University of Fishblr

A beginner aquarist's journey to fish keeping and college life. R.I.P Ren

[thecooler]

BMO knows whats what

[homo-synthesis]

Thank you BMO

[despazito]

Why are people so obnoxious and entitled they need to find rare pretty fish instead of being satisfied with goldfish and bettas they are gorgeous and with the right tanks you can both make the whole space pretty and keep them living long healthy lives

i honestly have no clue

but i do feel there is some strange status symbol to owning rare fish compared to other exotics

[anabantoid]

Goldfish and bettas are largely unhealthy fish, anon, also you need a huge ass tank for goldfish and many are better suited in ponds. Goldfish are marketed as a simple or easy fish but they’re anything but.

Bettas are a genetic disaster, they have been bred into a number of colors, fin and scale types and there’s no record of what happens to them when one gene is flipped on and another is off. Dragon scale bettas are cancer factories, their thickened scales are just their cells not knowing when to shut off and they end up growing tumors which can kill them. Heavy finned bettas are unable to move. Bettas are hardwired to be fast moving ambush predators, and when you give them fins that make up 50% of their body mass you’re left with a fish who knows they are supposed to go fast but are unable to, so they are stressed, and stress leads the fish to have compromised health which leads to premature death.

Goldfish and bettas are terrible choices, instead of suggesting those as alternatives to rare and exotic fish, suggest tetras, rainbows, danios, rasboras, or live bearers like guppies, endlers, etc. A lot of the fish you see in chain stores are bred in fisheries because it’s cheaper for them vs getting wild caught fish, but even then not all wild caught fish are bad, as there are a number of programs that encourages sustainable catching. Local villages catch fish in a sustainable manner, sell them for the trade, and earn income they otherwise would not have. Cardinal tetras are caught this way, and the income the villagers earn from this prevents them from having to cut down and burn forest to create cropland in order to earn a living.

[aquatictimes]

Frankly, I’m in to ‘rare’ fish not because they’re rare or exclusive, but because I feel there’s a huge amount of aquatic diversity that we don’t often see in everyday fish life. I get so excited when I come across something I’ve never seen before. Beyond that excitement and the desire to see them in the flesh, I don’t put any thought into the reasons for my interest in them.

I still love the ‘common’ guys, as well - I adore danios and tetras, paradisefish and cherry shrimp - literally anything you can find in water is interesting to me. Personally, I don’t keep goldfish because I know how delicate they are and, sweet little puppies though they might be, the bizarre traits we’ve bred into them both worry me and turn me off. Not their fault, but I know they’d break my heart. I’ve kept bettas, and loved them enormously, but as has been said, they suffer from many of the same problems that goldfish do with regards to genetic weaknesses. More broken hearts all round.

I wouldn’t even say that price comes into it all that much (unless we’re talking about super rare, sensitive or enormous species). The price of a betta can range from $4 to $40, and some go for hundreds if the shape or colour is especially unusual. While I haven’t looked into it, I imagine that goldfish are similar. By the same token, many of the more unusual species (though I certainly wouldn’t call them rare) I keep are very reasonably priced: Norman’s lampeyes at £2, Pseudomugil furcatus at £4, Oryzias woworae at £3, Peacock gudgeons at £6, etc. All of these animals can be kept in 10g, whereas goldies need considerably more (I think it’s around 40g for fancies?). So the cost of the fish doesn’t necessarily equate to its ‘rarity’, nor does it’s rarity necessarily equate to the cost of its care. While this hobby is automatically expensive, it doesn’t need to be exclusive. 

Provided we care for our fish as best we can and do our bit to ensure that we’re responsible keepers when sourcing, I’m not sure that it matters which fish we keep - whether they’re something you can buy for $1 at the lfs or $30 online. I certainly don’t think anyone should approach fish keeping with any kind of entitlement. 

[universityoffishblr]

Velvet. Wally has velvet. I'm not confident that I'll be able to get him healthy again but I'm gonna do everything I can to try and treat him. I've been super busy with school and now work and I'm supposed to be studying for a biology test tomorrow and then this happened. If anyone has any tips please please please let me know. Thank you.

[orpheusmorpheous]

[madeinchernobyl]

I’m adding to this because y’all gonna learn some shit about housing your pets.

