Posts Tagged ‘fish’

Discus Fish Keeping Tips For Discus Keepers

Monday, June 21st, 2010

When it comes to raising and caring for discus fish, it can definitely be a tough thing to do. Particularly if your a first time discus keeper. You may not know what to do or how discus act and respond to their environment. Which is why I’m going do provide you a couple of tips on discus fish keeping. By knowing the tips, you will be able to raise healthy and lovely discus.

One of the most significant things you need to keep check on is the aquarium’s pH level. If the pH gets too high or too low, your discus fish will become sick. You will need to check the water’s pH level everyday. It will help you keep your fish disease free too.

Placing your aquarium in the right place is the second discus fish keeping tip. Be sure you don’t put the fish tank too close to any doors that are constantly being opened. Doing so will spook your fish and cause them to want to hide and not eat. If this happens, your fish will unquestionably become sick. So, follow this tip on discus fish care.

You should also remember that discus fish are schooling fish. They love to be around other discus, so if you plan on raising one, make sure you get a few of them. This way, your fish won’t be isolated and will be able to live happy. If they’re alone, they will start to stress and they’ll get sick from this. You can put discus with other fish, but make sure they’re not much bigger than the discus when putting them together. This could spook your fish.

The other tip that will help you when you are keeping discus fish is to be sure you feed your fish the right foods. Discus likes to eat different types of foods. But the primary food that the majority of discus eat are bloodworms. If you’re not sure if your fish will like them, just try them out and also give your discus some other foods to see which one it likes best.

The helpful tips on discus fish keeping will help you care for your fish. The tips will help you raise them and help you keep them looking beautiful. If you want to keep your fish healthy, make sure you follow the advice above.

Although caring for discus can be difficult, there are other tips that will make it very easy. To learn which tips to use, visit http://discusfishcareinformation.com

Tropical Fish Diseases Explained

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Rearing tropical fish is fast becoming many people’s hobby and life style. It is because it can be very rewarding and relaxing when you sit back and enjoy the vibrant color of your aquarium at the end of the day.

That said, it can also quickly turn to be one big stressful and frustrating experience for a lot of people when they find that their fish might not be as healthy. The fact that fishes are very fragile does not help and thus you would definitely want to learn how to properly take care of them before they fall sick. You will find about some of the common diseases that will afflict your fishes and how to treat them in this article.

One of the most common diseases in a fish is fungal disease, and the symptom you will see are white spots on your fishes. This is most commonly associated to stress experienced by your fish, as such those white spots suggest that your fish might be weakened due to prolong stress. What you should do is to isolate them from the rest and help your fish to relax and not further aggregating it.

Your fish might also easily get inflicted with bacterial diseases, and the telling signs are sores, swelling eyes, as well as ulcers. Bacterial disease can be controlled with the use of antibiotic medication that you can apply to the aquarium to stop the spread of such diseases.

Another different ype of disease is parasitic disease; this is easy to spot when you see your fish acting weird in the tank, such as rubbing their bodies on the floor bed or any other objects in the tank. What you should do to stop the parasite is to give your fish a bath with salt solution, as that will usually help stop the problem.

Finally, there are the viral diseases that you need to pay attention to. When you start seeing swelled up white spots on your fish, it is a symptom of viral disease. You need to immediately control the spread of these viruses before they end up afflicting on all your fishes, isolate the one which has the viral disease and clean your tank as soon as possible. While it might be difficult to find a cure and thus you might want to let it run its course, just be sure that the infected fish are not sharing the same tank with your other fishes.

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Proper Set-Up Of A Fish Aquarium

Monday, May 31st, 2010

If you are considering setting up a fish aquarium, consider some basic ideas that can save you time and money in the future. Fish generally require less day to day work than other types of pets, but an important step toward that is a proper initial set-up. There are lots of decisions to be made as well. Will you set up a freshwater or saltwater tank? Either way, there are great fish in regards to both that will fit everyone’s personality.

