The MOLLIES And GUPPY Fish

Photo: male alpha molly by h080

Mollies come from Poecilia spp. and the Poeciliidae family. The Mollies are one of the favorite tank fish since the fish is similar to the swordtail fish. The swordtail comes from the Xiphophorus helleri group. The molly, however, does not have a swordtail, rather a larger fin, known as the dorsal. The fish has a variety of shapes and it reaches up to 4 to 4 ¾ inches in size. The males only grow to 3 1/3 or 4 inches at most. Mollies male and female counterparts differ in color, size, and gonopodium. The fish can live in extreme wide-ranging environments and will suit in estuaries habitats. The water temperature desired of the molly is 72 degrees, not succeeding 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Mollies also prefer hard water, which the pH level should be set at seven or eight. The fish will reside in hard waters, which salt is needed. Mollies enjoy house furnishing, lights, well-planted areas, thin layers of humus, and so on.

Feed:

Mollies will feed on vegetables, including spinach as well as algae. The fish are omnivorous in nature. Mollies have a biological lively nature, which the schooling fish desires constant water flow. The fish are livebearers and breed successfully providing plenty spawns. In addition, mollies are sociable, yet the fish should be kept in community tanks where large schools exist.

Guppy Fish - Photo  by Inka Crabs 

Guppy fish listed under Poecilia reticulata is kin to the family of Poeciliidae. The fish comes from the waters in Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil, Trinidad, and Barbados. The environment desired is still, flowing waters. The fish prefer water temperatures at 68 degrees and no higher than 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The pH level should not succeed eight, nor go below seven. The water preferred is hard water, which the fish can live in extreme hard water conditions as well. Tank: The fish prefer illuminated tanks with plenty of furnishing. You should store the fish in a medium tank and provide them rich vegetation and plants. The fish will eat all sorts of foodstuff. Biological nature; The biological loose school natured fish will be on the constant go, therefore he does not have time for long-drawn-out schooling arenas. The fish are good breeding fish, yet beware, since Guppy will eat their own youth. You should keep Guppy fish in tank aquariums where other livebearing fish reside.

Aquariums

Nowadays the aquariums are ecosystems include a wide assortment of technology advanced qualities. Air and water pollution has increased the need for aquarium life, which in accordance technology has advanced the tanks to meet the high demand of aquarists. Tanks today are constructed by technological experts, which design real water aquarium environments. Most tanks sold today, including advanced electrical circuits, plugs, filters, air supply, etc. The market is saturated with tanks that will allow you to raise or lower the water temperatures. The light switches enable you to vary in intensity, thus lowering or increasing the light production.

In addition, you have a wide array of on and off switches, which utilize mechanical timers that permit aquarists to easily adjust water temperatures and light intensity.

One advantage of tanks today is that most tanks are equipped to handle nearly all fish available on the market. The problem is all fish are different and require their own special attention. Therefore, you should never group fishes with fish that prefer to live with their own kind. In addition, seawater/saltwater and freshwater fish differ. The freshwater fish include the Tropical and Coldwater fish.

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Are MOLLY FISH a Good Addition to Your Aquarium?

Female Gold Molly. It's a female fish as you can see cause it has no Gonopodium.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Molly fish is usually included in the list of fish which are ideal for the beginners. Their needs are minimal, they are hardy and they are grateful. However, if you keep them in the aquarium with other species of fish around, they are a bit naughty.

They will try to nip the fins of other fish and cause stress among the fish community. Fish with large fins will be able to fend for themselves but small ones may develop stress and feel harassed. Sometimes they may get infections due to the wounds and may even die.

There are some other issues also with Molly fish. They are born aggressive and their body shows the same features. They have powerful jaws with sharp teeth with which they can easily cut and eat algae from the aquarium. They have a digestive tract which is long enough to digest even the hardest algae. They are capable of destroying many other plants from your aquarium.

