A fish of the genus Symphysodon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I often get a knock on the door and am welcomed by a carrier holding a polystyrene box covered in 'Fragile' and 'this way up' stuck all over it. My face will instantly light up and my hands rub together.
I'm sure you have or will be wanting to order discus fish from the internet or over the phone. If so, there are a couple of important factors you must first take into consideration. The main one is that you need to be sure you are getting quality fish, this may require looking at pictures of those fish and talking to the breeder or importer.
What I want to tell you about today is how to unpack and acclimatize your new fish.
Unpacking...
You need to unpack one box at a time, don't go and open every box if you have 4 or 5. I know you want to look at your discus fish but please take your time. Take the lid off the first box and take one bag at a time out. Then open the bag, roll down the bag and float it in the water. Do this for the first box and then move onto the next stage.
Acclimatizing...
Now the bags of discus are floating in the water, you need to use a little jug or something similar to gently pour tank water into the bag. You need to do this every five minutes for the next 30 minutes. This helps the fish get used to the difference in ph and water hardness. Then one bag at a time, tip the bag on its side and let the discus fish swim out in its own time.
Once you've done this for the first box then move on to the next.
You can also add some 'stress coat' or 'melafix' type of product into your tank. I sometimes do this and have had positive results with discus settling a little quicker.
Leave dim lights on and don't feed for 24 hours.
Your discus should then be settled in fine within a week
A young tiger barb, Puntius tetrazona (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Tiger barb or Barbus tetrazona are members of the family Cyprinidae commonly referred to as Cyprinids. Their habitat extends through the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. There are also scattered populations in Cambodia.
Their name is purely descriptive. Tiger barbs have an orange body with vertical black striping. Tigers are just one of over 70 species of barbs made commercially available by the aquarium industry. Selective breeding has produced a wide variety of color variations. Color morphs are green, gold and albino tiger barbs. The green tiger barb is highly melanistic. Their body reflects green over the black due to a Tyndall effect.
The tiger barb has an even temperament and makes for a good community fish. They are mid-level swimmers. Barbs do have a tendency to be fin nippers though. This behavior increases in bigger groups. Avoid mixing them with large finned species such as angelfish, bettas, and fancy guppies. They are a smaller fish. They only grow to about 2.5 inches long as adults. You'll want to raise them with similarly sized species to avoid waking up to one less fish in your tank.
Barbs are a shoaling fish. Shoaling fish are community dwellers. They instinctively travel in groups. Shoaling fish are ill-adapted to a life of solitude. It is recommended that you have at least four of any shoaling fish in an aquarium. Six to eight is even better.
Barbs thrive in soft, slightly acid water with a temperature range between 68-77 °F.
They are omnivorous. They can live out their entire life fed nothing but common tropical fish flakes. But a diet supplemented with pure protein will help keep them fit, vigorous and colorful.
It is not difficult to distinguish between male and female tiger barbs. The males are typically more colorful. Males tend to have more red on their fins than females. The male's nose will turn red when it enters into its breeding cycle.
Breeding Tiger Barbs
Tiger barbs can be induced to spawn when provided with the right conditions. Tigers typically breed in early summer in the wild. Turn the aquarium thermostat up to 77 or 78 degrees. You want them in softer water such as bottled water or reverse osmosis filtered water. You will also want to increase the waters acidity level to approximately pH 6.5. If these conditions are not conducive to your other community dwellers simply use a breeding tank to create a controlled environment conducive to spawning. You will also want to increase their protein intake by feeding them brine shrimp, bloodworms or meat-based frozen or freeze-dried food.
Tiger barbs are egg layers. A trait common to egg layers is that they will eat their eggs if given the chance. This can be best avoided by placing a layer of marbles over the breeding tank substrate. The eggs will sink down in between the marbles and keep the eggs safely out of harm's way. After the adults have spawned they should be removed from the breeding tank.
The fry will hatch in about 36 hours. They will be free swimming in 2-3 days. Once they are free swimming they can be fed infusoria or liquid fry food formulated for egg laying fish. Larger fry can be fed newly hatched brine shrimp. In about two weeks you will be able to change their diet to finely crushed fish flakes.
By Stephen J Broy The latest trend among Saltwater Tank enthusiasts is raising pet jellyfish. Jellyfish need specially designed Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquariums. Jellyfish tanks are easier to maintain than traditional saltwater setups. Moon Jellies are the most popular jellyfish among home aquarists both for their exotic beauty and their ease of care. They have become so popular that two US-based websites are now tank raising them to meet the growing demand. Pet Moon Jellyfish look absolutely incredible under a fading LED lighting system. Article Source: EzineArticles
The Majestic Angelfish is an alternative stunningly colored member of the marine angelfish group. It is also known as the universal label, Blue Girdled Angelfish alluding to the blue girdle on its body.
