Reliable Fish Data

[razorkai]

I decided to produce a table of all my fish and their various requirements/preferences so that I could see if there are any problems and work out what new fish I could get. I started with these columns

Name
Size
PH
KH
Preferred Temperature Range

Then I started getting all the data I needed from [URL="http/www.liveaquaria.com"]http/www.liveaquaria.com[/URL]

Just to be sure I started cross referencing at other sites, including this one. It soon became clear that there is no consistency between websites and that it is almost imossible to know which are the real figures for a given fish. Does anyone have any opinions as to reliable sources for this kind of data? Who do you trust?

 

[smmetz]

A couple years ago I attempted to gather data for some fish and make a searchable fish database. I found the same problem. (link to my database in my sig). In my experience, I found these sites to be good, to name a few: (I always checked at least 3 sources though, no matter what)

www.planetcatfish.com
badmanstropicalfish.com
fishbase.org

I don't remember a lot since I have not added anything to my database in about a year. (always mean to get back to it, but never do)

 

[shroob]

If its an individual fish I need to know about, and I get conflicting info of websites I normally post on forums. The people who have actually had experience keeping these fish usually tell me accurate data about the fish in question. With a database however I don't think it would be realistic to post a question about every fish, if only for the time it would take.

I suppose one route you could take is go to specialist fish websites, eg. if you wanted to know about cichlids go to cichlid-forum, or if you wanted killifish to go a killifish site, beyond that I don't really know other than to just try as many sources as possible and use the information you deem most credable.

 

[razorkai]

A couple years ago I attempted to gather data for some fish and make a searchable fish database. I found the same problem. (link to my database in my sig). In my experience, I found these sites to be good, to name a few: (I always checked at least 3 sources though, no matter what)

www.planetcatfish.com
badmanstropicalfish.com
fishbase.org

I don't remember a lot since I have not added anything to my database in about a year. (always mean to get back to it, but never do)

Just checked out your database and all I can say is... cool! Shame you don't have more time to add to it. Thanks for the links!

If its an individual fish I need to know about, and I get conflicting info of websites I normally post on forums. The people who have actually had experience keeping these fish usually tell me accurate data about the fish in question. With a database however I don't think it would be realistic to post a question about every fish, if only for the time it would take.

I suppose one route you could take is go to specialist fish websites, eg. if you wanted to know about cichlids go to cichlid-forum, or if you wanted killifish to go a killifish site, beyond that I don't really know other than to just try as many sources as possible and use the information you deem most credable.

That's the problem, how to know which sites are credible. I agree that the specialist sites are more likely to have the real facts but then again...

 

[Bignose]

Some of the best knowledge comes from the scientific journal articles. Specifically, the first paper or two or three that the discovery is announced. This info isn't easy to find, however, you have to have a very well stocked library.

Even this can be problematic, simply because nature is problematic. The pHs and temperature of bodies of water change... is it the rainy season or a drought? Summer, spring, winter, or fall? Was it a normal season or abnormal? The vast majority of the time, the scientists don't have the resources to stick around and get the whole picture -- they usually just sample the water the fish are found in. For example, three sources on the lemon tetra suggests their pHs of 6.5 to 7.2, of 5.5 to 8.0, and of 6.6 to 8.0. Which one is right? They all probably are to a certain extent, that and fish are usually very adaptable to pH, that in this question it actually is possible to be too exact. There probably is no one pH that is "perfect" -- what is perfect is a rather sizable range of pH's, and the same can probably be said for temperature, and hardness, too, for almost all fish.

 

[SuperColey1]

One of the main problems you will find is that there are so many variables on the Ph and temperature side of things when in fact what is best is the stabilty and consistency of these 2.

For example some sites have guidelines that would make you think that you could only keep a certain fish in Ph 7.0-7.4 and temperatures of 26-28ºC.

In reality this isn't true and as long as the Ph/temperature is not fluctuating then you can keep almost any fish together as long as they are compatible. Ph and temperature are castly overplayed on many sites where in reality the fish are much more adaptable than you would think.

Within reason people shouldn't worry about either, meaning of course that if your fish is tropical then don't put it in a coldwater tank or if your fish is from 4Ph then don't put it in 10Ph.

a few degrees and a couple of Ph away from the suggested will not harm the fish at all and if we stuck to the guidelines almost every tank would be a species tank rather than community setups.

andy