nutrafin nr.4-usa 22-03-2004 10:29 pagina 1 z 2,50 … nr.4-usa 22-03-2004 10:29 pagina 1 sun-glo...

Aquatic News

Issue #4

Issu

e #4

- 2

004

2,50

US$

/3,5

0 C

an$/

2,50

Eur

o/2

£/5

Aus

$

ZÉÄw@

y|á{xáZÉÄw@

y|á{xá

NUTRAFIN Nr.4-USA 22-03-2004 10:29 Pagina 1

SUN-GLO General purpose aquarium lighting

LIFE-GLO 2 High-noon spectrum for aquariums, terrariums & vivariums

DO YOU KNOW THEFACTS OF LIGHT?

A strong, vibrant light is essential to the growth and health

of your aquarium. This much you probably already know.

But did you know that the average fluorescent tube loses

about 50% of its lighting output quality within one year?

This results in a distorted spectrum, inefficient plant and

coral growth, and less intense fish colors.

GLO offers a wide variety of tubes for every

aquarium setup. They also provide you with a re-

minder sticker to place either directly on the tube

or on the aquarium itself to remind you when it’s time to

replace the bulb.

Or, if you prefer, sign up online at www.hagen.com and

we’ll send you a reminder when it’s time.

So, replace your tubes regularly. You’ll love the results and

your fish will love their home.

FLORA-GLO Optimizes plant growth

AQUA-GLO Intensifies fish colors and promotes plant growth

POWER-GLO Promotes coral, invertebrate and plant growth

MARINE-GLO Promotes marine reef life


Fishes in nature and in the aquarium 4Goldfishes and their history

The aquarium hobby on the Internet 5This time in the Goldfish article

Aquatic plants – 7cultivation in the AquariumSome helpful tips

Do-it-yourself 8Setting up an aquarium......decor material - planting - CO2

New practical products 10Life Glo 2, Fluval Tronic Heaters,New foods, Aqua Clear Filters

New in the trade 11Fishes and plants

Biotope aquaria 12For goldfishes

Aquarium history 13Part 4: What happened at the start of 1800?

Nutrafin news 14Nutrafin visits Aquarama 2003 in Singapore

"silent as a fish in water", fishescan communicate, often betterthan people... As I write, thefilm is making equally great

waves in Europe. People youngand old are standing in longqueues at the cinema box of-

fices. There seems to be no endto the fascination, and there arenow all sorts of "spin-off" toysand games – even models ofeach individual fish species.People are besieging the pet

shops and demanding Nemos,or putting their fishes down thetoilet thinking they will really

gain their freedom... This high-lights the only two problems

with this film. Firstly, childrenshouldn’t be allowed to buy

clownfishes. They are marinefishes, and although they are

now bred all over the world, itrequires a high degree of techni-cal knowledge on the part of anadvanced aquarist to maintain

such fishes (in a saltwateraquarium). This also requires alot more experience and more

equipment than for a freshwateraquarium. Novices should al-ways begin with the latter. And

PLEASE NEVER put a fishdown the toilet, as it is bound to

die, as even in Sydney the(fresh) water from the toiletdoesn’t flow directly into thesea. A saltwater fish will be

long dead before it gets there....But "Nemo" does demonstrate

that fishes are "in" and thatthey, like any animal (or per-son), need a little fuss. And believe me, it is possible to accustom fishes to being

stroked. I have been doing it foryears. Once they have settled inthey will not only feed from your

hand, but they actually like tobe stroked! You can easily try itfor yourself with goldfishes. TheChinese have been doing it forthousands of years, as you will

read, inter alia, in this issue.

Yours aquatically, Heiko Bleher

Dear Reader,The first three issues of

NUTRAFIN Aquatic News

have been a hit worldwide. Thepositive e-mails, faxes, and letters continue to pour in.

A further five countries haveasked us about NAN, we may

have to think of additional versions in the future...

It occurs to me that NAN couldbe riding on the success of

Finding Nemo. You will undoubtedly be aware of

Disney’s latest cartoon filmwhich took more than 330

million dollars at the box officein the first few weeks in the USAalone and has become the mostsuccessful animation film of alltime! This fast-moving under-

water adventure has had a hugeimpact through its fascinatingscenes in incredible colours

such as have never been seen ina cinema film before – only in

nature or in our aquaria. "Nemo" is an entertainmentspectacular, which demon-

strates that monsters are "out"and fishes "in". In their fifth film

the Oscar-winning team fromthe leading computer animation

company Pixar (Toy Story, ABug's Life, Toy Story 2, Mon-

sters Inc.) transport their publicto the Great Barrier Reef off theAustralian coast with its strange

and varied marine creatures.During the course of the film almost 700 different shoals offishes (!) were introduced in different places, practically

100,000 fishes (!) were comput-er simulated. This game of num-bers can be continued ad infini-tum (290,000 air bubbles, more

than 12,000 corals, etc.). In"Nemo" they again demonstrate

their eye for detail, for fishesand their intelligence. Nemo is

no clown – although the speciesof this group are known thus –but highly intelligent like most(or all) fishes. Something very

few people know. And in contra-diction of the German proverb

Editorial Editorial

Contents

4 NUTRAFIN Aquatic News 3

NUTRAFIN Aquatic News

Publisher: AquapressEditor-in-Chief: Heiko Bleher

Editorial address: Nutrafin Aquatic NewsVia G. Falcone 11,

27010 Miradolo Terme (Pavia), [email protected] - www. Hagen.com

Tel. +390382 754707 - Fax +390382 754129

Scientific adviser: Dr. Jacques GéryLayout: Rossella Bulla & Heiko Bleher

Copy editor: Heiko BleherPrinter: Grafiche Dessì. s.r.l., Italy

Photos: Cover Burkard Kahl/AquapressAquapress archives

unless otherwise statedNAN is printed on paper produced using

chlorine-free bleach

Finding Nemo is conquering the hearts of millions, just like the aquarium hobby. But Nemos are definitely not for the beginner’s aquarium. A goldfish (our “thread” this issue)

or guppy (NAN no. 2) is infinitely better.


