Setting Up A TERRARIUM for Your REPTILE

Photo Wikipedia

A terrarium is similar to an aquarium except that it isn't full of water and fish.  It's a tank made of glass or plastic with a wire mesh lid.  The mesh allows air to come in and keeps the reptile from escaping.

Reptiles are cold-blooded, unable to make their own body heat, which is why it is hard for them to move around if the temperature isn't right in their environment. Reptiles lay eggs to hatch their babies.  Unlike human babies, which are dependent at birth, reptile babies are born ready to care for themselves.

A successful terrarium is set up with the proper heat source for temperature perfection.  A thermostat will ensure the correct temperature at all times.  Reptiles need a basking lamp to sunbathe and a light tube for ultraviolet rays.

It sounds expensive and complicated to a beginner, and it very well may be depending on what your idea of expensive is.  But once your terrarium is set up, the biggest hurdle is being able to afford the proper food and bedding.  The expense of bedding is reduced if you buy two pieces of indoor/outdoor carpeting to allow one to be cleaned while you use the other for your pet.

There are several ways to set up your terrarium, depending on the needs of your reptile.  The desert terrarium will need coverage over the inside bottom floor.  Most people choose sand or gravel for the desert appeal.  Plants will add a hiding place for your reptile and helps increase the natural look and feel of their environment.

You must provide water even in a desert setting for three reasons---drinking, bathing, and moisture.  Even in the desert a certain amount of water is necessary.  It should be kept clean and accessible at all times for your pet's comfort and to ward off disease from unclean water.  Sometimes a lizard or snake reptile will prefer a tropical forest terrarium setting.  You'll have to make sure you regulate the day and night temperatures.  Investing in some sort of timer will make this less of a chore and safer for your pet.

The tropical forest is kept damp at all times.  Provide a layer of wood chips and maybe some moss to hold the moisture.  Keep some sort of trees to allow your reptiles to climb among the branches.

Turtles and some snakes require a habitat that is part land and part water.  You must purchase a heater designed to control the water temperature.  Adding rocks allows the reptile access out of the water when needed.  The rocks should be free of sharp edges to avoid injury to the reptile as it navigates through its home.  Place a fluorescent light over the dry areas to allow sunbathing.

The last habitat choice is called a savanna.  You can consider it a medium ground between the dry desert setting and the very humid tropical setting.  It's also cooler than either and stays only slightly damp.  Shady areas should be included for the pet's comfort.  Plastic plants discourage the reptile from eating the scenery.  Coarse gravel is allowed in the savanna setting.

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Feeding Brains - BRAIN CORALS

Open Brain Coral, Metallic Green Species: Trachyphyllia geoffroyi
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A customer who was considering purchasing an open brain coral (Trachyphyllia geoffroyi) from us called me up to ask me if he would need to feed this animal. He said that he had seen a lot of contradictory information on the Internet about whether or not open brain corals need targeted supplemental feedings or not. Given our focus on brain corals this week, I am going to answer his question here so that everyone knows what it is we recommend.

First off, I thanked this customer for doing his research before acquiring the animal. I can't emphasize how important it is that you research every animal thoroughly before you purchase it in order to make sure the animal is compatible with your set-up and that you are prepared to meet the animal's needs in terms of husbandry. Regarding the feeding of open brain corals, you will see a variety of opinions ranging from "never feed an open brain coral directly" to "feed it daily." We definitely recommend target feeding any brain coral. Whether you have one of the many Favia species or a colorful Trachophyllia, brain corals, in general, do much better in reef tanks with supplemental feedings.

But where is the mouth? "Wait a second," you say. "Brains have mouths?"

While that sounds like a campy science fiction movie from the 50s, the take-home point is valid. Brain corals do have mouths, and they do need to be fed. Most brain corals are nocturnal feeders, and they change their appearance dramatically at night by partially deflating their tissue and extending feeding tentacles located around each individual mouth. Some brain corals have many mouths while others are sold as pieces of a larger colony (e.g. Lobophyllia) and usually have only one mouth.

Regardless of the number of mouths, you want to target feed these animals two or three times per week. Try small pieces of meaty marine flesh, brine shrimp, baby brine shrimp, Cyclopeeze, or our own Blue Zoo Mix. You can soak the food in water with a vitamin supplement like Selcon and then use a turkey baster or the Kent Sea Squirt to target feed each open brain coral. After the coral gets acclimated to aquarium life, it will almost always extend its tentacles whenever these foods are present-even during the day.

With the proper husbandry, open brain corals will grow quickly and remain healthy in most systems.

