SUBSTRATE in your Fish tank

Gravel in a freshwater aquarium (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What the heck is "Substrate", you ask?  Well, basically your substrate is the material that you have on the bottom of your aquarium.  You can have sand, gravel, small stones, or almost anything really.  Half of the fun of owning fish is doing the interior decoration of your tank.  Let your imagination run wild, but make sure that you use materials that are safe for your fish.

The most common substrate is gravel.  You've seen those bags in your local pet store; they come in every color of the rainbow.  You can also go to any hardware store and buy natural gravel if you are going for a less artificial look.  Just make sure that you rinse whatever you use before you put it into your tank and remove any bits that are unusually sharp.

Gravel gives your tank a nice aesthetic appeal while also anchoring your plants and helping you develop the biological filter within your tank.  It's also the easiest substrate to clean when you are using your gravel vac during your water changes.  Gravel is heavy enough to resist being siphoned out of the tank but light enough to swirl around and release all waste that has become sediment.   It is also fairly cheap, especially if you purchased a large bag from the hardware store.

Many hobbyists, especially cichlid owners, prefer to use sand.  If you are keeping fish that sift sand looking for food, going with something finer than gravel is the ONLY way to go.  Like gravel, you can find it in many different colors, although it is harder to find than gravel; most pet stores carry only white and black, and the black is quite expensive. Here too, you can find a cheaper alternative down at your local hardware store.

Most stores carry bags of sand marketed as "play-sand".  These sands are generally used to fill children's sandboxes and as such, are safe and ready to go.  They'll require a great deal of pre-washing before you put them into your tank though, because of the dust that they contain, but they are attractive to use and quite cheap. Some larger stores may actually carry some colored sands, but they are harder to find and will probably require a special order.  Avoid "silica" sands as they have sharp edges that can cut your fish.

Sand is more difficult to clean, however, because of its lightweight.  You can't plunge your gravel vac into the sand without sucking it up with your wastewater.  You have to be a lot more careful while siphoning, and periodically make time to stir the sand by hand to release trapped pockets of waste and biological matter.  If you want easy to maintain, sand is not for you.

You can also buy bags of crushed shell or limestone.  These are useful if you are putting together a marine tank or an African cichlid tank as they are made up of calcium carbonate and this tends to raise the water hardness and pH, which both of these types of fish will enjoy.  This is obviously a poor choice for fish from the soft water, low pH environments like many river fish from South and Central America.

Whatever substrate you chose, it will require occasional maintenance.  Generally not much more than doing a quick stir and a little redecorating when your fish move it around, but your substrate will last just about forever, so pick one that you can live with.

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ELECTRIC BLUE CICHLID - A Brief Introduction

Photo  by Marcel Sigg 

The Electric Blue cichlid [electric blue hap (Sciaenochromis fryeri)] is a popular fish among hobby aquarists because it is an overall easy breed to care for and an easy species to breed. People also find their vibrant colors pleasing to the eye. In addition, they are not known to be picky eaters. However, they do ask for good water conditions, with suitable aquarium decorations.

Setting up an aquarium for an Electric Blue cichlid is simple, but takes thought and perhaps some research. It is important to try to replicate their natural environments to the best of your ability. Electric Blue cichlids are native to an African Rift Lake named Lake Malawi. In their natural habitat, they depend on their own instincts for their survival by hiding in rocks and logs, searching for smaller fish to eat.

In an aquarium, an Electric Blue cichlid totally relies on his owner for his survival and well-being. By providing for your fish, a home that closely resembles his native home, you will increase his lifespan, as well as cut down on aggressive behavior. You can also train your cichlid to eat prepared food rather than smaller fish in your aquarium. The other option is to keep your Electric Blue only with fish are as large, or larger, than they are. They will be safe from your cichlid's bite.

An Electric Blue cichlid can grow to be 6 inches in length, therefore should be put in a larger tank. A 55-gallon tank is the smallest tank you would want to house your Electric Blue cichlid in. They can live in murky water, but most hobby aquarists prefer to have their tanks clear. The fish do not mind clear water, either.

