Fishy tales from the Aquarium

55 fish (Ghost Catfish and Chanda Ranga – commonly known as Glass fish) were kept in three tanks as part of an installation by Cildo Meireles, a prominent Brazilian artist, but almost a quarter of them died during the 13 week long exhibition says this article.
Called Atraves or Through, and Red Shift, the installation was part of a major exhibition of conceptual art at Tate Modern, but their deaths have left the gallery facing accusations of neglect. On their part, Tate Modern claims that the fish were sourced from a reputable aquarium specialist who advised them on the appropriate conditions to ensure the continual well being of the fish. While Tate claims to have maintained the required conditions, obviously keeping fish is more than that, as all aquarium owners would know. (more…)

According to a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and other organizations, researchers discovered a surprising correlation between “middle class” communities in Eastern Africa and low fish levels. Curiously, areas with both low and high socio-economic levels had comparatively higher fish levels, up to four times higher, than areas with intermediate levels of infrastructure and development.
The explanation, said researchers, lies in the interplay between traditional customs and how growth influences the social fabric of communities. (more…)

Marine aquariums can be of different types – “fish only” tanks, “fish only with live rock” (FOWLR) tanks, and “reef tanks”.
A reef aquarium is one where the the focus is the living reefs themselves. Sure there are fish, live rocks etc. as well but the effort is to bring out the live coral reef in the tank, and its eco system. You need to remember that a reef aquarium requires appropriately intense lighting, turbulent water movement, and more stable water chemistry than fish-only marine aquaria.

What Sizes Do Reef Tanks Come In
Reef aquariums come in various sizes – sure you can get them as large as you want, but the larger they are, the more the effort in upkeep. Under 30 gallon Nano Reefs have become quite popular in recent years among fish keeping hobbyists, primarily because of their smaller size, maintainability, and the possibility of lower costs. Pico reefs are tanks under 20 gallons – the smallest of nano reef aquariums. One thing to remember, is that these tiny tanks require even more diligence with regard to water changes and attention to water chemistry because the small water volume provides little room for error. You also need to be very careful when stocking these tiny tanks because too many inhabitants can easily overload the tank’s ability to process wastes effectively. (more…)

What better place to hold yoga other than with the animals, which bring peace and calm just by looking at them move – the beluga whales.
The Georgia Aquarium, in partnership with Be Well Atlanta, has begun offering yoga classes, Yoga Under the Sea, in front of the Oceans Ballroom tank that holds its belugas whose playful nature and graceful movements have made them a favorite of visitors since the aquarium opened in late 2005. Other
“The beluga whales are so slow and so smooth in their movements, which is indeed what this is about – slow movements of the body,” said Todd DeLaune, one of the instructors of the weekly sessions, which start Sunday. “And I think the energy of the belugas corresponds with the practice that we do.” (more…)

As scientists are trying to find out more about the biggest fish in the sea – whale sharks, here are some of the whale shark facts that we do know:

Names: While its scientific name is Rhincodon typus, it is called Ca Ong or Sir Fish in Vietnam and and is also a deity in a Vietnamese religion. In Mexico, and throughout much of Latin America, the whale shark is known as pez dama or domino for its patterns of spots, while they are called  Sapodilla Tom in Belize due to the regularity of sightings near the Sapodilla Caves on the Belize Barrier Reef. In Kenya, they are called Papa Shillingi, as it is believed that God threw shillings upon the shark which are now its spots, and in Madagascar whale sharks are known locally as Marokintana which means Many stars.  In Indonesia, it is called geger lintang or stars in the back. (more…)

The Georgia Aquarium is putting a different – and decidedly adult – spin on Valentine’s Day this year.
In a special sleepover open to the over 21 crowd, the Aquarium plans to show why it’s not only the world’s largest fish tank — it’s also the world’s largest underwater mating den.
In “Motions of the Oceans,” married aquarium biologists Al and Patricia Dove will discuss the secret mating rituals of animals, otherwise known as “Everything I wanted to know about what fish do when the lights are out but was afraid to ask.”
The event will include food and drink, with kumomoto oysters to set the mood for the Valentine’s Day sleepover that begins after the lecture where visitors get to spend the night in the Ocean Voyager Gallery. After a lecture like that, its anybody’s guess as to what will happen once the lights go off. [Via]

So, you’ve decided to go in for a community tank [Read Species Aquarium Or Community Aquarium?], and now you’re wondering which are all the different fishes you could get for your aquarium. It does take a bit of research, but its not too difficult.

Temperament: For one, you need to check out the social skill or the temperament of the fish. Some aggressive fish like chiclids do very well together, but keep them with peaceful fish, and you’ll have a full scale slaughter on your hands. Keep Tiger Barbs, with a betta for instance, and there is no way the betta is going to live to talk about it. Sometimes, an aggressive fish will keep more peaceful tank mates away from food or ideal hiding places, causing the friendlier fish to die from malnutrition or become more disease prone due to stress. Fish like the neon tetra are so timid, that while they are generally considered suitable for the community tank, my experience favors keeping them in a species tank. I once kept these beautiful fish that the aquarium shop kept calling the golden pinch, which quite literally stalked the neon tetras in the tank. As in everything else, beauty goes more than skin deep for fish as well. Another moral, is that the guy at the fish shop may not know as much as you hope he would, so do your own research. (more…)

Tests on clownfish larvae showed they became disoriented and were unable to find a suitable place to live if they were raised in seawater that had absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The effect is potentially devastating for a wide range of fish populations because many rely on odours in seawater to seek out the right habitats to live in, according to researchers investigating the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on marine life.
The world’s oceans soak up vast quantities of carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels. By absorbing the gas, oceans become more acidic. (more…)