Arowana Care: There's a Fossil in My Tank!

The Amazon River is probably the most widely used poster image for biodiversity; the whole stretch of freshwater running for miles is the home to a huge fraction of the world's flora and fauna. Among the animals which live here, the fishes have the most number and most diverse. One of the well-known and well-loved fish species is what people call as the "water monkey of the Amazon" -- the arowana fish.

The earliest fossils of the ancestors of the arowanafish date to 200 million years ago in the rivers of Africa, but the fish we know today found its home in the Amazon River 140 millions of years ago, dating back to the Early Cretaceous period. Ever since then, given its superb features, the fish had changed very little; hence it is sometimes called as a living fossil. That is why the arowana does not look like the modern pet fishes which are commercially available; they boast a history dating millions of years back. 

This fish can grow to lengths of four to six feet, all thirty pounds of pure muscle which gives them excellent darting abilities. They also have huge eyes which led some ecologists to assume that they have one of the sharpest sights of all the fishes. Another tell tale sign of it being a living fossil is that it has a swim bladder capable of directly infusing oxygen to the blood vessels, something which lungs of terrestrial animals can do.

In the Amazon river alone, there are already three subspecies of the arowana fish, all stemming from the evolutionary branch of Osteoglossum (bony mouths). Since people started breeding these fishes outside the Amazon, there are already other species which can be found in Asia and Africa. The Amazonian arowana boasts a slender and broad body, but the newer species are shorter and stockier compared to the original generation.

Domestic fishes nowadays are getting smaller and more colorful; people tend to flock around fishes which look "cute" with vibrant colors resembling that of neon lights and commercial inks. With this trend, the arowana fish is reduced to just becoming a living fossil, a fish with jurassic and grotesque features. However, one should see the beauty in these fishes, and this beauty is not something many people take for granted. Just like in any beauty pageant, certain criteria, all set to critics' and experts' highest standards must be met.

One, there are the proportions, and for the arowana fish, the broad look is becoming more of the trend: wide body with well-proportioned fins and a pointed mouth forming a good slope between the head and its back. This look gives them the look of strength. Second is the color which should be bright, uniform, and lustrous with the hue depending on the variety. 

The scales should also be of the same color to each other and should be distinct from one another. Third are the fins, which should be not too long and cramped and should have a color not far from the body color. The barbels should also have the same color as that of the body's and should also look firm and long.

Fourth are the eyes, which should not be popping out and protruding. Fifth is the mouth, and the mouth of the arowana fish points upwards where either the upper or the lower lip protrudes. Sixth are the teeth which should look neatly arranged in line with its jaw. Lastly, and most importantly, is its swimming posture. Even though it looks like a misfit with its size and features, an arowana will always stand out because of its smooth and majestic movements; the swimming posture should not look shaky and erratic.

Arowana Care: Arowana 101

Popularly known as a household pet, the arowana fish is a freshwater bony fish which belongs to the Family Osteoglossidae (coming from the Greek words osteos meaning "bone" and glossa meaning "tongue"; literally bony-tongued). This name is gotten from the fact that their tongues have a "tooth" which they use to grind against the tooth in the roof of their mouths. Another interesting about the mouths of the arowana is that they use them to hatch their eggs, an adaptation known as buccal incubation. In fact, on average, an arowana can hold hundreds of eggs in its mouth, where the young ones would eventually feed.

These fishes have a bony head and an elongated, slender body. Their scales, shaped by the turbidity of their natural habitats, are large and heavy with mosaic patterns and canals; in some species, the scales even acquire a glossy and reflective surface. Aside from these scales, their fin patterns also give the arowana fish a distinct look. Their dorsal and anal fins have soft rays and are long based, while the pectoral and ventral fins are small. Also, they are known as obligatory air breathers, fishes which need to fill their swimbladders with air not only to float, but also to obtain oxygen. These swimbladders resemble the lungs in the sense that they are lined with arteries and veins.

The arowana fish is naturally carnivorous, and are shaped by evolution to be excellent surface feeders: they get their food by jumping. Specialized muscles and aerodynamic body shape enable them to become powerful jumpers, some noting that they can jump as high as 6 feet. These heights suit their diet of flying insects, small arboreal mammals, and low flying bats. Two species of the arowanas are found in the Neotropical region, one in the Southeast Asian region, and two in New Guinea.

Having an arowana fish as a pet can be tricky, but the rewards make the struggle all worth it. That's why there are certain points and tricks to remember on how to maximize the joy from keeping an arowana. First, arowanas are really huge fishes with sizes averaging to 37 inches, and they like to be alone. Many hobbyists, however, had found ways to mix in a little bit of a company with large and active fishes like plecostomus catfish and tinfoil barbs; others which are smaller and weaker tend to be dinner. Second, they move around A LOT, and that's why there needs to be a sandy base and a huge room for movement. To keep them from being stationary, however, many enthusiasts had already seen the benefits of placing a table tennis ball in the tank; something which is moving.

Third, they need a hell lot of nutrition, and it is better if it is alive. Be careful, however, not to introduce disease. Also, fat should be avoided as to prevent the drop eye disease. Variety should also be introduced as to prevent the onset of nutritional deficiencies, as well as the fishes getting tired of the diet. Mixes of insects, chopped meat, and pellets have been proven effective.

Fourth, it should also be known that they are naturally shaped to become excellent jumpers; they jump randomly. This calls for a tight lid. Lastly are the tank conditions; something an arowana fish tends to be meticulous about. The water should be fresh and have a well-kept pH level of 7 (neutral). The temperature also should not be far from 80 Fahrenheit, since the arowana is an equatorial fish. Again, because of its size, be prepared to have huge space for a tank which holds about 50 to 120 gallons.

