COBITIDAE

The Cobitidae are close relatives of the Cyprinidae and are found in both Europe and Asia. They possess
a small number of barbels which they use to detect prey as they search the substrate. Given this
feeding procedure, it is preferable to use a fairly fine, smooth sand. You can recognize these fish by the
presence of a spine under the eye; this is designed for defense, but can also entangle the fish in the hand
net. Loaches, as they are commonly
known, are bottom-dwellers, and basically
twilight species; they hide away during the
day, so you will need to provide lurking
places. They are happy with artificial food,
but will not spawn in the aquarium

Getting Started with Your First Saltwater Aquarium

By taking the time to properly plan your aquarium now, you can save a lot of
time and money down the road. After all, you want to set it up once and set it
up right.
What equipment do I need?
In order to meet the needs of your fish that are highlighted in Table 1-1,
you should buy much of your equipment right from the start. After all, you
can’t bring home any fish from your dealer unless you have something to put
them into.
Part II of the book tells you about the equipment essential to a successful
marine aquarium:
What about brackish water aquariums?
Although most folks reading some books are interested in aquariums that are
strictly salt water, some are interested in aquariums that are not quite fresh
and not quite salt.
How do I set up the aquarium?
 puts all the pieces of the saltwater aquarium puzzle together and
tells you how to set up the system from start to finish. However, unlike the
typical freshwater aquarium, the marine system needs to mature as your
filtration starts to work. Therefore, you really can’t add fish until your aquarium
has had a chance to establish itself over a couple of weeks. How will you
know? That depends on water chemistry.

What’s So Great About Aquariums?

Fish watching
I can watch fish for hours, but, admittedly, I’m a bit strange. Still, the more
you watch your aquarium, the better off your aquarium will be. You’ll get to
know all the subtleties of your fish; you’ll name them; you’ll know about their
individual personalities (oh, they have them); you’ll watch as they interact;
and, most importantly, you’ll know immediately if something isn’t quite right.
Each animal in your aquarium is your pet, and, like any pet, by watching it
daily, you’ll know when it acts normally and when something is wrong.
You can diagnose problems as they arise and not after it’s too late.
Relaxation
Fish and invertebrates are entertaining creatures, and just sitting and watching
them can be very relaxing. As far as I’m concerned, relaxation is one of
the very best reasons to have an aquarium. Studies show that spending time
in front of the aquarium reduces stress. Also, if you have insomnia, try fish
watching — count fins, not sheep.
A fishy family affair
It may sound a bit corny, but fishkeeping is fun for the whole family. By bringing
the kids into the process, you help them learn the responsibility involved
in taking care of pets. Every child will want to feed the fish, and you can show
them how to do it properly. Daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance duties
become easier if they’re shared by all. Also, if everybody has a vested interest
in the aquarium, the aquarium will be better off. In fact, family pets often
get more attention than those owned by a single person.