#tropicalfish

"Bycatch"

Acrylic and reclaimed materials on canvas

This painting is inspired by a research article I read regarding plant biodiversity in relation to frugivorous (fruit eating) fish species.

One facet of the research that was highlighted was the noted drop in plant species diversity as a direct result of overfishing

I wanted this piece to feel very dreamlike and surrealist

Plastic mesh was added to create texture and allude to overharvest of freshwater fish

The three fish featured are frugivorous fish found in the region of the referenced research (top: Brycon, middle: Myloplus, bottom: Triportheus)

A Quick Update On My Albino Pygmy Corydoras!

This is my nano community aquarium, home to 10 ember tetras, 10 pygmy corydoras, and a small colony of shrimp. It’s a peaceful, planted setup where there’s always something interesting happening if you take the time to observe it closely.

Most days, I regularly see the eight standard pygmy corydoras shoaling together, swimming in synchrony and exploring the tank as a tight group. But the two albino ones have always been different. They’re far more elusive, and it’s rare that I see both of them at the same time. In fact, it had been months since I last spotted them together, and I’d started to wonder if one of them had died without me realising.

Then a couple of days ago, as I walked past the tank, I was genuinely surprised to see both albino corydoras out in the open together. It was reassuring to confirm that they’re both still alive and healthy. Moments like this remind me how important it is to slow down and really watch your aquarium, because fish don’t always behave the way you expect.

What’s even more interesting is that they don’t shoal with the other pygmy corydoras. This made me curious, since fish usually recognise their own species by scent rather than appearance. After doing some research, I now suspect the albino ones may actually be a different but closely related species, which would explain why they don’t group together.

Betta Fish

This is my drawing of a Betta fish

Betta fish are also known as Siamese fighting fish, and they are very popular aquarium fish because of their many different vibrant colours and fin shapes. They are native to Southeast Asia so can be found in the shallow seas of countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

They are "anabantoids", which means they come from a rare suborder of fish which allows them to rise up and breathe air from the surface of the water.

Colour version of Stonelapper on Skull.  First layer only, will get a second brighter layer soon. 

Ask Aqueon to stop making under one gallon betta fish aquariums. 

Sign the petition

Their five betta fish starter kits range from 0.25 - 0.75 gallon per fish, and they're advertised as suitable environments. They create low quality conditions with no room for adequate heating or filtration.

Betta fish need at least five gallons, a filter, heater, and lots of environmental enrichment like plants and hiding spots. 

Aqueon's tagline is "it's all about the fish" but they have been deleting comments and silencing the voices of concerned fish lovers. They will probably continue to sell these as long as they can make a profit from them.