The rest is for the arowana fish to ask for.

Arowana Secrets, The Most Beautiful Freshwater Fish in the World?

If you are a fish lover or fish keeper or just have an interest in some of the more exotic and mysterious creatures that inhabit our planet then let me introduce you to the 'Arowana' fish.

Considered by many to be the most beautiful freshwater fish in the world with a number of different species found in spectacular colors, the most colorful of varieties to be found in Asian rivers surrounding the Indonesian islands of Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Papua.

'Arowana' from the Indonesian word 'arwana' or 'Airwana' which in English means 'paradise' is often called the 'paradise fish' by native Indonesians. Highly revered in the orient for its spiritual significance as a re-incarnation of the Chinese dragon, signifying auspiciousness, prosperity and wealth, and even Looks a bit 'dragon'; like with its large scales and barbells and its vibrant colors, the Arowana fish has become a popular favorite with serious fish keepers world wide.

Like many exotic fish that have become popular as pets all over the world Many species of arowana are now considered to be endangered in the wild and as such are protected under law. They are farmed though and can be bought in many spectacular colors and exported under strict license laws, with each fish having to be microchiped and certified for transport before leaving Asia.

Arowana fish can carry quite a high price tag, depending on a number of factors, such as, the particular variety, the age, younger fish are generally cheaper but are a riskier purchase as the fish hasn't fully developed and its colors can't be reliably predicted when it reaches maturity, so its probably better to buy a fish that's at least two years old, though it will cost you more. Some of these fish can be worth up to $250.000 but can be bought for a few hundred dollars, the less colorful varieties usually being the cheapest.

A fantastic creature to own and surprisingly hardy, they are a great investment as arowana can live for Up to 20 yrs or more in the right conditions. Be prepared to buy a large tank though, as arowana can grow up to 40" long, tank size will need to be about 2' x 8' in size depending on the fish variety.

Keeping arowana does require some dedication especially if you want to do all that's possible to bring out its vibrant colors, and can be quite tedious, though a lot of keepers claim to form a strong bond with there precious pet and though they are a challenge the doting keeper would say that they are well worth the effort.

Need Help to Select Live Plant Species for My First Freshwater Aquarium

My first step to a planted aquarium

Who wouldn't like an organic freshwater planted aquarium compared to chemically boosted nest for their lovely pets. It is therefore essential to simulate growth of bacteria in your first planted aquarium built from scratch to help develop nutritious substrates and fertilizing agents. Under these circumstances, we go with no lights, zero fish or plants after addition of substrate. The core purpose being to allow the water to circulate and "offgas" for up to 2 or 3 days maximum before we start planting.

What kind of plants should I grow?

Ozelot Sword, one of the South American decorative plants is considered an excellent beginner's plant with an elliptical black spots on elongated reddish-brown or bright green leaves. The spots are darker on younger leaves, but remain even on mature leaves and even under low light conditions. It has a fast growth rate and can rise up to 40 cm. It is an undemanding, tolerant plant and grows happily in a wide array of conditions, including unheated tanks and those with very hard water. This plant may send up flower stalks to the surface, producing small white flowers with around 12 hours of sunlight. Place a ball of substrate gold in gravel to fertilize and feed the plant.

Narrow Leaf Java Fern is a lush, mid-ground plant often used to decorate rocks and driftwood. Java Fern is hardy plant that does not require much care. It's roots attach to the surface it is planted on. It should therefore be planted on a rock or driftwood. Java Fern can be kept in brackish tanks. It requires low lighting otherwise could melt and develop tansparent patches. It could be poisonous and so is ignored by herbivorous fish.

Cryptocoryne Wendtii comes in green, red and bronze colored variable leaves. It grows submersed in south Asian waters in bogs. Cryptocorynes are sensitive to change and therefore should only be moved when neccesary. They feed from roots and so the substrate should be rich in fertilizers and does best in warm weather.

Anubias Nana also known as "dwarf anubias" bears tough, waxy, dark green leaves sprouting from thick rhizome. It grows parallel to the ground and adheres to rocks or woods. Advantages are less need for lighting and nutrients for growth. Rooting it's rhizome under gravel could lead to it's death and need to be taken care of.

While there could be many aquarium plants like Amazon sword plant, Vallisneria, Aponogeton, etc depending upon the climatic conditions and ecological balance of your planted aquarium the above are most suitable to meet major changes and make the aquarium environment look pleasant and colorful for the health benefits of both fishes and human beings

Advantages and dis-advantages of a planted aquarium:

• It absorbs carbon-di-oxide - CO2 in daylight
• Releases oxygne - O2 during daytime
• Absorbs toxins
• Harbors beneficial bacteria
• Serves as a great food source to herbivirous fishes
• Inhibits algae growth

Main disadvantages of having a planted aquarium could be development of parasites and generation of debris from dead leaves and plants that could block the filter. Regular maintenance can help in prevention of these.

The Ultimate Way To Move Your Prized Fish Tank Safely

Tanks typically are very heavy and fragile which means tremendous care and attention will have to be used when trying to move around them. Though it is true far more care is called for whenever you are relocating a tank from a single house hold to another almost the same amount is without question appropriate as you are simply just transporting an aquarium from one room in your home to another.

Step one with transporting a fish tank is to gently move your fish straight into a different holder so that they don't get harmed. Take some of the water from the tank and pour it into a plastic container into which you may add the animals. Keep your fish at a reasonable ambient temperature and quite dimly lit in order that they do not get anxious.

If your animals are safe it is time to undertake the next step which involves removing the same amount water as feasible. Surprisingly on a brief drive water might lead to problems as it is heavy and can make the home or automobile wet. You'll want to preserve the existing water so it may be put spine into any aquarium when you are set-up once more.

