Keeping Pacus in the Home Aquarium

A Complete Guide to Keeping Piaractus brachypomus

by Mike McEwan

Introduction

When you think of a "tank buster", what do you think of? Redtailed Catfish, Arowanas, Oscars? Maybe, but one of the most commonly kept large fish in home aquariums is another Amazonian Giant, the Red-Bellied Pacu. We all know Pacus as those cute, almost dopey looking giants that eat everything in sight an... [Read More]

Keeping The Foxfaced Rabbitfish

How To Care For These Ocean Favorites

by Mark Witmer

I commonly get asked the question "What is the hardiest Tang for the saltwater aquarium?" My answer is always, "The Foxfaced Rabbitfish." Rabbitfish, like Moorish Idols, are surprising very closely related to the Tang / Surgeonfish family. The Foxfaced Rabbitfish is one of the best inhabitants for a reef tank.

Rabbitfish are from the family Siganidae. There are e... [Read More]

A Look At Seahorses

Understanding One Of The Ocean's Most Interesting Creatures

by Jim McNulty

Somebody Salt Me
February 2000 newsletter - The Tropical Fish Society of R.I.

Hey Fishheads,

This month we will take a guided tour through the aquarium aqua-stable to have a look at one of the seas most interesting creatures, the sea-horse. Sea horses are proberbly better known to the general public than most marine fish. It's odd shape, prehensile... [Read More]

Understanding Anemones

A Comprehensive Look At Ocean Anemones

by Jim McNulty

Somebody Salt Me
July 1999 newsletter - The Tropical Fish Society of R.I.

Hey Fishheads,

Welcome to the July installment of Sombody Salt Me! This month, I thought we would take a look at Anemones. Just what is an Anemone? Most people associate them with corals or think that they are plants. This is not so. Actually, they are more closely related to the Jellyfishe... [Read More]

Propagating Corals

How Jim McNulty Propagated His Genera Corgonian Coral

by Jim McNulty

Somebody Salt Me
June 1999 newsletter - The Tropical Fish Society of R.I.

Hey Fish heads,

I thought that this month I would devote my column to one of the other projects that I do for the club. Library night to be specific. The third Saturday of each month, a few of us get together for open discussion on anything that is fish related. We began this pra... [Read More]

Breeding Laetacara sp. buckelkopf

How To Spawn Humphead Dwarf Cichlids

by Stan Jamrog and Audrey Leibl

Recently we had the opportunity to acquire some nice specimens of this species, and hearing that they were fairly rare in the aquarium hobby, we decided to try our hand at breeding them. Laetacara buckelkopf is a dwarf Cichlid from the Amazon basin, loving soft, slightly acidic waters. It is an unassuming fish as an adolescent, sharing the... [Read More]

Fish Stress

Keeping Your Fishes Happy And Stress-Free

by Mike McEwan

Most fish can tolerate environmental conditions that differ somewhat from the natural conditions in which they evolved. This does not mean, however, that they will be as healthy or live their full normal life span. For example, keeping a fish in water that is cooler (or warmer) than its preferred condition forces its body organs to work harder to keep it alive. That is, such condi... [Read More]

The Tank Buster Aquarium

The Joy Of Keeping Large And Destructive Fish

by Mike McEwan

"Tank Busters" (or Tankbusters) is a term in the aquarium hobby that refers to a different type of fish. That is, a type of fish that is generally too large for the all but the largest of home aquariums. Tank Busters are loved for the attention that they get, and the sheer appeal of owning a fish as large as some cats and dogs. [Read More]