Partnership with Tannin Aquatics! 10% off Botanicals Hey guys! It has been a LONG time since I have updated my blog! I am SUPER excited to announce a brand NEW sponsorship for my YouTube Channel and work in the fishroom! I have waited a very long time to do sponsorships or endorsements, as it was critically important to me that the company be the right fit for me, and for you guys! Because of that, I think its important that you know these are products that I really use! I am partnering with Tannin Aquatics- a retailer I really believe in both for the quality of their products, their focus on education and conservation, and their ethics as a business. For this partnership, they are offering you 10% off ANY purchase! This is a great way to support a company I truly believe in, get some great products that are beneficial to your aquariums, and support me as a creator. Make sure you check out their website and social media for some really great blog posts, BEAUTIFUL imagery, inspiration, and information! Now most of us know botanicals (most specifically leaf litter) and how useful it is for keeping Bettas, Apistogramma, and many other fish. Tannin Aquatics has quality botanicals (leaves, pods, seeds, bracts, and more) meant to aid in breeding, feeding, and keeping a wide range of aquarium species. For instance, leaf litter is a great natural spawning media, adds visual interest, and has a lot of proven “health” benefits for our critters. What you may not know is that it also provides some great grazing surfaces! For this partnership, I have focused on how botanicals can be used in a shrimp tank. Overfeeding is a really bad problem, especially for hobbyists new to keeping shrimp. Doing so can lead to fluctuations of parameters, secondary pests, and loss of livestock. It is really hard to resist adding excess foods when we see those little shrimpy faces! I am not suggesting we don’t need to feed our shrimp, BUT that the botanicals can really help provide a much more natural grazing experience for our critters. For instance, utilizing these natural botanicals provides more surfaces for shrimp to graze on, as they produce microorganisms as they start to break down. Giving them a good boil, and doing some soaks, can minimize the “tea” effect, while still providing all the benefits. Jungle Pods are particularly useful as a feeding dish in a shrimp aquarium, holding more of the food in place so that it does not fall into the substrate. They are also absolutely beautiful and add a very natural element of scale within the aquarium. Please check out Tannin Aquatics’ website for information on preparation, the science behind botanicals, and to place an order. They are offering 10% off your order for 30 days from the airing of my Youtube video “Botanicals- Beyond Blackwater”. I would also encourage you to watch that video for more information about how to use them and to really just enjoy some eye candy of shrimp footage! Enter discount code RACHEL10 at checkout to take advantage of the savings. (more…)

Chicago Cichlid Classic! Hey guys! Things have been busy as ever around the fish room! The tubs are nearly ready for fish (new video coming out this afternoon about running filtration/air and the tweaking of the tubs) and I am pretty stoked at how they are coming along! A few fish have come out of QT that many have been waiting for. I am also getting ready to head to Chicago next weekend, May 27-May 29. This means I won’t be shipping on the 30th, and it also means you should come see me speak on the importance of invertebrates to a dedicated fish room! I speak Saturday at 4pm at the Best Western Plus, 4400 Frontage Rd Hillside, IL 60162‎. Here are some of the things the event boasts: Speakers from across the country with a full day of presentations

A fish show where breeders and hobbyist display their favorite and best fish (and often sell them at the end of the show)

It is raffle where over a $$$$ of goods will be raffled and auctioned away

It is a social event with a dinner party (banquet) and hospitality suite

It is a place to buy fish and supplies from vendors

It is where over hundreds of fish books are for sale

It is where vendors will be displaying their latest products

It is where people put fish for sale up on bulletin board (typically people from other clubs)

It is a huge cichlid auction on Sunday

It is for newbie’s and cichlid nuts a like

It attracts people across the Midwest I rarely make it to the midwest, so this is your chance to come hang out and get your geek on! More information and registration details can be found at this link: http://www.gcca.net/docs-events/classic#.VzsLHOT04aE

Been awhile, things sure have been BUSY! It has been way too long since I updated the news page here on the website! As many of you know, I have been diligently working on sharing information via YouTube. My channel has quickly grown to about 6000 followers and increasing daily! I recently celebrated hitting 200,000 views and am super stoked. I do a Species Spotlight and discussion tip each week, so check it out if you haven’t already! New videos every Tuesday and Sunday. That has been taking up more time than I like to admit, and my photography has gone a bit by the wayside! That being said, I did spend a little time today shooting in the fish room, which I will share with you as well. I am also working on a new book, to be self-published and available as an ebook. I hope to get that done by the end of the Summer. My speaking engagements are kicking into high gear. It was really nice to see many of you at my clubs event, The Big Fish Deal a few weeks ago! I am in Lancaster this Saturday, and Dover next Saturday. In Lancaster I will be talking about Nano Aquaria- the whole gamut from husbandry and breeding to the unique obstacles of maintaining a small tank. In Dover for Cichlid Club of York, I will be discussing setting up breeding tubs outdoors in the Spring through Fall. I hope to see some of you there, and more information can be found on my Events page. Without further ado, here are some of the critters around the fishroom, many of which will be coming out of quarantine next week. Keep your eyes peeled on the stocklist as it changes frequently!

