Fact Sheet: MOLLY FISH - Poecilia sp.

Molly
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Molly is actually more than one species. This fact sheet is an attempt to give information common to most of the ones frequently kept in aquariums. One of the most popular species of Molly is the Sailfin Molly, Poecilia latipinna. Another common Molly is Poecilia sphenops. The Molly is in the same genus as the Guppy, Poecilia reticulata. The Molly tends to be bigger than the Guppy. Mollies normally grow to about 4 inches (10cm), but under very good conditions will grow bigger than this. Mollies in the Brisbane River are reported to reach 7 Inches (18cm).

Water Conditions

The Molly is a salt loving tropical fish. They do not do well in water that is too pure in the sense that it is lacking in salt. The Molly will even live in sea water, and is sometimes added to marine aquariums. A suitable temperature is 24 degrees C (75 degrees F). They prefer alkaline water, and like plenty of hardness.

Food

The Molly is an omnivore with a preference for vegetable matter. They will relish live food like daphnia and mosquito larvae like most fish, but also eat soft algae. A normal fish food is suitable, and some people like to supplement this with algae wafers or spirulina flakes.

Companions

The Molly can be kept as a community fish as long as you choose suitable companions. Mollies are a little bigger than many of the small fish often kept together. While I have kept Mollies with Neon Tetras they are not ideal companions. This is not so much the size difference as the different water preferences. Mollies are generally peaceful fish, but I would avoid putting them with Siamese FightingFish. I know of one case where two male Mollies were kept with a male Siamese Fighting Fish and attempted to mate with it. Eventually the Mollies harried the poor fighting fish to death.

Some suitable companions for Mollies are Glass Bloodfin Tetras, Emperor Tetras, Black Widow Tetras, Peppered Catfish, Swordtails and Platies.

Pest Fish

Any fish released or that gets away and gets into natural waterways is a potential hazard to the native fish of the habitat. In some parts of Queensland Mollies are becoming a problem. In Queensland, Mollies can legally be kept in aquariums, but not in situations where they can get into natural waterways.

By Steve Challis Steve Challis has many other fish fact sheets and other articles at http://www.bettatrading.com.au. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Tips on PARADISE FISH Care and Spawning

The paradise fish or Macropodus opercularis are members of the family Belontidae. This family grouping includes both betta fish and gouarmis. The paradise fish is a gourami. They are also commonly referred to as paradise gouramis.

Paradise fish are native to East Asia. They populate the rice patties and ditches of Northern Vietnam and the Korean Peninsula. They were one of the first ornamental fish introduced to western society. They were first exported to Europe in the 1800s.

This image shows a Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis).
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Despite their long history as a commercial ornamental fish, you are unlikely to see one in a home aquarium. They aren't even stocked in most fish specialty stores. This may be because paradise fish do not make good aquarium fish. Paradise fish are predators by nature. They are combative and harassing. They will attack each other and other species often seriously or fatally wounding them. You can no sooner put two males in the same tank together than you can betta males. Paradise fish are even more aggressive than bettas when it comes to male territorialism. Just like bettas, females can be housed together without incident. The popularity of this species waned with western aquarists when much less aggressive gouramis began to be exported.

Aquarist who levitate toward more aggressive species have a limit number of choices as far as tank-mates for paradise fish. Suitable candidates include larger danios and tetra, catfish and less aggressive cichlids such as firemouths. They can hold there own against most South American cichlids of equal size.

Paradise fish, like bettas and other gouramis belong to the suborder Anabantid. Regardless of geological location, all members of this suborder evolved in low oxygenated water. The rice patties and ditches of Eastern Asia are a prime example of such an environment. They are often muddy and inhospitable to any fish that do not fall into the Anabantid suborder.

Evolution provided Anabantids with a unique means of surviving in these adverse conditions. They evolved a lung-like organ known as a labyrinth organ. The labyrinth allows them to breathe oxygen straight from the atmosphere. You will see all such members of this suborder frequently rise to the surface to gulp air. Without a combination of dissolved and atmospheric oxygen they will not survive.