Its scientific handle is Pomacanthus Navarchus and they are caught all through the Indo-Pacific seas and even Solomon islands. Thought of as a common large angel, they nevertheless command expensive prices. Juveniles can be obtained for as little as $80-$100 whereas adults typically fetch much more.
Like all members of the large angel family, juveniles wear a distinctly different color pattern than adults. Juveniles are the normal blue, black and white. But their real coloration will start showing themselves as soon as they attain a length of around 3 inches.
From then, their adult coloration will begin to emerge. Adults are very beautiful with a main yellow or orange on its middle body and tail. Also present on this patch are numerous blue dots that are wrapped up in a girdle of sorts. Thus, their common name, the blue girdled angelfish.
Although they can attain a length of 12 inches in the aquarium, this length is particularly rare with the majestic angelfish. As such, they are acknowledged as one of the smaller angels within large angelfish families. They are also one of the least aggressive in this family and usually only show hostility towards other tank mates of the same species.
In their habitats, they are grazers that will feed on algae, corals, polyps, and sponges. In captivity, they will graze on a wide assortment of foods that are both green and meat based. Ensure they are offered a balanced diet.
A good mixture of dry and frozen fish feeds are well suited. Freshly chopped seafood made up of raw squid, clams, fish meat as well as shrimp meat is great. A great pellet brand name to use are those manufactured by New Life Spectrum. Also, make certain they are given ample marine algae in captivity. Seaweed in the form of sheets can be purchased for this intention.
Four hermit crabs in an aquarium (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Hermit crabs are a fascinating species of animal to keep as a pet. Like any other pet, a land hermit crab must have the proper care, environment, and food in order to not only survive but to thrive. A very important component of hermit crab pet care is the environment. If the hermit crab is not in a safe and healthy environment, it is nearly impossible for a hermit crab to stay healthy. There are three main components to the environment a hermit crab should live in: the tank and its furnishings, the substrate, and the temperature and humidity of the environment.
The first part of the environment of a hermit crab is choosing the type of tank and its furnishings. Glass or plastic tanks can be used as homes for hermit crabs. A 10-gallon glass aquarium is definitely a more than the adequate location for your hermit crab. Plastic tanks that are obtainable have lids and have become quite common and are usually available on the shelves of your local pet store. Any container that has a mesh or slotted lid does not retain humidity well, and therefore is not as ideal as containers with solid lids. Many pet stores will actually sell you a hermit crab in a small hermit crab kit, including a very small cage. While this small cage is ideal for a temporary home for your crab, it certainly is not appropriate for any type of permanent housing. These cages are far too small and cramped to be a permanent home. As was mentioned before, a 10-gallon size container is appropriate, but the bigger the cage the better. Also, take into consideration the number of hermit crabs you will be housing when considering the size of the tank.
Besides the size and type of tank, you will house your hermit crab in, there are a few things to include in the tank. In addition to the obvious food and water dishes, hermit crabs need "furniture." They are generally very active creatures and love to have toys to climb on. Artificial plants, climbing toys, and small logs are great ideas to place in your hermit crab’s environment. As well as having toys, a hermit crab needs at least one place that he or she can hide away in. A hollowed out and sealed coconut, small cave structure, or other shelters are encouraged.
Another part of the hermit crab’s environment is the substrate. A substrate is a material in the bottom of your hermit crab habitat. There are several different types of substrate to choose from. One type of substrate that is acceptable is fine-grained sand. Another selection you might make is a fine-grained gravel specifically sold for hermit crab substrate. The last option is a material made of coconut fiber, which is completely organic. Any of these types of substrates are completely adequate to lay in the bottom of your hermit crab habitat.
The final piece of the hermit crab environment is the temperature and humidity levels required for a healthy hermit crab. An optimal temperature in the hermit crab habitat is approximately 72-80 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is constantly measuring outside of this zone, a heater may be required to keep you crabby warm. Humidity is another important aspect of crab environment. You can use a humidity indicator to tell what humidity range your tank falls in. Generally, a humidity range of 70%-80% is the healthiest because hermit crabs are used to living in tropical climates.
Whatever combination of these options you choose, the keys to making sure you have a great habitat for your crab to live in is that you have the right tank and tank furniture, substrate, and temperature and humidity levels. Keeping your eye on these variables will give your hermit crab a great environment.
