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2017-02-06
2017-02-05
#1 Way For Your Saltwater Aquarium Setup – Choosing A TANK
Following on from our introduction to saltwater aquariums this segment is designed to give you some idea of a typical saltwater aquarium setup.
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| A newly set up Temperate Reef (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The type of saltwater aquarium setup you choose depends on a few factors. For example, the kinds of species you want to stock, the space you have available, and your budget. In general you will want to buy the biggest saltwater aquarium setup you can afford that will fit nicely into your living environment.
This is so that your fish and other animals can have the most comfort possible as they grow. The fish and other invertebrates that you choose to stock your tank with need enough space to swim and grow in and enough oxygen to survive. When you choose a saltwater aquarium setup remember that these two factors are determined mainly by the size of the tank.
So let’s talk about the oxygen component of a saltwater aquarium setup. The amount of oxygen in the water is related to the tanks surface area. This means the amount of area on the tank’s surface that is exposed to the air. The greater the surface area of your saltwater aquarium setup, the more room there is for exchange of oxygen to happen at the surface.
The more oxygen that is allowed to enter the tank and the more harmful gases like carbon dioxide are allowed to leave the healthier your saltwater aquarium setup will be. The oxygen content of the water is also influenced by its temperature. In general, the warmer the water, the lower the oxygen content will be.
Most marine species from the tropics like water that is 75 degrees or higher so this means that less oxygen is going to be available to them. This is when it becomes important to increase the surface of the tank by making sure your saltwater aquarium setup is as large as possible.
How do you do this? There is no typical saltwater aquarium setup. Marine tanks come in a variety of shapes and size, but it is the shape of the tank, not its volume that influences surface area. This means that even where two tanks have identical volumes they might not have the same surface area depending on their shape. A saltwater aquarium setup that is tall and slender won’t get a good rate of gas exchange. An ideal design would be one that is short and wide.
Once you’ve chosen your tank its time to start thinking about its residents. Of course the size of your tank is going to dictate how many fish and invertebrates it can house. The main thing to avoid in your saltwater aquarium setup is overcrowding. Too many inhabitants and your tank’s filtration system will be overloaded. Fish living in cramped conditions become stressed and this can lead to illness and death.
You can calculate how many fish your saltwater aquarium setup will hold by stocking one inch of fish per four gallons of water for a period of six months. After this period increase the number of fish slowly to one inch per two gallons. This means that a 40 gallon aquarium should not contain more than 10 inches of fish for the first six months.
So, for example, you might choose one 3-inch queen angel, two 1-inch clownfish, one 2-inch regal tang, one 1-inch bicolor blenny and two 1-inch Beau Gregory’s. Once the six month period is over you could increase the total number of inches in your saltwater aquarium setup to 20.
Of course, your fish are going to grow so you have to adjust for the changing sizes of your fish. The shape of your fish is also important. If your fish are likely to be on the heavy side you will need to stick to the low end of the capacity of your saltwater aquarium setup.
A saltwater aquarium setup will cost you time and money so accept this and don’t skimp. Even if you devote considerable time and effort to a small tank you can still encounter problems. If you choose the wrong one initially you will probably end up having to buy another one and this may be discouraging. In short, if you don’t have the money to buy a tank that’s at least 30 gallons, don’t invest any money at all.
When you choose a saltwater aquarium setup there are many options. You can choose from glass and acrylic and you can even get reef-ready styles complete with pre-drilled holes for equipment and plumbing. Glass tanks sealed with silicon rubber cement are a common choice. Rectangle designs are popular but they are also found in octagon and hexagon. They are non-toxic and don’t scratch easily.
The downside to a glass saltwater aquarium setup is that they are heavy. This means that large tanks will have very thick glass. Try to find one with a plastic frame that will make the tank more stable. Plated glass is shatterproof but not as strong as tempered.
An acrylic saltwater aquarium setup is molded with few seams so they are more transparent. However your view may still be distorted at the corners. Acrylic tanks are not as heavy as glass and so come in a wider variety of shapes and sizes. Acrylic is also stronger than glass. On the downside acrylic tanks can get scratched and are more expensive than glass. They are easily scratched by algae scrapers and decorations. It is possible to buff these marks out with a special kit.