Paradise fish grow to approximately four inches with an average life span of six years. Paradise fish prefer slightly alkaline water. They can tolerate levels varying anywhere between 6.0-8.0 and water temperatures ranging between 68-78°F. They are omnivores but should be provided a diet reasonably high in protein. The males are more colorful than the females and have larger fins.

Breeding Paradise

To induce spawning, place the male and the female in a breeding tank with a divider between them. Male paradise fish may kill a female if she is not carrying eggs. You will want to have an abundance of plants for the female to hide in once the divider is removed. The water temperature should be toward the higher end of the fishes' tolerance level. They are less likely to breed in cooler water. Have your water filter turned down. Paradise fish breed in still waters in their natural habitat.

If the male feels the inclination to spawn he will use his labyrinth to build a bubble nest on the water's surface mixed with small pieces of the plant matter you provided. If this occurs it is safe to remove the divider.

If the female accepts the male's invitation to breed the two fish will embrace releasing both the eggs and semen into the water. After each embrace, the male will gather the fertilized eggs and spit them into the bubble nest.

Once spawning has occurred, the male no longer has any use for the female. Promptly remove her from the tank to prevent the male from killing her. Leave the male with the fry until they hatch and begin to swim freely. Now the male must be removed to prevent him from eating the fry.

Free swimming fry can be fed infusoria. In a few days their diet can be switched to newly hatched shrimp brine or powdered fry food.

Aquarium keeping is a fun and rewarding hobby. Freshwater aquarium fish care is the easiest and most economical way to enter the field of aquarium ownership. Less than a decade ago freshwater or saltwater fish were the only options available. But that has all changed.

By Stephen J Broy Keeping pet jellyfish is the latest trend in the world of aquariums. Pet jellyfish are a happy medium between the ease of freshwater fish and the demands and expense of keeping saltwater specimens alive and healthy. Jellyfish have much slower metabolisms than saltwater fish. Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquariums are less expensive to set up and maintain than saltwater tanks. Pet Moon Jellyfish look absolutely incredible under a fading LED lighting system. Article Source: EzineArticles

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The Royal Gramma - A Guide on The Stunning BASSLET, Gramma Loreto

The royal gramma (Gramma Loreto), along with the percula clownfish, flame angel, yellow tang and the blue tang make up the five most recognizable fishes in the marine aquarium hobby. It is also known as the fairy basslet.

Royal Gramma -Gramma loreta - Photo: Wikimedia

The royal gramma is brilliantly colored. Its front half is a rich bluish-purple while the rest of its body is a bright yellow mixed in with some orange. There is a single black stripe that streaks through its eyes.There is also a single black spot at the front of its dorsal fin.

They are commonly found throughout the Caribbean Sea. They retail for as little as $15 dollars and are disease resistant and hardy. A winning combination. Cheap, beautiful, plentiful and easy to keep in an aquarium.

They are commonly mistaken for the bicolor dottyback (Pseudochromis Bicolor) as they both have very similar colors. Telling them apart is easy. The bicolor dottyback does not have a black streak running from its snout through its eyes.

The royal gramma is a good candidate for a wide variety of aquariums. They are a relatively peaceful fish, provided they have a small territory of their own.

I have personally kept the royal gramma with clownfish, dwarf angels, large angels, gobies, damsels and dottybacks and have found that it does well with all of them. Again, only if they have their own territory. There can be trouble if any fish continually attempts to enter its shelter.

They can reach lengths of nearly 4 inches in their natural habitat. Such lengths are generally unseen in captivity. Expect your royal gramma to get as big as 3 inches.

I've seen hobbyists successfully keep one in a 10-gallon tank. Personally, i think at least a 20 gallon is the minimum size you should use with the royal gramma. The only way I'd ever keep one in a 10 gallon is if its the only fish in the tank.

