| Lamp Eye - Aplocheilichthys macrophthalmus (Family: | | | | a stripe along the sides of the fish from eye to tail. |
| Cyprinodontidae) | | | | Food wise, it is not a fussy eater but a mixed diet is |
| As this fish rarely grows to more than 3 cms you | | | | best. |
| need to assess your community aquarium to see if | | | | Breeding is easy for this species so you need to |
| there are any of the others that lean towards the | | | | have thickly planted tank with hard water at a |
| aggressive and might harm them. These fish have | | | | temperature of at least 26 degrees centigrade. Not |
| large eyes for their mass, which reflect as greeny | | | | many eggs are produced each day during spawning, |
| gold in dim light; hence the common names, Lamp or | | | | which can last for a few days, but they are fairly |
| Lantern eye. | | | | large and are attached to the plants. Bear in mind |
| As an active fish with a good leap, you must have a | | | | that due to the extended spawning period, fry will |
| cover on the tank to stop them jumping out and the | | | | hatch and be at various stages of their development. |
| use of floating plants will help. They thrive well in an | | | | Medaka - Oryzias latipes (Family: Oryziatidae) |
| already established environment with a water | | | | This fish is ideal for your tropical aquarium. It grows |
| temperature of 23 to 26 degrees centigrade. | | | | to about 5 cms, will consume most foods and can |
| Shape wise, the fish has a long body, thinner at the | | | | survive in a wide range of temperatures, although 20 |
| front with a mouth that points upwards slightly. It | | | | to 24 degrees centigrade is the best for it. There are |
| has attractive fins on a gray green body which may | | | | three other species of Oryzias that you may also |
| have a dark line along the back with a spotted shiny | | | | come across under the name medaka but the |
| thin band along the flank. The male's ventral and | | | | Oryzias latipes is the main one. |
| dorsal fins are more pointed than the female. | | | | Their main color is gold without any particular marks. |
| Breeding wise, eggs are either laid individually or in | | | | The body is slightly longer than normal and the head |
| bunches that end up amongst the plants. Once laid it | | | | is thinner than usual. It is interesting to know that |
| is best practice to remove the parents. After about | | | | before breeding took place the original color was; well |
| ten days the fry will hatch and will need a lot of | | | | there wasn't one. It was transparent! |
| looking after as they are quite delicate. | | | | Males are somewhat smaller than females and have |
| Madagascar Rainbow Fish - Bedotia geayi (Family: | | | | bigger fins. Breeding is relatively easy and the tank |
| Atherinidae) | | | | should be at the same temperature as the main tank, |
| Keeping this fish in a shoal (not large) with water | | | | have floating plants and be thickly planted |
| between 25 and 18 degrees centigrade will see them | | | | underwater with fine leaved plants. Until they have |
| at their best in your community tank. It is an active | | | | been fertilized, the eggs will stay attached to the end |
| swimmer and sturdy little fish that grows up to about | | | | of the female. |
| 8 cms and likes to dwell in the top part of the | | | | It is best practice to take out all the plants with |
| aquarium. It is very popular choice despite being a | | | | attached eggs from the tank to another one and |
| recent newcomer to aquarists. | | | | after about two weeks the fry will emerge. Remove |
| Body wise, it has a somewhat unique feature in that | | | | and feed on infusoria then fine dry food, then micro |
| it has two dorsal fins, a short one and a long one. | | | | worms and other food for the more grown up fish. |
| Color wise, the main color is olive green and there is | | | | |