2020-07-26

Breeding the HONEY DWARF GOURAMI

Colisasota male.jpg
Honey Gourami. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.
Sexing
The females grow bigger than the males and usually have a horizontal brown coloured stripe. The males have a more pointed anal fin.

Inbreeding condition, it is very easy to distinguish males from females: males are yellow-orange with a bright yellow dorsal fin and the underside of the abdomen velvety black, orange and blue on the neck, while females are almost uniformly brown.

Breeding
An increase in temperature will help to stimulate breeding. Although the adults can be kept in moderately hard water, for breeding the water needs to be fairly soft, with a maximum hardness of 8 degrees of general hardness. The water should be slightly acidic. These changed water conditions, including the temperature, will need to be maintained for several weeks to raise the fry.

Nest
The Honey Dwarf Gourami, like many of its relatives, is a bubble nest builder. The larger types of gourami like the Blue Gourami build their nests at the surface while the very small ones like the Sparkling Gourami build them under a leaf. The Honey Dwarf Gourami is the smallest of its genus but is bigger than the smallest gouramis. Although the Honey Dwarf Gourami will build under a leaf if a suitable one is available, it is also quite prepared to build at the surface, often in a corner of the tank.

As with the other species of gourami, it is the male that builds the nest and tries to get the female to come and spawn under it. He is gentler than many of his relatives. He will swim vertically in front of the female and swim towards the nest to get her to follow him.

A slightly unusual feature of this fish is that the male often will build either a nominal (small) nest or even no nest until spawning is complete, and then construct a fairly large nest around the eggs.

While they are actually spawning, the male curls his body around the female, turning her upside down with their vents close together so that he releases his sperm as she releases her eggs. The eggs float towards the nest and he gathers up any stray ones and puts them into the nest.

The male will protect the nest with the eggs in. This includes spitting drops of water onto the top of the nest which forces the bubbles down into the nest. This water would also help to ensure that the eggs have sufficient oxygenated water near them.



If you are breeding this fish there should be no other fish present. The eggs and fry are very vulnerable to predation. The little male will do his best to protect his nest with the babies in. This fish is normally one of the most peaceful of the gouramis, but when guarding his nest, the male Honey Dwarf Gourami has been known to mount a heroic defence against bigger fish, even occasionally killing the other fish.

The eggs hatch in 24-30 hours and the fry are free-swimming in 4-5 days.

Raising the Babies
All other fish should have been removed from the tank. The baby Honey Dwarf Gouramis are very small. They will need infusoria for a while before they can tackle live food visible to unaided human eyes.



2020-07-19

Index of Tropical FISH DISEASES

A veterinarian gives an injection to a goldfish
A veterinarian gives an injection to a goldfish (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
After creating and maintaining your beautiful aquarium, all the time and money you spent on it, the last thing you want to deal with is tropical fish diseases. Coming home and finding your fish covered with white spots, the eyes swollen or the fins disintegrating is a blow to any aquarist.

The following are the categories and symptoms of the most common diseases in tropical fish.

Fungal Diseases
Fungal diseases will usually occur after the fish has already been weakened through stress, parasites, or bacterial disease. In some cases, the fish will appear sluggish and in the later stages develop cysts. Another type of fungal infection will produce white growths that eventually turn into cotton-like tuffs on the skin.

Bacterial Diseases
Bacterial diseases often need to be treated with antibiotic medications. Fish infected with bacteria often develop bulging eyes, ulcers and open sores. One bacteria causes a disease called mouth fungus that looks like a fungal infection on the mouth. Other signs of a bacterial infection include a loss of appetite, hollow belly, erratic swimming, and disintegrating fins.

Viral Diseases
Viral diseases are fortunately fairly uncommon in fish. On the sign of a viral disease is white swellings on the body of the fish. Viruses cannot be treated with medication because they use the host's body to reproduce and live on. If you suspect your fish has a viral disease, it should be removed and placed in another tank so the other fish will not be infected with the same virus. The best thing you can do is to provide a clean environment and a healthy, nutritious diet. A virus can only be identified by special equipment and it is often difficult to detect.