Royal grammas are carnivores that eat copepods and plankton in the wild. They are completely reef safe so you don't have to worry about any coral nipping.

A variety of meaty foods should be offered. Krill, Mysis shrimp and Prime Reef (A great blend of seafood) are all great frozen foods to feed. They normally begin eating very quickly after introduction.

Efforts to breed the royal gramma have been successful. They are nest builders that use macroalgae as material for their spawning site (usually a cave).

The male attempts to lure the female into its newly built spawning site by quivering and flaring his fins. If the female is receptive to the males advances, she will then enter his cave and begin spawning. Their larvae accept rotifers and eventually baby brine shrimp without hesitation.

While breeding in captivity has been successful, the vast majority of royal grammas sold are still wild caught. Breeding of this fish isn't wide spread by any means and high rearing costs normally mean losing out to cheaper, wild caught specimens.

By Indran Manickam On my hubpages site I've written many guides covering this fish, the royal gramma as well as other popular species like the blue tang. All guides are photo and video heavy. Article Source: EzineArticles

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The Fun and Rewarding Hobby of Keeping Pet GOLDFISH

Have you ever discouraged yourself from owning pet goldfish because of what other previous goldfish owners have said about them, particularly the negatives? Well, you shouldn't; especially if you can't vouch for the truth on why their goldfish originally died! Perhaps the owner tried to keep the fish in a bowl, after partaking in the TV show myth of happy goldfish swimming in an adorable round bowl. Or, maybe the environment was not a bowl, but it was still confining; depending on how many goldfish the owner was keeping at a time (Goldfish need to swim in schools-that applies to just about every type of fish known to man-except "Siamese fighting fish" or Bettas).

2 goldfish in a tank
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Or who knows-maybe this person wasn't on the up and up when it came to some of the important key points of maintenance. Goldfish care is certainly not rocket science, but they too are not a "set and forget" kind of hobby-I have seen all too many perfectly good pre-owned aquariums for sale at second-hand stores and other places-It makes me sad to see that; perhaps these owners "didn't have the time" for this hobby after awhile. I cannot speak for everybody who eventually abandons fishkeeping-but it's kind of a shame to see some people turn their backs on such a rewarding hobby. I don't want that to happen to you. Let's look at some of the finer points of owning pet goldfish...

The first is the beautiful colors and patterns. Many out there you will find are not completely "orange". They have patterns of golden yellow, black, and white mixed in. The fancier the goldfish (such as fantails and moors) the more varied these patterns will be, but even common goldfish can be striking, too. One of mine is two-toned in white and orange. You will also find that goldfish are friendly, intelligent, alert (you will never forget to feed them as they will be greeting you at the glass as soon as it's time!) And they subsist on a fairly varied diet..pellets and flakes are good, but they've been known to enjoy spinach and shelled peas, brine shrimp and bloodworms. If you like live aquarium plants, I would refrain from keeping them around goldfish as they will nibble on them too.

You will also find that goldfish are hardy and long-lived (Japanese koi live even longer-some up to 20 years or more!) I've had the same orange and white pet goldfish for going on three years so I can tell you they are pretty tough. They are not completely immune-there are a few goldfish diseases like ick and swimbladder that definitely require attention and solitary quarantining. A goldfish lifespan depends on different things-but do not underestimate the "key points" which I will talk about in the next paragraph. The first point is their habitat.

Yes, absolutely, 100 percent. You NEED to keep them in a tank... NOT a bowl. I would strongly advise you against purchasing one of those "mini" or "nano" tank kits if you plan on keeping goldfish-save those for your solitary Bettas in the future. The tank needs to be fairly roomy-doesn't have to be gigantic (in such a case, you'd be better off keeping them in a backyard garden pond, where they will thrive in large numbers.) Many experts will tell you that you will need a 30 gallon tank at least. If you own a 29 gallon capacity tank; no big deal here as that's just one gallon off. 

