Recreating the Atabapo | Biotope Seminar & Workshop in Malta

Chris Englezou Biotope, Chris Englezou, Community 5 Comments

Last week I flew over to the beautiful Mediterranean island of Malta as an invited guest to speak at the “Journey into an Aquarium” seminar which took place at the National Aquarium Malta.  This event was organised by Andy Bugeja of Aqualine Malta, the Maltese distribution agent for Naturekind Advanced Fish Food and featured some other great speakers also including Chris Ingham (Author of the book Discus World), Tristan Camilleri (Director of the Malta Aquaculture Directorate) and Raymond Caruana (The Killifish Conservation Project).   I had the pleasure of being able to speak in great detail with the aquariums curator Daniel …

Biotope Aquarium Set-Up at Maidenhead Aquatics, Melksham

Chris Englezou Biotope, Biotopes of South America, Community, Events 5 Comments

This weekend I had the pleasure and honour of been invited to Melksham by the aquatic chain store Maidenhead Aquatics to take part in the Wiltshire Plecos & Catfish Study Group gathering. The events are held at different times throughout the year in the aim of bringing fishkeeping enthusiasts of all levels together to provide educational talks and unite the community; they also are a great opportunity to ogle at some truly exceptional fishes and maybe even take a few home. The manager of Melksham’s branch is James Gulliver and with the help of Nick Ridout and the other members …

Lecture and Biotope Workshop for the British Cichlid Association

Chris Englezou Biotope, Chris Englezou, Community, Events Leave a Comment

This past weekend I had the distinct privilege to be invited to speak at the British Cichlid Association summer convention at the Brittania Hotel in Wigan. I was also asked to do one of my biotope aquarium workshops which teach fish keepers how to recreate a natural aquatic habitat in their aquarium using only biotope-correct species and decor. The event had a humble attendance including some of the most reputable fish keepers in the country, some of whom it was an honour to have listen to my thoughts and experiences. My talk was entitled “Pterophyllum altum and the other angelfishes” …

Rio Nanay biotope workshop at Maidenhead Aquatics in Melksham

Chris Englezou Biotope, Biotopes of South America, Chris Englezou, Community, Events 4 Comments

This weekend I was invited once again over to Melksham by Maidenhead Aquatics to demonstrate another authentic biotope aquarium set-up. On my last visit here I showed how to recreate the Rio Atabapo during the high water season and this time after consulting with the Maidenhead team about what options we could work with, I gave my suggestions and once the fish list was confirmed, I decided on a biotope aquarium based on a lake along the Rio Nanay in the dry season.  The team at Melksham went right out of their way to try and ensure we had some interesting …

Can owner interaction improve fish digestion?

Chris Englezou Community, Fish Health 2 Comments

Here at C.E. Fish Essentials, we receive questions upon questions daily about the best products, best way to feed fish and occasionally a question or two from the more scientifically literate about digestion. Finding ways to improve nutritional uptake and digestion in ornamental fish species is central to the core ethos of our company. In fact, it’s what sets us apart from all the rest; that being said, it is not easy to devise new and inventive ways for fish to absorb nutrients! One of my key ‘fish nutrition’ interests as of late has been the connection between mental stimuli …

A Simple Guide for Discus Show Organizers

Cuneyt Birol Community, Discus Fish, Events Leave a Comment

This article is written to help Club Administrators and Show Organizers get prepared for a show with a minimum number of mistakes. Even though it is written for the Discus Shows, most of the facts written here apply to all kinds of shows with aquatic content. THE VENUE The venue where the show will be held should be chosen with utmost care. If possible, its location should be as close as possible to the airport and also to the official show hotel. If possible, choose a hotel in the same building complex as the venue (or a hotel in the …