Re: Comments on this post...

["Bolton Museum, Art Gallery & Aquarium" <bolnathist@gn.apc.org>]

> Pete,
> I'm probably going to put my foot in it again.  Fish in the wild have to
> search for any food they may find. I'm sure there are days when there is
> no food at all.  In the aquarium environment they have food more or less
> "on tap."  Another factor in our tanks many species live a lot longer than
> they would in the wild (provided they have a good owner.)  
Don't worry Helen, I wouldn't dare suggest that you haven't got the 
best interests of your fish in mind. I've seen quite a few of your fish 
and I have no doubts about how healthy they are. As you say you 
balance out their diet very well. I've still got that video of your 
Paratilapia polleni spawning and there's absolutely nothing wrong 
with them.
We've had a Piranha die over the weekend at the age of 24 which 
was fed a lot of beefheart for a fair part of it's life. The digestion of a 
fish like this should be well able to deal with it when prepared 
properly, but I've also seen some badly mis-shapen Loricariids 
(amongst others) which have scavenged beefheart fed to other fish 
in the aquarium. I also remember a necropsy performed on a 
Steatocranus casuarius from an BCA publication in the 80's where 
a large piece of beefheart was found to be blocking the intestine.
So I still say it needs to be used carefully. So there.

Pete Liptrot
Bolton Museum Aquarium
Le Mans Crescent, Bolton BL1 1SE
01204 332200


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@listbox.com.
For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help,
email apisto-request@listbox.com.
Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!