Electronic apparatus needs to be turned off and stripped away from the aquarium tank. Fish tank heating elements should be able to cool-down well before they are taken off or you may take a chance on inducing problems for yourself. Internal filters should be removed and put into some existing water from the tank to keep them in good shape while outside filter systems can merely have their tubes removed.

In advance of when you relocate the actual tank itself you'll want to delicately evaluate the direction you will likely be going with. If you are moving it within any household then ensure ones walkway is clear of what you may could trip over. In case you are moving around it to a fresh household then give consideration to covering ones tank for your fish with some thick items in order to prevent damage.

Unless you personally own a small tank it is prudent to have support with regard to carrying the tank. Several individuals can take more care over the action and be certain that no wear and tear is done to you or the fish tank. Make sure to always maintain a vertical back and carry it as near to your own body as you can.

You should have a place equipped to put ones tank down when you get to ones destination and then you certainly can begin putting it back together. Refill the tank with the treated water you collected and attach all the electrically powered tank supplies you employ. This will begin to clean the treated water and heat it up ready for any fish. As soon as the water is ready be certain to be safe to change the aquarium inhabitants having efficiently transferred any fish tank.

The Best Tank Setup For Your Betta

When it comes to betta tank setup, size does matter. While most bettas can survive in very small containers, they will live long, quality lives only when placed in tanks no smaller than a gallon or two. Bettas have an organ called the "labyrinth", which allows them to breathe oxygen as humans do, and also allows them to survive outside water for longer periods of time. However, this does not give you the excuse to house your betta in a small jar. 

Actually, I find no problem with bettas being kept in small jars since most betta breeders in Thailand and other parts of Asia practice this with much success. The problem is if you cannot find the time to change the water of your betta's jar on a regular basis. Unlike with other aquarium fish, betta fish's water should be replaced at a more frequent basis if their long and flowy fins are to remain beautiful and vibrant. Therefore, if you want to choose the best tank setup for your betta, you should consider these essential things:

1.) Tank Size - Again, tank size matters. However, if you can't provide a tank larger than 5 gallons for your betta, you should be prepared to perform water changes every 3-5 days.

2.) Filtration - Bettas that are kept in tanks below 2.5 gallons can live without filtration. However, full water changes every 2-3 days are a requirement. If you house your bettas on tanks 5 gallons and up, you should get a filtration system since it is more difficult to perform full water changes on larger tanks.

3.) Heater - If you live in Asia like me, heaters are not necessary. However, if you live in countries that experience cold seasons, you definitely need a heater for your betta. Ideal temperature for a betta's water is between 75-82 degrees Fahrenheit. If you keep your fish in tanks smaller than 5 gallons, it would be ideal to get a small heater as regular sized heaters can heat up smaller tanks fast. Or, keep your tank in a warm room.

4.) Massive Water Changes - To give you an idea on how frequent you should change your betta's water, refer below:

Tank Size and Frequency of Water Change

Below 2.5 gallons- Every 2-3 days (100% water change)

2.5 to 5 gallons (Filtered/Unfiltered)- Every 3-5 days (100% water change)

5 gallons and up (Filtered)- Twice a month with 25% water changes once a week

5.) Accessories - I personally do not recommend adding accessories to tanks if you are keeping bettas with long and flowy fins such as halfmoons and crowntails. However, if you wish add accessories such as live or plastic plants, make sure they do not have very sharp or pointed edges that might tear your betta's fins. 

Like most breeders, I keep my 2.5 gallon betta tanks bare, with no pebbles (substrate), no plants, and no accessories whatsoever. The reason is that these accessories make tank cleaning very difficult. By leaving my tank bare, all I need to do when it's time to clean my betta's tank is siphon all the poop and dirt out and replace the water.

Cycling a New Cichlid Fish Aquarium

With a new aquarium, cycling your tank is the first and most important thing you need to do. This is the process in which your aquarium needs to establish good bacteria. When you first setup your aquarium it will be contaminated with bad bacteria. Before putting cichlid fish into the tank it is important that this bad (harmful) bacteria converts into good bacteria. The first stage of bacteria will break down ammonia into nitrites, and the second stage of bacteria will break down the nitrites into nitrates. Both ammonia and nitrites are harmful to your fish, but nitrates are not, as long as they are at a safe level (below 20ppm).

There are two ways to cycle your tank: with or without fish. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, but most fish enthusiasts prefer to do a fishless cycle. Doing a fishless cycle (which I recommend) has many more advantages: it's faster, easier, and avoids permanently harming fish. Plus, the water will be completely ready for fish once the cycle is finished.

Fishless Cycle

One effective way of doing a fishless cycle is to use media, gravel, sand, or decor from another (disease free) aquarium that already has good bacteria established. If you can't find any of these materials, you can purchase bacteria in a bottle from your local fish store. Also, during this process I suggest raising the temperature in the aquarium to around 85 degrees, this allows for a faster chemical reaction.

Cycling with fish

If you decide to go the other route, then you will need hardy fish that can withstand these harmful water conditions; I suggest using either tetras or guppies. Cycling your tank with fish can take anywhere between 4-6 weeks for the nitrates to become established. You will need to do frequent water changes (20%) 3-4 times a week until the cycle is complete. Of course if you are doing a cichlid fish aquarium you will need to remove the starter fish before adding any cichlids to the tank.

Conclusion

Whichever method you chose, it is important to realize that this can be time-consuming(3-6 weeks), therefore patience is a virtue. It is also important to constantly test your water during this process to ensure that your tank is cycling properly. I recommend using a liquid test kit rather than the basic test strips. Make sure before you add sensitive fish, your nitrates are at, or below 20ppm.

