AQUARIUM PLANTS - Different Aspects of Aquarium Plants

Java Fern, one of only a few ferns capable of growing underwater.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is suggested that people should keep aquarium plants at their places because these are really very important in creating a balance in the environment via exchange of gases required in the respiration process. As such these are very helpful in maintaining a proper gaseous exchange balance in their surroundings. However, these plants also require special attention in the sense of supply of enough CO2, proper lighting, and algae for their regulation.

Aquariums plants, as already mentioned require a proper supply of gases, lightning, and food with appropriate minerals, and care and attention. The most important requirement of it is the proper supply of light, which is in most cases the dilemma due to which such plants die early. The reason is that the artificial lighting system that is present in houses is not strong enough to provide with the amount of light parallel to their needs. Hence, these plants suffer weak health and die at an early stage of life without prospering much.

It is suggested to provide yellow-green light spectrum in houses so that the requirement of their lightning needs is fulfilled. Still, one must also know how much time the light should be provided that is well according to the needs and requirements of the plants.

One must also note that the light intensity must not be very high that it burns the plants, or very low that the plants can not fulfill their needs. Aquarium plants' specialists suggest that the lightning time for such plants should be 12 hours per day with a normal light intensity.

Well- known aquarium plants include the Hornwort, Java Moss, Dwarf Anubis, Java Fern, Water Sprite, Anacharis/Elodea, Amazon Sword, Dwarf Lily, Wendi, Banana Plant, and Rotala Macrandra. However, it is not recommended to keep plants such as Mondo Grass, Purple Waffle, Aluminum Plant or Peace Lilies as they require vast open area and will die if planted in aquariums.

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What You Need for Your DISCUS FISH

Discus fish (Symphysodon aequifasciatus)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You've been to every local fish store in your area. You've spent hours online looking at Discus galleries. You've started thinking of things you can sell to pay for the Discus fish and aquarium set up. You've put your couch in the garage to make room for the aquarium. It sounds like you've been bitten by the Discus bug. Now, how do you get started?

There are as many opinions on how to properly raise Discus as there are websites devoted to them. You will find debates over planted tank vs. bare bottom, tap water or RO, what to feed them, how often to change the water and how much, it goes on and on. These debates contribute to making Discus keeping fun or a real pain. It really depends on your likes and dislikes. If you enjoy the excitement and challenge of learning something new and are able to successfully translate many different opinions into "what works best for you", then keeping Discus will be a fun rewarding undertaking which you can enjoy for years to come. With that being said, the following are some guidelines to what I've learned over the years and what works best for me in setting up a new Discus aquarium.

Equipment

In choosing the tank, start with a minimum tank size of 50 gallons. Make sure you have a suitable place to set up your aquarium. You will want a very sturdy support for your tank which you will position in a location that doesn't receive direct sunlight. The filtration system will be made up of two extra large sponge filters run by an air pump along with an external box filter such as an Aqua Clear properly rated for your tank size and containing a pre-filter sponge on the intake tube. You will need a heater with a ratio of 5watts/gallon, meaning a tank size of 50 gallons would require a 250-watt heater. The tank needs to be covered and there are hood options available when you purchase your tank. You will want one with a lighting strip as well as a cover for the tank. In a pinch, you can always pick up a piece of Plexiglass from your local hardware store and cut it to fit. In order to keep the tank clean and maintained, you will need a siphon hose, a five-gallon bucket, and a clean utility sponge.

Preparing for Your Discus' Arrival

You will want to have your aquarium cycled before adding your Discus. This means that the beneficial bacteria has been established in your filtration. There are many methods of cycling your tank so be sure to do your research and choose the option that fits for you. It is a very important step and is absolutely necessary. Putting your new Discus in a tank that hasn't been cycled is a death sentence for the fish.

