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Kind of a combination of things - but in general the age old adage "if it ain't, broke don't fix it" applies here.
See about 500 million years ago the basic body plan for tetrapods was decided upon. From this basic body plan very few modifications have been made. For whatever reason four limbs, two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, two kidneys, two lungs, two ovaries/testes, but one heart and one liver worked for it so it works for us.
Its not just humans that have these basic structures - birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and other mammals all have this basic body plan. Yes some have lost their limbs - like snakes, and others have lost an ovary - like birds...but underlying it all is that same basic blueprint. You may be interested in the book your inner fish.
Low fish populations with lots of water surface area and the right mix of emergent and submerged plants can provide plenty of Oxygen. All a bubbler does is increase surface area without adding any of the benefits of plants and substrate. In fact the addition of a bubbler in a tank like this could have a very negative effect by driving off to much C02 that is needed by the plants. Anyone wanting to set up an aquarium like this should read Ecology of the Planted Aquarium by Diana Wasted
https://www.amazon.com/Ecology-Planted-Aquarium-Practical-Scientific-ebook/dp/B00DB94K5I
Yes, capitalism always has the best solutions to extremely complex environmental issues. (See: Pebble Mine) The reason I don't agree with private waters is because waterways, and especially rivers are not a closed system. The practices of Boxwood Gulch and similar places impact everything around them as well. The invasive species of rainbow trout that are stocked in these waters outcompete the native fish and reduce their historic ranges. The Greenback Cutthroat trout is native to the South Platte, but has been reduced to 1% of it's historic range and placed on the endangered species list because of practices like that at Boxwood Gulch. Any restoration attempts cannot be successful because of how hardy the stocked rainbow trout are in comparison. They were bred with the sole intention of being resilient. I believe that as fisherman it is our responsibility to protect the ecosystems that provide us this opportunity and being informed about the biological impact of our activities is the first step in doing so. You should read: https://www.amazon.com/Entirely-Synthetic-Fish-Rainbow-Beguiled/dp/0300140886 if you would like to understand the historical impact of our stocking practices throughout the US. Or just keep paying people ridiculous amounts of money so you can hold your trophy trout like it's your first time for internet points.
Their continued research on the ordering of species and their development as an author eventually led them to tackle existential questions such as "do fish really exist???"
Everyone should just get a field guide.
That is a smallmouth bass. They are fun to catch because they fight hard and are as dumb as fish get.
I like "Your Inner Fish". It's totally non-confrontational and just matter of fact about our evolution and the ways we can see that we are evolved from lobe-finned fish.
It also explains a really excellent test case where the author wanted to find an intermediate species, knew the right age, looked in a geology book for exposed sedimentary rock of that age, picked a spot that hadn't already been pored over by paleontologists, and went.
He mounted 2 or 3 (3 I think) expeditions to Canada's Ellesmere Island and found the fossil he was looking for. He let the Innuit name it Tiktaalik.
Not necessarily the direct beginning, but a neat fact apropos to your time frame is that the Tiktaalik was uncovered around 2006. This creature bridged the gap between fish and land animal, and is widely regarded as one of the biggest breakthroughs in evolution. It was discovered by a team, and one of its members, Neil Shubin, wrote a book on both his discovery, and evolution.
Here is the book, and I would 100% recommend reading it, or at least giving it a try with the free sample :)
I don't entirely disagree with you but I just want to point out that fish absolutely do have complex emotions, this has been studied and proven many times over. If you're interested in the topic, this is a great book that goes into both the scientific side as well as the rational, yet emotional anecdotal side.
Think of it this way: fish have been evolving for, I don't remember the exact numbers but something like 50x as long as mammals. They have all the same basic structures making up their bodies and brains as us, with small differences. They have social relationships, societies, and even cultures to some extent. But you think they haven't developed emotions?
It's much more likely that we simply are unable to recognize them at first glance. Take a closer look at your tank, maybe. You might see something you recognise if you set your ego aside.
Your Inner Fish is a wondrous book about how we evolved to be the way we are.
The Five Ages of the Universe is the most mind-expanding book I have ever read, about how the universe began, how it got to be the way it is, and how it will eventually end. Compulsively readable and accessible even to a non-scientist.
Neil Shubin's book <em>Your Inner Fish</em> is word-for-word about this exact subject, and works through all the features of our bodies that provide evidence. If you're interested in our connection to our fish ancestors, it's the perfect book for you. There's also a short series about it you can watch, I'm not sure where it's available now.
It is hard to find specific sources for certain water bodies (unless the water body is popular or well known). If you are in the states, I would suggest looking up a list of freshwater or saltwater species that live throughout the state. Try to find one with not just game fish but every fish found in that state( that way, the list will have micro species as well). After you catch a fish that you aren’t sure about ID wise, you can just refer to the list until you find the perfect match. These list are usually sorted by family’s of fish so finding what family the fish is from helps narrow the search. This helps get an exact idea on the fish species instead of thinking it is a species that lives no where near you. Also, although not necessary, I would recommend getting the Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes. A field guide of any sort is not needed but is definitely a helpful thing to have.
I also recommend this field guide:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0691120722/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_El7CFb86H2X7A
In addition to all the info it contains, it even lists the sharks in evolutionary order and has full color illustrations in one section.
