Monday, March 25, 2013

Angelfish as TV Stars

Last week, I was very fortunate to have been profiled on The Tarheel Traveler, which airs every evening on WRAL-TV. If you missed the segment, which is available in the Raleigh, North Carolina viewing area, it is now available online.

The segment included film footage of one of my seven aquariums. This one contains 5 angelfish. It once held 7 angels but 2 of them - Lindsay Buckingfish and Stevie Fishnick - were so amorous that they needed a tank all to themselves. When angels are mating, the male becomes very territorial. And the eggs are subject to be eaten by anyone else in the tank, who seem to regard it as a sushi bar.

They have since successfully raised two group of babies and a third is hatching as I write this. They have proven to be great parents.

Another couple from another tank I own has joined them in the "apartment" next door, where I hope they will also breed. These are koi angels, which should produce offspring with beautiful, vivid orange color.

A breeder tank is often very stark because when I clean after the babies hatch, I must be able to do so without fear that I am sucking up any of the babies in my syphon hose. Babies can make a tank very dirty very quickly, because they eat exclusively freshly hatched brine shrimp. While I can clean the larger tanks once a week, I clean the breeder and infant tanks at least twice a week.