Aquarium Filtration System - Should You Consider Undergravel

There is no doubt that keeping your aquarium clean is crucial to the well-being of your fish and plant. The quality of the water is critical and whether your fish and plant thrives or not depends a lot on the condition of the water. Aquarium filter is essential to keep your tank clean and free from harmful toxin and wastes that accumulates over time.

One popular and widely used aquarium filtration system is the under gravel filter. As the name suggest, the filtration component is located beneath the gravel that is normally used as a form of substrate inside the fish tank. One drawback to this system is that you need to vacuum the gravel in the tank frequently. You need to do this to prevent waste particles and debris trap in the gravel from affecting the performance of the under gravel filter.

Some people perceive it as a hassle to replace this system as it involves major overhaul of the aquarium. You need to remove the gravel and almost everything along with it. The main advantage with under gravel filtration system is that it is quite efficient as well as easy to install and operate. You don't need to deal with stuff hanging on the back of your aquarium like some other filtration systems.

All the major components for this type of filtration system are concealed under the gravel with basically columns that run up the corners, which have one-way valves within them. You can increase the performance and efficiency of most under gravel system by adding a power-head filter.

A 'power-head' is basically the part of the filter that ejects water into the aquarium. Complimenting your under gravel filtration system with a power head is important because it facilitate the pushing of fresh, filtered water from the under gravel system back to your aquarium. Doing so will also produce oxygen bubbles into your fish tank and provide adequate oxygen to your fish.

It is important for you to keep your fish tank in clean condition. Your fish could easily contract disease, become ill and even perish as a result of a dirty and poorly maintain tank. Assembling together a good filtration system won't require much time and effort at all. It is quite easy to set up an under gravel filter. The best part of this filtration system is that it is located right down where the waste is, rendering it remarkably simpler to remove it from your aquarium thus keeping your tank clean all the time.

Discus Fish - Disease and Their Risks

Native from the Amazon and effectively bred across the world in aquariums, discus aren't as fragile or delicate as you might think. Nevertheless, all breeders need to be conscious of all the dangers of discus fish disease, as they're frequently subject to numerous health issues due to improper care and environment. 

Breeders the are most cause of discus fish illnesses, this does not imply we're pointing the finger, this is just a reality. Improper treatment, bad or inadequate tank conditions, co-inhabitant's with inappropriate breeds are generally the factor for a discus fish disease.

Probably the most typical discus disease would be the ones that most freshwater fish are prone to having. For example the ammonia poisoning is a discus fish illness that is due to an improper nitrogen cycle inside your aquarium. Do not add tropical fish till the ammonia is removed from the water, perhaps filters do not perform correctly?. 

To be able to avoid this particular disease, replace the water frequently and steer clear of over-crowding the tank. The signs and symptoms of this disease consist of red and swollen gills and also the fish remaining in the water are at the surface gasping for air.

An additional discus disease that comes from bad water quality will be the Itch or better known as white spot characterised through the little white spots around the physique and fins of the fish. The very best method to battle this is by increasing the temperature in the tank and administrating medicine. 

Prior to adding the medicine for this kind of discus disease, remove the carbon filter as this might soak up all of the helpful medication. If you want other species of fish in the tank, make certain you set up a quarantine aquarium enabling you to stop any disease entering the tank.

In the event the water temperature isn't suitable you will expose your fish to an additional disease like oxygen starvation. A greater water temperature also demands an elevated degree of oxygen within the water. Consequently, you are able to effortlessly fix this by simple aeration of the water, speeding up the flow through the filters. 

You might wish to turn off the tank light from time to time, as this also leads to temperature to rising and thus exposes the fish to less oxygen. All in all, maintain the correct temperature for your discus fish, which is 31 degrees Celsius at the absolute maximum.

Breeding Discus Fish: An Explanation

Breeding discus fish could be really a difficult procedure and really shouldn't be tried by newbies! Regarded as to the number one most stunning tropical fish, they need lots of prerequisites for their environment and special care so be ready to become an active role for your King of the Aquarium!

Discus fish breeding can start in two methods, one is much more costly compared to other. The costly but faster and much more dependable technique entails purchasing a current Discus pair which are already compatible with each other, if you are able to purchase a group of Discus - a minimum of 6 is suggested - and hope a pair will happen naturally as they mature. In addition, it's suggested to purchase various types of Discus fish as this may assist in broadening the genetic gene pool.

As soon as a pair is formed, they basically turn out to be the dominant pair and they'll declare territory. At this stage, eliminate other fish from the aquarium or move the pair to a unique breeding tank - about twenty to thirty gallons ought to be ideal. Make sure that this tank has hiding spots as Discus pairs will battle sometimes (as any pair does!).

So you've the pair. Now arrives the care. Discus breeding demands rigid regulation of numerous elements - chief amongst that are water high and diet plan.

Replace a minimum of 25% of the water in tank twice a week. Make sure that ammonia and nitrite ranges are virtually nonexistent - retaining nitrogenous waste as near to zero as feasible is very essential. Discus are acidic water fish so retaining the pH ranges at 5 to 5.8 is important. Particularly when replacing the water - Discus can go into shock in the event the ranges alter rapidly. In addition, regulating the temperature of the water goes hand in hand with this particular task.

For breeding discus fish, the suggested water temperature is about 82 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

breeding discus will even entail lots of worms. Discus fish adore white and black worms and feeding these foods to them assists in the breeding procedure. In addition, adult brine shrimp, mosquito larvae and daphnia could also be useful.

As soon as the spawning begins, you are able to anticipate as much as 15 eggs each and every week! These will generally start hatching inside 48 hrs. Do not be concerned about planning food for them, because they feed off the adult Discus for the very first couple of days.

