Showin' the Fish Some Love

[JayP]

Only one page of posts regarding fish and just one previous in 26 so far, so while working on my photo skills today, I decided to focus on these little beauties. I can't do them justice though, and I'm not sure I ever can with a photo. Espei Rasboras and Ember Tetras shoaling together is just magical. When tucked in close together the Espeis pick up the red of Embers and positively glow. Would like to have them in a larger tank and in much larger numbers.

WB 25 Fish.webp

• JayP
• Apr 1, 2026

 

[gnatster]

Strawberry Licorice Gourami I've recently acquired.

 

[JayP]

Strawberry Licorice Gourami I've recently acquired.

I had to research this. They get no bigger than Honey Gouramis so essentially a dwarf gourami. They can be a little aggressive and their natural habitat is super low ph, 4-5.5. Males are more colorful than females.

 

[BranchScape]

great pictures, Jay that looks like an IAPLC entry if you pulled the equipment. Can I ask what cameras you both use @JayP and @gnatster or suggest?

I am considering a small investment into my first dedicated camera since the early 2000s so I can dip my toe in having quality pictures. Preferably not that expensive or something I could buy used.

 

[JayP]

great pictures, Jay that looks like an IAPLC entry if you pulled the equipment. Can I ask what cameras you both use @JayP and @gnatster or suggest?

I am considering a small investment into my first dedicated camera since the early 2000s so I can dip my toe in having quality pictures. Preferably not that expensive or something I could buy used.

I was very fortunate to get an incredible deal on a Canon R8 ($900 for a brand new camera body). I started with a couple cheaper Canon RF lenses but quickly learned that, especially, in lower light settings for aquarium photography, cheaper lenses just won't cut it. These are what I'm currently using:
Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM
Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM

The 16mm is still cheap and the weak link, but sometimes you just need that wider angle and I had to make some compromises in cost somewhere. The 28-70 is what is on the camera 80 percent of the time and handles most of the video duties. The 100 macro is really hard to beat in it's price range. You can see some of my close-up shots with it in my media album.

I'm still fairly new to higher end camera's and learning the ropes, but I highly recommend spending the extra on a camera with a full frame sensor if you can afford it.

 

[JayP]

You can see some of my close-up shots with it in my media album.

Doh! I guess I haven't posted many of my close-up shots in my media album. I'll share a couple later today when I get home.

 

[gnatster]

great pictures, Jay that looks like an IAPLC entry if you pulled the equipment. Can I ask what cameras you both use @JayP and @gnatster or suggest?

I used an iPhone pressed up against the glass. The only edit is resizing with Windows Photo.

 

[Phish Tank]

Love me some lambchop rasboras! Great photo, BTW.

A few days ago one of mine was laying eggs on the underside of a leaf when an amano shrimp came up from behind and grabbed the rasbora's tail and spooked her mightily.

I got a good laugh

 

[JayP]

Love me some lambchop rasboras!

@Jeff Miotke was successfully breeding them.

 

[JayP]

JayP Macros

• JayP
• Oct 21, 2025
• 5

Macro shots of scape inhabitants and plants.

 

[anewbie]

 

[Koan]

Wigglers! What is that?

 

[anewbie]

Wigglers! What is that?

That is a Nanochromis transvestitus (they consider the male a cross-dresser - really look it up )

Actually they are free swimming frys but when i walked over daddy told them to settle down - after i left they got back up. And yes the parents really do tell the frys what to do - kind of amusing but not as amusing as this devil who really knows how to hide her frys:




Here is another fish guarding their frys; she is will do that for hours as they swim around the tank. They are such good parents.



[all three were taken from my aquarium though i no longer keep the common krib]

 

[Koan]

Nanochromis transvestitus

Aha! The face looks like N. parilus but the stripes threw me beautiful!