All's well...

Fauna (Fish, Shrimps and Snails) are doing well and fine; no disease, no unnatural deaths, no inter-species attacks...

Flora (Plants) are doing well and fine; growing very healthily as inspected by Vincent from Gratiola (the people who did the rescaping in April).

3-month Holidays...

It's the start of the 3-month long holidays and the first real test for the RH Fish Tank caretakers where there won't be lectures/tutorials/exams to keep us in Raffles Hall; KokTiong going home in Malaysia, Daniel starting work.

Lights-on
Due to the greatly reduced traffic during breakfast/tea/dinner the lights-on timings will be changed:
New lights-on times... 8-11am, 6-10pm.

Feedings
Automatic Feeding will take place at 7pm everyday.

Maintenance
Water changes and other miscellaneous maintenance will be carried out by Daniel for another month until Koktiong gets back from M'sia, Koktiong after he gets back from M'sia, and (surprise, surprise) YiYong who will help Koktiong out. Yeap, YiYong's gotten his interest piqued during the exam period when he spent a lot of times taking break from studying, appreciating the RH Fish Tank.

Emergencies
During office hours you can inform the office and they might decide to call any of us, but after office hours please do feel free to call either of us Koktiong, YiYong or Daniel.

Updates
The RH Fish Tank blog will be updated by Daniel for a month (or two) more at least until KokTiong or YiYong takes over the updating... so keep checking up here for more information!

Happy Holidays to you! =)

Simple & Expensive

I am referring to the Betta Simplex, or common-named Simple Mouthbrooder. The pair of Betta Simplex was brought in to take the space vacated by the pair of aggressive, shrimp-eating Betta Pugnax. The reason for the title "Simple & Expensive" is because one pair costs $30 (but we got this pair in exchange, at no extra charge, for the Betta Pugnax as compensation for our eaten shrimps).

Betta Simplex pair will be introduced into the RH Fish Tank within the next 3 days.

The Betta Simplex is a smaller member of the Betta family and their maximum size is 5cm. The Betta Simplex is also a mouthbrooder, meaning that the conditions are right the pair will mate and mouth-brood; the male will keep the eggs/fry in its mouth, releasing them only after two to three weeks. Their natural habitat is Thailand, and you can read more about their habitat here (an article i found while searching for info on the Simplex).

Differentiating between the male and female Betta Simplex:
Male has a stripe along the length of the ventral (bottom-side) fin and along the edge of the tail fin, Female doesn't have the distinct stripe.

Comparing the previous Bettas in the RH Fish Tank...
Fusca: won't eat fish, won't eat shrimps, won't jump
Pugnax: won't eat fish, won't eat shrimps, won't jump
Simplex: won't eat fish, won't eat shrimps, won't jump (hope, hope, hope)

Although they are smaller than the previous Bettas (any new names for these since "Sam" is now gone?), the Betta Simplex are still the biggest fish in the RH Fish Tank and we hope their stay will be long and most importantly PEACEFUL. Please do notify us of any peculiarities you see if you happen to notice anything amiss, thank you.

Shrimp Snackers!

Bad news. Shrimps not seen recently? Shrimps being snacked. Bettas.

Put them together and it means:
The Bettas are snacking on the shrimps, and that's the reason you have been seeing lesser and lesser shrimps recently.

Scenario
(Note: explicit carnivorism described, do not read if queasy-inducing)
Last week i visited a shop which sold (REALLY GREEN, so green you would think they were highlighted green) green shrimps and mosquito shrimps, and i decided to add some to the RH Fish Tank because they were really unique. After conditioning them and introducing them into the tank... the Betta Pugnax made a sushi meal out of 3 of them within 2 minutes!!!

-pull hair in frustration-
Ok, relax, calm down...
-breathe, breathe-
...and i was wondering why the shrimps hid so well all this time.

Solution
I will be taking out the Betta Pugnax on Tuesday, returning them to the shop, and replacing them with a pair of smaller Betta Simplex which will (most definitely) NOT snack on shrimps. Hopefully they are non-jumpers as well, 'cos the Pugnax were great non-jumpers. Then later on this week i will add some more shrimps again.

Utmost apologies to those who witnessed the act. It was not a pretty sight. There will ultimately be peace in the RH Fish Tank, i promise.