By Ret Talbot Published 1 July 2008. Blue Zoo Aquatics Blue Zoo Aquatics was formed in 2001 as a custom aquarium design, manufacture, installation and maintenance company which provided its services in and around Los Angeles, California. The company founders and key personnel had either a background in marine biology or had spent their entire career in the saltwater aquarium industry. Customers who bought a custom aquarium were also frequently asking us to provide livestock and aquarium supplies, so we created bluezooaquatics.com to showcase our entire product offering and make it available to everyone. Today, Blue Zoo Aquatics has evolved into the complete source for all of your aquarium needs. Although we can still design and build you a beautiful custom aquarium, we are also proud to offer one of the largest selections of livestock on the web as well as a wide variety of quality aquarium supplies. Our business has expanded, but Blue Zoo is still owned and operated by the same team of expert aquarists that have dedicated their lives to helping people have fun and succeed with saltwater aquariums. - http://www.bluezooaquatics.com Article Source: EzineArticles

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The Unique Species of GOURAMI FISH

Golden Giant Gourami (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gourami is a tropical fish living in fresh water. It comes from a family called 'Labyrinth'. The main characteristic of this family is the fish have an organ for breathing. This organ is connected to their gill chamber.

This feature of Labyrinth family is very unique and it helps them to take oxygen from the air if the water is not having a sufficient level of oxygen. So fish in this family can breathe even by coming out of the water for some time.

Gourami fish originated from Asia and Africa are there are about 15 different species of Gourami which are available for the fish keepers. The original amongst them is called 'Goramy' and it originated from Indonesia and China.

This 'Goramy' fish is also called 'Giant Gourami' because it grows very big and its length can exceed two feet! If you want to keep this 'Goramys' in your aquarium, you must have a very large area or you should create a big pond outside your house to keep them. They can live up to 25 years or even longer so once you keep them; they will be with you for a long time.

Then there is another species called the kissing Gourami. They are somehow opposed to the giant 'Goramy' because they grow up to 8 inches. Another species called 'talking Gourami' is even smaller. They can grow only up to 2 inches. They are called 'Talking Gourami' because they make a sound when they come to the surface to take oxygen from the air.

There is one more type available to fish keepers, which is called the Moonlight Gourami. They are silvery blue in color and their fins are like a thread.

Most of the Gourami species require similar conditions for their living. They are comfortable in the range of 75-80° F. They love to live in slightly acidic water with a pH level of around 6.0 to 6.5

You should have a lot of plants in the aquarium when you keep Gourami fish. The plants should be sturdy because the size of the fish is big. You can use fine or medium substrate at the bottom of the tank.

Gouramis should be provided with a well-balanced nutrition. They will eat whatever is offered to them and they can survive with any type of food but you should plan their food well to keep them healthy. Keeping dry food as a base, you can feed them with live food occasionally. You should also provide fresh vegetables and all sorts of worms. In the absence of appropriate food, they will not look healthy and they will not live for a long time.

All the species of Gourami fish are peaceful in nature and they can get along with other members of the community quite well. You should keep them with other fish of the same size so that they will not be any fights. You can also keep same species of Gourami in the aquarium but as they are bigger in size, they will not be able to live comfortably with the growth in their numbers.

One more important characteristic about Gourami is - if they are of the same species, they may have territorial ambitions. So they will fight with each other for their territories. If you have sufficient plants in your aquarium, these plants can act both as a barrier and a boundary which can keep the fish contended with one area.

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

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Disposal of Aquatic PLANTS and ANIMALS

Duchesnea indica, invasive species, in the "Wood of Citadelle"
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Too many times non-native plants and animals are released into the wild either unintentionally or because the aquarist can no longer care for them.

This poses a unique problem to many hobbyists…what exactly do I do with my aquatic plant/animal that I cannot care for? With the help of this wonderful thing that eats up most of my day (the internet, for you non-it people that actually work) I’ll try to cover some of the basics here…

Plants

Let’s say that John Q. Aquarist has an overabundance of a particular aquatic plant. “Whatever will I do with all of these plants?” John wonders. Well, there are a number of ways to safely dispose of these potentially invasive species, here are a few:

Burning: If allowed in your area, can be an excellent way of disposing of plants that have seeds.

Freezing or Drying: This will effectively destroy plants, but might allow seeds to survive. You can place them in a zipper-type plastic bag and throw them away after this.

Composting: Like freezing or drying, this will also do the job of destroying the plant, but seeds can potentially survive to be carried off by birds or animals that might ingest the seeds.

Animals

John Q. Aquarist got up this morning and discover that his tank contained a huge batch of baby platies. “Ruh roh, what I’m going to do now? My tank can’t support this many fish!” John laments. Don’t worry, John, there is a help!

Friends: If you have a friend that is into the wonderful world of fish keeping, perhaps he’d like some little guys. Use your head though: if he or she would like to have them, make sure you let your friend know the particulars about the species…it will just put your pal in the same position if he or she is not prepared.

