Six Reasons Why You Should Never Neglect CHANGING WATER In Your Aquarium Tank

pH Control – pH stands for hydrogen potent. It is actually the concentration of hydrogen ions present in your aquarium tank, and as you know, hydrogen ion concentration refers to acidity of the water in the tank. As fishes live in the water, performing all their biological activities, the pH value is bound to change. The best way to ensure that the pH values remain conducive for the health of your fish is to change the water often.

Kh control – For the scientifically inclined people, Kh is the hydrolysis constant. Simply speaking, it is the ability of water to buffer, which means, maintain a particular optimum level of the acids and bases in it. Changes occur in the fish tank over time due to the inclusion of chemicals produced from biological activity. That is one reason why the water has to be periodically changed.

Controlling nitrate levels – Ideally speaking, a saltwater aquarium must have a nitrate concentration of at the most 20 parts per million and a freshwater aquarium must have at the most 50 parts per million. Fish excretion is in the form of ammonia, which increases the nitrate level of the tank. There are protein skimmers available that can help to keep the nitrate levels to optimal levels within the tank. But these skimmers will not be able to remove the organic debris that collects in the tank from time to time. That is the reason why complete water changes become necessary. In fact, aquarium sellers do stress upon nitrate level maintenance as the most important reason for making periodical water changes. 

Detoxifying the aquariums – Dead aquatic organisms, byproducts of metabolic activities in the fish and other aquarium residents and the excretion products of your fish will definitely introduce some toxic products in your aquarium tank. Some toxic materials can also enter from the external environment, such as when things drop into your tank or when some microorganisms enter through the air. They could play havoc with the health of your delicate fish. You cannot effectively monitor such toxic intrusions. The best way is to change water.

Cleaning aquarium accessories – If you have live elements in your aquarium tank such as live sand, live rock, sponges, bio balls, etc. it is best to provide them with clean water of aquarium standard to filter out the wastes that they produce from time to time.

Controlling algal growth – Algae are microscopic plants that grow in all types of aquatic environment. They grow faster in aquariums because the water there is stagnant and favorable for their growth. However, algae can pollute the water in the closed environment to drastic levels, which could also mean health problems to your fish. Not only that, algae will compete with the fish with the resources available in your aquarium. If you change the water from your aquarium regularly, you are also removing the algae that have grown in them.

Hence, water changes in your aquarium are a very important aspect of aquarium cleaning. They ensure that your fish live longer and healthier in the home you provide them.

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Fact Sheet: DISCUS FISH - Symphysodon aequifasciatus

(Original Title: A Reference Guide for Symphysodon Aequifasciatus (Discus))

Photo by Rego – d4u.hu 

This is general information on Discus, a member of the family Cichlidae. Although certainly not a complete reference guide, it will give those interested some background information on this exotic fish:

Symphysodon aequifasciatus (Discus)

Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

Order: Perciformes (perch-like fish)

Family: Cichlidae

Scientific Name: Symphysodon aequifasciatus

Other Scientific Name(s): Symphysodon aequifasciata, Symphysodon discus aequifasciata, Symphysodon aequifasciatus aequifasciatus, Symphysodon discus tarzoo, Symphysodon aequifasciata axelrodi, Symphysodon aequifasciata haraldi

Common Name: Discus

Range: South America: Brazil, Peru. Found on Amazon and Solimoes rivers of Brazil, from the lower Rio Putumayo-Ica and from Benjamin Constant to Belém. Has been introduced to the Rio Nanay in Peru.

Diet: Carnivorous. Frozen foods preferred, but will accept flake foods. Particularly like red bloodworms, but feeding "live" food is not recommended. Red worms, etc, should only be fed to discus once every other day. Beware of parasites or bacteria in the discus tank from live foods!

Temperament: Timid of strangers. Easily frightened, unless placed in a high traffic area. Can be very friendly to aquarist, oft-times eating out of the hand. If given a place to hide, they will tend to do so.

Sexing: Discus are hard to sex unless breeding. Normally, the male will be larger and will present with longer fin extensions and a wider forehead.

Breeding: Buy either proven pairs or a group of young fish and allow them to pair themselves. The eggs are laid on a breeding cone. A clay flowerpot turned upside down works well. The fry must be kept with the parents after hatch, as they "feed" off the body slime of the parents. Special care must be taken to ensure that fry does not injure the parents when getting larger. Watch for marks on the body of the pair, and if it begins to occur, the fry is ready to be moved to a community tank on their own. If left w/ the pair, serious injury can result.

Special Care: If kept specifically for breeding, a bare-bottomed tank is highly recommended.

Other Comments: To keep Discus well, water conditions are absolutely crucial. A PH of 6.3 to 6.9 is the optimal level for keeping discus.

Water Temperature: Discus like it warm. They come from the Amazon basin, so water temps for these fish should be 80-84 degrees F, although some aquarists set the temperature as high as 90 degrees F.

