ALTUM ANGELFISH - The Rarest of All

Pterophyllum altum - Photo by Joel Carnat

Altum angelfish originally came from Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia. The word Altum is a Latin word that means tall and this fits the fish well because it can grow as 30cm/12” in height and they can get long as 15 cm/6”. These angelfish are the sensitive version of angels. They are not that suitable for keeping as pets because of their timid and sensitive traits plus they could cost a lot ranging from $20-$50. But if you really into this angel, then you must prepare to pay for this amount to acquire this sensitive angel. The suitable and normal range of ph for its water is 4.5-6.5 plus they prefer warmer water with the temperature of 28-30C/82-86F.

Altum Angelfish is one of the largest and colorful cichlids.  They are known for its timid traits that even a small shadow could frighten them. Though they are timid and a bit frightened, when they start to get accustomed to its surroundings, they can be good pet fish. But this fish is not that friendly to smaller fishes in the reefs though they may join the school of other fishes, they still get aggressive and very territorial as they grow older and when they in the breeding stage. It was in the early 1900s when the first altum angelfish was introduced and established in America. There have been numerous colors and patterns available in every pet shop, retailer and wholesalers since then.

Altum Angelfish has a habit of always yawning. Their mouths are larger than any angels. These fishes are very rare and most of the time, you will notice some defects on their skin in a pet shop because of the shipping and sometimes because of the fighting scene from other predators. You will also notice some black pepper-like sprinkles on their skin. This is an infection called black spot disease. Adult altum can grow up to 13 to 15 inches or more. You must provide a large and spacious tank or aquarium for them.

When it comes to the altum angelfish diet, this species is not a picky eater. They most especially like to feed on mosquito larvae, blood worms, Daphnia and some live brine shrimp. They prefer these foods to be frozen first. Make sure to feed them once a day then leave one day out before you feed them again to make sure that they really digested it all. Brine shrimp can also help their digestion and can even prevent constipation. Altums also like to eat the substrate on their tanks which can injure their delicate mouths Though most cichlids are peaceful, altum can be quite aggressive and territorial when it comes to space on their tanks. Make sure to use coarse gravel with more rounded edges to prevent this harm to happen to your altums.

By William Ousley  is a angelfish expert. - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Chaetopterus: The PARCHMENT WORM

Sabellidae sp. (Feather duster worm) with radioles extended (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chaetopterus also is known as parchment worm or parchment tubeworm is a member of the phylum Annelida. The parchment worm is a marine polychaete worm that dwells in the tube which it constructs by sediments or attaches to any coral reef substrate. It is known as parchment worm because of the parchment type of tube the worm makes. 

They are filter feeders and the adults dwell completely throughout their entire lives in the tube unless and until the tube is destroyed or damaged somehow. The young ones feed on planktons which is a typical feature among the phylum Annelida.

The tubes of the worms are either attached to the rocks or are present in the sandy bottom near the shallow waters. The body of the worm is thrown into segments and the whole body is provided with spines which are used for tunnelling while the worm is busy in making the burrow.

The worm is known to make a U-shaped burrow in which it finally lives. The tubes are lined with mucus. The tubes measure 85 cm in length and 4 cm in diameter. The centre of the tube is the widest area. The worm is highly specialized among the polychaetes as the middle segments of the body bear highly specialized parapodia adapted to participate in filter-feeding. The parapodia are large in size and are fan-shaped which are used to create suction and pump water through the tube. The morphology of parapodia is used in the identification of species. The worm feeds by using specialized structures present on the mid-body segments that secrete mucus for trapping the food particles. A flow of water is created by three circular flaps on the three segments that create suction and draws water towards the tube.

They lack any organ capable of detecting light as the worm passes its entire life buried inside the tube. Apart from this sort of habitat few species are known to exhibit bioluminescence. When the worm is disturbed in its burrow it moves away from the point of disturbance and secrets mucus towards the disturbance point which crystallizes and emits bioluminescence of blue colour. Two species of filter-feeding crabs belonging to two different families are known to dwell in the tubes of these worms.

Apart from these two species, a third one is also known to inhabit the worm's tube sometimes.  Polyonyx and Pinnixa are most frequently found to dwell in the tube of the parchment worm. They may be present together also. The breeding pairs do not share the tube with crabs and other species of animals. The crabs generally tend to dwell in the tubes and leave the tubes only when disturbed.

By Navodita Maurice - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Breeding the Beautiful DWARF GOURAMI

Colisa Lalia bubble nest Category: Gourami images (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sexing

The male Dwarf Gouramis of all the colour variations are brightly coloured, while the females of most colour variations are relatively drab in appearance. However, the Coral Blue Dwarf Gourami is an exception to this in that the Female is also a beautiful Coral Blue colour and is scarcely inferior in colour to the male. The one thing common to all the colour variations is that the males all have some red on them while the females have almost no red.