NUTRAFIN Aquatic News 44

It is no exaggeration to say that someaquarium fishes, for example discus andcoral fishes (see Nemo), are nowadaysworth their weight in gold. They arecolourful, attractive in form, or have unusual habits. And above all they are infashion.

But amidst all these diversions there isone fish we should never forget:the goldfish and its numerous“sports”, in both colour and form.Of course it is possible to buybeautiful common goldfishes,veiltails, and celestials for only alittle money, but for really goodspecimens, as conceived by thecreators of these oriental beau-ties, the Chinese and Japanese(but not just them), the enthusiastmust pay a high price. “Highcarat” goldfishes really are worththeir weight in gold and cost be-tween 600 and 2000 dollars each;the sky’s the limit. And the goldfish can al-so lay claim to another superlative: it is theoldest ornamental fish in the world. It allstarted with the goldfish, and no other fishcan take that away.

Goldfishes were already being bred inChina thousands of years ago. The earliestmention of one of these little golden fishesdates from the period of the Sung dynasty(960 to 1126 AD). At that time GovernorTing Yen-tsan had what was probably thefirst goldfish pond constructed in Kahsing.Others followed, in Hangtschou and Nan-ping. Goldfishes were held in the highestregard. They were admired and revered.The nurture and care of these wondrous di-vine creatures was reserved for the priests.

It was illegal, under pain of punishment, toeat them or use them for any other pur-pose.Then, round about 1163 AD, theystarted to be maintained in private ponds aswell. At first it was chiefly the feudal lordsthat kept them. But by around 1547 thegoldfish had become a regular pet. The no-bility, such as dignitaries and mandarins,kept them in wonderful garden ponds,sometimes of fabulous design, while thewell-off utilised vessels of precious jade.Among average folk, by contrast, theywere kept in earthenware tubs, vats, andbowls. These containers were popular, as

the fishes grew well in them, and bred too.How seriously goldfish-breeding was tak-

en by people in ancient China was de-scribed extensively by one of the Sons ofHeaven from the kingdom of Chang Ch’iente (1577 to 1643), in his book on the sub-ject. This was the first book of its kind, butmany more were to follow.

Around 1644, towards the end of theMing dynasty, almost every household –whether rich or poor – had its own large orsmall goldfish basin, which acted as the fo-cus of the dwelling. The goldfish broughtpeople pleasure and provided interest andentertainment. The goldfish had becomethe absolute darling of the entire Chinesepeople.

By this time too the various cultivatedforms of the goldfish, such as the bubble-eye, the celestial, and the lionhead with thedouble tail, had already been developed. TheChinese cultivated forms of the goldfishwere – and still are – short-finned fisheswith rather globular bodies, reminiscent of abizarre dragon or a corpulent domestic deity.They are a manifestation of Chinese taste, aliking for the grotesque and demonic.

The goldfish is said to have probablyreached Japan via Korea around 1500. ButJapanese taste is very different from that ofthe Chinese. It is lighter, more playful, and

more harmonious. The Japan-ese moulded the goldfish ac-cording to their own ideas.From the “Chinese dragon”they created charming, “flow-ery”, elegantly-formed fisheswith smaller bodies and longerfins, intended to be viewed al-most exclusively from above.This is very important, asnowadays the cultivated formsof the goldfish are kept mainlyin all-glass aquaria, where theyare viewed from the side. Seenfrom this viewpoint they are

often misunderstood and disliked, even bygoldfish enthusiasts, and are even con-demned as deformed. But if they areviewed from above they actually look lesslike a fish than a fairytale blossom. And thepleasure the Japanese take in the dartinggold now makes sense.

The news of the Chinese “cult of thegoldfish” reached the western world aswell very early on. The first reports dateback to Marco Polo (1254 to 1323). Thefirst live goldfish probably arrived in Eng-land during the reign of James I (1566 to1625). Around 1650 the goldfish turned upin Russia, a gift from Chinese merchants toTsar Alexei Michailovich. It is authentical-ly documented as reaching Portugal in

Fishes in nature andin the aquarium

and their historyby Heiko Bleher

Ornamental fishkeeping began with the goldfish. It is said that in the 2nd year of his rule (769 BC) dur-ing the eastern Zhou (Don-Zhou) period (770-720 BC), King Zhou Pingwang wrote about Kin Yu in the

first Chinese script. The name translates as “red fish” – as it is still called today in Italy (pesci rossi)and France (poissons rouges). Linnaeus (1758) gave it the scientific name Cyprinus auratus. The Ger-mans first of all called it Silberkarausche and today Goldfisch, while in English-speaking countries itis likewise the goldfish, and pez dorado wherever Spanish is spoken. Meanwhile the Portuguese call itthe Japanese fish (peixe Japonés), even though it didn’t reach the Land of the Rising Sun until 1500AD. It first “landed” in Europe in the 17th century. Nowadays there are more than 125 varieties of

different shape and colour, and the latter now rarely matches the name.

Carrasius auratus auratus - the original goldfish – wild caught from the Da-hu river inMiao-Li in China. This natural fish still survives today and all the variations of colour

and shape, whatever their names, have been derived from it by selective breeding.

ZÉÄwy|á{xáZÉÄwy|á{xá


1691, and from there the trailleads to Italy. Around 1750 itwas introduced to France at thecourt of Louis XV, as a presentto Madame Pompadour, thoughthis probably had nothing to dowith the fact that before this fa-mous lady was enobled she borethe bourgeois name of Poisson(= Fish!). All these fishes wereChinese common goldfishes. Itwasn’t until much later that thefirst fishes (including variousfancy varieties) arrived fromJapan (which by around 1700had already taken over the lead-ership as regards goldfish breed-ing), as that country had for along time cut itself off from out-side influences. Japanese fishesformed the basis of the first real-ly top quality stocks in Englandand Germany. In Germany the“Matte strain”, which Paul Mat-te bred at Lankwitz near Berlinfrom Japanese specimens im-ported in 1885, became very famous.