Trigonostigma espei- Lamb Chop Rasbora Trigonostigma espei- “Lamb Chop rasbora” pH: 5.5-7.5

temperature-71-82

hardness:2-10 dkh

adult size: 1.2″

behavior: peaceful

diet: readily takes prepared foods

compatability: other small, peaceful community fish

First installment of new critters are in! Picked up some good stuff yesterday! Clown killies are teeny, but look great. The kubotai are bigger than normal but excellent color. Espei look awesome! I got some new to me fish, Giraffe loaches, of which a limited quantity will be available. I also got in some great Borneo suckers that I will need to sort by type before offering up, but they are also incredible. The Rhinogobious zhoui available are some of the nicest I have seen! Green neons are teeny, but excellent color! More stuff coming in tomorrow, so stay tuned for updates! In the mean time here are some pictures of a few of the critters as of today. (more…)

Working on a new idea- youtube! Hey guys! I haven’t updated the website in awhile, but have been busy photographing the fish room, and have posted pictures to my business facebook page. I have also started work on my 150g tank build! I am gathering rocks, supplies, and working on the custom plumbing- I hope to vblog about this as well. On that note, I have decided to really try and ramp up my youtube offerings! I did an intro video, and was interviewed by UaruJoey- The King of DIY. I recommend checking out his channel! Below are my intro video, and the one that Joey did! I hope you enjoy them! I welcome subscribers, and suggestions. I hope to start doing a weekly Species Spotlight- focusing on the rare and common species that I carry, their behavior, and appropriate husbandry. I will also be doing short videos of my travels, which ramp up starting this weekend. Check out my Events page to see if I am coming anywhere near you, as I am always willing to bring pre-orders and save you on shipping!

Updates and what’s next Figured I was WAY overdue for a photo update, so here are a few shots from around the fish room. I have been working diligently on making sure ALL the species of shrimp I offer that breed in freshwater that I make available are home bred. This helps ensure their quality and stability of color traits, and ensures that they have not been exposed to many of the diseases that are so prevalent in imported shrimp these days. I am working on building up the stocklist again, and you will see some new items come up! There are many species available right now that are truly miniscule, well under 1″. Summer has been great, and has given me lots of time to spend in the fish room. I have TONS of fish breeding outside, and will start pulling larger fry soon (Danio kyathit, ocelot, rainbow shiners, cpd’s, Microdevario kubotai, Danio choprae, Meteor minnow, Vietnamese white clouds, and a few more). In the mean time, enjoy these shots from around the fish room. Next weekend I will be in Wisconsin, speaking at both the Milwaukee and Madison clubs. I hope to see some of you there! More details can be found on my event page. Friday night I will be speaking about Dwarf Asian Hillstream species, and Saturday night will be choosing unusual and interesting inhabitants for the planted aquarium. (more…)

Boraras merah- “Phoenix rasbora” pH: 6-7.5

temperature-75-82

hardness:2-10 dkh

adult size: 1.25″ maximum

behavior: shoaling, keep in groups larger than 6

diet: micropredator, takes prepared foods well

compatability: small and timid, does best with other small peaceful fish or invertebrates. Likes a planted tank. Boraras merah- Phoenix rasbora

‘Puntius’ oligolepis- “Checker barb” pH: 6-7.5

temperature-70-80

hardness:4-12 dkh

adult size: 1.5-1.7″

behavior:Schooling, very peaceful. Best on dark substrate

diet:readily accepts prepared or frozen foods

compatability: excellent community fish Puntius oligolepis- Checker barb

Clearance sale- limited time only, select species marked down! Hey guys! Trying to plan my next order, and I need to make some space! This means a sale for you! These species will be marked down for a limited time, most likely only a week or two. Please message/email for shipping estimate that includes your zip code and what you are interested in. I am home for the next few weeks, and am shipping Monday through Thursday overnight, and Monday through Wednesday second day service. Green neo peewees $3 Cherry shrimp $1.50 Dwarf scissortails $2 Ruby tetras (Axelrodi riesei) $2 Green neons $2 Orange hatchets $2.50 Danio kyathit $2 Danio erythromicron $2 Batman nerites $1

Livestock updates! It has been quite a bit since I updated and posted pictures! I have been traveling ALLLLL over speaking at clubs and events, and have had very, very little time home on weekends. I am home for the Summer, except for two trips, so expect a lot of updates and a much fuller stocklist! Coming up soon is the American Cichlid Association Convention in Springfield, Mass. I hope to see some of you there. It is a great time and supports Cichlid Conservation. I hope to order again in the next couple weeks. I will be getting restock of Amanos and Nerites, and hopefully some neat new stuff! In the mean time, here are some pictures of some of the livestock I have available. Some really awesome TEENY fish, under 1″ are available! (more…)