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siamese fighting fish

December 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

siamese fighting fish are one of the most popular and beautiful aquarium fish available. They come in a wide range of colours and the male of the species have long flowing fins. They are also capable of surviving in many different conditions. Many were once sold in a vase with a lily in the top, and you still see them kept in cups and small jars. This is far from ideal for the Siamese Fighting Fish, although they will tolerate these conditions indefinitely, but it doesn’t mean to say they are happy! I never recommend keeping any fish in less than 2 gallons of water, which should either be filtered or changed regularly and I abhor the practice of “Jarring”, keeping them in 1-2 pints (1/2 – 1 litre) of water.
The name Siamese Fighting Fish came from when they were first used by gamblers in the Far East. They would put two males together and watch them fight, often to the death of one, for money. Splendens are one of a few species of male fish that will not tolerate any other males in their vicinity. The origins of their aggression are unknown, but it is believed by some to be a natural territorialbehaviour. However, through persistent captive breeding, this aggression has been increased to an un-natural level.

Origin

Siamese Fighting Fish originate from the paddy fields, gullies and streams of South East Asia, and are found mainly in Thailand, Borneo and South Vietnam. They thrive in stagnant ponds and slow-moving water. Because of their Labyrinth, a special “lung”, they can survive in water with very little oxygenby coming to the surface periodically to breathe. In fact, they have been known to drown if they cannot get to the surface!

Aquarium

They need warm water, between 75ºF (24ºC) and 84ºF (29°C), but can tolerate a wide range of water hardness (pH), anywhere between 6 and 8. The tank should also have a tight-fitting cover, as Siamese Fighting Fish are excellent jumpers and will often die through jumping out of the water onto the counter. Another reason for the tight lid is to keep the air temperature as close as possible to the water temperature, so that they don’t catch pneumonia by breathing cold air.

Most people would recommend that these males are solitary fish, kept in tanks on their own, and in most cases, this is wise. They can be kept in communities though, with other fish species, so long as care is taken to ensure that there are no small fry, fin-nippers, similar looking fish such as fancy guppies, other male splendens or very fast fish in the tank with the Siamese Fighting Fish. You can keep them with betta females, as long as there are several females. These fish are slow movers, (except when stalking or mating), and very susceptible to damage not only from other tank mates, but also from sharp objects or corners on ornaments. Similar looking fish, like the fancy guppy could be mistaken as competition and create problems for you too.

The tank should be well equipped with hiding places, plants, rocks or ornaments, as these fish like to hide and hunt. Live food such as blood worms, cut up earth worms, baby brine shrimp and daphnia are very quickly consumed, and the dietshould also include vegetables such as crushed peas, sliced cucumber or aubergine.

Temperament and breeding

Not all Siamese Fighting Fish are super-aggressive. Much depends on the way they are bred. If they are bred in a community the aggression is much less than if they are bred in separate jars. The aggression factor is further increased if they are not allowed to see any other Siamese Fighting Fish while growing to adult. “Carding”, (placing card between each jar to obscure the view of other fish), is very common amongst breeders of Siamese Fighting Fish for this very purpose, although many breeders will give the excuse that by constantly “flaring” at each other, they get tired. (Flaring is the term used to describe the spreading of gill covers and fins in a display of aggression.)

Personally I have successfully bred splendens in a community with very little sign of trouble. I consider this to be successful if they can co-exist as a community until 6 months old, when the males are very noticeable. As juveniles, they will flare at each other, but I have not had any fatalities or even serious aggression displayed. Usually one of the males will quickly submit and swim away, doing a headstand to show his submission. Once this happens, the winning male flares and swims away too. At 6 months old, I take the males out and give them their own space, but still allow them to see other Siamese Fighting Fish.

Females of the species are usually much more placid, and don’t carry nearly as much finnage. They can exist happily in a community indefinitely, either in groups of 6 or more females, or with one male and a group of females. As with all things, there are exceptions to the rule, so this is something that you need to watch for when putting several Siamese Fighting Fish females together.

Although these are easy fish to breed, it is unwise to do so unless you have the ability to cope with the offspring. Siamese Fighting Fish are “Bubble-nesters”, which means that they build a nest of saliva covered air bubbles on the surface of the water or under a large leaf or similar, and when they mate, the male will catch the eggs from the female and blow them into the nest.

If you do intend to breed these fish, you need to ensure that you have enough tanks and equipment to cope with both adults and fry. The breeding tank should be no less than 15 gallons and large enough to allow the female to escape from the male. It should be furnished with lots of hiding places, plants large leaves, rocks etc and have either floating plants or a polystyrene cup, cut in half, floating on the water. The temperature needs to be 80ºF (27ºC) and filtering should be by air using a sponge filter. During mating, the filter should be turned off. Almond leaves, extract or Betta Spa will all aid in the mating process.