Another issue with the mollies is they are not freshwater fish in the real sense. They can live in the freshwater environment but they will still need some marine salt in the water. It will provide an ideal chemistry of water for them.

So after considering all these issues, an obvious question comes ahead - are they really suitable for your aquarium? These requirements are no doubt demanding than any other species of fish. They need absolutely clean water and they cannot tolerate any amount of nitrate in the water. But they need somewhat warm water in contrast with most of the other species which are comfortable with cold water. Mollies can successfully live in colder water but it is bad for them in the long run. If you are going to add some marine salt to the aquarium, they will be comfortable but the other species of fish may find it a bit tough to survive.

So you may conclude that they are incompatible in the community of tropical fish. To some extent it is true. Species like the tetras and Corydoras will not be able to live with Molly fish in the same aquarium. However, there is a number of other species which are fine with them. Species like glassfish as well as wrestling halfbeaks will be comfortable with the Molly fish. All the livebearers of the New World will enjoy their company as they can easily tolerate some salt in the aquarium waters. Other varieties like bumblebee gobies will also be able to live with them. If you make a small research on the Internet and speak to the local pet shop staff, you can get many tips about their compatibility with the other species.

Mollies are sometimes misunderstood but they are wonderful additions to your aquarium. Their actions are fascinating and graceful and it is a pleasure to watch them swimming in the aquarium. My advice is - know them well before you bring them home and you will be certainly proud of them.

By Chintamani Abhyankar Chintamani Abhyankar is a goldfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding goldfish for many years. He is an expert on their care and an advocate for raising healthy goldfish the natural way. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Tips on CHERRY BARB Care and Spawning

Cherry Barb - Photo   by       lakpuratravels 

The cherry barb or Puntius titteya is classified to the family Cyprinidae was commonly known as carp. The cherry barb was originally discovered and cataloged on the island of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean. Since its discovery, this species has established populations in the freshwater bodies of Columbia and Mexico.

Cherry barbs received their name because of their bright red color palette. They are a small, elongated fish only reaching a length of approximately two inches when fully grown. Typically, the upper part of their bodies leans toward a greenish shade with a slight sheen. A racing stripe that varies from a brownish color to bluish black runs from the tip of their snouts down the entire length of their bodies. Above the stripe is an iridescent band that is generally gold at the front part of their bodies and fades toward blue or green towards the tail. The males are redder than the females. But they do not develop the bright, cherry red coloration they are named for until they enter the spawning cycle. The cherry color is not found among the females of the species. Females are lighter in color and have yellow fins. The female's body tends to be a lot plumper than the males.

Cherry barbs make good community tank fish provided they are housed with fish that are not large enough to view them as a tasty snack. They are shoaling fish that take readily to heavily planted aquariums. Since they travel in schools in their natural habitat, it is advisable to add multiple barbs to your fish tank rather than a single fish. While cherry barbs do enjoy the company of their own species, they do not congregate as tightly as most barbs or tetras. It is, in fact, not uncommon to see a single barb venture away from the pack.

They are originally from Sri Lanka. Lake Sir Lanka is an island country in southern Asia located off the southern coast of India. Cherry barbs prefer soft, slightly acidic water with a temperature variance between 72-79 °F.

Cherry barbs are omnivores. They can be fed common tropical fish flakes as their primary diet.

Breeding Cherry Barbs

Cherry barbs breed in captivity. This is a good thing. Their numbers have decreased drastically in Sri Lanka.

Feeding barbs frozen or live meaty foods such as brine shrimp will help to induce the spawning cycle. The male, as mentioned earlier, will develop a bright cherry color when ready to spawn.

Once the male displays his spawning colors, the barbs should be placed in a breeding tank. Barbs scatter their eggs. Like most egg scattering fish, cherry barbs will eat their un-hatched eggs. A good breeding trick is to place marbles in the bottom of the breeding tank. The eggs will slip down in between the marbles and prevent the parents from being able to get at them. After spawning, the adult barbs should be removed from the breeding tank.