The water should be kept at temperature ranges of 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. This is very important because having the incorrect water temperature is one reason why cichlids become aggressive. They are hardy fish, but any drastic change in water temperature could have detrimental effects. Keep the aquarium out of direct sunlight, and away from all heat sources to prevent sudden a rise or fall of water temperature.

Finally, an Electric Blue cichlid likes to have plenty of places he can hide, yet also have plenty of swimming space. Rocks and wood can be stacked strategically along the bottom of your tank to accomplish this. You will also want to replicate the substrate from Lake Malawi because these cichlids like to play in the substrate sometimes. Having the incorrect bottom layer in your aquarium can harm them unnecessarily.

By Preston Mane - Article Source: EzineArticles

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GLOWLIGHT TETRA - Hemigrammus erythrozonus

Glowlight Tetra - Hemigrammus erythrozonus

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Tips on Breeding GLOWLIGHT TETRA - Care and Spawning

Pics of a glowlight tetra Hemigrammus erythrozonus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Glowlight tetras or Hemigrammus erythrozonus are native to the Essiquibo basin in South America. Glowlights like all tetra are a member of the family Characidae. They received the name glowlight tetra because of the highly reflective red stripe that runs from their mid-body to their tails. This stripe appears to glow under aquarium lighting.

Tetras are shoaling fish. Shoaling fish are extremely social fish that instinctively travel in a group. They tend not to fare well in an aquarium devoid of other members of their species. Depending on how strong the instinct runs in an individual species, some shoaling fish cannot survive at all in an isolated environment. It is always advisable to have at least four of any given shoaling fish in a community fish tank.

The glowlight tetra is a small freshwater fish variety, reaching an adult length of only about an inch and a half. They have a mild disposition and make wonderful additions to community tanks provide they are in the presence of similarly natured fish whose size is not big enough to view them as a source of nutrition.

Glowlights, like all tetras, are hiders. They take readily to heavily planted aquariums. Giving them plenty of places to hide will increase these rather small fishes' chances of long-term survival in a community setting. Glowlights are mid-tanks swimmers. So you want vegetation large enough to be present in the middle of your aquarium.

Most freshwater species native to South America thrive in slightly acidic water. Glowlights are no exception. Glowlights are accustomed to a pH level of around 6.8 with a water temperature between 75-83 °F.

Tetras are omnivores by nature. They can survive perfectly well on a diet of garden-variety tropical fish food flakes. They will also eat frozen and freeze-dried products and live food such as brine shrimp.

Male and female glowlights have an identical color palette. You can generally distinguish between sexes by the shape of their bodies. Female have a fuller, more rounded body than males. This trait is more pronounced when they are carrying eggs.

Glowlight tetras are more apt to breed in an environment that closely mimics their native waters. Filtering the aquarium water through peat or adding a thin layer to the substrate will help make them feel at home. Make sure the peat doesn't contain chemical additives or fertilizers. A breeding tank should always be used. Provide the tank with plenty of fine-leafed foliage. Hornwort will work well for this purpose.

The glowlight tetra is an egg layer. Egg layers are notorious for eating their un-hatched eggs. Tetras will scatter their eggs among the plants instinctively. Promptly remove the adults from the breeding tank after spawning.

Fry will hatch in about 24 hours. Newly hatched fry can feed a liquid fry food formulated for egg laying fish. In a few days, their diet can be switched over to newly hatched brine shrimp. Powdered eggs are an acceptable substitute. In a week or so they can be fed finely crushed tropical fish flakes.

