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.
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.
Have you ever been to a pet store and as you looked at the fish tanks you noticed something kind of weird? You began to observe it and after a while, it looked kind of neat. You read the label and you see that this weird, neat thing is called an anemone. Your mind immediately begins to race as you think of how cool it would look in your tank. Well, the truth is that it would look cool.
However, you should understand a couple of things about the anemone first. So let's take a brief look at a few common facts you should know. First, let's look at how to pick out the right anemone. Try to figure out something about your desired anemone ahead of time. This will make it much easier to tell if something is wrong. If you see an anemone with short tentacles that should have long ones then that might mean this particular one is not healthy.
Also look for spots on it that may be torn, especially near the bottom. If this is torn then it may not be able to attach to anything. Proper color should also be something to look for in judging its health. Now that you know a few tips for picking out your anemone let's look at some guidelines for keeping your anemone. For one, there should be no possible way for it to get sucked into the filtration on your tank. A good way to prevent this is to cut the end off of some tights and place it over the filtration. Also, good water quality is a must. Anemones can be sensitive to the water in which it is placed and therefore water quality must be good at all times.
Lighting should be of high quality as well. Anemones thrive with a high light source and metal halides are recommended. Feeding can be different for every particular anemone. Test it out to see how yours does with different techniques. Usually feeding a couple times a week using frozen brine shrimp is adequate and the use of various minerals will also help. If the anemone continues to look healthy this is a sign that it is being fed properly. If it is not then try feeding more often with various types of food. Last, let's look at keeping an anemone with coral. This can be a little tricky because some anemones like to travel around the tank at times.
This may not be good, because this means it has not found a good place in which it is comfortable. If this is the case then you might want to consider waiting until it has found its "comfort zone" before adding any coral. When placing coral with an anemone make sure there is plenty of room between it and the coral. If they touch one another it could cause death for both since many corals sting as well as anemones. Plan things out before you consider keeping both.
So now you know a couple of things relating to the anemone. Once you get the hang of keeping one, it is safe to say that there is nothing really quite like it. To see an anemone flowing to the current in your tank and the possible clownish or two making it their host is simply amazing. Good luck on this marvelous journey and I hope you have great success with your new anemone!
The females grow bigger than the males and usually have a horizontal brown coloured stripe. The males have a more pointed anal fin.
Inbreeding condition, it is very easy to distinguish males from females: males are yellow-orange with a bright yellow dorsal fin and the underside of the abdomen velvety black, orange and blue on the neck, while females are almost uniformly brown.
Breeding
An increase in temperature will help to stimulate breeding. Although the adults can be kept in moderately hard water, for breeding the water needs to be fairly soft, with a maximum hardness of 8 degrees of general hardness. The water should be slightly acidic. These changed water conditions, including the temperature, will need to be maintained for several weeks to raise the fry.
Nest
The Honey Dwarf Gourami, like many of its relatives, is a bubble nest builder. The larger types of gourami like the Blue Gourami build their nests at the surface while the very small ones like the Sparkling Gourami build them under a leaf. The Honey Dwarf Gourami is the smallest of its genus but is bigger than the smallest gouramis. Although the Honey Dwarf Gourami will build under a leaf if a suitable one is available, it is also quite prepared to build at the surface, often in a corner of the tank.
As with the other species of gourami, it is the male that builds the nest and tries to get the female to come and spawn under it. He is gentler than many of his relatives. He will swim vertically in front of the female and swim towards the nest to get her to follow him.
A slightly unusual feature of this fish is that the male often will build either a nominal (small) nest or even no nest until spawning is complete, and then construct a fairly large nest around the eggs.
While they are actually spawning, the male curls his body around the female, turning her upside down with their vents close together so that he releases his sperm as she releases her eggs. The eggs float towards the nest and he gathers up any stray ones and puts them into the nest.
The male will protect the nest with the eggs in. This includes spitting drops of water onto the top of the nest which forces the bubbles down into the nest. This water would also help to ensure that the eggs have sufficient oxygenated water near them.
If you are breeding this fish there should be no other fish present. The eggs and fry are very vulnerable to predation. The little male will do his best to protect his nest with the babies in. This fish is normally one of the most peaceful of the gouramis, but when guarding his nest, the male Honey Dwarf Gourami has been known to mount a heroic defence against bigger fish, even occasionally killing the other fish.
The eggs hatch in 24-30 hours and the fry are free-swimming in 4-5 days.
Raising the Babies
All other fish should have been removed from the tank. The baby Honey Dwarf Gouramis are very small. They will need infusoria for a while before they can tackle live food visible to unaided human eyes.
A veterinarian gives an injection to a goldfish (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
After creating and maintaining your beautiful aquarium, all the time and money you spent on it, the last thing you want to deal with is tropical fish diseases. Coming home and finding your fish covered with white spots, the eyes swollen or the fins disintegrating is a blow to any aquarist.
The following are the categories and symptoms of the most common diseases in tropical fish.
Fungal Diseases
Fungal diseases will usually occur after the fish has already been weakened through stress, parasites, or bacterial disease. In some cases, the fish will appear sluggish and in the later stages develop cysts. Another type of fungal infection will produce white growths that eventually turn into cotton-like tuffs on the skin.
Bacterial Diseases
Bacterial diseases often need to be treated with antibiotic medications. Fish infected with bacteria often develop bulging eyes, ulcers and open sores. One bacteria causes a disease called mouth fungus that looks like a fungal infection on the mouth. Other signs of a bacterial infection include a loss of appetite, hollow belly, erratic swimming, and disintegrating fins.