Breeding

It is extremely unlikely that the dwarf Gouramis will succeed in breeding and raising babies with other fish in the tank. So you need to set up a tank specifically for their breeding. Some people have succeeded with tanks as small as 20 Litres (5 US Gallons), but I prefer a tank of at least 50 litres (13 US gallons).

The temperature should be about 27 degrees C (81 degrees F), and the pH neutral or slightly acidic. The hardness should be no higher than 10 dH. Normally the water level is lowered to about 20 centimetres (8 inches). Although I certainly recommend doing this, I have also succeeded in breeding this fish with much deeper water.

The breeding tank should be very well planted with a variety of types of plant, and including some floating ones.

You should only have one male present, but he can handle more than one female.

Nest

The Dwarf Gourami is a bubble nest builder. Unlike most of the Gouramis, the male usually incorporates some floating plants into their nest. As well as actual whole floating plants he may also incorporate bits of plants that he has broken off and chewed. The nest is relatively large compared with the size of the fish as well as being more elaborate than that of most gouramis.

Spawning

The male will entice a female under the nest. They may have a few trial matings. The male wraps his body around the female, turning her on her side or upside down and he releases his sperm at the same time as she releases her eggs. Any eggs that do not float up into the nest the male will pick up with his mouth and put into the nest. One female can lay up to 800 eggs.

After spawning with one female, the male will entice another one under the nest and this can continue until he runs out of females ready to breed. The total spawning procedure can take several hours. After spawning the male will add another layer of bubbles to the underside of the nest. He will defend his nest and the eggs. The females will need to be removed without disrupting the nest.

Raising the Fry

The eggs should hatch in 12-24 hours, and the fry should be free swimming in about 3 days. It is safer for the male to be removed once the fry is free-swimming.

Dwarf Gourami fry is very small. Some people cannot even see them with the naked eye, so babies will need microscopic food for some time. Often the first food to be given to them is green water. This is water with so many free-swimming algae that it looks green. The babies will grow and be able to eat bigger microscopic food, generally referred to as infusoria. After a while, they will be able to graduate to bigger food like newly hatched brine shrimp and screened Daphnia.

Live food is best for the babies, but this can be supplemented with commercial fry foods.

Filtering

A filter is necessary, but a normal power filter would suck up many of the babies. People have different ways of solving this problem. Some people put a thin cloth over the water inlet of the filter to stop the fry being sucked in. My preferred solution is to use a sponge filter.

By Steve Challis - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Fact Sheet: ORANDA GOLDFISH

(Original title: Oranda Goldfish Care Guide)

An orange oranda (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Basic Oranda Goldfish Care Facts:

Oranda Goldfish are characterized by the bubble-like growth on their head. This fascinating growth is called a "wen". Oranda goldfish's wen can grow to be very large. For larger Oranda, this can lead to some sight impairment as well as swimming issues. These fish can be very awkward swimmers and this problem increases as the wen grows, making the Oranda goldfish more and more top-heavy.

Tank Requirements:

Oranda goldfish can grow to be 8-12" in length. These fish's egg-shaped bodies also take up a lot of space in an aquarium. Because of this size, it is recommended that in order to provide adequate Oranda Goldfish Care you should have a tank of at least 20-30 gallons. This tank should be larger if you are housing more than one fish.

Another important part of Oranda goldfish care is water aeration. Goldfish, in general, tend to be oxygen hogs. To keep your fish happy and healthy it is best to have a tank with good surface area exposed to air. This, matched with a quality filter, can help make sure the water is moving enough and the oxygen content in the water remains high. If you see your fish tends to hang around the top of the water this could be a sign of oxygen deprivation. The best solution is to increase the water movement at the surface of the water or add an air pump that can use bubbles to increase oxygen content.

Tanks for this fish should also provide adequate filtration. While the Oranda is a hardy goldfish good for beginners - it can also be a very messy fish. It is recommended to keep a filter that runs 10x the aquarium volume per hour. This is especially necessary if you are housing multiple fish in one tank.

Tankmates:

Because this fish is beautiful, wen can make it very top-heavy, it is a very awkward and slow swimmer for a fish. To give the best Oranda goldfish care possible it is best to abstain from housing this goldfish with faster, more agile fish. It is also advisable to keep aquarium decorations that are smooth and avoid any sharp edges that an Oranda could cut itself on. Like all goldfish, the Oranda does not make a suitable tank mate for tropical fish because of the differences in size, preferred temperature and diet.

Breeding Oranda:

Oranda goldfish are egg layers. They will find a suitable place in the tank to lay their eggs and the male will fertilize them. Once the eggs are laid the goldfish's parenting duties are over. If you are hoping to raise some of the fries you will want to have a second tank to move the parents to after the eggs are fertilized as they will eat their own eggs!