Fish are fairly simple animals. There is some basic knowledge that you should familiarize yourself with. Some fish are very expensive, while others are not. Some silly mistakes can cost you the lives of your fish, and all the money you spent on them. With some simple ideas on setting up your tank, you can make sure your tank stays clean and healthy.

An initial look around your local tropical fish stores is necessary. A type of a scouting trip to speak with experts about ideas and goals. Decide what types of fish you want to bring home, and then begin purchasing the equipment needed to support them. Don’t go about this backwards, selecting the equipment first and then buying fish that might not work well with that equipment.

Purchase a couple of books regarding the species of fish you are going to purchase, and research the important information you need to know. This is very important if you are going to put money into the more expensive breeds. All fish are different, needing various types of care, equipment and space.

If you have made your decisions on the fish you love and the equipment and decorations you need, bring it home and begin set-up. It is very important that all items placed inside the tank are washed off well. Don’t get frustrated, as the first time you set up a fish tank, it will require a few hours and reading the instructions. Set some special time aside and do it correctly. Once everything is set up, allow the tank to run and function without fish for a few days. This way, you can insure a proper environment.

Once everything is set up, go to the store and buy a few inexpensive, small fish to put into the tank first. Do this before you put an expensive fish in there, and make sure that they can survive. Pick fish you want to keep for a while. After you are satisfied that they are healthy and adjusting well, it may be time to finally add the more expensive species.

Daily maintenance of the tank is a must. It is important that you feed the fish daily and take a moment to observe them carefully. Look for any early signs of sickness that may be able to be treated if caught early. Scrub for algae often and check filter and hoses many times a week. Change the water occasionally as well.

Fish are pretty easy animals to care for, but some silly mistakes can put this adventure to a half very quickly. The initial set-up is very important. You must take special time and care, or your fish tank experience might not last very long!

Might you be a passionate fish lover? They can be wonderful alternatives to more high-maintenance pets like cats and dogs. Should you want these beautiful creatures livening up your home, read these articles. Discover how to properly design, set up, and care for an aquarium right now!

Online Tropical Fish Distributor – A Plausible Career

Monday, May 24th, 2010

One of the many things that the Internet has allowed is for individuals to run their very own business and retail stores. As such, it is no wonder that many have since turned their passion into a career; one such example is running an online tropical fish distributor business. As the world are getting smaller with our advance technologies, it is now possible to send live fishes over a courier service, provided you have managed to locate a good company to do so for you.

Courier service aside, you will also need to be able to locate a good tropical fish supplier before hand to ensure that you get all the supplies you need to run this business. This will definitely make living as an online fish retailer a reality for many of us.

So as with any other businesses, you’ll want to locate a retailer who you can get your stock supply from. Simply approach the supplier and tell them about your plans, and one of the most important thing to take with you when negotiating with your supplier is never be afraid to haggle and negotiate the price of the fish. If you can not get yourself a decent enough deal or high enough profit margin, then there really is no point in running your online fish business. Once you and the supplier have agreed on the conditions, pen it down and make it a legal binding to make everything official.

Knowing a supplier is only half the battle, the other is having the knowledge on how to market yourself over the web as a retailer or distributor. Most web surfer loves pictures and as such one way to increase the popularity is to have plenty of pictures of the fishes you are selling, also make sure you know your products by taking notes of the different breeds from your supplier. One advantage you have over normal retail stores is that you do not have to worry about shelves space, and thus giving you the edge on having a huge catalogue or selections.

Ultimately, price point is your strongest asset in this business, and since the operating costs over the internet can be cheaper than an offline business, you ought to offer them a more competitive and compelling price so that your customer will have good reason to order from you instead of others.

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Cichlid Aquarium Fish – Common Mistakes

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

Keeping tropical aquarium fish can be very satisfying, but sometimes frustrating. In fact, cichlid fish care is very different than keeping most community tank fish.

More and more novice aquarists are taking on the task of learning how to keep African or American cichlids, but most are just unsure of how to take care of these very unique and beautiful aquarium fish.

Cichlid Keeping Mistakes

So what are the most common mistakes that most beginner fish keepers make? One of the most common things that home aquarium fish keepers are guilty of is the mixing of African and American varieties in the same tank.

