We call them monsters. We call them predators. But if you ever watch a pair of Channa with their babies, you will see a side of them that is softer than most other fish. I remember fishing near a dam in Perak years ago and seeing a bright red ball of fry on the surface. […]
My Notes on the Gentle Monster: The Incredible Parenting of Snakeheads Read More »
In my previous note, I introduced the Channa family. But if you hang out in Malaysian fish groups long enough, you will realize that owning a Channa is just the start. There is a whole science (and art) behind keeping them. People don’t just “keep” Channa; they “groom” them. They treat them like bonsai trees,
Deep Dive: Understanding the “Maru” Obsession and the Two Types of Snakeheads Read More »
It’s funny how things change. Growing up in Malaysia, the only time I saw a Snakehead (Ikan Toman or Haruan) was at the market, or maybe in a soup when someone had surgery. It was food. But today, Channa keeping is one of the fastest-growing communities in our hobby. I see people paying RM10,000 for
My Notes on Channa (Snakehead): From “Lauk” to Luxury Read More »
Category: Catfish / Bottom Dwellers Difficulty: Beginner to Advanced (Depending on species) Scientific Name: Hypostomus plecostomus (Common), Loricariidae family (Fancy types) The “Janitor” Myth If you walk into any aquarium shop in Kuala Lumpur or Penang, you will almost certainly see a tank full of dark, armored fish stuck to the glass. To the average
The Plecostomus (From “Ikan Bandaraya” to Exotic Gem) Read More »
We all think we know the Betta fish. It’s the angry, colorful fish that builds a bubble nest and fights anything that moves. But recently, I started reading about the wider Betta genus, and I realized that the fish we keep (Betta splendens) is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s like knowing only the
Beyond the Jar: My Notes on the Wild & Weird World of Bettas Read More »
I think almost everyone in Malaysia who keeps fish started with a Betta. I remember as a kid, seeing them in small glass jars at the local pet shop, or sometimes even sold in plastic bags at the pasar malam (night market). They seemed like such simple pets—no filter, no air pump needed. Just put
The Betta Fish: Small Warrior, Big Personality Read More »
Here in Malaysia, when we say “Arowana,” we almost always mean the majestic Golden or Red Asian Arowana. It’s the pride of our local rivers. But as I dug deeper into the hobby, I realized that the Arowana family is actually much bigger than just our local species. There are cousins swimming in the Amazon
Beyond the Golden Dragon: My Notes on Arowana Species Around the World Read More »
I remember the first time I stood in front of a large tank containing an Arowana. It didn’t swim frantically like the other fish. It just hovered there, staring back at me with those large, intelligent eyes. To me, the Arowana (or Ikan Kelisa as we call it here in Malaysia) feels less like a
My Notes on the Arowana: The Dragon of the Aquarium Read More »
