Re: back from germany

["Del @ Weberized" <del@weberized.net>]

Hi Piabinha,

I enjoyed your message.  Thank you for taking the time to share your trip
with us.

Happy Holidays,

Del

----- Original Message -----
From: <Piabinha@aol.com>
To: <AQUARIUM@listserv.cc.emory.edu>; <aquatic-plants@actwin.com>;
<labyrinth-fish@yahoogroups.com>; <tetras@yahoogroups.com>;
<apisto@majordomo.pobox.com>; <rainbowfish@pcug.org.au>;
<catfish@aquaria.net>; <livebearers@aquaria.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 1:34 PM
Subject: back from germany


> hi all,
>
> i'm back from a week visiting a friend in stuttgart, germany.  the
highlights of my visit, aquariologically speaking, were visiting wilhelma in
stuttgart, and a petshop, which showed how far and advanced the hobby is in
europe than here (it was too depressing walking into one of the chain stores
today, near work...).
>
> wilhelma is a combination zoo-botanical garden but the best part was the
aquarium-terrarium building.  the collection puts nyc aquarium to shame.
there were displays of cold salt and freshwater, and tropical fresh and
saltwater tanks.  there was a tank with four-eyed livebearers (Anableps)
with babies!  there was a huge tank with australian rainbowfish (Glossolepis
incisus, Melanotaenia trifasciata and boesemanii) with two huge barramundi
or lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri).  there were several tanks for southeast
asia and south america, filled with tetras, barbs, cichlids, an catfish, i
was impressed by the large Loricarias, also loved the big amazon tank with
pencilfish, hatchets, corys, discus, angelfish and Typhlonectes (caecilian).
>
> among saltwater tanks, i was totally entranced by the huge pipefish (some
over half a meter long) and there were lots of babies (they looked like
little red worms).  the highlight for me was the sea dragon tank, these are
seahorse and pipefish relatives from australia, with amazing and colorful
fin extensions.  there were maybe 8 large ones in this tank, that they
shared with some seahorses and other peaceful fish.  i spent a long time
staring at them and could not believe how beautiful and colorful they were
(pictures don't do them justice).  the collection of saltwater and
freshwater is truly amazing and certainly worth a visit if you are in the
area.my friend works at a garden center and lives near it, and next door is
a pet shop.  the selection of fish and plants there was unbelievable,
nothing like that exists at least in the nyc area.  i saw so many amazing
fish, among tetras there were Hyphessobrycon amandae and hyanuary; Astyanax
leopoldii; africans included some Alestes sp., Hemigrammopetersius caudalis
and Phenacogrammus caudomaculatus.  of cyprinids, there were a profusion of
rasboras, danios and barbs, including very rare angola barbs (B.
barilioides).  livebearers included Limia melanogaster, Nomoramphus liemii
and endlers (Poecilia sp.), all of which are rare around here.  they also
had FW pipefish(Microphis), blue-eyes (Procatopus), killis, gobies (incl.
Awaous strigatus and Tateurndina ocellicauda), and an amazing variety of
tanganykan cichlids including many shell-dwellers (Neolamprologus),
Spathodus, Julidochromis and Cyprichromis.  labyrinth fish included Colisa
chuna (wild type) and Pseudosphronemus dayi; also some shy Badis.  apistos
included borellii, agassizi, cacatuoides and panduro, also Nanochromis
transvestitus, with females intensively courting the males.  all sorts of
loriicarids (there was a profusion of L-numbers), including whiptails,
Panaques, Hypancistrus and many others.  one tank had a tantalizing tag,
zebra otocinclus, but i saw none, they were all sold out.  aquatic plants
were amazing too (Nuphar, Hydrotriche, Hygroryza, Samolus, Eichhornia
diversifolia, all sorts of Crypts, Echinodorus, Anubias, Hygros,
Aponogetons, etc.) but the most impressive for me were the crustaceans and
invertebrates.  some striped round snails they called zebra snails.  tiny (2
cm), bright orange crayfish with pincers that looked like miniature
lobsters.  two or three transparent Caridina shrimp species.  giant, huge
filtering shrimp (Atya gabunensis?) constantly waving those fans (biggest
ones were fat and about 13 cm/5 inches long), and also one medium sized
crayfish/lobster that was dark brown in color with bands of orange, red and
blue (Cher
>
> ax mysolicus? and also did not seem to be a threat to the fish in spite of
its huge pincers), and some small crabs.
>
> oh yeah, there were also a saltwater section (with nautilus for sale), and
reptiles, frogs, insects, scorpions, tarantulas, centipedes, birds, sugar
gliders, rodents, etc.  all in one store.
>
> the books and magazines are also amazing as you can expect.  too bad i
don't read germany but i did end up buying a book on seahorses and their
relatives (shrimpfish, pipefish, snipefish, seadragons) and a magazine on
tanganyka lake.
>
> we also visited botanical gardens in tuebingen and heidelberg, with
interesting aquatic plant exhibits.
>
> happy new year to all.
>
> tsuh yang chen, nyc USA
>
>
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