Hope this gives you a good overview of Discus fish breeding! Great luck and appreciate your new Discus!

What You Need To Know About Your Discus Fish Tank

If you have the plan to keep or breed discus fish, or maybe you are already keeping them, this is the article that you must read through. What you are going to discover here are some great tips that you need to learn about your fish tank.

A lot of people may think that a fish tank is not something important in keeping their fish, but the fact is, an aquarium is the house for your fish just like your house to you. Therefore, it is the most basic aspect that you must start from in making your fish healthy and happy. So below are some of the great tips that can improve your knowledge about breeding discus fish...

1. The size of your tank must be adequate for your fish. This may sound simple; however, a lot of people make the mistake by keeping too little fish in a big tank or keeping too much fish in a small tank. The rule of thumb is to keep six or eight of them in a 20-gallon tank. You have to understand that discus fish can grow pretty big in size, just like a disc shape. Thus, it is always a wise choice to go for a bigger one than a smaller aquarium.

2. Do you know that this type of fish is shy and they like to be in a group? Thus, what you need to do is to keep them in a group. Always put at least 5 or 6 of them in the same tank to make them a group. And try to avoid putting the aquarium somewhere busy and noisy, such as the doorway. The passing traffic and noise may scare them and make them uncomfortable. You can also use plants and decoration in the tank to make them feel more comfortable. Furthermore, try to avoid direct sun shine on your tank because this will promote the growth of algae.

3. Finally, you need to understand whether you are keeping your discus fish for display or you intend to breed them. If you want to breed them, it is better to use a bare bottom tank without any substrate. However, if you keep them for display, you will have to decorate the tank and use substrate to make the aquarium beautiful. For instance, you can use small gravels as the substrate and try not to go for sand because it is difficult to clean.

These are some of the important tips that you need to know before you can make your fish happy and healthy. Always start from getting the right tank for your fish and then make it a great home for them.

Hot Guppies

Guppies are in the happy position of being able to handle a tropical aquarium or depending on the circumstances, live outside in a pond if the climate is a warm one. To get the best from your guppies it is advantageous to keep them supplied with a heated watery environment in which to live.

While the heaters themselves are not large, I would imagine most eco conscious people today would like to keep electricity costs as low as possible. This is achievable by keeping your tank in a room where temperature fluctuations are limited. You will have seen how specialist fish shops keep the room temperatures as warm as possible with out being uncomfortable; this is so the aquariums maintain their warmth and the shop owners do not run up huge bills. 

Large fish farms have well insulated and maintained external heating services. This also reduces wear and tear on the heaters and in maintaining a steady external temperature, the accidental failure in a heater minimizes any trauma to the fish.

Setting up an aquarium for your guppies will include the aspect of supplying a suitable heater and using it correctly. This ensures that the water is at a controlled temperature of around 75 degrees Fahrenheit or 24 degrees Celsius. This temperature suits many of the fish kept today in tropical aquariums of all shapes and sizes. It helps to maintain aquarium comfort if the top of the tank is covered for most of the time in order to reduce evaporation and as a consequence loss of heat.

Cut glass covers to allow for heater connections and filters to be in the tank with out spoiling the aesthetics. If you choose, cover the external walls with polystyrene to further insulate the tanks. To cover the obvious, attach pictures to the external tank walls so that looking through the aquatic scene you cannot see the styrene but a scene of your choice. These are freely available from fish stores.

Today the submersible and thermostatically controlled heaters bought from the shops simplify the heating of tanks. There are alarms that will provide an indication of a heater defect. Depending on your requirements, it can be an auditory on or a visual one. A software program that will monitor just about everything in your aquarium is available today. The thermostat is heat sensitive and as the water temperature falls, it will switch itself on for as long as it requires to lift the temperature back to the requisite setting. It should not allow huge changes in the water temperatures it controls.

Choosing the right sized heater to heat your tank is necessary to ensure that most of the water is heated and kept at a constant temperature. In real life, out in their natural habitat the guppies do swim in variable temperatures, so all you would be doing is replicating the conditions they are used to living in. Place the submersion heater where the aquarium water will get the most benefit. Generally, this will be on an angle at the back of the tank. Wherever it is placed, it must not be resting on anything, and the water must be able to freely circulate around it.

The heaters usually have explanations for the size of tank that they will service. When you go to buy a heater, take your tank size along as well. The number of liters of water can then be ascertained, and the size of the heater for the amount of water involved. A small stickon, external bimetallic thermometer will indicate at a glance the temperature of the tank.

As well as heaters, the other source of heating comes from lighting. Fluorescent lamps are at the lower end of the scale, while incandescent lights will generate two or three times as much heat. Integrate this knowledge for use with your heaters and learn how to control both systems to get the best results for the least amount of cost.

How To Tell When Your Pregnant Guppy Fish Is Close To Having Babies

If you are planning to keep the fry that your female guppy fish produces, you will want to know approximately when she is due to drop her fry (have baby guppies). Adult guppies eat the baby fish, so it is imperative to isolate your pregnant female guppy when she gets close to the end of her pregnancy, or else the other guppy fish in the tank will probably eat them all.

Like most creatures, as a guppy's pregnancy progresses she will gradually grow a round belly that gets bigger and bigger. When your pregnant guppy is getting close to her delivery date however, you will notice that usually her belly will square out a bit. That is to say, instead of just looking completely round, her belly will start to get a little flat on the bottom while still remaining rounded at the sides.

Another great way to approximate your fish's due date is to note that a guppy pregnancy can last anywhere from 21 to 30 days, but the most common gestation period is 28 days. Thus, if you keep track of when your virgin female guppy was first mated to a male guppy, or you make a note of when the last birth occurred, you can expect her to give birth 21 to 30 (but most likely 28) days later. You can track important information like this in a little journal with a calendar.

