Easy Steps in Saving Money when Breeding DISCUS FISH

It would be easy to understand why so much freshwater fish aficionado loves the discus fish. It’s very attractive and most definitely one of the most beautiful creatures that one can keep in an aquarium. Some would disagree saying that there are others more beautiful but that is just a matter of opinion, an opinion that millions of aquarium owners have made by owning a discus fish today.

This mesmerizing fish though comes with a hefty price tag. Some sellers have been found to be selling their discus fish in the northern region of 250 dollars. That is very stiff indeed, especially if you want to have more than one discus fish, and if you’re going to breed them, then a pair would certainly be needed. But, if you want to have an aquarium full of discus fish and want to save money in doing so, then you would just have to breed them yourself. Breeding discus fish is not as hard as you may think; it’s not as simple either. There certainly will be some costs, but if you do it right, you will be saving money in the long run.

In starting out, you have two options. First is the certain option, which is more expensive though. All you have to do is go to a pet shop and buy a breeding pair. This can set you back about 300 dollars. But you can be sure that one is a male and one is a female. If you want to save some money, but you can’t really be sure that they would breed, is to buy baby discus fish, about six to eight of them. You can just hope that at least one or two of them are male or female. Typically though, there would be one of the opposite sex, so you would just have to wait until they grow up.

When they reach adulthood, you will soon observe that if there is indeed a pair, both of them will soon claim a space in the tank, and start protecting it. This pair will then be your breeding pair. Have a breeding tank ready as soon as you discover them. A breeding tank should be separate from the main tank so as to protect the spawn, at the least; your breeding tank should be 20 gallons.

When you have finally established your discus fish breeding tank, transfer some of the water from your original tank, this will prevent your discus fish from experiencing stress in being exposed to a new tank. Don’t put any gravel or sand inside your tank, this will make it easier for you to clean your tank from leftover food. Just place inside a vertical surface where your discus fish can spawn. You can use an upside down pot made from ceramic, or a plant.

It is imperative that you check on the water from time to time for rising in the water temperature and ammonia level.  Daily cleaning is also a must. If you want to save money breeding discus fish, then prevent them from dying, a clean water will increase your chances of breeding discus fish from your initial investment.

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UARU - Uaru amphiacanthoides

Uaru - Uaru amphiacanthoides

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KOI Population Control

Koi fish. Loro Parque. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Population control is typically easy with the majority of domesticated pets. It is usually as simple as removing the possibility of conception until the time in which the opportunity has passed. Unfortunately, this is not the case with Koi. Koi, no matter whether you want them to or not, will spawn and lay eggs, and other Koi will fertilize them. It is natural, and there is little you can do. Since contraceptive methods are not available for fish, population control really comes down to removing the unwanted babies after they are already born.

As a newcomer to this hobby, you may simply disregard this information. For whatever reason, whether it is that you feel removing unwanted babies is cruel, or if you believe that the more fish the merrier, you will quickly realize that keeping all the babies that are born could be a potentially harmful situation to both your pond and the original parent fish.

Why Are The Babies Harmful?

What is so harmful about having more fish your originally started with? Well, a number of harmful situations can happen.

First, Koi can and will grow to us to three feet in length. Koi, unlike some other fish, will grow, no matter the size of their habitat. This will turn a beautiful pond in a wasteful, extremely overpopulated pond. Not only will to many fish cause damage to a smaller pond, but they will not be comfortable in their habitat.

When you originally set up your pond, surely you set the filtration system up for a specific amount of fish. Adding extra fish without adding more to your system will ultimately cause a surge in unwanted gases and chemicals in the water that is dangerous to your Koi.

Getting Rid Of The Babies

There are several ways of removing babies from your pond.

One way is to stop feeding your Koi the minute you realize that spawning has occurred. You should stop feeding you Koi for no less than three weeks. Do not worry about your Koi starving, as they will focus more on natural foods if you are not feeding them daily. This “natural” diet includes their young. Koi are not cannibalistic animals by any means, but they will eat their young when they are still eggs or if they are small and resemble insects. Once the baby Koi actually resemble real fish, and the adult fish recognize this, they will no longer see them as food, so it is important to start this process as soon as you notice spawning or babies.

While this is a process of nature, you may still find this method to be cruel or unusual. Another way of removing unwanted babies from your pond is to give them away.

First, check with your local pet store. Many pet stores have programs in which they will accept unwanted animals and give them good homes. Some may even pay a certain amount for each fish since they sell them but do not count on this. Local zoos may also have programs.

If you know of a local Koi society, you may let them know that you have unwanted babies. Alternatively, you can find a message board or group online and post messages there. Who knows, you may even start another person on a Koi keeping hobby.