In 1878 Rear-Admiral DanielAmmon took the first fishesfrom the Far East to the USA,and in the period that followednumerous large breeding estab-lishments sprung up there. Byaround 1900 goldfish-keepinghad reached its peak in Europe,and a little later in the USA.Thereafter interest in the gold-fish declined somewhat, as alarge number of other small,colourful, tropical fishes wereimported for the expandingaquarium hobby. The goldfishwas pushed aside: more pre-cisely, into the garden pond.

Enthusiasts in many countriesthe world over have tried tocounteract this development.They established fixed breedingstandards in order to maintaintop level quality in the goldfish.The English breeding organisa-tions were at the forefront of thework in this direction. Theseefforts were all very successful.To the present day the goldfishhas firm fans among aquaristsand owners of garden ponds.But as in the past it is mosthighly regarded in Japan: everyyear some 100 million goldfish-es pass through the trade.

But the goldfish managed tosecure itself an even greater cir-cle of friends worldwide: child-ren. For them it remains a fishfilled with interest and the

undoubted Number One amongornamental fishes.

To go into the almost innu-merable goldfish clubs and as-sociations is beyond the scopeof this article, but below are de-tails of a few sites on the WorldWide Web. At www.altavista.com there aremore than 570,000 websites.listed under “goldfish”, butthere is rarely much on its his-tory or origin. There are, to besure, lots of photos of thenewest cultivated forms (as onthe following page), and detailsof judging standards and inter-national meetings. And the manwho named his 22 cm goldfish“Golly” loved it dearly, got onwith it better than with mostpeople, and found it full ofheart. He enjoyed its companyfor 25 years – longer than mostfriendships last...

And anyone who travels andmisses his goldfish shouldspend the night at the HotelMonaco in Chicago: they wel-come goldfish enthusiasts andprovide every guest with a“complimentary goldfish com-panion” in his room. They lookafter and maintain the fish dur-ing his stay... (courtesy ofChicago’s Shedd Aquarium).Just a few recommendations: The Goldfish Society of Ameri-ca with a bit of everything:www.goldfishsociety.org/index.htmlThe Canadian Goldfish Societywith exquisite breeders atwww.canadiangoldfish.comor RWT’s goldfish informationpage:www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4468or another good site http://www.kokosgoldfish.com

It is Japan, however, that stillhas by far the best ranchus,breeders and elite clubs. Theymaintain the bloodlines andquality of the egg-shapedranchus better than anyone elseand breed them only in limitedquantities. The best-knownbreeders are Kashino, Washizu,Ishikawa, and Kawai, whohave all established their ownstrains and invariably takehome the top prizes from theAJRS (All Japan RanchuShow). Even their youngstersat only 5 cm long! (More infor-mation on ranchus can befound (in English) at [email protected]).


“In summer one must ensure that the lovely colours and nimble movements catch the eye.The container of choice for this is a large glass ball with an opening large enough to ensure that the fishes can obtain sufficient air, but small enough that they cannot

jump out and die if nobody is at hand.”This was written (in German) about the goldfish bowl in 1856 in issue 19 of the magazine

“Die Gartenlaube”.

A small sample of the sports of the goldfish, as regards both colour and form. Top right (1)is the silver form, the original sport of the eastern Asian wild goldfish Carassius auratus, for-merly known in Germany as the Karausche (see photo left). No other freshwater fish specieshas such a wide distribution – today it is also found in European waters. Interestingly onlyfemales of the silver form are found in the remotest areas colonised, and they mingle with

spawning shoals of other fishes in order to fertilise their eggs. Lower down (2) we see the KinYu – the red fish, our goldfish (Hibuna in Japan, where it first meant gold, then red).

Then the egg-shaped nanking (3); the celestial – choten gan (4); bubble-eye – suihogan (5);red-capped oranda (6); pompom - hana fusa (7); pearl-scale – chinshurin (8); calico tele-scope-eye – calico demekin (9); Bristol shubunkin (10); comet – kometto (11); lionhead –ranchu (12). From the Russian Encyclopedia of Living Creatures, Fishes volume (1971).

13

4

5 6

7

8

9

1011

12

2


On this page a few of the latest goldfish “creations” atAquarama 2003 (see also p.14), shops, and judgingmethods: 1. Red and white veiltail – ryukin. 2. A li-onhead – ranchu (first in its class, Aquarama 2003). 3. Red and white telescope-eye veiltail – demekin. 4. Chinese telescope-eye (first prize). 5. A red white li-onhead – oranda – a new (?) creation, it can no longersee!. 6. Red lionhead– oranda shishigashira. 7. Gold-fish and koi being sold in Tung Choi Street, HongKong – each fish is pre-packed. 8. Judging ranchus,which are always classified from above. They are divided into three categories: todsai (fish of the year);nisai ( more than two years old); oya (more than threeyears old). 9. A ranchu seen from the correct per-spective – winner of a competition (Singapore 2000).10. Tightly-packed goldfishes waiting on the shelf forbuyers, Guangzhou, China. 11. Goldfish selection inHongkong. 12. Pearlscale – chinshurina. 13. A Tosakin– the latest prizewinning freak (my term for it)? 14. Ditto? 15. Bubble-eye – suihogan (like the ranchu(and others) a cultivated form designed for a birds-eyeview). 16. In Korea...

1

14 15 4

5

6

13

12

11

10

16

9

7

8

2 3




2. Position plants in ap-propriate positions withrespect to the species.Plant taller plants at therear and shorter plantstowards the front. Takeinto considerationlighting requirementswhen choosing pros-pective sites for yourplants. For example,plants that prefer lowerlight levels may beplanted in the shade oftall plants.

3. Always remove de-vices used to bunchplants together. Anydamaged or dead leavesshould be removed.Bunch plants shouldhave only the bottom 1to 2 inches (2.5 – 5 cm)

of stem planted.

