KILLIFISH Are of Interest to Experienced Fish-Keepers

Killifish are basically medium sized fish. They have a peculiar cylindrical shape. With their upward turning mouths and habit of swimming near the surface of the water, they are very unique in the fish community. They are found mainly in Africa and North as well as South America and some parts of Asia.

Killifish (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They are famous for their unique behavior while breeding. Most of them are the annual killifish and they live for a short time. They follow a peculiar life cycle.

Killifish as such are happy to stay in soft but acidic water and if there is any extract of black water in it, it makes an ideal condition for their living. If the temperature the water is lower, it suits them. So if they are kept in an indoor aquarium which is not heated, they can live a bit longer.

They are not 'social' in nature. If you keep them with other species of fish, they will usually ignore them. However, some will be aggressive with other males in the breeding season. They cannot be considered as schooling fish also. In fact, male and female will swim together but they will totally ignore other mates in the aquarium and other species too.

Killifish will not eat plants so they are suitable for aquarium with a lot of plants. They should not be kept in a tank with higher temperatures because that will shorten their life.

They lay their eggs for reproduction. These eggs are very tough and they can survive even in the times of partial dehydration. In fact some of the eggs may not hatch if they are not out of water for a certain period of time.

There are two types of killifish on the basis of their breeding pattern - some are egg hangars. They will lay eggs on the plants and these eggs can survive several seasons. The other type is called bottom layers which will live in bodies of water which will get dry during some part of the year. They will bury their eggs in the mud and those eggs will survive until the period of rain starts.

If you want to breed killifish, find out whether they are egg hangars from your pet store. For this type of killifish, the breeding process is relatively easy. You should keep them in a tank which is having plenty of plants with big leaves. The eggs will develop eventually and they will hatch within a period of three weeks.

If you are trying with the other type of killifish, you should provide peat moss in the tank which will be an ideal place for them to bury the eggs. It will take a period of several months for the eggs to hatch as they should be placed in dry conditions and thereafter again in water to hatch. After the dry season, if you provide soft and slightly acidic water with modest temperature, that will be an ideal environment for the eggs to hatch.

Killifish are not very difficult to keep but beginners usually like to stay away from them as their life cycle is short and their breeding is not in normal way like other species. Experienced fish-keepers like them because of their unique breeding pattern and their colorful and lively presence in the aquarium.

By Chintamani Abhyankar Chintamani Abhyankar is a goldfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding goldfish for many years. He is an expert on their care and an advocate for raising healthy goldfish the natural way. Article Source: EzineArticles

---

---

Aquarium Plants - Different Types of Live AQUARIUM PLANTS

Most of the people love to have aquarium at homes. Aquarium comes in one of the best interior additions that you can add to interior decor of your home. Aquarium increases the beauty of your home and attracts the attention of everyone passing around. There are many people who find it hard to keep the aquarium plants in their aquariums. If you are also one of them and need some help about different types of live plants, then you come across the right article. In this article, you will read about some of the different types of plants, which are given below.

Aquarium Plants

There are many different types of live aquarium plants available in the market these days. You must know that these plants are also very useful and advantageous for the life of your aquarium. Most of the people use these live plants to give it a natural look. These live plants can be growing by using bulbs in aquariums. Some of the hard and rough type of aquarium plants takes a lot of time to grow, but when they grow completely they looks very beautiful and increases the beauty of your aquarium. These plants are the best if you use them in small ponds.

You should also keep in mind the species of fishes that you have in your aquarium, while choosing the live aquarium plants. Some of the live plants have floating ability and that looks very natural and attractive. These floating plants are great for such fishes that want to hide for their safety. The common type of these plants is called rhizomes, which are very popular and the most demanding aquarium plant. These live plants have thick leaves and stem on the top as well as on bottom. These plants are also called as runner plant as they have ability to float on the surface.

Another very famous aquarium plants is known as rosette. This type of plant looks like crown because it has lots of roots below as well as on the top. These plants often have beautiful flowers that look very beautiful when they move in aquarium. Another type of aquarium plant is water wisteria, which has the ability to grow faster than other plants.  Article Directory: EzineArticles

---

---

Fact Sheet: GUPPY - Poecilia reticulata

Photo by markplymouth

Guppy Fact Sheet 

The Guppy, Poecilia reticulata is an attractive and normally peaceful fish. It was named after Robert John Lechmere Guppy who discovered this fish in Trinidad. He believed that this was a previously undiscovered fish. After being scientifically described, the fish was called Girardinus guppii. The common name of Guppy was given the fish.

