The Celebes Rainbow Fish in Aquaria
The Celebes Rainbow Fish (Telmatherina Ladigesi) is one of the most beautiful species in the silverside family Atherinidae and is native to the island of Celebes in Indonesia. It attains a length of 2 3/4 inches and is greenish gold in color with lemon yellow fins. In males the outer rays of the anal fins are black and extended.
Like many Atherinidae, the Celebes Rainbow is believed to have descended from marine species which gradually migrated to fresh water. This might explain why this fish is found only in water which is relatively hard and rich in salt, usually in places where fresh-water rivers meet the sea. In aquaria these fishes should be kept in water above 12 degree dGH, although they can survive and will occasionally breed in softer water. Young Celebes Rainbows born and raised exclusively in softer water however tend to be somewhat more delicate than those raised in hard water.
Like most fishes, Celebes Rainbows thrive in tanks in which conditions are similar to those in their native habitat. Celebes is a very mountainous island with only a narrow strip of lowland along the coast, and these fishes inhabit the small, swiftly flowing streams which run from the mountains down to the sea. The water in these rivers is cold, hard and rich in oxygen. The current is swift and strong. Although it is impossible to totally re-create the natural habitat of a fish within the narrow confines of the aquarium walls, it pays to simulate the fishes natural environment as closely as possible in the tank.
For some unexplained reason, Celebes Rainbows have developed a reputation for being unsuitable for community tanks. This is a great exaggeration. Although it is true that a large group of these fishes is a truly beautiful sight and that the fishes prefer to be with their own kind, other species with needs similar to their own can easily be kept with them. For example, the White Cloud Mountain (Tanichthys Albonubes), a small cyprinid native to mountainous regions near Canton, China also prefers colder water and makes an excellant companion for the Celebes Rainbow. Brownish in color with a gold band running from the snout to the base of the tail, the White Cloud Mountain is only about half the size of the Celebes Rainbow and the two fishes make an attractive pair in any aquarium.
Perhaps the greatest danger in keeping Celebes Rainbows is overcrowding. Too many fish in a tank mean trouble: oxygen deficiency, large amounts of harmful waste products and the formation of mulm, which promotes the growth of oxygen-consuming bacteria. Everything which could contribute to an eventual mulm buildup, such as a dirty filter, thich plant growth, or very coarse gravel should be removed from a tank containing Celebes Rainbows. The aquarium water must be clear and clean.
These fishes require plenty of swimming room, and tanks should not be too heavily planted. Oxygen obtained from the atmosphere through the bubbling action of the filter is sufficient, but an aerator may also be added as Celebes Rainbows like turbulent water. A weekly partial water change, about 1/5 to 1/4 of the tank is strongly recommended. Regarding water changes, it is important to remember that Celebes Rainbows, particularly younger ones, may be very sensitive to new water. For best results, age the new water for a few days and check to make sure it is suitable in P.H., water hardness, etc. before adding it to the tank.
Celebes Rainbows can be easily bred in aquaria. like all fresh-water Atherinidae, these fish lay their eggs over a long period of time. The female lays a small number of eggs each day for a few weeks, depositing them among thick clumps of fine-leaved plants. There is no danger that the parents will eat their young or eggs. Optimum breeding temperature is 72 degrees to 75 degrees.
The young fish hatch after 12-14 days and grow rather slowly. They eat dust-sized particles of live and dry food, as well as pieces of hard-boiled egg yolks floating on the surface. Infurosia is not good for the young of this species. Primarily surface feeders, adult Celebes Rainbows take dry and live food of almost every kind.
Choosing The Right aquarium Plants
Water plants form an indispensable part of an attractive and healthy aquarium. Generally there are two things to consider in selecting aquatic plants for a tank: the plants' appearance and their compatibility with other plant life and fish in the aquarium. With the great number of water plants on the market today, choosing the right species can be a confusing and difficult task, particularly for the beginning hobbyist. But if you go at it systematically, carefully considering what you want in each area of the tank, the selection process becomes much easier.
For example, let's start at the foreground of the tank. Naturally you are looking for smaller plants here, species that will provide a thick green border at the bottom of the aquarium without blocking the view or obstructing the fish movement. Two Echinodorus species, the pygmy chain-sword (E. Tenellus) and the dwarf Amazon Sword plant (E. Magdelenesis), are well suited for this area of the tank. Other possibilities include Cryptocoryne Nevillii, the Pusilla form of Sagittaria Subulata, and smaller Marsilea species, many of which resemble four-leaf clover. All of these plants are easy to cultivate and will spread rapidly in the aquarium.
Many of the more common aquatic plants species can be desribed as group plants. These species generally send out long, vertical shoots and should be plantd in thick clumps. Since they may grow to be rather large, these plants look best when placed in the middle or rear sections of the tank. The shoots will require occasional trimming, and you can grow new clumps by planting the trimmings in the substrate. Group plants that are easy to care for include parrots feather (Myriophyllum Brasiliense), Nomaphilia Stricta, Heteranthera Zosteraefolia, Hydrocotyle Leucocephala, and Hygrophilia Polysperma.