If you are trying to breed Oranda you will need to know the sex of the fish. This can be very difficult to decipher as both sexes are very similar. In most cases, female Oranda will be larger than males - but the only way to tell is by watching them mate or venting the fish. A good LFS might be able to vent the fish at the time of purchase.

While Oranda goldfish care is pretty simple, it should be taken seriously. These beautiful fish can live to be over 20 years old!

By Jonathan Lebowski -Article Source: EzineArticles

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Dwarf Gourami IRIDOVIRUS

Gourami (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

General Hardiness

Over forty years ago I first kept and bred Dwarf Gouramis. At that time they could reasonably be described as a hardy fish. Unfortunately the ones we get nowadays have lost much of this hardiness. This loss of hardiness seems to have been caused by several different things.

They have been selectively bred, producing a number of different colour variations. It is likely that many of these are inbred, and suffer from the lack of vigour frequently caused by inbreeding.

Most of the Dwarf Gouramis bred in places like Singapore will have been kept in controlled conditions and individuals which would have died out quickly in the wild will have survived and often been used for breeding. Related to this is that in captivity fast growth would have been selected for, and particularly fast growth under the near forcing diets fed to commercially bred fish. The fast-growing fish are often not as hardy as wild ones.

Disease

Related to the lack of hardiness in many commercially bred Dwarf gouramis is the fact that many of them are diseased. They are susceptible to normal aquarium fish diseases, but one is of particular concern. This is the Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus.

This disease kills the Dwarf Gouramis slowly, sometimes taking as long as a year to kill them. The symptoms include wasting of the fish and there is little doubt that before this disease was identified, fish tuberculosis was blamed for some of the deaths from this virus. This virus may have become a problem because of the extensive inbreeding of this fish in Singapore.

Many virus diseases are specific to a single species, and it is frequently reported that only Dwarf Gouramis can get the Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus. However, there are also many conflicting reports.

One study by a team led by Professor Richard Whittington of the University of Sydney, Australia found a 99.95% genetic similarity between the Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus and a virus outbreak in 2003 that killed farmed Murray Cod, Maccullochella peelii peelii. A test showed that Murray Cod can be infected with the Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus, and had 90% mortality.

There is fear that the Mosquitofish (Gambusia species) can act as a carrier for this virus and aid its spread through wild fish populations. This virus has also been reported as affecting swordtails.

One of the problems with these reports is that there are many types of fish Iridoviruses. Some of them will kill or make the fish ill while others seem to have no bad effects on the fish. To really find out what is happening would take a major research effort.

Several internet articles say that 22% of Dwarf Gouramis coming out of Singapore have this virus. This figure is actually based on a study of Dwarf Gouramis in Australian retail aquarium shops. The study found that 22% of these fish were infected with this virus. All the tested fish had been imported from Singapore. The fairly reasonable jump was made to state that 22% of the Dwarf Gouramis coming out of Singapore were infected.

Of course, all the tested fish would have been through quarantine and any fish showing signs of the disease would have been destroyed. If any batch of fish had a lot of diseased specimens the whole batch would have been destroyed. If an importer loses a whole batch of fish he has lost a lot of money and would look for another supplier.

At least one normally reputable internet site says that most of the fish coming out of Singapore are infected is a very worrying figure, but it certainly is not "most".

Government Action Needed Now!

The trade-in ornamental fish is a major part of Singapore's trade. If there is a problem this serious with Singapore's fish, it needs to be fixed.

Some years ago, a large ornamental fish farm in Australia had a serious problem with fish disease. With government help, they systematically eradicated the disease. This fish farm now has an extremely good reputation for the quality of their fish. Unfortunately, they do not breed Dwarf Gouramis.

The government of Singapore needs to recognise that there is a serious problem and to solve it before Singapore's export trade in fish is ruined.

By Steve Challis - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Some Secrets with the DISCUS FISH

Photo by Lee Nachtigal

Definitely one of the more attractive and popular freshwater fishes, the discus fish has been a mainstay in many aquariums all around the globe. Although the fish commands a high price, many people have sought its presence because of its beautiful patterns and color, and they are virtually easy to keep. If you have always wanted a discus fish but are afraid that you might just waste them, then here are a couple of discus fish secrets which will allow you to not only keep them healthy but also keep them happy inside your freshwater aquarium.

Discus fish secrets are not really old age secrets that only a few know. Many of these secrets are open secrets and can be easily learned from a multitude of sources. There are many books that can share these secrets with you and this is due to the rising popularity of the discus fish as an aquarium pet. Some people may find keeping discus fish very difficult while some find it easy, but it’s all about discovering these secrets which spell the difference, and one of the biggest secrets is the environment in which the discus fish lives in.

