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Still of surfing and a living fish tank in Montreal

my turtle tank update july 09

A video of tropical fish taken at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Duration : 0:7:19

The Asian otters are “threatened” animals (not yet endangered or extinct).

Southeast Asian river

Otters and breeding fish depend on healthy Asian rivers

Asian small-clawed otters swim with carfish, gouramis and other tropical fish in ht elazy rivers of Southeast Asia. Looke for the bettas – they’re ancestors of the incredibly showy Siamese fighting fish bred for the pet trade.

Non-native ferns keep wild bettas from breeding

Bettas and gouramis have a special way of reproducing – they lay their eggs in “bubble nests” at the surface of the water. In parts of Asia, invasive ferns grow so thick that the fish can’t reach the surface to make their nests.

Rio del sureste asiatico

Las nutrias y los peces dependen de rios asiaticos saludables

La introduccion de helechos impide la reporduccion de los betta silvestras

The movement of swift-running rivers fools us – even rushing rivers are vulnerable!

Meet Satu, Tiga, Empat and Dua!

These four Asian small-clawed otters come to us from the Singapore Zoo. They’re part of the Species Survival Plan, a breeding program for endangered wildlife. The two pairs of bachelor brothers have lived together since 2004.

Handlike paws are perfect for picking up prey

Small-clawed otters are one of the few mammals to use their front paws with skill that’s close to ours. Their handlike paws dig in the mud, turn over rocks, pick up small shrimp and nab crabs and fish.

These otters mate for life

These truly social otters mate for life and raise their pups together. As pups grow up, they help take care of their brothers and sisters too. But when a parent dies, the siblings split up and venture off alone to find mates of their own.

All work and no play? No way!

Asian small-clawed otters play more than any otter species – in the wild and on exhibit. Watch for our playful otters juggling their favorite toys – pebbles! You might also see them diving for small stones or hiding them from each other.

These otters stay in touch with sound

Asian otters communicate with a wide variety of sounds, from squeaks and snorts to chirps and hums. With up to twelve different calls, the otters vocalize often and loudly to stay in touch. The dominant otter usually starts the calling.

Hear the sound of a minor squabble between our four otters

Hear our hungry otters crunching their kibble

Hear our otters yelp, yip and sueal with excitement

Otters are semi-aquatic (or in one case aquatic) fish-eating mammals. The otter subfamily Lutrinae forms part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, polecats, badgers, as well as others. With thirteen species in seven genera, otters have an almost worldwide distribution. They mainly eat aquatic animals, predominantly fish and shellfish, but also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals.

Etymology and terminology

The word otter derives from the Old English word otr, otor or oter. This and cognate words in other Indo-European languages ultimately stem from a root which also gave rise to the English words water, wet and winter.

An otter’s den is called a holt. Male otters are dog-otters, females are es and babies are cubs or pups. The collective noun for otters is pack or sometimes romp, being descriptive of their often playful nature.

Characteristics

Otters have long, slim bodies and relatively short limbs, with webbed paws. Most have sharp claws on their feet, and all except the sea otter have long muscular tails.

They have a very soft underfur which is protected by their outer layer of long guard hair. This traps a layer of air, and keeps them dry and warm under water.

Diet and behavior

Otters do not depend on their specialized fur alone for survival in the cold waters where many live: they also have very high metabolic rates. For example Eurasian otters must eat 15% of their body-weight a day, and sea otters 20 to 25%, depending on the temperature. In water as warm as 10°C (50°F) an otter needs to catch 100 grams (3 oz) of fish per hour to survive. Most species hunt for 3 to 5 hours a day, and nursing mothers up to 8 hours a day.

For most otters, fish is the primary staple of their diet. This is often supplemented by frogs, crayfish and crabs. Some otters are expert at opening shellfish, and others will feed on available small mammals or birds. Prey-dependence leaves otters very vulnerable to prey depletion.

Duration : 0:4:4

http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/photo-main.php/23136

Comments are always welcome! Sorry for the bad quality… My camera is not the greatest one there is. XD If its really bad, just put it on full screen and walk away from your screen about 5 or 6 feet… it will clear.

Tank Specs:
Size: 14 U.S. Gallons (53 Liters)
20 in. X 15 in. X 10 in.

Fish:
Neon Tetras
Glow-Lite Tetras
Albino Dwarf Corydoras Catfish
Zebra Danios

Plant Life:
Amazon Swords
Anachris
Java Moss
Anubias
Some plant in the middle (I don’t know the name!)

Decorations:
Live Plants
Gravel
Natural Rocks
Real Driftwood
Water? lol

Equipment:
Aqua-Tech 5-15 Power Filter
All Glass Aquarium Heater
Full Hood with Flourescent Fixture
Quality Glass Tank

Duration : 0:2:31