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We have a tremendous interest in our fish, and can't get enough information about them to satisfy
our curiosity. We find, however, that the more we learn about our finned friends and their ideal
environments, the more we realize just how much we don't know and need to learn. There are many
excellent publications and periodicals, and a wealth of information contained in many websites.
So much to learn and so little time. I have tried to construct pages that present informative insights
regarding the fish we have in our home. The Our Aquariums links will take you to those pages.
The second category of listings, Interesting Web Pages, will lead you to some of the resource
material I used in writing these pages, and information on fish breeds we have not yet adopted.
Although I wish I were something of an expert, that is still a vast way off. The information in
the "Our Aquarium" pages is based upon our observations of our pets. We have read and researched
as much as time and resources allow. While this may improve our powers of observation to some degree,
I am not so presumptuous as to make any claim that the content of these pages has any scientific
significance, or that our methods should be considered "approved" methods. What works for us in the
artificial environments we have created for our fish may not be effective where tapwater conditions
and other factors differ.
We spend a lot of time (and $$) in our local pet shops picking the owners' brains for their knowledge
about fish. It seems that, in large part, tropical freshwater fish from South America are accustomed to
a soft water with a slightly lower (acid) pH factor. African tropical freshwater fish, on the other hand,
are largely from the rift valley and prefer harder water with a higher (alkaline) pH factor. Another
difference owing to the geographical location applies to tank design. The South American fish prefer a
smoother, almost silty substrate (finer gravel) and decaying vegetation. African rift valley fish,
conversely, prefer a coarser bottom with plenty of rocks for cover. South American fish are not at all
tolerant to salinity in the water. African fish tolerate a much higher level of salinity. As in any
statements as general as these, there are a wide range of degrees of tolerances and preferences, and some
outright contradictions to the norm.
Here in Lompoc, California where we make our home, the water leans to the hard side. We find we have
better luck with the african and southeast asian species than we do with the south american species.
There are many products on the market that adjust the hardness and pH of water, but we have just opted
(so far) to try and build our ecosystems naturally, rather than chemically.
If your browser supports frames and ActiveX (Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.x) See my new fish photo gallery
by
Clicking Here.
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garydebc@silcom.com