Pet stores make this error also! It breaks my heart to see these poor tropical fish in pet stores that are improperly kept. Both the Africans and American varieties that are kept together in the same tank are miserable and literally barely living. Their specific water chemistry requirements are very different and they just are not naturally supposed to be in the same environment.

What is another mistake that a lot of tropical fish keepers make?

This is one of the most common errors that even the most experienced aquarist makes. Not making routine water change outs in their aquariums. Regardless of what variety of tropical fish that you have, routine water changes are literally the life of all tropical aquarium fish. Yes, it’s simple and easy, but a very common mistake.

The truth is, novice fish keepers just don’t know how to take care of their aquarium fish much less get them to thrive and even begin to reproduce. PH and other water chemistry requirements are also very important. Take cichlid fish for example. African and American varieties of these unique fish have very different water salinity requirements.

So where can you find out how to avoid making more mistakes when learning how to keep these very unique tropical fish? You need to find a good aquarium fish care guide to make sure that your cichlids stay healthy and happy for years to come.

Visit the Cichlid Aquarium to learn more about how to keep cichlids.

Maintaining and Taking Care of Your Fish Tank

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Your pet tropical fish are very much like us human, where we need to have a healthy environment to stay in so that we do not contract diseases as well as falling sick often. Understanding how to properly take care of and maintaining your fish tank is imperative to keeping your fishes healthy! Make it a point to clean the tank at least twice a month to make sure you’re giving your pet fish the best possible environment there is to stay in.

Thus, this article will address the few things you need to take care of your fish tank.

The Air Filter

An air filter’s job is as it sound, to filter the waste and debris in the water left by your pet fish. This is completely different from the air pump as an air pump will only be sending water into the air filter, and thus if you have a bigger tank, you do not need to clean the air filter as much as you would be with a smaller tank. This is because with bigger tank there will be more bacteria growing, and more bacteria does not necessarily harm your fish as the variety of bacteria regulates each other’s growth and presence, not to mention that your fish will sometimes feed on them too.

As per previously mentioned, you only need to clean your fish tank twice a month, to make sure it’s in a healthy and livable condition for your fish. There are some who suggests that once a month should actually be more than enough, why is that?

This is because by maintaining the bacterial growth at the bottom of your aquarium are useful for degrading the fish waste, as well as any food waste. This natural cycle can help break down the waste in it’s most natural form, thus cleaning them too often will alter it’s function as well as altering your fish’s habitat often.

That being said, there is no harm in cleaning your fish tank if it gets out of hand and too murky, as the main reason why some of us rare tropical fishes are to enjoy the spectacular view, and thus a dirty aquarium will definitely not be the best sight!

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Beginner Tropical Fish Care

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

If you’re thinking about owning a new pet in the form of tropical fish, you should remember that being a pet owner is a big responsibility, as the pet’s life and well being will fall into your hands and you should be equipped with the right knowledge even before you start. Getting prepared in terms of providing them the correct environment and care will make it easier for you to get started on the right foot. This article will talk about the things you should know before you buy any tropical fish home.

The Aquarium for Your Fish

Firstly you have to ensure that your fish have a healthy environment to thrive in, and thus getting the biggest fish tank allowable can be more beneficial than getting a smaller one. While it’s more than letting your fish have more space to roam around, it is also easier to regulate the water temperature in a bigger tank, not to mention that with a bigger tank you’ll be able to rare more fishes in the future should you choose to.

Another thing to consider in your tank is the various accessories and placement of various objects within the tank. Be sure to include a few places for your fish to hide, because that way they’re more likely to be less stressed, this is especially important if the tank receive direct sunlight, which is often quite bad for the fish.

Topical Fish Type

One mistake that many new owner commit is that they tend to place a lot of different kind of breed within the same aquarium all at once. This is not good for any of your pet fish as they need time to to suit themselves in a new environment, by adding a lot of other fishes you stress them out and this can sometimes lead to their death. Therefore start with a small collection before adding more different fishes in.