First off, you need to know that the discus fish has a shy character. You should equip your aquarium with different corals or coral-like ornaments that the discus fish can hide in or at least have some privacy. If these are not available, you can buy some potted plants. These are also good places where the fish can spawn. You should also keep your tank in a quiet area in your home away from the noise so as not to startle the fish. Failure to do so will stress out the fish and can cause anxiety which can lead to their early demise.

Speaking of the tank, because the discus fish is quite large as compared to others, you should have a large enough tank to hold them. A 20 to 27-gallon aquarium would do fine. This way, you can have enough space to hold your discus fish and your aquarium ornaments and if you breeding them, future space for their spawn.

Another well-known secret in raising discus fish is providing them with a good diet. A good diet must be a varied diet, which can include some blood worms, beef heart, tetra pieces, and some frozen or fresh brine shrimp. Remember not to overfeed them and to clean any leftover food. If left inside the tank, the food can turn the water and sicken the discus fish.

And with any fish, the water is the most important. This is their habitat; it should be kept clean at all times. With the discus fish, being that they originate from the Amazon River where there is a warm climate, the water inside your tank should simulate the temperature which is around 25-30 degrees Celsius. Anywhere in the middle would just be perfect. You should also monitor the acidic level of the water kept at a pH level of 6 to 6.5.

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GOLD-FINNED BARB - Puntius sachsii

Gold-finned Barb - Puntius sachsii

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Why Would Anyone Lick a BUFO ALVARIUS TOAD?

Sonoran Desert Toad (Bufo alvarius) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you have ever heard of the Psychedelic Toad or about people licking toads to get high, it is most likely they were talking about Bufo Alvarius. Also called the Sonoran Desert toad and the Colorado River toad, Bufo Alvarius is unique because of its venom. These large toads have glands that produce a milky white venom that is composed of as much as fifteen percent the alkaloid 5-methoxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MEO-DMT). This is a powerful hallucinogen, the mind-altering effects of which were discovered in the late 1950s. 5-MEO-DMT is the active ingredient of hallucinogens used traditionally by several South American tribes.

The fact that a toad secretes a substance that can alter the human mind may lead to speculation about the "Frog Prince" fairy tale. In this folk legend, a woman finds a frog in the wild, kisses it, and it turns into a handsome prince. Could this ancient tale actually be based on fact? After all, if someone were to lick not a frog but the right kind of a toad, perhaps she might experience hallucinations that made her imagine the amphibian was transforming into a handsome prince. This theory is merely speculation, of course. In reality, licking the venom of toads or any other animal may be highly dangerous and is certainly not recommended.

Albert Most, the author of "Bufo Alvarius: The Psychedelic Toad of the Sonoran Desert" does not discuss the licking of toad venom in his text. Rather, his information involves drying and then smoking the toad venom in order to achieve what he calls "almost overwhelming psychedelic effects." These effects are evidently not unlike those generated by LSD, in which hallucinations, visual illusions and distortions of the perception occur. The episode is relatively short, however, perhaps as little as fifteen minutes, after which, Most writes, "There is no hangover or harmful effect."

It has been reported that Bufo Alvarius toads have been an element in the rituals of native shamans for hundreds of years. Returning to ancient European folklore, witches are often associated with toads. Toads supposedly give warts to people, and witches were frequently portrayed with large warts. In our more enlightened age, it is now known that so-called witches were more likewise women, possessing useful knowledge about medicinal herbs and plants. Could it be that these wise women were also aware of the powerful effects of toad venom?

Literature published by the California State Department of Fish and Game states that the problem of people trying to become intoxicated from licking the skin of toads or smoking dried toad venom is sufficiently extensive that laws against toad licking have been passed by some states, and that toad venom is currently classified as a controlled substance.

By Robert Scheer - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Bring the CLOWN LOACH's Natural Habitat Into Your Aquarium!

Chromobotia macracanthus syn. Botia macracanthus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Clown loach fish are only found in Indonesia (specifically on Borneo and Sumatra). They live in murky backwater rivers where the water may be moving swiftly or standing still. The waters are densely vegetated and there is plenty of food for the feisty bottom-feeding clown loaches. They are omnivorous and often enjoy eating crustaceans in the area or nibble on plants in the water. Borneo and Sumatra both straddle the equator so the temperature is quite high for most of the year. 

The temperature of the waters that the clown loach lives in hovers around 74-85 degrees Fahrenheit (23-29 degrees Celsius). They live in large groups and densely populate the river beds. It is in the clown loaches nature to hide and they love hiding in spaces that they can barely fit into or dig themselves into the river bed with only their head sticking out.

How can you use this basic information in designing a comfortable aquarium for clown loaches to live in?

