DISCUS FISH As Hobby

Photo by Jessa B.C. 

Just as dogs make great companions, discus fish make a great show. Breeding discus as a hobby has become so popular that aquariums all over the world have become the home of this king of the exotic species. For some breeders, discus as a hobby means an immense satisfaction particularly when one manages to get some baby discus too. It is truly rewarding to see that what started with discus as a hobby has turned into a lifetime experience and a true friendship. What is so special about discus as a hobby? Apart from the great beauty of these fish, the discus is unique in their social and loving behavior.

Those who breed discus as a hobby will be more than surprised to notice that the discus show signs of connection to the environment outside the tank. For instance breeding discus as a hobby implies spending lots of time around the tank, cleaning, feeding or simply watching the discus. They are said to recognize the owner in time and they can get as close to you as to eat out of your hand. When breeding discus as a hobby, some owners have noticed that the discus will watch you move around the room or even react to TV noise.

Apart from such social behavior, discus enjoys silence and a close community with other fellows from the same species. If you take discus as a hobby, you may want to take into consideration that they prefer living in close communities that is together with several other members. The dominant discus would be the first to couple, followed by the others if proper conditions are met. Even if you breed discus as a hobby you may still have to separate the couples in a different tank allowing them to raise their fry.

For everyone who takes discus as a hobby, it is important that all the proper living conditions are kept under constant observation. You should not use for instance a too powerful lamp for your discus; as a hobby, you’d like to keep them in the spotlight, but this warms the water above the accepted level and reduces the oxygen quantity. There is a short step to take between breeding discus as a hobby and breeding them at a professional level, after all, discus requires the same attention no matter your devotion. Even if you take discus as a hobby, you still have to pay attention to their needs all the time! Refer to  Discus Fish As Hobby for more information.

Article Source: Discus Fish As Hobby  - Article Directory: Article Dashboard

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TIGER BARBS - A Beginners Fish

Tiger barb (Puntius tetrazona). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tiger Barb

Puntius tetrazona

Max. size: 7.0 cm / 2.8 inches

pH range: 6.0 - 8.0

dH range: 5 - 19

Temperature range: 20 - 26°C / 68 - 79°F

The tiger barb has long been one of the most popular and most kept aquarium fish species and there are today a wide variety of different color morphs available in the aquarium trade besides the common tiger barb. Such morphs include albino tiger barbs, green tiger barbs, and golden tiger barbs.

The tiger barb originates in South-East Asia and is native to Indonesia and Malaysia. They live on the Malay Peninsula, on the island of Sumatra and on the island of Borneo. The tiger barb can however today be found in many waters around the world where it voluntarily or involuntarily has been introduced by man. Countries, where it has been introduced, includes Australia, Singapore, Suriname, and Colombia.

Tiger barbs are suitable for beginner aquariums where they are best kept in large schools. Tiger barbs can often resort to fin nipping if they are kept in too small schools but this is seldom a problem if they are kept in large schools. It is however still recommended to avoid keeping tiger barbs with slow-moving, long finned fish species. The average lifespan in a well-kept aquarium is 6 years. Tiger barbs should preferably be kept in aquariums no smaller than 60 centimeters (24 inches) long. The aquarium should be decorated with hiding places among plants and plenty of room for swimming. Rocks and driftwood will also be appreciated.

Tiger barbs are very easy to care for as long as you keep the water parameters within the ranges given at the beginning of this article. Try to keep the water temperature in the upper part of the recommended range, ideally 23 - 26° C (74-79° F). They are omnivorous and will accept almost all the food that is presented to them and they will accept flake food. Try to vary the diet of your tiger barbs as much as possible even if it possible to keep and breed tiger barbs on nothing but flake food.

Tiger barbs are easy to breed and the largest problem is usually to prevent the parents from eating the eggs and fry. They often spawn in regular community aquariums but it is rare for any fry to survive in a community aquarium. Most often the eggs get eaten well before hatching. They are easy to sex as the female tiger barb is larger and have a much rounder belly. Males have distinctive red noses, and above the black part of their dorsal fins, you can see a characteristic red line. The dorsal fin of the female is mainly black.

If you want to breed your tiger barbs it recommendable to set up a breeding aquarium with some kind of egg protection device in it that prevents the parents from eating the eggs. A layer of common glass marbles on the bottom of the tank will do well for this task. Fill the breeding aquarium with water from the main tank. Move around the female to the tank and a male to the breeding tank. 

 They will likely spawn the next morning or at the very least the morning after if they are in spawning condition. If you fish hasn't spawned in three days a recommend trying another pair instead. The eggs are sticky, do not float in freshwater and are usually slightly above 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) in length. The number of eggs usually ranges from 300 to 500. The fry becomes free swimming after about 5 days and can be fed newly hatched brine shrimp. The fry grows relatively fast and usually reaches sexual maturity in about seven weeks at what point they are 2-3 centimeters (0.8-1.2 inches).

