in RHM...

Released Wed 30 March 2005, at tea time 415pm, Raffles Hall.
Due to some miscommunication the just-before-final edit was published (no blame implied towards the RHM team; in fact, great job RHM!), but the message was essentially the same to residents of Raffles Hall. For the sake of you who were not able to get your hands on a copy of the Raffles Hall Magazine (RHM), here is the final edit of the article for your reading pleasure.
Enjoy...

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The RH Fish Tank
It has been a while since I have seen things lively around Raffles Hall. There have been times when residents have tried to add ‘life’ to the hall but without success; the pond/fountain at the entrance of our hall was one of those failed missions. However, this semester brings a change to that: we have all seen the testament to that – the lively fish tank situated in front of the office.

The RH Fish Tank is maintained with care and pride by mainly two residents – Daniel, Daniel Kwok and Kok Tiong. The idea of having a RH residents’ fish tank was started by Daniel, Daniel Kwok. He was the main powerhouse who instigated the whole process. Now that we are reaching the end of the semester, what’s going to happen to the RH Fish Tank? If you haven’t already realized, Daniel, Daniel Kwok is a final year and won’t be around next year. The tank needs daily care as well as funds – so who’s going to be taking over? No one can answer these questions better than Daniel, Daniel Kwok himself.

Hi Daniel (Daniel Kwok)!

• Before going on to the more important issues, can you tell us why you wanted to put a fish tank in the Comm Hall? You have several tanks in your room filled with shrimps and fish already, so why another one in Comm Hall?
• How much does it cost to actually maintain the tank?
  How do you get the funds all this while?
• Also, there are some concerns about the ownership of the fish tank. Is it yours, Kok Tiong’s, Raffles Hall, or the residents'?
• What’s going to happen after you leave?
• How can residents help to maintain the tank?
• On a lighter note, did you know that some residents actually name the fish after a few fellow residents? One of the newer fish – the biggest one (Betta Fusca) - is named ‘Sam’. Does ‘Sam’ take up too much space or eat up other fish?
• Which fish is the hardest to take care of? Is it the Chocolate Gourami? It seems to be a ‘high maintenance’ sort of fish.
• Do you encourage other residents to have their own fish tank? Why or why not?
• RH Fish Tank also has its own personal blog. Can you tell us more about that?
• Hmm, so how do the residents donate to the RH Fish Tank?
• Any last words to the residents?

(click on the hyperlinked questions to see the answers)

in RHM: What's the Cost?

How much does it cost to actually maintain the tank?
Let me break it down for a better understanding of the cost/expenditure from the beginning:
$641.90 Setting up the tank, including purchasing of the glass tank, cabinet, gravel, plants, basic equipment (filter, lights, fans, etc)
$211.70 Cost of the first batch of fishes/shrimps
$19.50 Cost of fish food in 2005
+$89.10 Cost of fishes/shrimps in 2005
$962.20 Total cost up till today (excluding miscellaneous stuff purchased with our own money like tubifex worms, whiteboard marker, scissors, etc)
Monthly upkeep would average about $25 for the purchasing of fish food, batteries for the automatic food timer, medicine if necessary, and tubifex worms on occasion.

How do you get the funds all this while?
Since I came up with the idea of the RH Fish Tank I never expected to recover the money I would eventually spend.
In the beginning I was using my savings to fund the RH Fish Tank because I wanted it to materialize before I graduated… As you would have experienced in Raffles Hall, you want something, you do it yourself. Therefore I got the necessary approval (NOT hall-allocated funds), and I got going. A week after the RH Fish Tank was set up, I set up a donations booth with the help of some kind friends, and to date we have collected a total of exactly $599. I used a lot of my own equipment and tools, and I have since considered them a complement of the RH Fish Tank (with a total cost of at least $200).
When I finally graduate the money I have invested in the RH Fish Tank will remain with the RH Fish Tank and whoever the next caretaker is…

(Back to main RHM article)

in RHM: Why?

Hi Daniel (Daniel Kwok)! Before going on to the more important issues, can you tell us why you wanted to put a fish tank in the Comm Hall? You have several tanks in your room filled with shrimps and fish already, so why another one in Comm Hall?