The Guppy males tend to have a smaller body and bigger fins than the female. The fin underneath the fish in about the centre of the fish's body (the anal fin) is long in the male and is used in fertilisation. The male is capable of pointing it forwards so it can make contact with the female and transfer the sperm. In the female, this fin is triangular in shape. The males tend to be much more colourful than the females. Modern female guppies often have good colours, but the wild ones did not. Modern Guppy males tend to have purer colours, while the wild ones tend to have more varied ones. Often the wild males have more colours on each fish.

It was later found that the fish had been previously discovered by Wilhelm C. H. Peters, described and named. The fish is now usually called Poecilia reticulata. The most common of the common names is 'Guppy'. There are several other common names including 'Rainbow Fish' and 'Millions Fish'. The name Rainbow Fish is appropriate to its many and varied colours, but is misleading because of the several other fish with the same name. I prefer the name "Guppy'. However, I would note the name 'Guppy' is sometimes used for other fish. Fish I have seen called 'Guppies' include goldfish, Neon Tetras, Zebra Danios and Gambusia. This is simply misleading and can be confusing.

Guppy standards Large strains A flag tail B triangle tail C fan tail D veil tail Sword strains E double sword F upper sword G lower sword H lyre tail /  Short strains I spade tail J spear tail
K round tail L pin tail (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Origin

Guppies are native to several Caribbean islands and north western South America including Barbados, Guyana, Netherlands Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago, the US Virgin Islands, Venezuela and Brazil.

Companions

The Guppy is a popular aquarium fish. It can be kept with other small peaceful fish, including Platies, Swordtails and Mollies. It is in the same family as these fish and is in the same genus as Mollies. Other fish suitable as companions are White Cloud Mountain Minnows, Neon Tetras, Cardinal Tetras, Siamese Fighting Fish, Peppered Catfish and other Corydoras catfish, Cherry Barbs, and other small peaceful fish.

Note that many of the fish just named are schooling fish. I would recommend that these be kept in groups of at least four, and preferably more. The Guppy is not a very strongly schooling species and can be kept singly or in small groups, although I certainly prefer larger numbers. It is both the way they usually occur naturally, and they look good. A tank of the highly coloured Guppies is a beautiful sight. Males and female guppies can be kept together although if they are I suggest that at least one female be kept for each male. If you keep several males with one female, all the males want to mate with the female and do not give her much peace.

Fish I would not recommend as companions for guppies include Black Widow Tetras, Serpae Tetras, Buenos Aires Tetras, Paraguay Tetras, Red Eye Tetras, Tiger Barbs, Rosy Barbs, Paradise Fish, Galaxias, and any other fish that can be fin nippers. Larger fish are also generally not suitable companions for Guppies.

Feeding

The Guppy is easy to feed. They are omnivores like most fish,and benefit from some vegetable food including algae. Guppies will eat most fish food. I suggest a good flake food as a basis for the diet, if possible supplemented with other food to give variety. Good flakes include the Wardley Total Tropical or Total Colour. As well as Wardley there are many other reputable manufacturers of fish food who make excellent foods. Other foods can include live food like Daphnia. Mosquito larvae (Wrigglers) are an excellent food. In the wild, Guppies will eat a lot of these. Their upturned mouth is well adapted to eating wrigglers. Blood Worms are related to wrigglers and are also a good food. Frozen Blood Worms are also good, as are several other frozen foods. Live or frozen Brine Shrimp are good. I also find that Guppies will benefit from dry fry food as achange.

Do not over feed your fish.

I suggest feeding once a day, but not too much. For most types of food the fish should have finished it in a couple of minutes. Guppies are good eaters and generally will get the food quickly. Larger food including Algae Wafers is also good. Because these are hard, the Guppy will take longer to eat them.

Water

Guppies generally thrive in fairly hard, slightly alkaline, water. They can tolerate very large amounts of salt in the water. In some countries they are bred in water which is a mixture of half fresh water and half sea water. The Guppies thrive in this water, but these fish can cause problems when people put them into normal fresh water aquariums. As well as having to be acclimatised to the fresh water, the Guppies have not been exposed to columnaris disease. These fish can die very quickly in a normal aquarium unless strong treatment is done quickly. To get immunity the fish have to be exposed to the disease, and the disease cured.