Someone make more I love this new meme.

[dellvanity]

I know that huge homes are great for pets but also did it fucking occur to you that some people don’t have the room or money for those?

[orpheusmorpheous]

hey, guess what. those are all minimum requirements. actually, the person who added onto my post even made the bird cage still TOO small for those birds.

and if you dont have the money or the space for those pets, don’t fucking get the pet.

[loachtastic]

new to fishblr

Hey ya’ll, I’m Alex, and like the title says, I’m new to fishblr/bettablr/petblr etc. Some brief info: I have 3 tanks, a 5 gal quarantine tank (currently housing 4 juvenile black kuhli loaches), 20 gal community tank (1 betta, 6 danios, 3 striped kuhli loaches, 3 amano shrimp, a lot of MTS), and a 35 gallon bow front (not currently stocked, probably gonna have loaches, and maybe a centerpiece fish)

I’ve been keeping fish since I was about 12 (although not correctly unfortunately, I made a lot of mistakes when I was younger). I had to stop for a while, but this year I’ve gotten back into it.

I’d like to follow more people in the community! 

If you post anything about: 

- Aquariums

- Planted Aquariums

- Good/proper pet husbandry 

- Anything about your pets (can be fish/reptiles/birds/cats/dogs/rodents/etc) 

- General bio/educational posts (I majored in marine bio in college before I had to drop out)

- Are not homo/transphobic, racist, antisemitic 

- Are a nice person

I’ll take a look at your blog! If I do follow, it will be from my main blog (50shadesofthanekrios) but I reblog all fishy stuff to this blog. Thank you!

[universityoffishblr]

Surprise! I got a female betta! Her name is Eva, since I named Wally after the robot, I figured I'd name her from that too. I got her yesterday and she just got over her stress stripes. She has a 10 gallon all to herself. I might get one more plant to cover the cheesy diy filter I made and maybe put sewing mesh over the top of the jar because the bubbles cause a lot of surface current. Sorry I haven't really updated anything. I've been working and school started back today so. Also my 29 is having a bad algae problem I think? I think I need a better light too...any suggestions on a good light for a 29 gallon? I don't think my plants are getting enough light. I'm getting one more betta for my other 10 gallon I have. I'm gonna order a different heater though because the one I have for it only keeps it about 75 F.

[bettabbys]

I thought bettas were good in 5 gallon tanks?

They are but I think mostly for long-finned, old, or blind bettas since they’re usually not such great swimmers. Plakats and females (shorter fins) are stronger swimmers and would do better in a 10g

[flicker-betta]

Not that I disagree, (becasue I dont), but I think 2.5 is better for bettas with swimming issues. 5 gallons is good for females and short finned males, or even long finned males. One of my boys is happier in a 2.5 because he gets easily stressed in a 5. One of my girls is in a 2.5 becasuse shes getting a tumor and Im keeping a very close eye on her swimming. Anyway, my point is that 4 of my 6 fish are in 5 gallons and they all love it!

[bettabbys]

Oh yeah definitely. Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like having females and plakats in a 5g is wrong! 2.5 is the minimum for any fish, I just like to give them double the space if I can, but I know not everyone is able to and that’s fine! Imo the minimum for most short finned bettas would be 5g, it’s definitely not bad for them, but I think a 10g+ is ideal! But bettas are all unique and some do better in smaller :)

[universityoffishblr]

Tank update: I upgraded my tank finally. All the fish are super excited about it, the barbs are in the 10 gallon because they have the wonderful thing called parasites. They're Camallanus worms and it's really weird because they've had them for awhile (the medicine I had got didn't work) and are still ok? They're eating and everything. So there's this medicine I'm gonna get and treat them so they'll drop the parasites. Buuut the barbs *will* go into the 29 along with 2 other ones or maybe three to make a full school. I'm also getting 2 other SAE's (yes I know the 29 is too small for a school of them which is why I'm only getting two since I think 10 gallons per SAE is ok) I'm gonna try at some point to get them a bigger tank and stuff but I may end up getting kicked out of my house so I hope I'll be able to get my tanks and fish. I've also been exhausted from work but I was off yesterday and took the whole day to upgrade. But I have an Instagram now that you can go see my fish on. It's the same as my tumblr (universityoffishblr) and my profile picture are rainbow fishes. Can you guess what I'm gonna put in my two 10 gallons? (One is cycling currently)

[aquariumsinadorm]

400 follower art give away!!!

