My latest rant about hand washing and hygiene, which I also think is over emphasized as a whole.  I felt compelled to write this after using the public urinal at the airport last night, since I was wearing these thin khakis, and sandals, I felt every drop splashing back from the urinal, and also dotted up and down my khakis.  It contained probably mostly my own urine, but also urine from the bowl that wasn't flushing properly.

So people who love their dogs, and kiss them on their lips, or let their dog lick their face, don't dogs lick their own assholes and balls when given the chance to do so?  You can draw your own conclusion

How about people who wear their shoes in their own house, how much urine do you pick up on your shoes at the fancy restaurant bathroom, and poop from the park where you walk your dog? 

Do you know of any animals that wash their hands, especially with chemicals or products?  Besides having sticky fingers after I've dipped my hands in a bucket of KFC, or fingers into something else, there really is much reason for hand washing. 

However we are so fascinated and fixated that washing our hands will somehow save a life, or that is the slogan at my work.

Reality check, the fact is in many parts of the world, people do not practice the same type of "personal hygiene" that we do here in the US.  Same with halitosis, body odor, nose picking, burping, slurping, farting, or any other gastronomical feats.  We have identified, and marketed products after our own ideas of perfection.  However, you and I are not directly profiting monetarily from it or benefiting from it, unless you work for Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Pfizer, or Sanofi Ltd. 

Abbotina rivularis-we collected these back in 2009, the males get a beautiful tall dorsal fin, and they are very peaceful and easy to  maintain. 

Sarcocheilichthys parvus-this is another little gem from China that has been over looked, the fish pictured is not in its full breeding color.  During breeding season the fish easily rivals the most color tetra from South America, with bright red in all fins, and blue color dotting the lateral line.  Their max size is less that 8 cm, and very peaceful and easy to keep.  Will accept a variety of frozen and dried food. 

Leptobotia elongate, this is still my favorite fish, ranking in the top 5 out of 10.  I started with long roads to obtain them, much money invested.  They have given me so much enjoyment and so much grief, and makes me want to get some more of them, even more.  I will once again trek to the grounds where they hail from and look for the giant monster I've always wanted, a 36" wild specimen! 

The one pictured here is 12"

Finally a wild 14" specimen!

 

 

Tribolodon brandtii-this is probably the only cyprinid that inhabits brackish to saltwater.  Here is a youtube video and picture of some wild ones found on the internet.  The first picture is a group maintained by my friend at PlatinumSeas, and brought in from Osaka, Japan by myself. 

 

 

 

 

Update on some mahseers

Tor "mosal" undescribed specie from India

Tor soro "real Malaysian red"

Tor putitora "real Indian golden mahseer"

Update on some Rhinogobius sp. from China

Here is an update from the fish room. The green silver dollars have turned into something rather nice, the males have red flank and lips, like a lipstick dollar. The females retain the ultra long anal fin and its black in color, so black hook dollar. These fish are very peaceful and slower moving compared to the other silver dollars.