Choosing AQUARIUM PLANTS - Fake Or Real For Your Freshwater Aquarium?

Artificial Aquarium Plant

When setting up your new aquarium, you will soon realize that it looks bare without decorations or plants. These additions, besides serving a decorative function, are a necessary addition for the health of your fish. Plants make your fish more comfortable in their home by providing hiding spots.

When it comes to aquarium plants, there are two main choices: real or fake. Live would require care, just like houseplants. They will need to be chosen wish your fish species in mind and will require more of your time than fake plants, which require little effort and are easy to care for even if you're not an experienced fishkeeper. While fresh may die if the water quality is not monitored closely, fake plants can withstand everything. The only care required is an occasional cleaning in the sink.

Plastic plants are also available in a wide array of styles and colors, including neon shades, that simply isn't achievable if you choose to plant your aquarium with real aquatic plants. However, neon plants do not create a very natural setting and may stress out your fish. Many have found that plastic, even those with natural colors, simply do not have the realistic appearance they are after.

If you're looking for aquarium plants that are realistic, yet easy to care for, consider silk. These are just as easy to care for as plastic plants but lend a more natural appearance to the tank. Always purchase silk plants designed for aquariums, because they will not contain any chemicals that could leach into the water and harm your fish.

There are advantages to using real plants in an aquarium. If you are interested in breeding fish, you should know that some fish species will only breed in an environment with live plants. Fresh plants also add oxygen to the water and use nitrates, becoming a beneficial part of the nitrogen cycle and helping to clean your tank. Live plants are eaten by many species of fish, and in fact are one of the healthiest and most natural food sources you can provide for the herbivores in your tank.

Despite the benefits of using real plants, they can require specialized care. If you do choose to plant your aquarium with fresh plants, be sure that you understand their care requirements. Plants also require specialized aquatic fertilizers and lighting; no plant can grow without lights, which are required for photosynthesis. Many varieties of aquatic plants require specific pH levels or water temperatures. If these are incompatible with the needs of your fish, one or the other will suffer. You'll need to choose plant varieties that are compatible with the fish in your aquarium.

Cleaning a planted tank is more difficult than cleaning one with fake plants because real plants should not be uprooted for cleaning. As the plants naturally decay, there will be more waste material at the bottom of the tank, which can reduce water quality over time. While healthy plants will improve the aquarium habitat, those that are not cared for properly have the potential to harm your fish. Aquatic plants require pruning, just like your houseplants.

Only you decide whether planting your tank with real ones is worth the additional maintenance. If it is your first time ever having fish, choose fake ones. The complicated care of real ones can get quickly become overwhelming if you're not used to caring for an aquatic habitat.

James MacParland  - Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Land And Underwater Wonders In DALLAS WORLD AQUARIUM

Dallas World Aquarium Entrance (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Do you need to free yourself from stress? Are your days filled with nerve-racking events that you wish the world would stop for just a moment?

Studies show that one way to relieve stress is communing with nature. You can take a slow walk and breathe fresh air. You can have a swim. Perhaps, gazing at creatures such as the animals can put off worries. If you want to be out and commune with nature, the Dallas World Aquarium might be perfect for you.

Dallas World Aquarium is a recreational center located in Dallas, Texas. It is believed to be one of the many first-rate tourist spots in the area.

Let the swimming and gliding fishes and other sea creatures from around the world soothe your eyes. In Dallas World Aquarium you will be able to see different species of fish and other underwater creatures. If mere looking at them does not satisfy you, you will have the chance to take a stride inside a tunnel. It gives you a feeling that you are in the underwater world.

It is not only the underwater world that you may experience. If you enjoy the flora and the fauna, then the rainforest section may be a good place to visit. Here you can find the incomparable beauty of diverse trees and flowers. Additionally, you will be able to hear and see how rainforest animals react to every moving situation. Indeed, there is a rainforest area in Dallas World Aquarium.

Dallas World Aquarium also reveals the exquisiteness of South Africa through its exhibits. The display area is a lagoon-like. It showcases the different South African biomes and living things dwelling on said biomes. It is not your traditional exhibit hence you will have a full appreciation of the area.

Have you ever heard of Yucatan’s Gulf coast? If you have not, then this is your chance to gain knowledge of the area when you taste the life of “Mundo Maya.” Dallas World Aquarium gives you the chance to experience Mexican nature by the immersion exhibit they have set-up for visitors.

