One of the most important principles of cichlid care is water quality. Water chemistry, temperature and salinity are very important factors in keeping your cichlids thriving, healthy and happy. Different types of these unique aquarium fish have their own unique and strict water requirements.
Africans generally need their water a little saltier than American varieties, so do your cichlid care research wisely. For this reason alone American Cichlids and African Cichlids simply don't do well as tank mates. I have seen fellow aquarists get each species to survive while living in the same tank, but they simply cannot thrive with each other. For that matter, different varieties of African Cichlids have their own unique water chemistry requirements. Again, do your research wisely.
Another important principle in cichlid care is providing adequate tank decor, or lack thereof. Smaller varieties of cichlids, particularly the African varieties, need lots of nooks and shelters to hide in. Larger varieties such as Oscars simply will destroy almost anything you put in the tank with them. I have found, after years of keeping and caring for Oscars, they will do quite well with drift wood. It will give their tank mates like plecos and corys something to gather around.
Angel Fish and Discus love a heartily planted aquarium. In my opinion, they need a planted aquascape to thrive as they would in the wild. By the way, Discus are absolutely beautiful when they are happy and stress free.
This is a list of a lot of Vegetables and some fruit that can be fed to your plecs. Also included are some suggestions for weighing the veg down in the tank.
IMPORTANT
1. Make sure you have an ID of your plec to ensure the correct dietary needs are met.
2. A varied diet of veg+fruit is needed so that nutritional needs are fulfilled.
3. Don't forget to include algae wafers, meat, and wood depending on species of plec.
4. If you put in anything that contains the skin or rind be sure to scrub it first to get rid of any pesticides.
This is a list of vegetables and fruit that are popular with most plecs. Zucchini/Courgette Cucumber Peas (deshelled) Sweet Potato Green Beans Melon/Melon rind
OTHER VEGETABLES AND FRUIT
Apple (doesn't seem to be too popular) Asparagus Aubergine/Egg plant Avocado Broccoli/Stalk Butternut Squash+ other squash Capsicum/Bell pepper (not the hot ones) Cauliflower/Stalk Carrot Coconut Grapes Kale/Collard Greens Kiwi Fruit Lettuce Lima Beans Mango Mushroom (common plecs and goldspots love mushroom) let it float,they will reach it. Good exercise. Papaya Potato Pumpkin Spinach Sprouts Swede Tomato Yam
Most veg can be given raw but if you find no-one is interested then try blanching. Don't leave veggies and esp fruit in for too long otherwise you can end up with water quality problems. The easiest approach is to add them in the evening and remove in the morning.
SUGGESTIONS FOR WEIGHING DOWN VEG
Stainless Steel spoon (push the spoon through the veg) Stainless Steel fork (there have been suggestions that plecs have hurt themselves on the prongs of forks, use at your own risk) A rubber band/rock Suction capped Veggie clip (fish shops usually sell these) Screwcumber.
Berlin Zoo is a very attractive park, lying to the east of Berlin. Here, great attention has been paid to the various habitats so that they complement the surroundings and enrich the lives of the animals who live in them. To the west of Berlin lies the city centre zoo, Germany's longest operating zoo, in which a very large number of animals of various species live. These two zoos are the result of years of division in Germany, when it was split along east/west lines. When the country was unified, the zoos lived on. Between the two of them, an amazing number of species can be seen which you would be hard pressed to see anywhere else, making this city a must-visit for lovers of animals.
Main entry of Tierpark Berlin Deutsch: Haupteingang des Tierpark Berlin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Zoo Aquarium is more than just an attraction to entertain all the family - it is also playing its part in conservation, with a wealth of animal life spanning more than 9000 individuals from nearly 800 species, spread across a mix of vivariums and aquariums. The wonder starts immediately when you walk in the door - in the lobby is the ornamental koi carp, who love being given food and gently stroked. On the same floor live a stunning variety of fish (including jellyfish, cow nose rays and black tip reef sharks) and corals. On the 1st floor are the reptiles, where the crocodile hall (the world's first public vivarium) has been entertaining the public for nearly a century now. A variety of lizards, turtles and boas, to name just a few, also live here. On the upper floor are the insects and amphibians, including the amazing leaf-cutter ants display. Here you can see the ants carrying the leaves through long transparent tubes between the terrariums.
The Tierpark Berlin, Europe's biggest zoo spanning several hundred acres, is renowned for its success in breeding elephants - welcoming 15 babies since 1999. Approximately 7800 creatures, representing almost 900 species, live here. They include unique species such as sun bears, Indian giant flying foxes, lemurs and red and black varis, which live in habitats such as the Hummingbird-Crocodile House, Afrikanum, Tropical Hall, Snake Farm and Vari Forest. The zoo has been showing animals to the public since the mid 50s, when it was located at Friedrichsfelde Palace, dating from the late 17th century. Since 2009 the palace has again been subsumed into the grounds of the zoo and is a venue for regular events, such as concerts.
From the moment you walk through the Elephant Gate entrance of the Zoological Garden, which consists of two elephants holding up two massive columns, under a ceiling which features carvings and paintings, you know you are somewhere special. It was the country's first zoo, opened in the late 19th century and today is home to about 16000 animals from 1500 species. There are hippo, predator and nocturnal houses, and Europe's biggest aviary. The aquarium features a huge variety of sea life, such as piranhas, coral fish, and sharks.
At Sea Life aquarium, thousands of sea creatures such as jellyfish and sharks can be seen in a carefully recreated habitat. Some of them even enjoy being stroked! The building is designed and constructed so that one feels they are going on an underwater trip, following the Spree River to the Atlantic Ocean, before spanning out to the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Over 5,000 animals live here. The AquaDom is the world's biggest freestanding aquarium, served by a glass elevator which lets you see shoals of exotic fish swimming in 1,000,000 litres of saltwater.