Parasitic Diseases
One symptom most parasitic diseases have in common is the fish scraping against or rubbing objects. The parasites are eating through the flesh of the fish and if they aren't removed will eat into the organs and kill the fish. Simply pulling the parasites off will often do more damage to the fish. A bath of potassium permanganate or a salt solution is often the best method to remove parasites. In some cases you will be able to see the parasites on the skin of the fish and thus confirm the problem is parasites, or you may notice other signs such as rapid gilling, clamped fins, red skin and weight loss.



Protozoan Diseases
These diseases are caused by the protozoan parasite that infects the intestinal tract. Several diseases will cause a yellow to light brown dust on the body. On commonly known protozoan disease is called ich. Ich is characterized by small white spots all over the body. The fish will breath rapidly and have clamped fins. Other types cause excessive slim on the body, frayed fins, bloated body and a lack of appetite.

The best way to avoid tropical fish diseases is to have a clean tank and provide adequate nutrition. New fish should always be quarantined for two to four weeks.



2020-07-12

Your KOI POND After The Storm

English: Garden pond Česky: Zahradní jezírko
Garden pond (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
First off, take time to breathe. Your pride and joys are probably fine. They may be somewhat traumatized by the whole experience, but that would be any pet caught in unusual situations. Unless extreme damage was done, their health probably is not an issue, however, their home may be in need of some repairs.

You may have been completely prepared for the storm, or the storm may have taken you by complete surprise. Whatever the case may be, you must jump into action as soon as you physically can to ensure that no further damage is done to your pond.

First, you must undo all of your storm precautions to survey the possible damage.

If you netted your pond, clear as much debris off the net as possible and remove the netting. Once you removed the netting you will be able to survey the damage and the condition that your fish are in. If high waters were expected and your sandbagged the area around your pond, as long as the water level is normal, remove all sandbags so that you can easily access your pond. Do not get discouraged if things seem out of place, and it may not be as bad as it originally looks.

Once you have removed all netting and other precautions, take the time to look at the area. If any debris is present, remove it by skimming and netting. If plants or decorations are uprooted or out of place, replace them to their rightful area.

If you find major damage to your pond, it is important to remove your Koi as soon as possible. Proper bagging and transporting techniques may be needed if the damage is done will take a large amount of time to fix, but there are several temporary options available if the damage can be fixed quickly. You may want to consider using a children’s pool to house your Koi. If nothing is available at the time, get into contact with your local pet store or zoo, as they may have a program available to help you house your Koi until maintenance can be done.

Once you have decided that only small repairs are needed, then you must focus on the water quality. You water may seem cloudy or murky due to the storm and the amount of extra water from rainfall. If the storm lasted for a long amount of time, you may be facing ammonia issues as well.



Test your water for Nitrates. If Nitrates are present, add the proper amount of salt to the water. Typically you would add 3/4 to one pound of salt per 100 gallons of water. However, if your fish are especially shocked by the situation, or seem to have sustained any type of injuries, it may be a good idea to add more. If you have plants in your pond, it may be a good idea to remove them before adding the salt into the water. Your fish should be the most important issue at this point, not your plants.

If you are having KH issues (especially if it is below 100) you will want to add baking soda to your pond. Typically you can add 1 cup of unpacked baking soda per 1000 gallons of water. This will protect your pond from a future pH crash.



2020-07-05

Effective Ways to Help Keep Your DISCUS FISH Free from Diseases

Photo prise en aquarium d'un discus Heckel du ...
Heckel Discus
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)


The aquarium is not typically what you would first think when talking about pets. In fact, most of us would instantly depict n image of a dog inside our mind, or maybe even a cat. But many homes today do have fish tanks and they are not just for ornamental or design purposes. Yes, they do look good, that is a given. Fish tanks and the fish themselves are also effective stress relievers. That’s why many people today would rather own fishes. And one of the fish breeds that many aquarists choose is the discus fish.

Before anything else, there are many advantages to owning a pet fish. First, you won’t need to take them for walks, you don’t have to give them baths, they don’t demand much attention, and you don’t really have to clean up after them after every while. Yes, they still need some looking after but not as much as compared to our canine and feline friends. This doesn’t mean though that once you have your tank, filled it up with water, and purchased your feed then your all done. There are still quite a few things that you have to do to ensure that they will live a long time and save you the anxiety of having to buy new fish every time.  

