This soccer field tank was one of many unique aquascapes featured at Interzoo 2012. Photograph by Valerio Zupo.
In his August 2012 article, Valerio Zupo wrote about Interzoo, the biannual fair dedicated to the world of pets, declaring it, “an even larger success this year than in previous years.” It was held in Nuremberg, Germany, from May 16–20, 2012. He described the incredible number of aquariums and accessories, many of which were quite unique.
One of the highlights of Interzoo is seeing the setups developed by various companies. Check out the video below to see some fantastic and creative aquascapes featured at the show.
In the July 2012 issue, Wesley Devers discussed the importance of water testing—a fundamental and vital aspect of ensuring the health of a tank and its inhabitants. We were fortunate enough to run into a professional aquarium caretaker at our local fish shop and captured a basic look at the process. Check out the video to get an idea of the tools employed and which parameters to monitor.
A reef tank with a race car decoration was built for Indy car driver Ryan Hunter-Reay in the Fish Tank Kings episode “Finsanity.” Courtesy of Lindsey Snell/NGCI
Fish Tank Kings, a reality TV show that premiered on Nat Geo Wild this year and is featured in the July 2012 issue of TFH, follows Living Color Enterprises on a variety of aquarium builds.
According to Mat Roy, President of Living Color, “I think the show is unique, and I think it holds true to the industry. Like any reality television show, there is some scripting because they’re trying to throw out worst-case scenarios and best-case scenarios. But at the end of the day, Living Color is always the hero, getting the project done, and more importantly, every single one of those projects is done correctly. That was the foremost of everything that we were doing—we were not going to rush into a job just to get it done to put it on film. These are real projects; these are real clients. That’s the way it is.”
For those of you who enjoy the show, here is a preview of the final episode featuring the Rainforest Cafe and airing tomorrow at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nat Geo Wild.
Talk about an interestingly themed aquarium! Using custom painted Legos and a close attention to detail, Redditor jennyleighb created this Super Mario Bros tank. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the video of this truly unique setup.
Unzan-seki stones are a new layout material in the Nature Aquarium, as explained in the June 2012 issue of TFH.
The way that the willow moss was attached to the surface of unzan-seki stones is quite unique. Willow moss was chopped into tiny pieces with a kitchen knife and rubbed on the surface of the unzan-seki stones. Chopped willow moss pieces will remain in the numerous depressions on the surface of unzan-seki stones and gradually attach themselves to the stones naturally.
Well, this is certainly not your average school! Check out this mesmerizing video of an epic group of schooling rays in action, captured in expert fashion by National Geographic.
Animal Planet’s hit reality TV show Tanked has made quite a splash, delighting audiences with stunning aquariums and hilarious antics. The co-stars of the show, Wayde King and Brett Raymer, have signed on for a record-breaking second season, 20 episodes in total. The two promise that the new season “is going to be bigger and better than season one.”
Click here to see the full article about the show in the May 2012 issue.
For those of you who want a preview of this new and exciting season, check out the video below. And be sure to tune into Animal Planet on Saturday, April 14 at 9 pm ET/PT for the first episode!
If you thought the big, bad wolf was nasty, listen to this. Red lionfish (Pterois volitans) are popular fish for marine aquariums. They are fearsome predators that cannot be kept with small fish and invertebrates. It is well known that these magnificent animals use their pectoral fins to herd their prey, but new research shows that red lions also use squirting water as a strategy to confuse the prey. By overwhelming its lateral line, the lionfish forces its target to face the lion, thereby making the prey item easier to swallow.
We’ve long known that fish are highly intelligent, and many species can even be trained to do something—the goldfish making a slam dunk, for example. Pufferfish in particular are reknowned for their intelligence. Despite their belligerent tendencies in aquariums, many people keep puffers for their personalities and the way they interact with their keeper.
Prankcallzzz filmed his puffer chasing a laser beam on YouTube in a video that now has gone viral. While Prankcallzzz was very careful in filming, we don’t recommend shining a laser beam into a fish tank for any purpose, nor do we recommend aiming a gun at a tank, as it could harm the fish. Always take all the necessary precautions before interacting with your pets.
In the March 2012 issue of TFH, an unique barb was described in the article “The Unusual Drape Fin Barb.” These are strange barbs that break the typical barb mold. They are somewhat similar to the sailfin tetra (Crenuchus spilurus) with their calmer activity levels, their overall visual pattern, and the large, robust head and mouth of the male. At the same time, the drape fin barb’s display and combat behavior (and, oddly enough, the sailfin tetra’s reproductive behavior) have been described as cichlid-like—how odd a fish!
The author took a video of his barbs exhibiting their interesting spawning behavior in the aquarium.
