Gelang Patah

Betta Field Trip 3 Mar 2007

Short drive to this location at Gelang Patah, Johor Baru. Stopped by this rustic oil palm/ rubber plantation with a nearby flowing stream. Lots of leaf litters. Betta in the location is betta pugnax

Along the way, came across this little roadside shop selling snakehead Ikan Haruan. Price range from RM$13-RM$16. One of them display full colours of probably a male. These fishes were fished from a nearby river.

A black water stream is flowing right in front of the shop but only croaking gourami and the common 2 spot gourami.

Betta Field Trip 19-21 Feb 2007

19 Feb 2007
Driving up north to the state of Kelantan is no joke. The beautiful scenery is the only consolation to flatten bumps and tired hands. Holding the wheel for more than 10 hours is no laughing matter.

First stopover for makan was a town call Kuala Pilah. The satay we bought was a unusual type. First experience of char siew satay. Yummy.

Continuing the journey to Kota Baru passing by Gua Musang. Decided to push on at around 6.30pm when we don't get a sight of a good hotel. Regretfully, this was the most dangerous night driving with no street lamp. Almost driving blind with numerous bents. Some part of the drive was through heavy rain condition which makes it even more challenging.

Dinner after check into hotel was at around 11pm. Fortunately the eating joint across the street was still open. Tandoori chicken and nan dinner.

20 Feb 2007

Wake up early to look for some local delights. Stop by this florist shop and bought some Orchid. Not too sure what is the name of the species but it had a unique aerial root system. The boss of the shop brought us to a friend house in the kampong to look for wild betta. Unfortunately, no wild betta but this malay family have 10kids! Gave the rasbora collected along the longkang and was given a betta in exchange. Nice gesture. Some of the kampong chicken reared for competition by this family

Along the way to Trengganu, stop by some roadside longkang (drain) to look for betta. No luck only rasboras. Found this gigantic leaf that is littered all over the longkang.

First betta habitat stop was near a forested area in Trengganu near some place of interest. Forgotten what the place was called but here a kampung guy says the stream nearby have Ikan Pelaga. The local name for Fighting fish. Caught betta near a fast flowing stream with pH 5.5. The biotope where the betta was caught was in a very small puddle measuring 2ft on the width and about 10ft long. Found 2 snakehead and 4 betta (possibly waseri or Pi)

21 Feb 2007

Start early to see some famous place in Chukai for the famous Hai Peng Coffee. Shop located at entrance of Chukai. Nice thick rich coffee costing $3.60 for a small cup!

Continue journey towards Kuantan to home. On the way stop by an old place with a tea coloured flowing stream. Here found the 2 betta waseri and 2 tussyae. Rasbora, climbing perch are some of those in the biotope. The tussyae was found in stagnant pool hardly a foot size and maybe around 3cm depth.

Betta Coccina

Betta Coccina is found in the deep jungle stream of Johor and Sumatra. It's habitat is in peat swamps distinguish by the tea coloured water. Coccina lives in quite extreme condition where the pH can go as low as 4.0 and very cool water. The habitat is known to dry up in the dry season and left with puddles where coccina survive until the next rain fall.

Convict Cichlid

Saw these 2 at a aquarium in Pasir Ris on Sunday 6th Jan 2007. Amongst a group of Convict Cichlid, these 2 were together fending off intruder at its nesting site. I have to carefully net them. Third day at its new home, the female which is a darker "zebra"colour lays her eggs on the side of a pot. Waiting for the fries to hatch.

Update: 29 Jan 2007

Fries growing rapidly. Feeding on Brine shrimp and tubiflex worm now. Currently close to 1cm
length

Badis Badis

The Badis Badis is found in India. The male is very colourful, with blue/turquoise finnage and spotted brown, red and black on its body. Cave dwellers. The male is very aggressible and will defend its nest from intruders. The female on the other hand is a colourless creature with a black dot at its tail end.

Imbellis

Spawning Process - see the bubble nest?

The imbellis is by far the easiest to breed and kept. Very good jumper, as in all wild beta species. This pair is from Kedah, a hobbyist going home took orders and came back with the fish. The pair spawn twice, within a week and about a hundred fries from the 2 spawn.

Another batch of young Imbellis are wild caught from Kuantan. The juveniles are about 2.5cm.

The Biotope of Betta Imbellis at Kuantan

Kampong kids and fishing

Happy kids catching the Ikan Haruan or the snakehead using a simple fishing line hooked with earthworm. The smile on these faces tells you that they are happy kids. No worries in the world. The stretch of water logged stream housed the snakehead, gourami and croaking gourami. Location: Pekan