Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping => General Fishkeeping Chat => Topic started by: fcmf on October 03, 2015, 10:16:12 AM

Title: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: fcmf on October 03, 2015, 10:16:12 AM
Inspired by Alex's updates on his kribs' parental behaviour, I thought I'd start a thread of what we find particularly endearing about keeping fish. Here are a few of mine:
* 12 pairs of eyes crowded around, watching me intently, as I cut up the fish flakes just before feeding
* the blend of fishes' colours as they all dart up for food
* tight shoaling (usually only happens after a water change)
* a fish, settled above a plant, observing the others from above
* on occasion, after a fish has been chasing others or one in particular out of its way, I will lift one finger like so  :isay: and warn that there is to be no misbehaviour; the fish does usually stop for a while, but when the fish next tries to chase another, it keeps one eye on me as though it knows it's misbehaving but is seeing if it can get away with it. [Might be reading too much into this but it does look that way to me!]
* pygmy cories [ RIP  :'( ] flitting from plant to plant, wiggling swimming movements, falling into narcoleptic-like sleeps while eating (sometimes on top of a piece of food), startling their tankmates when darting up for air, or swimming back and forth along the front of the tank while maintaining eye contact with me

Looking forward to reading what others find particularly endearing to watch.
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: Diz1 on October 03, 2015, 12:30:59 PM
I love Barquentine's wriggly dance when he sees me in the morning and wants his breakfast!

In my main tank, I like seeing the sterbai cories blinking and setting off for laps round the tank all together.
I like the way Petunia (my bristlenose plec) rushes out to hug her piece of cucumber when it's her teatime.

In my shrimpery I like watching the shrimps swimming. It reminds me of my kids when they were learning to swim, arms and legs going like the clappers!! :)
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: Mad_BMS on October 03, 2015, 12:33:35 PM
You have covered most especially the eyes watching at feeding time.
Rummy nose shoaling and swimming faster as feeding time approaches love to know how they know.
Next would be the angels preparing a leaf and guarding before during and after spawning.
Tetras fooling the angels by splitting to be chased way while others sneak in behind to get the eggs.
Wishes would be being allowed another tank to see angels breed successfully work in progress lol
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: Anne on October 03, 2015, 12:48:42 PM
I know what you mean about feeding time I just have to stand near the tank and the fish are ready waiting at the surface except for the peppered cories who are going about their business as usual, oblivious to what's happening around them.

Peppered Cories:

I really enjoy watching the cories, they are not aware that they are meant to be bottom feeders as in their continuous, hopeful search for food they will forage through the plants and often find themselves at the top.  They will then just swim across to the next leaf and forage down it.

I love watching them dig in the sand, if it is a serious deep search they look like they are doing a wriggling head stand,  otherwise they are just at approximately 15 degree angle with sand spilling out of their gills as they sift it for food.

They are always moving or completely still, on a couple of occasions, when I first started this fish keeping malarkey (9 months ago) on checking the tank in a morning I'd think one was dead but no just resting.  All that foraging must be very hard work.

Amano Shrimp

When I read up about them before getting the shrimp I though they were shy, timid creatures who I wouldn't see much of.  I have 4 - 2 males and 2 females.  The females are anything but shy and retiring.  They will do battle with the cories and platies for sinking pellets.  Drag off whole algae wafers and are very curious of anything new it the tank - it might be food!

I keep finding ghost female shrimp (empty casing) in all sorts of strange places on top of moss balls and leaves, frequently at the front of the tank in full view of any predators (not that there are any in the tank) and never in the coconut cave or under the wood.  They either feel very safe or are foolhardy, then again they might just be exhibitionists!

Anne
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: Alex_N on October 03, 2015, 02:43:32 PM
Along with watching the fry growing daily and seeing how daring they're getting. Drifting away from the shoal of siblings only to dragged back, I like to think kicking and screaming, by an ever vigilant parent.
My small shoal of Penguins, 6 of them, swimming head on into the pumps current then dropping all power and watching them get carried away is all ways entertaining.
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: Extreme_One on October 03, 2015, 03:18:06 PM
I love feeding time. We call the Tiger Barbs the Piranhas because they're so voracious. You can hear them sucking flake from the surface as though they'd never been fed before.

Pygmy Cories (RIP) darting to the surface for a mouth-gulp of air.

Tiger Barbs fighting amongst themselves looks like dancing sometimes.

A little eco-system where I'm responsible for all the inhabitants.

When the main light goes off, leaving the moonlighting on, the Cardinal Tetras glow in the darkness.

It's fascinating watching the female Cichlid trying to keep her nest free of intruders.