The above-mentioned are places where you can divert your attention from the hurriedness of life. More to this, it may teach you how to value other living things aside from your own. Being able to understand and appreciate life outside your comfort zone will help you realize and be thankful for what you have.

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DIY DRIFTWOOD for your Aquarium

A beach covered with driftwood near Porirua, New Zealand. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DIY driftwood takes time, but it will save you tons of money. Some small pieces cost well over $20. Also, the soak method (minus the salt) will work for store-bought driftwood. Store bought driftwood is cleaned and has not been soaked. This may lead to tannin’s being leaked into your tank

What you’ll need:

• Driftwood, which can be found anywhere. It doesn't necessarily have to come from the water. You could find it in the woods, as long as it is weathered down and looks unique. Also, make sure the wood is not rotting.
• BIG soaking container, I use a 15 gal rubber maid container.
• Aquarium Salt, I use Doc Wellfish brand. This is used as a natural way of killing bacteria and parasites.

The first step, clean off your wood! Make sure all debris and bark are removed from the wood (or it’ll fall off in your tank!). Once complete, boil the water in the BIG pot and add aquarium salt. I use about a tablespoon per gallon. Boil the entire piece for about 2-4 hours depending on your size. If you can only fit half the wood in the pot then you will need to boil the other half.

Once the boil is complete you can transfer your wood into the rubber maid container. Add water until the whole piece of wood is underwater (you can also add salt if you want). If the wood does not sink place something on top of it until it does. It’ll sink after a week or two. You’ll notice the water turn into tea-ish color. It is the result of the tannins that are released into the water. If you didn’t soak the wood, the water in your tank would be this color. Tannins are natural and some fishes actually like it because it’ll make them feel more at home. It’ll also affect your PH, I’m not sure about GH or KH. You’ll need to do water changes every other day to clean the water. This may take weeks or months.

When the color of the soak water suffices, you will need to soak your wood for another week without any salt. This will make sure that the wood does not hold any salt that may leak into your tank.

Once soaking is complete wash the wood well and transfers the wood into your tank. Do not keep the wood out of water for a long time or it will float.

For more information and pictures about this project, please visit www.CarolinaFishTalk.com and check the DIY section. The article was written by krayzievanh@yahoo.com, member of CFT Community - Proofread by Brandan Njagu  b.njagu@gmail.com

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Familiarize Yourself With AFRICAN CICHLIDS Breeding

Telmatochromis sp congo mâle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There really comes a time when a pet owner would love to breed their own fishes. As a matter of fact, African cichlids breeding has been a common practice for most fish enthusiasts. Since these types of fishes are very popular, it is somehow rewarding to have a few of your own. Inter-breeding different species of African cichlids enables one to come up with cichlids with a unique color. Now, that's another feather on one's cap.

Although breeding African Cichlids is exciting as it may sound, it still involves some sort of hard work and discipline. It would also require you to do some research. Studying the ins and outs of the process like what you are doing now can really help.

The first thing you should know is that most species of African Cichlids are mouthbrooders. When this is the case, the female cichlid keeps her eggs inside her mouth. Male African cichlids do a dance-like routine to woo the female cichlid. Once you see this seemingly unusual behavior from your male cichlid, you should start monitoring the next events.

After the actual mating process, the female will lay the eggs in the water. The male cichlid should be able to fertilize the eggs before the female takes it in her mouth. The whole process is repeated until there are fertilized eggs. The unfertilized ones are just left behind.

There is sometimes a stumbling block in breeding African Cichlids. How do you get the female and male cichlids to mate? You won't have a problem with this if you have a few female cichlids in your tanks.

You see, male African cichlids tend to fight with one another when the female cichlid is ready for mating. The fights can turn ugly and may lead you to lose some fishes. The key to this situation is to have one male and probably three female cichlids. This way, the male would have controllable aggressiveness.

Bear in mind that female cichlids must undergo necessary preparations prior to her spawning period. She must be at the pink of health. Also, take the time to ensure that she's well-fed. Female African cichlids usually go by without food during her spawning season.

Remember those female cichlids are mouthbrooders. The eggs stay inside the mother's mouth for at least two months. Feed the female as frequent as you can because she can only take little food during this time.