Rain water is not good water for guppies although many people have used it successfully. If this is the water you have, I suggest using a rainwater conditioner (A mixture of salts). If you are using tap water (as I do), make sure you get rid of the Chlorine or Chloramine.

For a tank of mixed small tropicals, I suggest a pH of 7 and a moderate amount of salt and hardness. In most places normal tap water, with the Chlorine or Chloramine removed and the pH adjusted to 7 is suitable for Guppies, and to a mixed community. If in doubt about your tap water, I suggest visiting your local aquarium store. They should know about the local water.

Temperature

The Guppy is a tropical fish. However, different strains of Guppy have different tolerances to low temperatures. I have even heard of strains that are claimed to be able to tolerate temperature down to 4Ì? C (39Ì? F). I have never encountered any of these. Once I heard of a creek to the north of Adelaide that was supposed to have a naturalised strain of Guppies. I searched for the creek. I was able to identify the creek from the description I was given. There were no Guppies in it. (Actually, there was not even any water.) Although I tried to find where the Guppies would have gone, I was unable to find any Guppies. I suspect that this was a case of mistaken identity of the fish.

As a general thing I would not suggest a temperature of lower than 18 degrees C (65 degrees F). Guppies will certainly tolerate up to at least 32 degrees C (90 degrees F), and probably higher. Although I sometimes give the maximum and minimum temperatures types of fish can tolerate, it needs to be remembered that subjecting fish to their limits is not good and you are stressing the fish very badly. Stress will leave the fish very vulnerable todisease.

I generally set the thermostat at 24 degrees C (75 degrees F) although some people prefer a few degrees higher, especially for breeding.

Hardiness

The modern Guppies have been selective bred for colour and fin length, as well as other external characteristics. In the process they have lost much of the original hardiness of the Guppy. The life span of the Guppy now is often no more than a year.

Pest Fish

The Guppy has been introduced to every continent except Antarctica. In some places it is causing considerable damage to the native fish of the areas it has been introduced to. You should not release aquarium or pond fish into the wild, and you should ensure that they cannot get introduced accidentally.

It is worthy of note that many of the most destructive introduced fish and other animals have been introduced deliberately, often by government agencies.

By Steve Challis Steve Challis has many other fish fact sheets and other articles on a wide range of subjects at http://www.bettatrading.com.au. This includes a fact sheet about a related fish, the Endlers Guppy at http://www.bettatrading.com.au/Endlers-Guppy-Fact-Sheet.php. Article Source: EzineArticles

---

---

---

Fact Sheet: PEARL GOURAMI - Trichogaster leeri

(Original title: Keeping the Pearl Gourami in Aquariums)

Photo by h080

The Pearl Gourami, Trichogaster leeri, is also called the Lace Gourami, Diamond Gourami and the Mosaic Gourami, and sometimes the Red Breasted Gourami. It is native to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. It has been introduced to Colombia, The Philippines and Taiwan.

Length and Longevity

It can grow to about 12 centimetres (4 1/2 inches) long. It will live for up to 8 years.

Water Conditions

This fish comes from tropical countries, and it needs warm water. A temperature of between 24 and 28 degrees C (75- 83 degrees F) is suitable. They come from soft acid water, but the adults are moderately adaptable and a pH of between 6.0 and 7.5 with a dH of up to 19 is all right for maintaining them.

Plants

This fish comes from still or sluggishly moving water bodies with a lot of plants in, so at least part of their aquarium needs to have a lot of plants. Ideally these should include floating plants.

Breathing

The Pearl Gourami is a labyrinth fish and can breathe air as well as water, so it needs access to the air. It is better if the air is of a similar temperature to the water and is humid, so the tank should be well covered.

Food

This fish is an easily fed omnivore. It will eat all common fish foods. Its diet should include foods of both animal origin like live or frozen bloodworms, daphnia or brine shrimp, and also things a vegetable origin like algae wafers, lettuce or lightly cooked zucchini.

Hydra

Although the most popular fish for eating Hydra is the Blue Gourami, Pearl Gouramis also eat it readily. They are smaller and more peaceful than Blue Gouramis and are sometimes kept in tanks as small as 60 Litres (15 US gallons), so there are circumstances where the Pearl Gourami would be the fish of choice to get rid of hydra.

