Aquarium and Fish Care

2017-07-07

Tips on RAM CICHLIDS - Care and Spawning

The Ram cichlid or Microgeophagus ramirezi belongs to the family Cichlidae more commonly referred to as cichlids. They are endemic to Orinoco River basin in Venezuela and Columbia. The aquarium industry markets rams under several trade names including; Ram, Blue ram, German blue ram, Asian ram, butterfly cichlid, dwarf butterfly and Ramirez's dwarf cichlid. The Ramirez's dwarf cichlid is a hybrid originally bred by fish enthusiast Manuel Ramirez.

A female M. ramirezi
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rams are arguably the most peace loving of the entire cichlid family. This makes them very popular with aquarium owners. They make wonderful community tank fish provided they are surrounded by equally docile tank-mates. They mix exceedingly well with tetras. Another aspect of their popularity is their size. They only grow to about 2.5 inches unlike their cousin the angelfish that can grow to up to 6 inches in diameter. This makes them perfect for smaller aquariums such as desktop models. They are most at home in well planted aquariums.

Ram Cichlids thrive in slightly acidic water. A pH of 6.8 with a water temperature range between 72- 78°F is the ideal environment for keeping rams. Under premium conditions you can expect your ram cichlids to live for up to four years.

Rams are omnivorous. They can survive just fine on common variety tropical fish flakes. But supplementing their diet with live food such as brine shrimp, frozen or freeze dried food will help insure their vigor.

Distinguishing males from females isn't difficult. This species is sexually dimorphic, males being larger than females. Males typically possess longer spines on the front of their dorsal fin. Females have rounder abdomens than males. This trait is quite apparent when they are carrying eggs.

Breeding Ram Cichlids

Both the male and the female typically become more colorful when its time to breed. The abdomen of a females' body turns reddish or pinkish when she enters into her spawning cycle. A slightly acid water and warmer water temperatures will help induce spawning.

You will want to place the pair in a breeding tank. Males can become territorial when they enter their breeding cycle.

You will know your rams are about to spawn when the expectant parents begin to clean a flat surface to deposit their eggs on. Cichlids rarely deposit their eggs on barren substrate when a more suitable nursery is available.

Stephen J Broy

Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquariums

Pet Moon Jellyfish

EzineArticles

2017-07-06

The Basic Do’s and Don’ts in DISCUS FISH Breeding

Having a fish tank at your home not only increases the aesthetics and the ambience of your home, it also provides you an avenue to relieve stress. Many homeowners which have aquariums in their houses swear to the fact that aquariums provides them with a sense of calmness, but of course, the fish inside the tank does a lot to make this happen. And one of the most sought after tropical freshwater fish today is the discus fish.

Photo by GIALIAT

A lot of discus fish owners today have seen the great potential in making money of their pets. First off, you have to realize that the discus fish is not just like your ordinary goldfish, they can be quite costly and selling their fry has the possibility of making them money. You too can be able to venture in this, providing you know what you are doing.

Some would say that breeding discus fish can be very difficult, well, if you make the most common, and sometimes most obvious mistakes, then you may just end up spending more and just plainly waste your time. To help you get started, here are a few do’s and don’ts in discus fish breeding.

The Do’s

Do buy a big tank if your existing aquarium is small. For a pair of discus fish, a 27 gallon tank will suffice, but if you have more pairs, then you should get a bigger one, 75 gallons will do the trick for 3 to 4 pairs of discus fish.

Do give your discus fish an area in the tank for them to spawn. Discus fish lay their eggs in a flat vertical surface area at the bottom of the tank. Some use certain plants while some say that an overturned pot will do.

Do vary the diet of your discus fish. When your fish are breeding, a varied diet is important to boost their reproductive system upping their chances of spawning. Aside from the pellets and granules, you can also feed the breeders bloodworms and brine, fresh or frozen as discus fish are carnivorous fishes.

Do keep their habitat livable. This means maintaining the temperature and the pH level of their water. Discus fish tend to get stressed when the water experiences an abrupt change or if its dirty.

The Don’ts

Don’t allow your tank water to get dirty and filled with food debris at the bottom. Any debris left can cause bacteria to develop and make your fish ill. This then will hamper the breeding process.

Don’t overfeed your discus fish. Just give them the recommended amount of food. Adult discus fish should only be fed twice a day.

Don’t be in a rush. Be patient. Breeding fishes doesn’t happen overnight, just keep on trying.

And lastly, don’t forget the obvious; you will need a female and a male discus fish. Try to learn how to spot the gender of your discus fish, this way, if you want to start if with just a pair, you will be able to see if they are indeed of the opposite sex.

Proper Housing Arrangements for Red-Footed Tortoises

The Red-Footed Tortoise is not a large turtle. It is not small either, being in the middle of the size range for turtles. This said, the Red-Footed Tortoise needs a very large area to live in a healthy manner. A minimum size for a habitat for these creatures should be roughly 2.5 metres by 2.5 metres. The best place to house these turtles is outside. There are several things that need attention though. The humidity should always be between 60% and 85%, and the temperature should never be below 50 degrees F. If any or all of these conditions can not be met, you must house them inside, and simulate the conditions.