First and foremost, the clowns love to have places to hide and plenty of vegetation. You can build little caves with rocks or buy cave objects at the store. You can use old plastic piping, or that old model car you use to play with when you were younger. You can use pretty much anything to make a hiding place for a clown loach, but you want to make sure that there are no sharp edges. Since they enjoy squeezing into areas that are probably too small for them to be squeezing into you don't want them to get caught on sharp edges and injure themselves. 

As for the vegetation, pretty much anything will do, but if you want to go all out you can use plants that grow in Borneo's or Sumatra's rivers; for example, Cryptocoryne wendtii, Pista stratiotes, or Nuphar japonicum. The older the clowns become the more they like to nibble on vegetation, so stick to the fast-growing and robust species of plants.

Clown loaches sometimes dig themselves into the substrate of an aquarium, so make sure there is nothing sharp in the substrate since it may do them harm. It is also a good idea to create a current in the aquarium that the clown loaches can swim against. They are fast swimmers and they can grow to be quite large (up to 12 inches or 30 centimeters). That being said, you may have to upgrade to a larger aquarium. For full-grown clown loaches, a 125 gallon (540 Litre) tank is recommended. This is one of the reasons that buying a clown loach is a long-term commitment. They can live to be more than 10 years old!

After the setup and organization of the clownfish tank, there is still the problem of water quality. They are very sensitive to the water quality and they become sick much more easily than most other aquarium fish. Their natural waters have a pH that tends to be acidic (pH = 5-7) and water hardness between 7 and 12. After achieving those properties in your tank and keeping the water temperature between about 74-85F (23-28C) your clown loaches should be pretty happy.

Don't forget that clown loaches get lonely really easily and when they're lonely they get stressed, their growth may stunt, their colors may fade (don't confuse this is with the 'graying out' of their colors with age) and they may die young. So, always keep your clowns in a group of at least 5 and they should be as happy as peas in a pod.

The process of analyzing a fish's natural habitat and then trying to mimic it in an aquarium is known as biotyping. It is an idea that is recommended by many aquarists.

By Bjorn Allpas - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Five Ways to Help Your AQUARIUM PLANT Survive

Bacopa monnieri

Live aquarium plants can be a beautiful addition to an aquarium, whether you have it stocked with fish or not. But many aquarium owners who have trouble keeping their plants alive finally give up populate their aquarium with artificial plants. But keeping your plants alive and healthy is not really that difficult if you know what they like and need. Here are some of the main reasons that aquarium plants end up dying or not thriving well.

Failing to provide enough light for your plant. Light is extremely important for a plant. You can provide a plant with buckets of food and nutrients, but if you don't give it enough light, it won't last long. Now these days, most of the tanks that you find will come with a light attached to the tank top. Alternatively, it will come with pre-drilled holes that have been set up to allow you to install a light relatively easily. Lacking that, many acrylic tanks will let you drill your own holes so that you can install the lighting yourself. On the other hand, another absolutely acceptable choice is to simply place your aquarium on the south side of your apartment or house, near a window where it will be sure to get plenty of light.

Failure to secure the plant roots. If your plant has been doing well for a while and all of a sudden the leaves begin to turn brown and fall off, it may be a simple matter of the roots having come loose. Roots often come loose in aquariums, especially if you have rowdy fish that love to dig. In this case, simply replant or reposition the plant making sure that the roots are well covered and secure. If the plant is new, however, the browning leaves may simply be the plant adjusting to its new home. Most plants experience "environmental shock" when being transplanted from one place to a brand new place. Simply give it time to adjust and it should be fine.

Plant crowding. Plants need room to grow. In a crowded aquarium, you have too many plants fighting for too few resources. Give your plants plenty of room to grow by providing it with a large enough aquarium to accommodate it's future growth spurts. If it starts to get a bit unwieldy, it also helps to trim it every once in a while to control it's growth.

The wrong plant in the wrong environment. Plants are living things. And like all living things they do better in some environments than in others. You may have fallen in love with the most perfect, beautiful tropical plant to your eyes. But, if you live in the northern part of Alaska, chances are your plant is not going to survive. Many times the cause of a dying plant can be traced directly back to it not being right for the environment it has been moved to.

Many times the fault lies with the purchasing. Not all animal stores or fish stores are set up to deal with plants. To most of them, plants are just a sideline. One red flag is the number of plants that the store has for sale. If they have just a few types of plants and rather small stock, odds are that they aren't very knowledgeable about the types of plants that you may need. If any of the plants that a store has are yellowing or brown, or if the plants seem to be loosely planted and not well cared for, it's probably best to look elsewhere. The last thing that you want to do is to introduce a diseased plant into your aquarium.