Feeding is one of the most important aspect when raring tropical fishes, as you do not want to overfeed them because it can cause quite a mess in your air filter and water, therefore check and see if there are any flakes at the bottom of your fish tank, if there is then you are overfeeding them. Make sure that you’re providing them additional nutritional food on top of their normal fish food to keep them strong and healthy!

Lastly, do make sure that you maintain and clean the fish tank at least twice a month. This way your pet fishes are always staying in a clean environment and reducing the risk of contracting diseases, not to mention that you want a clean tank for you to admire, not a dirty one!

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Tropical Fish Care Info

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

A tank full of lively tropical fish can be a thing of beauty. The vibrantly colored fish and the silent way they glide around in the water can make it the focal point of any room. Watching the fish swim while the filter quietly gurgles can be a very relaxing experience. However, if proper care is not taken of the fish and the tank itself, it can very quickly turn into an eyesore that still attracts the eye but now for all the wrong reasons. Here are some basic guidelines to tropical fish care that will help you get started.

Now that you have decided that you want to set up a fish tank, what are the things you need to make that happen? Obviously you will need a tank. The size and shape of that tank is entirely up to you, but keep in mind that the larger the tank the more it will cost to set it up. There are a multitude of choices as to the types of decoration and fish to put into the tank but there are some things that you simply must have. They include gravel, a filter, a heater and a light source.

Take your time when you decide on the color and type of gravel you would like. It will be the single largest thing seen in your tank so you want to be sure to get it right. Think about the room you will be placing it in and the overall theme of the tank. In a child’s room, you may want brightly colored gravel while in a living room, you may want to go with the more muted, natural colors.

Filtering systems come in two basic types: those that are placed under the gravel and those that hang on the outside of the tank. Both are equally effective at cleaning the water. Some feel that the one placed under the gravel is a better choice because it cannot be seen, but they are much harder to maintain than the ones on the outside of the tank. In some cases, especially if the tank has many fish in it or is particularly large, you may find that it takes both types to keep the water quality high.

In order to keep your fish healthy, you will need to keep the water temperature around 72 degrees. A heater with a thermostat built into it is the best way to accomplish this. Tanks that are twenty gallons or below can be regulated with a single heat source. Bigger than that you will probably need two heaters placed at opposite ends of the tank.

Light fixtures often come as part of the tank’s hood. These hoods are designed to cover the entire top of the tank. This will keep the fish in and everything else out. You will have a choice of incandescent or fluorescent light fixtures. Fluorescent may be the better choice. The light bulbs last longer and they do not add any additional heat to the tank.

Once you have purchased everything that you need to get started, it is time to set up the tank. Do this where you intend the tank to stay because a tank full of water is very heavy and difficult to move. Turn on the filter and the heater and leave it to run for several days before adding fish. This will give you time to get the temperature just right and allow any chemicals that may be harmful to you fish to be filtered out.

Finally you are ready to add the fish. When you bring them home it is important to let the bags sit in the tank water for at least fifteen minutes before releasing the fish. This will give the fish a chance to acclimate to the temperature of the tank gradually. Now you can release them and enjoy their quiet grace as they move around the tank.

To get some more information about tropical fish care, please click on any of these given links: tropical fish care information tropical fish care

American Cichlid Tankmates – Finding the Right Tankmates for Cichlids

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Choosing South American Cichlid tank mates is not difficult at all. There are a few things that you need to consider before you make any quick decisions while at your favorite pet store.

The very first thing that you need to think about is the size of your cichlids. You should not pick tankmates that could easily fit in the mouth of your favorite cichlid. That little rule may not work every time, but it is a good start.

Second, choosing tankmates that do not have the same temperament as each other. Juvenile Oscars and Angel Fish are a good example. These two species make great tankmates when they are little. But when those Oscars start to grow, the Angels will loose every battle very quickly.

Now that I have made a few obvious points about choosing South American Cichlid tank mates, let’s get to the point. When I think of South American Cichlid tank mates, I think of catfish. But more specifically I think of the gentle Corydoras. These are absolutely some of my favorite aquarium fish and they make excellent tank buddies for many varieties of Cichlids.