The fry will hatch in about 24 hours. The fry can be feed liquid fish fry food developed for egg laying fish. In a couple of days switch their diet to newly hatched brine shrimp or small amounts of powdered eggs. When they reach a week or two in age you can feed them finely crushed tropical fish flakes.

By Stephen J Broy Many home aquarium owners cringe at the thought of maintaining a saltwater aquarium. What most of them don't realize is that a Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquarium requires little more maintenance than a freshwater tank. Keeping Pet Moon Jellyfish is the hottest new trend in aquarium ownership. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Setting Water For SIAMESE FIGHTING FISH

Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens), female, (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many people believe and are encouraged by their Local Pet Shop, to simply use water from the tap and only add chlorine neutralizer when obtaining water for their Siamese Fighter's tank. While this method will work for a small percentage of locations, it is a recipe for an unhappy, sick or dead Siamese Fighter in most locations. With the numerous chemicals used to treat our water, gone or the days when you simply add water than fish.

Phosphate is added to our water to prevent pipes from rusting and in very small amounts is beneficial to fish, but in large quantities is a silent killer. Phosphate is not like chlorine that will dissipate from the water within a given time frame. It is the opposite, building in concentration if the correct water is not used in water changes. A simple test kit will tell you what the phosphate reading is in your water daily. You will find that certain days the water will be unusable and others the reading is fine. It is on these days that you fill a drum with water to get ready to set.

PH is the next factor to take into consideration for your Siamese Fighting Fish. Siamese Fighting Fish like a PH range of 6.8 to 7. Once again a simple test will tell you what the PH of your tap water is. However, it is important to retest the same water after you have let it sit with an air stone or pump to turn it over for at least 24 hours. Depending on your location, the PH may rise, fall or stay the same. A PH that stays the same or falls is easier to set to the necessary requirements than one that rises. To adjust your PH up or down, you can purchase products from your Local Pet Shop, but steer clear from the powder forms of these products, as they can create phosphate problems. 

The liquid products are the better alternative. If you are adjusting large amounts of water, 200L or more a week, these products are expensive. Alternatives are Bi-Carb Soda (baking soda) for PH up and Hydrochloric Acid for PH down. Hydrochloric Acid is a corrosive poison, so follow all the safety directions on the container and store in an appropriate location. Hydrochloric acid can be purchased from a pool shop. Add small amounts of PH up or down, and retest the PH around an hour later. Sometimes, it may seem that nothing is happening, then all of a sudden there are results. This is why it is better to do this in a separate container than in your Siamese Fighter's tank, where you can do harm.

Once you have the PH range, you need to set the water hardness. For Siamese Fighting Fish, the water hardness range is 450 TDS (totally dissolved solids) or a KH of 2-3 and a GH 4-5. This is important as it measures the mineral content in the water. Not enough minerals, means a sick or dead Siamese Fighting Fish. If your water is above this range, mixing with rainwater or RO water will help you to lower the reading. If your water is below this range, adding tropical salt, aquarium salt or rock salt will raise your water hardness. Be aware that some commercial aquarium salts will create phosphate, just like the powder form of PH up and down, so check that the one you are using is fine. Also check the PH level again, as this may raise with the adding of the salt.

Once you have all these areas in range for Siamese Fighting Fish, it is right to use. Because of the time is taken to set water, it is advisable to set enough water for several water changes. This allows you time to set more water before you need it. Store set water away from chemicals, such as insect sprays, hair sprays, deodorants and cleaning products, as these are all deadly for any fish. As time-consuming as this may sound, it is better for you Siamese Fighting Fish. If you cannot find the time to set the water correctly, check with your local pet shop as several wholesalers now sell bottled water especially for Siamese Fighting Fish.

