Tips on Caring For Your RACHOW'S NOTHOBRANCH - KILLIFISH

Rachow's nothobranch or othobranchius rachovii belongs to the family Aplocheilidae. These fish are natives to regions of Africa where lakes and ponds evaporate and dry up in the dry season.

Because of their environmental challenges, the nothobranch has become commonly referred to as a killifish or an annual. If you are familiar with gardening you will know that an annual only lives a single season. They survive in nature by releasing their pollen to insure subsequent generations.

„Nothobranchius rachovii male“ von Andreas Wretström, Wikimedia Commons

Nature has equipped the killifish to adapt to their hostile environmental conditions in much the same manner. This species flourishes during the wet season. As the wet season draws to an end their habitat begins to disappear. They lay their eggs in the mud before the last of the water evaporates. Then they perish for lack of water. Their eggs, however, survive insuring the survival of the species. The eggs baked in dried up lake beds until the rains return. Undergoing this dry period has proven to be essential to the eggs hatching. When the wet season returns and the ponds and lakes start to fill back up the eggs hatch and the Rachow has triumphed over nature.

Killifish are found in every region of the world except northern Europe, Australia, and Antarctica. There are several genera and different species within each of these genera. A small number of species will shoal while most are territorial to varying degrees. Each has its own breeding habits and life span determined by it specific environmental conditions. But the Rachow's nothobranch killifish is known as an annual because it dies every year. Even in the relative safety of an aquarium the Rachow's nothobranch is victim to its evolution. They only live to 1-1.5 years.

These are small fish. A fully grown adult is only about two inches long. They thrive in slightly acidic water; pH 6.5 with a temperature range between 74-79 °F. They are considered a peaceful fish but a heavily planted mono-species aquarium is recommended.

Rachow's nothobranch are carnivores. They will readily eat live food such as brine shrimp, tubifex and bloodworms. They will also eat freeze-dried, frozen and meat based tropical flake food.

Breeding Rachow's Nothobranch

Breeding these unique fish is done differently than just about any other commercially available fish. Start by placing a 2-3 inch layer of peat on your existing substrate. The peat is for spawning. The killifish will bury their eggs in it. Once they eggs are deposited into the peat remove it from the aquarium. Allow the peat to dry and then place it in a plastic bag. Make sure there is no moisture left in the bag to prevent mold growth. Store the bag for 3-4 months.

After the eggs have undergone an extended dry period remove the peat from storage and place it in a breeding tank. Fry can be fed newly hatched shrimp brine, powdered fry food, or powdered eggs. Allow them to mature enough to hold their own before introducing them to the adult population in the main tank.

By Stephen J Broy The latest trend among Saltwater Tank enthusiasts is raising pet jellyfish. Jellyfish need specially designed Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquariums. Jellyfish tanks are easier to maintain than traditional saltwater setups. Moon Jellies are the most popular jellyfish among home aquarists both for their exotic beauty and their ease of care. They have become so popular that two US based websites are now tank raising them to meet the growing demand. Pet Moon Jellyfish look absolutely incredible under a fading LED lighting system. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Fact Sheet: PLATY FISH - Xiphophorus maculatus and Xiphophorus variatus

(Original Title: Platy Fish Fact Sheet)

Photo by Allie_Caulfield

There are two species of Platy, Xiphophorus maculatus, and Xiphophorus variatus. Platys are closely related to Swordtails and Xiphophorus helleri, and Xiphophorus maculatus will freely interbreed with Swordtails. The interfertility of Xiphophorus variatus with the others two species may be less, but hybrids can occur. The Platies and Swordtails we buy are often not of pure species.

All three species come from Central America. Xiphophorus variatus, commonly called the Variatus Platy, appears to be able withstand slightly colder conditions than the other two species, and may be more suitable for an unheated tank in a reasonably warm house than the other species, but all are basically tropical fish. Platies tend to be shorter but thicker than Swordtails.

Water Conditions

The platy is a tropical fish and I recommend a temperature of 24 degrees C (75 degrees F). They prefer harder water with some salt in it although they are quite adaptable. The platy appears to be better able to survive higher Nitrite (NO2) levels than most fish, but these should normally be avoided for all fish.

Food

The Platy is an omnivore and will eat some algae as well as live food including Mosquito larvae (wrigglers) and Daphnia. They do well on all normal fish foods.

Companions

The Platy is a peaceful fish and is a good fish for a community tank of small peaceful fish. The Platy lacks the long fins of the Guppy and is a faster swimmer, so its companions can include some of the slightly aggressive fish that you would not put with Guppies. You need to avoid any large, aggressive or predatory fish.

Suitable companions include Rummy Nose Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, Guppies, Endlers Guppies, Neon Tetras, Peppered Catfish, White Cloud Mountain Minnows and Zebra Danios. Most of these fish will eat baby Platies.