By William Berg This is a short version of more in-depth tiger barbs and tiger barb breeding articles available at AC tropical fish where you also can read an in-depth article about a number of other barb fish species. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Three Popular Pet TREE FROGS

Looking for a unique pet that won't take your house over and pretend that they own it? Have you ever considered buying a pet tree frog? Sure, it may not be the first thing to come to mind when you think about a pet, but the fact is, tree frogs make great pets! Tree frogs are different from other frogs since they spend most of their time living in tall trees, rather than hanging around at a pond or creek like other frogs. The only time they usually hang around on the ground is during mating season and they can be found in many regions throughout the world. There are several different types of tree frogs that one might want to have as a pet including the White's Tree frog, Red-Eyed Tree Frog, and a Green Tree frog to name just a few.

White's tree frog (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

White's Tree Frog

Originating in the regions of Australia and New Guinea these bright green frogs make great pets. They are not overly active and do not require any special skill to care for them properly. In terms of size, the White's Tree Frog grows to around 4 or 5 inches long and they will live approximately 15 years. Unlike many frogs that hate to be picked up, the White's Tree Frog seems content with being picked up. As for food, if you're wondering what to feed the White's Tree frog, a safe bet would be crickets, meal worms, and even baby mice!

Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas), photographed near Playa Jaco in Costa Rica (retouched version). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Just like their name suggests, the Red-Eyed Treefrog has bright red eyes that are noticeable against the bright green color of the frog, with yellow and blue stripes. If you're looking for a unique tree frog with brilliant colors, the Red-Eyed Tree frog is a great option. Red-Eyed frogs are from the rainforests of Central American countries and Costa Rica, which means that when you have them in your home, they need to be kept warm and the air should be very humid. Feeding a Red-Eyed tree frog is easy; Just feed them crickets and they will be very content. These pet frogs will be most active at night and may sleep quite a bit during the day and are very docile.

Australien Green Treefrog - Photo: Pixabay

Green Tree Frog

The Green Tree frog originates in two different regions; the United States and Australia. The Australi

a Green Tree frog is otherwise known as the White's Tree frog as discussed above.

The American Green Tree frog is found throughout many states in the U.S including Georgia, Florida, Texas, North and South Carolina, Mississippi, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. The diet of the Green Tree frog consists of crickets, flies, worms, and moths, but they are able to go without food for over 48 hours. At 2.5 inches long, they are quite small, but the males are smaller than the females. If you are looking for an inexpensive pet, the Green Tree Frog is perfect as they are often sold for just $10 to $20.

By Gary Phelps - Article Source: EzineArticles

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GIANT SNAKEHEAD Care - Basic Safety Tips When Cleaning Your Giant Snakehead's Tank

Giant snakehead (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Generally cleaning a fish tank is very mundane and safe work, until you throw a highly aggressive fish into the mix such as the Giant Snakehead. Cleaning your tank with this monster fish in it adds a not-so-standard twist to your regular tank maintenance.

Odds are you're going to be getting your Giant Snakehead as a baby, which gives you the opportunity to introduce a very useful tank mate. The Plecostomus is a bottom-feeding fish that not only makes an interesting addition to your tank but helps keep it free of algae and other waste. If you can I recommend getting a young-adult to adult Plecostomus over the baby, as your Giant Snakehead grows much faster then he will which could turn him into lunch. If introduced at an early age, or even better before you purchase your Giant Snakehead, the odds are they will stay tank mates for years to come. Try introducing a Plecostomous after your Giant Snakehead is an adult and just watch how fast you flushed thirty dollars down the toilet.

As a youth keeping the Giant Snakeheads tank clean is not an overly difficult task. I would recommend changing 10-25% of the water, based on the size of the tank, about once every 10 to 14 days. Small to medium tanks should have about 25% of their water changed, whereas a much larger tank (100 gallons+) should get about 10% of the water replaced. Obviously, proper filtration equipment is needed to help maintain a clean tank. On the upside, the Giant Snakehead is a very stoic fish able to survive most normal PH and Alkalinity levels so maintaining proper chemicals is not critical. The downside is as he begins to get larger and more aggressive you need to start using a great deal of caution when cleaning the tank.

First off get some very long handled brushes for scrubbing the sides clean. It is best practice to never reach your hand into the tank of an adult Giant Snakehead as they generally strike anything new that enters the water immediately. Following that, I always used an electric underwater gravel vacuum from your pet store. This is a very efficient and safe method for both removing water from your tank and cleaning the gravel at the same time. It also has the added benefit of never having to reach into the tank with a bucket to remove water during the bi-weekly changes. Finally, you may want to make sure he was recently fed to keep him a bit more lethargic.

Just remember to exercise extreme caution when cleaning your Giant Snakeheads tank as they are a dangerous fish. It has been said that full grown Giant Snakeheads have killed adult human beings in the wild, and though. The last thing you want to do is cause him unneeded stress and causing yourself some serious bodily harm.