Red-footed Tortoise (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When keeping them outdoors, make sure you offer them plenty of protection from the sun. They will also want plenty of tall grass, plant life and a shallow but heavy dish of water. Red-Footed Tortoises are land based turtles, and do not need deep water.

When keeping the tortoises indoors, there is a set of guidelines you must follow. You can use whatever material you see fit, but wood is the most common. Make sure the floor of the enclosure is waterproof, in case any water is knocked over. A wooden floor may cause problems, as the water will seep into the wood, and over time could cause mould problems. If on concrete, never leave the floor bare. This has been noted as a cause of health problems in turtles, the most common being penis prolapse.

This said, the bottom, whatever material it is, needs to be covered with a more natural substrate. Mulch type substrate works well. Peat moss, sphagnum moss and play sand are recommended. A mixture of peat moss and sand is the best substrate. Make sure the sides of the enclosure are tall enough to prevent the turtles from getting out. Like most reptiles, Red-Footed Tortoises require hiding places. They will also need an area that has increased humidity. A large container, on its side, with dampened substrate works well. When needed, the tortoise will crawl inside to get to the humid area.

You must also provide your tortoises with a heat gradient. This can be achieved by placing a basking lamp on one end of the enclosure. The cool side should be kept around 73 degrees F, and the hot end should be kept around 87 degrees F. If you have multiple tortoises you will need to provide multiple basking spots. Drop the temperature at night to be 57 degrees F to 60 degrees F, and like outdoors, never let this temperature drop to or below 50 degrees F.

Aside from the heating lights, full-spectrum fluorescent lighting is necessary for proper synthesis of vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is needed to properly use calcium in the tortoise’s body. You should always bring your turtles outside on warm days, as the natural sunlight provides the best vitamins you can get from light.

2017-07-05

Learn About DANIO FISH, a Great Species of Fish For Any Aquarium

Add variety to your Aquarium; add a Danio

Danios (long-fin Zebra Danio) are really fun to have and can mix up the colors in your tank. Having multi-colored fish keep your tank from being a bust. Colorful fish add excitement to the mix. Danios average 4 inches but are known to grow up to 8 inches. Danios are a tropical fish so a community of tropical fish is perfect for your Danio.

Both colour morphs of Danio kyathit
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Danios are smaller but don't underestimate these meat eaters. Danios are carnivores that can chow on crustaceans, worms and larvae. A staple diet of tropical flakes and pellets are a fair food to provide your Danio fish. Just follow the packaging directions so you don't over feed your Danio. Like other carnivorous fish you can feed your Danio frozen or freeze dried foods, blood worms, tubifex worms etc. If you are feeding frozen foods be sure to thaw them out first. Feed your Danio twice a day with staple foods and up to four specialty meals a week.

Danios are spend their time swimming in the middle of the aquarium but they also need a room to swim because Danios are social fish that swim in schools, even with other fish. The water Temp should be a medium between 70 to approx 80 degrees. Danio Fish are a personal favorite. These are the "big fish" in a small pond as they are tough little meat eaters. I see that they take to worms a lot more than other staple fish food.

Nathan E Peterson

EzineArticles

2017-07-04

Types of Freshwater Aquarium SHRIMP

There are many types of freshwater aquarium shrimp. Some are well suited to life in captivity in a shrimp aquarium and some are not as they will die out once held in captivity. For the most part, though, it is fairly hardy and do well with minimal care. We will look at several different shrimp in this article.

Cleaner shrimp
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Firstly, the Red Cherry Shrimp. As you might suspect, the name comes from it red coloring. However, the red color in the shrimp is not widespread when you first get them until they get comfortable in their new surroundings. The female of this species is a darker red than the male. Both male and female can withstand water temperatures that vary.

The Bee Shrimp. The Bee Shrimp is so named because of the stripes along the outer shell that resemble the stripes on a bee. This shrimp eats either fish food or algae. If you want to breed shrimp, the Bee Shrimp is an easy one to breed but it will not thrive in water temperatures that get too hot.

Third on the list is the Tiger Shrimp which has jagged stripes like a tiger. It will also eat fish food or algae. For breeders, know that this shrimp will cross breed so if you want to keep your shrimp pure to their original coloring and species, then do not put them together in the same tank.

The Green Shrimp cannot tolerate water that's too hard. It belongs to the Indian Dwarf family of shrimp and when upset or unhealthy, it green color won't be the same. That's usually a sign that something is either disturbing the shrimp or it needs to be investigated for disease.

An interesting shrimp for most hobbyists is the Snowball Shrimp. Many assume because the shrimp has a pale color that is where the name came from. But it is called Snowball because the eggs look like snowballs. You can see the eggs through it body. It is sturdy and breeds easily.