LFS: If your LFS is like mine, they will take your unwanted pets…sometimes for a trade, sometimes not. Either way, it’s better than euthanizing or flushing. (Flushing is particularly cruel...a slow death is guaranteed by suffocation or poisoning)

Whatever you decide to do, never release them into the wild! Aquatic plants and animals could introduce diseases that the native population is not prepared for. At best, some species can out-compete the natives.

Some states have penalties for improper disposal of aquatic life. I hope this helps to answer some questions and prevent any unfortunate incidents.

If you have anything to add, by all means, do. In no way do I consider this definitive, so let’s see some other opinions!

(Remember, you can always contact your local Department of Natural Resources or Health Department for specific information for your area)

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Bagging and Transporting KOI

Red-eared slider turtle and Koi fish (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Koi, like any other pet, will have medical issues throughout its life, especially since Koi have been knowing to have a lifespan of up to 30 years. You contact the vet because you Koi is showing signs of injury or illness, and unless you have a vet that does house calls, chances are the first thing they will say is “bring it in.”

Issues with your pond can arise, whether it is an emergency move because your pond is placed into harm's way by natural events or a planned move due to new construction. No amount of planning can ensure that you will not have to move your Koi for one reason or another.

With the problems that arose from recent events such a Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita and everyday events such as common illnesses, it is imperative that you have a plan of action when it comes to your pride and joys. No matter if it is an emergency or not, knowing how to properly bag and transport your Koi could mean the difference between life and death.

Equipment Needed

First, it is always a good idea to have all the equipment needed to transport your Koi on hand. If you are having an emergency with your Koi, you may or may not have time to make a trip to your local pet store to gather what you need. The equipment needed to bag and transport Koi is small and easily stored when not in use.

Bags- You must have the proper bags on hand to transport Koi. Do not attempt to transport your Koi in the trash or regular plastic bags, as they are not designed for this, and may cause damage to your Koi. Unless you remembered to keep the bags you brought your koi home in originally, you will have to make a trip to your local pet store. Make sure to get bags sizable enough to hold your Koi.

Rubber Bands- You will need quite a few rubber bands for each bag you buy. Make sure that your rubber bands are good quality, as you do not want the pressure from the water to pop the rubber band in the middle of the transport.

Net- You will need to have a net sizeable enough to compete with your Koi. You will never need the net to pull the Koi out of the water with, but you will need it to lead and direct your Koi into the place you want them. Nets can potentially damage your Koi, especially as the larger they get.

Paint Bucket- A paint bucket is a better option for catching your Koi, as they cannot hurt your Koi like a net can. Make sure that your bucket is sizable enough to hold your Koi.

Bagging your Koi

The process of catching and bagging your Koi is actually pretty simple as long you have the proper equipment available. If your pond is large, you may want to consider enlisting the help of your friends when bagging your Koi.

Use the net to guide the Koi into the Paint Bucket. Once the Koi is in the paint bucket you can remove any excess water, and begin bagging the Koi.

Make sure that you check the bags for leaks. Once you are sure that the bag is secure, place the bag over the Koi from head to tail. Make sure there is enough water in the bag to completely cover the gills. Leave plenty of air room so that the bag is not too heavy to carry. Slip the rubber bands around the end of the bag and continue to double it until the bag is secure.

Place the bags horizontally in your transport container. Make sure that you do not bend the fish when lifting it. Secure the bag so that it will not move with bumps and turns, and cover the fish so that as little heat and sunlight can enter as possible.

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The DISCUS FISH Diet

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Feeding Discus Fish can be challenging at times. While they have no specific nutritional preferences and can be fed on just about any high protein fish food, they're often extremely cautious to new foods and will go without eating for up to 4 weeks before accepting a new food.

This is obviously not very healthy, particularly not for younger fish, so the wise thing to do is to ask what they are being fed at the time of purchase, and then take things from there.

When trying to change their food, do not use the starving technique to get them to eat the new food, but rather feed them with a mix of the foods, and gradually change from one to the other.

The best thing to do is to, over time, get them used to a varied diet, rather than just sticking to one kind of food. So what kinds of food should be part of their diet?

Fish Flakes

Just about any will do - but it's better to stick to a top brand one for quality control purposes. Discus Fish prefer to be fed at midwater to bottom levels so you may have to soak and squeeze the flake food first.

Bloodworm

Definitely a firm favorite with the discus fish, which can and should be used once daily. Make sure you use frozen irradiated worms because there's less chance of them having parasites in them.

Brine shrimp (Artemia salina). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Brine Shrimp

Discus Fish love frozen brine shrimp, and they contain important vitamins and minerals that will enhance the color of the discus fish, and keep them in a good overall shape. Defrost and rinse them before feeding.

