Aquatic News
Guppies
Issue #2 - 2002
Issue #2
NUTRAFIN Nr.2/US 23-10-2003 13:13 Pagina 2
NUTRAFIN Nr.2/US 23-10-2003 13:13 Pagina 3
Editorial Editorial
Dear Reader outcome: for the first time it
I do hope you enjoyed the was stated publicly that
first issue of planet Earth has lost more
NUTRAFIN Aquatic News. than 75% of its original
And now here is the second primary forests...
issue, which contains just as something I have been saying
much information. for decades. I only wish more
Our highlight this time is an- of the media would take notice.
other of the most popular Like the advert sponsored by
aquarium fishes around the FoEI President Brent Blackwa-
globe, the guppy. These ter on Earth Day, April 22,
colourful swimming tapes- with a full-page in USA Today,
tries have a very interesting showing a For Sale sign
story behind them, which you posted on the Earth, accusing
will not want to miss (p. 4). governments of selling the
Another, very fascinating tale environment to corporate inter-
involves Echinodorus, plants Photo: Heiko Bleher (NAN editor) with new cichlid species ests that pollute and abuse our
which do not deserve their collected recently in a remote southern Amazon area. Here the air, water, and land, for profit.
common name of Amazon rain forest is still untouched...but for how long? It is a vicious circle, that is for
sword as they do not live in sure. We are living in a time
Contents
the Amazon river (p.6). And, where our population is grow-
talking about the Amazon, the ing as never before in the his-
original source of most of our tory of Man (even though some
aquarium fishes and plants people would have us think
(although today most are from Fishes in nature and in the aquarium 4 otherwise). And it is perfectly
captive-bred stocks), I cannot reasonable for everyone to
The history of the guppy
keep an incredible fact to want to live, have a job, take
myself. The Sixth Conference care of his or her family. But it
on Biodiversity was recently Aquatic plants in nature 6 is this uncontrolled growth,
held in The Hague, Nether- and in the aquarium and the accompanying pollu-
lands, where representatives of Amazon sword plants tion and destruction of aquatic
182 countries tried to devise a habitats - in so-called third
plan to protect the last prima- world countries - that is
ry forests. A plan of action was Aquarium technology 8 causing the creatures we love
adopted and Friends of the Plant System to disappear. Everytime I re-
Earth International (FoEI) has turn to places in the Amazon,
stated ...it could be a major The aquarium hobby on the Internet 8 or elsewhere - particularly in
step forward. But it wasnt! tropical areas - it is worse.
Brazil, Canada, Malaysia and Rivers and lakes have vanished
other countries blocked any
Do-it-yourself 9 completely or are used for
attempts to include clear Lighting for marine aquaria garbage disposal. Especially
targets. And at the end of the the smaller streams, which
two week convention, the di- New practical products 10 bear the highest concentration
rector of the environment pro- New Cycle, New Canopies, of biodiversity - and which are,
gram of the United Nations, New Foods, Plant Food or were, the source of most
Klaus Tpfer of Germany, said aquarium fishes and plants.
... I had expected more.... That is why I say:
Uncontrolled deforestation and New in the trade 11 Let us make the most
the introduction of exotic Fishes and plants beautiful hobby even more
species (the second most dam- beautiful... and help to keep a
aging cause of the extinction of Biotope aquaria 12 piece of nature alive!
countless aquatic life forms For guppies
that we love), will continue. Yours aquatically,
I can see only one positive Heiko Bleher
Aquarium history 13
Part 2: Fishkeeping to the end of
NUTRAFIN Aquatic News
the Middle Ages Scientific adviser: Dr. Jacques Gry
Publisher: Aquapress Lithos: Fotlito 73, Borghetto Lod. (LO), Italy
Layout: Rossella Bulla & Heiko Bleher
Editor-in-Chief: Heiko Bleher
Editorial address: Nutrafin Aquatic News Nutrafin news 14 Copy editor: Heiko Bleher
Printer: S.A.T.E s.r.l., Italy
Via G. Falcone 11, Zierfische und Aquarium - Nutrafin at Photos: Aquapress archives
27010 Miradolo Terme (Pavia), Italy unless otherwise stated
aquapress@pmp.it - www. Hagen.com Germanys biggest aquarium exhibition NAN is printed on paper produced using
Tel. +390382 754707 - Fax +390382 754129 chlorine-free bleach
Do it Yourself: Lighting
How to Evaluate and Select Lighting ronment, penetrates to depths of hundreds have a ratio of 2 to 4 watts per gallon. A de-
Needs for Marine Aquaria of feet. Red light is almost totally absorbed duction of 15% to 20% of the rated tank
Marine aquaria, which are intended for the by water within the first 16 feet. Sunlight volume is permissible to allow for water
keeping of photosynthetic corals and inver- present over tropical reefs is extremely in- displacement due to live rock formations.