Mating

Mating is often a very drawn out process, and can take several hours, but is beautiful to watch. The male will build the nest, entice the female under it and then they go into an embrace, the male wrapping himself around the female while she releases some eggs. He fertilises them as she releases and then lets her go while he chases the eggs, collects them up and blows them into the nest. The female will appear stunned for several seconds after each embrace, then once she recovers, goes straight back to the male and the process is repeated until all the eggs are released. This can be up to 400 eggs.

Once mating has finished, the male will chase the female away from the nesting site and this is a good time to remove her to a recovery tank. The male will attend the nest and subsequent fry for the first 5-7 days, during which time he will not eat. He needs to be removed too after this time, or he may see the fry as food!

It is most important that the breeding tank has a tight fitting lid at all times while the fry are growing, since they are extremely delicate and will succumb to pneumonia very easily. Most fry are lost during the early stages of development because of this.

The fry

The fry are free-swimming by day 6, and will only be able to eat very small foods, such as fresh baby brine shrimp or infusoria for the first 4 weeks. (You need to setup a hatchery for BBS that can maintain an adequate supply daily.) After this time you can start to introduce finely ground flake food as a supplement to the BBS, and gradually wean them off the brine shrimp by week 10. By now you should be able to tell males from females and need to watch for aggressive males and remove to separate breeding tanks if necessary. It is quite possible that you could have 100 males from a single sporn, so you need to be able to make arrangements for their separation should it be required.

By week 16, they are normally large enough to sell on to your local storeor friends. If you plan to keep them yourself, invest in a lot of tanks now!

 

 

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oscar care

December 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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goldfish care

December 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Hopefully this will help people properly care for their
goldfish and give them the best life possible

Goldfish
are one of the most widely abused pets owned, due to the common misconception
that they are easy to keep, grow to the size of the tank/bowl and because they
are cheap to replace if they die. Infact, goldfish are a large fish, capable of
reaching 20″ given proper care and space,and have been known to live up to
40years, although 15-20 is much more likely. They have great personalities, and
a good memory. Some have even been taught to do simple tricks for
food!

Aquariums for goldfish need to be large to allow the fish to grow
to the full potential its genetics will allow. Tank size is very important,it
must be carefully thought out as it greatly influences the potential of the fish
to reach its adult size. A stunted fish will die much earlier than a fish
kept in a large tank allowing them room to grow.

Goldfish can become prone to several health issues as a result of
the poor water conditions in a small tank/bowl. Unfortunately, they produce a
large amount of waste especially when their metabolic rate is increased due to
elevated temperature. As a result, the water quality deteriorates rather rapidly
especially when the tank is less than ideal in size, even in a large tank, water
changes and gravel vacs will be your best friend in keeping your fish fit and
healthy.

Considering goldfish are not designed
to stay small (which is why fishbowls are considered cruel) and at full grown
can be in the 8-10 up to 18-20 inches range depending on type, a general
guideline for fancy fat body types should be at least 15-20 gallons for
the 1st fish plus an extra 10 gallons per fish in the tank after that, and
double that for common/comet/shubunkin types.

This
does not mean that the spare 15 gallon tank you have can be used for a goldfish,
they are very social creatures and you should not keep goldfish in isolation as
they are more unlikely to thrive if deprived of company. Minimum tank sizes for
goldfish IMO would be 25-30 gallons for fancies, and 50 gallons for commons as
you will need at least a pair. Bigger is always better, and just because a fish
will fit in your tank, doesnt mean it will be able to swim properly, and have
the space to move and use its muscles. Rectangular tanks are always better as
they provide the largest air to water surface for oxygenation. Goldfish have
high oxygen requirements, yet another reason bowls are completely unsuitable.
All in all, the bigger the tank you can get, the happier, healthier and longer
your fish will live.

Here is a list of some types of
goldfish.

Fancy goldfish-can be slower than commons-
Black Moor/Telescope
Fantail
Oranda
Pompoms

Very fancy goldfish-can be much slower
swimmers-
Lionhead
Ranchu
Eggfish
Celestial
Bubble
Eyes

Common or pond type goldfish-fast strong swimmers-
Comet
Common
Goldfish
Shubunkin

It is advised not to mix commons with fancies, and
especially not very fancy goldfish. 2 main reasons are-

Competition for
food, the commons will in general be faster stronger swimmers than the fancies,
and definately faster and stronger than the very fancy fish. The fish with eye
growth such as bubble eyes, celestials, moors wont be able to see the food
aswell as the commons either,aswell as some orandas and lionheads with large wen
growth.

Spawning, male common shaped goldfish will easily out swim a
female fancy goldfish, and will push her to exhaustion if they are together when
she starts to spawn. The males can be very hard on the females, shoving them
around and into plants etc, having a large strong male goldfish pushing a
smaller female goldfish around is never going to end well.

Males can be
sexed from females by means of the breeding dots on their gill covers (not
always visible out of spawning mode, although my males have always shown them at
all times) and also by venting. Venting is looking at the fishes vent (where
they poop from and also where females expel eggs from) the males should be flat
and the females can have a tiny little bump, its becoming quite easy for me now
to sex even very small goldfish via venting.