The big news is, most fishes, including the discus fish, maybe even more so, develop health conditions because of stress. Although fishes are fragile as compared to other household pets, they don’t really just die and wither if they are kept well. And all you really have to do is make sure that the tank is clean and feed them as scheduled, which is not really all the time. There are some factors though that can cause them stress and thus weakening their immune system. Here are some ways that you can do easily to keep your discus fish stress free and healthy.

Like air is to humans, water is the single most important aspect of fishes besides food. So make sure that their water is free from chlorine and other toxic chemicals, as well as heavy metals. You should also keep it a good temperature and pH level. Investing in a dependable purifier, filter, and aerator will make the water clean and livable. 

Vary the diet of your discus fish. Aside from the flakes and granules, feed them blood worms or fresh or frozen brine shrimp as discus fish are carnivorous.

Keep your aquarium in a quiet and solitary place. Too much noise and motion, like a door opening or heavy human traffic, can cause them stress.

Never overcrowd your tank. Discus fish are very protective of their space so they need an ample re to grow and breed. The bigger the tank, the better. 

Consistency is the key. Do not allow abrupt highs and low in the temperature and pH levels of the water in the tank. This can put them in shock.

Following these simple steps will help you keep your discus fish away from stress thus giving them a healthier and longer life. 



2020-06-28

Fact Sheet: KUHLI LOACH - Pangio kuhlii

(Original title: Keeping the KUHLI LOACH)

Kuhli loach
Kuhli loach (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Kuhli Loach, Pangio kuhlii, is a small eel-like fish. It comes from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Other names include Coolie Loach, which is a clear miss-spelling of Kuhli; both these words are pronounced in the same way. It is also called "Prickle Eye" because it has a prickle near its eye. This prickle probably gives this fish some protection from predators.

Length and Longevity
The Kuhli loach will supposedly grow up to 12 centimetres (4 and a half inches) long, but I have never seen one this big. Most of the ones available are much smaller than this. One of the reasons for this variation is that there are several subspecies of Pangio kuhlii, and the size they grow to varies a lot.

They have been reported as living up to 10 years.

Water Conditions
The Kuhli Loach is an equatorial fish; the main areas it is from being a little to the south of the Equator. It needs warm water, and a temperature of between 24 and 30 degrees C (between 75 and 86 degrees F) is suitable. They can survive a slightly higher or lower temperature than this range, but I do not recommend it.

In the wild, this fish is mainly found in slowly flowing streams with a sandy bottom with a layer of organic matter from the surrounding forests in many places on the stream bed. The water in these streams tends to have a fairly low mineral content and to be soft and acidic. There are plants growing in sections of these streams.

In an aquarium, they will adapt to a moderate hardness and can certainly take a hardness of up to 10 dH. A pH of up to 7.5 is generally tolerated. The water needs to be reasonably clean in the sense of not having a large build-up of fish wastes.

Substrate
In an aquarium, you should avoid any sharp substrates and fine river sand is the normal choice. I have also had success with using large (6mm or more) rounded pebbles. These fish not only search the surface of the sand for food, but they will also go right into it. I have seen them dive straight into the sand to avoid being caught. With larger pebbles, they will go between the pebbles looking for food.

Plants
These fish seem to like densely planted aquariums. Including some floating plants is also a good idea.

Food
Kuhli loaches are omnivores with a requirement for some animal-based food. They will certainly eat flakes and pellets. One of their favourite foods is frozen bloodworms. They also like frozen brine shrimp.

This is a bottom-feeding fish, so it is necessary for some of the food to reach the bottom.



Companions
Although the Kuhli loach is not a schooling fish in the normal sense, they seem to need company. A single Kuhli may be able to, live all right in a tank, but will tend to be hidden nearly all the time during the day. A group of perhaps eight of these interesting fish will behave quite differently and are much more likely to come out and show themselves during the day.

This is a small peaceful fish and is a suitable inhabitant for a community aquarium of small peaceful fish.