After the fry hatches, you need to put them in a separate tank. Otherwise, the mature cichlid will mistake them for food. The fry needs to be in a tank away from other mature fishes. Also, try to separate the mother cichlid as she needs to recover. She won't be able to do so if she has to deal with bullying from other fishes.

There is surely a lot to learn when it comes to African cichlids breeding. However, your patience would surely pave way for more worthwhile discoveries. Just pay close attention and love your cichlids more. They would surely reward your hard work.

by Larry Pearson - Article Directory: EzineArticles

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LEMON TETRA

Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis - Zitronensalmler (Länge: ca. 3cm) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Glassily transparent, the lemon tetra (hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis) could appear to be just a sunbeam flashing through your community tank if not for background elements like plants and driftwood. Another member of the large characin clan, the lemon tetra has a fairly elongated body like its smaller relative the neon tetra and like neons and other characins, the lemon tetra does best if kept in small schools of six to eight fish.

One of the most distinguishing features of the lemon tetra is their large eyes. The upper part of the lemon tetra's eye is brilliant red, which is a sharp contrast to the yellow pastels it displays in its body colors. Actually, though, the lemon tetra is quite colorful on close inspection. Body coloring is a delicate pale yellow, flanks are silver, and the leading edge of the anal fin is shiny-bright-yellow and sharply divided from the other rays, which are black. 

In the male, the rest of the anal fin is broad and fringed in black, a characteristic that is missing in the plumper female. As many male characins do, the male lemon tetras also have tiny hooks on their anal fins. Both males and females have the tetras' characteristic adipose fin, which is also pale yellow in color.

Although omnivorous and able to exist on a diet of flaked food, the pale yellow color of the lemon tetra displays best if the fish's standard diet is well supplemented with live treats. The lemon tetra is an egg-scatterer. However, breeding can be tricky since females often have a problem expelling their eggs and after spawning, the lemon tetra like many others of its species is quick to cannibalize its eggs if not removed from the breeding tank. However, eggs will hatch in about 24 hours after spawning. Fry should be fed alive diet and if they survive, they'll be about two inches long as adults.

By Hans Dekker Hans is the author of Tetra Fish and Cichlids sections on http://www.aquarium-guides.com For more reviews visit our site.  Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Tips on AFRICAN FLAMEBACK ANGELFISH Care - Orangeback angelfish

Centropyge acanthops - Photo: Wikipedia (CC)

African Flamebacks or Centropyge acanthops are members of the family Pomacanthidae. They are natives of the western Indo-Pacific. Significant populations can be found around the shores of the Archipelago Island chain as well as along the entire East Coast of Africa. These shallow to mid-water reef inhabitants occupy depths from 20 to 130 feet.

This is a small fish, even for dwarf angles. It only grows to a maximum adult length of 3 inches. What they lack in size they more than make up for an exotic beauty. This is one of the most striking of all the dwarf angles. The bottom half of their bodies are a royal purplish blue. This is contrasted by dazzling yellow-orange upper bodies. The upper body color starts just below their mouths sweeps upward behind their eyes and then follows the curvature of their backs all the way to the base of their tails, hence the name Flameback. Dorsal, anal and pectoral fins are accented in neon blues. Caudal fins are typically yellow and semi-transparent. 

This species is very similar in appearance to the Brazilian flameback angelfish even though they are entirely different species. Brazilian Flamebacks can be distinguished by their solid blue caudal fins. This species is sold by the aquarium industry under several pseudonyms including; African Flameback angel, African Pygmy Flameback Anglefish, African Cherubfish, Orangeback Angelfish, and Jumping bean. The latter reference should imply that this fish needs to be housed in a tightly lidded aquarium.

This fish has a moderately aggressive temperament. They are generally peaceful in a community setting provided they are in the company of equally sized or slightly larger fish that are not docile in nature. This species may be reef compatible if it is introduced to your tank as a small juvenile. An abundance of cured live rock will help deter the possibility that it will develop a taste for coral and mollusks as it matures. Flamebacks may express territorial behavior toward similar looking species. These are harem fish. A single male and several females can be successfully housed together. The introduction of two males into an aquarium could easily result in a battle to the death. This species is rated at a moderate care level. A minimum tank size of 20 gallons with plenty of hiding spaces is recommended. Flamebacks can live up to 8 years of age.