4. Planting should allow for a little spacebetween groups of plants (bunch plants).

5. Never bury the crown of a plant. Exposethe crown and avoid gravel between stems(ex. – Echinodorus species).

6. Remember – plants grow! Be aware oftheir maximum size and provide the roomand correct initial placement to account forthis.

Here are some helpfultips when purchasingand maintaining yourplants:

Purchasing AquaticPlants

When purchasingaquatic plants, there areseveral importantpoints to consider:

1. Ensure that you areactually purchasingaquatic plants. Consultknowledgeable petstore staff and books.

2. Look for healthyspecimens. Avoidplants that are damaged(holes, broken leavesand/or stems) or exhib-it yellow or brownleaves. Rooted plants should have cleanlooking (usually white) healthy root mass-es (exception = bunch plants).

3. Look for proper holding facilities. Planttanks should be well-lit and kept at approx-imate tropical aquarium temperatures.

4. Purchase rapid growing plants at the be-ginning, commonly sold as bunch plants.This will provide maximum competitionfor algae.

5. Make sure plants stay wet or damp dur-ing the journey home; do not allow any partto dry out.

Planting Tips

1. Incorporate groups of plants in your dé-cor. Select a few species with a quantity ofeach, as opposed to many different speciesand minor quantities of each.

In NAN no. 3 (page 9) we provided advice on aquarium planting to make it easy for hobbyistand others to set up breathtakingly beautiful aquaria (for example like that to be seen

below). In addition (no. 3, page 7) we offered suggestions regarding a number of different aquarium plants. To complete what we have begun, we now bring you

additional hints and suggestions for an underwater garden to give you daily pleasure. Good luck – and remember, it really isn’t difficult...

Aquatic plants - cultivation in the Aquarium

Leaf

Stem

Crown

RootsSelect small group-plants as

Echinodorus tenellus for the foreground.



Do it yourself: setting up an aquarium...We continue where we left offwith aquarium planting in NANissue no. 3 (p. 9), by explainingthat CO2 injection does more thanjust encourage more vigorousgrowth in the aquarium plants (seeright) and contribute to improvedwater quality, but also offers amethod for gradually lowering thepH. And is thus suitable for manyplants and fishes. It should beadded that the NUTRAFIN natur-al CO2 system relies on naturalfermentation processes to supplycarbon dioxide – a practical andcost-effective alternative to pres-surised gas. Our product range includes a highly efficient bubble-counter/diffuser, available sepa-rately for aquarists who wish to upgrade their existing CO2injection system using thiscomponent.

ChoosingElements forCreating an

AquaticDisplay

Creative fore-thought is perhapsthe most enjoyableaspect of planning anaquarium display. Inorder to gain inspira-tion there are numer-ous books and maga-zines that demon-strate a multitude ofdifferent aquatic ta-pestries and themes.

The first step in dec-orating a plantedaquarium is to choosean appropriate sub-strate. Gravel mea-suring 2 to 5 mm indiameter is ideal and

should be sloped from the front inan upward direction to the rear.This will give a deeper look to theaquarium. There are a number ofinteresting natural gravels avail-able, so choose a color that willcontrast attractively with the woodand rock that you plan to use.Some gravel will affect pH and/orhardness values, so check thepackaging to verify if this is indi-cated. If you are unsure about po-tential effects on water chemistry,it is recommended that you eitherconsult knowledgeable store staffor purchase epoxy-coated gravel.

When choosing rocks and woodthere are several basic rules to re-member. These items are accentsand as such their placement shouldsupport the overall visual balanceof the aquarium. Always positionrocks and wood first, then add the

plants. When pur-chasing rocks, selectone type and placethem to add depth toan aquatic scene. Cre-ating a grotto thatcascades on a down-ward diagonal fromrear to front can dothis. Rocks can also be effectively used tohighlight featureplants, such as someof the larger Echi-nodorus, Vallisneriaand Aponogetonspecies, by placingthem in small clusters

close to their base.


... decor material – planting - CO2

Larger rocks often look best when positioned behindor off to the side of larger plants as a backdrop or ac-cent. Another effective technique is to use flat rocksto create terrace walls to support elevated gravel ter-races for planting.

Driftwood is an excellent accent to divide taller,larger plants at the rear from groups of plants at thefront. It is also the object of choice for attachingAnubias or Microsorium. This is done by carefullytying the rhizome with a piece of fishing line to thedriftwood. The plant will eventually grow and affixits roots to the wood. Larger pieces of driftwoodwith numerous branches can make for a very attrac-tive display when they are well adorned with eitherof these interesting plants. Driftwood that features along substantial segment not only offers the possi-bility of dividing groups of plants from rear to frontbut adds an interesting visual element as it emergesfrom a heavily-planted area into an open space.

Currently there are perfectly replicated driftwoodand rock accents that offer a realistic look with noneof the potential effects on water chemistry. The au-thentic look is achieved by a mold cast from selectreal rocks and wood. Using replications eliminatesthe organic decomposition one would see from realwood and the water hardening effects of some rocks,a benefit to stable water quality. GeoSystem Planting Rocks are an ac-curate replica of lava rock complete with convenient planting hol-lows, which are ideal for grouping bunch or foreground plants, while


also adding an attractive highlight to various largerplants.

For aquarium owners who insist on completely un-stained, clear water conditions, GeoSystem Woodprovides an ultra real-looking driftwood composedof resin. This highly accurate replication eliminatesthe amber tint and other potential undesirable condi-tions often associated with the use of actual wood.Real or artificial, correctly positioned rocks anddriftwood add an element of realism to plantedaquaria.

PlantsLive plants represent the core central dynamic ele-

ment in planted aquaria. As they grow, the look ofyour underwater garden will change, so make surethat they are positioned appropriately. In general,plants may be classified as foreground, mid-groundand background. There are many good books andguides on aquarium plants that provide important in-formation about size, growth rate, light require-ments, and where to plant. The aesthetic element isalso an important factor in deciding where plantsshould be located. Color and leaf shape play impor-tant roles in providing contrast to achieving a stun-ning visual impact. Larger feature plants with promi-nent broad leaves, such as various species found in

the genus Echinodorus, are perfectly highlighted by surrounding or ad-jacent groups of bunch plants from the genera Rotala, Limnophila, andLudwigia. (See also NAN #3 and this issue page 7.)