Fancy goldfish are far more
suited to aquariums than common goldfish, mainly due to their adult size. Ponds,
either indoor or outside, should be considered for
commons/comets/shubunkins.

Stunting is one of the most talked
about subjects when it comes to keeping fish. It remains a debate with different
theories as to what causes stunting in fish growth. There are different things
that influence the growth rate of a fish.

Genetics obviously will play
some part in this, if you have a small mother and father, the off-spring will
not be as large at adult size as that of larger parents. Any tank should allow
for the maximum adult size of the particular type of goldfish, and not be taken
as you can go smaller as the parent fish were smaller, it could just be that the
adults spawned before becoming fully grown.

Stress is another factor that
is sometimes missed when it comes to stunting. When a fish is stressed, it
releases hormones in response to the stress, which reduce the growth hormones.
Once the stress has been removed, the fish may have a growth spurt due to the
fish releasing more growth hormones again. A fish may stunt through stress while
in a smaller tank, but then when placed into a larger tank could make up some
growth, although will never be as large as it could have been had the stunting
not taken place,and no doubt the life span will also be
reduced.

Overcrowding can also cause stress.Many people tend to buy a lot
of small fish and forget that their fish are still sub-adult. The lack of space
can prevent the fish from developing normally as they should do as all the fish
will release the stunting hormones, so the more fish there are in the tank, the
stronger the hormones, doing very regular partial water changes will help dilute
the hormones but in the long run stocking will need to be reduced.

Water
changes are a must, in all tanks, to dilute the nitrates that build up and also
the hormones released by the fish. Gravel vacs are a very good idea too as the
debris (food/poop) that drops down into the gravel will break down and further
pollute the water. Goldfish poop a lot, so a gravel vac i would say is pretty
much compulsary!

The nitrogen cycle is explained
already in different threads so i wont go into that, but its a very important
process in every aquarium.

Test kits are a
fantastic product, fairly cheap to buy (dont buy test strips as they can be
inaccurate) API do a good liquid drop test kit which is easy to come by
and is a good price.

Most people tend to forget the
nitrate will remain in the water elevating dangerously if not for the regular
partial water changes. I carry out around 60% every weekend in my goldfish tank,
with a gravel vac. Nitrate should not be allowed to climb higher than 40ppm. Try
to set-up a scedule for your water changes so your levels are always <40ppm
before a water change, preferably, nitrates should be kept at less than 20ppm,
and in heavily planted tanks the nitrates can be at zero even in a cycled fully
stocked tank. Heavily planted tanks very rarely have goldfish in them though, as
the goldies will simply snack away until theres not much left,good for the fish,
not so good to look at. Water changes will still be needed but not so regularly
if your tank is heavily planted. In high nitrate tanks, fish can become
more susceptable to health issues, and can also become stunted. Even in a
planted tank, you will need to water change to remove some of the fish poop etc
from the gravel and keep your water in top condition.

Filtration is extremely important. Goldfish have a reputation for
being very messy compared to tropical fish but this is not always true,plecos
and large cichlids for example are also very messy.

Aim for a turnover rate of around 4-5 times the water volume of
your aquarium. My aquarium has a turnover rate of around 7x the tanks volume per
hour by means of 4 separate filters.There is no such thing as too much
filtration, unless the out-lets are too powerful and the goldfish are swept
around and get stressed in the process, this can be avoided by adding spray bars
to the out-lets to disperse the flow more gently. Keeping goldfish is certainly
not a cheap hobby. If you cannot afford the proper set-up, maybe try smaller
cold water species such as white cloud mountain minnows for example, or maybe
even a smaller tropical tank with rosy barbs as these can look quite similar to
goldfish but remain much smaller.

When it
comes to cleaning the filter media,what you should do is use your old tank water
or clean dechlorinated tap water in a clean bucket to rinse out the filter
media. It does not have to be spotlessly cleaned as most of the dirt in it is
still beneficial for the tank and will hold bacteria, the majority of your
beneficial bacteria will live in your filter media. You should not replace the
old filter media with new ones unless the old media is literally falling apart,
and even so, try to retain a small portion of the old media to put in alongside
the new so that the bacteria can more quickly colonise the new
surfaces.

Diet, very important, especially for fancy goldfish. Fancy
goldfish are prone to bouyancy problems due to their internal organs being
cramped up in their deformed bodies. Floating foods should be avoided at all
costs. Quality sinking pellets are by far the best option of shop bought foods.
I use saki hikari food for mine and im happy with the results. Flake foods lose
their goodness very quickly on contact with the water, so even if you put the
flakes under water to stop them from floating, they have very little nutritional
value compared to a pellet food. Another option you can look into is gel foods.
Some people use these for their fish as they can control what goes into them and
they have zero gas content in fish which do have floating
issues.

Goldfish also need a lot of greens in their diet, either by means
of live plants, or by adding foods to the tank a couple of times a week. My
goldfish adore cooked shelled peas, and cooked broccoli. They get peas at least
twice a week as they are thought to push out any trapped gases in the intestinal
tract which can create floaty problems, i know when i feed them peas, the bright
green poops the next day do occasionally have gas bubbles trapped in them.