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REPTILE History

Collage of four U.S. state reptiles showing a turtle (box turtle), snake (garter snake),
lizard (collared lizard), and crocodilians (American alligator)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many people overlook that dinosaurs were reptiles, as are tortoises and turtles.  Frogs are often lumped into the same category while they are, in fact, amphibians.

Reptiles evolved from amphibians because of their necessity to learn to adjust to life on land.  This brought about the need for legs and lungs to breathe air.  Yet snakes are legless, able to crawl along with their magnificent bodies.  The scaly reptile skin was necessary to protect the bodies from the rough surface of the ground, much different from the smooth water the amphibians were used to.

Science has described over 7,000 species of reptiles, even going so far as to claim birds as a part of the reptile group because of the inherited characteristics such as their skeletons, internal organs, and DNA.  There is a distinction besides feathers, though.  Birds are endotherms, meaning they must have food for energy to keep warm.  Other reptiles are ectotherms which need an outside heat source to help them retain proper body temperature.

Crocodiles are in the second oldest group of reptiles, perhaps resembling the dinosaur relatives more than any other reptile group.  Although, the turtle is the winner of the oldest proven reptile group, even older than the dinosaurs!

There are two groups of turtles, one group fares best on land and the other in the water.  The one that fares best on land is the terrestrial tortoise.

Success in keeping a reptile for a pet depends much on your climate.  You can forget sticking your pet snake, turtle, or lizard outside in a cage or pen or aquarium if you live in a cold climate.  Keeping the pet at a controlled temperature is essential to its survival.  Digestion depends on the right temperature and so does the animal's ability to move around successfully.

It may seem cute to see that little turtle basking in the sun on a log in a pond.  But the reptile needs the heat to stay alive. Too much heat is also as bad as too little.

Maybe the turtle's ability to live for so many centuries when other animals perished is because of its outstanding lifespan.  A turtle can live to 100 years old if the conditions are right!

Old temples have been discovered in Africa with snakes carved into the walls, giving pythons a sacred quality over the many years of its existence.  But the boas have been known to live over forty years at a time in zoos!  Anacondas have been feared in South America for a long time.  Any snake that can grow to over 35 feet deserves a wide berth!

An interesting reptile that's been around a long time is a native of Madagascar.  The chameleon exists in 120 different known types.  Oustalet's chameleon is about the size of a small cat.  It would give a domestic feline a definite scare to walk upon one of those!  On the other end of the size spectrum, the Dwarf Brookesia, also a native of Madagascar, is small enough to stand on the tip of a finger.

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Lighting your CORAL

An open brain coral under actinic lighting. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are some species of coral that can survive with the normal amount of lighting, so for the beginner, you may want to stick to these species. Specifically, Mushroom Coral and Coral Polyps can survive with normal lighting techniques.

Conversely, species such as SPS (Small Polyp Stony Coral) that include Acropora, Montipora, Porites, Brain Coral, Bubble Coral, Elegance Coral, Cup Coral, Torch Coral, and Trumpet Coral require far greater intensity with lighting, making them a substantially greater challenge for the aquarium hobbyist, especially considering more light usually means more harmful algae will grow in the tank.

The best lighting technique to keep your coral safe is the light emitting diode (LED) technology, which has begun to make the former standards: gas and filament based lighting systems obsolete.  Though initially more expensive than gas and filament systems, over time they save money because they use less power and have a longer lifespan, meaning fewer replacement costs and hassle. 

It is important to note that the zooxanthellae’s photosynthesis process requires light of two different colors: red and blue, which is why aquarium lights often will exude a purple hue, as most of them provide both colors as an industry standard. 

While it is essential to have the minimum amount of light in order to meet the zooxanthellae's minimum requires for photosynthesis to work, it is also important to note that it has an upper limit tolerance as well. Your lights must, therefore, be in the middle or bad things will happen to both the zooxanthellae, and as a byproduct, the coral. 

While not an exact science as for how much or how little light depends on how many zooxanthellae reside in the coral, and that can be anywhere from thousands to millions, but a good place to start would be to ensure that your intensity minimum is 3000-lux and that you don’t go above 120,000-lux. While this may seem to be a quite wide and open range, you will have to make determinations base on the behavior of your coral.

Good quality types of lamps to use would include fluorescent, and you should use six lamps, or if your aquarium is not wide enough for that, then it is recommended that you instead utilize high output lamps, which are more expensive, but necessary. You should replace these bulbs every six months. Power compact fluorescent lamps, which are U-shaped, are an even better option, and you will only need four. 

Coral is an excellent addition to any aquarium, and there is much fish that enjoy coral as a food source. Regardless if you have added coral to your aquarium to survive or as sustenance for your fish, you have to have the right lighting or it won’t survive.

