New stock of Cryptocorynes

This week we were out to collect and stock up some of the popular Cryptocorynes as the Monsoon season begins to break over our area. Each year during the Monsoon, plant or fish collection is impossible as conditions of rivers becomes dangerous and unpredictable.

We managed to get some of these below despite fast current and high waters. I think the rain is going to pour flood many areas over the next few weeks. So plants maybe hard to come by till the break in February or March. Anyway we are happy to be able to offer some in the mean time.

As you can see the water at the river is already rising and murkier than usual, making collection very hard and impossible if you are not familiar with the river.

From Bau area, we also managed to collect some new stock of Cryptocoryne Keei.

In Sarawak the durians are beginning to ripen and we see many fruit stalls by the road side set up by the local natives.

While travelling through Iban tribal area, we came across an Iban hunter who was selling Python meat. The snake had beautiful skin but unfortunately was caught by this hunter and will end up in someone's cooking pot that day.

Until my next posting, best wishes and take care.

Cryptocoryne X Purpurea var. Borneoensis

Some pictures taken earlier today of the Cryptocoryne x Purpurea var. Borneoensis at a location in South Western Sarawak. We are experiencing the dry season in Sarawak and the stream which is normally carpeted by these Cryptocorynes are dry and filled with dried leaves.

Cryptocoryne Auriculata in Sarawak

On this last trip we managed to find a new location of Cryptocoryne Auriculata with Tiger Stripe markings near Julau. Unlike the Pakan version, these have longer narrower leaves in submessed form. The emersed form have shorter leaves but clear tiger stripe marking could be seen too.

I was able to visit the Auriculata at another location and managed to photograph the spathe in full bloom. If you look closely, you can see some fruitflies on top of the spathe, which I belief are the agents of polination in the wild.

Until my next posting, take care and all the best!

Cryptocoryne Bullosa's spathe

Just wanted to share a photo of the Cryptocoryne Bullosa's spathe which is short and spots bright red flower with dark ring colar. The plant in photo is under shallow fast flowing water. Cryptocoryne Bullosa was described by Engler in 1879 and can be found in central Sarawak. Depending on the locations where the specimens are collected, they sometimes exhibit slight differences. I once had a friend who mistook Cryptocoryne Uenoi for Bullosa but flowers often is the sure way to tell. The largest species of Cryptocoryne Bullosa is found in Northern Sarawak at one particular river where their dark leaves grows to the length of nearly 1 feet long. Needless to say this variety is in deep water and collecting them in rainy season is near impossible.

Happy New Year and may your 2011 be a good year from all of us at Borneo Echo Streams!

Cheers!

Cryptocoryne Auriculata

Cryptocoryne Auriculata from central Sarawak can be grown both in submersed or emersed form. The water pH in this location is 6.3 with a temperature around 25C. The tiger stripe marking on this crypt is beautiful and they make nice potted plants best kept in high humidity environment. 

Cryptocoryne 'Batang Ai' Sp

The Cryptocoryne 'Batang Ai' Sp is still an undescribed species, first discovered by Michael Lo a couple of years ago. I am amazed by the sheer intensity of the leaf color. It has speckles of metalic sheen with magenta on it. The tiger stripes also enhances the beauty of this Cryptocoryne. Natural habitat is fast flowing river with low pH of 6.0. Temperature of 25C. This Cryptocoryne shares the habitat with Crytocoryne Striolata, Blyxa Aurbetii, Eleocharis Acicularis.

Out on a Raining Day

Photo of Josh and Herman in action at a swollen river. It was raining at the time they got into the river. Josh had to dive for Cryptocorynes as the water was very high, while Herman was there as a decoy for crocodiles. Hahaha...I am just joking.

It has been months since my last posting as we went through a very strange season of excessive rain here in Sarawak. Much of our earlier field trip has been hampered by bad weather. So we took the opportunity to expand our quarantine facility as well as servicing local demands for planted aquariums. However last week, a couple of friends from West Malaysia came to Kuching and we went off on a 7 day journey sampling and collecting cryptocorynes and fishes in Sarawak.

Our initial plan was to visit the 2 locations of Cryptocoryne Zaidiana but it didnt materialize as our local contact there advised us not to go due to the high river water level and evening thunderstorms. We did spend days on all other different location in this ardous journey. Braving the heat of scorching sun, the rain that never fail to show up just when we are about to reach a location, swarms of blood thirsty mosquitoes, cuts and scratches climbing and rolling down steep river banks, we came home tired but happy with some Cryptocorynes and other plants. We also enjoyed the good local food along the way and I had the pleasure of catching the Live Telecast of Le Tour De France's race stage for the Tourmalet peak in a hotel room in Sibu. Overall the locations of some Cryptocorynes are in very good condition but some are dwindling due to polution or development.

Thanks for dropping by and I will update this forum more frequently now as I have several postings coming soon. Cheers! 

Parosphromenus Sp 'Lundu'

The raining season have kept us in Borneo in house much the last couple of months and until recently we are seeing some small breaks from daily thunderstorms. This week I managed to get some specimens of a unidentified Parosphromenus from Western Sarawak. Originally collected some years ago by regional fish enthusiasts, it was initially mistaken for Parosphromenus Allani, later clarified as a separate species. The fish in photo is still acclimatizing to new home and the colors are extremely beautiful in the wild. I will retake the photo in time. in the meantime I have several other photos of interesting fishes which I will share over the next few days. 

Thanks for dropping by again and have a great weekend!

Pseudogobiopsis Festivus

This freshwater Goby is relatively a new comer to the list of described fishes of Borneo. The Pseudogobiopsis Festivus (Larson, H.K., 2009) is an active fish that is loves clean clear cool water as it hails from hill streams. Although not much about this fish has been published yet, I am sure this will be another interesting pet for many aquarium keepers around the world. The adult male specimen display orange reddish filament fins and are rather attractive. Sandy or light gravel bed aquariums with some planting will suit these fishes. They are not shy and often will feed of your fingers.

Apologies for the poor quality photo, I have yet to capture a good shot if this vibrant active fish. Perhaps when I have better photo, I will repost again. Cheers!

Betta Brownorum

Betta Brownorum (Witte & Schmidt, 1992) is found in several locations in Sarawak and Kalimantan Barat. This wine red betta specimen is from a fresh water peat swamp near Kota Samarahan, Kuching. Traditionally collected from Matang, these days the Sarawak's collection have dwindled severely. Almost all Betta Brownorums in the aquarium trade the last few years comes from Kalimantan Barat. I was on location in KALBAR last year to sample some and they each have slight difference although the same fish. The best conditions to keep these diminishing beauties are clean cool, peaty, soft and acidic waters (pH4.5-5.0, 25-26C) with heavy vegetation.

Hemirhamphodon Kuekenthali

These 3 spot forest Halfbeaks known as Hemirhamphodon Kuekenthali (Steindachner 1901) are live bearers that range from slightly brackish waters to freshwater hill streams of Sarawak. Surface fishes, they adapt readily to micropellet food but enjoys small live insects. They are able to adapt to wide range of water conditions but proper acclimatizing is nevertheless required (pH range from 5.5 to 7.5, soft to medium kH, temperature 25C). Our stock originates from mountainous streams, obtained through a program for eradication of poverty by empowering the villagers over the area though social enterprise development.