There are friendly "natural" tank-cleaners like pleckos and Chinese algae eaters that can give your tank a little cleaning boost. The reason for this larger size is that a bigger tank will keep the water pollution issue to a minimum. Goldfish waste levels definitely exceed that of other freshwater varieties. The smaller the tank, the more frequently the water will need to be changed. You also need a good filtration system and an air pump. A heater for the aquarium will not be a necessity as goldfish are not as temperature sensitive as some other freshwater fish breeds.

Bi-monthly (every other week) water changes are important; the first time you may want to siphon about 25% of the water, the next time and subsequent changes, about half of the water should be good. Now if you are thinking of just pouring that dirty fish water down the drain, take a tip from my brother-in-law who has raised goldfish longer than I have. The bacteria present in fish waste laden water will make great plant fertilizer if you have a garden in progress. Even for a few houseplants, the soil will get a much-needed boost. When you replace the removed water with clean (chlorine-free; no instant from the tap kind of water) be sure to also change the filter cartridge as well.

You should (and will) enjoy your pet goldfish for a long time to come if you remember all the important points made earlier. Goldfish are attractive, not difficult to care for, and quite inexpensive (depending on whether you are looking at common or fancy varieties.) Four "common" goldfish from a pet store retailer set me back only a dollar. "Fancy" goldfish start at a dollar apiece and up from there depending on the type. They will pay you back in dividends as you see how big these little guys will get eventually! I have a four-incher that you would never guess was once two inches long so I hope it doesn't get any bigger. I consider this particular goldfish the "alpha male" or the "Queen Bee" of my bunch.

If you ever want to take this hobby to the next level one day, you might want to look into garden fish ponds. A lot of work goes into crafting the dream backyard goldfish pond-much more than tank-keeping-so keep that in mind. Until then though, I hope you will get the maximum benefit from raising your goldfish to be happy and healthy in a nice home aquarium!

By Jennifer L Fouts If you would like to learn more about goldfish and other helpful information on fishkeeping in general: Pet Goldfish be sure to visit Jennifer's Animal World for more information! Article Source: EzineArticles

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Tank Requirements For DISCUS FISH

For Discus fish, there is 2 consideration in tanks - tank depth and volume. Because of their size and swimming habits, a minimum of 18" is needed for tank depth, the deeper the better. Regarding volume, a good rule of thumb is that each adult discus will need 10 gallons of water. Larger tanks will also give more stable water conditions, and take into account other considerations the minimum size for a discus show tank should be no less than 55 gallons.  

Photo by puliarf

It is also advisable to use a rectangular tank.  Not only are they cheaper, but are more efficient, because they maximize surface area.  Surface area is the most important factor in buying a tank.  Why?  Because it is only at the surface of the tank that gas exchange occurs.  (Oxygen in, Carbon dioxide out.)  Assuming you have a seventy-five-gallon show tank, and its biological filter is working as required, up to twenty young fish 3 inches in size, or 6 or 8 fully adult discus can comfortably inhabit the tank. An outside filter may be added to large tanks to increase basic aeration and biological filtration needs.

Keep in mind that when young discus fish are small, they grow fast and become quite large in a short period of time if fed well and water quality is maintained. If your tank is too small they will not be happy and it will quickly stunt their growth. Juvenile discus should not be kept in overly large tanks. Being a social fish, Discus tend to become very skittish in large tanks. In our hatchery, we place 6 Discus up to 1.5" in a 29-gallon tank. They will be moved to larger tanks when they get to 2.5", and show possible signs of "pairing off".   Always try to buy the largest tank you can afford for discus fish.

If breeding Discus is a consideration, later on, tanks can be down sized to twenty gallons per pair. At our hatchery, 29-gallon rectangular glass tanks are utilized for every breeding pair.