I’m so close to 400 followers!! To celebrate and tell my followers thank you I’m doing a fishblr/bettablr art give away!! I’ll draw your fish for free!! Usually a commission like this from me would be $10.

To enter: -follow me -reblog -like Each thing you do will count as an entry So if you do all three you will have 3 entry’s!!

I will announce the winner next week if I get 400 followers.

Again thank you so much!!!

[universityoffishblr]

Me: *looks at empty space in room*

Me:

Me: I could put a fish tank there

[bettaffection]

This pretty boy is Bailey for @betta-resplendent

[fooshfish]

Cleanin the tank and spillin some water

[fooshfish]

I’m glad that spilling the entire bucket of water on the floor is relatable

[finsscalestails-deactivated2019]

I do it so often… I need a dollar for every time I’ve dropped a full bucket of water or accidentally syphon it directly onto the floor….

[ddwfr]

There’s nothing like getting on your hands and knees and furiously sliding a towel across the floor before your mother comes in and asks you why you’ve installed a fucking swimming pool in the kitchen

[bettabbys]

I swear I’m destroying my carpet :’(

[artesoterica]

Fishblr Commissions!

A lot of my art centers around fish, its my own little niche to concentrate on. You can request something other than water-based things of course, but I was told that fishblr’s a pretty big part of tumblr (give your fish a self-portrait, maybe?)

I work traditionally, which means you get to have both a physical copy and a digital scan of your commission!

Varying depending on the amount of detail, size, etc, here’s some estimates:

Sketch with grey shading: $2-4

Colored Subject: $5-9

Colored Subject+simple background: $12-20

Contact me through tumblr messaging if you’re interested. You can see more examples through the “my art” or “portfolio” tag. If you live outside of U.S.A, only digital scan is available at the time.

Even if you’re not interested, please reblog this! I’m a small blog and I’d like to get the word out there!

[aquariumsinadorm]

Hey fishblr!

I’m wanting to build a tank. I know where I can get the supplies. Do you have any advice for me? I’ve never built a tank before and I’m using Joey’s/King of DIY’s method to build a glass tank.

[narelleart]

Why I dislike AqAdvisor.

I’ve seen AqAdvisor gaining traction again and I am really not a fan. It has a lot of flaws, so much so that I don’t at all recommend bothering with it. I think it’s too easy for it to mislead you. Really, I’m sugar coating it. I think it’s a nice idea, but the calculator just doesn’t actually apply to real life tanks, so to me its pretty much worthless. I cannot stand how much positive attention this thing gets when it can so often be very VERY wrong.

Just check this out:

I trimmed it down to the important bits, but this is me just playing around real quick to see how ridiculous I can get this. I would hope you can all look at it and immediately see the things wrong with this imaginary tank without my help, but just in case I picked some fish you’re unfamiliar with I’ll break it down.

So first off, I started out with a 180g tank (the favorite of “monster” fish keepers that like to keep their fish in undersized tanks - I guess 180g just feels really big or something), with 200g filter capacity. I overshot the filter because one of AqAdvisor’s biggest flaws is that everything revolves around filtration capacity - it seems to run on the premise that overfiltering effectively creates a larger usable volume. I’m sure I could get really ridiculous and make a tiny tank with massive filtration capacity, and REALLY see how far I can push it. Maybe I’ll do that next.

