Live AQUARIUM PLANTS - Background Plants

In an aquarium, background plants refer to those plants that are normally placed at the rear of the aquarium. These aquarium plants are usually taller plants with longer stems or leaves. They are placed at the rear of the aquarium for mainly two reasons. Firstly, they enhance the appearance of the aquarium background scene. Secondly, they help to conceal unsightly items such as filter tubes and heaters at the rear of the fish tank. Sometimes, these aquarium plants are placed at the front corners of the fish tank to the further enhance the overall appearance. Some common background plants are described below.

Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana)

Cabomba caroliniana is a fine-feathered plant which is light green in colour. This aquarium plant looks stunning when planted in groups of three or more. It grows fast and lives well in bright lighting. It can grow up to a maximum height of about 50cm. Cabomba caroliniana is one of the most common species available and fairly easy to keep. An advantage of having this plant in the fish tank is that it is good for filling up spaces and hiding areas in the background. Another advantage is that it can be used to capture the eggs scattered by fishes. The majority of community fish kept in aquariums uses the egg-scattering method for their reproduction. The disadvantage with this aquarium plant is that fish loves to nibble on it and its leaves come off very easily. Thus, you will often find many leaves floating around in your planted aquarium.

Elodea (Egeria densa)

Elodea is a popular aquatic plant. It is fast-growing and can grow to a height of about 50cm. It is a suitable plant for beginners. Growing the Elodea has many benefits. Firstly, it is easy to keep as it survives well in a wide range of conditions. Secondly, it grows very thick if kept in bright lighting and thus, is an excellent plant for filling up spaces. Thirdly, it secretes substances that help to prevent algae growth. Fourthly, Elodea is known to remove great amounts of nitrates. Hence, it helps to purify the water. Lastly, a small piece of the plant can actually regenerate to become a new plant within a short period of time.

Amazon Sword (Echinodorus bleheri)

The plant derives its name 'Amazon Sword' from the fact that it grows in Amazon and the shape of its leaves is similar to that of the blade of a sword. This beautiful plant can greatly enhance your aquarium decor, especially when it blooms. Echinodorus bleheri lives well in moderate lighting. However, a point you need to note is that Echinodorus bleheri has large roots and thus, it needs additional fertilizers for it to grow well. Also, if you placed this plant in your aquarium, you need to ensure that the large roots of the plant do not choke out other plants.

The above are some common background plants you can consider placing in your aquarium. These plants can certainly help to make your aquarium decor more stunning. They can help to conceal unsightly items at the rear of the fish tank and fill up the spaces. As described above, each plant has its own benefits as well.

By Rose Mary - Article Source: EzineArticles

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AQUARIUM AERATION Basics

Photo: Windell Oskay - Flickr

As we all know rivers and lakes are the natural habits of fish and other marine life. Rivers and lakes have a large surface area which makes maximum provision of oxygen for fish survival possible. On the other hand, an aquarium is not like river or lake, it has a smaller surface area and there is a limited movement of habitats.

This makes the provision of alternative means of oxygen for fish to breathe importantly. This artificial process of providing oxygen is called aeration. It's a simple process of re-oxygenating the water in an aquarium tank.

The Aquarium Aerating System: 

An aquarium aerating system made up of a series of materials that increases the supply of air (thereby increasing oxygen concentration) they are:

• -the air pump
• -t-pieces
• -rubber tubing
• -clamp or regulator
• -diffusers or airstone 

Air pumps come in different shapes and sizes but the most popular ones are tecax air pump from Taiwan together with 'Dyna free, and the dragon' another popular one is super 555 from India though cheaper, but not as rugged. Occasionally available are the more expensive whisper and rens air pumps from Uk and rance respectively. Always place air pumps above the water level hooked to a non-vibrating material.

You can accomplish aeration in your aquarium tank by using the above-listed aeration materials.

For small tanks, all you need is to attach a simple aquarium air pump to airstone by means of a rubber air tube. The system will be blowing air into the water which causes motion in the aquarium tank and thus provides the necessary oxygen your fish needs to breathe in the aquarium.

Sometimes people complain that the air pump is too loud. A trick to keep the air pump quiet is to insulate its vibrations by placing the air pump on a large sponge.

I have even heard of some people who have buried the pump in cat litter with an air tube running to the surface from the air inlet... but you don't have to go to that extent. A large sponge should do the trick.

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The FRONTOSA CICHLID

Cyphotilapia_frontosa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Frontosa Cichlid originates from Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. This pet is easily identified by its cranial hump, which begins to develop as adults or when they reach a length of approximately 4 inches. These fish are usually found at depths of 100 feet or deeper in the wild. Even though the males will grow from 14 - 16 inches and the females will grow from 9 - 12 inches as adults, in Lake Tanganyika they will sometimes fall prey to larger fish, but in an aquarium, anything under 3 inches in length will often time become a snack for these generally mild predators.

Frontosas are meat eaters in the wild, mostly consuming snails and other mollusks. In an aquarium, however, their diet must be protein rich in the form of krill, adult brine shrimp, most any type of worm, and silversides.

The Frontosa is a mouthbrooder, meaning the female will carry fertilized eggs in her mouth for approximately 21 days, at which time the fry are released into the water to fend for themselves. The female will allow them back into her mouth a couple of times if she fears harm to the young ones, but will only allow them to seek cover once or twice. The female will eat hardly anything during this time period, and placing her in a separate tank will help keep her stress levels down.

The Frontosa Cichlid makes a very nice pet. It is basically nonaggressive, however, it will defend an established territory. 8 - 12 pets in at least a 200-gallon aquarium is recommended, with a sandy bottom and lots of caves. They will generally leave plants alone too. These guys will often live up to 25 years, making them a beautiful, long-term pet!

Keeping them to the age of 25 requires stable temperatures between 72 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, lots of oxygen - keep bubblers going day and night, avoid overfeeding and overstocking, 10 - 20% water changes weekly, and a constant checking of nitrate levels. Keep them happy and you'll have a nice group of pets for a long time.

The Frontosa Cichlid is an amazing pet. It is one of the few nonaggressive African Cichlids. You will be surprised at what you can mix with these guys and how your aquarium can glow with the beautiful colors from these delightful fish.

Author: Jim Denison - Article Source: Ezine Articles

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NANNOSTOMUS Fish Care - 3 Exciting Varieties

Red Pencilfish (Nannostomus mortenthaleri) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Get a good idea of how to look after the variety of fish that you buy. Today you get aquariums with all kinds of electronic gadgetry to help you look after your fish. However, you could still use something like a test kit and maybe additional items to help take care of your aquarium. It is true that different varieties of fish may require different kinds of attention. Still, some of them need similar care. It is imperative that you know what kind of fish require what specific kind of attention.

The Nannostomus varieties include the Eques, the Marginatus, the Unifasciatus, the Trifasciatus, and Beckfordi species. The Nannostomus Eques belongs from the Amazon region. These fish are widely known as the Nannobrycon Eque, or the Poecilobrycon. It is also called the tube fish and it can grow up to 2in. in length. The Pencilfish is yet another name for the variety. It has a long snout and it swims in the aquarium at angles. They are peace-loving creatures and do not like too many changes in their habitat. They prefer a water temperature of around 78 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The male of the species is generally slimmer than the female.

A. Nannostomus Marginatus

This is usually called the dwarfed Pencilfish. It belongs to western Guiana. They are quite small and do not grow more than about a quarter inch in length. But their colors make them look bigger than they really are. They have stripes of black and a sprinkle of red on the fins.

B. Nannostomus Unifasciatus

This one is also called the tail eye Pencilfish. Some people call it the One line Pencilfish. Its home is in the Amazon region. They grow to about 2in. length. These are some of the most colorful fish that you will ever come across. It has lower lobes, which are nicely colored with spots. When it enlarges its fins, it is a sight worth seeing.

C. Nannostomus Beckfordi

This fish is also a friendly creature much like it's cousins. It prefers water conditions similar to the other categories mentioned above. Whether it is good for breeding or not has not been determined yet. However, you could always make your own studies and research. It has widely come to be known as the Beckford's Pencilfish and also the Golden Pencilfish. It grows to around 1.75 inches and did this too belongs in the Amazon region. They are fragile fish and are great for the home aquarium.

By Abhishek Agarwal Abhishek is an avid Fish Lover and he has got some great Aquarium Care Secrets up his sleeves! Article Source: EzineArticles

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Breeding BARB FISH

A school of Red Lined Torpedo Barbs swim in an aquarium.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The barb group of fish is quite large and the different species vary in their breeding requirements. However, there are some things in common so I will attempt to put these together and give a generalised description of Barb breeding.

Barbs are egg scatterers; they prefer to scatter their eggs over plants. Most of them come from soft acidic water. The most suitable temperature for breeding varies with the species. Barbs tend to be ravenous eaters of fish eggs and fry.

A suitable breeding tank set up will need to take these things into account. Generally, the breeding tank should have soft, slightly acidic water. There will need to be some fine-leaved plants like Java Moss for the fish to lay their eggs over. And of course, the parents need to be removed after spawning. This is an overview of the most common set up for breeding barbs, but there are other ways.

If you have enough space, it is possible to get some babies by simply having the parents in a large, very well planted aquarium with no other fish.

Some barbs are spawning regularly in aquariums without their owners being aware of it. There have been occasions when I have moved barbs out of a tank and have baby fish appear a week or so later!

Some commercial barbs are bred in ponds. Naturally, you would need the right climate for this, but my observation is that in ponds, fish can sometimes take lower temperatures than you would expect from experience with these fish in aquariums. Also, remember that it is possible to breed the barbs just over summer and take out the babies before the cold weather comes.

Before you consider actually attempting to breed barbs, you will need to research the requirements for the actual species of barb you are going to try to breed.

By Steve Challis - Article Source: EzineArticles

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FIREMOUTH CICHLID - One of the Best Fish For Aquarium Beginners

Thorichthys (Cichlasoma) meeki (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Firemouth Cichlid, Thorichthys Meeki, comes from Central American areas such as Mexico and Belize. It is also known as the Red Breasted Cichlid. They are named such due to the fiery coloration on the underside of their mouths and from the tail to the mouth, it has a vivid red throat and belly.

On average their size is about 6 inches but they can grow larger and on the whole are a good fish for beginners to aquariums to work with and they can live up to 15 years. Water temperature should be between 75°F and 80°F and the pH between 6.5 and 7.5 although they are a pretty durable fish and can adapt to many water types. Water will need weekly changes of at least 15% to 20%.

Like most Cichlids, the Firemouth is carnivorous and prefers live foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworms or crickets. They are not picky though and will eat frozen food, pellets, and flakes happily. Be sure to feed food that has a good protein content and vary the type of food given so that the fish can receive a mixture of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to stay healthy. In the case of baby Firemouth, a mixture of baby brine shrimp and crushed flakes should suffice.

Since the Firemouth fish likes to hide, it is good to include broken flower pots and piles of rocks for them to enjoy the nooks and crannies. Some water plants can be used but the Firemouth likes to dig in the substrate and so can easily damage or kill plants unless the plants are potted. The Firemouth Cichlid prefers a sandy tank bottom with broken driftwood but leaves an open area in the center of the tank for them to swim in.

Firemouth Cichlid is egg layers and prefers to do so on flat rocks or overturned flowerpots and they can get extremely aggressive during their breeding period. In general, they can be highly territorial and aggressive towards other fish and so should be monitored if in the same tank as other species or if you have more than a pair of them.

Always keep a close eye when introducing fish into the same aquarium as the territorial battles can result in stress and death.

Article Directory: EzineArticles

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BEARDED DRAGON Lizards Are Now the Most Popular Exotic Pet

This image shows a close-up photo of a bearded dragon head (Pogona vitticeps). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bearded Dragon Lizards turn out ideal pets for first time owners and children alike. As you may well have guessed the bearded dragon lizard takes its name from its look.   Additionally, Bearded Dragon Lizards are calm to handle and will not cause any difficulty even if they are moved from place to place.  The Bearded Dragon lizard is capable of living a healthy and dynamic life in captivity. 

Captive dragons tend to be healthier than the wild-caught bearded dragon lizards and are often free of pesticides.  If you mean to keep a lizard in your house, you at least have to know its diet and the methods of feeding them.

Bearded dragon lizards are very much a daytime creature and become sedentary very quickly as soon as the sun goes down.  They are well-liked exotic pets, most commonly Pogona Vitticeps, the Inland or Central Bearded Dragon who bask most of the day, absorbing the warmth they need to digest their food.

These beautiful lizards are well known for their beard display and another fascinating behaviour.  They have a fantastic temperament, will happily climb on you voluntary if you want.  Beardies are independent lizards that fend for themselves but do not mind being handled.  When you are handling them ensure all of its body is being supported.

Bearded dragons are found all over Australia; they are hardy creatures and can stay alive as well in the desert as they can in the bush, and they are just as contented in urban or populated areas. When the bearded dragon lizard sits upright and cocks its head towards the heavens, Australian Aborigines know that rain will fall the next day.   Lovingly called 'beardies' by their fans, these lizards are not just tame around humans, but many also seem to get pleasure from the contact.

Many lizards have native habitats that are dry and lightly vegetated, so food may often be hard to obtain in the wild.  As a consequence, Beardies are omnivorous, capable of subsisting on a wider variety of food sources.  Fireflies and all other animals with bioluminescence chemicals are fatal to Bearded lizards.  They are hardy hunters and you will have to provide them with sufficient food so that they can remain satiated.

Beardies adore grasshoppers, mealworms, and other bugs.  Dark green and leafy vegetables are also ideal for bearded dragon lizards.  Feeding supplies, enclosures and accessories are obtainable to purchase from specialist pet and lizard supply stores.

The vital thing to remember when using sand as a substrate is to sift it to start with to get any gravel out to keep your dragon from impacting, clean it on a daily basis to keep a fresh and hygienic ecosystem for the lizard. Thought should certainly be taken to emulate their natural setting to reduce stress to the creature.

The estimated lifespan of a bearded dragon is probably about 10 years when cared for correctly, although longer life spans have been reported. When provided with the proper environment, temperatures, and UVB lighting, juvenile they are capable of growing up to an inch or more per week. The nearer the lizard is to the light source, the better.  In keeping with a bearded dragon lizard, it is imperative that you employ a temperature gradient inside their housing.  Kitchen paper towels make excellent substrates for baby lizards.  Optional habitat accessories can be placed inside your lizard's habitat to imitate their natural ecosystem.

I advise that you read at least one book on the care of bearded dragons and that you talk to someone who has experience caring for this special species. Beardies are becoming the most fashionable exotic pet to own in the 21st century.  Exotic pets might not be everyone's cup of tea but if you knew anything concerning the bearded dragon lizard then you might change your mind.

By Mark F Hargreaves - Article Source: EzineArticles

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