This is an omnivorous species. Juveniles are primarily planktonic feeders. Adults learn more toward being algaevores. They will, however, also eat small crustaceans, mollusks, and coral in their natural habitat. This is why only a very young flamebacks should be added to a marine reef aquarium. If the fish's diet consists of plankton, it can be conditioned to finding all the sustenance it requires in supplied aquarium foods and lives rock before it develops its adult dietary habits. A well-fed fish will be less likely to discover that clams and corals are its favorite taste treat.

These fish should be fed a high-quality marine angelfish food preparation. Foods formulated especially for angelfish contain the essential nutrients needed to maintain a healthy specimen. Its diet can be further supplemented with vitamin enriched brine shrimp, mysis shrimp and dried or frozen spirulina algae.

There is more than one benefit to buying this species when they are still quite young. There are no distinguishing characteristics between males and females. Thus you will not be able to determine their sexes. Two males cannot be housed in the same aquarium together.

Problem solved: These fish are protogynous synchronous hermaphrodites. They enter life genderless. They will all develop into females early in their lifecycles. If there are no males present in the population as they reach sexual maturity, the largest most dominant fish will change into a male. The introduction of several of these fish when still young into an aquarium will result in a single male with a harem just as it would in nature. Despite their ability to change gender, these fish have not been known to breed in captivity.

By Stephen J Broy Saltwater fish and marine reef aquariums are fun and rewarding hobbies. Just thirty years ago the thought of successfully maintaining a home nano reef was almost unheard of. Less than a decade ago Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquariums were only found in large public aquarium facilities. Raising Moon Jellyfish & Pet Jellies is the hottest new trend in home aquarium ownership. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Welcoming (Freshwater) ANGELFISH Into Aquarium

Freshwater angelfish (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you are fond of aquarium fish then Angelfish can be a priceless addition to your aquarium. They are beautiful and graceful and can give immense pleasure to the beholder of their beauty. However, before adding angelfish into your freshwater fish tank you must ensure that you are not putting these fish with other fish species which do not get along well with angelfish.

Although apparently, angelfish may appear to be very peaceful and gentle, it is a fact that they can sometimes be quite aggressive as well. Moreover, they also have this tendency to eat smaller fish species present in the tank!

Angelfish are a part of the Cichlid family. They are available in a number of varieties and colors. But being an owner of angelfish you should keep this in mind that they can be a little fragile as well when they are young. But once grown up they are generally hardy. Moreover, it is always good to keep them in groups of six or eight. If you keep two or three only there is a possibility that the bigger ones will bully the little ones. But if they are in a bigger group they tend to behave well.

If you wish to add angelfish to your aquarium fish collection, you will require a big fish tank for it. The best option is 29 gallons or a larger one and if you have a great number of these fish then a much bigger fish tank is advisable. Moreover, ensure that your gravel is at least 1/4" thick. Apart from that you also need to maintain your tank temperature between 70 and 82°F. Another thing that you need to ensure is that your fish tanks are around 24 inches deep. It is essential for the health of your angelfish. They will grow large in deep water and can even grow up to 12 inches.

It is relatively easy to feed angelfish. There is no need to arrange any special food for them. If you give them flakes, it will be enough. The flakes are easily available in any pet store. However, for adding some variety you can also provide some blood worms. It is true that the angelfish are a little aggressive but there are a lot of fish species available who can comfortably live with your angelfish. For example, big Tetras and Silver Dollar live very well with angelfish. Apart from that, you can also select Swordtails Mollies and Platies as well. But do not put Guppies in the same tank as your Angelfish because sometimes the angelfish can eat them. Some other fish that can be kept with angelfish in the aquarium are Gouramis and Clown Loaches and even Bala Sharks.

Angelfish are not very difficult to take care of and they are generally hardy. But sometimes they can fall victim to some other aggressive fish that attack them and injure at their fins. Moreover, your angelfish can also become affected by a common aquarium disease named hole in the head disease. This disease comes in the form of a wound on the head of the fish and this can lead to the death of the fish.

So, if you take proper care of your beautiful angelfish and are careful enough not to put too many fish in your aquarium, you will see that your angelfish live healthy for a long time. But ensure that you regularly care for them and maintain proper fish tank environment. If you do so your angelfish will then definitely live for 10 years!

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

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