Saturday, September 18

How to Take Care of Oscar Fish

Oscars are a very popular member of the cichlid family that are often favored as a single exhibit or kept in pairs. Oscar fish care requires research and understanding of the fish's psyche and social behavior. Care of Oscar fish also requires knowledge of their growth rate as well. Taking care of fish brings into question, just how do you take care of a fish properly?

How to Take Care of Oscar Fish

Oscar fish care requires a bit of understanding of the fish and the pet health care it will take to maintain the fish itself. Oscar fish are one of the more popular aquarium fish, despite their aggressive nature against other fish. Oscar fish keeping requires a good size tank, at least thirty gallons is required for Oscar fish. In establishing an aquarium environment for Oscars, one must remember that an Oscar may start out small but will gradually become a larger fish, possibly topping out at 18 inches long and weighing in around 3.5 pounds. like most fish, will eat anything that fits into their mouths. What makes this tendency so harmful to possible tank mates in Oscars is that they have exceptionally large mouths in proportion to the rest of their body and will gladly eat things that are too long for their mouth, just so they can get it in well enough.

As with all large fish, the aquarium that houses an Oscar should be no smaller than twice as wide and four times as long as the fish's length to ensure it has plenty of room to move. The aquarium should have a sturdy hood as Oscars are jumpers, as well as filtration that turns over ten times the

Peach Anthias Care

They are commonly called peach anthias because of their coloration. Their overall body color is yellowish orange. Females typically have peach colored upper bodies and pale lavender to white underbodies. They also have stripes on their tales. Males have bright red dorsal fins and lack the tail striping. This species ranges in size from 3-5 inches. They have an average life expectancy of 3-5 years.



Peach Anthias Care Level : Moderate to Difficult

These fish are considered reef safe and will make excellent additions to your marine reef tank. In the ocean, they are commonly found on the outer reefs where there is very strong water movements and providing strong water movement using multiple powerheads in your aquarium will most likely be rewarded with increased activity from this fish. Open tops could spell trouble with these beauties because they will jump when frightened.


Many anthias demonstrate intolerance to bright light. The dispar is a shallow water swimmer and therefore accustomed to higher light levels. However you should provide them with plenty of living rock both to hide in and around and as a source of nutrition.


Sunday, September 5

How to Care for Lionfish

How to Care for Lionfish
Despite their differences in size, the true lionfish and the dwarf lionfish have similar captive habitat requirements (except, of course, for minimum tank size). Lionfish have a reputation as being remarkably hearty fish (second only to damsels some say), and while this is true, some care should be taken to provide lionfish with an environment that meets their species-specific needs.


Lionfish are not known to be particularly territorial and will share their cave or other place of refuge with members of their own species or other lionfish species. Having said this, keep in mind that recommended stocking densities for true lionfish are about 40 gallons per lionfish (and about half that for the dwarfs). They prefer coral reefs and rocky outcrops, although they have occasionally also been found in mangroves, seagrasses, lagoons, and harbors. The maximum size seems to be about 15 inches.


Lionfish are voracious predators. When hunting, they corner prey using their large fins and then use their quick reflexes to swallow the prey whole. They hunt primarily from late afternoon to dawn. In captivity, lionfish can be trained to eat frozen krill and mysis.

How to Care for Clown Fish

How to Care for Clown Fish
Clownfish do need a fair amount of care as opposed to other fish. You will need to provide a stable saltwater aquarium for them to live in. You need to look up the specific instructions for the type of clownfish you want to house and then adjust accordingly with your aquarium size. After you pick out the aquarium, you are going to need to find the appropriate lighting and filtration systems to place in the aquarium. You have to have a good filtration system to provide the best possible environment for the clownfish.


The aquarium should be at least 40 litres and at best 70 litres with a monitored salinity of 1.205. The best thing to give the Clown fish is real seawater and then fill the tank with natural sea sand and crushed marble. If you become really expert at keeping a tropical aquarium going, then adding a sea anemone would be nice. To complete the natural environment approximately up to 2kg of live rock can added.


You should add a sea anemone that is compatible with the species of clownfish that you pick. Clownfish have a symbiotic relationship with Sea Anemones and it is recommended that you place the two together for the best possible results. Also you can see how the clownfish interacts with the anemone. Anemones can be very hard to keep alive in the aquarium, and it is definitely not recommended for beginning aquarium owners. Sea Anemones generally do not live more than 2 years even with the experienced aquarium owner.