Viral Diseases
Viral diseases are fortunately fairly uncommon in fish. On the sign of a viral disease is white swellings on the body of the fish. Viruses cannot be treated with medication because they use the host's body to reproduce and live on. If you suspect your fish has a viral disease, it should be removed and placed in another tank so the other fish will not be infected with the same virus. The best thing you can do is to provide a clean environment and a healthy, nutritious diet. A virus can only be identified by special equipment and it is often difficult to detect.
Parasitic Diseases
One symptom most parasitic diseases have in common is the fish scraping against or rubbing objects. The parasites are eating through the flesh of the fish and if they aren't removed will eat into the organs and kill the fish. Simply pulling the parasites off will often do more damage to the fish. A bath of potassium permanganate or a salt solution is often the best method to remove parasites. In some cases you will be able to see the parasites on the skin of the fish and thus confirm the problem is parasites, or you may notice other signs such as rapid gilling, clamped fins, red skin and weight loss.
Protozoan Diseases
These diseases are caused by the protozoan parasite that infects the intestinal tract. Several diseases will cause a yellow to light brown dust on the body. On commonly known protozoan disease is called ich. Ich is characterized by small white spots all over the body. The fish will breath rapidly and have clamped fins. Other types cause excessive slim on the body, frayed fins, bloated body and a lack of appetite.
The best way to avoid tropical fish diseases is to have a clean tank and provide adequate nutrition. New fish should always be quarantined for two to four weeks.
First off, take time to breathe. Your pride and joys are probably fine. They may be somewhat traumatized by the whole experience, but that would be any pet caught in unusual situations. Unless extreme damage was done, their health probably is not an issue, however, their home may be in need of some repairs.
You may have been completely prepared for the storm, or the storm may have taken you by complete surprise. Whatever the case may be, you must jump into action as soon as you physically can to ensure that no further damage is done to your pond.
First, you must undo all of your storm precautions to survey the possible damage.
If you netted your pond, clear as much debris off the net as possible and remove the netting. Once you removed the netting you will be able to survey the damage and the condition that your fish are in. If high waters were expected and your sandbagged the area around your pond, as long as the water level is normal, remove all sandbags so that you can easily access your pond. Do not get discouraged if things seem out of place, and it may not be as bad as it originally looks.
Once you have removed all netting and other precautions, take the time to look at the area. If any debris is present, remove it by skimming and netting. If plants or decorations are uprooted or out of place, replace them to their rightful area.
If you find major damage to your pond, it is important to remove your Koi as soon as possible. Proper bagging and transporting techniques may be needed if the damage is done will take a large amount of time to fix, but there are several temporary options available if the damage can be fixed quickly. You may want to consider using a children’s pool to house your Koi. If nothing is available at the time, get into contact with your local pet store or zoo, as they may have a program available to help you house your Koi until maintenance can be done.
Once you have decided that only small repairs are needed, then you must focus on the water quality. You water may seem cloudy or murky due to the storm and the amount of extra water from rainfall. If the storm lasted for a long amount of time, you may be facing ammonia issues as well.
Test your water for Nitrates. If Nitrates are present, add the proper amount of salt to the water. Typically you would add 3/4 to one pound of salt per 100 gallons of water. However, if your fish are especially shocked by the situation, or seem to have sustained any type of injuries, it may be a good idea to add more. If you have plants in your pond, it may be a good idea to remove them before adding the salt into the water. Your fish should be the most important issue at this point, not your plants.
If you are having KH issues (especially if it is below 100) you will want to add baking soda to your pond. Typically you can add 1 cup of unpacked baking soda per 1000 gallons of water. This will protect your pond from a future pH crash.
The aquarium is not typically what you would first think when talking about pets. In fact, most of us would instantly depict n image of a dog inside our mind, or maybe even a cat. But many homes today do have fish tanks and they are not just for ornamental or design purposes. Yes, they do look good, that is a given. Fish tanks and the fish themselves are also effective stress relievers. That’s why many people today would rather own fishes. And one of the fish breeds that many aquarists choose is the discus fish.
Before anything else, there are many advantages to owning a pet fish. First, you won’t need to take them for walks, you don’t have to give them baths, they don’t demand much attention, and you don’t really have to clean up after them after every while. Yes, they still need some looking after but not as much as compared to our canine and feline friends. This doesn’t mean though that once you have your tank, filled it up with water, and purchased your feed then your all done. There are still quite a few things that you have to do to ensure that they will live a long time and save you the anxiety of having to buy new fish every time.
The big news is, most fishes, including the discus fish, maybe even more so, develop health conditions because of stress. Although fishes are fragile as compared to other household pets, they don’t really just die and wither if they are kept well. And all you really have to do is make sure that the tank is clean and feed them as scheduled, which is not really all the time. There are some factors though that can cause them stress and thus weakening their immune system. Here are some ways that you can do easily to keep your discus fish stress free and healthy.
Like air is to humans, water is the single most important aspect of fishes besides food. So make sure that their water is free from chlorine and other toxic chemicals, as well as heavy metals. You should also keep it a good temperature and pH level. Investing in a dependable purifier, filter, and aerator will make the water clean and livable.
Vary the diet of your discus fish. Aside from the flakes and granules, feed them blood worms or fresh or frozen brine shrimp as discus fish are carnivorous.
Keep your aquarium in a quiet and solitary place. Too much noise and motion, like a door opening or heavy human traffic, can cause them stress.
Never overcrowd your tank. Discus fish are very protective of their space so they need an ample re to grow and breed. The bigger the tank, the better.
Consistency is the key. Do not allow abrupt highs and low in the temperature and pH levels of the water in the tank. This can put them in shock.
Following these simple steps will help you keep your discus fish away from stress thus giving them a healthier and longer life.