Whichever saltwater aquarium setup you choose make sure it provides a healthy environment for your fish. You also need to make sure that you can afford to maintain it properly and that it suits your lifestyle and available time. Once you have everything set up correctly you will be able to enjoy the colorful antics and shapes of your fishy friends, corals and other invertebrates. Enjoy the wonderful world of your saltwater aquarium!
2017-02-04
The Rudiments Of WATER CHEMISTRY
A relatively cheap electronic pH meter.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Most aquarists will happily debate water quality to the point of being obsessive. Water is, after all, the atmosphere on which your pets depend.
It isn't necessary to have a degree in chemistry to maintain a healthy aquarium, but you will need to do some water testing.
Axolotls are extremely sensitive to water quality. You must be prepared to test the water in your tank on a weekly basis to ensure your pet's continued good health.
With that in mind, there are some basic measurements you need to at least understand to some degree.
Acidity or Per Hydrogen (pH)
The "pH" sign for most people signals an assessment of acidity. When viewed as a scale, low numbers mean greater acidity and higher numbers indicate "basic" or alkaline water.
The actual measurement is the balance in the water between hydrogen (H+) and hydroxide (OH) ions. Axolotls are freshwater creatures, so they need a pH range of 6.5 to 7.5.
Carbonate Hardness (KH)
With this measurement, it's easy to confuse terms. KH refers to alkalinity, which is not the same thing as "alkaline."
Alkalinity is a description of the water's ability to neutralize and absorb acid, thereby acting as a "buffer." If the KH level in water is high, there won't be many changes in the pH level, and the water will be more stable.
Specific Gravity (sg)
In its most simple terms, specific gravity measures the salinity of water. It is taken with a hydrometer or a refractometer. Since axolotl are freshwater creatures, the specific gravity of their water should be around 1.0000.
Hard vs. Soft Water
Axolotls prefer slightly hard water. If you have limescale in your cookware or around your pipes, you have hard water.
If your axolotl is living in water that is too soft, its color will fade, especially the shade of the gills. This indicates your pet is suffering from temporary anemia. You will need to add salts to the water to increase the hardness.
Since these equations can be confusing, it's best to find out in advance if the water in your area is hard or soft and consult with an experienced aquarist about the best corrective measures to test.
The variance in water quality in this regard can be so extensive, there is no one set formula to "fix" the measurement. In general, however, soft water tends to be more acidic and hard water is more alkaline in terms of pH.
Axolotl water chemistry can be tricky. Here is more information on Axolotl and how to care for them. Article Source: EzineArticles |
2017-02-03
AFRICAN CICHLID Fish
Cichlids are an adorable group of freshwater fishes highly prized for their rich coloration. They are considered among the most specialized and diverse group of fishes anywhere in the world. There are an estimated 1300 or more species existing, all with an unimaginable number of size and color combinations. Those freshwater Oscars and angelfish we all knew to be aquarium fish species are actually cichlids. The African cichlid is one two classifications widely displayed in aquariums these days.
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| Adult Neolamprologus cylindricus in an aquarium (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
This particular fish group comes from three African lakes: Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi, and Lake Tanganyika. With Lake Malawi being the second deepest and at the same time third largest lake in the African landscape, about a thousand species or more of the Lake Malawi cichlids are considered the most beautiful in the world, whether they live in the freshwater or otherwise.
Cichlids found in Africa are especially known for displaying beautiful and enchanting patterns complete with an array of colors not surprisingly typical in most species of freshwater species. Everyone agrees that such types are also the most colorful among the species. They are most elegant to observe at, especially when they flaunt their impressive social behavior and intelligence.
African cichlids are designed by nature to adapt to captivity, which is why you can see so many of them available in pet shops anywhere these days. They are also hardy, which means maintaining them is much easier compared to others. This great characteristic is doing so many things to help them survive in new environments and specific geographic locations.
