illumAqua

08/03/2023

If you’ve missed Lucas Bretz’s talk at The Aquatic Expo, or you’d like to refresh your memory, Lucas has released it for everyone to see on his channel! 😃
It was my pleasure to work with Lucas and Sabu to film and edit this talk, and to make it available to you all.

Today is a special thanks to Illumaqua for being the Videographer and Editor of the talk I gave in Charlotte. The Aquatic Expo 2023. I have given this talk t...

08/01/2023

Got some vintage aquarium magazines 😁

07/28/2023

Do you ever come across fish hobby websites with suspicious, possibly AI generated content? I was just doing some light reading about Scarlet Badis, and came across this one website called fishkeepingadventure (not linking to avoid giving them more traffic, but feel free to investigate). Just check out this screen capture of one super weird section of their post - makes no sense to me 🤪
I’m concerned we’re about to see a lot more of similarly strange false info, being spread on lazy blogs/websites.

07/24/2023

Finally got a few platinum Medaka Ricefish for my small patio pond. This peaceful grows up to only about 40mm (1.5”). They easily adapt to a wide range of temperatures and water parameters, making them ideal for beginners.
Ricefish have been growing in popularity over the last few years in the US, but they’re actually one of the oldest known fish pet species in the aquarium hobby, dating back to 17th century Japan. They’re commonly kept outside in small water containers (planters, buckets, vases), together with aquatic plants such as water lilies and water lettuce. .

Photographed with +

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#めだか

07/06/2023

Starting a new long term photo project 📸

My plan is to capture high-detail life specimen images of various aquarium fish on pure black or white backgrounds, to focus attention on fish appearance, sexual dimorphism , and growth stages. Hopefully with time I can create a good size catalog of images.

I’m always open to feedback, tips and suggestions. Let me know what fish you’d like to see photographed. How often I capture and post new images, will mostly depend on access to the fish. My own personal collection is currently ultra limited, so I’m counting on generosity of other fellow hobbyists who are ok with me photographing their wet pets.

To start things off, here’s approximately 2 month old Odessa Barb. Found it yesterday in a plastic storage bin, where I keep random collection of aquarium plants. It must have arrived as an egg attached to Java moss I got from a friend back in April. I wonder what it was eating this whole time. Too bad it’s just one single Barb. These fish, as other cyprinids, enjoy to school in a group of at least 6. They also grow to around 3 inches, so my current conditions, unfortunately don’t allow for large enough tank to get and keep more of these fish.
For now it’s tiny at barely half an inch, so I’ll let it grow a bit larger before rehoming.

06/28/2023

A couple more shrimp from the North American International Shrimp Contest 🦐
Bred by

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06/25/2023

Dreaming green 🪴 at Oakdale Greenhouses LLC

06/21/2023

Can’t deny… Cory cats are some of the cutest fish in the hobby 🥰

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06/13/2023

Viewing this aquarium, is to let yourself be transported into a nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough 🌱🐟🌱
Big thanks to my friend Alex, for patiently putting up with my dorky need to photograph his beautiful fish.

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06/12/2023

It was great meeting up with David 🌱 Still can’t get over his stunning scape in

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06/11/2023

Day 1 of The Aquatic Expo 🐠🌱🪸

05/19/2023

Pogostemon helferi ‘Downoi’ 🌱 Beauty of a plant! Its bushy, wavy and lush green foliage, makes a great choice for a mid ground or accent plant. It’s not very demanding, but it will thrive with added CO2.
* in the photo, also a variety of Buce - not sure which one, so please let me know if you can ID it.

05/15/2023

Young Red Zebra Cichlid (Maylandia or Metriaclima estherae). This beautiful and personable mbuna is often a gateway into the world of African cichlid fishkeeping. While most, if not all mbunas are naturally aggressive and territorial, in the right setup, these Lake Malawi cichlids can be very enjoyable and rewarding fish. They grow to about 5 inches long (12.5 cm) and can live for 8 to 10 years.

Tank setup recommendations
Size: minimum 55 gallon (210 L)
pH: 7.5-8.5
Temp: 72-82°F (22-28°C)

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05/04/2023

Juvenile Lemon tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis). The little guy looked especially nice in this natural looking setup at Nemo’s Reef in Charlotte. Kessil lights contributed a shimmering, mysterious feel.

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#ネイチャーアクアリウム

04/28/2023

Pleco peaking out the door🚪Sorry for interrupting midday siesta 💤

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04/24/2023

This fish really takes me back to my childhood. Black Skirt Tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi). It was one of the very first fish I’ve kept.

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#ネイチャーアクアリウム (nature aquarium)

04/14/2023

More Malawi cichlids from my recent visit at friend’s house. Emerald Cory catfish

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04/09/2023

I’ve never kept
Can you help me ID this one?

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04/05/2023

Electric Blue Acara 🐟
(Andinoacara pulcher)

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03/23/2023

5 gallon Marineland Portrait with upgraded light Fluval Plant Nano. Using it as a temporary holding for a few rescued Swordtail and Black Molly fry.

September 2020

03/23/2023

Welcome to illumAqua!

It’s all about the journey in the wonderful world of hobby. In time you can expect to see posts relating to fish, aquatic plants, , nano tanks, ponds… That’s at least the plan, but who knows where will all this lead. Hope you join me for the ride 😁

To get started, here’s a throwback to my return to the hobby back in the winter of 2019/2020. It was super exciting.

Tank: Flex 15

🐟 Fish:
Trigonostigma espei

🌱 Plants:
Eleocaris acicularis
Cryptocoryne wendtii brown
Nymphaea lotus
Bacopa monnieri ’Compact’
Hygrophila corymbosa ‘Siamensis 53B’
Bucephalandra ‘wavy green’
Anubias nana petite
Taxiphyllum ‘spiky’ moss