Wednesday, August 18

Saltwater Fish Care

Saltwater Fish Care

A:
African Flameback
Axelrods clown blenny
Axilspot Hogfish

B:
Bandfin cardinalfish
Banggai cardinal fish
Bicolor Angelfish
Bicolor blenny
Bicolor Foxface Rabbitfish
Bigeye cardinalfish
Bignose unicornfish
Blackcap Gramma
Blackfin Hogfish
Blackfinned Clownfish
Black Striped Angelfish
Black triggerfish
Blackbar triggerfish
Blackbelly triggerfish
Blackstripe cardinalfish
Black Velvet Angelfish
Blackspot Angelfish
Blacktail Angelfish
Blue Angelfish
Blueface Angelfish
Bluehead Fairy Wrasse
Blue tang surgeonfish
Cherub AngelfishBluespotted Angelfish
Bluespotted triggerfish
Bluethroat triggerfish
Boomerang triggerfish
Brazilian Gramma
Bridled cardinalfish
Brown Combtooth Blenny
Brown surgeonfish

C:
Cherub Angelfish
Chestnut eyelash blenny
Chevron tang
Chinese trumpetfish
Chocolate surgeonfish
Cinnamon Clownfish
Clarkii Clownfish
Clown triggerfish
Cockatoo waspfish
Comical blenny
Convict surgeonfish
Convict surgeonfish (Desc 2)
Cook's cardinalfish
Coral Beauty
Coral Hogfish
Coral Rabbitfish
Cortez Angelfish
Cuban Hogfish

D:
Desjardin's sailfin tang
Doederlein's cardinalfish
Dog toothed cardinalfish
Doubleband surgeonfish
Drab sole

E:
Eight Lined Wrasse
Elongate surgeonfish
Emperor Angelfish
Eyestriped surgeonfish
Exquisite Fairy Wrasse

F:
False cleanerfish
Finescale triggerfish
Finespotted Fairy Wrasse
Five-lined cardinalfish
Flamefish
Flame Angelfish
Foxface Rabbitfish
French Angelfish

G:
Gilded triggerfish
Golden Angelfish
Goldspotted Rabbitfish
Gray Angelfish
Gray unicornfish
Great Barrier Reef blenny
Green Chromis
Grey triggerfish

H:
Halfback Angelfish
Halfmoon picassofish
Halfmoon triggerfish
Hartzfeld's cardinalfish
Hogchoker
Humpback unicornfish

I:
Indian triggerfish
Iridescent cardinalfish

J:
Japanese surgeonfish

K:
Keyhole Angelfish
Korean Angelfish

L:
Large toothed cardinalfish
Large-scale triggerfish
Lemonpeel Angelfish
Leopard blenny
Linear blenny
Lined sole
Linguado
Live sharksucker
Longnose surgeonfish
Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse
Lyretail Hogfish

M:
Maroon Clownfish
Magnificent Rabbitfish
Masked Rabbitfish
Masked triggerfish
Majestic Angelfish
Mango Angelfish
Midnight Angelfish

N:
Nalolo

O:
Ocean surgeon
Ocean triggerfish
Ocellaris Clownfish
Ochre-striped cardinalfish
Onespot Foxface Rabbitfish
Orange Angelfish
Orange-lined triggerfish
Orange Skunk Anemonefish
Orangeside triggerfish
Orangespine unicornfish
Orbiculate cardinalfish
Ornate Wrasse

P:
Painted frogfish
Pajama cardinalfish
Palette surgeonfish
Passer Angelfish
Percula Clownfish
Persian blenny
Picasso triggerfish
Pink Skunk Clownfish
Pinktail triggerfish
Potter's Angelfish
Purplemask angelfish

Q:
Queen Angelfish
Queen triggerfish
Queensland blenny

R:
Red Sea mimic blenny
Redfin Fairy Wrasse
Redmargin Fairy Wrasse
Red-speckled blenny
Redtail triggerfish
Redtoothed triggerfish
Ring-tailed cardinalfish
Royal Gramma
Rock Beauty
Rusty Angelfish

