Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
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- Ocio
Ben, owner of Water Colors Aquarium Gallery in Grand Rapids, MI is joined by his store managers Amy and Charles to discuss the aquarium hobby.
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Nano Plants
Aquacaping is all about scale and perspective. Using the incorrect plants in nano tanks can often ruin the sense of scale. In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses their top 5 plants suitable for smaller tanks! There is a variety of species covered, ranging in color, texture, and care. This comprehensive list should provide a great reference for new and experienced aquarists alike! What’s your favorite plant for nano aquariums?
*Editor’s note: We experienced a few minor audio issues in this episode, apologies for the inconvenience
Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/
Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/
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Species mentioned in this episode:
Microsword, lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae, lilaeopsis mauritiana
Golden nesaea, ammania pedicellata
Anubias ‘nana petite’, anubias baertier var. ‘nana’
Marsilea quadrifolia, marsilea crenata, marsilea minuta
Hydrocotyle tripartita
Valisneria gracilis
Juncus repens
Pogostemon helferi
Rotala mexicana
Crypt parva, crypt lucens, crypt willisii
Marimo moss balls
Sußwassertang
Cardinal plant, lobelia cardinalis
Ammania gracilis
Mini bolbitis, Bolbitis Heteroclita ‘Difformis‘
Bucephalandra, ‘needle leaf mini’
Micranthemum
Dwarf hair grass, Eleocharis Parvula
Glossostigma
Dwarg sagittaria, Sagittaria subulata
Blyxa japonica
Rosette sword, Echinodorus parviflorus
Eriocaulon ‘Vietnam’ -
Coldwater Marine Aquariums
In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses some incredible saltwater organisms that require cooler temperatures, as well as some examples of cold-water marine tanks and how to pull them off appropriately. Understand that cold-water aquariums are fundamentally different than our typical reef tanks. They generally require expensive chillers, many of the organisms from these environments have slower metabolic rates, the nitrogen cycle is dramatically slowed in cooler temperatures, and let’s not forget about condensation! What cold-water species would you keep?
Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/
Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/
Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery
Species/examples mentioned in this episode:
Caribbean Biotope: yellow gorgonian, tubastraea, coral banded shrimp
Macroalgae “tidepool” style tank
Catalina goby, lythrypnus dalli
Thick-horned nudibranch, hermissenda crassicornis
Bimac octopus, octopus bimaculoides
Garibaldi damselfish, hypsypops rubicundus
Pacific spiny lumpsucker, eumicrotremus orbis
Horn shark, heterodontus francisei
Lined seahorse, hippocampus erectus -
Grasses and Friends
This episode is all about grass-like plants and how to grow them! Technically, only species from the family poacea are true grasses – but for the purpose of this episode, we extend the label to anything long and ‘grassy.’ Utilizing these plants in your home aquariums can add some excellent contrast in texture to your aquascapes. From fine-leaved eriocaulon plumes to short and manicured dwarf hairgrass carpets, we cover a variety of grassy plants in this top 5 list.
Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/
Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/
Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery
Species mentioned in this episode:
Hygroryza aristata
Poacea sp. ‘Purple bamboo’
Eriocaulon sp. ‘Feather duster’
Eriocaulon sp. ‘Malayatoor’
Eleocharis acicularis, Dwarf Hairgrass
Vallisaneria gracilis
Vallisaneria nana
Helanthium bolivianum ‘Quadrocostatus’
Helanthium tenellum
Juncus repens
Eleocharis montevidensis, Giant Hairgrass
Sagtittaria subulata, Dwarf sag
Syringodium filiforme, Manatee grass
Blyxa japonica
Cyprus helferi
Utricularia graminifolia
Crinum calimastratum -
Marine Snails
Marine snails are much more than just a clean up crew! The available species are diverse and complex, with some even living up to 40 years! The Water Colors team discusses all you need to know when keeping marine snails in your home aquariums, including care for these amazing invertebrates, species profiles, and how we can keep them more ethically.
Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/
Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/
Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery
Species mentioned in this episode:
Margarita snails (margarites pupillus)
Bumblebee snails (engina mendicaria)
Crown conch (melongena corona)
Babylon snails (babylonia spirata)
Conchs (Genus strombus)
Fighting conchs (strombus alatus)
Moon snails (Family Naticidae)
Turbo snails (Genus turbo)
Chestnut turbo snails (turbo castanea)
Mexican turbo snails (turbo fluctuosus)
Trochus snails (trochus radiatus)
Astrea snails (lithopoma americanum)
Ninja star astrea snails (lithopoma phobium)
Stomatella (stomatella planulata)
Nerite snails (Family neritidae)
Cerith snails (Family cerithiidae)
Nassarius snails (Family nassariidae)
Lettuce sea slugs (Superorder sacoglossa) -
Conservation Projects and How to Get Involved
Many of our values here at Water Colors are derived from an understanding that the aquarium industry is inherently harmful to the planet, and in turn, to the fish we love. We tend to harp on these negative impacts in an effort to better understand how we can improve our own practices, and push for changes in the industry we love.
In this episode, however, the Water Colors team focuses more on the positive, sharing their top 3 conservation projects led by some amazing people and passionate organizations! These incredible conservationists are making strides to preserve and protect many of the environments our favorite fish come from, as well as supporting the people that live there. From rainforests to our own backyards, we encourage our listeners to consider donating to these excellent causes if they have the means. Links for all projects mentioned will be listed below.
Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/
Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/
Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery
Conservation Efforts mentioned in this episode:
Sumatran Eco Project: https://www.sumeco.id/help-us/
The George Maier Fund: https://aka.org/!area_WordPress/make-a-donation-to-the-gmf/
Bocas Mariculture: https://www.bocasmariculture.com/
Devil’s Hole Pupfish: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/ash-meadows/get-involved
Korup Rainforest Conservation Society: https://www.korup-conservation.org/
Rising Tide Conservation: https://www.risingtideconservation.org/donate/
PADI Aware Foundation: https://donate.padiaware.org/
Raincoast Research Society: https://raincoastresearch.org/support-our-science/get-involved/
RIPPLE: https://www.michigan.gov/invasives/take-action/landowners-gardeners-pond-owners/ripple
Salmon in the Classroom: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/education/educators/sic
Project Piaba: https://projectpiaba.org/donate/
Seafood Watch: https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/join-give/ways-to-give/give -
Zebra Danios: Saving the World One Fish at a Time
In this episode, we take a focused look at zebra danios, AKA zebrafish or Danio rerio. Zebra danios are one of the most iconic aquarium fish due to their hardiness, abundance, and high energy. Because of this, aquarists can often view them as beginner fish, but they’re so much more than that. Charles and the Water Colors team discuss the use of zebrafish as model organisms for genetic research, and how they could be the link to some incredible breakthroughs in modern science. We’ll also take a look at some breeding techniques used in laboratory settings, as well as some fascinating behaviors exhibited by one of the most overlooked species in the aquarium hobby.
Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/
Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/
Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery