A fish of the genus Symphysodon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you want to create a show fish tank and are undecided as to which species of fish to include in it, just take a look at some discus fish photos and I assure you, the type fish to show off will no longer be a concern. You can find an abundance of photos online real easy by just doing a simple search for the type of photos of interest. You'll see an assortment of species, various sizes, and color. Not all, but a great number of photos online are for commercial advertisement purposes. As promotional tools, professional breeders, use these photos to develop their business, which works well for them, after all this is how they make a living. But you can find quite a few other sites were breeders or people who just share the same hobby.
Now that we have settled the choice difficulty issue, looking at these fish photos can be useful in other ways, for instance. Owners may notice some irregularities going on with their fish. They seem to look unhealthy or have developed some kind of bodily changes. A comparison of the photos to your fish may help you to pinpoint any abnormalities that may be affecting your pets. For instance certain white spots on the body of the fish, a common parasite that can be easily identified using discus fish images. Just think, what a cost-saving asset for you these photos could be, especially with the high cost of veterinarians' services and a life saving one for your pet.
Quality is always important, especially when choosing a good reference book or guide. Scientific data description manuals or guides without relevant discus fish photos to compare would not be the first choice to buy as it only seems to keep you in the realm of the abstract. Furthermore, it is not uncommon to find large private collections or exhibitions of discus fish. Discus fish are quite unique in being among the wide life creatures that can live happily in captivity.
As mentioned earlier, fans of discus fish can quickly and easily upload or download free photos from various web pages and forums. Equally available to buy are entire galleries devoted to these magnificent creatures. Many professionally done discus fish photos, which I hear, is quite a lucrative business, may even be sold to special wildlife magazines. However, taking discus fish photos in the wild is another subject in itself.
To Your Success!
Arthur Raymond, Jr.
Arthur's About Discus Fish blog will have the latest news and articles on Discus Fish including tips on how to breed Discus Fish. Many informative sites online can help you obtain more detailed information on discus fish one place to start your searching is at http://thediscusfish.blogspot.com where you will find the latest news and articles including tips on how to breed Discus Fish.
There are a number of barbs species available for keeping in the aquarium but some of them are popular and preferred by fish keepers. Here is a list of some of them:
1. Tiger barbs - They are really handsome because of their stripy nature, which looks like the skin of a tiger. They are very active and they prefer to live in their own group. Some experts have ranked them as the 10th popular species among the fish keepers. They are good for the beginners but they are equally good for experienced fish-keepers because of simplicity in their requirements. They prefer to stay in shallow waters and get along in normal temperatures.
2. Rosy barbs - They are relatively big in size as they can grow up to 6 inches. They were very popular in the last century due to their attractive color. They are also not of 'demanding' nature and they can tolerate a wide range of temperatures as well as conditions of water. They love to shoal and they can breed very easily and quickly.
3. Panda barbs - They are of black and silver color and very shy in nature. They can get along with other species of fish comfortably and they too can tolerate adverse conditions for some time. They are slightly expensive than other types of barbs and they are not easily available in pet shops. You have to be careful about their care because they can get sick because of stress and may die.
4. Cherry barbs -They are called community fish and they are smaller in size. They can grow only up to 2 inches and they do not require big tanks. If you keep them in their own group of about 10 fish, they can live happily. They are picky about their food but once you start offering them standard types of food, they will acclimatize themselves with it. They require dense plantation in the tank because they will lay their eggs scattered on the leaves of the plant and they also require a lot of places for hiding. They are popular amongst the fish keepers because of their dark blackish red color and there dance. They would like to dance around at the time of spawning, which is quite entertaining.
5. Denison barbs - Many times these barbs are mistaken for sharks! They are bright in color and they are angular in shape. They eat a lot of vegetables and they are fond of jumping. So you have to close your aquarium with a tight lid, otherwise, they can easily jump out and come to your dining table! Much fish-keepers order for them because of their shape. Though they look like sharks, they can get along with other species of fish without any problems.
6. Two spot barbs - They have the smallest among the barb community. They are very delightful because of their colors and graceful swimming. The only problem with them is their peculiar behavior. They are very aggressive at the time of spawning and they may hurt the female. So it is advisable to keep them in the proportion of three females to one male!
When you decide to purchase barbs, you should remember some important things - they may not look as attractive as your thought in the pet shops. This is because their colors are not as bright and prominent when they are young. When they grow and are ready for spawning, their colors brighten up. Another peculiarity of barbs is their habit of jumping. If you are not keeping them in a closed aquarium, they may easily come out of it. So you should consult pet shop staff before you make a decision to purchase 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
Other Scientific Name(s): Cobitis macracanthus, Botia macracanthus
Common Name: Clown Loach
Clown loaches are very popular aquarium fish; however, they are not always easy to keep successfully since they easily succumb to ick and are sensitive to poor water conditions. This article is intended to help new clown loach owners provide a good home for their loaches. Clown loaches are found in Indonesia (Sumatra and Borneo), and almost all clown loaches in aquariums are wild caught and distributed around the world before being sold. This can put considerable stress on the fish, and a vital step in getting a healthy clown loach school in your aquarium is choosing healthy fish. But how to make sure that you get healthy fish?
- Check the general conditions in the fish store. Are there dead fish in the aquariums? Is the water clean? If some tanks are mistreated there is a good chance that there might be unfavourable conditions in others too. Only buy fish from stores that take good care of their aquariums.
- How do the clown loaches look? Clown loaches can give you an indication of their condition based on their coloration. A healthy clown loach shows clear distinct colours, while a stressed one loses its colours and becomes whiter. Only buy loaches that show their correct colours.
- Are the clown loaches well fed? Those that haven't been fed correctly are hard to nurse back to health, and it is more than likely you will end up with a dead fish if you buy one. Look at their bodies and see if they look well fed, and ask the shopkeepers how often and what the loaches are fed.
- Are the clown loaches active? Healthy clown loaches are very active and full of energy. A healthy clown loach should be hard to catch.
- Do the clown loaches have hiding places? Hiding places are very important to relieve stress in clown loaches, and you are likely to get higher quality fish from aquariums with hiding places.
- Don't buy clown loaches smaller than 2 inches/5 cm if you haven't kept clown loaches before, since they are much more sensitive when they are younger.
So ideally you should look for the most coloured, most active clown loaches you can find, and buy these to have the best starting point possible. You should also consider the water conditions in the store and try to find one that keeps their clown loaches in water condition similar to the water conditions in your aquarium, to reduce stress on the clown loaches. It should also be stated that clown loaches like resting on their sides, looking almost as if they were dead. However, this is completely normal and should not be seen as a sign of poor quality in the fish but rather the opposite. When you have decided where to buy your clown loaches you should buy at least 3 (preferably 8-10). Clown loaches are schooling fish that should never be kept alone!!!
Once you get home with your new clown loaches you should let the bag float on the water surface for 10-15 minutes, and then slowly every 10 minutes add a little water from the aquarium (a coffee cup). Repeat this 4-5 times before you release the fish into their new home.
Tank setup
Clown loaches can be kept in aquariums of 100 L / 20 G or more. Keep in mind that even though clown loaches grow very slowly they will get big eventually and need an aquarium of at least 540 L/ 125 G, and that should be considered a minimum.
Decorate your aquarium using a bottom substrate of sand or fine gravel that allows the clown loaches to dig. I recommend keeping your clown loaches in a planted aquarium, however, the choice of plants differs greatly depending on whether you keep juvenile or adult clown loaches. Juvenile clown loaches can be kept with most plant species, while adults can be kept only with hardy plants such as Java fern and Anubias. All other plants will be destroyed and/or eaten by the adult clown loaches. I also recommend using floating plants to dim the lighting, which makes the loaches more active during the day.
Clown loaches want a setup with a lot of caves and other hiding places, preferably so narrow that they can just barely squeeze themselves into them. Don't be concerned if your clown loaches have squeezed themselves into caves they dug under rocks or aquarium equipment. Odds are they are not stuck - they just like it that way.
Hiding places can be created with rocks, roots, PVC pipes, flower pots, coconuts and different kinds of aquarium decorations. Sharp objects should not be used to decorate aquariums for clown loaches. You can not create too many hiding places and you should create several for each loach.
Clown loaches are sensitive to poor water quality, and they require good filtration. Higher water circulation is also appreciated since clown loaches live in currents in the wild.
Clown loaches are excellent jumpers, and you should make sure that your tank is properly sealed.
Health
As I said earlier, clown loaches are very sensitive towards poor water quality and are usually the first fish that get ill or die if the water quality drops. Water changes of at least 25% a week are recommended. Because of their low tolerance to poor water qualities, they are sometimes called indicator fish since their health indicates the status of the aquarium. Clown loaches are very sensitive to chlorine, and even small amounts can cause a mass death of loaches.
These species are very prone towards getting ick if the water quality isn't good enough, and are sensitive to most ick medicines and salts. So keep an eye on your clown loaches and only use half the recommended doses of medicine, otherwise, you risk the medicine killing the loaches.
Food
Clown loaches are carnivores and only eat vegetables to complement their diet. It is therefore recommended that they are given food that reflects this. To get your clown loaches to grow, optimal feeding 3-5 times a day is recommended. (They still grow slowly). Their diet should contain a variety of foods and can include almost any carnivorous food. A good base may be shrimps, different sinking wafers, different frozen foods, and as they grow older, fish slices. Clown loaches can make a clicking sound, and they will do this when they are content. Therefore you will soon find out what is your loaches' favourite food by them clicking when they receive it. Like most other fish, clown loaches might need some time to accept new foods, however, once they do it might become a favourite. Clown loaches are one of the few fishes that eat and like snails, and can, therefore, be of good use in snail control.
Breeding
Clown loaches have been bred in aquariums, however, it is very rare. Sexing clown loaches externally is hard, but possible by looking at the tail fin. The tail fin tips on the male are slightly bent inwards, making the fin looks a little bit like a claw. The tail fin tips on the females aren't shaped like this.
Clown loaches have to be quite old and at least 7 inches / 17 cm before they are sexually mature. In the one good account of clown loaches spawning they spawned under the following conditions:
The John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you are going to visit Chicago, you got to experience visiting the icon and leader in aquarium and zoo profession - Shedd Aquarium.
Shedd aquarium was made possible by John G. Shedd wherein he envisioned it to be one of the grandest aquariums in Chicago and was officially opened on May 30, 1930, which became one of Chicago’s historic landmarks.
Shedd aquarium success lies in its founder’s leadership about shaping the future and followers incorporated by collaborative, supportive, strong, inquisitive, creative, energetic and persistent outlook.
Shedd Aquarium primary goal is to give information, inspiration and entertainment to people interested in animals, their habitat and relations to humans. They are promoting animal conservation, provides teaching and learning resources and support global environmental awareness.
Shedd Aquarium’s mission is to let animals connect people into the living world giving inspiration by starting to make a difference. They educate people in a more interesting way of having stewards with a dedication to caring for animals and people.
Shedd Aquarium is supporting global programs regarding conservations. They are also the first aquarium to have an educational department, a textbook itself exploring life and expanding horizons about the animals in their sanctuary taught by their cool teachers within classes.
Shedd Aquarium is a sanctuary with different animal species that people could explore and learn about. They provide itineraries for visitors regarding Shedd Aquarium explorations through their sitemaps.
You cannot tour the entire Shedd Aquarium in just a day so instead join their membership to visit it often. Some foundations offer discount days upon visiting Shedd Aquarium giving free general admissions.
There is no problem with visiting the Shedd Aquarium because:
-Lockers, which are coin-operated, are available for storing coats however they are not responsible for luggage or package that does not fit into the lockers.
-Picture takings of animals are allowed by only turning off the flash for comfort and safety purposes. Tripods are not allowed as well as taking pictures in restaurants and Oceanarium.
-A handicapped parking area is available but wheelchairs can be rented on a first come first basis only.
-A nursing area is also available. You can either eat at Dining at Shedd or simply carry a bag lunch where you can eat on the tables and chairs located in vending areas.
The best time to visit Shedd Aquarium is to arrive early or on Sunday mornings because it is least crowded. Shedd is a popular place and can easily get crowded during summer, weekends or holidays. Explore and have fun.
Recommendations are given for a selection of tropical aquarium plants from the cuttings and floating plant types available. 12 are recommended with four described in detail.
A cutting, the Red Rotala (Rotala macandra) has soft delicate leaves that could easily be damaged if they are situated in strong water currents. In order to maintain the red color, this plant needs a bright light on a regular basis.
A temperature range of 22 to 28 degrees centigrade and pH range of 5 to 6.5 is suitable. Fast growing, the Rotala likes to go up to the surface and then goes on to grow with leaves floating at the surface. The leaves appear to get bigger and redder the nearer they get to the light.
A cutting, the Giant Hygrophila (Nomaphila stricta) is also known as the Indian Water Star. It has broad lance-shaped leaves, is great for fish to shelter in and is also useful as sites for spawning. Prefers slightly hard water and a strong light.
It appears that snails like this plant so look out for them. A temperature range of 20 to 28 degrees centigrade and pH range of 5 to 7 is suitable. Another plant that grows fast and will need trimming regularly.
A floater, the Butterfly Fern (Salvinia auriculata) is also known as the Eared Watermoss and is really easy to keep and grow. Bubble nesters can use the plant for their nest and fry can shelter and hide underneath in the roots that dangle down in the water.
But remember that, as with all floating plants, do not let them cover too much surface area as this will restrict light getting to plants lower down the tank and they will die off.
It is related to the Salvinia molesta which out in the wild can grow like mad and cause lots of problems in waterways as it doubles its size over a few days. In fact, they are prohibited from entry into Tasmania and cannot be sold or distributed there as they have been declared weeds under a Weed Management Act (1999).
A floater, the Java Moss (Vesicularia dubyana) is very common in freshwater aquariums. Like Riccia, it attaches itself to driftwood, rocks, and roots. Java Moss has no onerous requirements or any special attention as it will survive in varying water conditions, even weakly brackish, and under all sorts of light levels.
But it thrives better under low to moderate light conditions and a temperature range of 21 to 24 degrees centigrade but it can survive temperatures of up to 29 to 32 degrees centigrade.
As you do not plant the Java Moss, you will need to fix it temporarily, for example, to a rock with some fishing line. Then, when it has used its own tiny roots to adhere to the rock you can remove the fishing line. You can also produce a moss wall effect by adding the moss to a net which is fixed to the tank wall by suction devices and nylon string.
It is an excellent plant in which spawning can take place and in which the hatched fry can shelter and hide. Egg-laying fish that scatter their eggs would benefit most from this plant. From a maintenance point of view, you need to keep it clean of algae which will have a detrimental effect on it.
A commercially available canister filter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Aquarium filters are an absolute must in keeping a proper fish tank setup. No one has operated an effective aquarium system without properly functioning fish tank filters or aquarium filters. The importance of aquarium filters is not subject to debate; they are an essential part of any aquarium system. You do not need to be intimated by this because as essential as it is, fish tank filters do not require too much effort and money from aquarium owners.
Whether you are a hobbyist or a serious aquarist, your main goal is to provide the best possible environment for your fish to not just live, but thrive in. Thus, you must give a lot of thought to which fish tank filters and filter media should be used to produce the most excellent results within your budget. You will be glad to find that there are a lot of options available to meet your demands, needs, and restrictions.
The importance of aquarium and fish tank filters
Aquarium filters are essential because they rid your aquarium of chemical waste products, both soluble and physical. Fish tank filters simplify the maintenance of your aquarium or fish tank setup. You should remember that fish tanks are definitely smaller counterparts of the natural habitat that your fish are used to. Thus, aquarium filters are essential in supporting the fish's existence.
As with all living organisms, fish and other possible animals that you can put in your aquarium produce waste materials through breathing and their excrement. Aside from this, food or plants that are not consumed and other organisms that have died inside the fish tank can also add to the waste. These waste products contaminate the water, making it dirty as they continue to collect. As more waste products are collected, thereby contaminating the water, there's a higher health risk for organisms living inside the aquarium. This is where filtration comes in. Installing fish tank filters is a tried and tested method to make sure that the aquarium will continue to be a conducive environment for your fish and other aquatic pets. Simply put, no one wants to live in a dirty house, not even fish.
What are filter media?
Filter media are the materials present in aquarium filters, where the water passes through. Once the water passed through the filter media, the main cleaning or filtration action begins. There are three kinds of filter media in aquarium filters: biological, mechanical, and chemical.
Mechanical filter media are composed of synthetic fibers. These fibers vary in roughness and come in two forms: sponge and floss. Mechanical media are the front liners in the cleaning process happening in fish tank filters because they are the first to absorb large debris and dirt that can cause damage to the more delicate chemical and biological media. Mechanical filter media have to be cleaned on a regular basis, but this shouldn't be a problem since the debris can be easily rinsed away from the filter.
The main role of biological filter media is to remove toxins such as nitrates, ammonia, and nitrites that are present in organic wastes produced by the living organisms in the aquarium. Biological filter media come in the form of bio-balls, rings, substrates, and gravel, which should be increased when you add more pets to your fish tank.
An internal aquarium filter is driven by air displacement
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Lastly, chemical filter media are responsible for removing other pollutants that the two other types cannot get rid of. These pollutants range from air pollutants and organic compounds from biological processes to bi-products of fish medications. Chemical filter media usually take care of unwanted odors or colors in your aquarium water. Carbon and resin are the usual components of this type of filter media.
How do aquarium canister filters work?
Aquarium canister filters are currently becoming the most common type of aquarium filters. Canister filters are situated below the tank, inside the stand of the fish tank. They have cylinders that are closed, measuring around 15 inches in length, with locking lids that have two valves. The intake valve draws water into the aquarium canister filters, where the water passes through the media. The outtake valve spews out filtered water back into the tank. Canister filters are easy to maintain unlike the more popular HOB or hang on back filters. Usually, aquarium canister filters can still be effective even if only undergoing maintenance once or twice a year.
What is a wet/dry filter?
Wet/dry filters used to be an extremely popular choice for biological filtration in the saltwater aquarium hobby. Advancements in filtration technology have made the wet/dry filter a less popular choice. In fact, some more hardcore hobbyists have labeled them as "nitrate factories."
Wet/dry filters are very good at breaking down ammonia into nitrate. They provide an aerobic environment for bacteria to break down waste so they do not deplete oxygen from your aquarium. Unfortunately, aquarium wet/dry filters [http://www.marinedepot.com/wet_dry_filters__index-ap.html] are almost too efficient for a reef tank and may cause nitrate levels to build up too fast. That's why many hobbyists prefer using live rock in the reef aquarium environment as their primary biological filtration.
Adult Neolamprologus cylindricus in an aquarium (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you have decided to set up an African cichlid tank, odds are that this is not your first aquarium. I first decided to keep African cichlids after seeing some red zebras and yellow labs in a pet shop and wondering why these colorful fish were not in the saltwater section. I had never seen such colorful fish that were not saltwater fish. African cichlids are also very interesting to watch. They are a territorial fish with a bit of an attitude. This can be handled by proper stocking of your aquarium.
First, you must decide which of the three lakes you want to set your aquarium up to imitate. African cichlids come from Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Malawi. All three of these lakes have hard water with a high pH. I would suggest starting with mbunas from Lake Malawi. Mbunas are a class of rock-dwelling, mouthbrooding, and omnivorous cichlids. The common varieties can be found in most local pet shops and are not very expensive.
Mbunas require a lot of space and hiding spots in their aquarium. You should use a 55-gallon aquarium or larger to keep these cichlids. You can use limestone or holy rock (limestone rock with lots of holes) and caves. These are usually placed towards the rear of the tank which allows for a free swimming area at the front of the tank. A common substrate used in mbuna aquariums is crushed coral. Using crushed coral as the substrate helps maintain the elevated pH and water hardness.
Cichlid tanks require a lot of filtration to keep the inhabitants healthy. I usually use two large sponge filters in each of the rear corners in combination with a large filter hanging on the back of the tank or two smaller ones submerged within the tank. The hanging filter (or the submersed ones) cleans particulate matter from the aquarium while the sponge filters house large quantities of the bacteria which convert ammonia to nitrites and the nitrites to nitrates.
African cichlids require a water temperature of around 80 degrees F. This will most likely require a 150-watt heater on each end of a 55-gallon tank. The submersible type with a temperature setting is preferred. They cost a little more but are worth it. They will last much longer than the less expensive ones that hang on the back of the tank.
After the aquarium is set up with the proper substrate, plenty of hiding spaces, heaters, filters and filled with dechlorinated water, you need to determine the pH and water hardness. You can buy water test kits at your local pet shop. With the limestone and crushed coral, you have already elevated your pH and water hardness from what it comes out of your tap. You will need a pH of 7.4 to 8.6 and a water hardness of 10.0 to 20.0 dH.
It has been my experience with relatively soft tap water with a neutral pH that if I use the cichlid tank setup described above, all I need to do is adjust the water hardness and the pH is right where I want it.
Test your water hardness. If your tap water is hard enough, you may get lucky and not need to make any adjustments. Most likely though, you will need to increase the water's hardness. You can elevate the hardness using African cichlid salt. You can find this at your local pet shop or online.
Add the cichlid salt until you reach a hardness level around 15.0 dH. At this point, check your pH. Your pH should be around 8 at this point. If necessary, you may need to adjust it also. This is unlikely, once you have elevated the hardness to this level.
Now you can purchase your first African cichlid. Initially just purchase one cichlid for the tank and let it have the tank to itself for about two weeks. This will give the aquarium time to grow the bacteria necessary to break down waste in the tank in what is called the nitrogen cycle. You can get around this by setting up one of the sponge filters in an established aquarium for a couple of weeks prior to setting up your cichlid tank. This way the sponge filter will have all of the bacteria needed for the nitrogen cycle. When you then move it to your new tank, you have effectively moved the bacterial colonies that the new tank requires.
At this point, you have your African cichlid tank up and running! If you chose mbuna for your tank, feed them spirulina flakes and cichlid pellets. Once it is fully stocked, perform 30% to 50% water changes on a weekly basis. Vacuum the gravel when you do this and you will have a healthy, thriving community of African cichlids.
One last note: The large sponge filters and large water changes may be relics of my years keeping discus, which require a very clean tank. I can tell you from experience that you will very rarely if ever have health issues with your fish if you keep an aquarium in this manner.
Tim Montey has kept and bred fish as a hobby off and on for more than 30 years.