Jim F. Johnson - Article Directory: Article Dashboard

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The Truth about Automatic FISH FEEDERS

With the world going after everything automatic, even fishes want to have their utilities to be automatic! And seriously enough, why should the fishes be left behind?

The Problem with Manual Feeding

You can’t really give the same amount of feed every time. Feeding fishes manually has this drawback where the amount of feed given is purely based on approximation. And fishes as we all know are a greedy lot. They do not know when to stop and can go on eating until everything you gave is exhausted; they might even die due to overeating.

In case you’re out for work, who will feed your fishes? You don’t really expect your dog to do the job for you; or do you?

Even when you’re not out for a long period of time, feeding fishes at regular intervals becomes next to impossible especially if you have a job that has no fixed working hours.

Automatic Fish Feeders

Automatic fish feeders are not only for the aquarium but are for the ponds too. Actually, this concept of automatic fish feeding came from the ponds and has been in use for a long time. Only recently, it was inducted for domestic use in aquariums. The advantages of using an automatic fish feeder are many.

Number of Feeds:  Some advanced feeders have the capacity to provide your fish with food up to 8 times a day! Surely, there are fishes which eat less but eat frequently! You can vary the number of feeds depending on the type of fish you have. The bigger number of feeders are suitable for use in ponds and other large areas.

Type of Feed: With greater advancements in technology, the fish feed comes in pellets, flakes, or in the crumbled form. Earlier there was a problem in providing the desired type of feed for the fishes. But now, the dispenser opening comes in a universal size which allows the easy dispensing of almost any size and shape of the feed particle.

Holding Size: You may not require a large holding size of the feed for domestic and small aquariums, but with larger fish breeding water bodies, the holding size also increases. The popular ones can hold weights of 50 grams of food. The hopper is also an integral part of the holder and provides easy feed to the aquarium.

Avoid Moisture: The big problem with fish feed is that if it comes into contact with moisture, it gets spoiled. Modern automatic fish feeders can hold feed in the absence of moisture.

Automatic feeders are the next-gen aquarium utilities that help you administer the right amount of feed for your well-kept fishes. No doubt that these are great investments for your aquarium and the fish. The fishes are no longer crying foul!

Article Directory: Article Dashboard

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FRONTOSA CICHLID - What You Need to Know About This Species!

Cyphotilapia frontosa with fry in mouth 

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Frontosa Cichlid is an incredibly magnificent and docile fish that would swim around the tank peacefully unless intimidated. They have this blue or white body accented with black bands that run vertically along the body. However, frontosa is more copious in blue color. They have the ability to grow quite largely about a foot or so in length when mature and with the right and proper water conditions and care will optimize the life span of 25 years.

So much more this variety is complaisant to other tank mates as long as they are provided with capacious room for all the cichlids to swim but may tend to be territorial and will act aggressively towards any fish that will tempt to enter their domain.

It is also best to take note that this cichlid will grow huge and agile when threatened therefore it is not good to use rocks with sharp edges as aquarium decor or anything that may injure them must be taken out.

An appropriate aquarium size would be 75 to 100 gallons in size though a larger tank is better. Choose a longer tank and not the deep sized aquarium. The substrate may be sand or fine gravel and incorporated with caves that can be used for hiding. The pH level should be kept at 8 and maintained with a consistent temperature of 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Frontosa cichlids feed mainly on small fishes in the wild, so they will definitely thrive with a feeder fish occasionally. Although they can also be fed with live or frozen krill, Mysis, shrimp, and worms. Fry's enjoys pellets and flakes but once they reach about 5 inches in length and as they mature tend to refuse foods like flakes.

They are generally compatible with most other fish variety of the same size and are classified as semi-aggressive cichlid. But be careful not to place them with smaller fish, they are in danger of being eaten. Lake Tanganyikan, Clown loaches, and larger plecos are your best choice.

They are slow-growing fish and will take at least three years for them to fully mature and get ready to breed. His color is the full determinant that your cichlid is ready to breed; they usually exhibit a vividly blue tone color while the female egg tube will start to protrude when she is ready to spawn.

When ready for breeding, the best ratio is to have four females to one male. In this way, it will aid in optimizing the success of breeding. Primarily, the male will choose a location in the tank where he can release his sperm most likely in a cave, and at the same time, the female is right behind him and ready to release her egg into the sperm.

When the eggs are totally out that is about 50, the female cichlid will then scoop them up into her mouth for incubation. Find out more on how to breed frontosa cichlid, get to see how amazing it is to breed and raise them in as much as keep them in aquariums.

By Lacey Bryant - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Breeding the AFRICAN LONG-FINNED TETRA

"Brycinus longipinnis". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.