Then I started tossing in a horrible mix of incompatible fishes, to see what it would let me get away with. Let’s look at those: 1 x “Lima Shovelnose Catfish”, Sorubim lima - A 19.9″ SL fish that really ought to have a tank no smaller than 500g based on size alone. Aqadvisor thinks it’s acceptable to house a fish in an tank closer to 3 times its length. I have so many complaints with this, but I’ll move on. 5 x “Neon Tetra”, Paracheirodon innesi - A schooling fish naturally found in massive groups, that really ought to be 12+. Aqadvisor let me put a minimum of 5. Oh hey also, check that out. S. lima is a huge predatory catfish, but AqAdvisor isn’t concerned about these little guys getting eaten. 1 x “Guppy”, Poecilia reticulata - These are social, shoaling fish that should not be housed singly. But AqAdvisor thinks a solo guppy is okay, and doesn’t think S. lima is going to eat this lonely little fish either. Also hardwater to brackish? But supposedly they’re compatible with all these soft water fishes. 1 x Royal Pleco, Panaque nigrolineatus - This is no small fish either, maxing out at 13.4″ SL. But AqAdvisor is only concerned about the availability of wood for this fish. This fish does actually fit in this tank size (bare minimum based on size, without waste or activity taken into account), and the tank being overfiltered is good for it being a pleco. I mostly tossed this one in here to see if a waste producing machine would make a measurable impact on water quality values. (Hint: It didn’t.) 5 x Denisoni Barb, Puntius (Sahyadria) denisonii - Tossed them in for fun. 5 is apparently an acceptable shoal size. Another group to fill space. They are river fish though. (See WCMMs below.) 5 x “Galaxy Rasbora”, Danio margaritatus - See my notes on neons, except wow true nano, still supposedly not S. lima food. Maybe AqAdvisor just thinks these fish are too small for the cat to notice or care? (Not accurate.) 5 x “White Cloud Mountain Minnow”, Tanichthys albonubes - Same notes as above small schooling fish, but I’m skeptical about how well their water needs match these other fish. These are clear water, basically hillstream fish that like it cool. The others are tropical, and I know off the top of my head that Neon Tetras are blackwater fish. But AqAdvisor is fine with them living together. 1 x Licorice Gourami, Parosphromenus dessineri - Hang on, hang on, REALLY? Monster cats in little tanks is a special sore spot for me, but I think this upsets me the most. I can have a solo rare fish from a disappearing habitat that needs to be preserved by the hobby, in this mess of a tank? A blackwater specialist that belongs in a breeding project? And oh hey, snack sized for S. lima. But nope, AqAdvisor has no qualms with this. 1 x Zebra Oto, Otocinclus cocama - Did a zebra just for fun. But hey, ALL otos are shoaling fish that require large social groups and established tanks. I’m hesitant to even suggest that 6 is a sufficient minimum - they’d do best if you shoot for more. Aqadvisor let me keep one solo, maybe they thought it was intentionally in there as another snack for the S. lima. (Either way, it will be.) 1x Dwarf Cory, Corydoras hastatus - Also a shoaling fish that needs a group, which AqAdvisor somehow seems completely unaware of. Also will be S. lima food. 1 x African Butterfly Cichlid, Anomalochromis thomasi - Okay, I was trying to last minute tack on the African Butterfly Fish and grabbed this guy by mistake. I know nothing of cichlids. I’m sure there’s something wrong with him being here too, who knows. (For those curious, if I had added the ABF it wouldn’t have told me anything about it eating my nanofish - it just warned me that they jump. Thanks AqAdvisor.)

Take a look at the temperature range. These fish can only be housed together in a way that some of them don’t end up in inhospitable conditions if they are maintained at this one precise temperature. (That means they’re incompatible!) That pH range is a bit narrow too.

And the only note is the concern about providing the pleco wood. At least they don’t want the kiddo (a xylivore) to starve. But for those unfamiliar, AqAdvisor DOES let you know about incompatibility issues right here in this note section if the species has had anything programmed in about it. It doesn’t think these fish are incompatible at all.

AND IT SAYS I’M STILL OVERFILTERING, ONLY NEED TO CHANGE 18% PER WEEK, AND AM ONLY 66% STOCKED! The Panaque alone could be a fully stocked tank. The Sorubim is an overstocked tank. This is ridiculous. This is unacceptable.

This is why you don’t use AqAdvisor.

(Anyone else feel free to see what other horrible stocking it lets you get away with and add them on!)

[bufomancer]

All About Bettas: The Pugnax Complex

What betta way for me to get back into the all about bettas series than to finally tackle the largest complex of betta? Comprised of a whopping 15 species, this complex of mouthbrooders contains a mix of rare species and common aquarium fish. Lets dig in!

