Hey - do you like jewelry, handbound books, baskets or other neat gifts & plain old fun stuff?
Then take a moment to help feed our fish and check out our items on eBay
Just click on the image below. Thanks!
Please take a moment
to visit our
sponsors:
On this page you will find information on most of the swimming critters living in our aquariums. We've listed them all alphabetically by their common name. We should have images to go along with the text soon.
Cloud Mountain Minnow - Tanichthys albonubes
- Origin
- South China
- Habitat
- Streams of White Cloud mountain - prefers cold rapidly moving water
- Size
- About 1 1/2 inches full grown
- Temperature
- 62-70 F
- Feeding
- Omnivorous - ours enjoy flake food, and live blood worms.
- Breeding
- Egg layers - average spawn is around 300 eggs.
- Temperament
- Very mellow - likes to school
- Location / Number / Other comments
- 55g paludarium 12ish
Glass Catfish - Kryptopterus bicirrhus
- Origin
- Indo-China
- Habitat
- Prefers open areas and a dark tank bottom, some plant cover is also a good idea; Ours also enjoy swimming against the current provided by the powerhead.
- Size
- Possibly to 6 inches, but more commonly around 3 inches total when adult.
- Temperature
- 70-80 F
- Feeding
- Omnivorous - ours enjoy floating flake food, and live blood worms.
- Breeding
- Difficult - not a lot of information available.
- Temperament
- Very mellow - likes to be at least in pairs
- Location / Number / Other comments
- 55g paludarium 1 pair. These fish are very sensitive to tank conditions - it is important to maintain a very stable environment when keeping these fish.
Guppy - Poecilia reticulata
- Origin
- Central America to Brazil
- Habitat
- Rivers - prefer a gentle current.
- Size
- 2 - 2 1/2 inches.
- Temperature
- 64 - 82 F
- Feeding
- Omnivorous - ours enjoy flake food, algae wafers, and live blood worms.
- Breeding
- There's a reason their name used to be Millions Fish ...
- Temperament
- Very mellow - excellent community fish. Males will ruthlessly persue females from adolescence - can sometime be a problem.
- Location / Number / Other comments
- 55g paludarium - about 6 adults and lots of juveniles at any given time. Try to keep at least two females for every male. Their prolific breeding is an excellent way to turn boring flake food into a yummy live snack. I know, I know, this is an evil thing to say, but it is what happens.
Kuhli loach - Pangio kuhlii
- Origin
- Southeast Asia
- Habitat
- Dark tank bottom, needs lots of places to hide.
- Size
- 3-4 inches total length.
- Temperature
- 70 - 86 F
- Feeding
- Omnivorous - in the broadest sense of the word. Ours enjoy not only the staple diet of flake food, algae wafers, and live blood worms, but also scavenge for drowned crickets and other yummy tidbits.
- Breeding
- Egg layers - breeding is difficult at best.
- Temperament
- Mellow and reclusive.
- Location / Number / Other comments
- 55g paludarium - one mated pair. It is definately not true that once you buy these fish they will hide in the gravel and never come out again. As long as you provide adequate hiding places (rocks plat stems, etc.) they will be fairly active. Our are out and swimming around daily.
Ottos - Otocinclus
- Origin
- Southeasten Brazil - Amazon river basin.
- Habitat
- Densely vegetated streams.
- Size
- 1 - 2 inches.
- Temperature
- 70 - 80 F
- Feeding
- Herbivoroous - ours enjoy algae wafers on occasion, but much prefer to nibble on the plants in the tank. Will also eat treats of romaine lettuce which is an excellent source of vitamins for them..
- Breeding
- Egg layers. Not very easy in captivity.
- Temperament
- Very mellow - likes to be in schools of 6+
- Location / Number / Other comments
- 55g paludarium - about 6 adults. Pound for pound these guys beat plecos fins-down. They'll scour algae for hours and are really fun to watch schooling around and playing tag.
Pictus Cat - Pimelodus pictus
- Origin
- South America
- Habitat
- Larger rivers with lots of cover.
- Size
- To about 12 inches, but will adjust to tank size - ours seem to have topped out at just over 5 inches.
- Temperature
- 70 - 78 F
- Feeding
- Omnivorous - algae wafers, and live blood worms.
- Breeding
- Egg scatterers - not a lot of information available.
- Temperament
- Very shy - likes to have places to hide out - are much more active at night.
- Location / Number / Other comments
- 55g paludarium - 1 pair.
Neon Tetra - Paracheirodon innesi
- Origin
- South America
- Habitat
- Rivers
- Size
- To 1 1/2 inches
- Temperature
- 70 - 80 F
- Feeding
- Omnivorous - ours enjoy flake food, algae wafers, and live blood worms.
- Breeding
- Egg scatterers - almost all of these fish are now captive bred.
- Temperament
- Very mellow - likes to be in schools of 6+. Very durable and easy to keep - makes an excellent first fish.
- Location / Number / Other comments
- 55g paludarium - about 6..
We love to hear from others in the
hobby. If you have any comments, questions, funny
stories, or just want to say 'hi', just click on the icon
at the left to send us something.
Original content ©1998-99 Amy and Phillip Pittman.
Last updated 25 January, 1999