Variety in their diet will always do fish good. Mine get saki hikari
pellets as their staple diet, then they have shelled cooked peas, broccoli,
sweetcorn (squeeze out the squishy centers into the tank),courgette which they
pick at,live or frozen daphnia/brineshrimp/bloodworm once or twice a week too.
They also have live plants in the tank which they enjoy snacking on
too.

With fancy goldfish especially, tank decor is something to seriously
put a lot of thought into. Any ornaments which they can swim into and get
trapped, should be removed. Any ornaments or plants which are sharp can easily
injure these fish, and fish with eye bubbles can get caught and the eye bubble
then pop, usually the fish will heal up but wont look as nice, and can become
infected with the open wound, fish with protruding eyes such as moors can be
blinded by rough edges too. Silk plants are best if you use fake plants, and
also driftwood needs to be rounded off, so the sharp edges are all gone.

Tankmates for goldfish, well theres other goldfish, dojo loaches, and
bristlenose plecos, i always worried their sharp spines on their faces could
harm my goldfish but have so far had no issues and they dont bother the goldfish
at all. Apple snails are good with goldfish though may get nipped at, and nerite
snails with smooth shells have also been kept successfully with goldfish. You
can also house white cloud mountain minnows with goldfish, but 1 day chances are
they will become a goldfish snack.

Do not add common plecos to a goldfish
tank, they have been known to latch onto the side of a slow moving goldfish and
eat away at its slime coat. I have seen this myself and i will never add one to
a goldfish tank for this reason. It may be ok if you have a tank of just common
goldfish and they can all move quickly. Personally i wouldnt try it.

Filed Under: fish keeping, goldfish Tagged With: , ,

Keeping oscars

December 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

How to Care for Your Oscar Fish

Oscar Fish (Astronotus ocellatus) are a freshwater cichlid from South America and are also known as Peacock Cichlid, Walnut Cichlid or Velvet Cichlid. Oscars are a relatively large fish that grow up to sixteen inches long and can live for up to eight to twelve years if proper care is given. Read on to learn the steps for ideal Oscar fish care.

Setting up a Freshwater Tank

This is an important step, as this will be your Oscar’s home. The first step is to gather all the equipment you will need:


Choosing an aquarium size

Oscar fish need at least 30 gallons of space each. The minimum tank size for a single Oscar fish should be 40 gallons.

Washing the aquarium

Everything must be washed. Hose out the inside of the aquarium thoroughly and then dry it with paper towels. Make sure to remove any soap residue. Rinse all equipment and ornaments you plan to submerge in tap water.

Place the gravel in a bucket and rinse it with water. Fill the bucket with enough water to submerge the gravel and stir until all of the loose sediment and debris comes off. Rinse and repeat this step until the water remains clear.

Finding a place for your aquarium

Oscar fish are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, noise and light, so keep the tank in a place where there will be minimal external influences on the environment. Place the tank away from doors, windows and vents and out of high traffic areas. Also, be sure to keep the tank out of direct sunlight as this promotes algae growth and temperature fluctuations.

Be sure to situate the tank on a sturdy piece of furniture or a special aquarium stand as a tank can weigh well over a hundred pounds when filled. To protect the floor and carpet, you can place a piece of corkboard beneath the stand or furniture as well as underneath the tank itself to keep the tank secure and even.

Filling your tank

If you’re using one, place your under-gravel filter on the bottom of your aquarium. (More on filters later.) Next, add about three to four inches of cichlid gravel. The amount of gravel is not pivotal, but there should be enough to support all decorations and plants.

Next, begin conditioning your water. Tap water should be left standing for 24 hours or use a water conditioner or stress reliever to remove contaminants and make your water suitable for fish. You can also use special products for cichlids that recreate the mineral content of their natural environment for optimal health. These elements will be important in your cichlid’s healthy transition to your aquarium.

Once your water is prepared, you can begin filling the tank. Pour the water in gently so as not to disrupt the gravel. You can also place a saucer in the bottom of the tank and pour the water directly into the saucer to avoid stirring up the gravel. Fill it up about halfway.
Once the aquarium is about half-full, add plants, ornaments, and rocks. Fill it up the rest of the way after these items are secure.

Bringing your Oscar Fish Home

The most jarring experience of your Oscar’s captive life will be the ride from the pet store to your home. Follow these tips to reduce the amount of trauma on your new Oscar.

  • If it is cold, prepare an insulated box to keep your Oscar in on the ride home.
  • Wrap the bag in newspaper or place it in a brown paper bag to reduce the amount it is exposed to. The transition from indoor light to outdoor light can be particularly shocking for an Oscar fish, as cichlids don’t like bright light.
  • Keep the Oscar away from heating vents and direct sunlight.
  • Make the trip home as quickly as possible. The less jolts from the car ride, the better.
  • Once you get the Oscar fish home, place the bag in the water without opening it for about 15 minutes. Next, add water from the aquarium to the bag a little at before opening the bag and setting it free.


