Aquariumania - Tropical Fish as Pets

For many years, marine aquarium fish were only available from the wild. Then, in the 1970s, pioneering scientists developed methods for commercial production of clownfish. Over the years, other species including neon gobies, dottybacks, and seahorses also became available from fish farms. Most recently Dr. Matt Wittenrich "cracked the breeding code" for the mandarin goby, one of the more popular m...

The aquarium hobby is filled with beautiful and unusual species with secret lives. The black ghost knife and elephantnose are two popular and fascinating fish, which communicate and sense their surroundings by means of weak electrical signals. If we could hear these, what would they say? My guest today, Benjamin Grelie, is a member of the French company Gymnokidi which has worked with scientists t...

PetSmart is the largest North American pet and pet supply company, with a total of almost 1200 retail stores. Have you ever wondered who manages the health of PetSmart’s millions of fish and other aquatic animals? Dr. Nick St. Erne, who has been working in the field of exotic and aquatic veterinary medicine for decades, is more than up to the challenge! Dr. Nick is PetSmart’s Technical Services Ve...

Most people think of bacteria as something that will make you and your pets sick. In reality, bacteria play a critical role in healthy fish, ecosystems, and well-balanced aquarium systems. Dr. Tim Hovanec, the founder of Dr. Tim's Aquatics, has been working in the aquarium and aquaculture field for decades. His graduate research revolutionized our understanding of biofilter bacteria, and over the...

For a long time, the only way to be near a coral reef was by scuba diving or visits to the local public aquarium. However, over the past 20-30 years, reef-keeping has evolved and become much more accessible. Today, although many people have a piece of the ocean in their homes and businesses, there is still debate over which reef systems work best. My guest today is Bill Hoffman, the Manager of the...

Florida has been the center of aquarium fish and plant production in the U.S. since the 1930s. The state’s fish farmers currently raise hundreds of species of ornamental fish. But how do they breed all these different species? Most people know guppies give birth to fairly developed young fish, but do they know how guppies actually breed? And what about all the other species? My guest today is a go...

So your aquarium has been set up for a few years and now it looks great! But then life throws some aquarium-keeping challenges your way. Here are a few scenarios: you are moving and want to bring your 55 gallon aquarium . . .you have to leave home for a few weeks, and aren’t sure what to do about your fish. . . powerlines have just been cut because of bad weather, and you don’t have a generator. W...

Although most aquarium hobbyists are freshwater enthusiasts, a growing number are taking the salty plunge and keeping marine fish and invertebrates. Advances in marine aquarium technology, increases in numbers of aquacultured species, and a better understanding of animal needs has helped fuel this increase. Our guest today is James Kinsler, Assistant Curator of Fishes at SeaWorld Orlando. Jim has...

What do major league baseball and coral reef aquaria have in common? If you said the Florida Marlins new Ballpark in Miami you are right! The New Marlins Ballpark, scheduled to open in 2012, features two state-of-the-art coral reef aquaria, both within wild pitch distance of home plate. Our guest today is Francis Yupangco, the very experienced Director of Business Development and Marketing, and Se...

Fish live, breathe, sleep, in fact, do everything, in the same body of water. Your fish rely on you to keep things clean and fresh. So do you know enough to keep them happy? Poor water quality is one of the most common causes of problems in the aquarium industry, for both large and small systems. Many hobbyists only understand part of the story, and need to learn more. Our guest today is Allen LaP...

Killifish are beautiful, small-bodied fish found in many areas around the world, including in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are, as a group, one of the aquarium industry's hidden gems with only some of the hundreds of brightly colored species sold in local aquarium shops. In nature, some of them live in tiny puddles of water, where their eggs must survive dry periods. One species ca...

So you’ve got a sick fish-- who are you gonna call? Why, your local fish veterinarian, of course! Although pet owners don’t think twice about contacting their vet for the dog or cat’s problems, more and more hobbyists are now also seeking help from their local veterinarian for their sick pet fish. And this is perfect timing, since more and more veterinarians are willing and able to work on wet pet...