By Alden Smith Alden Smith is a published author and has been marketing on the internet for 7 years. His website, King Discus, is an active gathering place for discus breeders and lovers of discus fish.  Article Source: EzineArticles

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Fact Sheet: CHERRY BARB - Puntius titteya

Cherry barb, Puntius titteya (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Cherry Barb, Puntius titteya, is a much more peaceful fish than some of the barbs. It comes from Sri Lanka (which used to be called Ceylon). In its native area, it is not common and is threatened by habitat destruction. In the aquarium hobby, it is alive and thriving, being a peaceful and well-loved community fish. An alternative scientific name is Barbus titteya.

The Cherry Barb grows to about two inches (5cm) long. The average lifespan of this fish is about four years, but some have been recorded up to seven years old.

Threatened Species

This fish is threatened in the wild. Juniper Russo Tarascio in his excellent article on Associated Content:

"The Cherry Barb: A Threatened Freshwater Aquarium Fish" puts its rarity down to overfishing for the Aquarium Trade. Although this may certainly have been a factor in the reduction in numbers of this fish, my own research suggests that the continuing problems the wild population of the Cherry barb are more to do with the destruction of habitat rather than overfishing.

In our own shop, all these species (and nearly all the fish) are bred in captivity.

Water Conditions

The Cherry Barb will be happy at a temperature of 24 degrees C (75 degrees F), with a pH of 7 and soft to moderate hardness. Nowadays, practically all the Cherry Barbs offered for sale are captive bred ones, and like many captives bred fish tend to be able to adapt to a wider range of conditions than the wild ones could. However, particularly for this fish, do not change the water temperature or chemistry too quickly.

The Tank set up should have plants, preferable growing right up to the surface, and some clear section for swimming.

Food

Like most fish, Cherry Barbs are omnivores. In the wild, they will eat insect larvae, especially the young of mosquitoes, algae, and a wide range of other things of the right size. In the aquarium, they will eat all normal fish foods and are an easy fish to feed.

Like nearly all aquarium fish, they appreciate the occasional feed of live food like daphnia or wrigglers. Good frozen foods like frozen bloodworms are a good treat.

Companions

The Cherry Barb is not a fish that forms a very tight school. Nevertheless, if only one is kept it tends to be stressed. I recommend a group of at least six.

It is one of the most peaceful barbs, and I have kept them even with slow, moving long finned fish like Siamese Fighting Fish, Guppies and Endlers Guppies.

Cherry Barbs are also happy with other small reasonably peaceful fish.

I have also kept them with slightly more aggressive fish like Paraguay Tetras, Buenos Aires Tetras, Colombian Tetras, Rosy Barbs, and Tiger Barbs, but I would hesitate to recommend these fish as companions for Cherry Barbs. I suggest caution with these fish.

Sexing

The Male Cherry Barbs are a much more definite cherry color than the females which are more faded in color. The females tend to be plumper.

Breeding

The Cherry Barb is an egg-laying species, producing something like 200 eggs from one female. This fish spawns readily. A fine-leaved plant in the breeding aquarium will increase the chances of them laying.

The eggs hatch in about one day. The parents eat their own eggs as well as the young babies, so to have much chance of raising the young, the parents need to be removed as soon as possible after spawning.

An alternative way of breeding it is simply to keep a small group of them in a large aquarium with a lot of plants, and no other fish. Under these conditions, many of the eggs and fry will get eaten, but some may survive. This is a little closer to what would happen in the wild.

Pest Fish

Although I do not have evidence that the Cherry Barb is a pest fish anywhere, any fish introduced into a foreign ecosystem can damage it. The fact that it is not common in its native area is not a good reason to put it into inappropriate places in the wild.

By Steve Challis - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Finding a Pet POISON DART FROG

Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Inhabiting countries of South and Central America like Costa Rica, Columbia, Bolivia and Peru, the poison dart frog is a stunning, bright colored frog that secretes a poisonous toxin. The science community only discovered this unique frog in the 1960's, but it has been known by tribes for many years. By the name of the frog, one might think that it is somehow able to shoot poisonous darts, but this is simply not the case. The poison dart naming comes from the fact that tribes in the rainforest used the poison on the tips of darts that they would use to subdue a threat.

The poison dart frog is not just one frog, but an entire species of frogs that contains well over 100 individual types of poison dart frogs. Usually, these frogs are quite small and measure less than 1 inch long, but some species can grow up to about 2.5 inches.

While the poison in many species of poison dart frogs may not be enough to kill a healthy human, there have been instances where the poison entered a cut or scratch which resulted in death. Their poison is quite effective in subduing their predators, however, if a poison dart frog is born in captivity, it's unlikely that they will contain any poison. The poison that is developed in the frog while out in the wild is because of it's diet of ants, termites, beetles and other insects. When they no longer eat the poisonous beetles of Central America, the toxins in their body are no longer produced, making them harmless.

Most of us are accustomed to seeing frogs at the edge of a pond, marsh or stream, but the dart frog is different. It does not have webbed feet and is therefore not a good swimmer so you won't find one of these frogs living in ponds.