Second this! Also while not totally what you were asking I got a huge kick from this reef fish ID book. If you're going to be doing any snorkeling/diving this really makes it all the more interesting!
A great book that delves into this while making it palatable to someone without a science background is Your Inner Fish. Granted this is what I studied but I think it's very easy to understand for the average reader.
It's not about evolution as a whole, but I'll always recommend the book Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin. He was a member of the team who discovered Tiktaalik, an intermediate species between aquatic and terrestrial species. The book goes through the process of how evolution would have occurred to create this species.
Maybe buy George farmer’s or some other prominent aquascapers book for her as a gift so she can read about it first and get an idea if the hobby is right for her. Seems like hiring someone else to maintain the tank isn’t in budget for your friend. https://www.amazon.com/Aquascaping-Step-Step-Maintaining-Beautiful/dp/1510753389/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=george+farmer&qid=1664317750&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjI3IiwicXNhIjoiMC4yNiIsInFzcCI6IjAuNDAifQ%3D%3D&sr=8-2
Disclaimer: I don’t represent or endorse George farmer in anyway, I just think his book is digestible and fairly comprehensive. He’s also got lots of free YouTube videos. So does the famous “greenaqua” shop in Hungary.
This book. I know it isn't helpful for just casually browsing the internet to read about facts, but I do distinctly remember reading about it in there.
Aquascaping: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planting, Styling, and Maintaining Beautiful Aquariums https://www.amazon.com/dp/1510753389/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_gl_i_MPFTNH4NEP5SF9FAJVW 2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
This book is amazing. In depth tells how the main things that can cause an algae bloom and how to keep it from occurring
Yeah, I love this example. It is so informative and useful for people who have these kinds of questions. If you want to read more about Tiktaalik and how it ties in with human evolution, I would heartily recommend "Your Inner Fish" by Neil Shubin.
A black background will definitely help. Turn off all the room lights to avoid any reflections off the glass. Put your phone of a tripod or stand of some sort to ensure it’s not moving. Shoot strain on with the aquarium as centered and squared as possible. Definitely edit your photos to crop and match your eye until you’re satisfied.
Great book I recommend that has more info on photographing your tank with a smart phone plus a ton of other info on setting up beautiful aquascapes is also linked below, it helped me a ton and made my aquarium hobby that much more enjoyable.
Limited-time deal: Aquascaping: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planting, Styling, and Maintaining Beautiful Aquariums https://www.amazon.com/dp/1510753389/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_dl_WC6ZQBW7339CVVAE5694?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
If you want a book to read (and possibly keep on a coffee table after reading!), I can highly recommend Aquascaping: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planting, Styling, and Maintaining Beautiful Aquariums by George Farmer (link is to Amazon.com).
Personally- even though I am more a reader than a watcher of videos- I found YouTube to be the most useful resource when I was learning (this was before George Farmer released his book). The only problem is that the YouTube aquascapers seem to have endless resources and are less concerned with the health and happiness of the fish than they ought to be (side-eye at MD Fish Tanks and other popular YouTubers who promote "no filter" setups). You shouldn't ever do anything because you saw one guy on YouTube do it...if you get an idea from there, research before you implement it.
Sadly the Google results for any search you do related to this hobby will be littered with misinformation due to Search Engine Optimised pages written by Chinese bots. It's better to reach out to other hobbyists (as you have done here) than it is to rely on what you find while Google searching.
Thank you. Here’s the book I’m referring to.
Aquascaping: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planting, Styling, and Maintaining Beautiful Aquariums https://www.amazon.com/dp/1510753389/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_K22GF68JEPCKP9JZNDE4
Your Inner Fish is a fantastic book and I can't recommend it enough. It's written by the paleontologist who discovered Tiktaalik and serves as a really good introduction to evolutionary theory for non-biologists.
The Peterson Guide 2nd Ed. is generally considered to be the best general ID book for North American freshwater species. Otherwise there is a Kansas Fishes book that looks good but I haven't used it before - that would be your best bet for more local/specialized info.
Despite the excellent answers your getting... there are to many small differences to try to explain. Just get a field guide. Faster and more reliable than reddit.
A great book is <em>Ecology of the Planted Aquarium</em> by Diana Walstad. It's practically on par with the Bible.
Jordan Peterson uses Evolutionary Biology in the same way that Deepak Chopra uses Quantum Theory.
Neither of them is an expert in the actual field, but uses it's catchphrases and cherry picks data that agrees with their theories while completely ignoring anything that doesn't.
If you want to learn about evolutionary biology, read a book from an evolutionary biologist.
I'd recommend Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin
It won't help you to justify any existing biases you may have against feminism or trans people, but it will give you a good framework about what 'evolutionary biology' really is and why it's interesting
That thing is nice. Awesome betta tank. With a tank like that, I recommend you read George Farmer's latest book. You could make some beautiful aquscapes in there. There is tons of good info in there about tanks, plants, and fish so I would recommend it to anyone really.
Check out George Farmer's Podcast, the entire first season is dedicated to helping those new to planted tanks! I also highly recommend George's new aquascaping book if you want to get serious. Good luck!