Pest Fish

Never release your pet fish or put them in the position of being accidentally released. The Platy has the potential to seriously damage fragile ecosystems.

By Steve Challis Steve Challis has articles on a huge range of subjects at http://www.bettatrading.com.au including Fish Fact Sheets like the Guppy Fact Sheet at http://www.bettatrading.com.au/Guppy-Fact-Sheet.php. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Do SIAMESE FIGHTING FISH Need Filters?

Does a Siamese Fighting Fish need a filter? The answer is yes and no. A Siamese Fighting Fish is a labyrinth fish, meaning that it is capable of removing oxygen from the air as humans do. So unlike most fish, a Siamese Fighting Fish does not need a filter to oxygenate the water in their tank. However, like most fish, a Siamese Fighting Fish has little tolerance for ammonia. 

"Memnon" a cambodian coloured male Betta
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ammonia poisoning is a common cause of death in Siamese Fighting Fish, simply because not enough water changes were performed when necessary. Ammonia in high levels will kill a Siamese Fighting Fish but the levels before this is enough to weaken a Siamese Fighter's immune system, leaving them vulnerable to bacteria and fungus infections. And this is why a Siamese Fighting Fish needs a filter.

If you are not prepared or have the time to set water and do waters changes every couple of days, then you may need to look at putting a filter in with your Fighter. With a good established biological filter in your fighter tank, water changes may be cut by more than half. Note established biological. This is not something that happens overnight or as soon as you turn your filter on. A good filter will work three ways in your tank, mechanical, chemical and biological.

Once you have set your filter up in your tank and turned it on the mechanical, which pulls debris into the filter starts working as well as the chemical aspect, removing certain, not all chemical and metals from the water. However it is the biological aspect that confuses most people.

Biological refers to the good bacteria necessary to break down fish waste, leftover food and other decaying matter. And there is only one way to get instant bacteria in a new filter, and that is by putting either sponges, bio-balls or filter wool from a filter that is already established into the new filter.

A simply water test will tell you if the filter is established or not. If the ammonia and nitrite readings are zero and there is a nitrate reading then the filter is established and some of it's filter media may be used to seed the new filter. However if there is any reading in either or both the ammonia and nitrite tests, then the filter is not fully established and not ready to seed a new filter. If asked some Local Pet Shops will sell you some of their filter media to seed your new filter if you do not have an established filter at home.

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You can establish biological in your filter from scratch, which can take between six weeks to six months depending on the method you use. But using your Siamese Fighting Fish is not a good idea at all. There is a good chance that your Fighter will not survive the cycling process, even with the help of live bacteria cultures that are available on the market today. While this information may sound daunting, time consuming or simply too difficult, ask yourself which do you prefer, water changes every couple of days or water changes when then nitrate reading is 20 (which depending on the size of your tank, filter and how you feed may be once a fortnight or month)?

Your Siamese Fighting Fish will be happier and his immune system better with an established filter in his tank, providing him with cleaner water for longer. Just watch that the current produced by the filter is not too fast for his long flowing fins. If your Siamese Fighting Fish suddenly goes into hiding, then you will need to slow the water flow down. This can be achieved by either controlling the output of the filter or using a spray bar to diffuse the water over a larger area.

The last important thing to remember with filters is that when you rinse them out when you do a water change, DO NOT USE WATER FROM THE TAP. Councils adds chlorine to our water to kill bacteria and this is what will happen to the good bacteria that you need in your filter. Rinse your filter out in water from your tank and by doing so save the bacteria that you need.

Cutting down time spent on water changes means more time spent enjoying your Siamese Fighting Fish.

By Kerry Stubbs Article Source: EzineArticles

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Different Types of GOLDFISH

Goldfish is a very popular pet among the young children as well as adults. It is a favorite pet of many people as each has a different personality and can be easily trained to do different tricks. Goldfish was the first fish that was used as a pet and is the most commonly found pet fish all over.

Photo: Wikipedia

Species of Goldfish:

Goldfish belong to carp family. There are many species found due to selective breeding. The specie varies in traits, colour, fin, tail shapes, eyes, body shape etc but all look visually pleasing and lovely.

Types of Goldfish:

The types and species of goldfish differ in certain traits, shapes, sizes and colours. The different groups of goldfish are single tailed, double tailed with egg shape body and double tailed with egg shape but without dorsal fins. Following are the different types of goldfish:

Shubunkins:

Shubunkins are found in two different forms; London Shubunkins and Bristol Shubunkins. Theses fish show calico colours like yellow, red, orange, violet etc. It can be identified because of small black spots on its body. Shubunkins goldfish appears to be scale less and look very much like the common goldfish.

