Hi,
The water quality of a planted tank will normally be excellent as long as the plants are healthy and as long as the water changes are large and regular, so I really don't think that's something to worry about. As I mentioned before, if the tank is CO2 injected then new arrivals may have a little difficulty in the beginning until their bodies adapt to the higher concentration levels.
The difficulty in acclimation really has more to do with the shock associated with transport, as well as the apprehension associated with getting accustomed to the new setting and the new tank mates. If I captured you with a net, threw you into a plastic bag and dumped you 8000 miles away from anyplace you have ever known, I think you would be a little shocked as well.
There are plenty of books out there related to the hobby, but most topics of discussion will be about physiology, the mechanics and logistics of tanks and other things such as diseases and treatments. I grew up reading books by Herbert R. Axelrod. Just search Amazon and you'll find loads of his books ranging from simple beginners guides to complete compendiums.
Other then general descriptions, you're not likely to find books detailing the specifics of behavior unless the topic is breeding. Books or websites dedicated to specific species will have more information on behavior though so you'd have to search for sites or books for Swordtails, or Platy's or whatever. Then you find data from hobbyists who specialize in keeping those breeds. Besides the species specific behavioral patterns, behavior differs depending on setting, population density, temperature, lighting as well as what the other tankmates are. New arrivals are stressed because they do not know what predators are in the vicinity, for example. Behavior will change after the period of adjustment.
Tetras are open water swimmers and are generally gregarious fish, so specimens that hang about by themselves may be suffering some malady or stress. Dwarf Chiclids are loners and therefore seek shade and solitude. If they move quickly or if they dart about then something is wrong. Livebearers are also schooling fish but are OK in small groups. High population density for almost all fish results in greater aggression or predatory behavior. There are so many variations on behavioral themes that it's better to simply observe for now and to not worry so much. If a behavior seems strange intuitively or if it differs markedly from the others of the same group then this can be considered suspicious. Much of the behavior we observe in the tank probably is not representative of behavior in the wild so this is a difficult topic in which to be precise.
Cheers,
The water quality of a planted tank will normally be excellent as long as the plants are healthy and as long as the water changes are large and regular, so I really don't think that's something to worry about. As I mentioned before, if the tank is CO2 injected then new arrivals may have a little difficulty in the beginning until their bodies adapt to the higher concentration levels.
The difficulty in acclimation really has more to do with the shock associated with transport, as well as the apprehension associated with getting accustomed to the new setting and the new tank mates. If I captured you with a net, threw you into a plastic bag and dumped you 8000 miles away from anyplace you have ever known, I think you would be a little shocked as well.
There are plenty of books out there related to the hobby, but most topics of discussion will be about physiology, the mechanics and logistics of tanks and other things such as diseases and treatments. I grew up reading books by Herbert R. Axelrod. Just search Amazon and you'll find loads of his books ranging from simple beginners guides to complete compendiums.
Other then general descriptions, you're not likely to find books detailing the specifics of behavior unless the topic is breeding. Books or websites dedicated to specific species will have more information on behavior though so you'd have to search for sites or books for Swordtails, or Platy's or whatever. Then you find data from hobbyists who specialize in keeping those breeds. Besides the species specific behavioral patterns, behavior differs depending on setting, population density, temperature, lighting as well as what the other tankmates are. New arrivals are stressed because they do not know what predators are in the vicinity, for example. Behavior will change after the period of adjustment.
Tetras are open water swimmers and are generally gregarious fish, so specimens that hang about by themselves may be suffering some malady or stress. Dwarf Chiclids are loners and therefore seek shade and solitude. If they move quickly or if they dart about then something is wrong. Livebearers are also schooling fish but are OK in small groups. High population density for almost all fish results in greater aggression or predatory behavior. There are so many variations on behavioral themes that it's better to simply observe for now and to not worry so much. If a behavior seems strange intuitively or if it differs markedly from the others of the same group then this can be considered suspicious. Much of the behavior we observe in the tank probably is not representative of behavior in the wild so this is a difficult topic in which to be precise.
Cheers,