Buying Your Discus Fish

An absolute must is starting with healthy Discus. If you are lucky enough to have a reputable breeder in your area you are ahead of the game. If not, mail order is also an exciting option. There are a real rush and excitement to having Discus delivered to your front door. Make sure to research any online vendor you may want to order from. There are some great breeders out there with a great selection. On the downside shipping usually runs from $50-$75 depending on the service. If mail order isn't an option and you are left with your local fish store you'll need to take some precautions and do your best to pick out healthy fish. If possible try to find a shop that specializes in higher end tropical fish and avoid chain stores. Find out what the shop's quarantine and guarantee policies are. Ask them how long the Discus should be quarantined once you get them home. If their answer is "you don't need to", this is a major red flag. Ask questions to get a feel for how well they support and care for their product.

So, what does a healthy Discus look like? Here some things to look for in the Discus you buy:

When you walk by the tank, the fish should be active and come up to greet you. Avoid fish that are dark, hiding or hanging behind uplift tubes. The water in the tank and the tank itself should look clear and clean. If there are dead fish in the tank keep walking. Now, (if you haven't left the store) look at the fish, they should have a full body that doesn't look sunken and is free of scrapes, bumps, visible injuries and or parasites. The body shape should have a nice round appearance void of bent, stubbed tails, and flat foreheads. Check the skin and make sure it doesn't have a dull, matte, or slimy look to it. The fins should look healthy and not have a cottony or milky appearance. The fins should be intact with no white specs or splits and not be clamped to the body. The Discus should be using both pectoral fins to move about. Watch for how the fish are breathing. An overly rapid gill rate or if the Discus looks to be grasping is a good sign of gill parasites. The fishes movement should be fluent and have no problem with balance. You don't want to pick a fish that can't hold itself level. The eyes of your Discus should have a healthy clean look to them. The eyes are a good indicator of how well it's been taken care of. You will want a fish with small eyes compared to its body with a centered pupil. Big or bulging eyes are usually a sign of neglect. Ask to see the Discus eat. Be wary if they feed live bloodworms or tubifex worms. Watch to make sure the fish are able to easily get the food into their mouth. Avoid fish that continually miss the food that is right in front of them or doesn't seem interested in eating. Most 2"-3" Discus won't have full body color or pattern at this size.

Installing Your Discus

For the proposed 50 gallon setup you will want to purchase from six to ten, two - three-inch juvenile Discus. Young Discus like the security of numbers. Make sure you follow standard acclimation procedures and that your tank is fully cycled as stated above. As your fish grow and mature a pecking order will develop. Eventually, the smaller weaker Discus will need to be removed in order to keep a 10 gallon to 1 Discus rule. In order to provide an easy way to keep a clean environment for your new fish, use a bare aquarium. That means no gravel or plants. The bare bottom tank makes it easy to vacuum fish waste and wipe down the glass. If you'd like, you can add a ceramic pot or two to give your Discus an anchor to establish territories but the pots will need to be moved and wiped down with your water changes to ensure they aren't trapping waste. Once a week you will want to clean your pre-filter and every few weeks, your sponge and box filters, being careful to use de-chlorinated water as to not harm the beneficial bacteria. A good tip here is to siphon some tank water into your five-gallon bucket and use that for your filter cleaning water.

Discus Water

Clean water is a crucial element in growing out your fish. You will want to match the water conditions as closely as possible to that of the source of your Discus. Daily changes of 50 to 60 percent are recommended and at least on an every other day schedule. You will want to provide new tap water that has been de-chlorinated and matches closely to the tank water in temperature at 84 degrees. Avoid using RO water for young Discus, they need the minerals of harder water to aid in their development. Once they have matured and if you're interested in breeding them you can dabble with softening their water. If you have purchased Discus from different places you will need to keep them quarantined separately for 4 - 6 weeks. Don't Cheat!

Feeding Your Discus

Your new Discus should greet you at the front of the tank with a voracious appetite. Happy healthy Discus is always hungry. You will want to break up their feedings over several times during the day adding up to six small feedings. Feed a variety of foods using quality brands of dry and frozen foods. A good tip is to feed dry foods which your fish may not like as much early when they're hungry from their overnight fast. Feed messy or frozen foods later in the day closer to your water changes.

The Discus hobby is a great one. It has its ups and downs just like anything. If you enjoy not only the beauty of the fish but actually watching their behavior, growth, and interaction, Discus keeping will stick with you. There's a lot to learn and this is just a small start. Make sure you do a lot of reading and ask lots of questions. Start with healthy Discus, keep their water and tank very clean, feed them well, and you're sure to succeed!

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Accessories Needed to Enrich Your AQUARIUM, Filters, and ANGELFISH

Sponges, plastic balls, ceramic tubes and gravel
are all suitable for aquarium filtration
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Accessories Needed to Enrich Your Aquarium.  There are many items on the market to make the maintenance of your aquarium easier!  Some of these include:

* Timers:  Timers aid you in supplying a consistent amount of daily light to your aquarium that is not possible when using a manual system of turning your lights on and off.

* Automatic Feeders:  These are great if you travel; however, they should not be used for daily feeding as you need to spend a little time each day to check on the fish and make sure the aquarium is set up and running properly.

*Ozone Treatments:  Ozone kills bacteria and speeds the breakdown of nitrates and it is a priceless aid for fish breeding. In soft water, the pH can be affected to the point that it can endanger the fish.

*Ultraviolet Radiators or Sterilizers:  These are also reliable in killing bacteria and other water germs without reaching the established bottom bacteria that is necessary for a biological filter system. If your fish suddenly begin shooting and reeling through the water, they may be suffering from nitrite poisoning, a very bad side effect of UV radiators.  If this occurs, the fish must immediately be placed in non-toxic aged aquarium water!

*Carbon Dioxide:   Essential to plant growth in aquariums.  It can be dissolved in the water by carbonation and plants will stagnate without carbon dioxide. Pouring carbonated water into your aquarium is one of the simplest ways of providing carbon dioxide to your plants. However, carbonated water contains salt, either added for flavor or it is naturally present. This is dangerous for your fish.

*Water Softeners:  These may be necessary for most of your decorative tropical fish come from mineral poor waters or soft waters. Most fish can easily survive in hard water, but if you want to breed or raise tropical fish, soft water is a necessity.

There are many other useful accessories for your aquarium from automatic water changes to adhesive films that show a plant design to magnets for cleaning the front glass.  Check with your pet store to see what is available in your area.

Aquarium Filters

Filters remove small particles and debris from the water.  While these small particles are not dangerous to the fish, they do hinder plant growth by filtering the light they need to grow.  In addition, they aid in gas exchange (oxygen and carbon dioxide) and prevent warm patches in the aquarium by circulating the water.

One type of filter for aquariums is a biological filter which includes material such as coarse gravel, basalt splinter, ceramic tubes, and lavalit.  After a few weeks, the materials become covered with bacteria.  However, the bacteria perform an important job in an aquarium in that it decomposes any deposited organic substances (from old fish food, and fish excrement).

What is being described here is bio-mineralization.  The tank byproducts are oxygen, nitrates, sulfates, and phosphates which are absorbed by the plants as nutrients.

Certain things must be taken into consideration before selecting a biological filter:

* The ratio of plants to fish to bacteria will never be balanced.

* The best filter can't replace the need for an occasional partial water change.

* The bacteria need oxygen and this is usually acquired by the water that is pouring through the filter. If the filter is turned off for several hours the bacteria will suffocate and die.

* A biological filter should never be turned off for more than 1-2 hours at most.

* In the beginning, you must be careful of the number of fish you stock and the amount of food that is given at feeding time as bacteria are too few to be able to effectively convert the organic waste.

Even with a bacteriological filter, the filter mass needs to be cleaned occasionally. During this cleaning, only the debris is removed by rinsing with cool-to-lukewarm water.  Excessive cleaning will destroy the valuable bacteria, leaving a small amount of the strata uncleaned in the filter will assure that the bacterial cultures will regenerate themselves.

Angelfish

Freshwater angelfish - (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Angelfish are large and very decorative cichlids which are found in the majority of community aquariums.  The wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes make them a beautiful and entertaining addition to our aquariums. The Angelfish is a very undemanding decorative fish that are majestically calm and long-finned.

Angelfish do not eat plants and are available in several varieties:

* Veil fins

* Albino

* Marbles

* Silver

A few rules must be observed when introducing Angelfish to your tank.  Angelfish need well-planted tanks at least 1-meter side length but have no other special needs other than an occasional feeding of live food.   However, if they are combined with smaller fish when they are fully grown they may eat their smaller companion fish.

Angelfish immensely enjoy chasing small Neon's.  The danger is always present and recognizable until the angelfish becomes fully grown and decides his liking for neon food!  Another equally deadly combination with Angelfish is Headstanders.  At some point, Headstanders realize that the skin mucus of the angelfish is very tasty, and they begin to use the angelfish as take-out food! The Headstanders can damage the skin of the angelfish to the point that the angelfish can and will die.

Other than these two species, Angelfish can be easily mixed with other livebearers with an excellent outcome.  A pair of angels that are ready to spawn need their water to be very soft and slightly acidic. It is usually best to keep them in a tank that is highly planted with no companion fish.  Their eggs are laid on a large leaf, root, or a rock, and should be transferred to a different tank to hatch away from their parents because Angelfish are notoriously bad parents and do not properly care for their brood.

Many breeding books give detailed instructions on breeding angelfish and hundreds of other types of fish.

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Understand the Essential Facts on CHERRY BARBS Before Keeping Them

Photo by brian.gratwicke 

Cherry barbs originated from Sri Lanka but these days they are found in Colombia and Mexico also. As they live in the calm waters, they can easily adjust themselves in aquariums and tanks.

They are basically middle tank fish meaning they love to stay in the middle level of the aquarium. They will rarely come to the surface of the water but sometimes they can make a trip to the bottom of the aquarium, searching for food and places to hide.

They are freshwater fish and are comfortable in moderate conditions of water. You should avoid making sudden changes in the temperature of water because it will harm them. You should also take care while changing the water of the aquarium because a sudden change in the water chemistry can put them under stress.

Like any other barb species, the females are bigger in size than the males. However, the males will be more colorful. The combination of various shades of cherry red color will be prominent on the males. The females will be in dull colors, especially orange and yellow.

In the open nature, cherry barbs will not spawn frequently but in aquariums, they will be very fast! During the period of spawning, the colors of the males will become brighter. The females will scatter their eggs all around the aquarium. However, you should take care to protect these eggs because the males will eat most of them. So if you transfer the eggs to another tank, there is a bigger chance of getting a large number of new ones.

Cherry barbs are very peaceful in nature but there are some exceptions. At the time of spawning, the male becomes very aggressive. Also, if you keep the only a few of them in the aquarium, they will develop stress and become aggressive. So it is advisable to keep them in a good ratio of three females per male. The normal size of their group should be about 10.

During the breeding season, the male will constantly follow the female and will try to keep away the other males. The females can lay about 300 eggs every day.

Normally, cherry barbs are not comfortable with other species of fish but if you keep them with the bottom-feeding fish like Loaches it can make a better combination. The Loaches are normally shy by nature and like to hide all the time but in the presence of cherry barbs, they will become more playful and both of them can make a good community in your aquarium.

Never make the mistake of keeping other species of fish with the cherry barbs. Even if you plan to keep tiger barbs with them, it is not advisable. Tiger barbs are aggressive species and they will attack and nip the cherry barbs. Angelfish are beautiful and usually peaceful but if you keep them with cherry barbs, there will start looking at cherry barbs as their tasty food!

Cherry barbs are fine with the normal fish food like flakes. They like live food such as brine shrimp or blood-worms as well. However, you should occasionally feed them with green vegetables like lettuce or spinach for proper nourishment.

If you take proper care of cherry barbs, they will grow up to 2 1/2 inches and live up to five years. You should provide them an aquarium with a heavy plantation because it is useful both for keeping their health as well as for their breeding.

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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Saltwater Aquarium - 5 "Easy" CORALS

Soft corals from Komodo National Park - (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having your own coral reef is a dream shared by many aquarists. For a long time, it used to be very difficult to grow and maintain coral reefs in aquariums because of the lack of knowledge about them and their needs to survive in a saltwater aquarium.

A coral reef system is complex and requires the right components and proper maintenance. The good thing is that even though some corals are still very difficult to grow and maintain, a wide range of corals is now easy to grow even for beginners.

If you're a beginner or average aquarist, when picking corals for your saltwater aquarium, you might want to go with soft corals because they are easier to take care of.

Below are 5 different types of soft corals:

Cladiella Corals: Cauliflower, Finger Leather, and Colt Coral. They adapt very well and do best with moderate lightening and water movement.

Palythoa Corals: Button Polyps and Sea Mat. Can grow very fast under bright lightening (might overgrow your other corals). Prefer rapid water movement. Warning: Handle them with gloves to protect yourself from their toxin (the palytoxin).

Sarcophyton Corals: Leather, Mushroom Leather, Toadstool, Toadstool Mushroom and Trough Coral. Adapt to all lightening levels. Moderate water movement is preferred to prevent parasites on their surface.

Discosoma Corals: Disc Anemones, Mushroom and Mushroom Corals. Low light is preferable. Active feeders (small fishes but also detritus and uneaten food).

Zoanthus Corals: Button Polyps, Zoanthid and Sea Mat. Bright light is preferred as they feed on zooxanthellae along with algae, D.O.C.'s and bacteria. Warning: Use gloves to handle them (because of the palytoxin).

As you see, many different corals can grow in your saltwater aquarium. This is just a short selection so what you have to do is research the specific needs of the different corals you're interested in and make sure they can grow in the same aquarium. With the right light, water movement and nutrients, you'll have a beautiful coral reef system!

Every hobbyist, either advanced or beginners want the best components in their aquarium to grow and maintain their corals in the best environment possible. That is why having a very high-quality saltwater aquarium can make a difference. But the hard part about purchasing an aquarium to grow corals is that many different components are needed and selecting and installing them can be a daunting task.

This is why we recommend Red Sea aquariums, and more specifically the Red Sea Max 250 because of its high quality and the fact that this system has all the components needed (+ a starter kit) which makes the installation effortless.

By Andy J Davis - Article Source: EzineArticles

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The Birth of an Industry: The Pet JELLYFISH Aquarium Tank

Flower Hat Jellyfish (Olindias formosa), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Keeping jellyfish as pets is still in its infancy. You can't just stroll into a national pet store chain or the closest specialty fish shop and purchase a jellyfish aquarium. Nor can you find jellyfish for sale even at the biggest online fish retail websites. So what good is a jellyfish tank if you can't even buy jellyfish to go in it?

These are the problems often faced by entrepreneurs looking to market a product that was previously nonexistent. The answer is that you have to become the "end all & do all" of the niche market you are looking to cater to. To the best of is knowledge, there are only two companies in the US that have been able to successfully accomplish this.

Jim Stime had ten years in the aquarium business selling Clear-For-Life aquariums in L.A. before entering the jellyfish arena. Jelliquarium went live in 2002 and is the longest running website in the US offering jellyfish and jellyfish tanks. The term jelliquarium is a registered trademark.

Jelliquarium offers self-enclosed, freestanding Kreisel style tanks. Kreisel style tanks are not cheap to manufacture and this is reflected in the sales price. But Jelliquariums's traditional porthole aquarium cabinets are truly a wonder to behold.

The jelliquarium's patent-pending faceted tank design employs state-of-the-art laminar water flow to keep your jellyfish safely suspended just like the original Kreisel design. Jellyfish cabinets feature a 3-in-1 filtration system utilizing mechanical, chemical, and wet-dry biological filter technology. Dual 1" flexible water flow lines allow for quiet water circulation throughout the cabinet. An optional venturi protein skimmer is available for maximum water clarity. Jelliquarium also offers an Aqualogic aquarium chiller for cold water jellyfish applications. Aqualogic chillers use only ozone-friendly 134A refrigerant. Their cabinets arrive prevented for easy heat expulsion from the chilling unit.

Jelliquarium cabinets also feature digital thermostat controlled heating and both blue Actinic and white lighting standard on every model. The LCD controller on the digital thermostat provides a constant readout and can be programmed in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.