Granules and Freeze Dried

On this one, you're spoilt for choice, and they are all good for Discus Fish food. It's a good idea, however, to stick to the top makes (like Tetra Bits) to ensure good quality. Some of the cheaper brands can cause bloating and constipation, because they absorb water, and expand when the fish have eaten them.

Foods to avoid

Beef heart or pork heart has traditionally been fed to Discus Fish to promote good coloration and fast growth - but there are issues with feeding your discus a diet high in mammalian protein. Also, live foods should be avoided as the health risks involved in using them far outweigh the benefits.

Sticking to the menu above is well better - it's simply not worth taking the risk.

General feeding tips

As a rule of thumb - it's better to feed too little than too much - if you're not sure how much food to give. Discus Fish are slow eaters that will graze and pick at their food and should be allowed to do so at their own pace. 5-10 minutes is usually enough for them to eat well. If they are less than that you may want to feed a bit more - but be careful not to overfeed them - because this will affect the water conditions in a negative way.

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Creating a Conducive Environment to Help CORYDORAS Catfish to Breed

Corydoras Habrosus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A lot of fish-keepers love to keep Corydoras catfish in their tanks because of several reasons. They are friendly with other species of fish have, they are peace-loving, they are small in size and they are the best cleaners of the aquarium.

Once you start keeping them, you are obviously interested in breeding them. Sometimes, without any effort on your part, you will find their eggs at the bottom of the tank. This may be due to the fact that they are happy with the conditions of the tank and they are confident that their young ones will also be happy in the same environment.

Well, in such a situation, you obviously do not take any special efforts. However, if such a situation does not occur, you may be interested in breeding them. Here is some advice for you to do it successfully.

The first step in breeding any fish is to create a separate tank. That is very convenient and it increases your chances of success. The tank may not be big but it should be wide so that it will provide good space to Corydoras catfish for swimming at the bottom. It will also provide an opportunity for the new ones to get more oxygen. As these fish do not normally use the upper portion of the tank, you can arrange for a tank of about 10 gallons of capacity available at a reasonable price in the market. 

You should provide sand or small gravel at the bottom of the tank. You should also provide some hiding place for the fish to make them happy. You can also add some plants having big leaves because the females may like to lay eggs on such leaves. You can provide a small filter for cleaning the water. Do not go for a big filter because there is a risk of small fry being sucked into it.

You have to keep Corydoras catfish in groups for successful breeding. They should be kept in the proportion of two females for one male.

You should remember an important thing while breeding Corydoras catfish - they will not breed if they are not happy about the environment. So to make them confident about their surroundings, you should provide a few hiding places, keep the water clean and free of toxic contents, keep the levels of nitrites and ammonia within the limits and if the tank is too small, you should change the water frequently.

To help Corydoras catfish breeding, you should also provide them with plenty of food. They usually like bloodworms, so you should treat them with such food. Remember, the rainy season is considered ideal for the breeding of Corydoras catfish.

After all these preparations, you will find them getting ready for breeding. The female will get fatter, which shows that she is full of eggs and the males will be around her most of the time. At this time, you may change the water to make them comfortable.

The females will store eggs under their fins. They will try to go near the genitals of the mail and will start sucking the sperm. It will pass through her body and will be then sprayed on the eggs.

Once this is done, the females will approach plants or other hiding places where they will lay eggs. At this time, you should remove either the eggs or the parents from the tank because the parents do not take care of the eggs or the fry. The eggs are sticky and you can transfer them without much effort. However, it is better to avoid exposing eggs to open air. The eggs should be kept in a slow flow of water to avoid fungal growth on them. A simple way to do it is to put an air stone at the bottom of the tank.

The color of eggs will be beige and you may also find a spot on them as they approach the time of hatching. The eggs which are not fertile will look white in color. Soon, the new ones will come out.

They will require special food which should preferably be in liquid form. It is available in pet shops. 

After a couple of days, you can provide them with small brine shrimp for proper nutrition. With their growth, you can increase the quantity of food gradually. It is extremely important to look after the conditions of water at this time because the small ones will be very delicate and will not be able to tolerate abnormal conditions.

After about two weeks, you may transfer them to a bigger tank or to the main tank in which you are keeping other species of fish.

By Chintamani Abhyankar Chintamani Abhyankar is a goldfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding goldfish for many years. Article Source: EzineArticles

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The BOSTON AQUARIUM SOCIETY - New England Aquarium Boston

The New England Aquarium, located on the Harborwalk, Boston MA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Boston is the capital of Massachusetts, U.S.A. and the largest city in New England. It has been described as “a state of mind almost entirely surrounded by water”, this is because almost all parts of Boston is water.