Depending on how good your eyesight is, you may also be able to actually see the babies inside the gravid spot of certain colors of guppy. This is the technique I use most often when I have no idea when the female became pregnant and I am trying to guess when she is due. Blonde and lightly colored females are the easiest to see babies in. The darker females, such as gray and black can be quite difficult.

You can do this in two ways: Either watch and wait for the female to swim under the light at the right angle so that the light is behind her or place her in a little separate tank like a photography tank (with the same tank water of course) and hold the little tank up to or place in front of a light source. Either way, you will need to wait until she is sitting still or you will not be able to see anything. Once you get a good view, you will probably see little black or dark dots in her gravid spot if the is in the later part of her pregnancy. 

These little dots are actually the baby guppy fish's eyes! The tiny eyes will be more easily visible and well- formed when they are close to being born. I have even seen the baby fish eyes move and look around through their mother's gravid spot when she is very close to delivery! There are not many creatures with such a "window to the womb" naturally occurring, it is just one more reason that keeping guppies can be amazingly interesting.

Over time as you get more experience, you will get a sense for when pregnant female guppies are close to having fry. You will learn the gestation time for your individual strains and how individual guppy fish will look when they are close to giving birth. Use the tips I mentioned and observe your guppies closely and you will have a great head start at knowing how to tell when your pregnant guppy is going to have baby guppies.

Types of Systems for a CO2 Aquarium

CO2 Aquariums, also known as natural aquariums or planted aquariums, are aquariums containing actual plants growing inside the aquarium. A lot individuals are fond of this look better as it is authentic in place of using fake plants.

The CO2 comes into the picture when you have begun to decide which plants you'd like to grow. The aquarium can get a small amount of CO2 exhaled from your fishes' gills yet plants are dependent on the stronger levels that are happened upon in their original habitat. As a result injection is nearly indispensable for plant progression. Quite a few of the lower light plants need little or no supplementary carbon dioxide yet some of the plants that need more light will need supplementary CO2 to allow them multiply and succeed.

CO2 is added to the aquariums by way of a bunch of strategies and styles. You could just attain tablets that add carbon dioxide though they typically aren't suggested due to the fact that the carbon dioxide addition ought to be continuing. Employing a carbon dioxide arrangement an aquarium might be consistently injected with a steady stock of CO2.

The 1st of the 3 techniques we will recommend is a Bio-System. This method is often mentioned to initial time CO2ers as it is a breeze and fun to do. A bio-system is assembled by working with a container and combining sugar, yeast and water. All of the essentials work together with water to construct carbon dioxide. The lion's share of participants add their own leveraging a juice bottle though you can easily acquire systems for approximately $25.

Another is a type of system is a Mechanical System. A mechanical system is similar to the bio system except that it contains a small amount of mechanical elements - which explains the title. Instead of creating the CO2 on its own it has bottled carbon dioxide gas and automatic valves to constrain the release.

And the final is a CO2 Electrolysis System. An electrolysis system contains electricity to steadily convert a carbon block into carbon dioxide. This is by far the least common of the types of systems.

Beware that that depending on which plants you put to use you will possibly not even have to get a system. It is often recommended that you chance it without to see how appropriately your plants succeed previous to adding time and money to a CO2 system.

Health Benefits of a Freshwater Aquarium

Health is Wealth. Do you have a stressful life, high blood pressure, insomnia? Is your child suffering from hyperactivity disorder. Are you tired of continuous consultations, clinic visits and allopathy treatment. Then it is time you try socio-therapy. For years dogs, cats, birds and many other types of social animals are used for this type of therapy and have shown positive results. How about fish or fresh water aquariums? Does an aquarium pet therapy have any beneficial health merits?

Let's study the Health Benefits of Freshwater Aquarium

Virtually any aquarium, from large to small, will have a benefit. Studies going back as far as the late 80's have shown that gazing at aquarium fish reduces stress and subsequently lowers blood pressure. Pennsylvania university researchers reported that watching fish swimming in a home aquarium lessens stress and lowers high blood pressure.

Researchers concluded that people watching fresh water aquariums with bubbles, pebbles and plants benefit a lot as compared to no fish aquarium

Ecologist Alan Bech, director of the university's Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society research revealed that "Blood pressure drops with fishless fish tanks, but it doesn't drop as much and it creeps back up faster. With fish in the tanks, you truly get relaxation."

Fresh water aquarium: Can it make a difference

Researchers have compared the effects of fishless vs. fish filled aquariums, and no aquarium vs. having a freshwater aquarium. In all cases, having an aquarium reduces blood pressure though, studies show greater reduction in blood pressure when there were fish in the tank, vs pleasingly decorated fishless tanks. Even watching a video tape, dvd, cd, pictures, paintings of fish has been proven to have therapeutic effects and multiple health benefits.

Proven Health Benefits

Significant blood pressure reduction was observed in Seniors who were provided with freshwater aquarium filled with fish. Watching fish calms children suffering from hyperactivity disorder to a great extent. Studies also proved that Dental patients too benefit from the aquarium. They required less pain medication after having watched fish in the office.

Research shows Alzheimer patients experiencing a variety of health benefits from watching freshwater aquariums. At Purdue University, researchers found that displaying tanks of brightly colored fish may curtail disruptive behaviors and improve eating habits of people with Alzheimer's disease. Their diet increased and required fewer supplements after an aquarium was placed in the dining room. They also exhibited less physically aggressive behaviors.

Nursing Professor Nancy Edwards Purdue News August 1999 reports 60 individuals residing in specialized units in three Indiana nursing homes, who were exposed to the fish tanks appeared to be more relaxed and alert. They ate up to 21 percent more food than they had before the introduction of the fish tanks which is an average increase of 17.2 percent."