A bare bottomed tank with at 2 ½ gallons of water per inch of fish, a couple of sponge filters and a canister filter with activated carbon in it is used to begin the process. This is maintained at 6.6 - 6.8 PH, and the temperature is set at 82 to 84 degrees F.  We make 50% water changes weekly, and some breeders will go as high as 95%. Optimal results would be achieved with a 15% water change daily.  Because Discus produce slime on their body, and it is shed regularly, it coats the inner surface of the tank and promotes bacterial growth. A safe bet is to wipe down every discus tank every week.  There are commercial sponges and brushes available to do this chore.

Because Discus are large fish, they require clean water and proper filtration.  The tank must be "cycled" and tested for nitrates/nitrites before placement of Discus in the tank.  Our policy is to use fish such as some of the more common cichlids to "cycle" the tank.  A good rule of thumb here is to wait at least 4 weeks before attempting to place Discus with the "cycling" fish.  If you are active in the aquarist community, a friend might possibly loan you some "cycling fish" to begin your project, and the "cycles" can be returned to their owner upon completion of the cycle.

Discus prefers soft water, due to the constant rainfall and run-off in their natural habitat. We are more concerned, however, with cleanliness.  It is much better to have a high quality of hygiene in the tank than it is having optimal water conditions, though we strive for both.  Discus will adapt to most conditions, including PH up to 7.8 and 350-ppm micro siemens of hardness, but cannot survive in constantly changing water conditions or dirty water.

by Alden Smith Alden Smith is a published author and has been marketing on the internet for 7 years.  His website, King Discus, is an active gathering place for discus breeders and lovers of discus fish. Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Breeding LIVEBEARERS - Guppies and Swordtails

Equipment Needed:

• Breeder Box or Breeder Net
• Breeding Grass
• 5 or 10 gallon tank for the baby fish or a tank divider that you can use for your main tank.
• A pair - 1 female and 1 male

Guppy - Photo by tartaruga33 

Two of the more popular tropical fish for beginners has to be Guppies and Swordtails.  Guppies and Swordtails are livebearers which means that their babies come out swimming.  Like most livebearers, there is not much to getting your guppies or swordtail to breed.  If you have a male and a female then you will eventually have a pregnant female.  The gestation period for livebearers is usually 28 days but can range from 20 to 40 days.

Place the male and female in the same tank together and they will soon mate. You are probably asking, how can I tell when the female is pregnant?  When a female guppy is pregnant she will develop a dark triangular shaped gravid spot near her anal vent.  This will get larger and darker as the pregnancy progresses.  While you are waiting on the female to develop the fry it's time to make sure you are prepared for the delivery.  We use plastic breeder boxes and always have without any problems.  A breeder box is a small box plastic box about 4 inches long by 3 inches wide and 4 inches deep.  There is a removable "V" shaped trap in it which serves to separate the mother from the babies.  When the mother fish has babies they fall through the slot in the "V" into the bottom of the box.  

After the mother is finished having babies, you can remove the "V" trap so that the babies have more room to grow.  Some people have had bad experiences with breeder boxes and now only use a breeding net.  It is also a good idea to purchase some real or plastic breeding grass for the top of the aquarium.  The breeding grass is just in case the mother gives birth before you have a chance to put her in the breeder box.  The young babies instinctively will swim to the top of the aquarium and the breeder grass provides a great hiding place so they won't get eaten by the bigger fish in your tank.

To feed your new arrivals you can use finely crushed flake food.  Using your fingers, you can rub the flakes into a fine powder.  Some only feed live foods such as baby brine shrimp.  Live foods would definitely be the best way to go, but for most this is simply not feasible.  Crushed or powdered flake food will suffice.  Try to feed the babies 3 very small meals per day.  You will invariably feed too much and the excess food will drop to the bottom of the tank or breeder box.  To clean a breeder box we like to take a 3 ft. length of aquarium tubing and a small bucket.  Use the tubing as a siphon to clean the bottom of the breeder box.  Be careful not to siphon any baby fish.