What is the biggest and baddest aquarium you’ve ever seen? How about the biggest and baddest fish? Best-selling author Steve Alten blows all of those out of the water, with his latest sci-fi horror novel, "MEG: Hell’s Aquarium." In this 4th installment of Alten’s MEG series, we learn more about Carcharodon megalodon--MEG, for short--the enormous, prehistoric relative of the great white shark, and...

Hundreds of millions of aquarium fish are sold each year throughout the world, with an economic value of over 600 million. Fish in the hobby come from many different sources, including farms in Florida and wild caught fish from the flooded forests, streams, and lakes of the Rio Negro in the Amazon. Tens of millions of fish are exported yearly from this area, and are the major economic source of in...

The aquarium fish industry includes thousands of species of freshwater and marine fish and invertebrates farmed or collected from all over the world. This global diversity keeps the aquarium hobby fascinating and fresh, but also troubles our natural resource agencies, especially when non-native fish are found in our environment. Join us, as we talk to Dr. Jeff Hill, a scientist at the University o...

North American Native Fishes are often overlooked and under appreciated as aquarium specimens. However many of our native fishes, not only make excellent aquarium subjects, but also rival some of the more commonly available tropicals in color and beauty. Combine this with the fact that you can go on your own collecting adventure, often nearby--or perhaps even in your own back yard--and you have a...

Old World Cichlids, comprised primarily of fish from Africa, are a large and very diverse group of fishes in the aquarium hobby. Aquarium enthusiasts are familiar with many of the beautifully-colored species from Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika, including the peacock cichlids, red zebras, and brichardi. These same fish also hold great interest for scientists because of their fascinating reproducti...

Cichlids from the Americas, known as "New World Cichlids," include angelfish, discus, Jack Dempseys, and oscars. But these species are just the tip of the "New World" iceberg. One of the largest groups comprises those in the Cichlasoma complex including the salvini, lowland, red head, and firemouth cichlids. Don Conkel is the owner of Don Conkel’s Tropicals, based near Tampa, Florida, with additio...

Where can aquarium fish hobbyists go for general information and help? Hobbyist organizations are an excellent source of knowledge in all aspects of the hobby, and can provide great tips on fish, systems, supplies, and local stores. There are local aquarium societies in many cities in the U.S. that cater to both freshwater and marine enthusiasts. There are also national hobbyist organizations that...

The United States’ ornamental fish aquaculture industry began to develop in the 1930s and 40s in west central Florida, through the efforts of a number of aquarium pioneers. Since then, the U.S. tropical fish industry, still centered in Florida, has grown from one to over two hundred farms, unified through the Florida Tropical Fish Farms Association. One of these pioneering families, the Straubs, m...

How did wild aquarium fish from South America, Africa, and Asia first get into the hobby all those many years ago? Before there were ornamental fish farms, including those here in Florida, there were fish biologists and collectors visiting exotic places and bringing back beautiful specimens of fish they found. Many of these fish are now raised on fish farms, but new species continue to enter the h...

Koi and goldfish have been staples in the hobby for a long time, and continue to gain in popularity as staples for aquatic water gardens as well as indoor tank systems. The beautiful color and finnage variations in both species have been developed over hundreds of years, and now some lines and individual fish have tremendous economic and prestige value. My guest today is Joe Pawlak, President of B...

Keeping a marine aquarium is more challenging than maintaining a freshwater aquarium. However, nature shows, public aquaria, and visits to coral reefs are drawing more people to the marine aquarium hobby. Some prefer "fish-only" tanks, while others enjoy the greater challenge of caring for mini-reef systems. As the marine portion of the aquarium hobby continues to increase, greater interest in sus...

Thousands of species of ornamental fish, invertebrates, and plants provide endless possibilities for aquarium keepers. Traditional methods of breeding by selection added even more varieties to the mix. But as the aquarium hobby entered the 21st Century, pets, biotechnology, and innovative entrepreneurship intertwined, creating the U.S.’s first genetically engineered pet-- the GloFish. After many c...

Dr. Roy Yanong welcomes everyone to his new show and talks all about aquarium fish and other aquatic animals, the aquarium industry, and the science and art that surround this fascinating hobby! So dive in--the water is fine! More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Introduction with Dr. Roy Yanong Mevio {Mevio-cf5d06a62c3bde37f439ead03ff48d56} Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spr...