So let's take advantage of the stress-relieving benefits of aquarium fish whenever, and wherever we can!It's therefore a little wonder these days that physician offices, dental clinics and waiting rooms for counselors keep an aquarium in the waiting room.

nformation Guideline on Live Aquatic Plants to Be Used for Your First Freshwater Aquarium

Know thy freshwater aquarium plants...

Plants are one of the most essential need for a freshwater aquarium due to their ability to release life-giving oxygen as well as serve as food for herbivorous species of fish. It is therefore, vital to select appropriate species of aquarium plants for your freshwater aquarium.

Plants serve the purpose of providing a natural habitat and develop an organic aquarium. Habitat preferences of fishes vary as per their species. This makes it very important for the aquarist to know about the native habitat of their fish. The selection of freshwater aquarium plants should suit the species of fish that it houses.

Knowing the factors to be considered while selecting aquarium plants

Plants need sunlight to generate oxygen. Freshwater aquarium plants are submerged in fish tank within four walls and may not get enough sunlight. It is therefore essential to have appropriate lighting. Lighting as a substitute of sunlight helps in the photosynthesis process to supply nutrition to the plant and release oxygen and should therefore be in optimal proportion. Nevertheless, excessive or harmful lighting can accelerate the growth of algae in your tank causing more maintenance issues. A good equation to consider will be approximately 2 watts per gallon of water. Aquatic lighting is therefore a science in itself.

Layout or arrangement of plants in your freshwater aquarium too, is an important factor to be considered. Depending upon their individual species and rate of growth you could choose where you want to place them in your tank. A good strategy is to keep plants with slower growth rate at the front of the tank to allow maximum visibility without pruning. Thereafter, place the medium growth rate plants in the centre or middle succeeded by the rapidily growing plants at the back. This has to be done keeping in mind the different levels of water your aquarium fish would like to enjoy in their natural habitat.

Another important factor to be considered while selecting aquarium plants for your fish tank is the type of substrate they need for their own survival. Depending upon the species plants may need smaller or larger and rougher substrate for their roots to latch to. Few of them can even flourish in sand.

Cleanliness measures for a healthy aquarium

If you choose live plants you will want to consider the type of plant vs. the type of fish. Herbivores are expected to naturally graze on certain plants and could have uprooted a few during lunch which could be found as floating debris thereby polluting the tank water. An education from local pet store specialist could help you in selecting appropriate plant species to go in conjuntion with the type of fish for your aquarium.

So how do I start?

Simple...as a beginner start with plants that are easy to maintain.

Further to same before plantation, a thorough rinse could avoid any foreign organisms, insects and or animals from entering and contaminating aquarium environment. If avoided, this could result into a disease outbreak resulting into the death of livestock which is more valuable compared to the tank, filtration system and plants.

As you gain confidence and become more educated in knowing more species add or replace the plants in your tank with better ones. Keep on observing the changes in the behaviour of the inhabitants. At the end of the day all these efforts are to keep both fish and ourselves happy and relaxed.

There Is More Than One Way To Build An Aquarium - Even Without Fish

Aquariums are pretty amazing. They are essentially taken for granted by many (although still fascinated) but if you stop to think about it, a fish tank is an entire ecosystem built into one box, complete with life giving water, food, bacteria, plant life, and more. To think that anyone anywhere has the power to build and support one of these amazing eco-system is mind blowing. In a way we are playing God to the fish, coral, and the entire habitat. The fish are usually merely ONE of the living things being supported by your aquarium though.

The variety of fish is vast and there is an incredibly complex variety of fish species, but it's actually possible to create a tank that has no fish in it and still enjoy it immensely! Many people look at fish tanks in stores and only really pay close attention to living things that moving around in the tank, the fish. The reality is that some tanks are completely alive. With the exception of the rocks (wait, some rocks may not be rocks but living creatures own their own) everything in an aquarium can be alive.

You could effectively create a tank that is 80% life and only 20% inanimate objects: the tank itself, rocks on the bottom (pebbles), any decorative items such as a treasure chest, fake plants, and other items. At first glance and without the foresight/knowledge, it may be hard to figure out what life is in the aquarium. There are actually quite a few forms of life you can put in your tank.

* coral for the rocks and underwater mountains 

* water plants that help clean the water 

* marine algae that forms naturally 

* and the ever present "sucker fish" to eat and clean the algae

As you can see, it's pretty easy to have an aquarium that is full of life but doesn't contain what we normally think of as fish. You can, of course always add fish to this equation to add even more (or more obvious) life to the mix.

Some forms of plants are very active and move around much like a fish. The tentacles of some plants are fascinating to watch and although at first you may thing the plant is swaying back and forth due to the currents in the tank but the reality is that the plant itself is moving on it's own and it is creating the currents in an otherwise standing water tank. The benefits of this are that the water is essentially "stirred" up and makes sure that debris is filtered properly.

Essentials Before You "Fish" Around For An Aquarium

People love the companionship of pets. Pets tend to have a symbiotic relationship with people and although they tend to be self-sufficient (cats, hamsters, etc...) so long as you provide an environment they can thrive in and provide the essentials of life they can't get on their own. 

Some pets take more work than others to take care of but one of the nice things about fish and aquariums are that other than having to clean the tank once a month, feeding them daily, and allowing a filtering system to clean the water automatically, they are essentially worry free.

One thing that makes fish a lot of fun is that you can build and maintain, even change their environment whenever you want to change its appeal (to both you and the fish). Human nature states that we're creative beings with the ability to manifest what we want through cause and effect. A fish, however, simply lives in the environment, a non sentient being that requires us to take care of it. 