S:
Saddleback Clownfish
Saddleback Hogfish
Saddle Clownfish
Sailfin tang
Sargassum triggerfish
Scribbled Angelfish
Scott's Fairy Wrasse
Seale's cardinalfish
Shaggy angler
Sixbanded Angelfish
Skunk Clownfish
Sleek unicornfish
Sohal surgeonfish
Spanish Hogfish
Social Wrasse
Solor Fairy Wrasse
Spotted oceanic triggerfish
Spotted surgeonfish
Spotted tang
Spotted unicornfish - Naso brevirostris
Spotted unicornfish - Naso maculatus
Spotted Hogfish
Stone triggerfish
Striated frogfish
Striated surgeonfish
Striped triggerfish
Striped-fin surgeonfish

T:
Talbot's blenny
Thompson's surgeonfish
Threadfin cardinalfish
Titan triggerfish
Tomato Clownfish
Tomini surgeonfish
Twospot surgeonfish
Twotone tang

U:

V:
Vermiculated Angelfish
Virgate Rabbitfish

W:
Warty frogfish
Watanabe's Angelfish
Wedge-tail triggerfish
Whitetail Pygmy Angelfish
White jawed cardinalfish
Whitemargin unicornfish
Wolf Cardinalfish
Wolf eel
Wolf fish

X:

Y:
Yellow tang
Yellow Angelfish
Yellowbar Angelfish
Yellow Hogfish
Yellow-spotted triggerfish
Yellowmargin triggerfish
Yellowstreaked Fairy Wrasse
Yellowstriped cardinalfish
Yellowtail surgeonfish
Yellow-tailed damsel
Yellowtail tang

Z:

Freshwater Fish Care

Freshwater Fish Care

A:
Afra Cichlid
African Butterfly Cichlid
African Butter Catfish
African Knife Fish
African Snakehead
Agassiz' Dwarf Cichlid
Akar betta
Albino Cory
El Abra Pygmy Swordtail
Amiet's Lyretail
Asian Arowana
Archerfish
Argus Fish
Arnoldi
Aulonocara Maulana
Aulonocara Benga
Australian Pearl Arowana
Azureus Cichlid

B:
Badis
Bala Shark
Banded Knife Fish
Bangka Snakehead
Baram Snakehead
Barca Snakehead
Batik Loach
Banded Bichir
Banded Shovelnose Catfish
Barred Knife Fish
Barred Sorubim
Bearded Cory
Beauty Mouthbrooder
Bengal Danio
Bigtooth River Stingray
Bishop livebearer
Black Arowana
Black Banded Leporinus
Black Barred Myleus
Black Diamond Gold Piranha
Blackfinned Snakehead
Black Ghost Knife
Black Neon Tetra
Black Piranha
Black Phantom tetra
Blackskirt Tetra
Bleeding Heart Tetra
Benny Tetra
Blue Gourami
Blue Discus
Big Eye Mouthbrooder
Big Toothed Piranha
Black Pacu
Black Small Fighter
Blind Cavefish
Bloodfin Tetra
Blotched Snakehead
Blue Acara
Blue Band Mouthbrooder
Blue Convict Cichlid
Blue Panda Apisto
Bluespotted Snakehead
Blyth's Loach
Bolivian ram
Brandti Piranha
Bream
Brilliant rasbora
Bristlenosed Catfish
Brown Betta
Brown's Betta
Brown Discus
Bucktoothed Tetra
Buenos Aires Tetra
Bulldog Pleco
Bullseye Snakehead
Burmese Snakehead

C:
Cardinal Tetra
Catemaco Livebearer
Celebes Halfbeak
Ceylon Snakehead
Chel Snakehead
Cherry Barb
Chevron Snakehead
Chilumba
Chinese Snakehead
Cinnamon Killifish
Clown Barb
Clown Killifish
Clown Killi
Clown Knife Fish
Clown Loach
Clown Pleco
Cockatoo dwarf Cichlid
Comma Swordtail
Compressed Cichlid
Congo Blackfin
Congo Tetra
Congo Tetra (profile 2)
Convict Cichlid
Coolie Loach
Cortes Swordtail
Cross River Puffer
Crystel Eyed Catfish
Cochu's Blue Tetra
D:

Demasoni Cichlid
Diamond tetra
Dovii Cichlid
Double Lipspot Mouthbrooder
Duckbill Catfish
Dusky Piranha
Dwarf Croaking Gourami
Dwarf Gourami
Dwarf Livebearer
Dwarf Loach
Dwarf Mouthbrooder (Betta)
Dwarf Snakehead
Duboisi Cichlid

