES in CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, 1846)Lanzettflossen-Picta / Lancetfin PictaIndonesia: Java, W, 6 cm

Photo: Horst Linke

Code number

1.number: continuous picture-number2.number: page number in the book3.number: picture number on the page(continuously numbered from 1–8 from thetop left corner to the bottom right)

Symbol-text Aqualog-books

Photographer

1

1

4

3

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E V E R G R E E N S

The Ornamental Fish Trade in Brazil

Brazilian ornamental fish traders areplanning to levy a “tax“ of US$1 on everybox of fishes, in order to support re-search into ornamental fishes; half of itto be paid by exporters and importers.This measure is necessary in order tocompensate for the loss of researchgrants from the government, which havehad to be cancelled on account of theeconomic crisis in the country.

n e w s f l a s h

(ugd) The cichlids of the great lakes of the African rift valley

(Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi) are very popular with

hobbyists. Cyphotilapia frontosa from Lake Tanganyika, is high

on the list of favourite fishes kept and bred by those whose

motto is “the bigger the better“.

A

The Aquarium Hobby– Bits and Pieces

spacious caves and the aquarium

should not be too brightly lit. Tank-

mates should be neither boisterous

nor aggressive and too large to be

eaten. Obviously an aquarium of

sufficient size is required in one wishes

to keep such fishes. These appealing

giants can be fed on the larger types of

frozen food.

If one talks to other aquarists, then it

becomes clear that there are invariably

two things that annoy them: algae and

snails. Neither is really a serious

problem, but both are an irritation.

Thus puffer fish are popular because

they combat snails. But many species

have a number of disadvantages: they

are decided individualists and it is

often difficult to predict their likely

behaviour towards tankmates. More-

over most of the species imported

from Asia like a certain amount of salt

in their water, but this is not very good

for plants. But the South American

puffer, Colomesus psittacus, is quite

different. It can be unreservedly re-

commended as peaceful, and in nature

lives in pure fresh water. It is not always

available – this depends on the season

– but it is in the shops now, so grab it

quickly.

shoaling fishes most usually selected,

but for anyone wanting to try some-

thing different, the African swallow-

tailed catfish (Eutropiellus buffei) is

most warmly recommended. This

and tetras eventually give up shoaling

and group together in a genuine shoal

only under exceptional circumstances.

A shoal of headstanders, Anostomus

anostomus, never fails to provide one

of the highlights of the larger

community aquarium. But it must be a

real shoal, containing at least 12 indi-

viduals, otherwise captivity will distort

their natural behaviour and they will

become quarrelsome. Anyone with a

large South American tank who likes

these splendid fishes should get some

now.Those on offer at the present time

are the ideal size (5–6 cm) even though

they are not as colourful as adults. But

the colour will develop automatically

and young fish will settle in far better

than adults.

A juvenile of the 6-banded form of Cyphotilapia frontosa photo: F. Teigler/A.C.S.

Eutropiellus buffei photo: Nakano/A.C.S.

Anostomus anostomus photo: Nakano/A.C.S.

Colomesus psittacusphoto: B. Migge/A.C.S.

BOOK TIP

AQUALOGspecialSHRIMPS, CRAYFISHES, AND CRABSIN THE FRESHWATER AQUARIUM

by Uwe Werner

For a long time a new trend has been evidentin the hobby: shrimps, crayfishes, and crabsare becoming more and more popular.Although a few years ago these creatureswere thought of largely in a culinaryconnection, nowadays they are regarded asequally suitable as worthwhile aquariumoccupants.

This trend has been given a considerableboost by Japanese aquarium culture and itsso-called “Amano tanks“. Various shrimpswere intitially introduced into these aquariato combat algae – and with an unbelievablelevel of success.

Subsequently more and more species ofshrimp suitable for the hobby have beendiscovered. In the wake of this developmentcrayfishes were the next to arrive in ouraquaria, and a number of crab species arenow likewise on offer as standard in the pettrade.

What has so far been lacking is a textbookdevoted to this specialised subject. Until nowthe interested aquarist has had nothing torefer to but a handful of articles in hobbyperiodicals (there have been a number ofthese in the news under the heading“Crustaceans“). The gap has now been filled,however, by the guide to “SHRIMPS, CRAY-FISHES, AND CRABS IN THE FRESHWATERAQUARIUM“, whose author is one of the mostexperienced aquarists of our time and inaddition a pioneer as regards crustaceans inthe aquarium: Uwe Werner.

Uwe Werner has been able to observenumerous species of shrimps, crayfishes, andcrabs in nature as well as keeping – and oftenbreeding – them in his own aquaria. And inthe book he reports on his experiences forthe first time.

The book is divided into four sections. Thefirst part goes into general body structure,the basics of systematics, and special sensoryorgans. The second part deals with theshrimps, subdivided into the three groupsrelevant to the freshwater aquarist: the Atyids(fan-hand shrimps), the long-arm shrimps(Macrobrachium, etc), and the swimmingshrimps. Part three deals with the truecrayfishes, subdivided into American andAustralian species. Finally, part four providesall the aquarist needs to know aboutfreshwater, fiddler, and land crabs.

The book is richly illustrated throughout, andnumerous species are covered for the firsttime in the aquarium literature. Photos takenspecially for the purpose illustrate sexualdifferences and demonstrate the distinctionbetween larval and adult shrimps. Not onlythat, but the book comes complete with afold-out poster with 64 brilliant photos,showing the whole wonderful andfascinating world of crustaceans at a glance.

To sum up, “SHRIMPS, CRAYFISHES, ANDCRABS IN THE FRESHWATER AQUARIUM“ fillswhat was previously a significant gap in theaquarium literature. It belongs in everyaquarist’s bookcase.

ISBN: 3-931702-53-748 pages, hardcover

Procambarus clarkii photo: U. Werner

SHRIMPS, CRAYFISHES, AND CRABSIN THE FRESHWATER AQARIUM

Advisory+Poster

excellent colour photos

Care instructions by specialists

Verlag:

A.C.S. GmbH

Rothwiesenring 5

D - 64546 Mörfelden-Walldorf

Redaktionsanschrift:

Verlag A.C.S. GmbH,

Liebigstr.1, 63110 Rodgau

Fax: +49 (0) 6106 - 644692

e-mail: acs@aqualog.de

All rights reserved.The publishers do not accept

liability for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

Articles written by named authors do not necessarily

represent the editor’s opinion.

impressum

Herausgeber: Ulrich Glaser, sen.

Chefredakteur/Editor: Dipl.-Biol. Frank Schäfer

Redaktionsbeirat: Dipl.Ing. agr. Gregor Beckmann

Dr. med. vet. Markus Biffar

Ulrich Glaser, sen.

Dipl.-Biol. Uwe Krüger

Übersetzungen: Mary Bailey

Gestaltung: Gaby Geiß, Büro für Grafik, Ffm

Druck: Societäts-Druck, Mörfelden-Walldorf

Anzeigendisposition: Verlag A.C.S. GmbH

ISSN 1430-9610

A B O N N E M E N T N E W S

Yes, I wish to subscribe to Aqualognews. Herewith I order the news for 12 issues at the price of DM 46,80 (incl. postage expenses).Please start this subscription with issue No.

Verlag A.C.S. GmbH Redaktion: Liebigstraße 1, 63110 Rodgau, GermanyFax: +49 (0) 6106-644692, http:// www. aqualog. de, e-mail: acs@aqualog.de

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