Beautiful colours!
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: Dominika on October 08, 2015, 12:58:23 PM
My favourite thing is observing gourami social life. I like how they sometimes congregate under a catappa leaf and "shake hands" with each other (using their extended feelers). When I add anything new to the tank I'll soon see curious gouramis checking it out, feelers streched.

Cories processing sand. My partner, who is Frank Herbert's "Dune" fan, calls them "spice harvesters".

My amano shrimps who, despite being technically brainless, outsmart and outmanoeuvre all the fish come feeding time.

My bamboo shrimp who occasionally follows the cories around during feeding time knowing they'll kick up dust and bits off the tablets I feed them.
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: sunshine on November 09, 2015, 08:14:24 PM
You've all covered most aspects but one thing I love is waking up in the morning to find 8 ember tetras all seemingly squizzing through the glass to see where I am ie. where their food is!   :D

They don't do it any other time.
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: Sue on November 09, 2015, 08:48:56 PM
They sound like my emperor tetras.
I find it amusing when I open the tank lid to feed the fish and find 13 emperor tetras lined up in formation in a 4 inch cube of water.
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: sunshine on November 09, 2015, 09:39:12 PM
Maybe it's a tetra 'thing'?    ;D
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: Extreme_One on November 10, 2015, 07:44:07 AM
My Tiger Barbs do that too.

Noses pushed against the front glass waiting to see me arrive with their food.
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: fcmf on December 02, 2015, 07:15:30 AM
Think bedtime is becoming one of my favourites now - all 12 shoal up together in the "clearing" where there are no plants, similar to how they shoal up together during water changes but without the stress, and it's lovely to see them in the morning, often a tetra and a harlequin side by side, as though "one of their own".
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: Alex_N on December 02, 2015, 10:19:15 AM
A new amusement I've recently found is the otos chasing and trying to join in with shoal of penguin tetras.
I do wonder what the otos thought process is whilst they're perusing them.
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: fcmf on December 19, 2015, 06:43:13 PM
One of the two female tetras has developed the most amazing knack of covering half of the tank at feeding time, with exclusive "rights" to that side of the tank, not missing a single morsel that falls. The speed and angles she manages in order to swoop in on each morsel are in a completely different league to the others. She used to follow the pygmy cories and snap up any tiny remnants they dug up; now she seems to have an acute sense of smell, almost becomes incensed in an effort to locate the tiny morsel she senses, forages among the substrate to reach it, and spits out the sand as she eats. Very skilled!
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: fcmf on July 30, 2016, 09:10:15 PM
Thought I'd "resurrect" this thread, as it might be helpful to illustrate to members considering new stock different features that make fish interesting. Formerly, given the close 1:1 bond I had for many years with my goldfish, I found interactivity the most important feature. When I started out in tropical fishkeeping, I was initially drawn to brightly-coloured/patterned fish. I now find dynamics / actual group behaviour really interesting.

What I find fascinating is that particular behaviours change over time, possibly due to changes in decor/layout.

Lately, one of the filters seems to be producing more of a waterfall effect than usual and it's resulting in the fish taking it in turns to swim nose up into the filter current and jiggle around in it, either singly or in pairs, with the others watching on/queuing for their turn.

Due to recent additional decor in the tank, and the frequent gathering at the waterfall/jacuzzi, I find the harlequins don't like missing out on anything happening. If they think I'm approaching the tank, they "hurdle" over one of the logs to come out to see what's happening. They're also fixated on watching every morsel that my husband and I eat, whereas the tetras prefer to focus on themselves and scuffle around in the rear of the tank.

At night, sleeping arrangements are currently in bunk-bed fashion - harlequins up top in an impressive group formation, tetras more higgledy-piggledy nearer the substrate.


 
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: apache6467 on September 03, 2016, 09:57:35 AM
My Panda Cories adore ripping up bloodworm, the glass cats hiding near my spone filter and the whippies by the log. They all look so cool. :fishy1:
Title: Re: Endearing features of fishkeeping
Post by: Andy The Minion on November 13, 2016, 02:37:28 PM
Firemouth fry update.
So, I finally have a video clip of an acceptable and in the correct format and this is the third attempt at writing this post as its keeps failing Grrrr.
The fry are now just about free swimming and the parents now have a real job on their hands keeping them where they want them. They are constantly sucking them up and spitting them out back into the ever-expanding swarm.
I didn't want to stress them any more so I didn't fully light the clip so it is a bit grainy but I think you should be able to see some of the detail.
If anybody with a suitable tank would like some of the fry http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/fish/firemouth-cichlid.html I won’t post them as I'm not sure if they will survive so its just sensible traveling distance from Lanark in Scotland if you would like some.