By Brad Betts - Article Source: EzineArticles

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TENNESSEE AQUARIUM - Helpful Reviews

Tennessee Aquarium (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tennessee Aquarium is a landmark found in Chattanooga Tennessee. Well, this is an amazing spot visited by people who are aquariums enthusiast enjoying the exploration of marine species.

People who visited the Tennessee Aquarium provided their reviews so that other people can learn about what to expect, see or explore.

• Tennessee Aquarium has incorporated artistic exhibits to encourage people of any age. It gives appeal to everyone and ignites curiosity to explore the entire place.

• Freshwater exhibits are awesome. Newly added saltwater exhibits are spectacular displaying all creatures living in salt water including all sharks’ varieties.

• RiverWalk is a concrete walkway located on the top of the Tennessee River shore waters without railings giving an ultimate walking experience to visitors.

• Tennessee Aquarium is adjacent to the Bijou Movie Theater and IMAX Theater giving another entertainment option to visitors and travelers.

• Tennessee Aquarium has knowledgeable and excellent staff ready to answer all the questions given by travelers and visitors. The staff includes children and adults in their learning activities which they enjoy doing. The staff professionalism is observed giving the same warm welcome to visitors even during the last minute before closing time.

• Tennessee Aquarium is a very neat place to visit however the booth for buying tickets are not covered and the Aquarium gets easily crowded so sometimes time is wasted waiting to see the exhibits.

• Tennessee Aquarium’s one of the visitor’s favorite is the seahorse's exhibit. You need to have at least two hours to spend watching all the exhibits including divers cleaning the aquarium windows and swimming together with sharks and stingrays.

• Tennessee Aquariums have natural habitats for different animals with two living forests seen under glass that the children and adults love to enjoy watching.

• Tennessee Aquariums has incorporated many varieties of interesting fishes, which are fun to observe.

• Tennessee Aquarium is an amazing place to visit having beautiful views, good presentations, nice buildings, and knowledgeable employees however the only disaster experienced by visitors are their bathrooms.

• Tennessee Aquariums has incorporated an amazing architectural aesthetics having a beautiful landscaping of underwater sea environment, river, lake, and pond natural habitats, which they rank as one of the best aquariums in the world to visit.

Having a real-life marine adventure is an interesting activity that anybody could experience. Tennessee Aquarium surely offers the best scenery and adventure.

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AQUARIUM PLANTS: Importance of natural plants Part 2

This image shows a Parrotfeather (Myriophyllum aquaticum). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Follows are other importance of using natural plants in modern aquarium…

·         The first obvious importance lies in the value of DECORATOR for the aquarium. A thickly planted aquarium needs no plastic or paper background (as is common with most aquariums around the country). Since the real stuff is right there in your tank, an aquarium would look rather bare without the addition of plants much like a soccer pitch without grass!

·         Natural Aquarium plants also serve as food (mineral) SUPPLEMENT for fishes that require occasional variety to their monotonous flake meals. They also serve as CONDITIONER AND INDICATOR of water quality. Many plants, especially the Myriophyllum special water milfoils break into pieces when hard water is added into the tank, this could be an indication of the unsuitability of the water for fishes.

·         Many large leafed plants help reduce the need for cleaning the aquarium front glass because of their role as INHIBITORS to the growth of the smaller plants especially the green and brown algae by shading, thus starving them and reducing their proliferation on the front glass. The large leafed plants also provide shelter and hiding places for the smaller and less aggressive fishes.

·         Egg-laying fishes can only spawn when there is a spawning medium in form of a bunch of feathery plants.

·         On the whole, plants provide a SECURITY FACTOR which is one vital attribute of fish looks out for before setting in as pets in your aquarium. They prefer a place that looks more like “home” to them.

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AQUARIUM PLANTS: Importance of natural plants Part 1

A small amateur aquarium – tank for 100 liters. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Use of aquarium plants in a modern-day aquarium is very important but some people don’t really value the importance, thus they are still using plastic plants. Today I will discuss the importance of having natural aquarium plants.

Natural aquarium plants among others help to….

• Aids fish breathing and as a result the aquarium can thrive comfortably without the use of artificial aeration and electric light! 
  
  
• Reduction of the toxic carbon-dioxide level (Co2 level) which happens to be a critical factor causing constant fish deaths. The plants use up the Co2 in the process of food formation. The nature of the carbon dioxide gas is such that, once it is produced inside the water (e.g. by the fish), it stays put in the aquarium no matter the amount of aeration, because the Co2 gas is about three times more miscible with water than oxygen. The resultant effect of this is that there is a gradual build-up of this waste gas leading eventually to suffocating of the fish unless there is a practical or complete removal of the aquarium water which could be rather cumbersome.
  
  
• Natural aquarium plants also serve the most important functions of CONVERTING WASTE into harmless and useful products. In this way, they generate a self-recycling process (the NITROGEN CYCLE) that automatically converts the waste produced by the fish and the excess food into fertilizer which the plants utilize for rapid growth.
• They hidding and spawning areas for fish.
  
  
• Natural plants in aquarium shelters aquatic insects.

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