Keeping the Tank Clean and Comfortable for your Oscar Fish

Keep a close eye on your Oscar fish’s water temperature with a digital aquarium thermometer. Oscar fish prefer temperatures between 74 degrees Fahrenheit and 81 degrees Fahrenheit with an ideal around 77 degrees. Avoid fluctuations in temperature.

Ideal pH level for an Oscar fish is about 7.2, but Oscar fish are easily adaptable as long as the change is gradual. Keep an eye on the pH level of both the water in the tank and the water you are about to add for water changes using your pH test kit. If the pH level is drastically different, add only a little bit of new water each time or treat the water first using cichlid buffers.

Keeping several small filters is best for a larger tank, as it staggers the maintenance of the filters. You will at least want either an external power, canister or internal filter, combined with an inexpensive sponge or undergravel filter (or both) to ensure that you have enough surface area for proper biological filtration.

Performing a water change

Changing about 10 to 15 percent of the water is a simple way to keep the water clean and healthy (never change all the water in a big tank at once). Do this on a weekly basis by siphoning off a bit of the water and then siphoning new water back in. Make sure you condition the new water as you did when preparing the tank.

Be sure you remove water, even if some of the water has evaporated from the tank. Evaporated water leaves behind impurities that make the water harder and by simply “topping off” a tank you leave the impurities in.

Feeding your Oscar Fish

Oscar fish are primarily carnivorous, even preying upon smaller fish. In the wild, they prefer live foods, but even purchased live foods commonly contain parasites or other contaminants and it is safer (and easier) to feed them processed or frozen foods. There are special cichlid food blends that will provide a good stable diet, but you should regularly supplement these with freeze-dried worms or other organisms.

There are feeder goldfish on the market, but these fish are not very nutritious and could carry disease.

Blended beef heart, earthworms, shrimps as well as cichlid pellets, peas and lettuce are all good alternatives to keep your Oscar on a balanced diet. An Oscar needs a variety of foods with high protein in order to stay healthy.

Overfeeding

It is extremely important not to overfeed your Oscar fish. Oscar fish produce a lot of waste as it is and adding excess food can cause problems related to pollution, like ammonia buildup. Only feed the Oscar fish as much as it can eat in about two minutes. Any food left uneaten should be removed, along with any other floating debris you spot.

Breeding Oscars

Breeding Oscar fish is typically easier than breeding most other fish. Keep the water clean and raise the temperature to about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The male and female will then begin the process of spawning.

Oscar fish will change colors and begin courting when they are about to spawn. Oscars will build mounds of gravel around the aquarium and will chase each other around the aquarium. Then the female will lay her eggs on a flat rock and the male will fertilize them.

Oscar fish usually lay about 1000 eggs at a time. Unfertilized eggs are white and fertilized eggs will turn transparent after about 24 hours and hatch within 2 to three days.

Feed the newly hatched fry brine shrimp and do 25% water changes every day to keep the conditions suitable for raising fry.

Be aware: sometimes the male will kill the female during courtship.

General tips on Oscar Fish Care

 

  • After setting up the aquarium, it is best to wait a couple weeks to make sure everything is in order.
  • Add only one or two fish at a time. Biological filters need time to accommodate new inhabitants and changes in the water.
  • Before adding an Oscar fish to a community, keep it quarantined in a separate tank for a few weeks to make sure it is healthy. A diseased fishcould contaminate an entire population.
  • Oscar fish prefer hiding places. To keep them relaxed and happy, provide them with plenty of decorations and plants. Oscars prefer about half or more of the tank to be covered, so keep lots of hiding places for him.
  • Oscars prefer to live alone. If you must, choose other Oscars as companions with even temperaments. A passive Oscar is quickly bullied while an aggressive Oscar will attack other fish.
  • Do not neglect regular partial water changes.
  • Air pumps and air stonesare necessary to oxygenate the water and release harmful chemicals by agitating the surface of the water.
  • Oscar fish and many cichlids do not like bright lighting. Use low intensity fluorescent bulbs in your hood or a fluorescent fixture – a 10,000K rating will provide the best viewing – or actinic lighting to avoid stressing them. Make sure to turn them off at night or supply a lunar light.
  • To avoid electrical shock, make a “drip loop” on all your cords. Hang a small weight in the middle of the cord so water will not travel down the cord and into the outlet.
  • Choose gravel that is free of dye and will not be swallowed. Cichlid gravels are your best bet.

 

 

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angelfish care secrets

November 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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CICHLIDS

November 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Vividly coloured and highly varied cichlids are some of the most truly exotic fish you can keep in your aquarium. They are noted for their intelligence and are highly sociable, making them very rewarding fish to interact with. They are also comparatively easy to breed.

The first thing you need to be aware of when keeping cichlids is that they can get big – in the case of some species, up to three feet long! Because of this, and because they are mostly community fish, you’ll need to have plenty of space for them. You’ll also need to make sure you get the ph of the water right, as some species of cichlids come from environments with unusual water chemistry and will struggle in a neutral aquarium. Most species are happiest when they have plenty of places to hide, especially enjoying caves. Make sure you have a background picture behind your tank to give an illusion of cover, as a blank wall will make your cichlids nervous, believing they could be attacked from that side.

