Vivarium interview - Welcome to aquarium paradise!

I enter a room filled with aquariums, and right at the entrance, I'm greeted by tanks full of unusual fish. What am I looking at here?
Tomáš Kučera: These are true rarities! Here, for example, we have fish that are correctly called Hyphessobrycon peugeotorum, but are often mistakenly referred to as H. peugeoti. They are unique; you won't find them anywhere else. In the Czech Republic, they are bred by only one enthusiast! And over there, swimming are "hockey sticks" with red tails, undescribed tetras, also a great rarity.

Wow! And what about fish on order? Where do you get such a diverse selection?
Tomáš Kučera: We cooperate with three excellent sources. Firstly, it is Aquarium Glaser, a leader among European importers. Secondly, we have contacts with Czech breeders, thanks to cooperation with one exporter. And thirdly, although it sounds unbelievable, we also sell saltwater fish! They are supplied to us by the Menzel Aquarium, and even though we don't have a single saltwater aquarium, we sell saltwater fish every 14 days.

In the time that you have been operating, hundreds of species must have passed through your hands. Do you have an overview?
omáš Kučera: You are right, there were about 1500, including about 350 species of cichlids. I recently gave a lecture on this topic and was amazed myself!

I noticed that you no longer offer turnkey aquarium installations. Why?
Tomáš Kučera: We simply don't have the time. Moreover, the competition in the field of natural aquariums and aquascaping has overtaken us. We are more "old school." Of course, if someone wants a functional aquarium with plants, we are happy to advise and help, but we don't have as much time for installations anymore.

There is talk of a decline in aquaristics. How do you see it?
Tomáš Kučera: The main problem is the supply of fish. There are fewer and fewer Czech breeders, and getting even previously common species is sometimes a superhuman task. For example, we haven't had Golden Acaras for two years! Or, for example, the classic carnivorous species Pygocentrus nattereri, which we now have, we acquired by chance from Seaworld. I was looking for these fish for a year, although they were previously readily available.

And what about demand? How has it been developing since the crisis year of 2008?
Tomáš Kučera: After 2008, there was a steep decline, and it never returned to the old ways. Covid, surprisingly, did not have such a negative impact, but the current economic situation, energy prices and inflation, that's a different story. Summer is always the "cucumber season" for us, but this year it was particularly noticeable. Fortunately, it's picking up again now in autumn/winter.

It's interesting that you started with terrariums. What attracted you to aquariums?
Tomáš Kučera: Actually, the customers decided for us. Aquarium fish were sold incomparably more than snakes and lizards. As a boy, I was more involved in terrariums, but demand led us to aquaristics.

You have an L-catfish in your logo. Does that have any special meaning?
Tomáš Kučera: We just love L-catfish! And the logo? It came about by chance, but it's a nice connection. We even successfully bred them here when we had a large group.

I see you have a weakness for Central American cichlids.
Tomáš Kučera: Yes, we owe that mainly to our colleague Roman Hrdlička, who is a true expert on cichlids. Moreover, they were not so common in shops before, apart from the most well-known species.

And how do you actually keep up with trends?
Tomáš Kučera: It's simple, the customers tell me about the trends. They start asking about specific fish, and I know what's hot.

And which fish are popular now? What is the biggest demand for?
Tomáš Kučera: Large cichlids are rather declining, probably due to the difficulty of keeping them in the current economic situation. On the contrary, there is a return of interest in African cichlids from Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. And then we have the boom in mini aquariums and with it the demand for small fish. Otocinclus are leading the way, and among tetras, the smaller species are preferred. I highly recommend medaka, they are popular in the world and still underestimated here. However, our Czech breeders are starting to include them in their assortment. For example, these platinum medaka, which shine beautifully (points to the aquarium next door), come from a Czech breeder. This also makes the price more favourable. I think it is necessary to promote these fish more because they are undemanding and there is a wide range of colour forms. Medaka are very popular in the world, and they can even be kept outdoors all year round.

The fish here are beautiful and healthy. How do you manage that? What procedures do you have in place, such as quarantine?
Tomáš Kučera: The key is the selection of suppliers, we rely on partners proven over the years. Newly imported fish always undergo quarantine. Thanks to many years of experience, we can recognize some diseases in fish even before they fully manifest themselves. For example, we detect ichthyophthirius before the typical white spots appear.

The environment we create for the fish is also important. We have plants in the aquariums so that the fish have somewhere to hide and are not stressed. And we change some of the water daily. We feed them high-quality food six times a week. New fish always go through quarantine. I was intrigued that you keep bettas together with other fish. That's not very common.
Tomáš Kučera: It works great for us, and it's more natural for the fish. Customers are often surprised that it's possible, and then they also buy bettas for community aquariums. And we don't have to worry about maintaining small betta tanks, which, believe me, is sometimes a punishment.

You also offer advice on your website. Do you also help people who haven't bought fish from you?
Tomáš Kučera: Yes, we are happy to advise if we have time. Most often, we are contacted by beginners who quickly buy an aquarium and make the most classic mistakes.

In 2007, you had big plans, there was talk of 300-400 aquariums. Did you manage to fulfil them?
Tomáš Kučera: It wouldn't have been a problem back then, the demand was much greater. We also had a much wider range of common species.

And what about you personally? Do you have any favorite fish?
Tomáš Kučera: I've always liked tetras, especially the pencilfish (Nannostomus). They are amazingly diverse.

Besides fish, you have another passion - diving. Where do you like to dive the most?
Tomáš Kučera: Besides quarries and dams, I also dive in rivers and the sea, for example in Croatia and Egypt. I love night dives. And I'm also fascinated by diving in cold, dark water, without natural light.

And what about cooperation with conservation organizations? And what do you think about the controversial "positive list"?
Tomáš Kučera: Positive list? That would be the end of breeding in Europe! Even the common angelfish would immediately find itself on the blacklist. Nature conservation is important, but this is nonsense. There are other, more meaningful tools, such as the Washington Convention, regulations for keeping dangerous species, and laws against animal cruelty. In Europe, we have many species that have already become extinct in the wild and only survive thanks to breeders. The positive list would mean their end. We need to protect habitats, not individual species!

In conclusion: This aquarium shop is alive! Not only with fish, but also with the enthusiasm and knowledge of the owner, who is happy to advise you and share his experience. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced aquarist, you will definitely find something for yourself here.

Photo: Photos of individual fish were provided by Vivarium Mělník.