A Welcome for Heiko and Ed

[raglanroad]

It's a rare thing for forums to have participation from the stars of our universe...

Heiko of course, everyone knows of. I can't add anything.

Ed has given us his personal experiences in the altum world, and in some threads members may remember enjoying the Altum Distribution Map Ed collated, and some of his experiences with fish, which I have posted in the last year or so. There are few people with particular experience so rich in our subject of interest. From river flow to rock formation, Venezuela is a living thing, not a word, when we hear it from Ed.

So this is a welcome to you both, Ed and Heiko. Hope time allows us to learn.

Dave

[Apistomaster]

Dave,
Did you forget anyone else? LOL
Oh well, stock will rise and stock will fall.
Signed,
One of the fallen ones.
Ed, thank you for dropping in and stick around. You too, rag.

[raglanroad]

hehe Larry. I already gave you some of your dues in the sticky thread. stick around ? I will, the dirty shirt always sticks closest.

wonder if Gran could be persuaded to spend some time here ? hmmm ? Maybe he'll get some Heckels breeding. He's been quiet though. He did get those adult altums...I'm getting suspicious already...
D

[puertoayacucho]

Thanks to both of you Larry, Dave, to be able to share and come to learn more with people like Heiko Bleher, Alec McFarlane, both of you and so many others I am not yet acquainted with is my honor.

Discus to me has been a little frustrating in the sense that I have only been able to appreciate it as "the King of Aquariums Fish" but I've never actually had one in my net in the wild. Worst thing yet, is having been so close, but at the wrong time. While I kept them (and I expect to do so again) it was very self rewarding.

So much progress has been made in discus as of the 70's that there is really not much else to do as far as breeding and strain development goes.

I do feel that we have fallen behind in safeguarding and perpetuating the base species and wild strains. But this is being taken care of by Mr. Bleher, who I understand is providing us with a prime insight into the discus biome through his recent publications (which I am still pending to buy). I am sure that the heckel discus, supported on this information, will soon benefit from the enlightened ability of aquarists to help preserve this beautiful species.

With what is happening in the Amazon and Orinoco River basins, we all should every day be more concerned to breed and preserve these species. Recent contacts with colleagues in Venezuela have informed me that in the case of Pterophyllum altum, (and coinhabiting species) the species' northern area of distribution is being drastically affected by deforestation for rural development. I expect that in the near future it will be harder to come by P. altum from the less remote collection areas near Puerto Ayacucho, forcing more collection from Cataniapo down to Atabapo. Rural access routes are under development that will reach well into "altum heartland" and mining is severely increasing in restricted areas of Alto Orinoco Municipality which was supposed to be protected by a "Special Law for Indigenous Reserve Land". And I have not mentioned the more stringent, even abusive export policies being imposed from the Venezuelan side forcing the catch to be marketed (smuggled) through Pt. Inirida in Colombia, which is much more profitable.

So now, the Amazon Rainforest is under attack by two flanks, North and South. Mother Nature seems to be running out of time.

Ed

[Apistomaster]

Hi to all my friend's and friend's of wild fish,

Preserving wild phenotypes is an important aspect of fish husbandry. A little less emphasis on the domestics and more on the wild types would be a wise move for us and our childrens' future as the next generations of aquarists may not have the option of collecting wild types in the future. They are perfect as they are, anyway.
Larry Waybright

[brewmaster15]

Larry,
I too would like to see more work done on the wilds...sadly though.. the inherent value in the wild genotypes is not going to be saved except by saving the habitat that gave life and diversity to these wilds. The destruction of the habitat is ultimately what will do in these fish, imo..:(

-al

ps..Ed...I welcomed you else where.. and Heiko, I have sent you an email :) welcome again!

[Apistomaster]

Al,
I agree completely. Still it would be nice to have more line bred wild types maintained instead of such an emphasis on the domestic varieties.
Each has a place in the hobby but a wild type is just so nice to have. They look so much better matched against the background of well aquascaped planted tank than something more distractingly gaudy to me.

It boils down to just personal taste. But there is merit in keeping the natural species available in tank raised fish free of parasites and well adjusted to life in captivity for those who like the classic discus' Just some wishful thinking on my part.

Larry

[puertoayacucho]

Larry,
I too would like to see more work done on the wilds...sadly though.. the inherent value in the wild genotypes is not going to be saved except by saving the habitat that gave life and diversity to these wilds. The destruction of the habitat is ultimately what will do in these fish, imo..:(

-al

ps..Ed...I welcomed you else where.. and Heiko, I have sent you an email :) welcome again!

Yep... you might want to visit http://www.finarama.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=19

Here I express some of my updated concerns on conservation in the Orinoco Basin and Rio Negro watershed regions.

Ed