Sexing

The sexes of the African Long-Finned Tetra () are easy to distinguish. To me, the most obvious difference is in the dorsal fin. In the males, it is longer and more pointed while in females it is shorter and rounded. The males grow a little bigger than the females, and the body of the males tends to be deeper than that of the females. The anal fin of the male tends to be convex and edged in white while that of the females to be straight or concave.

Breeding in the Wild

Some observations suggest that in the wild an African Long-Finned Tetra school may breed over an extended period, laying a few eggs each day over plants. It is a reasonable guess that this versatile fish has several different breeding strategies in the wild adapted to the wide range of habitats it lives in.

Breeding in an Aquarium

The African Long-Finned Tetra can be bred either as a school or in a pair. This is not an easy tetra to breed but people who make a serious attempt may succeed. The parents need to be very well conditioned on high protein foods. The water in the breeding tank should be soft and acid. Plants, preferably fine-leaved ones, need to be present. The fish may not spawn the first day, but with luck will spawn within a few days. As with many fish, the most common time for this fish to spawn is the early morning. The actual spawning may be stimulated by the early morning light. I suggest that the breeding tank be situated to allow this light to fall on the aquarium.

About 200-300 eggs are laid per female. The eggs are 2-2.5 mm in diameter and are orange. The parents have been reported to not eat their own eggs. There have not been enough reports of this to be sure if this is normal. Certainly, if they do not eat their own eggs this is unusual behavior for an egg scattering tetra. The eggs hatch in 4-6 days. The babies are about 7 mm long. This is bigger than the fry of most egg scattering small fish.

Raising the Babies

Despite the large size of the African Long-Finned Tetra babies they have small mouths and need infusoria (protozoa) for the first few days. After this, they can eat newly hatched Brine Shrimp and other tiny live food. The live food of suitable sizes can be supplemented with liquid and dry fry foods.

The fry needs frequent feeding and plenty of space to grow. Great care needs to be taken with the water quality, avoiding any build-up of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. For the early stages, an air operated foam filter may be the safest type to use.

By Steve Challis - Article Source: EzineArticles

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BASSLETS - A Guide For the Marine Aquarium

Black Cap Basslet (Gramma melacara)
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Marine basslets are small, meat-eating marine aquarium fish that are very well represented in the hobby. The overwhelming majority of them are somewhere between 2 to four inches in length and appear in a broad assortment of colors. They are all strictly meat-eaters and are typically some of the easiest fish to provide for in the saltwater aquarium. They are located in a variety of depths and are usually connected to habitats that have a lot of caves.

Basslets are found from a selection of families in addition to genera. Some of the more admired basslets in the trade come from the genus Liopropoma, Gramma, and Serranus.

The most popular among them is undoubtedly the Royal Gramma. Not to be mixed up with the bicolor dottyback. Marine basslets from the genus Liopropoma are several of the most sought after marine fishes in the trade and can cost more than $600 for rare deepwater species just like the beautiful candy basslet.

All basslets are considered exceedingly hardy fishes that typically do well in captivity. Owing to their eating habits, small fishes and invertebrates are not safe around them. Crustaceans to avoid are made up of sexy shrimp, small pistol shrimp for example Randall's pistol shrimp as well as any saltwater aquarium fishes that is small enough to put in into their mouths. Even as they can be taught to accept dry foods like pellets or flakes, they have a propensity to accept frozen foods a lot faster. As a result, some of the most popular fish feeds for the basslets consist of staple frozen foods for instance frozen mysis shrimp, krill along with an assortment of seafood mixes such as prime reef.

In their natural habitats, they are caught individually or dwelling in pairs. They are frequently found living in or in the region of live rock that offers them plenty of hiding spaces. Such a rockscape ought to be reflected in captivity if you plan to keep these stunning fish.

For the most part, the majority of the frequent basslets have not been bred in captivity. The staple Royal Gramma sees the most attempts but as a result of its low value, such activities have not garnered much interest from private breeders or large scale breeders. The one genera that are worth looking into is Liopropoma as they are normally deep-dwelling fishes that command high prices.

By Indran Manickam - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Cichlid - How to Keep and Breed GOLD SEVERUM CICHLIDS

Photo  by veress_szilard

Gold severum cichlids are a native of South America. They are also known as Hero Cichlids or Banded gold severuCichlids. They are of the larger types of cichlids and can grow up to 20cm in length.

Male and female gold severum cichlids basically have the same color although the females appear to be paler than the males. The only other difference in their color is that the females do not have the same pattern on their heads as the males.

Baby cichlids will have clearer patterns on their bodies. These patterns consist of 7 to 8 stripes on their bodies. By the time these baby cichlids mature, these patterns will not be as visible and my even reach a point where only bar will only be clearly visible.

To make these cichlids happy, you'll need to keep them in a big enough aquarium. To keep gold severum cichlids on a proper diet, make sure you feed them enough vegetables which means sticking to their natural diet as much as possible although this type of cichlid will eat almost anything.