By Stephen J Broy Freshwater fish are the most popular aquarium fish worldwide because of their inexpensive price and ease of care. Many aquarium owners don't realize that there is a rather exotic alternative to freshwater fish in the realms of affordability and upkeep. Jellyfish aquariums are the hottest new trend in the aquarium industry. Jellyfish do require a special Jellyfish Aquarium Fish Tank in order to survive but they are far easier to keep alive and healthy than saltwater fish. Pet Moon Jellyfish look absolutely incredible under a fading LED lighting system. Article Source: EzineArticles

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A Practical Guide to PROTEIN SKIMMERS

Protein Skimmer used to help maintain a healthy tank environment for fish and coral. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Protein skimmers are arguably the most useful component of the modern saltwater aquarium. Oxygenating water, removing dissolved organics, and clarifying water all help our

closed systems imitate the pristine waters of the reef. Most protein skimmers are improperly tuned and only provide a fraction of the benefits. So if you are looking to buy a skimmer, or judge if yours is working right, here is a summary.

The basic idea behind a protein skimmer is to have the finest bubbles possible suspended in the water the longest time. This allows time for the dissolved waste to coat the bubble, rise to the top, and be removed. I will use the old counter current air-driven models as an example. At the bottom of the skimmer, an airstone creates a current upwards. Near the top of the skimmer is an inlet for tank water, with the water exit at the bottom. The trick is to get the bubbles to remain suspended, but not be pushed out the bottom, by adjusting the amount of water flowing downwards. This allowed for the maximum coating of the bubbles, and maximum density of bubbles in the skimmer.

Venturi skimmers are a way of injecting air into water. The idea is like that old straw trick we annoyed our parents with. Blow across a straw that is in a cup of water, and presto, you have a projectile spray and a waiter cleaning up a mess. Venturi inlets just reverse this and use a stream of water to draw air in. These are very effective, although you need to see that the design allows for the air/water mixture to remaining in the skimmer tube until saturated. This includes swirling the mixture to maximize tube length, sending it through a byzantine maze to maximize space, or utilizing the countercurrent design mentioned above.

Venturi designs have improved by reducing the size of the bubbles injected, as in the needle wheel and downdraft technology. Needle wheel skimmers have air injected before the pump where the bubbles are chopped finely by the custom impeller. These are very effective and produce a very dry foam. Downdraft skimmers send the air/water mixture through a tube of bio-balls to break apart the bubbles and maximize contact time.

When you have your skimmer set up, you will want to adjust it for your tank. Overall, an adjustment will probably be a matter of raising or lowering the air/water mixture level in the skimmer. If you run your skimmer and you are getting a brown residue in the tube but not in the cup, you need to raise the level of the air/water. This is done by either opening the valve to let more water come in from the pump, or if your pump is maxed out then you need to restrict the amount of water coming out of the skimmer. If you are getting a lot of clearish, watery looking foam in the cup, then you can lower the level of the water/air mixture so that the foam takes longer to build up then overflow.

Please make small adjustments at a time, and let your skimmer run for a few hours before adjusting more. This is important because you skimmer will skim differently depending on the surface tension of the water. Depending on your feeding schedule or the time of day you skimmer may be making larger bubbles one minute then foaming over the next. Even the oils on your hand can make the water tension fall and the skimmer will not skim for a few minutes or hours.

Good luck and enjoy your tank,

Intrinsic Reef Design

Author: Wes Corbyn http://www.intrinsicreef.com Article Directory: EzineArticles

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New World CICHLIDS

Herichthys cyanoguttatum (Rio Grande cichlid, Texas cichlid). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

New World Cichlids can be found in the continents of North America, South America, and Central America. These fish make wonderful pets due to their unique colors, their interesting personalities, and the ease with which they may be maintained.

The angelfish is one of the most common New World cichlids. A South American cichlid, the angelfish is beautiful and queenly but needs very specific water conditions. Angelfish are generally triangular-shaped with long, string-like fins trailing behind them and sometimes a stripe or two across their backs.

Another common New World cichlid is the convict, so named because of its feisty temperament. Convict cichlids may be bullies but they can live in a wide variety of aquarium conditions and are easy to keep and breed. Convicts can be identified by their light blue bodies and the dark black, zebra stripes across their backs.