Bruising

The Pearl Gourami has a soft body and care needs to be taken when handling this fish.

Companions

It is a very peaceful fish which is often, but not always, shy. It can safely be put with fish smaller than itself although I would not put it with fish as small as Neon Tetras, but most of the more peaceful tetras are suitable companions as well as all the corydoras catfish like the Bronze Catfish.

You need to avoid fish that nip fins or are large and aggressive.

By Steve Challis Steve Challis has many other fish fact sheets and other articles on http://www.bettatrading.com.au including pictures and breeding information about the Pearl Gourami at http://www.bettatrading.com.au/Pearl-Gourami-Fact-Sheet.php. Article Source: EzineArticles

---

---

---

Shocking Dangers of Bad GOLDFISH Care (Part 1): Poor Quality GOLDFISH Water

When you really take the time to look at it, the majority of common goldfish sickness problems stem from one thing: poor water quality. Fortunately, it's as easy to get this right as it is wrong.

Some goldfish problems related to water should never happen. For instance, a goldfish should never be kept in a bowl. Why? Simply because it's too small: too small for proper surface exchange of gases; too small to allow enough water to circulate and keep oxygen content high enough.

Lionhead Goldfish. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Did you know that in the United Kingdom, the government was forced to introduce legislation to protect goldfish? The reason was that they were often kept in small bags at fun fairs. Cramped inside, goldfish would routinely suffocate from lack of oxygen and inappropriate conditions.

If you're unclear why you require a large aquarium for your goldfish, then think about this:

How are your goldfish going to get all the oxygen they need?

From experience, even a small goldfish requires at least 20 litres of water. That's just a teeny tiny goldfish! And you know something? They grow - fast.

Second, you absolutely must have a working filter and pump. And these need to be turned on 24/7. If you turn the pump off, the water won't be pushed to the surface and oxygen transfer can't happen.

This is a good reason to ensure that you never keep an aquarium in a bedroom - not even for the kids. 

If you do, children often find it affects their sleep. That's the point where parents sometimes turn the pump off at night. It's far better to keep your goldfish somewhere you can leave the pump and filter running, so they can do their work. And you won't be disturbed at night time.

What happens if you don't have the right oxygen levels for quality goldfish water?

Answer: Your goldfish will choke.

You can tell if a goldfish is struggling to get adequate oxygen because they will spend a lot of time at the surface, gulping away. You can literally see them suffocating. And immediate action is essential: either buy a larger aquarium; get a pump installed; or do an immediate water change.

Poor water quality in an aquarium can come about in a number of ways:

• Not cleaning the goldfish regularly (each week)
• Not "treating" water before adding it to the tank
• Not having a working filter and pump running Turning the pump off at night
• Having an aquarium less than 54-litres in size (minimum)
• Too much algae Too many plants
• Having too many fish in the same aquarium (I suggest two goldfish maximum for a 54 litre aquarium)
• The list goes on

If you have a new tank and you notice that the goldfish water is cloudy, then that's just a sign that it's beginning the "cycling" process. This is natural and will settle down after a few days.

Here's the bottom line: if you don't change water regularly, your goldfish will suffer. You need a regular (weekly) maintenance schedule for any aquarium. The minimum requirement is to change 20% of water every single week. I usually change 40% of the goldfish aquarium water. And I have had healthy goldfish as long as I can remember.

By Richard Haggerty Richard Haggerty is author of "The Goldfish Expert" and runs a popular Goldfish Care blog. To get a Free Special Report on avoiding the shocking dangers of bad goldfish care - and the pros and cons of different goldfish treatments - visit http://www.richardhaggerty.co.uk/GoldfishExpert/ Article Source: EzineArticles

---

---

---

How To Discover And Prevent Aquarium FISH ILLNESS

Aquarium fish fall ill just like any other pet. The illnesses are as a result of disease. The common diseases that affect aquarium fish are mostly stress induced. 

The micro-organisms which cause these diseases may be present in the water as part of the normal micro fauna and grab the opportunity to infest or infect the fish when it is stressed and its normal defense are weakened.

Jet black angel is a fresh water aquarium fish 
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Different ways aquarium fish suffer from stress 

- Aquarium fish usually start experiencing stress starting from the time it’s about living the breeding farm till when the end purchaser finally picked it from retailer. Most beginners don’t really know how to handle fish.

