Submerged Blog

An introductory glimpse into my aquarium hobby. You'll see a small selection of inhabitants from the former fishroom which had been setup for 4 years and supported 19 aquariums.

The foundation of most ecosystems begins with the surface sediments, or benthic layer, and its curators that may include shrimp, snails, worms and crayfish. They all can help balance an aquarium from the ground up.

Freshwater ornamental shrimp are wonderful curators in the aquarium and in nature itself. They integrate well into nano community tanks with small fish and snails, but prefer tepid temperatures opposed to warm water. They thrive when fed a dedicated shrimp diet, and also are valuable algae eaters that will not harm plants.

It is greatly satisfying to observe fish breeding and reproducing in the aquarium. Livebearers give birth to fewer but larger offspring that are relatively independent compared to fry from egglayers. This makes for an effective reproductive strategy to avoid predation, and mature quickly in order to colonize their aquatic environment.

Witnessing the breeding behaviours of freshwater fish in the aquarium is fascinating. Fish such as bristlenose (Ancistrus) catfish, ricefish (Oryzias latipes), and dwarf cichilds from both West Africa (Anomalochromis thomasi) and South America (Inca Stone fish and Apistogramma), are featured as parents and fry. Successfully breeding aquarium fish contributes to the sustainable future of the hobby. Don't forget to feed live foods!