There were two reasons I set up the RH Fish Tank: (1) bring some color and life to the otherwise gloomy Hall, and (2) to give RH residents something to be proud of and have a sense of ownership over.
(1) Raffles Hall was quite “dead”: there was no life, there was nothing truly beautiful about the hall besides its central location and inherent greenery (we’re surrounded by grass/trees, even our hall t-shirts are green!), however there was nothing “alive” in Raffles Hall though.
(2) Face it RH residents: do you have anything in Raffles Hall you’re truly proud of? Besides the friends around you with whom you treasure your time with (playing bridge with, rehearsing for concert and events with, etc), there’s nothing you’re really proud of, are you? Do you go out there and say “I’m staying in Raffles Hall and I LOVE IT because of __________!”?I was hoping to give something to Raffles Hall that would bring the residents closer together, something they could relate to, something they would be proud to be a part of.

(Back to main RHM article)

in RHM: Ownership? Future?

Also, there are some concerns about the ownership of the fish tank. Is it yours, Kok Tiong’s, Raffles Hall, or the residents’?
Before I graduate I intend to discuss this matter with the incoming JCRC to determine what’s best for the future of the RH Fish Tank in Raffles Hall. Was it a good idea, in retrospect, to have the RH Fish Tank after 6 months in existence?
There are three possible options:1) RH Fish Tank belongs to me ultimately. Any extra funds required, I will settle. In the event it has to be removed in the future I would be responsible for taking it away.
2) RH Fish Tank belongs to the next caretaker (Kok Tiong), and in the following year the following caretaker (chosen by Kok Tiong). This way the RH Fish Tank caretaker would be fully responsible for it, money- and fish-wise such that there would be less chance of negligence.
3) RH Fish Tank belongs to RH residents. This would be complicated, and I don’t suppose the JCRC would want to figure out how to balance the delicate issue of forming a volunteer committee against the issuing of… I shall not interfere with political complications.

What’s going to happen after you leave?
After I leave, Kok Tiong will be the RH Fish Tank caretaker: performing maintenance and other RH Fish Tank stuff. On occasion I will drop by to see what I can do to help. When he thinks it’s best to pass the responsibility on, he will train up another person to take over, as I have trained him. Hopefully, this continues throughout the years and the RH Fish Tank would be a part of the Raffles Hall, something you can be proud to call “Our RH Fish Tank”.

(Back to main RHM article)

in RHM: Can I Help?

How can residents help to maintain the tank?
Residents can help by obeying the simple rules of the RH Fish Tank:
Don’t feed the fish; they will be fed by the caretaker.
Don’t tap/knock/touch the glass; you leave unsightly fingerprints, and it scares the fish.
Put aside $0.10 a day to donate to the RH Fish Tank fund so that the RH Fish Tank will survive after I leave. If you put aside $0.10 a day, you would be able to donate $3 a month; 400 RH residents would theoretically be able to donate $1200 a month! I’m dreaming…
Read the RH Fish Tank blog to learn more about the fish and their habitat!

(Back to main RHM article)

in RHM: Sam? Is It Easy?

On a lighter note, did you know that some residents actually name the fish after a few fellow residents? One of the newer fish – the biggest one (Betta Fusca) - is named ‘Sam’. Does ‘Sam’ take up too much space or eat up other fish?
That’s new… I didn’t know Sam was in the tank; and no, the Fusca doesn’t disturb the other fish more than Sam disturbs the other residents. However, I have heard of other names for the fish/shrimps… Samantha? Or was it Elizabeth? It doesn’t really matter what you name them as long as you can identify and appreciate them. J

Which fish is the hardest to take care of? Is it the Chocolate Gourami? It seems to be a ‘high maintenance’ sort of fish.
There isn’t a particular “high-maintenance fish” because the RH Fish Tank is a community of fish, and care has to be given to the tank as a whole… I’d like to say that it’s not simply “Step1: Add Water, Step2: Add Fish”.
But to answer the question about the Chocolate Gourami, yes, it is one of the more delicate species in the RH Fish Tank because it doesn’t take well to the constant stresses of being shocked by knocks/taps on the glass.

Do you encourage other residents to have their own fish tank? Why or why not?
No; not unless they have a passion for learning about them, how to care for them, how to provide a proper environment for them to live in, and how to treat them in times of illness. Many-a-times people keep fish because the fish look good when healthy and swimming around, but when the fish fall sick, the owners just leave them to suffer and die; would you like that to happen to you?

