FISHIOLOGY

Its been awhile since I find time to groom my maru, I was busy at work and neglected them, I've sold 2 of the 4 maru I've kept so other hobbyist can properly take care of them. But recently there is a new product in the market that kick start my curiosity again. I found a product that uses Red Kelakai for light Tannins and as we know from earlier research that red kelakai (Red Fern - Stenochlaena palustris) is packed with anthocyanin the active ingredients that color up fishes and just like astaxanthin the red pigment enhancer they somehow at the sametime increases flower development. Second product that I found is the Dissolve Organic Carbon, organic carbon if you've been following my progress is the soul of the peat swamp. The dark water, the low PH are the echoes of the carbon. And from that vibration comes flowers. I reset a tank and added in Light Tannins with anthocyanin and also Dissolved Organic Carbon, I restart the CO2 injections and light it up with my HO T5 ...

As per my request to my collector for more samples of Terengganu Marulioides I'm glad he took the task seriously and after our expedition he had ventured into more areas to get more samples of the Terengganu Marulioides. As shown previously of the river marulioides collected 50km south of the variant Terengganu habitat Last weekend he went the other way 100km southeast of the variant Terengganu habitat and returned with the below samples. Now these really blurs the line of the variant Terengganu. As from the above image, the scale flowers has some adjoining type on the black spotting, the finnage is typical Var. Terengganu, but they have lesser band. At the variant Terengganu site I have not seen a single piece with 4 bands, the lease of them are 5 wide bands. Where else the river type has shorter and lesser bands but still clearly chevron pattern bands. Typical of river marulioides or open water marulioides they have less flower naturally. Lets hope ...

My recent study of the Channa Marulioides variant Terengganu had got me really curious of this fish and I just have to see their natural habitat for myself of this very special variant  before all is gone. During my arowana days I kept wishing that I was there before the last wild golden Arowana was captured but it was a little too late for that. Too little was done by the authority to preserved the Arowana and it is now a sad history. For the Terengganu var I still have the chance and I will not let this get by. I'm sure many of you are just as curious to see the habitat as well. I spoke to a marulioides collector and explained that I was running a blog and I wish to document the variant's habitat before it goes extinct. After some negotiation they finally invited me for an expedition to Terengganu to document the habitat with a non disclosure agreement especially the exact location point, the capturing technique of adult maru and the baby maru. Also how they transport t...

These are my Terengganus update they are about 5 inches now. The flower formation is still strong and some flowers has started growing pass the gold line. There are a lot of terengganus out there and to choose a Terengganu it is most important that you take note of the entire batch of fish. If they are above 4" and you do not notice any flowers developing then they are probably open water fish. Swamp Terengganus starts flowers formation at very young age, they begin as early as 3". Never fall into the band trap. Band does not dictate flowers, the connecting flowers or snakeskin form at the top part of the fish and not on the band below it.  This is a 5 band Terengganu, notice how the snakeskin is form, its on the top part! Choose a fish that you can already spot flowers. Never choose a fish that has 9 or 10 bands but does not show any flowers. You will be disappointed in the future. Terengganus are famous for its excessive flowers, so choose flowers inst...