The Malaya Shrimp is a rare shrimp that can thrive in ordinary tap water that is been treated for the chlorine that is dangerous to shrimp. Unlike some in the species, it will not interbreed. The unique Ninja Shrimp is a color changing mainly found in Japan. It has a high tolerance for a variety of water temperatures.

One of the rarest shrimps is nicknamed the Vampire Shrimp. The scientific name for this shrimp is Atya Gabonensis. It is a large shrimp given the nickname because the front legs resemble fangs.

The Yellow Nose Shrimp is a transparent shrimp with a long nose that can appear orange under some lighting. Before you set up your shrimp aquarium, make sure you study exactly what kind of water temperature and food your species will need to thrive.

Brian Huat Wong

EzineArticles

2017-07-03

Fact Sheet: BLACK STRIPE DWARF CICHLID

Black Stripe Dwarf Cichlid

Black Stripe Dwarf Cichlid - Taeniacara candidi - Wikipedia

Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Care Level: Moderate
Tank Conditions: 72-86°F; pH 6.0-7.0;
KH 2-15
Max. Size In Aquarium: Up to 3"
Color Form: Black
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Origin: Farm Raised, South America

The Taeniacara candidi is known in the hobby as the Black Stripe Dwarf Cichlid, and originates within the Amazon Basin of South America. The bodies of these fish are extremely slender and elongated, and have a dark stripe that runs horizontally from the nose to the base of the tail. Another distinguishing feature is its unusually low dorsal fin.

The Black Stripe Dwarf Cichlid should be kept in a tank that is 30 gallons minimum, with densely planted groupings. They require plenty of open swimming areas but also need hiding places. A fine gravel to sand substrate is recommended. Although a semiaggressive fish, they are also timid and should not be housed with large, aggressive fish. They require good water conditions, and regular water changes are a must.

The Black Stripe Dwarf Cichlid is an egg layer that prefers to spawn on the underside of leaves or pieces of driftwood. Once the female has laid her eggs, the male will follow to fertilize them. After fertilization, the male then leaves the brood for the female to tend to.

The fry will be free swimming within seven to ten days, at which time they should be fed newly hatched brine shrimp. They are a fast growing species, and the fry will reach sexual maturity in about five months.

The Black Stripe Dwarf Cichlid is a carnivore, and will consume a wide variety of foods. Freeze-dried bloodworms and tubifex, flake food, and both frozen and live brine shrimp and worms will make excellent food for these fish. Approximate Purchase Size: 1" to 1-1/2"

2017-07-01

A Day in the Life of a Fascinating REPTILE, the ALLIGATOR

Let's travel to Florida to meet one of the largest of reptiles, the alligator. Alligators live only in the southeastern states of our country, like Louisiana and Florida. Most of the time alligators are pictured in swamps, but many people in Florida have reported seeing alligators in the lakes near their backyards. Having a reptile the size of a lizard in the backyard is normal, but seeing an alligator in a pond is something to get excited about. For such a big reptile, you might be surprised to find that it often isn't easy to spot an alligator in the water.

Two American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), Florida, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Alligators like to float just beneath the surface of the water, with only their eyes and nostrils breaking the surface of the water. The rest of their big body just relaxes underneath the water, legs spread apart and the huge tail hanging partway down. The alligator can float at exactly the right level by using his lungs as a kind of inflatable raft, and keeps just the right amount of air for only his eyes to stay above the water. An alligator stays mostly under water for one of two reasons.

The first reason is to keep his body temperature cool. Like other reptiles, the alligator's body temperature depends upon the temperature of the air or water around him. The sun can get very hot in Florida, and since the alligator does not sweat, there has to be another way for him to keep cool. He first opens his enormous mouth, and that will cool him down a little bit. If the alligator is still too hot, he will go into the water to lower his body temperature even more.

The second reason that an alligator stays in the water is to hide himself and wait for lunch to come by. Alligators can catch an amazing variety of animals to eat, including birds, fish, turtles, and even deer. They are quite at home in the water, swim very quickly, and can dive underwater and stay submerged for an hour, or even more. An alligator usually catches birds sitting on the water, but can raise itself up with a few powerful strokes of its tail to snatch one flying near the surface of the water, or just taking off.

Female alligators use their formidable mouths for another reason, to protect her babies. Baby alligators can already catch their own food and swim, but they stay near their mother for a year or more in order to be safe from predators. Even before they are born, the mother alligator stays by the nest she dug in the dirt to keep others (like turtles) from eating her eggs. When the eggs are ready to hatch, the babies inside the eggs start making noises. Some babies come out of the eggs by themselves, but other eggs are taken into the mother alligator's mouth, where she gently rolls them around until the baby alligator can come out of the hard shell.

This brief introduction to one of the most ancient and interesting of reptiles can be used as a starting place to assemble your own collection of alligator facts. Make sure to watch the next wildlife show about these big reptiles, and considering visiting one the next time you take a trip to Florida.

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