By Christine Brookes
Christine Brookes writes for various travel journals and websites including Hotel Reservations Global where best prices for hotels in Berlin can be found in a range of hotels in Germany.
Aquarium ornaments aren't there to add any benefits to the fish, they are just for you to add some decoration in the tank. You can have all sorts of ornaments, big or small, traditional or caricature, simple or even complicated. There are thousands of different ornaments that you can buy in stores or you can even make your own. However ornaments are not for all fish, some fish don't like them, I know for a fact Oscars don't take well to any type of ornament or even plant. Some fish do need them though, basically to hide or live in and keep away from bigger fish.
Traditional ornaments are ornaments like castles and ships, they provide security for smaller fish from the bigger ones, they also provide a place to stay and play, yes fish do play! Fish ornaments are available in pet and fish stores. They tend to range from very low to very high prices. You can of course get more detailed ornaments that aren't shaped to be anything except for like branches with weeds on them. Some fish need their ornaments to resemble their natural home, for example lots of plants and branches in the tank.
If you have amphibians in your tank they often like a waterfall ornament with a bathing pool at the bottom of it so that they can bath in it. Amphibians need a lot of greenery in their tank as this resembles their home and therefore you should try to make sure that you fill you tank full of it! Aquarium ornaments are easy to come across and they don't take much effort to put in the tank.
You should always try to keep the ornaments like the animals natural habitat unless it is a fish that couldn't care less, like goldfish for example. Goldfish are very easy to keep and you can decorate their tank with all sorts of funny ornaments. With smaller fish you can try to decorate their tanks with funky ornaments but I always feel that the traditional ones are better!
Lake Malawi, The 3rd biggest lake that is in Africa and the 8th biggest in the world is home to several species of fish more than anywhere else in the world today. The Malawi Cichlids are some of the most beautiful fish on the planet. They are known to be of a huge array of wonderful colours and have become quite popular for fish collectors.
The lake is known to be rocky and with very little vegetation. Near the edge of the lake though is sandier and with less rocks and the water is more open there. It is there that you can find a different habitat. The two habitats of Cichlids that are different are the ones that dwell on or around the rocks and the ones that are considered to be non rock dwellers.
If you are a fish keeper and are considering on getting some of the Cichlids for your aquarium you must be sure to know which group to choose as it is known that the rock dwellers and the non rock dwellers cannot live among each other quite well. Also it is believed that neither of them can survive with any other kinds of fish.
Once you make your decision on which you will prefer to have then next you will need to organize the aquarium. If it is the rock dwellers then of course you will need plenty of rocks and also small caves or places for them to explore and hide.
As for the non rock dwellers you shall need to prepare a sandier environment with the water is more open for them. Just scatter a few rocks around at the bottom of the tank; they will not need any caves or places to hide.
Be sure to remember what it is like for them to be in their habitat they like to be in water where the temperature is around 24-26 degrees Celsius or 76-79 degrees Fahrenheit. It is very important to replicate this inside of the tank. Also you shall need to keep the tank away from any heaters and out of any direct sun light.
By Craig Wrightson
If you would like to learn more about Malawi Cichlids and their environment, visit my site African Cichlid Success - NEW eBOOK! Get Instant Access!
Learn everything you need to know about setting up and maintaining a perfect Cichlid Tank including the unbelievably simple secrets the professional breeders use on caring, feeding, breeding and diseases!
Article Source: EzineArticles
Everyone has admired the large saltwater aquariums that can be found in the offices of most dentists, physicians, cosmetologists and marine enthusiasts but have believed them to be far too much work to bring into their own homes. Fortunately, this is not the case. While the process of establishing a saltwater aquarium can be a costly one, in terms of manual labor there is a very simple method which almost guarantees success.
Step 1: Assemble and prepare the equipment. During packaging and production the aquarium and all of its corresponding parts have almost certainly been exposed to various pollutants, such as dust and chemicals, which will be very harmful to the fish if it is allowed free reign in the aquarium. Prior to use every piece of the aquarium should be washed with hot, fresh water and cleansed with a soft piece of cloth to prevent scratching.
Step 2: Place all of the components in the tank WITHOUT adding any of the decorative features. Then fill the tank to the fill line (which may or may not be already marked on the aquarium-2 to 3 inches from the top is generally adequate to prevent major spillover when the tank is cleaned or the fish fed) with saltwater (if you have chosen to make your own saltwater solution read below for instructions). Turn the tank on and allow it to run for 24 hours to ensure that all components are fully functional.
**Making Your Own Saltwater**
Ocean water is the natural habitat of all saltwater marine animals and, consequently, the best water source for any saltwater aquarium. If ocean water is not available, however, and the owner of a saltwater aquarium does not wish to purchase a pre-made saltwater solution it is possible to make saltwater. It is important to use a sea salt mixture that is free of impurities rather than table salt when creating saltwater in order to reproduce the natural environment as accurately as possible. These mixes can be purchased from any store that specializes in the sale of tropical fish.
Step 3: Landscape your aquarium. Organic substances are not only more aesthetically pleasing than their plastic counterparts, they provide a more pleasing environment for the fish as well. Keeping in mind that fish generally use what humans consider to be decorations as shelter when in the wild it is important to consider the types of fish which will be inhabiting the tank prior to choosing its decoration.
Step 4: Start the 30 day cycling process, during which the ammonia should be tested regularly. This can be done with or without fish in the tank.
Following these simple steps will allow the amateur marine enthusiast to place aside their fears and enjoy the benefits of a happy, healthy aquarium in the privacy of their own home.