New practical products

Life Glo 2The Glo line of fluorescent lighting haseliminated the internal reflector in its pre-mium full spectrum triphosphor bulb, theLife Glo, resulting in outstanding perfor-mance at a lower cost. Boasting the samesuperior Kelvin temperature as its prede-cessor, the Life Glo 2 is complete withtriphosphor formulation and powerful lightoutput, continuing to be an excellent lightsource for fresh and saltwater aquariums.Light-Glo canopies with dual fluorescentlighting and high efficiency reflectors willmake the most of the new Life Glo 2.

methods and rigorous selection of raw ingredients. Nutrafin Max Brine Shrimp Flakes plus

bits of freeze dried brine shrimpThis extremely palatable food combines20% ultra high quality freeze dried brineshrimp bits with 10% spray dried brineshrimp applied to the flakes. Great for get-ting finicky feeders to accept dry foods aswell as providing a natural color boost.Nutrafin Max Mysis Flakes plus bits of

freeze dried mysis shrimpMysis is a freshwater shrimp that repre-sents an irresistible energy packed foodsource for fish. Nutrafin Max Mysis FlakesPlus includes 20% genuine Mysis relictafreeze dried bits with an additional 10%spray dried mysis applied to the flakes.Even the most finicky fresh and saltwaterspecies will not be able to resist.

Nutrafin Max Earthworm Flakes plusbits of freeze dried tubifex worms

A number of worms are used by fish breed-ers to grow and condition many varieties oftropical fish. Nutrafin Max has included20% whole freeze dried Tubifex wormswith flakes that contain 10% spray driedEarthworm meal. This potent combinationwill not only support excellent growth ratesbut will also enhance health, spawningreadiness and condition.

A New look from an old friend! One of themost trusted brands in the Aquatic industryjust got better! A new look on the outside andincreased biological filtration on the inside!AquaClear Power Filters now offer you acomplete solution for all your filtrationneeds. Mechanical, Biological and Chemi-cal filtration are all accomplished using theAquaClear Multi Stage Filtration System.Biological filtration has been drastically ex-panded using a BIO-MAX Filter Insert.BIO-MAX provides a vast surface area forbeneficial bacteria to grow on, helping to re-duce and control toxic ammonia and nitrite.

Stable water temperatures are insurance forthe health of tropical fish, the Fluval Tronic Heater is the best policy. The FluvalTronic employs microchip technology toprovide exact pin point control of heatingand Safety Shut-Off functions, supportingthe constant water temperatures fish re-quire. In addition to precise control, speedand accuracy are addressed with two fea-tures. Fast Heat Technology ensures thatthe heater stays on continuously to achieveand maintain the desired temperature, un-like conventional bi-metallic heaters thatcycle on and off. What good would a fastand precise system be without accurate in-put? A Patented Thermal Sensor continu-ously samples actual water temperature di-rectly through the glass of the heater tubeensuring accurate data is relayed to the con-trol circuitry. Available in 5 sizes: 50 Watts, 100 Watts,150 Watts, 200 Watts and 300 Watts.

Nutrafin Max PlusNutrafin Max Plus foods are available inthree different formulations to satisfy mostspecies of tropical fish, as a treat or core diet. Combining freeze dried food withflakes allows for enhanced palatability anda quality protein source for superior growthrates and conditioning. These highly nutri-tious products meet Nutrafin Max require-ments by including a top quality propri-etary multi-vitamin, advanced processing

Aqua Clear Filters

Fluval TronicHeaters

New Foods


New in the trade

A new aquatic plantThis time we present a totally new aquaticplant which Heiko Bleher recently discov-ered for the first time in Mozambique. Al-though it looks like a fern it isn’t one, but aspecies of the genus Hydrostachys. Scien-tists recognise a single genus with some 30species in the family Hydrostachyaceaeand these occur only in Madagascar and thesouth of Africa, north to the upper Congo

basin. They are so far unknown in theaquarium hobby even though they are total-ly aquatic plants (ie they can only live un-derwater). In the wild they are found onlyin waterfalls or strong rapids (see bottomphoto), like the members of the family Po-dostemaceae (which, however, contains 40genera with more than 200 tropical andsubtropical species). They root very firmly,practically exclusively on rocks (above)and are ideal for the aquarium, becauseplants rooted fast to rocks or wood can bemoved wherever one wants in the aquari-um, without the plants having to re-rootand coming to harm. For this reason it has

for some time been possible to buy plantsthus rooted – but unfortunately still no Hy-drostachys; however, hopefully it won’t belong (they are in the process of being propa-gated). Their robust leaves (top) and totallyaquatic mode of life are ideal for the aquari-um, at parameters of pH 7.0; conductivity100 µS/cm and temperature 75.2-82.4 °F.

2. Pseudomugil cf. novaeguineaeThe Pseudomugil species shown below(upper = male, lower = female) is a furtherblue-eye that occurs in the same region butis difficult to catch. It is similar in appear-ance to P. novaguineae, which has a widedistribution. However, the fins in the newspecies are much larger and more pro-longed. It lives exclusively just below thewater’s surface like hatchetfish species, ap-parently lying in wait for passing insects..The water parameters are similar to thosefor the Kiunga species but the two are notfound together.

3. Pseudomugil paskai Another blue-eye species, P. paskai (below,with female), is likewise known only fromthe Kiunga region. It is a glorious fishwhich was imported alive shortly after itsdescription by Allen & Ivantsoff in 1986,exclusively by Bleher, both then and re-peatedly since. A beautiful, (almost) prob-lem-free species, ideal for small aquaria. Itdoes well at a temperature of about 80.6°F,and should be kept at a pH of 6.5 and a con-ductivity of about 100 µS/cm.