Cabinet sizes are currently available in the 24" mini-jelliquarium and the full size 32" models. The mini jelliqaurium is available in black. The 32" cabinet comes in a vast array of finishes from laminate cabinets to a variety of wood finishes to compliment any home or workspace decor. Jelliquarium cabinets are also available in gigantic 48" models. Jelliquaium will also design and install custom in-wall setups for both commercial applications and private residences.

If you are an avid DIY type with prior experience in saltwater aquarium set up you can also buy just the jelliquarium tank. Tank sizes range from 24-60". The 24 and 30-inch tanks can be set up for tabletop use. Serious do-it-your-selfers can build their own custom in-wall jellyfish tank ranging up to 60" in size. The Jelliquarium staff will gladly provide any technical advice necessary for an advanced DIY enthusiast. The 24 and 30" jelliquarium tanks make the perfect biosphere for pet moon jellyfish and blue jellies. Larger tanks can accommodate species such as Pacific sea nettles.

Jelliquariums offers the largest assortment of jellyfish available for US customers on the internet. This selection is based on availability. Jellyfish are cyclic in nature. Most jellies enter the adult phases of their life in the spring or summer months of whichever hemisphere they are native to. It is highly likely that seasonal availability will become year-round as more species start being tank raised.

Moon jellyfish have translucent bodies. They look absolutely amazing with an array of fading LEDs shining through them. You can now buy a Jellyfish Aquarium Fish Tank to raise your own pet jellyfish in. You can even light them up just like they are in the big public aquarium jellyfish exhibits.

Moon jellies are by far the most easily obtainable jellyfish on the market. Moon jellyfish are even being tank raised to supply the rising demand of home aquarium owners.

Written by Stephen J Broy - Learn more about Moon Jellyfish and other Pet Jellies. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Reptiles Have Special Needs

Reptilia (reptiles),  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

People have all kinds of different pets.  Some people only feel safe with what is considered "normal" pets.  This usually consists of cats, dogs, hamsters, or birds.  Country folks may have farmyard animals for pets.  Horses, cows, goats, bunnies, and so on are typical.

Then you have the people who pride themselves on being "outside the norm".  These people may be the sort who likes to consider themselves and their pets unique.  Or maybe they just love animals of all kinds and welcome any and all types of pets.  Reptiles have been kept as pets for many years, but as the number of pet stores has grown so has the number of reptiles kept as pets.  Sometimes this is bad news for the reptiles.  If a dangerous reptile is chosen, it could be bad news for the owner as well.

Sometimes the type of pet a person has depends on the area in which they live.  Availability may make the choice for them.  The environment is also a consideration.  In south Louisiana, a child may be raised thinking an alligator is normal to keep for a pet!  It would be impractical for a child who lives in the midst of the city to own a pet cow.

What types of reptiles are popular as exotic pets?  Snakes, lizards, and turtles make the choices wide.  There are some, however, of each type that makes some better choices than others.  Unfortunately, these types of pets are also the most often abused and neglected simply because of failure to learn about their proper needs prior to ownership.  Once the new wears off, they become forgotten.  Because reptiles are often quiet and contained, it is easy to forget they are around.

Corn snakes are often chosen because they are known to be easier to care for.  They are excellent escape artists, though, so great care must be taken to keep the latches tightly closed on their enclosures.  It may seem funny in the movies to see a snake escape and scare the family or guests, but it can cause great harm to your pet in reality.

Boas are a well-known reptile pet, but people often underestimate their lifespan and their great size when grown.  A snake kept in an area it has outgrown will not be a happy, well-adjusted pet.  It may cause the snake harm and you as well, should he choose to fight back because of his discomfort.

Those cute little reptiles grow up and will need different requirements for food and housing as they grow.  A responsible pet owner will be prepared for the changes and willing to accommodate.  Can you recreate the natural environment and maintain it?  Think of it as being a person from the country who moves to the city, unwillingly, and never learns to adjust because they just don't seem to fit into the new surroundings.  Except this person has the ability to move back to the country, while the snake is unable to make this choice on his own.  The right housing makes a happier pet.

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