(Back to main RHM article)

in RHM: Blog? Donate? Lastly..

RH Fish Tank also has its own personal blog. Can you tell us more about that?
I set up the RH Fish Tank blog (www.rhfishtank.blogspot.com) so that RH residents can read and learn about informative and educational stuff regarding the RH Fish Tank. Information includes description of the flora and fauna, pictures of the fish in the tank, the various purposes of the equipment used, upcoming events or updates, and more!

Hmm, so how do the residents donate to the RH Fish Tank?
We haven’t set up an official system yet but I’m looking into options at the moment. Still, if anyone would like to donate, you can contact either Kok Tiong or myself, and your generosity will definitely be appreciated by us and the fish!! =)

Any last words to the residents?
The fish in RH Fish Tank told me to relay this message…
“The RH Fish Tank belongs to you, we hope you’ll respect and appreciate US!”

(Back to main RHM article)

Chocolate Fusca

Chocolate Gourami and Betta Fusca...

1 Betta Fusca died on Tuesday, it committed suicide by jumping out of the RH Fish Tank; found by Kok Tiong at the piano lounge carpet, dead. Kok Tiong insists it's the male which jumped, i have absolutely no idea, but the remaining Betta Fusca is going to be a little lonely all by itself.

1 Chocolate Gourami died on Tuesday as well, found floating at the surface skimmer; i suspect it couldn't adapt to the new environment and starved to death because it didn't take to fish flakes however delicious-smelling they were. The other fishes like the flakes though; just watch at feeding time, you'll understand why.

Our condolences to the kin of the Betta Fusca and Chocolate Gourami.

(click here to see previous Betta and Gourami entry)

Mailing List!

Ever missed out on some significant happening in the RH Fish Tank because you didn't visit the RH Fish Tank blog? Do you want to be informed of RH Fish Tank updates the moment it happens? Now you can be notified immediately!

Simply subscribe to the RH Fish Tank Mailing List, and I will email you whenever there are updates to the RH Fish Tank blog! Enter your name and email address, click "OK", and you're done!

No spam from the RH Fish Tank caretakers, only RH Fish Tank news and updates.

Fish/Plant Shopping...

Today we went on a fish and plant acquisition spree;
56 fishes and 2 plants bought:

Dwarf Rasbora (Boraras Maculata)
These are very small fish which frequently swim in schools. We got 50 of them to add life to the top portion of the RH Fish Tank as they are top-feeding and very active fish. The Boraras Maculata is as big as you see it, therefore these small fish are usually bought in large quantities; i was fighting the urge to buy 100 of these cuties.

Chocolate Gourami (Sphaerichthys Osphromenoides)
RH Fish Tank once had a lone Chocolate Gourami but it died of Ich in October, hopefully the 4 new Chocolate Gouramis added today will survive long term. The Chocolate Gourami is a top-feeder, getting its name from its rich-chocolate body colour. A fish sensitive to water quality, the Chocolate Gourami is a very demanding fish to keep. They will show signs of stress when water conditions are not right, thus do not be surprised if they do not survive too long. The Chocolate Gourami is a labyrinth fish, meaning that they have a labyrinth-like chamber in their head which allows them to breathe air from the surface instead of just the dissolved oxygen in the water.

Brown Betta (Betta Fusca)

These Brown Bettas are cousins of the common Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta Splendens) you see in fish shops everywhere, however the Betta Fuscas are not fighters and will live in harmony with the other community fishes in the RH Fish Tank. A pair of them (one male, one female) was added to add some variety to the otherwise colourful and schooling fish. If 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.

Eustralis Stellata
Two stems of the Eustralis Stellata were added to the right side of the RH Fish Tank because the previous occupant of the spot, the Hygrophillia Difformis (bright green with broad, jagged leaves) was growing too fast and deep-rooted to be easily maintained. We decided to replace the rampant Hygrophillia Difformis wth a more easily maintained plant, thus the Eustralis Stellata.