Plants with long, narrow leaves are particularly attractive along the sides and against the back glass of the aquarium. These species generally propagate by means of creeping runners, and large growths build up rapidly. The different Vallisneria species, especially V. Spiralis Tortifolia; cryptocorynes with long, thin leaves; and Sagittaria Subulata f. Gracillima are recommended for beginners.
Now we come to the best of all; a large plant for the middle of the aquarium. An attractive aquatic plant centerpiece is just the thing for converting a dull tank into a garden of living beauty. There are many different varieties to choose from. Here are a few of the easier species for beginners: the Amazon Sword plant (Echinodorus Paniculatus) and other large Echinodorus species; Aponogeton water plants, including A. Crispus, A. Ulvaceus, and A. Undulatus; and the big cryptocorynes, such as Cryptocoryne Ciliata or C. Siamensis. One important thing to remember in selecting large plants - they grow. Usually these species are purchased when they are young, and the aquarist should be careful not to buy a plant that will quickly outgrow the tank.
The species mentioned are all easy to cultivate and should present few problems for the beginning aquarist. However, to to give water plants the care they need, the aquarist really should know something about the particular requirements of the species that are in the tank. Two books; Dr. Jiri Stodola's Encyclopedia of Water Plants and Colin D. Roe's A Manuel of Aquarium Plants are both good reference works in this field. With the help of these books and a little patience, the beginner should have no difficulty establishing and maintaining a beautiful planted aquarium.
Divide and Conquer
The use of tank dividers in the aquarium is an accepted practice which has been employed for many years. Perhaps the foremost example of this is seen in the betta tank, in which males must be separated from one another. The reasons for using a tank divider are generally traced to pugnacious behavior on the part of one or more individuals. Most hobbyist consider the tank divider a necessary evil and fail to see the numerous functions it can serve. A study of tank dividers will bring up three revelant points to be considered:
(1) Material of which the divider is made.
(2) Size, shape and positioning of the divider.
(3) Function of the divider.
Most aquarium dividers are made of plastic or glass. The glass dividers are easy to cut and shape and offer the aquarist a diversity of colors. They may be transparent, translucent, or opaque. Obvious drawbacks include sharp edges, the possibility of breakage, and the difficulty of drilling holes in this material. Plastic dividers are frequently seen. They are usually opaque, but homemade items can be cut from transparent plastic. The hobbyist may choose either rigid or flexible plastic. A flexible plastic divider requires a track on which to be supported. Rigid plastic, on the other hand, needs no such support. Holes can be drilled in flexible dividers, but not in rigid ones.
There are two materials that are superior to glass and plastic. The first of these materials is plexiglass, which comes in a variety of colors and textures. To make a plexiglass divider for a tank, you will need to do the following:
(1) Measure carefully the inside dimensions of the tank to the point at which you wish to place the divider. Make sure the tank is filled when you take its measurements.
(2) Check the width to be sure it does not vary greatly from bottom to top. Since some tanks tend to bow, one side of the divider may need to be slightly angled.
(3) Select the appropriate shape and color.
(4) Buy the plexiglass cut to the exact size required. Cutting plexiglass is tricky but can be done with a hacksaw. It is best to let a professional do the work, however, as homemade jobs result in quickly expended hacksaw blades.
After obtaining the plexiglass, wedge it into the selected location. To insure a snug fit, the divider should be cut about 1/16 of an inch wider than necessary. The gravel on the tank floor will help to hold the divider in place. To allow water to flow from one side of the tank to the other, holes may be drilled in the divider. If an aquarium heater is used, these holes are necessary in order to maintain an even temperature throughout the tank. Dividers which are situated diagonally in the tank provide the tightest fits, though they do require larger piece of plexiglass than dividers that are parallel or perpendicular to the glass walls.
If one fish is segregated from his tank mates due to his aggressiveness, an opaque divider should normally be used. Sometimes fish can be intimated by the mere sight of their antagonist. In this case, a divider is only a temporary solution, and the offender should be permanently removed. If one fish is separated from another due to territorial disputes or overly aggressive reproductive behavior, a transparent divider can provide the necessary barrier while still allowing the fish to send and receive various visual signals.
The best divider for setting up separate maintenance while assuring adequate proximity and contact is one made of the plastic grating found over the fluorescent light fixtures which are used in many offices. It is called eggcrate and has been used on the tank floor by hobbyists as an egg-trapping device in breeding non-adhesive egg-layers. Its value as a divider adds a new dimension to the usefulness of this product. Cichlids which spawn on a hard substratum will invariably lay their eggs close to the eggcrate divider, and the percentage of eggs fertilized depends on the distance between the eggs and the male fish, as well as the size and maturity of the male. Eggcrate comes in a variety of colors and hole diameters and is easily cut with a hacksaw.
Only a limited amount of success is possible in breeding mouthbrooding cichlids with a divider; but the substratum spawners , which often present problems in breeding, may be easily spawned with this method. Give these multi-functional dividers a try the next time you encounter a problem fish.