- The quality of water is another cause of aquarium fish stress. Different fish species have different water quality that will make the environment conducive for them. Quality parameters like pH, water hardness, high nitrite and carbon dioxide level, low dissolved oxygen salinity of water, water temperature and others.

- Any change in environment like physical damage, leaches, lice and introduction of new fish that is not quarantine could lead to stress in aquarium, thus making life non conducive for fish in aquarium tank

- Change in weather condition is another factor that leads to aquarium fish stress. When there is heavy downfall as you know the weather will become cold and this could lead to stress in aquarium.

- Poor Diet as a result of lack in nutritional requirement always leads to poor performance in fish immune system. Fish immune system will struggle to operate efficiently. This will result in a stressed fish.

Warning signs of illness in aquarium fish 

You can easily know when your fish are going through stress if you watch them very well and often. You will notice signs like fish swimming with clamps up (closed) in their fins, hovering in a corner, heavy breathing and fish brushing its body against objects. These are warning signs you need to act on immediately.

How to reduce stress in aquarium 

To reduce stress in aquarium, you need to guide against factors that lead to stress. The following are tips on how to prevent stress that ultimately leads to illness:

- Make sure you have detail information about the fish species that you will be introducing to your tank. Enquiring about its requirements before you buy it will help you a lot. Thus, ask lots of questions before making your purchase.

- Knowing the right food for your fish is another important thing you have to know as this may vary from species to species. If you have this knowledge you will be able to provide foods that are rich in nutritional ingredients that your fish require.

- Keep the environment clean.

- When you want to introduce new fish, make sure it's quarantined to reduce the risk of disease.

---

---

What Types of HERMIT CRABS Should Be Placed in a Saltwater Aquariums?

Hermit crabs have been popular pets for adults and children alike for many years, and there are many who appreciate their unique beauty (and just as many do not-it's a matter of taste). With the increasing popularity of bringing a piece of the sea into the home it is no wonder that the notion of introducing hermit crabs into a saltwater aquarium has been gaining in popularity.

Common Hermit Crab in aquarium tank (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Just as there are many types of hermit crabs that can be kept as pets, so too are there many different breeds which can be kept in aquariums. Not all have the same chance for survival if kept in captivity, however, and it is important that the aquarium owner make sure that they are familiar with all of the specific needs of their hermit crabs before they are introduced to the aquarium. Below is an introduction to some of the most common breeds of aquarium hermit crabs.

- Red Hermit Crab (Dardanus megistos)- Also known as the White Spotted Hermit Crab this crab has red legs with black edged spots. It is not a safe addition to a reef aquarium but is very useful in keeping algae growth to a minimum in a community aquarium. Only one crab per aquarium please; these crabs are very protective of their personal space.

- Red Legged Hermit Crab (Clibanarius digueti)-these Mexican crabs are a hardy addition to any aquarium, eating algae from the tank. They demand a low level of copper in the water, however, as their bodies cannot survive in the presence of this metal.

- Scarlet Hermit Crab, or Reef Hermit Crab (Paguristes cadenati)-this hermit crab generally remains small, around two inches across, and has a red body with yellow eyestalks. They are very helpful in keeping the algae growth inside the aquarium under control; however, if insufficient algae is available inside the tank they must be supplementally fed with dried seaweed.

- Common Hermit Crab (Pagurus bernhardus)-These crabs are more common in Europe but can be found in other countries as well. Also known as the soldier crab.

Since these crabs carry their homes around on their backs it is important that they constantly have new shells available to them when they have outgrown their previous shell. A hermit crab in an improperly sized shell cannot grow properly. These shells can be purchased from a pet store or an online retailer or, if the owner is familiar with the requirements of their hermit crabs, these shells can often be found on a beach. If the owner chooses to go out into the wild and collect their own shells it is important that they choose the proper type of shell for their hermit crab to inhabit. As sea anemones are often an important part of the hermit crabs natural environment they make excellent tank mates, eating the leftovers when the hermit crab has finished a meal and cutting back on the amount of tank waste.

Hermit crabs are an intriguing addition to any tank, and require very little maintenance once their owners are familiar with their needs and their habits. With the proper care they can live for quite a while, providing endless hours of joy for their owners and their families.

---

---