Habitat information.

[MatsP]

As per this thread we should have a "habitat" database with information on the habitat of a particular species.

I think this belongs more in the "husbandry" section than the "distribution" section, and I imagine something like this:

Chaetostoma species:
...
...
Distribution:
Some mountain stream in the Andes.
...
Husbandry section:
...
Habitat: Cool, fast-running mountain streams with fist-sized rounded rocks. For more information click here.

Panaque maccus:
...
...
Distribution:
Rio Orinoco and tributaries.
...
Husbandry section:
...
Habitat: Wood tangles in medium flow river sections. For more information click here

The link above should lead to a page that have a more detailed description of the habitat, with pictures of the typical habitat, suggestions of how to recreate it in an aquarium, etc, etc.

--
Mats

[grokefish]

good plan

[Jools]

Yes, I agree. What we need first though is a list of habitats. We also need to remember that some fish are migratory. Many of the big pims move out of the main channels to spawn for example. Thus, young fish live in different habits from adult ones.

If someone organsises a list of biotopes, I will add them in and work out a way to allow the data submission form to capture this data.

HOWEVER, are we looking at this the wrong way around? Should we define and document a list of tank set-ups around a particular biotope and define that the species in question will live happily in them? This might be of more interest to aquarists and is also a new and fresh slant on the thing.

I've noticed than when someone writes a really good "how-to" on a particular set-up, people really enjoy copying it and adding their own touches.

This also fits in with what is kicking around in the far back of my head about a "My Tanks" facility which allows you to define where you are keeping your "MY Cats" and could also benefit from this addition.

Jools

[Shane]

HOWEVER, are we looking at this the wrong way around? Should we define and document a list of tank set-ups around a particular biotope and define that the species in question will live happily in them? This might be of more interest to aquarists and is also a new and fresh slant on the thing.

Brilliant idea. Defining geohydrological areas is not the same as defining typical "biotope" aquaria designs. I could see a three part resource evolving...

A) Mega: Type(s) or theme(s) of aquaria appropriate to house the sp in question. For some specialist spp this may be rather limited, but for some generalists a number of possible set ups would be fine.

B) Macro: Geohydrological region. e.g. Maracaibo Basin, highveld southern African rivers, or SE Asian peat swamps.

C) Micro: Listing of recorded catch/range locations.

Under "Mega" we would be looking at maybe two dozen themes or "biotopes," under Macro several hundred regions, and at the Micro level possibly several tens of thousands of localities.

A couple of examples
Chaetostoma dupouii
Mega: subtropical high gradient streams
Macro: Rio Tuy basin, Venezuela
Micro: (all rivers, creeks, streams in the Tuy basin)

Chiloglanis pretoriae
Mega: subtropical high gradient streams
Macro: Montane-escrapment region of South Africa
Micro: (all rivers, creeks, etc in Drakensburg and Limpopo system's drainages)

Bottom line, as far aquarists care, is that these two genera need similar captive care and could be housed together.
There is a bit of biotope type info in some articles on the site, but we would have to define the possibilities (from temperate to tropical).
-Shane

[Jools]

I could see a three part resource evolving...

A) Mega: Type(s) or theme(s) of aquaria appropriate to house the sp in question. For some specialist spp this may be rather limited, but for some generalists a number of possible set ups would be fine.

B) Macro: Geohydrological region. e.g. Maracaibo Basin, highveld southern African rivers, or SE Asian peat swamps.

C) Micro: Listing of recorded catch/range locations.

OK, if I understand this right then, what I propose in terms of a list of tank set-ups (and pictures + articles?) is (A) which is based on habitat.

(B) is Mats' occurrences / distribution project which is pretty well proven and covers most of the cat-elog already.

(C) is essentially PFK's fishmapper (I'm working on a very early attempt at this for the cat-elog - it just needs gallons of time). I have asked PFK about it but their code is protected by IPR copyright. Sadly but understandably. Mind you, that does mean when we write an equivalent it'll be hooked into our own needs.

Primarily at Shane and Mats, does this make sense to you guys or do I need to explain more?

Jools

[Shane]

I think I have it. A series of articles on theme or biotope tanks will have to be prepared. These articles would then be links in the Cat-eLog under "Captive Habitat" or some such entry. This really is not that big of a deal and should be fun. I am still sitting on circa 12 empty tanks, so I have plenty of blank canvas.
-Shane

[Back]

Bringing up an old thread...

Either I'm totally blind (not impossible) or the plans in the above posts was never realized.

To start with I'd be very excited in seeing a collection of pictures and/or info about biotope aquariums (maybe that also exists despite not found one).
Natural habitats are of course very interesting and we can find several in Shane's World.
But I'd also like to find a place where several enthusiasts have posted pictures and info/philosophy about their attempts in trying to copy/creating/building a certain habitat or biotope.
- Maybe just a normal forum thread or even a specific place on this site.
- Something where one can find inspiration and ideas when building the tank interior.
Those biotope tanks are here already - at least some. It's just that they are spread out in the forum.

Edit: Well yes... there is already a lot of really good material in Shane's World - Catfishology but I do love pictures - lots of them.

[MatsP]

Indeed it has not yet been implemented. There is only one and a half developer working part time on Planet Catfish. Jools is the "one", me being the "half". And the "spare" time we spend on Planet Catfish is split between a lot of other administrative/maintenance tasks, such as adding pictures and new species, fixing up things that are broken in general, etc, etc.

And even if we added the fields for habitat to the database, it's still a VERY major task to add the information per species on the 2400+ species in the Cat-eLog - the main problem here is that it's often poorly understood what the habitat of the fish is - at least by hobbyists in general.

--
Mats

[Back]

I truly understand and I'm fully aware of the workload starting up such a project besides all the work that has to be done just keeping PlanetCatfish running - and running so incredibly fine too.

Thats why such an inspirational "picture archive" maybe should be a normal Tank Talk thread. Then of course it'd be up to all the visitors to make it happen - a bit like the thread "Arjenk's Tank" which is perfect when it comes to inspirational eye candy.
As a thread it would mostly be random biotope tanks without much organisation between different places or habitats.

So, without just sitting at the computer, trying to make someone else do the job/start a thread just so that I'd be satisfied I could be a good sport and start one my self. And I think I'd do that if I had the combination of confidence and a good biotope tank.

Edit: ...And accuracy regarding biotopes in such a thread would be questionable but of course a matter of discussion.

[Jools]

Unless someone owns this and creates or leads the creation of the articles and zones they talk to, then I think it's going into the bin.

I'm happy to write a few articles to support the effort for my part.

Jools

[Shane]

I still like this idea. Maybe something that could be filed away as a potential future project?
-Shane

[Jools]

Yes, this topic can be kept here (the enhancement forum) indefinitely.

Jools