African cichlids are also known to have varied and interesting behaviors. Some types are known to carry their eggs and young into their mouths. The male functions to fertilize the eggs, while the female picks them up and incubates them inside the mouth for about three weeks or more depending on the species. Researchers believe this behavior is an evolutionary advancement of their specific reproductive methods, since the process significantly provides offspring protection during delicate development periods. Even if the young are already released, mothers are still driven by instinct to protect them inside their mouths whenever threatened.
This particular species are also known to be more aggressive compared to their counterparts and extremely territorial, which may also explain the link with their highly predatory features. When on the wild, they are often found living together in schools or groups of the same species. The mature ones are not hospitable since they function to guard the territory. They may even be aggressive to other fishes and even cichlids of varying species.
Cichlids in general express both their dominance and timidity mainly through their colors; pale fishes could be stressed out, or they could also be submissive. Bright-colored fish types on the other hand are usually dominant as they are also more aggressive than other cichlids. Whenever male cichlids lose territory, they also lose their bright colors. Some others even hide while retaining their dominance color just to pretend of their status, which also means to keep their hopes of attracting mates strong. And that's the African cichlid for you.
To learn more about cichlid fish, go to the Lifestyles100 web site or pick up the Nook book, Cichlid Care Secrets at Barns and Noble. Article Source: EzineArticles |
2017-02-02
Fact Sheet: PENGUIN TETRA - Thayeria boehlkei and T. obliqua
The Penguin Tetra is actually two related species, Thayeria boehlkei and Thayeria obliqua. The easily seen differences between these species are quite small. Both species have a tendency to swim in a tail down position, but this is more pronounced in Thayeria obliqua. Thayeria obliqua has a shorter black line than Thayeria boehlkei, and Thayeria obliqua grows a little bigger although these are both small fish.
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| Penguin Tetra (Thayeria boehlkei) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The species most often available in aquarium shops is Thayeria boehlkei. Some people prefer to keep the name Penguin Tetra for Thayeria obliqua and call Thayeria boehlkei the False Penguin Tetra. There are several other common names for this fish, some of them, like Penguinfish, Penguin Fish, etc are also based on its perceived resemblance to a penguin, while others like Short Striped Thayeria do not. In Australia, it is often sold as a Hockey Stick Tetra. Certainly the shape of the prominent black line is reminiscent of the shape of a hockey stick.
Thayeria boehlkei grows to about one and a half inches (4cm) long while Thayeria obliqua can get a little bit bigger. They come from the Amazon River and its tributaries in Brazil and Peru, preferring slow moving stretches with a lot of plants.
Water conditions
The Penguin Tetra is actually two related species, Thayeria boehlkei and Thayeria obliqua. The easily seen differences between these species are quite small. is a tropical fish. 24 degrees C (75 degrees F) is a suitable temperature to set your thermostat. The water they are used to in the wild is soft and acid, but in captivity they will adjust to neutral pH and some hardness. The penguin Tetra does better in clean water and care needs to be taken with the water quality. They are sensitive to Ammonia, Nitrite and excessive concentrations of Nitrate.
Food
Like many tetras, the Penguin Tetra is an easily fed omnivore. It will eat all normal aquarium foods, but will enjoy some live food like mosquito larvae and Daphnia. Frozen foods, including frozen blood worms are also appreciated.
Companions
The Penguin Tetra is a peaceful schooling fish. I suggest a minimum of four, and preferably more be kept together. They can be kept with most small, reasonable peaceful fish, including: Red Eye Tetras, Neon Tetras, Cardinal Tetras, Silvertip Tetras, Gold Barbs, Cherry Barbs, Pristella Tetras, Rummy Nose Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, Scissortail Rasboras, Lemon Tetras, Emperor Tetras, Head and Tail Light Tetras, Glass Bloodfin Tetras, Swordtails, Platies, Mollies, Zebra Danios, Glowlight Tetras, White Cloud Mountain Minnows, Black Widow Tetras, Rosy Barbs, Tiger Barbs, Paraguay Tetras, Buenos Aires Tetras and Colombian Tetras, as well as the Corydoras catfish like the Peppered Catfish.