If you have had an aquarium for any length of time you will, no doubt, have experimented with the types of fish you keep in a tank. Cichlids remain a popular choice for many amateur fish tank owners because they are lively fish that always seem to be doing things. It seems that people can relate to cichlids because they display many traits that we can recognize in ourselves. This makes for good viewing. Lake Malawi Cichlids are a type of fish you may want to keep in your tank. This article will briefly describe the nature of these fish and their ideal habitat. This can give you an indication of the type of aquarium you need to keep these animals.
Lake Malawi is a large Lake situated on Malawi's northeastern border with Tanzania and Mozambique. It is part of the great lakes of the African rift valley along with the better known Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria. The water is generally alkaline and has a Ph level of 7.7 to 8.6. The temperature of the water varies from 27-29 degrees Celsius on the surface to about 22 degrees Celsius at lower depths.
The two main types of cichlids that can be found in Lake Malawi are the haplochromines and the tilapiines. Like most cichlids, Lake Malawi cichlids are known for being territorial and aggressive towards each other. They are mouth brooders. They are particularly noted for the vivid colors and markings.
There is such a variety of species that it would be impossible to name all of them but the most colorful are possibly the peacock cichlids. Popular peacock cichlids are the Melanochromis auratus and the Labeotrophus trewavasae. While in many species of cichlids only the male has the vivid markings, in these two species both sexes have colorful markings. Another reason for the popularity of the Melonachromis auratus is that the fry displays the same colors and markings as the parents but only in miniature. Most are adapted for feeding off algae attached to rock or substrate.
When creating a habitat for Lake Malawi cichlids it is important to keep the water quality alkaline. The aquascape should feature rocks and substrate similar to the environment in Lake Malawi. The rocks will allow the fish to hide and feed on the algae on the rocks. To combat the territorial nature of the fish you could densely stock the tank. Given that the tank is densely stocked you should have a strong filtration system set up to maintain the water quality. Typically they eat flake, bloodworm and pellet foods.
Lake Malawi cichlids are some of the most beautiful fish in the world and are active and fun to watch. They remain one of the most popular types of fish to keep in a tropical freshwater fish tank.
The Clown Loach is a popular fish in tropical aquariums since it is very beautiful and not too difficult to keep. Its scientific name is Botia macracanthus and it is therefore also known as Botia fish. When you buy a loach it will typically need at least a 100 liter / 20-gallon aquarium to do well. They are usually sold when quite young and will, therefore, grow larger and larger as they mature. A fully grown Clown Loach will need a 540 liter / 125-gallon aquarium or larger.
Wild Clown Loaches inhabit densely grown waters in Indonesia and will, therefore, appreciate a planted aquarium or an aquarium with plenty of rocks and caves which the Clown Loach can hide among. A combination of both plants and caves are ideal. Adult Clown Loaches like to nibble on plants and you should therefore ideally choose tough and fast-growing plants like Java Fern and Anubias. Juvenile Clown Loaches can usually be kept with all types of plants as long as they appreciate the same water conditions as the fish.
The Clown Loach loves to squeeze itself into caves, rock formations and other tiny places that can barely fit it. To put it simply: the more decorations the better. The aquarium must be decorated when you bring your Clown Loach home from the fish store since it is most likely quite stressed from the long journey from Indonesia. A majority of the Clown Loaches available in the aquarium trade is caught in the waters of Sumatra and Borneo. If you place your Clown Loach in a barren aquarium, it will not have a chance to recuperate. It will instead become more and more stressed. Stressed Clown Loaches are very susceptible to a parasite called Ich (White Spot Disease).
Don't be afraid if you notice that your Clown Loach has squeezed itself behind a piece of aquarium equipment, chances are that it is not at all stuck, it just likes to feel safe. The Clown Loach is also found by digging itself into tiny places. It is therefore important to use a substrate without any sharp edges in the aquarium. In the substrate, you can place a wide range of different things for your Clown Loach to explore and hide among. You do not have to limit your self to plants and rocks; PVC pipes, flower pots, roots and ceramic and plastic aquarium ornaments will also be highly appreciated. It is important that the decorations have no sharp edges since the Clown Loach will like to squeeze itself into the smallest places possible. If you place floating plants in the water they will dim the light and make your Clown Loach less shy and more active during the day.
Vigorous filtration is necessary since Clown Loaches are sensitive to poor water conditions. A combination of mechanical, chemical and biological filtration is recommended. Change 25 percent of the water at least once a week. Smaller and more frequent water changes are even better. Even a slight disturbance in the water quality can harm you Clown Loach and in a community aquarium, the Clown Loach is usually the first fish that fall ill or die when the water quality drops. Since you will find the live Clown Loaches in streams and rivers, the aquarium should ideally also have strong water circulation. The aquarium must have a well-fitted lid since Clown Loaches are vigorous jumpers.
