Betta Rubra Spawning

Betta Rubra are one of those lesser seen wild bettas in the circle of hobbyist. Many have seen photos of the red beautiful male in tiger stripes so I thought I will share a photo of a female specimen in spawning colors. As you can see the egg is ready for delivery and the male in courtship dance in the background. These beautiful bettas hail from northern Sumatra near Aceh. My first few Betta Rubras was sourced from a friend, Haji Baharuddin. Couple with some from another source, we are now breeding these little beauties.  

UPDATE

Betta Rubra Revisited: This specimens from Aceh have been identified as a different species from B Rubra by Dr Tan Heok Hui in a recent update. These are Betta Dennisyongi, named after naturalist Dennis Yong Ghong Chong. There are slight difference with the similar Rubra found in the same coastal areas in North Sumatera in body size and markings. Source: The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 2013 61(1): 323-330

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!

Breeding and Caring for CRS Shrimps

The Crystal Red Shrimp (CRS) or sometimes called Red Bee Shrimp is a very popular pet with many aquarist around the world. The finest examples of these shrimps were bred and produced in Japan years ago but these days most serious hobbyist are able to keep and breed these shrimps at home too. Graded and valued differently, most agrees that the white pigments of the best CRS should be as solid as possible. I wont discuss grading here as that is a different topic altogether. What I like to share is how you could keep, breed and raise your CRS at home.

We use ADA's Amazonia Aquasoil as base in each CRS tanks as essential trace and colloids from this substrate leaching into the water seems to be produce the best results. Water should be very clean so I strongly advise anyone from keeping CRS in a new tank. We introduce CRS into tanks with matured filtration system after a minimum of 7 weeks cycling. ADA's Bacter 100 or Bacter Ball is used together with Green Gain in prepping such tanks. The ideal water condition are pH6.0, kH2-3 with temperature of 25C. Forget about breeding CRS if you are not committed to provide the right environment. CRS in a beautiful tank is a statement of your commitment and discipline.

Dont fret if your CRS's beauty deteriorate because conditions are not right. With some care improving the conditions, the shrimps will become better after some weeks. Keep the water well filtered, cool at 24-25C, Aquasoil based substrate and feed them well. Water should  be changed weekly at around 25%. Add in some moss to the tank. Moss provides food for the shrimps as well as sponging up waste.

We add conditioners to the tank water each week when water is changed as supplements to the shrimps. As you know shrimp experience moltings regularly and the right conditioners support new shell colors and growth. We have had good results caring for CRS with products under the brand name Shirakura and Mosura.

With care, you will see your CRS optimized once again in time. Recently we had a whole bunch baby Snow Whites in our tanks and the parents are no SSS grade beauties at all. So I wish you all the best with your brood. Cheers!

Betta Taeniata

The blue cheek Borneo Betta or scientifically named Betta Taeniata (Regan 1910) is a medium sized wild betta from our hill streams here in Sarawak. There are also some specimens collected from Kalimantan but they have slight difference of color on the body. As in the case of many other wild bettas, spawning season brings out their best colors. The male displays very strong blueish green opercle with blackish border on their anal and caudal fins. When stressed, it is very hard to distinguish the male from the females as their colors fade out. Betta Taeniata is part of the Betta Picta group. Make sure their water is clean and the tank have plenty of plants to keep them happy.

A short visit to the Mentawai Islands

Sorry for being a little quiet the last couple of weeks. I was away in the Mentawai Islands (part of Indonesia) in the Indian Ocean, west of Sumatra. These cluster of remote islands offer their unique richness in bio diversity. Culturally, the Mentawai tribes share much similarity to the Dayaks in Borneo. Life on these islands in some places are still very untouched by the outside world. Life is basic with, water from well or rain, no electricity, and your BlackBerry aint going to work there. So there I was plastered with sunblock lotion and insect repellent (it's a Malaria infested area besides the regular earthquakes), adjusting and making the most of my time enjoying nature in it's pristine state.

There are interesting plants and fishes, among other animals on these islands from the shore to the mountains.