2020-06-21

Fact Sheet: RIVER MURRAY RAINBOWFISH - Melanotaenia fluviatilis

(Original title: The River Murray Rainbow Fish)

Murray River Rainbow Fish.jpg
"Murray River Rainbow Fish" by Bahudhara Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons

The River Murray Rainbowfish, Melanotaenia fluviatilis, is one of the many types of Australian Rainbowfish. This group mainly a tropical and subtropical group of fishes, but this Fish's range extends into warm temperate areas and it is able to take quite low water temperatures.

Origin
The River Murray Rainbowfish is endemic to Australia. As its name suggests it is found in the River Murray. It is also found in many but not all of Murray's tributaries and several other river systems and lakes.

Size
They can reach 10 cm (4 inches long), but most are smaller than this. The males tend to be bigger than females.

Temperature
Most of the articles on the internet about this Fish suggest that a temperature of between 22 and 26 degrees C is ideal for this species. My experience suggests otherwise. Although this is a very versatile fish which will certainly live healthily in an aquarium, being treated as if it were a tropical fish, the specimens with the best colour tend to be pond fish, subject to the natural rise and fall of temperature with the different seasons as well as the different weather.

Water Conditions
This fish is able to take a wide range of conditions. Most of the places it occurs naturally have a high pH and the water is quite hard. In an aquarium, I suggest that the pH should be between 6.8 and 8. Excessively soft water is not ideal, but most tap waters will be of suitable hardness. As with all fish, the Chlorine or Chloramine needs to be removed before it comes into contact with the fish.



Food
This is an omnivorous fish. Like many of its relatives, it eats more plant material than most tropical fish. They will live on either Tropical or Goldfish food, but this should be supplemented with vegetable matter. Duckweed (Lemna species) is eaten very readily by this Fish. They also like many types of vegetable. I cook the harder vegetables enough to soften them. Zucchini are eaten as are cucumber, green peas and other vegetables.

Like many fish, they also relish insect larvae like mosquito larvae, small crustaceans like daphnia, and small worms. Our River Murray Rainbow Fish get frozen blood worms once a week as well as frozen brine shrimp once a week on a different day.



2020-06-14

PACMAN FROG Care Guide

This is my pet Argentine Horned Frog (Ceratoph...
Argentine Horned Frog (Ceratophrys ornata)
(Photo credit: 
Wikipedia)
It may have been your favorite video game back in the 1980s, but this iconic video game inspired a unique nickname for the South American horned frog, Argentine horned frog or Ornate Horned Frog. While its real names may be a mouthful, the name Pacman Frog, is certainly easier to remember and actually helps to describe the frog. The Pacman Frog has an unusually large mouth and abdomen which make it look similar to the Pac-Man character in this popular video game.

The Pacman Frog's natural habitat is in the rain forests of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina where it spends its time eating and hiding under leaves. This frog is certainly known for its appetite as it will try to eat anything that crosses its path. In the wild, the Pacman Frog will eat large spiders, insects, small snakes, lizards, and mice. It has sharp front teeth that allow it to devour its prey, or provide a painful bite to a human. Sometimes said to be an aggressive frog, it may actually bite if it feels threatened, but it may bite simply because it thinks that a finger is actually its next meal.

Unlike many frogs, the Pacman frog is not exactly the best swimmer and may enjoy just hanging around in shallow water, rather than swimming in deep water. The Pacman Frog has an incredible growth rate; From the time that it is born to the time that it is a fully formed adult is just 2 or 3 weeks and it will grow to 6 or 7 inches long within a few months!

If you choose to keep one as a pet, you will want to create a natural habitat for it. Keep only one Pacman frog in the enclosure, otherwise, a larger frog may end up eating a smaller one. Try to set up a very damp, warm area, similar to its natural habitat. Avoid putting deep water anywhere in the enclosure as they may drown. They need to have water but keep it shallow. Pacman Frogs love to hide under leaves in the wild and in captivity, you must provide a similar hiding spot for them. As for food, live crickets and small mice are best but remember to purchase them at a pet store. Handle the Pacman Frog as little as possible as they do no enjoy being handled and it causes them to become stressed when handled.



Whether in the wild or kept as a pet, a Pacman Frog is a beautiful and unique creature. With its large mouth and colorful skin, it is certainly a unique frog.