When choosing corys , make sure you consider the size of your Cichlids. If you have a mature Oscar tank, choosing the smaller types of corys is bad idea. Your Oscars will love the snack and vacuum them up like skittles. Choose one of the larger varieties like Corydoras aeneus.

The larger types of corys like the bronze and green varieties, will reach full size at about three inches. So they should make good tankmates for even the larger types of American Cichlids.

But consider this fact when choosing tankmates for cichlids, sometimes Oscars don’t play by the rules. It is best to raise Oscars with corys as tankmates so they get used to having them swim about the bottom of the tank. And make sure that you keep at least five or six corys at a time. They are much happier when they have a few buddies.

See this article for more information about cichlid tank mates. Visit cichlid care to learn how to keep cichlids healthy, colorful and happy.

A Simple To Follow Tropical Fish Guide

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

When you are ready to go from being a tropical fish observer to a happy tropical fish owner, you’ve got some things to take care of. You need to make sure that this is something you are really ready to take on because while it’s quite wonderful to own tropical fish, it’s hard work, too. Have no fear; you will be greatly rewarded for your diligence. This tropical fish guide may make things a bit easier for you.

It is recommended that you purchase the tank and accessories prior to buying the fish. Your tropical fish will not be happy or healthy for long in a plastic bag. You need to establish a clean and safe environment for them ahead of time. Give them something magnificent to come home to. When buying your first tank, don’t think that bigger is better. Since you’re a newcomer to the world of tropical fish ownership, start small. Once you see that you are good at taking care of them, you can increase the tank size. Just don’t bite off more than you can chew out of the gate.

If you don’t have a tank already, go purchase a small one. You also need a filter and light as well as other supplies to clean the tank. Buy the food you’ll need ahead of time as well. You can design a tank that is creative and colorful or if you prefer, very basic. Just make sure that whatever you do, you buy quality products. Things you buy that are less than well crafted can cost you down the road.

You of course need a strong and well built tank. Make sure the tank has no cracks or obvious defects. You will also need a hang on the back filter and a 5 watt light to keep your new pets happy and healthy. Wash your tank out well when you get it home and make sure that the water is pure before you begin introducing fish into it.

Make sure that your tank is completely clean and then add about an inch of rocks to the bottom of the tank. There is a variety of colored and ornate gravel that you can purchase for your tank. Get creative and give your new pets a beautiful home to enjoy.

Heat your new tank to about eighty degrees Fahrenheit. This is the prime temperature for your tropical fish. Make sure to check the temperature frequently once the fish are living in the tank. You don’t want to accidentally kill them by having them be too hot or too cold.

Set up your light in the tank before adding your fish. Fish like light but having your tank directly in front of the window will cause algae to grow out of control and you’ll have a difficult time with regulating temperature. Once you’ve got the water added, gradually warm it and then get to the pet store! There are a lot of places you can buy tropical fish from. There are specialty shops that can order any kind of tropical fish for you if they don’t have them in stock. You can also buy tropical fish in most local pet shops.

Ask the pet shop owner what the easiest to care for fish are, and then you can start with something easy. Make sure that the fish you are buying won’t eat each other. It’s very sad to wake in the morning and see that half of your fish are missing or half eaten by the others in the tank. Many pet shop owners are not truly well versed in tropical fish so you may have to do some learning on your own. If you’re in doubt, don’t mix breeds. Buy a few of one kind, bring them home and then do some online researching. You can always go back later and buy more kinds and colors of fish.

Take care when you go to feed your new pets. Tropical fish require a very specific diet and should be eating at the same time of day, every day. Never feed them too much and if you’re going away, have someone feed your fish. Take care of your tank and your fish should prosper. If you ever have problems, you can find the answers to your questions online. Good luck and enjoy your new tropical fish!

If you want to read a more extensive tropical fish guide, then please click on any of the given links: tropical fish guide for fledglings tropical fish guide