Despite being sensitive fish in other ways, cichlids are comparatively easy to feed and will accept most commercial fish food preparations as well as enjoying live food. For best results, try to provide them with a varied diet.

Types of Cichlid

There are numerous types of cichlid to choose from, many of them beautiful to look at, but there are a lot of other factors you need to take into account when choosing the right one for your aquarium.

 

  • Blue Texas Cichlids – Comparatively hardy and adaptable, these are a great species to start off with. They are fond of digging and will quickly uproot plants.
  • Convicts – These distinctive stripy fish are among the most popular aquarium species they grow to just four or five inches long and are notably easy to breed.
  • Red Devils -Brilliantly coloured, these fish are highly active, but this may sometimes sill over into aggression. They enjoy digging up plants.
  • Jaguars -With truly exotic markings, these can make an impressive contribution to a community tank, but they are usually too aggressive to keep with others of their own species and sex.
  • Dickfeldi’s Slender Cichlids -Small and non-aggressive, these fish are best kept in pairs. They don’t require a lot of space and can do well in community tanks.

Breeding Cichlids

One of the reasons why cichlids are so enduringly popular with aquarists is their fascinating breeding behaviour. You’ll probably first realise your cichlids are ready to breed when their colours get brighter and they begin to chase one another. Males will expend a great deal of energy driving off rivals and trying to impress females, as well as burrowing to prepare suitable nest spots for eggs to be laid. Despite all this care, however, cichlids often eat their own eggs. It is unwise to try to remove the adults to prevent this, as doing so can cause extreme stress. If it happens, be patient. Your cichlids will soon get it right, and once the fry hatch out they will be protective parents.

 

Some species of cichlids construct hiding places for their young, whilst others protect them inside their own mouths. Because of this, they can be successful at raising them even in community tanks where there are predatory fish. However, you should be aware that their protective instincts will make them more aggressive towards your other fish, so make sure there’s plenty of room within the tank for fish who feel threatened to get away.

For all the difficulties involved, keeping cichlids can be extremely rewarding. Always active and interested in their surroundings, they’ll provide you with plenty to watch, and they are among the most beautiful fish available for the home aquarium.

 

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Aquatic plants

November 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

aquatic plants

When choosing plants for your aquarium it’s a good idea to have given some thought to layout and appearance and thus to choose plants according to their growth styles and patterns. This not only makes an aesthetically pleasing display but also makes ongoing maintenance much easier to manage.

Aquatic plants are usually grouped into 5 categories:

Foreground Plants – these are usually quite short and small and often form carpet-like matting at the bottom of your aquarium, through the production of several runner plants. These plants tend to be ideal for shallow aquariums because they need a lot of strong sunlight.

Middle Ground Plants – generally taller than foreground plants, middle-ground plants are usually added for aesthetic purposes, hide the stems of the taller background plants.

Background Plants – these are the tallest and grow extremely fast. They do not require as much sunlight and are often used to hide the accessories in the aquarium.

Bunch Plants – these can be used as both middle and background plants and they normally look good in a group, hence their name.

Specimen Plants – used as a highlight for the aquarium, these are large, decorative species that are often placed in the centre.

Floating Plants – although they can be very attractive, these can require more care and maintenance and may not be suitable for beginners. Not only do they need to be kept away from the heat of the light bulb, they also need to be watched as they propagate extremely quickly, blocking out vital light to other parts of your aquarium.

 

Selecting the right type and species of plant is very important, particularly when you are a beginner. In general, if you are new to aquatic plants, it is best to choose species that are not too exotic and/or expensive. Large, colourful specimens tend to be a bad choice for beginners and you are better to stick to green plants. This is because colourful plants require more direct sunlight but more light can also wreak havoc on the temperature and algae levels in the aquarium, therefore it is best to leave such delicate balances to more experienced and knowledgeable aquarium-keepers.

Another thing to keep in mind is the availability – again, as a beginner, you are better to choose plants which propagate themselves and give off-shoots which develop into new plants. This means that they will be readily available in petshops and can be easily acquired should you need to replace any. Finally, unless you are very experienced, it is best to choose plants which are not easily eaten by your fish!

Here are some popular choices of aquatic plants, especially for beginners:

Java Moss/Java Fern – one of the most common aquatic plant species and especially suitable for beginners. They are very hard and can thrive in a range of soft, hard and even brackish waters. They also tolerate a range of pH values. They self-propagate, so that new leaves plants form on the leaves of the existing plant and will either break away eventually or can be cut away and replanted. Thus, they grow rapidly and quickly give your aquarium a lush appearance. It is best to attach to a piece of driftwood or rock initially, until their roots have formed.

Water Wisteria – this is a lovely plant that is undemanding to keep and ideal for your first aquarium. Like Java Ferns, it grows quickly and actually helps to inhibit algae growth – however, it can extract a lot of nutrients from the water so you need to be aware of this. If the leaves are pale, this indicates that there is a shortage of nutrients and you will need to add fertilisers to the substrate.