tebrates, require serious consideration and tense (high lux values). In comparison to Reef systems containing species of hard
understanding when the issue of lighting is calm waters, waves and turbulent condi- corals need a minimum of 4 watts of light
addressed. Quality, intense, full-spectrum tions can reduce light penetration due to re- per gallon. It is often impossible to deter-
lighting is essential. This can be achieved flection. mine the origin (which ocean, the depth
by combining multiple Hagen Fluorescent and surroundings) of a coral or an inverte-
Glo Bulbs. brate. Even hard corals, requiring more in-
The chlorophylls found in various algae, tense lighting, have been found in lower
invertebrates, and corals require exposure light conditions. Knowing a coral or inver-
to specific wavelengths of light for proper tebrates origin would allow simulating
function. These chlorophylls are essential lighting requirements more accurately,
for the basic survival and growth of many however, only general guidelines can be
species of coral, invertebrates, and algae followed. If a coral is not responding in its
commonly kept in marine aquaria. In gen- How Much Light Does My present location, it is recommended to
eral, it is the blue spectrum that is impor- Aquarium Require? place it in a different area of the aquarium
tant for various chlorophylls to function. The quantity of light required for marine where the lighting conditions and water
Light wavelength absorption by water is aquaria will vary depending on the life movement may be more suitable.
another critical factor for marine aquarium forms kept. In fish-only setups, 2 watts per For How to Maximise the Efficiency of
lighting. Blue light, which represents the US gallon is sufficient. Reef-type systems Fluorescent Lighting and for useful Light-
dominant wavelength in the aquatic envi- containing primarily soft corals should ing Tips please refer to NAN #1.
Marine Fish
Aquaria
- Bright Cool Light
- Higher Blue Spectrum
- Red Spectrum for Certain Fish
(Red, Yellow, Orange)
- High Color Temperature
Not all marine aquaria contain corals
and can include a mixture of other in-
vertebrates and fish. In the case of
fish only, the aesthetic aspect of light-
ing requires a combination of 2 bulbs
to accentuate the variety of pigments
found in many commonly kept marine
fish.
2 watts per US gallon is adequate for
this type of aquarium. 2-3 watts of
light per gallon of water are required
for proper fish presentation and
good plant growth.
The story continues....... there as early as the 4th century BC. It is tion of ornamental fishes in Europe. The
It is difficult to say whether it was the known for certain that Huan Chung (328- first book on nature, including fishes, by
Sumerians, Assyrians, Chinese, or Romans 384), who lived at the time of the Chin Dy- the German Konrad von Megenberg (1309-
(see NAN #1) who first kept fishes in con- nasty, saw wild fishes (Carassius auratus 1378) appeared in 1478, and was the most
tainers or ponds (before glass - and hence the ancestral form of the goldfish) with red important work on the subject during the
aquaria - existed) for decoration, display, or scales in a lake on Mount Lu. We know that Middle Ages. The Swiss Conrad Gesner
other purposes. But we do know that in at the time of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) (1515-1565) who sadly died prematurely
China, as long ago as about 2000 BC, carp every high official wore a goldfish badge. of the plague published four volumes
eggs were artificially incubated and silk- And that the first undisputed evidence of with more than 4500 pages in the period
worms were used to rear the young. This is maintenance (and therefore breeding) of 155458. In that on fishes we can read
detailed in a book by Fan Lai dating from goldfish in captivity occured during the about the carp (Cyprinus carpio). The
475 BC. Lai wrote that silkworm culture Sung Dynasty (960-1127). In the Poem on pages of detailed description state Carp
began in 2698 BC and that right from the the Pagoda of the Six Harmonies, written are useful fishes that are kept in ponds and
start the faeces and pupae of the silkworms around 1030, the author recalls standing on ditches by some of the populace in various
were an important fish food. For this reason a pine bridge and waiting for the golden villages; they are used for food and also
the fish ponds were located below the silk- Chi (goldfish). The pagoda was built near bred for sale, which brings in large
worm colonies. These records may be the Hangchow in 971 and repeatedly restored amounts of money. So carp were already
proof that the Chinese were the first to cul- thereafter. But whether golden Chi still being kept.
ture fish. At the same time (1554) another
Even so, we must not forget the book appeared, by the famous
Greeks. No less a personage than Guillaume Rondolet, Professor of
Aristotle (384-322 BC) mentioned Medicine at the University of
fishes in his works of On Nature Montpellier. In it he wrote of how
and described 116 species. Inter his wife had kept a fish alive for
alia he tells of the marine electric three years in a glass. (Was this
ray Torpedo marmorata, feared on the first aquarium?) Unfortunate-
account of its 50 volt electric dis- ly the Frenchman did not say
charge. But it was also kept in what sort of fish it was certain-
ponds as that discharge could be ly not a goldfish.
used to treat migraine. Aristotle, Meanwhile in the Far East the
who published thousands of pages culture of the first ornamental
more than 2,500 have survived fishes was well under way, and
the ravages of time dedicated by 1547 a permanent fixture
over one third of his work to na- among the high-ranking popu-
ture. Interestingly he mentions lace. Nobles and mandarins kept
therein that there had been a suc- these pieces of gold in splendid
cession of Greek thinkers (known sometimes fabulous - bowls of
as the Ionians) interested in nature precious jade. The man-in-the-
some 300 years before his own street kept them in earthenware
time, and cites as the first Thales, Above: A bowl from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) with goldfishes. tubs, vats, and bowls. These con-
who stated (about 600 BC) Below right: The fish, Yu, was the basis of one of the earliest Chinese characters, tainers were very popular as gold-
...that everything began with dating from the 11-13th centuries BC. During the Han period (202 BC - 220 AD) fish would even breed in them.