A society has also risen from Boston. A specific society that was founded in 1916 is called Boston Aquarium Society. It is the longest running and the second oldest aquarium club in the entire planet today.

The Boston Aquarium Society is focused more on the interests and knowledge that can be taken from the activities made especially for the members of the society. If you want to be a member of the Boston Aquarium Society, you need to stay in this particular society for a long period of time. The society will encourage you to stay longer so you will go out full of knowledge and new ideas. The society has many activities like plant and fish growing projects which allow placing an aquarium in most of the classrooms. If you are an aquarium hobbyist, you will truly enjoy the affordable activities of the Boston Aquarium Society.

A Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) at the New England Aquarium.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Boston Aquarium Society, every member is involved in all the activities and all aspect in growing marine plants and breeding fishes in many ponds. Some members are even members of many associations related to the preservation of marine life. Some members also write about the Boston Aquarium Society in national magazines and newspapers. Aside from being a part of some organizations, Boston Aquarium Society is also a member of The Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies.

Boston Aquarium Society is also focused on giving advanced knowledge to all the members. The members are allowed to donate any type of fish breed, plants, time and knowledge to the society. The society uses these particular donations for the students that visit the place for the educational tour. This will encourage more kids to make some of the activities in the Boston Aquarium Society as a hobby.

They also build programs, seminar and workshops with highly respected and well-educated speaker that can teach you plenty of new ways to improve your knowledge about fishes and other marine creatures. They are more than willing to share their knowledge by giving the members the knowledge they need to learn.

So if you want to improve your knowledge about fishes and other aquatic creatures, be a member of the Boston Aquarium Society. The information you need is just within your reach.

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Getting a PLANT For Your GOLDFISH TANK

Anubias barteri and Anubias heterophylla (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Buying a plant for your goldfish aquarium is a great idea. Your aquarium will look more beautiful and it makes a good meal for the fish. The bad side is that you have to keep buying plants for your tank if your goldfish keep eating it.

There are two types of plants: real and artificial. Any plant can be part of fully submerged. It is your decision on what type of plant you want. It is best not to place it near the filter intake.

If you are a beginner it is recommended to buy an artificial plant. These will last longer than real ones, give your goldfish shelter and most importantly look good. The silk artificial plants could be better than the plastic ones. A goldfish like the Black Moor or Bubble Eye can get their sensitive parts scratched by the plant. So the most important lesson is to decide what kind of plant you want to have in your tank depending on what varieties of goldfish you have.

The real plants are the ones your goldfish eat. If you decide to add a real plant to your aquarium then you should add one at the time so that the ecosystem can adapt to the changes easily. They will also cause changes in Ph levels and if you add too much the Nitrogen Cycle will be affected and you may experience fluctuations in oxygen levels.

Best tips to help you keep algae under control

1. Keep nitrates low by doing 20-30% water changes every week

2. Keep the tank out of direct sunlight

3. Do not leave the UV light more than 8 hours per day

4. Keep phosphates low by removing uneaten food from the tank

5. Buy some snails from the pet shop

You can go now and buy any plant you like from the pet shop with keeping in mind what you have learned. Do not do mistakes or the plant in your aquarium can cause problems for your goldfish.

Florin Iusan is a goldfish enthusiast. He has been keeping and caring for goldfish for over 16 years and he loves doing it. To learn more about getting a Goldfish Plant and how to set up your aquarium visit http://goldfish2care4.com. Article Directory: EzineArticles

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FILTRATION: Necessary process to poison free aquarium water

Filtration system in a typical aquarium: (1) intake, (2) mechanical filtration, (3) chemical filtration, (4) biological filtration medium, (5) outflow to tank (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In order to have poison free aquarium water, the filtration process is very important to the aquarist. Since most aquarists are aware of the fact that their aquarium water gradually accumulates potentially harmful substances, which eventually poison their fishes. In order to prevent this from happening there is a need for filtration, therefore, for our purpose, I would define filtration as the removal of unwanted substances from water.

Most aquarist uses three types:
Biological,
mechanical,
chemical amongst which the biological is the most important.

Biological filtration is also referred to as undergravel filtration because the major equipment used (a flat plate of perforated plastic) is placed under the gravel bed hence it is invisible. Unless you are properly equipped, you can’t see the process happening and cannot measure its effect. Yet this process is the major difference between success and failure, and the aquarist who does not take the time to understand its workings is doomed to watch an endless procession of dying fishes passing through his tank.

Biological filtration is solely the work of bacteria attached to the surfaces of the gravel, the grave and the under gravel filter together constitute the filter bed. Bacteria normally reach the filter bed through the food you give the fishes.

The waste product of the fishes, the air, and even by your hands as you are working in the tank.