A school of Penguin Tetras can usually even be kept with slow long finned fish like Siamese Fighting Fish, Guppies and Endlers Guppies.
Sexing
There is not much difference between the sexes of the Penguin Tetra, but when in breeding condition, the females get a rounder belly.
Breeding
Thayeria boehlkei is the Penguin Tetra most likely to be available in shops and this fish is reasonably easy to breed. I suggest a water level lowered to about 6 inches (15cm) acidic and very soft water with a temperature of about 27 degrees C (81 degrees F). There should be fine leaved, bushy plants in the breeding tank.
The Penguin Tetra is a prolific breeder in the sense of producing a lot of eggs. A female of this little fish with a very well rounded belly can produce as many as 3000 eggs. These are very small. The male produces a large amount of sperm to try to fertilize all these eggs, and this can contribute to fouling the water. Partial water changes are recommended to maintain the high quality of water that the fry need. The addition of an aquarium fungicide is recommended to help protect the eggs from fungus early on. The eggs should hatch in as little as 12-18 hours. The babies are very small, and need protozoa (infusoria) at first.
Pest Fish
Although the Penguin Tetra is a delight in an aquarium, as with all pets, do not allow them to get into ecosystems they are not native to. Aquarist are frequently blamed for this, and there is no doubt that there are cases of accidental, or deliberate, release of fish by aquarists, but my own research suggests that the worst culprits for this historically have been governments and their departments.
By Steve Challis
Steve Challis has many other fish fact sheets and other articles on http://www.bettatrading.com.au.
Article Source: EzineArticles
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2017-02-01
Tips on EIBLI ANGELFISH Care
Eibli Angelfish or Centropyge eibli are members of the family Pomacanthidae. This species is indigenous to the western Indo-Pacific. Geographical locations stem from Sri Lanka to Malaysia. This species inhabits reef formations from depths of 30 to 100 feet.
Ebilies are larger dwarf angles reaching an adult length of up to 6 inches. Their pale gray primary body coloring is accentuated by thin orange or red vertical banding from just behind their heads to shortly before the base of their caudal fins. The most posterior region of their body and their tail fin is black. This fish is further accented with blue highlights. The top of their heads and their anal fins are overcast in blue for an overall grayish-blue effect. Dorsal, caudal and anal fins are rimmed in pale blue. Anal fins have curved orange markings prior to the blue rimming. These fish often have a hint of orange around their eyes and orange underbellies. This species is known by the names red stripe angelfish, blacktail angel, or Eibli's (in the possessive form) angelfish.
If you are a novice aquarist, this species is the perfect choice for your first angelfish in a multi-species aquarium. They are a dwarf angelfish so they do not require an aquarium the size of a small swimming pool. They can be housed in a tank as small as 30 gallons. They have an easy care rating so they are more likely to survive and even thrive in inexperienced hands. These are mild mannered fish but are assertive enough to hold their own against bullies. This means they can be house with a vast array of species of varying size and temperament. Eiblies can even be kept with large, more territorial angelfish. Of course never raising a marine species with larger more aggressive fish is advisable. Cardinalfish, gobies, tilefish, butterflyfish, fairy basslets and wrasse of less aggressive natures will all make excellent tank mates.
A small community of ebilies can be raised together provided they have adequate swimming room and plenty of hiding places. You should only keep multiples in the same aquarium if they are introduced as juveniles. These fish will exhibit territorial behavior toward other dwarf angle species. They are considered semi-reef safe. A juvenile that learns to derive its nutritional needs from aquarium food and grazing on live rocks will be far less likely to nibble at corals or ornamental clams and crustaceans than and adult introduced to the same reef environment.
Dwarfs are omnivorous. Juveniles are planktonic feeders. Adults live on worms, small crustaceans and mollusks and algae in disproportionate quantities. When keeping any species of angelfish an abundant supply of well established cured live rock is mandatory. A good quality marine angelfish food can be supplemented with chopped fresh clams and shrimp. Frozen preparations for omnivores are acceptable. If keeping multiples it is essential to their health to have a large enough algae base to sustain them. Dried algae sheets or frozen algae will help ensure their nutritional needs are adequately addressed.