Betta apollon Named after the greek god of the sun, music, poetry, and other things, this is one betta you are unlikely to see in captivity anytime soon as it was only recently described. It is reportedly found in hillstreams shaded by forest. This is a clearwater species of betta, though they still prefer slightly acidic water of around 6.2 pH. IMG SRC

Betta breviobesus This species name is quite a mouthful for such an uncommon fish. It can be occasionally found in captivity, a group being ideal for a 30 gallon aquarium. It is supposedly a tolerant fish, doing well in most water conditions and temperatures in the 70s Fahrenheit. IMG SRC

Betta cracens This species has both been found in sluggish forest swamps and clear, quick streams. A pH of 5.5-6.5 is ideal. They are 55 to 60 millimeters in length and may on occasion be available in captivity. IMG SRC

Betta enisae At long last we reach a species that does have a presence in the captive aquarist community. They live in streams and pools with dense vegetation, cool water, and plenty of shade and tannins. 60-75 Fahrenheit is frequently considered the ideal temperature range for this fish, making it a good choice for aquarists who prefer not to heat their tanks. IMG SRC

Betta ferox The scientific name for the Ikan betta is latin for wild, bold, or courageous, and indeed this betta has been described as all of the above. Found in water in the low to mid 70s with a slow but noticeable current, this species light color stands out in a clearwater aquarium. IMG SRC

Betta fusca This is the dusky betta, and images should easily tell you why it gained that moniker. Very little can be found about this species, but it hails from Sumatra and Indonesia. IMG SRC

Betta kuehnei This handsome, mid to upper 70s fish prefers clearwater streams to the blackwater environment of the better known wild species. They are an easy to keep species, liking a pH around neutral, though care must be taken while feeding this species, as it is reportedly prone to obesity. IMG SRC

Betta lei This species is very similar to the B. kuehnei described above, though the caudal fin is more pointed and they prefer a more acidic pH of 4-7. Clearwater also seems to be their preference when it comes to water type. IMG SRC

Betta pallida Now this is a small betta! It rarely exceeds 30-40 millimeters in length, making it quite diminutive compared to its larger cousins. A slow moving, 70-80 degree creek with slight staining from tannins makes an ideal habitat for this little betta. IMG SRC

Betta prima This fish seems to like it all: sluggish, swift, clearwater, tannin stained, you name it and this fish will tolerate it. This fascinating species sexually matures at just over 20 millimeters, half its full grown size. IMG SRC

Betta pungax And now the betta this complex is named for! This beta’s name may mean ‘combative’ but it is well suited to being kept in groups or pairs. Populations exist in both hillstream and stillwater environments! It is a large fish at 60-70 millimeters. IMG SRC

Betta pulchra Unlike many other members of this complex, the B. pulchra is restricted to blackwater in areas of former peat swamp, disturbed by pineapple and rubber plantations. They can tolerate a pH as low as 3.5 or as high as 6.5, but ideally should be kept somewhere in the middle. IMG SRC

Betta raja I must confess that this is one of my favorite of the betta species. Something about the shape and coloration captivates me. It is found in lowland forest swamps with both clear and blackwater, and it is a gorgeous addition to either type of aquarium setup. IMG SRC

Betta schalleri Very little is known about this species, so far only found in Banka, Indonesia. Peat forest and hillstream appear to be equally hospitable to it. It is not presently found in the aquarium trade and has not been evaluated by the IUCN. IMG SRC

Betta stigmosa Readers, the end of this long post is drawing near! This is the last member of the largest betta complex. Intriguingly, B. stigmosa is exclusively a hillstream betta, unlike many of its brethren which can tolerate sluggish and swift water equally well. It is often a timid species but would make for an interesting biotope when kept in captivity. IMG SRC

[aquariumsinadorm]

Temporary set up for a permanent friend. This is Mocha. He is a South American bumble bee catfish whom a rescued from my moms tank. He will be getting his own 20 long on Monday (heated, filtered, and CYCLED). I made his filter with cycled filter media and a sponge from my other tanks (the sponge has been in the filter since march so I think it’s nice and established. Fear not it was an extra. The tank it was taken from is fine). I love catfish. I know it’s not bettas but I figured I would share it since I’m not just a betta keeper.