Comets:

Comets Goldfish is the common goldfish found as a pet. Comets Goldfish have high tolerance for low temperature and low water. They can grow up to fifteen inches in length. They are very active and can have a life of up to thirty years.

Comets Goldfish can be identified due to their small slim body and long tails. It is found in a range of colors like orange and black, red and white, red and black and orange and red etc.

Oranda:

Oranda Goldfish have a characteristic head helmet and long split fins and tail. The true Oranda is rare and hard to find. It can grow up to five inches in length. Oranda Goldfish has an average life of sixteen years. This type of goldfish is found in blue, red, brown, yellow and black colors.

Ryukin:

Ryukin Goldfish have a small hump at the back of their head. These fish can grow up to six inches in length and have an average life of fifteen years. Ryukin Goldfish is found in calico colour combinations like white and orange and red and white etc.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pearlscale:

Pearlscale Goldfish is also known as Chinshurin. This fish has scales that appear to be raised from the body. Pearlscale Goldfish is found in a range of colours. It has a round shape and has feature that make it look like a pearl. This type of goldfish is sensitive to temperature and water changes. Pearlscale Goldfish is found in different shiny colour combinations of yellow orange, brown, red orange. The colours can be in patches or on a blue background color.

Telescope:

Telescope Goldfish is a commonly found goldfish. It is found in a variety of colours and shapes. The true Telescope Goldfish has very long fins.

Black Moors:

Black Moors goldfish is an active and easy to train fish. It has an average life of seventeen years. This type of fish is only found in deep black colour. It is found in groups and is comfortable with other types of goldfish as well.

Veiltail:

Veiltail goldfish has different variants and is found with different adaptations like Philadelphia veiltails, European veiltails and Chinese veiltails. They have a delicate body and need a lot of care. Veiltail goldfish is available in different colours and has long fins.

Bubble Eye:

Bubble Eye Goldfish has large bulging eyes and large delicate sacks blow the eyes. Bubble Eye Goldfish is found in black and orange colour and is without dorsal fins.

Phoenix Egg fish/Egg:

Phoenix Egg fish/Egg Goldfish is a very rare type of goldfish and not found easily. It has long fins but no dorsal fins.

Lionhead:

Lionhead Goldfish has a straight back behind a large head. It is poor swimmer and is comfortable with other poor swimmer goldfish. It has a round body and is found in colours like yellow, orange, blue and black.

By Matthew Kepnes Matt Kepnes has been learning and writing about Goldfish since he had his very own as a young child. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Index of TROPICAL FISH DISEASES

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.

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 a bacterial disease. In some cases the fish will appear sluggish and in the latter 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 lose of appetite, hollow belly, erratic swimming, and disintegrating fins.

Viral Diseases

Viral diseases are fortunately fairly uncommon in fish. On 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.

By Leslie Heaton Leslie Heaton is a tropical fish lover with a weakness for buying more aquariums. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Cleaning Your CICHLID AQUARIUM

Cleaning your cichlid aquarium is a big job at the best of times. Even with the best mechanical filtration system in the world your aquarium water will become stale and this is why every week you should replace at least 25% of the water with fresh. I am lucky enough just to be able to use tap water which I treat with a product called Aquasafe. This treats the metals found in tap water and makes it safe for the fish. Depending on the type of fish you have you may need to add a little aquarium salt to the fresh water.

Herichthys cyanoguttatum
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Using a siphon you should remove the waste water to a large bucket. For best results the bell end of the siphon should be dragged backwards through the gravel to suck up any waste debris lying on the surface. This will help to clean the gravel and remove uneaten food from the aquarium. This water should be then used to wash any items from inside the aquarium, such as rocks, caves, plastic plants etc. To wash these items in fresh running water would destroy the friendly bacteria and effectively require the aquarium to cycle again.

Each week the filter should also be cleaned. This is normally done by removing the filter media from inside the filter and rinsing it out in the old water you have just removed from the tank. This allows you to remove fish waste from the filter media while not destroying the friendly bacteria needed to process that same waste. Sometime the very fine filter media will have to be replaced with new to maintain effectiveness. On my own 5ft cichlid aquarium I have used two external filters due to the amount of mess that the fish made. Although I cleaned the aquarium weekly I only cleaned one filter on each alternate week to minimise the bacterial disruption.

My own preference has always been for an Eheim Canister Filter. I have always been pleased with the performance and clarity of my aquarium water. An external canister filter is much easier to clean as you can disconnect it from your aquarium setup and remove it to a better location for cleaning. Internal filters on the other hand give rise to the opportunity of fish waste falling back inside the aquarium

The main tank glass should be also cleaned every week using a blade edged scraper or a plastic scourers. I find magnetic cleaners are more of a gimmick than any practical use so, yes, you have to get your hands wet. It is important to thoroughly clean the glass as any trace of algae will give it a foot hold and comeback quicker next time.