In nature, these are harem fish. A single male is charged with the keeping of up to half a dozen females and as many as a dozen juveniles. This same community environment can be emulated in captivity by the introduction of several juveniles to an aquarium. This is a protogynous synchronous hermaphroditic species. Juveniles are always female. The largest, most dominant of the bunch, will transition into a male and take custodianship of his harem. This species rarely breeds in captivity.
A note of interest: Eibli Angelfish are exceedingly scarce off the shores of Bali and Flores, Indonesia. As a result, ebilies are known to breed with pearlscale angelfish (C. vrolikii). Their hybrids are typically very light gray with faint orange striping. The commercial availability of these hybrids is becoming more commonplace as an exportable community from Indonesia. Another hybrid variation occurs off the coasts of Christmas, Coco-Keeling Islands and Western Australia. These are the offspring of coupling between the Eibli and Lemonpeel dwarf angels (C. flavissima). These hybrids are a rare and coveted find in the marine retail industry.
Technological advancements in the aquarium industry continually redefine the concept of "home aquarium owner." Just twenty years ago not even the biggest public aquarium was capable of keeping jellyfish alive in captivity. Now they make desktop Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquariums. And why would you want a jellyfish tank? Perhaps you should check out what the translucent bodies of Pet Moon Jellyfish look like under LED lighting. Pet Jellyfish give a whole new meaning to the term exotic pets. Article Source: EzineArticles |
2017-01-31
BEIJING (Peking) AQUARIUM
Covering an area of 120,000 square meters, Beijing Aquarium is the biggest aquarium equipped with the most advanced facilities in Asia, and it is located in Beijing Zoo with Beijing Exhibition Center and Beijing Planetarium to the south, which combines recreation, popular science education with tourism perfectly as one.
The aquarium is trumpet shell-shaped with blue and orange colors as background, fully representing the vast ocean and the infinite vitality of the marine creatures, and there are over 50,000 fishes available in the aquarium. Beijing Aquarium is composed of six theme exhibition areas, namely, the Tropical Forest Wonder, the Touch Pool, the Undersea Loop, the Shark Hall, the Dolphin-Whale Bay and the Oceanic Theater.
It seems as if you were in the mysterious Amazon Primitive Forest when walking past the winding path, vivid rockery, tumbling waterfalls, the old bridges, the gentle streams and exotic sculptures in the Tropical Forest Wonder, and there are 22 tanks collecting different kinds of fishes from the oceans and the freshwater rivers scattering among the "forest" and "rocks", including Blood parrot fish, sea elephants, giant salamanders, and anglerfishes. The simulated coastline in the Touch Pool is 48 meters long, where you can touch various marine creatures in person, including sea hedgehogs, sea anemones, starfish, soldier crabs and horseshoe crabs, and you can also walk on the "white sand beach" and listen to the murmuring of the sea waves here.
The main exhibits in the Shark Hall include white-tip sharks, tiger sharks, white sharks and Carcharhinus melanopterus, where the interactive activities are available at regular time in the forms of Man Dancing with Sharks and Feeding Sharks, creating an happy atmosphere for the visitors. The Dolphin-Whale Bay is the home to many marine creatures, where the clever dolphins practice their dancing postures and the clumsy sea lions play with the balls, receiving one ripple of laughter after another from the visitors.
The Oceanic Theater affords a romantic Hawaii-style seafront view and it can accommodate 3,000 visitors, which is the favourite of the children, and the main performances include Rocket & Flying Man Performance (two dolphins lifting men to a great height with their mouths as if launching a rocket), Dolphins Dancing with Man Performance and Dolphin Heading Balls.
The attractions nearby Beijing Aquarium include Beijing Zoo, Great Awakening Temple, the Phoenix Mountain, Capital Indoor Stadium, the Fragrant Hill Park, the Ruins of Yuanming Garden (the Old Summer Palace), Azure Cloud Temple, Chinese Millennium Monument and Baiwangshan Forest Park.
Article Source: EzineArticles |
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