The Jack Dempsey is also a favorite among cichlid lovers. Like the convict, the Jack Dempsey can be moody, and as an adult, he can grow up to nearly a foot in length. Jack Dempsey's are dark brown but males usually have splashes or dots of bright blue or green on their sides and humps on their foreheads. Jack Dempsey's are easy to keep and need large open spaces as well as caves to hide in.

In the wild, North and Central American cichlids are found in rivers and lakes. Some lay their eggs in the sand of the river bottoms while others lay them simply on top of rocks at the bottom of the lake in which they reside. Some even make their homes in tiny underwater caves and tunnels. South American cichlids are usually found in water conditions that are more acidic such as black water regions in the Amazonian basin.

The aquarium requirements for these types of fish vary according to their natural habit. North and Central American cichlids are more adept at adapting to vary aquarium conditions but need good hiding places or caves in their aquarium for refuge. These should not be kept in any tank with a length of fewer than 48 inches.

The South American cichlid usually needs much more specific water conditions in the aquarium in which it is kept. The pH balance of the water needs to be quite low - sometimes as low as six - and the water itself needs to be very soft. Plants are popular with the South American cichlid, although certain species may cause havoc to underwater plants.

One of the best things about New World cichlids is that there are so many from which to choose. The variety available among these species of fish is simply astounding and there is always something new to discover. New World cichlid fish can be a joy to take care of and a delight to own.

By Tim Jacob Carter - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Which REPTILES Do Not Make Good Pets?

Caramel Burmese Python (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Basically, any reptile that is caught in the wild is discouraged for use as a pet.  It is cruel for a reptile to be removed from its natural environment, for it to be thrust into captivity against its will just so someone can say they own it as a pet.  If you must have a reptile for a pet, buy one that was raised or born in captivity.

Compared to lizards and turtles/tortoises, snakes tend to be easier pets for kids to raise.  Just make sure your child is old enough to be properly educated in the handling of the reptile for the child's safety and the reptile's safety as well.  Because reptiles carry salmonella, it is essential that any person who handles the creature either wear gloves or wash their hands immediately after putting the reptile back into its housing.

But there are some lizards, turtles/tortoises, and snakes that are truly not suitable for pets.  Although it is possible to keep them in captivity, it is better for the reptile to respect that it is meant to be kept in the wild.

Burmese pythons can certainly become tame enough to make good pets; however, the cute little baby will grow into a very huge adult.  The size alone, once it is grown, will make it less suitable to keep as a pet.  The African Rock Python and the Reticulated Python have been known to be kept as pets, but their temperament makes it more of a challenge.  Just because they are so cute as babies, it doesn't mean they will still be appealing to adults.  The price should not be your only decision in owning one of these reptiles.  Pet shops will often sell low-cost animals that often turn into high-cost maintenance, which certainly enhances the chance of return business.  But it is really unfair to the unsuspecting consumer.

Imported reptiles such as the pythons are often sold with problems that occurred before or during transport.  The prospective owner must be well-educated to be able to spot any deficiencies in the animal prior to purchase.  Mites, ticks, dehydration, and emaciation are some of the possible problems.

Green anoles are sold at a low cost, but their set up can be expensive.  Anoles tend to be caught wild which means parasite infestation is more likely, and they don't like to be handled.

Wild-caught ball pythons are known to have heavy parasite infestation and are picky eaters.  Their stress during shipping causes trauma, which affects their temperament, appetite, and overall health.  Captive hatched or farm raised are still imported and still suffer from shipping distress.

Wild-caught chameleons suffer stress, parasite, and crowding from being imported as well.  They are an antisocial creature even without the added negative aspects caused by shipping, so a beginning reptile owner would find this animal a disappointing challenge.  They don't react well to everyday household noises like children, other animals, vacuum cleaners, loud radios, and so on.  It's not a guarantee that they'll be happy when housed with other chameleons either because they aren't even sociable with their own kind.

Photo  by motleypixel 

Other reptiles which do not make good pets, especially for a beginner, are Tokay geckos, caymans, and alligators.  They are quick, aggressive, and very strong animals.  Make sure you know what you're getting before you invest your hard-earned money into the cute little pet shop reptile!

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