E:
Electric Blue Hap
Electric Catfish
Electric Yellow Lab
El Quince Swordtail
Emperor Snakehead
Eureka Cichlid
Eyespot Mouthbrooder

F:
Fahaka Puffer
Father Strohs Mouthbrooder
Figure Eight Puffer
Firebird Cichlid
Firemouth Cichlid
Firehead cichlid
Flag acara
Flagtailed Catfish
Flame Tetra
Flier Cichlid
Forrest Betta
Freshwater Barracuda
Freshwater Barracuda (species 2)
Freshwater Butterflyfish
Freshwater Garfish
Freshwater Gar Fish - Profile 2
Freshwater Moray Eel - Echidna rhodochilus
Freshwater Moray Eel - Gymnothorax tile
Frontosa Cichlid
Fundulopanchax avichang
Fundulopanchax batesii

G:
German Blue Ram
Geryi Piranha
Ghost Knife Fish
Giant Betta
Giant Danio
Giant Snakehead
Glass Knife Fish
Glass catfish
Glowlight Tetra
Golden Nugget Pleco
Golden Snakehead
Gold Gourami
Gold Mixteco
Grant's Peacock cichlid
Gray Bichir
Green Discus
Green terror
Green Throat Mouthbrooder
Green Puffer
Green Severum
Green Terror Cichlid
Guppy
Guyana Leaffish

H:
Halfbeak
Heller's Cichlid
High Backed Pygme Swordtail
Highland Platy
Highland Swordtail
Hikari Danio
Hogchoker
Holland's Piranha
Honey Gourami
Hoplo Catfish
Hora's Loach
Horsefaced Loach
Humeralis Piranha

I:
Indian Glassfish
Indonesian Datnoid
Inle Snakehead

J:
Jack Demspey Cichlid
Javan Mouthbrooding Fighting Fish
Jelly Bean Tetra
Julii Cory

K:
Kadango Cichlid
Keyhole Cichlid
Knife Livebearer
Koi Carp

L:
Lamp eye tetra
Leopard Danio
Leopard Cory
Leporinus
Lesser Bleeding Heart Tetra
Lesser Spiny Eel
Lyretail Killifish
Lyre Tail Pleco

M:
Madagascar Rainbowfish
Maison's Peacock
Malawi Eyebiter
Malebo Puffer
Marbled Hatchet
Marbled Hatchet (profile 2)
Marbled Headstander
Mbu Puffer
Mekong Puffer
Midas Cichlid
Monterray Platy
Montezuma Swordtail
Moonlight Gourami
Mossaic Stingray
Motoro Sting Ray
Mousetail Knife fish
Muzquiz Platy

N:
Neon Tetra
New Ediths Mouthbrooder
Niger Snakehead
Night Snakehead
Nijsseni's Dwarf Cichlid
Norman's Lampeye
Northern Mountain Swordtail
Northern Platy
Northern Snakehead

O:
Ocellated Puffer Fish
Ocellated Snakehead
Otocinclus
Olive Danio
One Spot Mouthbrooder
Oscar
Orange Finned Danio
Orangespotted Snakehead
Ornate Bichir
Ornate Pim
Ornate Tetra
Oscar Fish
Otocinclus Catfish

P:
Pacman catfish
Panaw Snakehead
Panda cory
Paradise Fish
Pareutropius bueffei
Peaceful Betta
Peacock Mouthbrooder
Pearl Danio
Pearl Gourami
Penguin Tetra
Peppered Corydoras
Pepper Tetra
Pictus Catfish
Pike Livebearer
Pike Piranha
Pineapple Discus
Pinche Piranha
Pingi Logsucker
Pink Tailed Chalceus
Piraya Piranha
Platy
Plumed Lyretail
Polka Dot Loach
Polka Dot Ray
Powder Blue Cichlid
Pretty Tetra
Purple Spotted Gudgeon

Q:
Queen Loach

R:
Rainbow Snakehead
Rainbow Shark
Red Belly Pacu
Redbelly Piranha
Red-blotched River Stingray
Redbreast acara
Red Devil
Red Dwarf Rasbora
Red Empress Cichlid
Red Eyed Tetra
Red Heckles Discus
Red Hook Silver Dollar
Red jewel cichlid
Redish Dwarf Fighter
Red Port Acara
Red Sumatran Fighter
Red Tailed Catfish
Red Tailed Hemiodopsis
Red Tailed Shark
Red Terror Cichlid
Red Zebra
Rio Aloyac Platy
Rose Danio
Rosen's Hybrid Platy
Royal pleco
Rummy Nose Tetra
Rummynose Tetra