Anubias Nana – another popular plant for beginners, this is an extremely hardy plant that seems to be able to thrive in all sorts of conditions. It flowers in water and is left alone by herbivorous fish as well. For best results, tie this plant to a tree root or stone.

Lillaeopsis – this grass-like plant is a good choice if your aquarium is exposed to strong sunlight. However, it may not be suitable for beginners who have not yet learnt how to control algae levels as the strong light levels will encourage algae to take over the aquarium.

Cryptocoryne Beckettii – for the more ambitious, this is a good plant to try. Although it is an amphibious plant, it grows well when submerged and comes in a variety of colours.

Amazon Sword (Echinodorus Bleheri) – probably the most popular aquarium plant of all, this is an easy solitary plant for both beginners and experts. It grows fast and is a good competitor for algae.

 

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Angel fish

November 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

angel fish

One of the most splendid of all tropical aquarium inhabitants is the angel fish. This is a popular opinion when people first  consider keeping tropical fish. Though they can be fragile when small they grow up to be relatively hardy fish and, with proper care, should thrive in your aquarium.

Growing to about a foot in height, angel fish need plenty of space, so make sure your aquarium is big enough for them. They should be kept singly or in shoals of four or more, as smaller groups will result in dominance battles and bullying. As they are by nature predatory you should avoid keeping them with small fish like guppies and neon tetra, but otherwise they get along well in community tanks. However, if you want to breed your angel fish, you are likely to have more success if you separate them. They can be aggressive in defence of their young and may then represent a danger to other fish.

Due to their unusual shape, angel fish often struggle to move around in aquariums with strong water flow, so relatively still water is recommended. They are generally happy in gravel bottomed tanks but should be given a bare bottomed tank for breeding. It is important to make sure that the bottom of the tank is a dark colour and that the tank has a background picture, as this will make your angel fish feel more secure.

Types of Angel Fish

You will probably hear other aquarists talking about marine angel fish, but these are not true angel fish, which are members of the cichlid family. True angel fish live in fresh water, usually at about 26ºc. There are several varieties suitable for aquariums.

 

  • Silver – These are the most popular angel fish, with vertically striped black and white bodies. They are comparatively hardy and adaptable. 
  • Black Lace -These look similar to silver angel fish but have a lace-like pattern on their fins. 
  • Black -Solid velvety black in colour, these striking fish are more delicate than their kin, especially when young. 
  • Pearl Scale -These fish have distinctive bumpy scales which give them a striking texture, and have variable colours. 
  • Blushing -These distinctive fish have red cheeks on white bodies. They can be delicate and are vulnerable to disease in community tanks. 
  • Veiltail -Available in a range of colours, these fish have very long, trailing fins. They can be fragile and are vulnerable to nipping by other fish. 

Feeding Your Angel Fish

Angel fish are omnivorous but do best on a diet which contains plenty of meat. Variety is important. They will happily accept flake food but also benefit from freeze dried foods like brine shrimp, bloodworm, tubifex and plankton. Some aquarists recommend giving them a weekly treat of black worms. Live food should only be provided if it is from a reliable source, as angel fish can be particularly vulnerable to parasites which can be introduced in this manner.

 

Breeding

Angel fish are comparatively easy to breed. However, it can be difficult (even for experts) to tell males from females, so your best bet is to watch them closely and let them pair off naturally. They are more likely to breed if they have good water quality and plenty of space. They will carefully prepare a spawning site (usually a clean, flat surface) and will guard their fry after hatching. It is important to protect them from stress at this stage so that they don’t panic and eat their young. For this reason, they should be given as much privacy as possible.

 

Striking to look at and fascinating in their habits, angel fish make a fine addition to the tropical aquarium and are a choice you won’t regret.

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clown fish

November 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Following the massive success of Pixar movie Finding Nemo the clown fish must be the most famous of all tropical marine fish. If you have young children, they’re bound to be begging for little Nemos of their own. Fortunately, clown fish make excellent aquarium inhabitants. Colourful, curious, and fascinating in their habits, they’re also quite hardy and can flourish in a shoal of their own or as part of your community tank.

When familiar with their environment, clown fish are quite tough and resistant to disease, but they find moving traumatic and must be treated with extra care at such times. This is especially the case with fish taken from the wild, who often find it difficult or impossible to adapt to life in an aquarium.

Clown fish are omnivorous and are quite adaptable when it comes to food, enjoying flakes but benefiting from the occasional provision of live food. They are often able to obtain much of their food from waste emitted by their hosts, thus helping to keep the hosts from polluting their environment.

Clown Fish and Anemones
Probably the most famous characteristic of the clown fish is its relationship with the anemone. In the wild, this symbiotic relationship brings benefit to both parties. The fish bring food to the anemone, and in return they get to live within the shelter of is stinging tentacles, safe from predators. They are protected from the stings themselves by a special coating of slime. In the aquarium, clown fish can live fairly happily without an anemone, but it’s also possible to keep them together so that you can watch the way their relationship develops.