This symbiotic relationship mean that we need each other and can provide one another some relaxation and intrigue. A fish can be an intriguing pet, but as a care taker we not only are required to make sure the fish can survive in his new aquarium, but we can also build it for our own pleasure, eye candy and meditative calm.

Although the aquarium is designed to assure the fish survives and is happy, it's built as much for our enjoyment as it is for the fish. This means that building an aquarium can be a great therapeutic tool, a way to teach children responsibility, and to bring a new dimension to a room, bringing life and beauty together. 

There's just something cool about a fish tank that makes people want to look and observe the simple life of a fish. There are many types of fish to choose from, some are friendly towards other fish, some with only specific non predatory fish, and others must be alone.

When choosing what type of fish you want, you need to consider how much your willing to put into taking care of the fish. There are many species of fish that require nothing more than a cleaning system (filter for the water) and a thorough cleaning monthly (rocks, internal components of the scenery in the tank), maybe even bi-weekly depending on the fish and the amount of fish in the tank. 

There are also fish that require a specific environment such as water with salt in it (saltwater fish), a specific balance of chemicals in the water, a consistent temperature (cold or warm), and others that require special care that goes far beyond just set it and forget it until the cleaning.

It's best to do your homework on the fish you want BEFORE you start figuring out what kind of tank you want. If you get the wrong tank, it is more difficult to get the water balanced correctly and you could kill the fishes. 

Fish are fascinating, and you may want to start out with the easy type to take care of and a small tank. You can evolve into the different types of fish, but be sure to get different tanks for different fish that require specific environmental controls as stated above. There is much to learn about fish. They are not just benign creatures, they are full of life and experience emotions just like we do. Learning about fish is a wonderful experience, and the fish depends on you for it's happiness.

Give Your Children A Fun And Exciting Way To Learn About Sea Life With An Aquarium

Aquariums are fascinating to look at- especially if you go to a pet store and see all the wonderful configurations, types of fish, and all the many variables involved. Building a fish tank ecosystem (habitat) can be a simple thing or very complex. Depending on what you want in your aquarium, your tank could take on a unique and intriguing life of it's own. Much like cats are practically maintenance free except for needing to feed them and clean out their litter box, fish are much the same way.

Although cleaning out a large tank or a tank with a complex array of "innards" is no easy or even fun task to take on twice or more a month, this can actually be a lot of fun if you involve your children. If you show your kids how to build a tank, picking all the elements, going online and learning about the various fish you saw in the pet store, and picking what they want they will have the opportunity to learn a lot.

Kids are naturally curious and if you teach them early how to research about the fish and what is involved in building an aquarium, you teach them a valuable skill set they can use throughout the rest of their lives. It used to be that the only way to learn was to go to the pet store and depend on the knowledge of the sales staff or check out books from the library about fish. Today, with the advent of the internet and the plethora of informative sites on just about every type of fish and plant life, building and researching an aquarium is now easier than before.

Building your tank is a holistic experience. It's one that teaches responsibility, can be a lot of fun trying out different fish over the years, and it prepares kids for life's many responsible moments by showing them the details, execution, and on going lessons that owning a fish can entail.

To build a tank, you should first show your kids how to find information on fish. Show them that there are different fish that can't survive together or that can't survive in each others ecosystem. An example is salt water fish can't live and thrive in fresh water, while fresh water fish can't live and thrive (and will surely die) in salt water. Then you can show them how some fish are hunters and will attack other species of fish.

Once you learn all you can about the fish, reverse engineer and build the best habitat for the fish types you want. That way you'll have the greatest chance of success and you can really bring life to the home!

The Benefits of the Vinegar Nematode

The vinegar nematode has a lot of advantages to other types of nematodes. There are four common kinds of nematodes in similar size ranges that are fed to fish and fry as live fish foods. These include microworms, banana worms, Walter's worms, and vinegar eels. Microworms, banana worms, and Walter's worms are all grown in a medium of grain often oatmeal, cornmeal, baby cereal, or mashed potatoes. However, vinegar eels have four main advantages over these other nematodes.

• First of all, they are grown in vinegar. While many people dislike the smell of apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar they never smell different then that. On the other hand, the other types of nematodes can smell bad. In fact, the older they get, the worse they smell. Over time, they get to the point where they smell horrible. If the cultures go bad then the smell is even worse and can make your stomach feel upset.
• Next it should be noted that vinegar eels are easy. Microworms and other nematodes often require you to add food about once a week. Then after two or three weeks they need to be started over. This can be time-consuming, especially if you have large cultures or a number of them. On the other hand, the vinegar eel culture only needs a bit of food added to it once a month and it will last for a minimum of three months, but often up to six.
• The next thing that should be noted is that vinegar eels are a lot easier for fry and fish to eat. The other nematodes drown and they live on the surface of sour paste. The microworm is called the sour paste nematode. However, when added to the water they slowly sink to the bottom. They can then crawl into the substrate or sand if they are not eaten by snails or bottom feeders. Finally, they can die and add waste to your water quality. On the other hand, vinegar eels swim. They stick at the top of the surface and stay there. This makes it easier for them to be eaten by the fry and can even be seen by larger fish who might miss the sinking microworms.
• The vinegar eels can live for days in the water. In fact, they may be able to live for weeks, but it's hard to know because the fish will grab them up. Because they can live in the water and they aren't going to die before the fish eat them, they also won't add waste to your water.

These benefits make them more appealing to many than the microworms, banana worms, or Walter's worms. These easy to keep cultures can be set up, set aside, and brought out when you need them. A starter culture of the vinegar nematode is inexpensive, and if you start a regular new culture you will be able to keep them forever.