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Death of an AFRICAN CICHLID

Pseudotropheus demasoni, Lake Malawi Cichlid (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Touchy, temperamental, beautiful, brilliant. All of these adjectives can be used to describe the African Cichlid. Some of the most beautiful freshwater fish in the world, they are also some of the most fickle. However, if you follow some basic rules, you won't be left saying "Why did my African Cichlid die?"

There are four basic things you need to watch and plan for when raising African Cichlids: water hardness (mineral content), pH, temperature, and space.

Water hardness

African Cichlids are native to lakes that have extraordinarily high levels of minerals. Because of this, aquariums often have to be supplemented with minerals, especially if you want the bright colors that Cichlids are known for. Most aquarium shops will sell mineral additives specifically meant for Cichlid tanks. Do not skimp on good minerals! Using a good filtering substrate - like crushed limestone or coral - will also add minerals to the water.

Alkaline Water

pH is a measure of how acid (low pH) or alkaline (high pH) something is. Water generally has a neutral pH of about 7.0. However, African Cichlids like a higher pH, Most of the African rift lakes where Cichlids are found have pHs above 8.0 for much of the year. While pH can fluctuate from about 7.2 - 9.0 in the wild, for the home aquarium stabilizing around 8.2 will keep your African Cichlids healthy.

If professional aquarium buffers are too expensive for you, you can use a home-made water-hardener that will also raise the pH. For every five gallons of aquarium water, try adding a table of inexpensive Epsom Salts (calcium, magnesium) as well as a tablespoon of baking soda (highly basic, will raise pH), and a teaspoon of a basic aquarium salt.

Temperature

Temperature is perhaps the easiest variable to control, but also one that many people let go. (Who hasn't forgotten to plug an aquarium heater in?) Like most freshwater fish, cichlids have an optimal water temperature in the mid-70s. Be forewarned that warmer temperatures can contribute to higher aggression in your African Cichlids. Try to keep it around 74 degrees

Space

African Cichlids are quite territorial and known to be aggressive. Many people will not raise Cichlids because they think they are doomed to kill one another. This is not true. While Cichlid aggression can be a problem for the inexperienced enthusiast, you can keep it to a minimum by providing the fish with hiding spaces. Note that live plants will die in the high pH water, so better to use fake plants. Other than that, provide lots of rocks. With enough space to stay out of each other's gills, African Cichlids usually do not fight to the death.

Summary

Cichlids may take a little more work than your average aquarium fish, however, they can be successfully kept by even the newest fish enthusiast. By paying attention to pH and mineral content especially, you can have healthy African Cichlids that show their vibrant colors. With a little research and planning, you won't have to say "Why did my African Cichlids die?" Instead, you'll be able to say, "Come look at my awesome aquarium!"

By Erin Feeney - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Tips on FLAME HAWKFISH Care

Photo by brian.gratwicke 

Flame hawkfish or Neocirrhites armatus belong to the family Cirrhitidae. They are indigenous to the Micronesian sub-regions of the western Pacific Ocean. Significant populations exist in Australia's Great Barrier Reef and the Ryukyu Islands where there is an abundance of pocillopora and stylophora coral. These shallow water bottom dwellers make their homes in hard coral formations.

Their descriptive name attributes to two distinct characteristics. Flame is derived from their bright reddish-orange coloration. They have a dark often black horizontal stripe along the curvature of their upper bodies. This stripe very much resembles a Mohawk. However, the word hawk refers to the darkened regions surrounding their eyes. These dark areas are reminiscent of the black circles found around the eyes of many hawks.

This is a rather robust, disease resistant species. They make for good additions to a community tank. They generally ignore non-bottom dwellers. They will, however, demonstrate territorial behavior toward other bottom-dwelling fish. It is therefore recommended that this be the only bottom dwelling fish species in your aquarium. They can grow to a maximum adult length of 4 inches and may live in excess of 10 years.

Whether or not they make suitable marine reef fish depends on the inhabitants in your tank. Their natural diet consists primarily of crustaceans, snails and smaller mollusks. They also have an affinity for hermit crabs. Coral is generally off the menu, especially hard coral. They will view these as a place of natural habitation. This is a diurnal species. It will be most active during the day and will seek shelter at night.

These fish may show a reluctance to feed initially. If they are newly captured they may not eat at all. This could simply be a matter of not recognizing common marine food as a source of nutrition. If feeding becomes problematic try tempting them with a treat similar to what they would eat in nature. Live brine shrimp should do the trick. In time they will learn that dried shrimp, a frozen food developed for carnivores and possibly even flake food are acceptable menu choices.

Flame hawkfish are prone to experiencing a loss in their brilliant coloration in captivity. This is most likely due to an as yet unidentified nutritional deficiency. Regular supplements of vitamin enriched brine shrimp and chopped fresh seafood such as shrimp, squid and crab will help to keep them healthy and prevent a reduction in color intensity. Maintaining an abundant supply of living rock will also prove beneficial.