Unfortunately, the Poison Dart frog is experiencing a population crisis and is on the endangered species list. Over the years, destruction of rainforest land as well as droughts in their regions, these frogs have decreased in numbers. Fortunately, pet Poison Dart Frogs are bred only in captivity and are not collected from the wild.

The bright colors of these frogs are just incredible and it's no wonder why people want to keep them as pets. With proper care, the Poison Dart Frog can live for many years in captivity.

By Gary Phelps - Article Source: EzineArticles

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MYSTIC AQUARIUM: An Oasis of Wonderful Sea Creatures

Photo  by bunnygoth 

If you are one of the people who love visiting the place called Mystic Aquarium, you will surely enjoy the new Mystic Aquarium that had opened in the early spring last year 1998. There are plenty of renovations made and was made perfect for all those who love aquamarine life. Aside from all the renovations made, the visitors will now enjoy more than 3.500 new specimens of marine life coming from around the world. There are 200 species of different kinds and more than 34 exhibits that you can truly enjoy.  

The famous “island of life” which is Ocean Planet Pavilion has also improved. With new graphics and layout, you will not only enjoy the majestic scene but you will be amazed at how these spectacular facilities are made. You will see four exhibits that feature all forms of marine life. 

The river in this particular area carries 400 million tons of organic materials used as a habitat that supports different forms of marine life. You will also like this particular site as it appears to be real especially if birds are around. Children and adult are able to get close to marine creatures such as sea horses, crabs, mudskippers, octopus and many more famous aquatic living things. 

You will also love the coral reefs found underwater. This is one of the favorite attractions. Almost 28 foot and 30,000 gallon of a tank is the habitat for different types of fishes swimming around the brightly colored coral reefs. The reefs may appear to be real. Many are fascinated upon knowing that these coral reefs are only artificial. 

You will also find coral polyps under the water scene. These are small and soft-bodied animals living in colonies. They are made up of calcium carbonate and in a longer period of time, it grows bigger and bigger forming shapes. They are called coral reefs. 

It also serves as an educational venue for students. Mostly, it is visited by many students for educational tours and research. With plenty of species, the student will be in touch with all the marine creatures from around the world. They do not need to go to different places on the planet to appreciate them. 

If you are curious about the place, visit it now and experience a once in a lifetime opportunity to get close with all the marine creatures from around the world. You will miss half of your life if you do not move now. 

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RED NESAEA - Ammannia gracillis

Red nesaea - Ammannia gracillis

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Maintaining LIVE AQUARIUM PLANTS

Photo  by scott361 

Aquarium plants can make your fish tank look more vibrant and interesting. They can also make the aquarium more like the indigenous environment of the fish which will make the fish less stressed and healthier. Maintaining live aquarium plants poses can pose new problems for Aquarists. This article will discuss some of the things you need to consider to keep plants in your fish tank.

Plants need Carbon Dioxide to grow.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important nutrient that you need to keep aquarium plants healthy. CO2 is produced by the waste products within the fish tank, like fish excrement, excess food and as a  by-product of bacterial action but this is often not sufficient to keep plants in good condition.

Therefore many people utilize a system that puts CO2 into the aquarium. CO2 systems come in a variety of shapes and sizes but can be split into two simple types. Those that provide a constant source of CO2 and those that can regulate the CO2.

It is a good idea to regulate the CO2 either using the system or manually because fish will suffer if there is too much CO2 in the water. Rough guides for carbon dioxide suggest that 30 to 45 mg per liter of water is enough for plants to thrive but over 100mg per liter is too much for fish.

Plants need an adequate lighting source.

CO2 systems must be synchronized with the lighting system that you use in the aquarium. Light is a vital part of the photosynthesis process which plants use to turn light energy into chemical energy that they use to grow. Normally plants would derive the light source from the sun but in the case of aquarium plants, the sun may not be available so an artificial source is needed. The light source should provide a full spectrum of light to the plants. Popular types are mercury vapor or metal halide lights

Plants need a good substrate.

A substrate is the type of gravel or sand that you use in the fish tank. The substrate must be deep enough to allow the roots of plants to take hold and keep the plant firmly attached. You want the substrate to have a depth of about 8 cm.

Substrates can also be nutrient rich so they can help to keep the plants healthy but they must not alter the quality of the water. For example, lime based substrates will make the water harder or more alkaline. Most fish have a preference for soft or hard water if the water was to change due to the substrate the fish could become stressed or ill.

Many Aquarists use layers of a substrate to get around this problem. If a fish likes soft water then the top layer of the substrate would be a lime-free gravel. Under the lime-free gravel, a liner layer of nutrient-rich gravel could be used.

Summary.

Carbon dioxide, a good light source and a nutrient rich substrate are important components in maintaining live aquarium plants. Liquid fertilizers can also be used if you feel that the plants look in poor condition.

By Adrian Whittle - Article Source: EzineArticles

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