By Kerry Stubbs - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Suckermouth Catfish - Pleco - Hypostomus PLECOSTOMUS

Plecostomus

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KOI FISH - A Beginner's Guide to the KOHAKU and the BEKKO

Murata Kohaku
Photo by KoiQuestion

The Kohaku is the most highly cherished of the koi varieties; a good specimen will be very valuable and really stands out in the pond. It is described as a two colour, non-metallic koi, namely a white bodied Koi with a red (Hi) pattern on its back.

On a good specimen of Kohaku, the pattern should have clearly defined edges and the white should be a good unblemished colour, often described as snow white. The contrast between the two colours can be striking and this is why the Kohaku is so highly prized.

Although a Kohaku cannot have colour variations, it does have pattern varieties and these are generally known by the number, or placement, of Hi patches along the length of the body. Maruten (one circular Hi patch on the head and other Hi on the body), Nidan (two Hi patches along the back) and Inazuma (a single Hi patch along the back in the shape of a lightning strike) are some examples.

These are classic patterns, but other pattern formations are equally attractive, provided the pattern is well balanced. Normally, there should be no Hi on any of the fins of a Kohaku; they should be white at the body joint, changing to almost clear at the tips.

Otsuka Shiro Bekko
Photo by KoiQuestion

The body volume of a Nidan Kohaku is superb. The two patches are almost linked by the extended Hi on the right side. The white nose and caudal regions set this fish off wonderfully.

A beautiful Maruten Kohaku with a snow white skin and beautiful pectoral fins. Good body shape and the excellent pectoral fins make this a koi that will really stand out in your pond.

The Bekko is described as a fish with a black pattern on a coloured base. The black (Sumi) appears as balanced patches along the back of the koi, above the lateral line but not on the head. As in the Utsuri, the Bekko occurs in the base colour variations Shiro (white) Bekko, Aka (red) Bekko and Ki (yellow) Bekko.

By Daniel Hansen - Article Source: EzineArticles

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AFRICAN CLAWED FROGS As Pets

Xenopus laevis - Photo by      brian.gratwicke 

Over the last few years, there has been an increasing popularity of keeping frogs as pets. The African Clawed Frog is no exception. Although a little less interactive than non-aquatic frogs, they are a joy to have if you truly want a frog for a pet. Unlike tree frogs or toads, African clawed frogs are aquatic. That means that stay in the water all the time, and come to the surfaced to breathe.

Widely used for in scientific experiments, Xenopus have bread domestically for years. They were used for human pregnancy tests before more modern methods came into play. The female Xenopus was exposed to the urine of a woman, and if the frog laid eggs the woman was pregnant.

Today you can find African Clawed Frogs in many pet and discount stores including Wal-Mart. They are usually small when purchased, but can grow to be five inches in length. Some females have been reported to grow up to eight inches.

These frogs have healthy appetites and will consume almost anything in the tank. If they can get it in their mouths, they will eat it, including fish or other animals. They will even eat live aquarium plants. You can purchase specially formulated frog food at many pet stores or online. If you do not have access to frog food, they will eat floating goldfish pellets or shrimp pellets. An occasional treat of ghost shrimp or small fish is nice, but should not be considered a staple. They will also eat worms. A big juicy night crawler cut into a couple of pieces is always welcome.

Since these frogs grow at a rapid rate, an aquarium of at least ten gallons is necessary. You may want to choose large rocks instead of gravel for your aquarium. There is a chance that gravel could be ingested and cause an impaction problem.

A filter is not mandatory for frog tanks but may help to keep the water cleaner. You may also want to do partial water once a week to ensure water quality. Always keep a cover on your frog tank, because these frogs are great jumpers. If your frog were to jump out and be left unattended for an extended period of time, it would die. Their skin will dry out relatively quickly.

With the right equipment and some tender loving care, you frog will make an excellent pet for years to come. There are some reports of these frogs living for 20 to 25 years!

By Kim Horton - Article Source: EzineArticles

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