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Re: Conditions for FFF



>So far, based on statistically inadequate material, but nonetheless I'll go
>out on a limb here, it would seem that the Florida Flagfish seems to find
>life more comfortable in slightly alkaline conditions.

I'll second that notion.  Here in Florida, they thrive under the very hard
water conditions of our natural limestone rock.  The water is hard and
alkaline.  So much so that in some places saltwater fish share living space
with FFF.  

>Are the people who are finding these fish to be terrorists keeping them in
>CO2 injected tanks?  Perhaps they just don't like to live in pH under 7?

Now, I keep mine under Co2 injection but I do not use reverse-osmosis
filtration.  I'm sure its possible that even though their pH is lowered
their hardness is still high.  

>I'm trying to collect stats on clown loach behaviour and pH correlation as
>well, and so far I've had info from people whose clowns behave fine when pH
>is under 7.  If it goes briefly above this level they are still alright, but
>keeping them with live plants for extended periods of time in alkaline
>conditions results in destructive behaviour.

Interesting.  I've never heard this pH relationship to "emotional
stability" so to speak in any fish before you brought it up.  Anyone with
formal ichthyology training can verify that point in another species?

>Given that we are trying to maintain planted tanks and not all of us are
>going Dutch style but want to maintain a community of fish in them, I think
>it would be valuable information to determine which fish are affected by CO2
>injection and in what way.  To say that some Florida Flagfish are not
>aggressive and some are and base it on just well, shrug the shoulders and
>say it's 'character' is rubbish.  They are fish.  Not intellectual giants.
>The behaviour of fish is modified by environmental conditions and it makes
>valuable sense to collate data on what conditions result in what sort of
>behaviour.

Provided you are controlling each factor you are trying to study.  Hard to
gain valuable info by asking the "either".  Not enough people have enough
experience w/ FFF to give a sensible commentary. 

I've even been asked  to try to breed every ounce of aggression from these
fish and produce a docile strain.  I am personally averse to just this sort
of selective breeding b/c you always lose much more valuable traits than
the ones you hope to amplify.  Traits such as disease resistance, hardiness
in extreme environmental conditions,  fecundity...besides, I  think it is
unnecessary.  There are ways of managing FFF behavior by controlling their
environment, sex and diet.  

PlantGuild Co2 Reactor:
http://floridadriftwood.com/substratefertilizernutrients.html