I nature this species lives in small communal harems. A single male will be accompanied by anywhere from two to ten females. No obvious coloration differences exist between males and females. Males, however, tend to be a bit larger than the females. In the wild mating occurs at dusk. Eggs are left to drift away in the current.

Hawkfish are protogynous hermaphrodites. They are all born as females. If a group of females is introduced into an aquarium, the largest most dominant of the bunch will undergo a morphological transition into a male despite the fact that they are not known to breed in captivity.

By Stephen J Broy Technological advancements in the aquarium industry continually redefine the concept of "home aquarium ownership." Just twenty years ago not even the biggest public aquarium was capable of keeping jellyfish alive in captivity. Now they make desktop Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquariums. And why would you want a jellyfish tank? Perhaps you should check out what the translucent bodies of Pet Moon Jellyfish look like under LED lighting. Pet Jellyfish give a whole new meaning to the term exotic pets. Article Source: EzineArticles

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BLACK BELT CICHLID - Paraneetroplus maculicauda

Black Belt Cichlid - Paraneetroplus maculicauda

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Tips On BREEDING SNAKES

Red milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum syspila)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When you've had some success caring for captive snakes, you might find yourself interested in breeding them. This can be done, but it requires record keeping and attention to many details concerning the living conditions of the snakes. The breeding is generally done in the winter so that the babies are born or hatched in the spring.

Breeding snakes require feeding them well for about four months and then putting them into a cool state of hibernation. To do this, you first need to fatten them up, especially females, for a few months in late summer, then lower the temperature for a few more weeks or months. The exact timing varies with the species, as do the temperature requirements.

Just a quick note about determining the sex of a snake. This skill needs to be learned from an expert. It is a tricky process, sometimes requiring the use of a metal probe to look for the male reproductive organ. Even the most experienced of snake breeders make a mistake now and then.

During the hibernation, the snake is not fed but is provided with fresh water. When the time is up, the snake is gradually warmed up and fed well again for a little while. Then the female and male are placed together. If she resists him, separate them and wait another week. If not, leave them together for a week or so.

A female snake that is developing eggs within is called "gravid." Some species of snake eat well during this time and others don't. The length of time it takes varies even within the same species. Again, the amount of heat provided makes a difference. Most females will shed shortly before laying their eggs.

Some snakes give birth to live offspring instead of laying eggs. The boas are examples of this. The hibernation requirements for these tropical snakes are much less, amounting to just a couple of weeks with low nighttime temperatures. Their humidity needs are higher, and they should be misted daily. With boas, you can add more than one male to the female's enclosure.

Pregnancy takes from 4 to 10 months. The mother to usually eat well during this time, but you should choose smaller food items since her inside body space is getting more crowded. Shedding usually precedes giving birth, but it can be as much as another month before the birth. The litter size can range from 10 to as many as 80 for large, robust females.

In general, snake babies should be removed and placed in separate containers lined with paper towels. The paper towels should be kept moist for the first two weeks. They will shed around this time and can feed on pinkies or fuzzies (young mice) after the shed.

There may be a market for these young reptiles, and the process is certainly fascinating for the hobbyist. Do remember, though, that there are growing numbers of pet snakes being shoved off into rescue shelters because the owners just can't handle them anymore. Be a responsible snake breeder, and make sure your young snakes won't just be more casualties.

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CORAL and its habitat

Gorgonian polyps. Photographed in the reef aquarium of aquarist Mike Giangrasso.
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Corals are a beautiful addition to any saltwater aquarium and they can also have beneficial effects on the miniature semi-ecosystem that exists in a well functioning aquarium.

Corals are living animals that are commonly called sessile invertebrates. What this means is that they are animals that don't have a backbone (like vertebrates do) and that they are generally stuck in one spot and can't move around like most animals can. Corals are usually attached to a rock. Corals consist of many individual polyps. The polyps may have an internal or an external skeleton that is made of calcium carbonate. Each polyp has an oral opening that leads to a gastrovascular tube. There is a lot of variety in the types of food eaten by coral polyps. For example, some corals feed by using their stinging tentacles to catch small fish. Other corals eat microscopic organisms, whereas some coral polyps don't feed at all, and obtain all their nutrition from zooxanthellae  (single-celled algae that live within the coral).

Corals are more complicated to keep that many saltwater fish species, and can, for instance, require more intricate currents, powerful lighting and supreme water quality. Keeping the water temperature in the ideal range is therefore imperative when you keep corals in your aquarium. Reef-building corals prefer quite shallow depths where the light penetration is good and will therefore usually grow at depths of less than 46 meters / 150 feet. The reef-building corals require plenty of strong light since they form a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae. Other coral species can, however, survive without direct sunlight and live much deeper down in the ocean.