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The Popular KISSING GOURAMI

Photo  by Clevergrrl 

The Kissing Gourami gets its' name due to the behavior of two males attempting to show their dominance. They appear to be kissing, but actually, they are challenging one another. The male also does the "kissing" act with the female before spawning. Call it what you wish; it's amusing to see.

The green colored Kissing Gouramis have a dark bar bordering the dorsal and anal fins. The pink or flesh-toned fish have silvery scales. Their bodies are oval shaped and they have thick fleshy lips, with rows of fine teeth in their mouths, which is great for chewing down plants to the stem. Because of those teeth, you will need to have plastic plants or sturdy Java fern in their tank.

 They need plenty of room, as they grow to six inches or more in length. An aquarium of at least 45-gallon is advisable. They are not particular about most water conditions but thrive best in temperatures of 75 - 82 degrees. 

Kissing Gouramis can become quite quarrelsome and most of them are masters at bullying. Watch for signs of aggression, especially with other species. They should only be housed with another medium to large sized breeds and even then watch them for signs of showing others who's boss. 

These fish have big appetites and enjoy flaked foods, Tubifex and brine shrimp. For optimum health, offer them fresh Romaine lettuce and cooked peas. Kissing Gouramis are also big algae eaters. Driftwood in the aquarium is a good idea, as this provides them with many algae. They will also suck off algae on the sides of the tank and pebbles.

It is near impossible to differentiate between the two sexes. You will finally know you have a male and female when you see that some "kissing" is going on along with circling and nudging. This means spawning has begun. Next, the male wraps his body around the female. She releases several hundreds of eggs which is then fertilized by the male. If there is a large leaf of Romaine lettuce floating on the surface of the water, the eggs will adhere to them after floating upwards.

Naturally, many of these eggs will be eaten, but some "dads" will become protective and keep a close eye on these eggs, chasing away fish that get too close. The eggs will hatch approximately in one day. And two days later you will have many free swimmers. Now is the time to remove the fry to another tank.

The best way to feed the tiny fry is to press a cooked egg through a cheesecloth. As they become larger and they can fit flaked food into their mouths, you can begin weaning them from the egg. Feed them baby brine shrimp too.

Kissing Gouramis are easy to fish to maintain in the aquarium. As long as they are provided with a good diet and plenty of room to grow and swim, you can expect these hardy fish to live approximately 5 years.

By Cybil Frost Article Source: EzineArticles

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DISCUS FISH DISEASES - Ammonia Poisoning and Ich

Nitrogen Cycle in aquariums. Legend: (1) Addition of food and nutrients, (2) Production of Urea and Ammonia by Fish, (3) Ammonia is converted to Nitrites by beneficial Nitrosomonas bacteria, (4) Nitrites are converted to Nitrates by beneficial Nitrospira bacteria. Less toxic Nitrates are removed by plants and periodic water changes. (5) Evaporation. (6) Light, (7) Soil, (8) O 2 produced by plants, (9) CO 2 produced by Fish (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the most common Discus fish diseases is ammonia poisoning. This occurs because of toxic ammonia buildup and improper nitrogen cycle in the aquarium. Ammonia poisoning can sometimes be caused by the malfunction or removal of biological filter in the aquarium. This disease directly affects the fish and along with it are harmful side effects like increased disease vulnerability and organ failure. It's very important for you to know that you cannot put a tropical fish in the water until the ammonia has been completely removed.

You also have to make sure that your filters are working correctly. To prevent this disease from occurring, you have to change the water on a regular basis and if possible, do not overcrowd the tank. If your fish appears to have red and swollen gills or if it keeps on staying at the water surface gasping for air, it is most likely affected by ammonia poisoning. This happens because the more ammonia present in the tank, the less oxygen is available for your fish.

Other signs that your fish is affected by the disease include loss of appetite, hovering at the bottom of the tank, sluggishness and inflamed eyes or anus. If you have a relatively new tank, the ammonia level can rise quite quickly unless it has undergone cycling already. Cycling simply means establishing a bacteria bed in your biological filter to remove the toxins that the fish's metabolism emits. It's actually pretty easy to deal with Discus fish diseases like ammonia poisoning or ammonia stress. Water change always helps in making the fish getting rid of ammonia. You can use an ammonia remover but keep in mind that this will not help in the long run because it can cause long-term negative side effects in the tank. When changing the water, make sure you are not using water that has ammonia content so that the biological filter can begin to process the excess waste while relieving the stress on the Discus fish.

Aside from ammonia poisoning, another disease that can be caused by poor water quality is ich which involves the appearance of white spots on the fish's body and fins. The best way to treat such Discus fish diseases is to increase the water temperature and administer medication available at any pet store. Before administering the medication, make sure to remove the carbon filter because this may absorb all the substances. If possible, use a quarantine aquarium to make sure other healthy fish won't get affected.

   

Article Directory: EzineArticles

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