4. Pseudomugil ballochi – ExtinctAnd here (below) we have a photo by thefamous Australian rainbowfish expert NeilArmstrong, showing Kiunga ballochi, afabulous fish that has become extinct in thewild due to habitat destruction. (see aqua,Journal of Ichthyology and Aquatic Biolo-gy 8 (3) 2004).

Fishes Plants


Blue-eyesThe blue-eyes are small fishes with, as theirname suggests, blue eyes, and are found ex-clusively in Australia and New Guinea (iePapua New Guinea and the Indonesian partof the island) plus almost all the surround-ing offshore islands. They belong to thefamily Pseudomugilidae and are divided in-to two sub-families, the Kiunginae with oneextinct and one newly discovered species,and the Pseudomugilinae with 15 describedspecies. They are primarily freshwater fish-es, although a few species are also found inbrackish and salt water (eg P. cyandorsalis,P. majusculus). In nature the blue-eyessometimes live in tiny biotopes, often to-gether with rainbowfishes (Melanotaeni-idae). For precisely this reason they are ide-al for small aquaria. They generally live inthe upper layers of the water and some rightat the water’s surface (eg P. novaeguineae,P. pellucidus). They are generally encoun-tered among vegetation in shallow water.Only a few live in open water (eg the brack-ish-water species). They are splendid, usu-ally colourful, little fishes (the largest attainbarely 2 inches – 5 cm TL). In this articlewe present two new species, a rare one, andone that is now extinct.

1. The new Kiunga species

This is a new, so far undescribed species(male above; female below) which HeikoBleher discovered for the first time in 1991,to the south of the town of Kiunga, PapuaNew Guinea. Unfortunately on that occa-sion the live specimens were lost by the air-line along with his luggage. At the secondattempt, in 1993, he caught just three indi-viduals and they didn’t breed. In 2003, dur-ing a week of pouring rain, he managed tocatch a larger number in the same stream

(the species is found nowhere else – 57 waters in the region were thoroughly inves-tigated) and after a flight lasting 28 hoursthey arrived safely in Europe. The waterparameters in the field at noon (in tropicalrain) were: pH 5.9; conductivity 29 µS/cm;water temperature 80.42 ˚F. This is a shoal-ing fish of max. 1 inch (2,5 cm) TL and dif-ficult to find because of its transparency.


Biotope aquaria: for Goldfishes


The Goldfish AquariumEvery newcomer to the aquarium hobby

should start with guppies (NAN no. 2) or agoldfish aquarium (and experienced aquar-ists can enjoy them too). Goldfishes areamongst the hardiest ornamental fishes,and this is one of the reasons they havebeen kept for more than a thousand years(page 4). Today the original goldfish isstill found in the waters of China, whichfreeze during the winter months. It livesbeneath the ice (and sometimes in it), attemperatures around freezing point, andsurvives. In the same biotope where insummer the water heats up to more than86.0°F – I have measured up to 105.8°F.

These are points that should also beborne in mind when purchasing gold-fishes (young or old), and, of course,you must decide whether to keep them ina pond, an aquarium, or perhaps even ina paludarium. The traditional Asianmethod, still practised today, of keepingthem in open-topped earthenwarebasins, porcelain bowls, or vessels ofjade has never really spread furtherafield, and for a number of reasons isbest reserved for specialists and for themore extreme forms, and hence I willnot discuss it here. Likewise the gold-fish bowl (in the interests of appropriatemaintenance as well). From the view-point of the (normal) goldfish a pond isthe ideal habitat, and this is generally theonly environment where it will breedwithout the intervention of the owner.But I won’t go into pond maintenancehere either, as there are (almost) innu-merable publications on the subject, andinstead we will deal with the aquariummaintenance of goldfishes and provide afew simple (biotope) suggestions. As anaside, however, I do also recommend or-namental carp (nishikigoi, often calledkoi (which simply means carp), whichwill be covered in a future issue of NAN)for a pond, and that the pond should bepopulated with a natural, native faunaand flora.

Setting up the aquarium: From anaquarium ecology viewpoint, the samegeneral principles apply to a goldfishaquarium as for (almost all) other aquaria.In other words, don’t allow anyone to tellyou a small aquarium will suffice forgoldfishes. I recommend a tank at least100 cm long (they need swimming space,just like discus, for example) and 35 cmwide (the wider the better), and at least asdeep. Use medium (grain size 0.2-0.6 mm)or coarse (0.6-2.0 mm) sand, never morethan 2 mm as goldfishes like to dig. Fill thetank with this to a depth of 2 inch (5 cm) –somewhat more towards the rear – but onlyafter rinsing out the tank with warm water

and making sure that the sand is also wellwashed. Don’t forget to include some (true)aquatic plants (often people think goldfish-es don’t need them, or eat them). The plantswill enrich the water with oxygen, utilisethe inevitable metabolic by-products of fishes and bacteria, and provide

micro-organisms with surfaces to colonise.And thriving plants are the most effectiveanswer to algae. Two groups of plants areadvisable (as plants are part of the gold-fish’s natural diet, but they nibble only atsoft-leaved plants, and at small or new, ten-der leaves). One group should be a more

robust type such as vallis (Vallisneriaspecies), which is both suitable andbiotope-correct. One end of the tank, orpart of the background, should be denselyplanted with such plants, as goldfishes alsoneed a place to hide. Vallis grows well un-der fairly bright lighting (and maybe CO2

fertilisation). Other suggestions are awaterlily (eg Nuphar lutea), which like-wise won’t be eaten, a Bacopa species,and Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana), inwhich goldfishes love to search for smallinvertebrates. Useful plants for “snack-ing” imclude, for example pondweed,Egeria densa or Elodea canadensis,which grow rapidly (they can readily bepropagated in another tank and trans-ferred as and when required); or horn-wort (Ceratophyllum demersum), whichwill generally continue to grow floating– given good light. If you decide on anopen-topped tank then floating plantssuch as water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)or riccia (Riccia fluitans) can be added.Other decor can include basalt, granite,or lava rocks, as well as well-weatheredbogwood.