Corals should be thoroughly researched beforehand because of their often hefty price tag and demanding water, lighting and feeding requirements. The great part about live rock, aside from the biological importance of using it, is that you can use aquarium silicon sealant to shape the rocks into any type of design you desire. We now have a new term - "rockscaping". You can also use a drill to create small holes in the rock and use PVC pipes to hold them together to make columns or archways. The rockscaping possibilities are endless. Another thing you'll probably need to do is place the rock directly on the tank bottom and not on top of the sand. Sand burrowing species could get injured or worse if you place the rock on top of the sand.

Corals are very popular with aquarium enthusiasts.  Some of the most common corals are now being successfully kept and grown in a rapidly growing number of home aquariums. There are hundreds of species including soft corals, corallimorpharians (mushroom corals), gorgonians, zoanthids, large-polyp stony corals, and small-polyp stony corals.

For the beginner reef aquarium, there are a number of soft corals, that require less light and less than perfect water quality standards, than their hard coral cousins. These soft corals are the better candidates for converting to a fish only or fish only with live rock aquarium tank to a reef tank with corals.

You can have coral in any sort of aquarium/fish tank i.e. fish only tanks, fish only with live rock tanks to a full reef tank.

Moving smoothly from tank to tank isn't really all that difficult. You need to move coral because believe it or not there can be turf wars in coral reef tanks. Corals on the reef compete for space. So do the corals in your aquarium. Corals are still deemed difficult for the average reef tank hobbyist but in my experience, I have not found this to be true.

Corals are found all over the world, even around the poles. Reef-building corals are however only found in warm subtropical and tropical waters. Reef-building corals are present in the Indo-Pacific Ocean and the Western Atlantic. Their habitat is generally limited to the region between 30 degrees N and 30 degrees S latitudes. In the Indo-Pacific Ocean you will find reef-building corals from the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, and eastwards in the Indian and Pacific Oceans all the way over to Panama and a few places in the Gulf of California. In the Western Atlantic corals are living outside Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Belize and around the Caribbean Islands, Bermuda and Bahamas. Reef-building corals will only live where the water temperature is warm enough; 20-28 degrees Celsius / 68-82 degrees Fahrenheit.

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3 Types Of AQUARIUM FISH - Nature And Habitat Explained

1. Angel Fish

This is a fish bigger than most aquarium varieties. The black Angel which comes from the Amazon basin area belongs to this category. Angelfish are also found in areas such as the Rio Tapajos and Orinoco. These fish feed on smaller live bait in the aquarium. They have a deep well-defined body structure. Their fins differ in color. 

They have small, pouted lips and curved eyes. Some of them have black spots which are quite desirable with collectors of ornamental fish. Angelfish normally live in water temperatures of around 72 Fahrenheit, but the water needs to be warmer at 77 to 86 degrees, for them to start breeding. Keep them in subdued lighting conditions. These fish love the natural wild surroundings, so provide lots of plants in the aquarium to keep them satisfied. You need to keep them away from bright lights, which tend to make them a bit nervous. Angelfish have certain bones in the throat region, so do not get alarmed if you hear a noise when they breed.

2. Harlequin Fish

The Rasbora Heteromorpha is a fish from this category. It is similar to the Cyprinidae family, and it is seen in the eastern Sumatra region, Thailand and Malaysia. It is a very attractive species with a thick body shape. It is colored a silver grey which shimmers when it moves. They normally have a patch of blue or black on the body as well. These fish grow up o about an inch and a half in length and they prefer to live in warm waters since they are from the tropical region. Keep the tank around 75-77 degrees if you house these fish. However, when they are breeding the water should be at a warmer level of say 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the lighting subdued and provide ample room for them to swim around, they are quite active.

All Photos Wikipedia (CC)

3. Scat

These fish belong to the Scatophagus Argus category and is closely related to the Scatophagidae. They are found in the eastern region of India. It is colored a brownish gold tone, with a sprinkle of brown spots all over the body. They are larger than other varieties discussed in this article and can grow to over eleven inches in length. Scats are hexagonal in shape. This fish prefers a well-lit area to live in, and you need to add salt to their water to keep them healthy. 3 or 4 teaspoons of salt in 2 to 3 gallons of water should do just fine. You could add sand into their tank rather than gravel, as well as some good hardy plants to make them feel at home. They enjoy eating the live bait, as well as a little from the plants. Use a good filter in their tank and you need to get ready to often change their water.

By Abhishek Agarwal Abhishek is an avid Fish Lover and he has got some great Aquarium Care Secrets up his sleeves! Article Source: EzineArticles

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