WHEN ?

[Jim Sachs]

There won't be guppies. Anybody out there with real tropicals?

Jim,
In my experience with freshwater tropicals (it's been a few years, but I remember some things), periodically pretty much all the fish would expand their gills like they were stretching. Not all at the same time, but now and then. Otherwise I don't remember a lot of gill movement, especially on the small fish like neons where it would be hard to see anyway unless it was very pronounced. Of course, Bettas do some major gill action when posturing, but really only then if I remember right.
I agree though that some gill movement, even once in a while, is important for realisticity. Speaking of real though, ragged nipped fins and various diseases are pretty real, but probably not desireable in the tank. I can live without gill movement (yeah, I know I don't have gills anyway; good thing), since I really don't see any in the MA and it sure looks real to me.

[Jim Sachs]

Nearly all the fish in the MA will have gill movement when I do the re-design. In watching saltwater fish, I've noticed that they really do some heavy breathing. It's just over the last few days that I've noticed that the freshwater fish in these videos do not. Even in extreme closeups for long periods of time, virtually no gill movement is detectable in any of the 20-or-so species filmed. Angelfish were notably absent, though.

[ESHIREY]

hehehehehe I have a 55gal tank with Real fresh water fish .Don't get me wrong , in the past I had swardtails , tigerbarbs , zebra and mollies , and so on . To me those are beginner fish . The angels and Discus were sweet . (the discus is the King of the fresh water tank ) I had a 55gal of just Discus for about 5 years .

Anyway , back to my tank . I have 2 Green Severn's (they move there mouth and gills all the time ),a firemouth (the same with him) , A Convict (the same with him) A Blue acara (moves mouth and gills a little , not as much as the others) , 2 Plecostomus 1 is an albino (they move there mouth only a little when sitting still .But when they are on the glass or eating there mouth goes like grazy) And A Green terror (moves his mouth and gills slowly) . I know I only have 6 fish and 2 bottom dwellers , but I had these fish a long time ago and knew how big they get . Which they are all full grown now.

Anyway I hope this helps .

[Jim Sachs]

Thanks - yes, it does help.

[IXNAY]

Yeah, I remember my guppies doing the same...

[Jim Sachs]

No guppies.

[cjmaddy]

It's been some years now since I had my Freshwater Tropicals, but I did keep fish for many years. My memory is of how large the gill movements can at times be, particularly with Angel fish! - Also they could open their mouths alarmingly wide! - (enough to swallow a Neon!) - and at times I'm afraid they did !!!
I agree with what others have said, - that the gill movement is not always obvious with some fish, and varies over time. - ...... But they all have to breathe!

Have you not got a Tropical Fish store you could visit?

Edit! - Jim, Why not put a few fish in that tank you have?

[IXNAY]

Hum, why no guppies??? Aren't they typical freshwatertank inhabitants???

[Jim Sachs]

Guppies and goldfish are not tropical fish.

[Jim Sachs]

Cliff - I did go to an aquarium store today, and observed many species very closely. Even on VERY close inspection I could barely detect any mouth or gill movement associated with breathing, even with angelfish. The only exception was a freshwater puffer that was very active, and did have a little gill movement.

I'm thinking it may be a function of how much oxygen is present in the water. As long as there are a lot of bubbles, the fish seem to get enough O2 without any gill movement.

[feldon34]

There seem to be whole websites dedicated just to the temperature range in which guppies can live.

They do seem to be happy in the same temperature range (75-85) as all the other fish in the Freshwater tank, compared to the 65-70 of goldfish.

http://home.clara.net/xenotoca/temperat.htm

Not trying to challenge anything, just that, realistically, they would thrive in the Freshwater Aquarium.

[Yellow Tang]

Wouldn't that be a nice feature: if you turn off the bubbles the fish begin to move their gills.
No, wait, this is not a simulation. They have enough oxygen, even with no bubbles!

[cjmaddy]

Jim, - I think you could have a point there! - In my large main tank I never had an air stone, (ie. bubbles), because I always used under gravel filtration. - That type of filter just has a slow column of large bubbles rising up inside a tube in the corner of the tank. It's a very good system, particularly for plants! ...... But maybe my fish were always gasping for breath!!! ...... They always lived a long time though!

Either that, or my memory is going! ...... It was 1960 - 1980 ! ...... Sorry!

A point about Guppies!

Guppies and goldfish are not tropical fish.

Here in the UK Guppies have always been regarded as tropical, true they can stand lower temperatures, but here cold water means cold water! ..... Goldfish live under the ice in our garden ponds in winter, hence the need for a deep area in the pond! ....... We don't only have ice in our refrigerators!

[Wizwad]

Originally posted by cjmaddy
but here cold water means cold water! ..... Goldfish live under the ice in our garden ponds in winter, hence the need for a deep area in the pond! ....... We don't only have ice in our refrigerators!

LOL

You tell 'em, Cliff! Especially those living in places like Florida and California! Honestly, they don't know they're born!

[Tiny Turtle]

Shesh. Ponds? Outdoors in the winter? – Can you say frozen solid?

/Tiny Temps

P.S.
Up here we like to think the English weather is always rainy and dreary (correct word?), but everytime I've visited the British isles (haven't been north of Sheffield), there has been some sort of heat-wave going on. – Like four weeks with a grand total of five minutes of rain...

[Wizwad]

You're welcome any time, Tiny. My address is: Bluebell Wood, Bi...

England isn't dreary. Well, north of Sheffield it might be, but not down here.

[ducks and runs]

[cjmaddy]

Tiny,

Unfortunately, it feels like the last four weeks have had a grand total of five minutes of sun!

Well not quite that bad, - but shall we say it's been wet!

As for Mark's comment, ..... least said about anyone south of Watford, the better!

[Tiny Turtle]

for both of you

[FrogMastr]

By what standard define a Tropical fish?

Was not temperature?

Guppies prefers 75-80F so warm water...
Could we get Guppies Pleases.....

Just for the babys spawning... it is worth to be there!!!!