Author: Dennis Ball

Feeling so much better



Devario pathirana
Photo by Dennis Ball

It has been a long cold winter here in central Ohio. Just about the time the weather was breaking I came down with the flu or some other nasty respiratory ailment.  Today is the first time I’ve really felt good in just over a month.

At any rate, my plans for first-of-the-year spawning projects went right out the window.  I have been wildly successful with spawning some ABN’s though.

My very good friend Bob, also a C.A.F.E. member, gave me an extra male ABN he had.  This was around the end of February.  After about 6 weeks of sweet talking one of my female ABN’s they set-up house keeping.  They seem to be a very good match as they are producing about 40 fry every 30 days now!

Male Albino Bushy Nose with fry.
Photo by Dennis Ball

Even though my spawning projects have suffered, there’s been lots going on.  I’ll try to get caught up here in the next few weeks.

Nannostomus mortenthaleri
Photo by Dennis Ball

We had another Convention at C.A.F.E., I picked up some super cool fish at the silent auction, etc.

Be back soon!

Devario acrostomus spawning



Devario acrostomus
Photo by Dennis Ball

Back in October I picked up a bag of Devario acrostomus at the C.A.F.E. fall auction, (https://ballaquatics.com/general/devario-acrostomus-a-fall-auction-treasure/).  Well for lack of a better place to keep them, I put them into a 20 gallon long that was over-grown with some vals that I had picked up at the C.A.F.E. spring auction.  Can you tell I really like the local club auctions? Continue reading Devario acrostomus spawning

Intellectually Stimulating



I’ve waited months for this on-line class I signed up for to start.  It’s over at Coursera, (https://www.coursera.org/course/humanevolution), and called “Human Evolution: Past and Future”.  It’s one of those subjects that my grandfather got me interested in when I used to spend the summers with them.

At any rate, I was watching one of the introductory videos and this lady was stating how her field studies were “Intellectually Stimulating” by making her broaden her interests.  That’s when it hit me.  That is exactly what has kept me in the fishkeeping hobby all these years…  it is very Intellectually Stimulating. Continue reading Intellectually Stimulating

Spawning Plans…..



Leopard Danio
Photo by Dennis ball

There are just too many fish and not enough time.  I guess that’s why I feel compelled to put together a spawning plan every year of the fish I’d like to work with.  Going through the fish room it’s easy to rule out some of the fish.  The 046, 183 & 201 plecos are all too young to spawn yet.  I have plenty of Danio roseus, D. kerri, D. rerio var. frankei, D meghalayensis, Devario assamensis, and D. acrostomus on hand already. Continue reading Spawning Plans…..