Red Tiger Lotus
The previous Red Tiger Lotus contribution by Tweety in December (click here to see previous Red Tiger Lotus entry) did not survive, reason unknown. Therefore upon seeing it at the shop today, i decided to give it another try to add a broad red-leafed plant into the RH Fish Tank. The Red Tiger Lotus is situated on the right side where the previous one was, at the corner of the Erect Moss.

Email. FAQ. Suggestions. Donations!

Official RH Fish Tank account!
If you've got suggestions, comments or complaints for the RH Fish Tank caretakers please send an email to rhfishtank@gmail.com. Only the RH Fish Tank caretakers will read the emails; currently Chee Kok Tiong and Daniel, Daniel Kwok.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The FAQ tool which was previously on the right panel has been removed because it was not used and is taking up precious web space. Most times questions were asked and answered in the Tag area, which is perfectly fine; an alternative would be via the RH Fish Tank Gmail account.

Suggestions
If you've got suggestions on anything with respect to the RH Fish Tank, please do approach any of the RH Fish Tank caretakers, or send an email to rhfishtank@gmail.com...

We're always looking forward to your suggestions in order to make the RH Fish Tank a better home for the fishes, as well as a viewing pleasure for you!

Donations!
We would like to set up a booth soon for the collection of RH Fish Tank donations in order for the RH Fish Tank to survive through the 3 months mid-year holiday (purchase of food, medicine, batteries for the equipment, maintenance).

You can contribute:
save $0.50 a day from today till the day the donations booth is set up, as well as volunteer to man the booth and encourage RH residents to donate!

Is that a Guppy? Babies! WORMS!

Is that a Guppy? No. The new addition to the RH Fish Tank is NOT the common Guppy.

The Endlers Poecilia (Poecilia sp. Endlers) is a fish which is similar in size and behavior as the common Guppy, and according to other fishkeepers' experiences the Endlers Poecilia can product offspring with the common Guppy; however the offspring are not fertile, therefore by definition the Endlers Poecilia are not of the same species as the common Guppy. These fishes were born in my personal fish tank and these were the fishes i was waiting for to grow bigger.


Mature Male Endlers (picture above) are very colourful with Orange, Yellow, Black and neon Blue patches, with two Orange streaks on the tail; Mature Female Endlers (picture below) have no significant colouration but are almost one and a half times bigger than the males.

6 Endlers were added to the RH Fish Tank:
3 suspected Females and 3 Males.
The 3 females are classified "suspected" because at the moment the only identifying feature is the blackish patch at the end of the abdomen (stomach) which i can see. They are still young and can only be confirmed to be females when they mature and have no significant colouration.
Of the 3 Males, 1 is a Mature Male (full colour developed) and the other 2 are Adolescent Males (colour starting to develop, starting with the Orange streak on the tail).

These are very active top-feeder fish meaning that you will be able to spot them darting around at the top of the RH Fish Tank. Endlers Poecilia have a high sex drive and you will very often see the mature males chasing the mature females for some action. Mature females may give birth to live young almost every month, and may give birth to up to 40 fry at one birthing. These hardy and very colourful fish can live up to 2 years.

Enjoy the non-stop action provided by these new additions!

Babies Alert!
There have been baby shrimps spotted in the RH Fish Tank, and the first person to notify of their existence is Quy! Thanx Quy, great observation! (my sincere apologies to Quy for previously crediting the discovery to someone else, my mistake)

I have not been able to determine if the babies are Neon Green, Cherry, or Malayan Shrimps because of the lack of colouration or identifying features. We will have to wait till they mature before their colours and identifying characteristics are more visible. In the meantime try to spot these cute critters as they grow up in our very own RH Fish Tank!

Wwwwwormssssss..!!!
Yes, worms.
We have fed the fishes in the RH Fish Tank live tubifex worms, twice in the past 3 weeks. They are fed via the inverse-conical tubifex worm feeder positioned in the usual feeding drop zone (within the square-straw) so that the fishes will know that the wriggling things = food.

Why feed them live tubifex worms?
Fish like fresh food and we would like to give them a variety of food as much as possible.

To observe the fishes feeding:
(1) Watch from a distance, (2) don't scare the fishes with sudden movements, and (3) enjoy watching them feed.

Those with a weak stomach or are averse to violence are advised to refrain from observing the feeding of live food (Live food feeding rated NC16; violent content).