GOLDEN GOURAMI - TRICHOPODUS TRICHOPTERUS

A more brightly coloured of the Gouramis is this Golden Gourami.

Never realised it was a Gold variety of the Three Spot Gourami and that the genus name had been changed?!

But then not only have I been out of the game sporadically, as I sort of am right now, but I have never been a great fan of Gouramis, except for the Giant Goramy, Osphronemus goramy that is!!

Probably gone and changed the name on that one too?!

Again another mostly peaceful community fish.

THREE SPOT GOURAMI - TRICHOGASTER TRICOPTERUS

Although initially a peaceful community fish, or at least used to be thought of, there are very rare occasions of an odd individual being a bit of a bully.

Or at least I have had the odd retail customers report this to me but often what one person perceives is not always the case. Still when I have a few people state this I state to think that sometimes you can get the odd ones out from the crowd.

At times like this you are reminded that you are dealing with life and life forms and that nothing in life follows predesposed ideals just because someone wrote them down in a book! I have been party and witness to this from experience over the years more times than I can count.

I can count to a Googolplex! No not really, lol.

Hmm why does the word 'GOOGLE' exist in my dictionary but Googolplex does not?! The former is

PRETTY BUT NIPPY SERPAE TETRA - HYPHESSOBRYCOM EQUES

Stunning but do not keep with long tailed or slow moving fish, lol.

These Hyphessobrycons are nippy whereas many others are not which is a shame as they are one of the most stunning Tetra and one of the most commonly available too.

STRICTLY NO GUPPIES OR SIAMESE FIGHTERS!

THE BLUE & ORANGE SHUSUI KOI CARP

I hope I remembered the Japanese name correctly as it was a long time ago we used to import Japanese Koi and there are so many names!

Always BLUE on top with the Orange below but obviously in a pond you would only see glimpses of the orange. Well that is unless you have the kind of pond I would have with windows within brick side walls to it?!

Along with the Taisho Sanke, Platinum Ohgon and the Showa a simply stunning as my friend who has it would say...SUPERB or SPLENDID looking Koi Carp!

GIN RIN GHOST KOI

I have named these Gin Rin Ghost Koi as they have the reflective Gin Rin scales, Gin Rin a Japanese term, and I cannot recall if Ghost Koi have these or not, lol.

Nice fish these as is the Blue Shisui, if I remember the name correctly, in the second picture.

Oooh what? More pictures of the Shusui Koi?! Oh OK then...

ATELERIX ALBIVENTRIS - AFRICAN PYGMY HEDGEHOG

Some things do not belong within the genera of Reptiles, Amphibians and nor Fish but still they will be worthy of a post on here because they are other species of exotic animals that are dear to my heart.

Hedhehogs might be dear to my heart but this is the first time, that I recall at any rate, that I have been up close and personal, err not to personal have you felt a hedgehog's spikes, with an African Pygmy Hedgehog!

The African Pygmy Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) seems to be also referred to as the Four Toed Hedgehog (less said about names like that the better) and the White Bellied Hedgehog which makes much more sense as that it what it's scientific name actually means. Albi from Albino meaning white and ventris means underside to be specific. Like the ventral fins on a fish. Therefore white belly, lol.
 

Oddly not too dissimilar to our own here in the UK but much lighter in colour and a narrow body compared to the British Hedgehog.

Typical Hedgehog attitude, goes into a ball and grumps....until you have mealworms and then it wants to play, lol.

MY POND DEVELOPMENT PART TWO

Armed with some silicon sealant, a marker pen, a shite load of bamboo canes and some blood...ooh wait....DAMN THAT HACKSAW!! LMAO.

This is part two, err I think.

More done since then and more planned, I just need several pieces of small cork bark and two or three big ones, lol.

It is not much, granted, but it will look the part and keep me occupied provided I can find the right species of amphibian or fish to live in it, lol.