Try to perform 25% water changes weekly for your baby guppies.  This will aid in the optimal growth of your baby tropical fish. After a few weeks in the breeder box your new babies will soon outgrow their home and you will need to move them either to a new tank or your main tank with a divider installed. By 8 weeks old your baby fish will most likely be able to return to the main tank without a divider.  However, it really depends on the size of the other inhabitants in your aquarium.  Use your best judgement before releasing them into the main tank.

Swordtails - Photo by Eric F Savage 

Whether you are going for that one of kind strain or if you simply find small fry swimming in the top of your tank one day after work, please be responsible with your fish.  If you have more than you can accomodate you can try trading them or maybe even selling them to a local fish store in your area.

Talk to your local pet stores beforehand to see if you can work out some sort of arrangement.  You can also use this opportunity to get your friends interested in fish.

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Fact Sheet: ODESSA BARB - Pethia (Puntius) padamya

Pethia  (Puntius) Padamya or Odessa barb (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Odessa Barb, Pethia (Puntius) padamya, has been known to the aquarium hobby for many years, but was only described scientifically in 2008.

The Odessa Barb first came to the attention of the Aquarium Hobby as coming from Odessa in the Ukraine. It is in the group of about 10 species related to the Rosy Barb, Puntius conchonius. Other scientific names the Odessa barb has been called include Puntius ticto.

Although the type specimens of this fish were found in or near the lower Chindwin River in Myanmar, it is generally believed to be more widely distributed than this implies. The good tolerance of this species to low temperatures fits in with the belief that it can come from cooler, mountainous areas such as the foothills of the Himalayas.

Water Conditions

The Odessa Barb prefers cooler water than most tropical fish, 14-25 degrees C. (57-77 degrees F) being ideal. They are happy in either a tropical aquarium at 24 degrees C (75 degrees F) or in an unheated aquarium as long as it is not in an extremely cold area. In warm areas, this fish could be kept outside in ponds, but you would need to consider how cold it would get in the winter in your area.

Although the Odessa barb likes slightly acidic water, they are also happy in neutral or slightly alkaline conditions. A moderate degree of hardness does not seem to bother this fish.

Food

The Odessa Barb is an easily fed omnivore and will eat all normal aquarium foods. The basis of its diet could be a good quality flake or pellet food with the occasional feeding of frozen food like Frozen blood worms or a live food like mosquito larvae or Daphnia.

Companions

The Odessa Barb is a schooling fish, and I suggest that at least 5 be kept together. Although not one of the most aggressive barbs, I would not tend to keep them with slow moving, long finned fish like Guppies or Siamese Fighting Fish.

This fish is a suitable companion for most of the Barbs, Swordtails, Platies, Rasboras and Tetras as well as the more peaceful larger fish like the Silver Shark, but I would avoid really aggressive fish as their companions.

Sexing

The Male Odessa Barb has a more obvious Red stripe, especially when in breeding condition. The female get plumper when they have eggs.

Breeding

The Breeding of the Odessa Barb is very similar to the breeding of the Rosy Barb. They are an easily spawned egg layer. They eat their own eggs and babies, so if you want a reasonable survival rate, it is necessary to remove the parents after spawning. The ideal water is moderately soft and slightly alkaline, but they do not seem to be too fussy.

Raising the Fry

The Odessa Barb babies are slightly bigger than many of the smaller egg laying aquarium fish. They also grow faster than average. As soon as they are free swimming they are capable of eating finely screened daphnia. A dry fry food can be used as the main diet while they are young. Suitable sized live food is a good idea at all stages of the growth of the fish.

By Steve Challis Also see: http://www.bettatrading.com.au/Odessa-Barb-Fact-Sheet.php Steve Challis has many other fish fact sheets and other articles on http://www.bettatrading.com.au Article Source: EzineArticles

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