I should point out that algae on the aquarium glass is purely a presentation issue. It does not look nice but makes absolutely no difference to your fish. Some fish even like to graze on the algae but providing you are feeding them correctly they can manage without it.

Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Common TURTLE Species

Turtles are cold-blooded reptiles. They have a shell making them unique from other reptiles. Their upper shell is called the carapace, and a lower shell that protects the belly called the plastron. The carapace and plastron shape and color varies from species to species. One might think it would at least always be a hard shell, which also is untrue. There are softshell turtle species, along with many others.

Diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin, hand-colored lithograph (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some turtle species include Clemmys insculpta which is the wood turtle; Geochelone sulcata which is the African Spurred tortoise; Chelonia mydas which is the green turtle; Emydoidea blandingii which is the Blanding’s turtle; Clemmys guttata which is the spotted turtle; Malaclemys terrapin which is the diamondback terrapin; and Trachemys s. elegans which is the red-eared slider.

The species name for the wood turtle is Clemmys insculpta. This turtle is the largest in its genus. The carapace has raised projections on the back that resemble a small pyramid, making it different from others in the Clemmys genus.

The wood turtle is omnivorous and eats things like algae, moss, blueberries, mollusks, insects, earthworms, and mice. Typically adult males are larger than adult females, but not by a whole lot.

The species name for the African Spurred tortoise is Geochelone sulcata. The African Spurred Tortoise is the only tortoise in the world that has adapted fully for terrestrial life. The turtle is famous for digging burrows to protect itself from predators and the temperature. This turtle can go weeks without food or water. When the turtle does get a chance to drink water though, it can drink up to 15% of its body weight.

The species name for the green turtle is Chelonia mydas. Adult green turtles have a different diet than juvenile green turtles. Adults are herbivores eating plants and juveniles are carnivores eating meat. Adults usually spend their time in patches of sea grass and algae to get their food, while juveniles spend their time among the coral reef. Adults preferred food is young leaves and roots of sea vegetation. Juveniles eat animals such as jellyfish, sponges, snails, bivalves, and others.

This turtle is a medium to large sea turtle that has a broad, low, heart-shaped carapace.

Most of their lives are spent in the water but females return to the land to lay their eggs. The eggs take about two months to incubate, and then hatch. As most turtles are, green turtles possess environmental sex determination. Temperature of the nest determines the sex of the hatchling. Warmer temperatures produce females, and cooler temperatures produce males.

Green turtles are found throughout the oceans of the world. Populations are endangered or threatened everywhere.

The Blanding’s turtle is a northern turtle that has a black carapace with tan to yellow spots on the scutes. Its species name is Emydoidea blandingii. Sometimes this turtle is confused with the box turtle because of similar appearances.

This turtle lives in clean, shallow water habitats. They like abundant aquatic vegetation, and firm aquatic bottoms in ponds, lakes, marshes, and creeks. However, preferences in habitat can change seasonally and by location. In Wisconsin, the Blanding’s turtle prefers marshes over ponds, which is just a location preference. Turtles elsewhere may choose a pond over a marsh.

This turtle nests once a year usually from late-May to early July during the night. However, not every female nests every year.

The common name for Clemmys guttata is the spotted turtle. This is a small, black turtle that has a pattern on its smooth carapace with small yellow spots. Over time the spots may fade, making older turtles appear spotless.

Male spotted turtles tend to have tan chins with brown eyes differing from the females who tend to have yellow chins and orange eyes.

These turtles live in areas that are shallow wetlands. This can consist of swamps, bogs, fens, and marshes, but not confined to just these areas.

Spotted turtles are active during they day for the most part, meaning they are diurnal. However, females are active at night while they are nesting. Spotted turtles are preyed upon by bald eagles, skunks, and raccoons.

The species name for the Diamondback Terrapin is Malaclemys terrapin. This turtle is a small to medium size turtle which feeds on sponges, bryozoans, gastropods, crabs, carrion, and plant material.

They have a hingeless plastron which can be yellow to green or black, and an oblong carapace is gray, light brown or black. They can be found in estuaries and salt marshes.

Nesting for these turtles is different from a majority of turtles because it is during the day. Most turtles tend to nest during the night. High tide is the most usual time for this particular turtle to nest.

The red-eared slider is native to the United States. It is commonly found in the Southern regions. The species name for it is Trachemys s. elegans.

When the red-eared slider is young it is carnivorous, but as it ages they become more vegetarian. They are a medium size and have a dark green oval shell. Their legs are green with think yellow stripes. The head is also green, but it has a red stripe behind the eye.

These turtles are found in most permanent slow-moving bodies of water. They prefer areas with mud bottoms.

Author: Danielle Rose