water, and everything may be these characters were refined into graphic symbols, with more than 49,000 signs Perhaps the first author to write
composed of water today! Now, that continue in use today. extensively on these jewels and
our fishes definitely originated in water swim there....... who knows? breeding them was Chang Chien (1577-
just as all other life forms trace their origin It was probably Governor Ting Yen-tsan 1643), and his work was undoubtedly the
to that element. And Thales realised this who established the first ornamental fish first ever book on ornamental fish.
some 2,500 years before Darwin... In addi- pond for cultivated forms of goldfish in Towards the end of the Ming Dynasty
tion, Aristotle was very far-sighted and also Kiahsing, and subsequently in Hangchow (1644) every Chinese household had a
wrote ...just as the eyesight of the night and Nanping. At this time golden Chi were small (or large) goldfish basin. This was the
owl fades at sunrise, thus our understand- held in high regard in China, but keeping centrepiece of the dwelling and brought
ing of nature is increasingly fading... it and cultivating these divine creatures was people much pleasure, acting as a source of
was ever thus and today is much worse than reserved for the priests. Not until 1163 interest and entertainment. The goldfish
ever. During the 20th century alone more were private citizens allowed to keep these had risen to the status of the absolute dar-
than 75% of the Earths primary forest was revered fishes. Even so, there were still no ling of the Chinese people, and already the
destroyed, and millions of aquatic life aquaria. first cultivated forms were appearing, such
forms perished along with the trees! What It should be noted that in Europe the first as the bubble-eye, the celestial, and the
would Aristotle say about that if he was long-distance transportation of fishes took twin-tailed lionhead.
alive today? Perhaps, ...the eyesight of the place in the 6th century AD. Cassiodorus But we will tell you about that, and the
surviving owls still fades at sunrise, but we (490-585) wrote how live carp were sent first glass aquarium to appear on the world
have become totally blind to nature.... from the Danube to Ravenna in Italy. Live, scene, in the next issue of NAN. Until
And the more so following the 2002 Earth because everything had to be absolutely then...
Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. fresh for the table of Theodoric, King of
yu (Fish)
But back to China. There are reports that the Goths. But it was to be almost a
red-coloured goldfish were being bred thousand years before there was any men-
Nutrafin news
Nutrafin presents world exactly as he had seen them time and again 1
in nature, that is, in the environment where
first - Heiko Blehers they live and thrive.
In the 9 specially manufactured aquaria -
biotope stand at the 2 of about 625 gallons, 6 of 140 gallons,
Zierfische & Aquarium and a small one he portrayed specific
habitats from 4 continents. One of the large
2001, Germans largest tanks simulated a section of the lower Rio
exhibition Juru where large stingrays (Potamotrygon
spp.) live together with giant arowanas
Once again Nobert Zajac, the organizer, (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) and huge red-
enthusiastically plied his art in Duisburg at tailed catfishes (Phractocephalus hemio-
the fifth Zierfische & Aquarium exhibi- liopterus) fishes that require tank of this
tion, by now a German institution size, with plenty of sand and a few large
renowned worldwide. More than 100 plants. The second large aquarium was al-
exhibitors from 6 nations displaying the so an authentic replica of an underwater
most beautiful aquaria and other exhibits habitat, in this case in the Lago Nhamund
in the approximately 64,500 square feet of (also in Brazil - see below). There were
the Kraftzentralenhalle (an industrial mon- also biotopes from New Guinea a crater
ument) an unsurpassable show. With lake and a karst spring; a section of the San
Nutrafin literally at the forefront just Antonio River in Texas; the Itnez (known
inside the entrance. as the Guapor in Brazil) at Vila Bela, the
Thanks to the support of the Hagen com- river with the greatest wealth of aquatic 2
pany, Heiko Bleher had planned something plants; an Assam biotope (India); and a
unique as the main feature: a biotope dis- specialexhibit of two dwarf snakeheads
play such as the world had never seen be- livingto gether happily among the vegeta-
fore. A room some 24.5 x 21 feet and 8.75 tion (photo below).
feet high, with a single entrance, white on During the five days of the exhibition
the outside and pitch black inside, so that more than 54,000 people thronged the hall
the visitor would be entering another to marvel at the futuristic aquarium show.
world. The world of the aquatic biotope. It The biotope display was such a success that
was Blehers desire to present the fishes further stagings are planned, worldwide.
Photos 1-2): On the 3 outer walls of the biotope stand Nutrafin presented photos of the
inexorable destruction of aquatic habitats together with fish species that are extinct or
endangered in nature. 3) Visitors stormed the biotope stand. 4) The interior was black
and the aquaria lit from in front (as well as the Hagen lighting tubes above the tanks).
5) Dwarf snakeheads were exhibited in appropriate surroundings and 6) Discus as
they live in the Lago Nhamund all just as in nature.