If you buy an anemone to go with your clown fish, it’s important to choose the right one. Only a few species make suitable clown fish hosts, and most of these are difficult to look after. Entacmaea, Heteractis and Stiochodactyla anemones are all suitable for clown fish, but you should read up on them carefully and make sure you get your aquarium conditions just right in order for them to thrive. Check with the seller to make sure they’ve been bred in captivity and are not depleting wild reefs. Bear in mind that anemones of the wrong species can actually hurt your clown fish. However, clown fish have proven capable to living in other, hardier cnidarian animals, so you might consider keeping them in Xenia as an alternative – if you are an inexperienced aquarist, this is far more likely to be successful.

Breeding Clown Fish
Clown fish will usually breed in captivity only if they are in stress-free conditions, and they are more likely to do so successfully if they have a suitable host, making them feel secure. Young clown fish are all the same sex, so you don’t need to worry about which you buy. One of them will change sex to become female. Usually all the others in a single host shoal mature as males, but if the female dies the largest male will change sex to replace her. In captivity, clown fish are happy to spawn in pairs, but they will need a few months to get to know each other before they feel ready to do so, and sometimes they may simply not find one another appealing in that way.

When spawning, clown fish can become quite territorial, so make sure your aquarium has plenty of space and a good number of hiding places. The male will clean and prepare a spawning site and, after the eggs are laid and fertilised, both parents will tend and protect them, guarding them from other fish. They will also take good care of their fry.

Surprisingly versatile, lively and intelligent, clown fish can make a wonderful choice for your aquarium. Their distinctive bobbing motion when swimming makes them delightful to watch, and they’re always busy with something. They shoal well with tangs and are happy in community tanks with relatively peaceful fish like angel fish and anthias. So long as you provide good basic care, they’ll thrive in your aquarium and bring you a great deal of pleasure.

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keeping koi

November 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Koi ponds have become a popular hobby in the world, and the reasons are clear as to why. Koi are beautiful, vibrant fish that can literally light your day. Koi come in many colors, varieties, and kinds, so it is likely that everyone in the world can find at least one type of Koi that would suit their likes. While Koi may be a welcomed beauty to your pond, they also have an interesting history attached to them.

 

In Chinese culture, Koi ponds are said to being good luck to their owners. Koi ponds are used as an overall plan to fulfill their lives. Other parts of the world consider Koi ponds as a form of relaxation and serenity. In the united states, more and more people seem to find Koi ponds to be fun more then anything else. No matter what the reason you find to have a Koi pond, they are sure to brighten your life.

However, Koi keeping should not be taken lightly. Koi, like any other animal, require time and money to maintain. The majority of first time Koi owners fail because they get the idea that keeping Koi is easy in some way. Do not let this discourage you though, as educating yourself will greatly improve your chances of succeeding.

It is important for you to learn all you can BEFORE you begin obtaining the things you need for Koi keeping. This way, you will not slip up and have to replace anything that you have already done or bought. Planning ahead will not only save your money, but it will potentially save your sanity as well.

It is important to learn the information for yourself rather then relying on other sources. People such as your product dealer and pond builder will have limited knowledge, but should not be trusted for a reliable source, as they are selling products and may be bias. Plus, once you are at home with your Koi, your product dealer or pond builder may not be available to help you in the event of a problem.

 

Koi Have Personality

You would not believe that Koi actually have personalities similar to other animals. They are social, and can even be trained to eat directly from their owners hands. The more time you spend with your Koi, the more you will notice each Koi has individual characteristics and traits.

Koi have been known to live for up to 200 years at time, but generally the average lifespan of a healthy Koi is about 30 years. So if you are looking for along time pet companion, Koi may be a good choice.

Building Your Koi Habitat

Before ever buying Koi, you must create a proper habitat for them. This is where information from your pond builder and supplier will come in handy. However, you should not rely on the opinions of just one person. It may be a god idea to do research on your own, before you go to purchase the materials needed for you pond. Because of it’s popularity, an unlimited supply of resources can be found on the topic of Koi keeping. Visit your local library, fishery center, or research online. There are quite a few things needed to sustain a habitable pond.

When it comes to pond size, bigger is always better. Koi have a habit of growing rather fast, so you have to consider pond size at the same time you are considering how many Koi you are going to put it in.

Your filtration system is extremely important. There are 2 types of filtration, mechanical and biological. Mechanical filtration relives the pond of solids such as dead algae, insects, and Koi wastes. It is important to have enough filtration to sustain the size of the pond, and the amount and size of your Koi. Biological filtration causes a nitrogen cycle, which is what removes dissolved wastes from your pond. Without biological filtration, built up waste will turn into ammonia and kill your Koi within just a few days.

Besides the technical aspects of your pond, you will also have the ability to create a visually appealing area as well. Waterfalls, fountains, and other water features will not only add a visual show to your pond, but it will also create movement and sound. A variety of plants and flowers are also available for your pond

Filed Under: fish keeping, koi Tagged With:
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