These cichlids are generally mild-mannered and shy and will mix with active fishes of the same size and habits as itself. The water temperature that is right for the cichlids should be kept between 72F to 79F.

Although these cichlids are shy in nature, when it comes to breeding they are pretty aggressive and because of this nature, it is best to set up a separate tank especially for your breeding gold severum cichlids. The initial breeding process will take some time though as these cichlids are known for being picky when it comes to choosing their breeding partners. Gold severum cichlid broods can be as large as containing 1000 eggs at each spawn.

By Taylor Fox - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Simple BEARDED DRAGON Facts

(Original Title: Catapult Your Success With These Simple Bearded Dragon Facts)

Bearded Dragon lizard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Bearded Dragon lizard is capable of living a healthy and active life in captivity.  They do well when they are able to interact with both their owner and other bearded dragons.  Here are some interesting facts that will aid in healthy and happy bearded dragon care.

The bearded dragon lizard originated in Australia.  There are six to seven species of Australian dragons.  The most predominant species in the Pogona vitticeps, also known as Amphibolurus vitticeps.  Virtually all bearded dragons that have been captively bred have come to the United States from Germany.  There have not been any legally exported bearded dragons come from Australia.

The bearded dragon lizard will breed very well in captivity.  With a proper egg nesting area and incubation, the female bearded dragon will produce multiple clutches of eggs per year.  These captive bearded dragons tend to be healthier than the wild-caught bearded dragon lizards and are often free of pesticides.

Birth defects in captive bearded dragons are rare and most populations survive quite well. Bearded dragon breeding has also produced numerous different colours of bearded dragons, although they are still of the same species.

An early sign of inbreeding causing problems in captively bred bearded dragons is that the bearded dragon will not grow to its full adult size.  If you intend to breed your bearded dragons, you should ask your breeder what lines your bearded dragon lizards come from so that you may avoid those lines.  Inbreeding also occurs when bearded dragons are sold to pet stores.  People buy these dragons not realizing that they are related and then breed them.

Bearded dragons are like any other reptile and they may carry Salmonella.  This is a bacterium that causes food poisoning and can sometimes be lethal.  This is especially true for children that have an immuno-compromised condition.  Careful handling of the bearded dragon lizard will ensure that you remain healthy along with your bearded dragon pet.

Bearded dragons require regular vet checkups as well as.  Check with local veterinarians to see if they are familiar with reptiles.  If your vet is not, ask him if he can refer to you one that is.  You may also check with the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Vets for recommending reptile veterinarians near you.

Bearded dragons will go through a moulting process like other reptiles.  The bearded dragon lizard adult may exhibit signs of depression during this phase.  They will enjoy a warm bath to help remove their shedding skin.

A warm bath is also another way to make your bearded dragon eliminate before handling him or her.  There is nothing worse than having a bearded dragon eliminate in your lap.  Before handling, place the bearded dragon in warm water.  The warm water will make it eliminate and you will feel safer with your bearded dragon in your lap.

Bearded dragons should have a wide variety of choices in their diet.  The bearded dragon should not, however, be fed meat such as beef or chicken.  Meat contains too much protein and the bearded dragon will suffer from kidney problems or failures.

Avoid feeding crickets that are too large.  Crickets should be no larger than the distance between the eyes of your bearded dragon.  Baby bearded dragons should be fed one quarter inch crickets and juvenile bearded dragons may be fed half-inch crickets.  These crickets are generally around two-weeks old.  Babies will be eager to eat larger crickets but they are unable to digest these and may die from impactions.

Crickets can be tricky to manoeuvre from their box to a cricket holding tank.  One method is to place the cricket box in a plastic bag.  Open the box in the bag and shake the crickets out into the bottom of the bag.  Remove the box and then place the bag in the tank.  The crickets should slide easily out of the bag as there is nothing for them to grip onto. This is also a good way to feed crickets to your bearded dragons.

Bearded dragons will change their feeding patterns with age.  A young bearded dragon will be ready to eat on a moments notice while the adult bearded dragon may eat one day but not the next.  This is especially true during the winter months.

The bearded dragon will be tempted to munch on your houseplants.  There are a few houseplants that are okay for the bearded dragon to eat.  Plants such as ficus, geraniums, hibiscus, petunias, pothos and violets.  There are some houseplants that are treated with systemic pesticides, this means that the plant has taken the pesticide into its system and it will have to grow out to remove the pesticide.  This will generally take six to twelve weeks.

These bearded dragon facts should aid you in the care of your bearded dragon.  The bearded dragon will live a healthy and long life if it receives proper care and nutrition.

By Nigel Titley - Article Source: EzineArticles

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