Fishes for the aquarium: This islargely a matter of personal taste. Onpages 5-6 you will see a few of the manyvariations in shape and colour. Basically,I suggest avoiding the forms intended tobe viewed from above, such as celes-tials, bubble-eyes, and buffaloheads.

Telescope-eyes should also be viewedwith caution, as the eyes protrude so farthat they can easily be injured (especial-ly during netting). Recommended formsinclude: veiltails – red/white (also calledsarasa) or the colourful calico; the typeof veiltail first bred in the USA which isless high-backed; veiltail fantails, awestern form; comets, Bristol shubunk-ins, London shubunkins; plus orandas,lionheads, or eggfishes. (The last ofthese has almost died out, definitely on-ly a cultural loss.) It is important not totry and keep any of these forms at lowtemperatures like common goldfishes.The very fancy varieties are acclimatedto warmer temperatures.

General: Goldfishes require goodlighting (see also NAN no.1) and a suit-able power filter that turns over theaquarium volume a minimum of 2 to 3times every hour. A heater is unneces-sary as long as the water temperaturedoesn’t drop below 64.4 or 62.6°F in

winter. Allow the planted aquarium to runwithout fishes for 14 days to allow it tomature biologically (this will also allowthe plants to root), allow your goldfishesadequate swimming space, and don’t over-populate the tank: as a rule of thumb, 1 cmfish (total length) per 3 litres of water.


What happened at the start of 1800?As the 18th century drew towards its close,

the whole world seemed in uproar and therepercussions from the French Revolution of1789 pushed Europe into a new war (in 1795Poland was partitioned for the third time, in1796 Napoleon again made war on the Aus-trians in Italy, in 1797 Austria ceded Belgiumto the French in return for Venice, andFriedrich Wilhelm III became Kaiser ofPrussia), but, despite all this, widespreadpublic interest in the study of nature wasawakening. Long gone were the days whenthe goldfish was simply a jewel at the courtsof princes (NAN no. 3). These wonderfullycolourful fishes were now kept in sugarjars, porcelain containers, tubs, and smallartificial ponds in the houses of ordinarycitizens, for the pleasure of adults and theeducation of children.

And it was at precisly this time that Jo-hann Matthaeus Bechstein (1757-1822),the future minister of domestic finance andforestry, was teaching in Thüringen at theÖffentliche Lehranstalt für Forst- undJagdkunde (public college of forestry andhunting), founded by him in 1794 on theFreigute Kemnak. He was a recognised au-thority on zoology and botany. His four-volume work Gemeinnützige Natur-geschichte Deutschlands aus allen drei Reichen der Natur (1789-1795) markedhim out as a student of nature. He kept alarge number of animals in his study, notonly bird cages but also containers ofglass, porcelain, and stoneware for fishesand amphibians. And in 1797 his bookNaturgeschichte der Stubenthiere,Saeugethiere, Amphibien, Fische, In-secten, Würmer (The natural history of do-mestic animals, mammals, amphibians,fishes, insects, worms.) appeared.

Now the big question is, did Bechstein,who is sometimes known as the “fatherof aquarium and terrarium science”, thuslay the foundation for the aquarium? Thatis what they say in Thüringen and Sachsen,the green heart of Germany – that it wasthere that aquarium and terrarium sciencehad its beginnings. And later on the prefaceto the third edition (published in 1807) ofhis book stated that aquarium and terrariumscience began in 1797. In addition, DieGartenlaube, an illustrated family maga-zine from Gotha, published various seriesof articles such as “Der Ozean auf the Tis-che” (The ocean on the table) (1854-1855)

and “Der See im Glas” (The lakein glass) (1856, see illustra-tion on p. 4). The latter wereby Emil Adolf Roßmäßler

(1806-1867), known in Ger-many as the “first popular Ger-

man expert on natural histo-ry”. From his pen too came

Under Merkwürdigkeiten (special attribut-es) I found another nice extract, “They don’tfeed in winter”, followed by, “They havegood hearing as they soon learn to recognisethe voice of the person who feeds them, andcome to the surface of the water wheneverthey detect his presence, by whatever means.In China a little whistle hangs by every con-tainer in which they are kept, and this is usedby the ladies, who get as much pleasure fromthem there as they do here, to summon themto the surface for food.” In other words hewas a keen observer and realised even backthen that a fish makes a good pet, somethinga lot of people still don’t believe today...

Bechstein relates extensive details onmaintenance; changing water; population;siting in the room, in summer and in win-ter; on the colours and forms (a lot wereknown even then – see pp. 4-6); and muchmore. He also provides a detailed Besch-reibung (description) and Merkwürdigkeit-en for the Wetterfisch (= Cobitis fossilis,Gmelin. Lin.) (the weather loach), whichcan also be kept in the home. But he stilldoesn’t get as far as a proper aquarium...

Be that as it may, in 1819 the Britishchemist William Thomas Brande pub-lished the following: “Fishes breathe theair which is dissolved in water; they there-fore soon deprive it of its oxygen, the placeof which is supplied by carbonic acid; thisis in many instances decomposed by aquat-ic vegetables, which restore oxygen, andabsorb the carbon...; hence the advantageof cultivating growing vegetables in artifi-cal fish-ponds...” Thereby demonstratingthat “vegetables”, as he termed what wecall plants, provide oxygen in the water forthe fishes... Likewise, in Bordeaux in1830, the Frenchman M. des Moulins wasable to establish that fishes were healthierand did better in water containing plantsand bivalves than in that without. And at a

meeting in 1833 in Cambridge (UK) Dr.Danbery produced evidence that aquaticplants give off oxygen and take up CO2 un-der the influence of light.

But still no aquarium. The foundation wassupposedly laid in 1829 by a Briton – al-though he actually started with a terrarium. Irefer to Dr Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (1791-1868), who by the age of 13 had become soenchanted with ferns and palms inJamaica that plants became his life.Because of the dreadful envi-ronmental pollution in Lon-don he wanted to create a better home for his dar-ling plants – and that was supposedly the seedfrom which the aquari-um grew as well. Butmore of that nexttime...

Das Süßwasser-Aquarium (The freshwateraquarium), published in 1857 by VerlagHermann Mendelsohn in Leipzig,Roßmässler’s birth-place. Moreover theoldest aquarium club on Earth (founded on3.5.1882) called itself Aquarium zu Gotha(Gotha Aquarium), and it is said that thefirst pet shop was opened by Otto Gitter inLeipzig in 1850.

But back to Bechstein. All the earlier publi-cations on Stubenthiere (the first Germanword for pets?) had been lists of animals,fisheries publications, or works by scientists.Bechstein’s book was an enthusiast writingfor enthusiasts, on fishes and other pets. It

was so successful that three editions, eachone better than the last, were published.

I will quote just two extracts from the 1807edition, translated into English. The descrip-tion of the Goldkarpfen (Chinesisches Gold-fischchen, Kinju) (Golden Carp (ChineseGoldfish, Kinju)) reads, “An unusuallysplendid creature, resplendent in the loveliestcolours. It originates from the rivers of Japanand China and has been kept in Englandsince as long ago as 1611, and spread fromthere to Europe. It is sometimes kept inponds and basins in gardens, sometimes inglass or porcelain containers indoors as afeast for the eyes. It looks like the commoncarp which attains a length of 12 to 14 inch-es, but the latter (Chinese Goldfish) growsonly to 4 to 8 inches long. Like all domesti-cated creatures it is very variable in form andappearance, especially as regards the fins.Cyprinus auratus, Gemlin, Lin. …”

Aquarium history Part 4

134 NUTRAFIN Aquatic News

An early Victorian aquarium, with ornamental rock-work and fountain, from the cover of P. H. Gosse’s

A Handbook to the Marine Aquarium; containing Practical Instruction for Constructing, Stocking and Maintaining

a Tank and for Collecting Plants and Animals. London 1855.



Nutrafin news

After the largest aquariumfish and equipment showand conference in Asia,

held every other yearsince 1989, nor-mally in May,

had to be postponedbecause of SARS, iteventually took placefrom 30th October to2nd November 2003

instead. Heiko Bleher attended the exhibitionon behalf of Nutrafin.

Exactly 199 aquarium hobby exhibitors(136 of them from 23 overseas nations and63 from Singapore) displayed everything todo with ornamental fishes, and 30,575 fish

and aquarium plant enthusiasts from 65

countries werefilled with amaze-ment. Nutrafinwas there too,represented by itsMalaysian agents,and exhibited itsnewest products.

The highlight ofthe exhibition wasthe fishes. Thou-sands, from 12countries, wereentered in the 14categories of the

competition: discus; goldfishes; guppies;dragonfishes (Scleropages formosus); tetras;barbs; Corydoras; gouramis; mollies; platies;swordtails; bettas (left, a prizewinner in class4: bicolor single tail); flower horn; newspecies (wild fishes newly discovered duringthe past two years – but there were nonethere). 31 judges from 22 countries had toevaluate the numerous fishes, only a tiny frac-tion of which are shown here.

Tremendous numbers of the publicthronged around the fishes, but there was al-so a remarkable interest in the aquatic plants,which found a ready market. It would appearthat people in south-east Asia are graduallywaking up to the idea of creating a beautifulunderwater world in their homes – as has longbeen the case in Japan (see also pages 7-9 inthis issue).

Nutrafin visits Aquarama 2003 in Singapore

1. The entrance to Aquarama 2003. 2. The Grand Champion of allthe goldfishes. 3. This red arawana (Scleropages formosus) also

won the top prize in its category (dragonfishes). 4-5. There wereswordtails (Xiphophorus helleri) in never before seen

colours, as with many of the fishes. 6. This live-bearer (Poecilia velifera) with 4-5

swords and an enormous veil-like pectoral was also new,

and, like the goldfish champion, afreak. Such cultivated forms are inca-

pable of reproducing themselves... 7-8. Anymore than are these new mollies...

9. The 1. prized Red spotted Discus was also theGrand Champion of all Discus, but the fish in2nd place in Red spotted was the most attrac-tive. 10-11.The Flower Horn craze is slowly be-ginning to subside again in Asia. Even so therewere crowds around these cichlid hybrids.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11


Clearly improvedperformance.

NOW WITH BIOMAXThe addition of BIOMAX has drastically expanded the biological filtration capacity of theAquaClear Power Filter. BIOMAX ceramic rings are made up of a complex pore systemthat allows bacteria to thrive. Each ring provides 100 square feet of surface area providingmore Biological power than a traditional cartridge.

FEATURING CYCLEGUARDBeneficial Bacteria are essential for the removal of Toxic Ammonia and Nitrite. Traditionalcartridge filters lose the beneficial bacteria when you change them. AquaClear’s multistage filtration system is different! Only one of the three inserts is changed at a time. Thisensures that significant beneficial bacteria remain. There is never a sudden depletionof bacteria so biological filtration remains at highly effective levels…Thus, the Cycle-Guard System.

A NEW LOOK FROM AN OLD FRIEND! Look for the improved AquaClear Power Filters on your favorite storesshelves. AquaClear’s bold new look makes it easier to shop for. Sim-ple sizing indicators are prominent on all relevant accessories and Fil-ter Inserts. Look for the new look today!

Simple color coded sizingindicators are prominent

on all relevant accessories and Filter Inserts to make

shopping simple.

Now with BIOMAX

®


Nutrafin Max Plus is aunique 3 in 1 fish food thatcontains a combination offreeze dried bits, flakesand multi-vitamins. Onlythe highest quality ingredients are declaredspecial enough to becalled "PLUS."

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed!

Nutrafin Max Plus

• Brine Shrimp Flakesplus bits offreeze dried brine shrimp

• Mysis Flakesplus bits offreeze dried mysis

• Earthworm Flakesplus bits offreeze dried tubifex worms


nutrafin nr.4-usa 22-03-2004 10:29 pagina 1 z 2,50 … nr.4-usa 22-03-2004 10:29 pagina 1 sun-glo...

Documents