S:
Sabretooth Tetra
Sailfin Molly
Sailfin Pim
San Juan Cory
Schallers Mouthbrooder
Schwartz's Cory
Scissortail
Serrated Piranha
Serpae Tetra
Sheepshead Swordtail
Severum
Siamese Algae Eater
Siamese Fighting Fish
Sieve Cichlid
Silver Datnoid
Silver Dollar (Metynnis hypsauchen)
Silver Dollar (Metynnis argenteus)
Silver hatchetfish
Silver Hemiodopsis
Silver Mylossoma
Silver Prochilodus
Silvertip Tetra
Simple Mouthbrooder
Simor Fighter
Skunk Botia
Skunk Cory
Slender Betta
Slender Hemiodus
Slender Pygme Swordtail
Small Fin Fighter
Smaragd Fighting Fish
Smooth Back River Stingray
Snakeskin Gourami
Spike Tail Platy
Splendid Snakehead
Spotted Pike Characin
Speckled Platy
Spotted cachorro
Spotted Green Puffer
Spotted Silver Dollar
Spotted Snakehead
Spotted Talking Catfish
Socolof's Tetra
Sterbai Cory Cat
Sterlet
Striped barb
Striped Silver Dollar
Striped Panchax
Swordtail
Swordtail Characin

T:
Tail Light Tetra
T-Bar Cichlid
Tenuis Tetra
Ten Spotted Livebearer
Texas Cichlid
Three Lined Cory
Thick Lib Gourami
Thinbar Datnoid
Three lined mouthbrooder
Three Spot Tetra
Tiger Barb
Tiger Botia
Tiretrack Eels
Tomi Mouthbrooder
Tigrinus Catfish
Tramitichromis intermedius
Tricolor Cichlid
Twin Spot Flag Cichlid
Turquoise Cichlid
Tussys Small Red Fighter

U:
Umbie
Umbrella Cichlid
Upland Swordtail
Upside-down Catfish

V:

Viejita Apisto

W:
Wasers Mouthbrooder
Wessel's Cichlid
West African Lungfish
Western Mosquitofish
White Cloud Mountain Minnow
White Piranha
Widebar Datnoid
Wimple Piranha
Wine Red Betta
Wolf Fish

X:

Y:
Yellow Acara
Yellow King Piranha
Yellow Swordtail
YoYo Loach (Pakistani Loach)

Z:
Zebra Danio
Zebra Loach

Aquarium Setup

An aquarist owns fish or maintains an aquarium, typically constructed of glass or high strength plastic. Cuboid aquaria are also known as fish tanks or simply tanks, while bowl-shaped aquaria are also known as fish bowls. Size can range from a small glass bowl to immense public aquaria. Specialized equipment maintains appropriate water quality and other characteristics suitable for the aquarium's residents.

Aquarium Setup

Tuesday, August 17

How to Choose Compatible Aquarium Fish

By : Melanie Marten

When you decide to have an aquarium in your home, you first have to research how to set up the fish tank. An aquarium should always be set up in advance of purchasing the fish. After you decorate, fill it with water and cycle it, affix all filters, heaters, and air pumps, it is time to turn your attention to the aquarium fish. It is important to choose compatible aquarium fish for your fish tank. You will need to research compatible fish in order to stock your aquarium well.

Compatible Aquarium Fish Water Temperature

Different aquarium fish require different water temperatures to thrive. Compatible aquarium fish will need similar temperatures. They are most commonly divided into cold water and tropical fish varieties, but there are further distinctions. Some tropical aquarium fish do well in 70-75 degree water. Others realize optimum health in water that is above 80 degrees.

For the most part, you can keep aquarium fish that are closely compatible. However, coldwater and tropical fish are not compatible fish.

Compatible Aquarium Fish Water Parameters

The next thing to take into account are the ideal water parameters for each type of aquarium fish. Compatible fish will have similar needs for the pH, hardness, and quality of water. Of course, all aquarium fish do best in clean, clear water. Some are able to tolerate less than ideal conditions. These fish would be compatible only with others like them.

Compatible Aquarium Fish Temperment

Fish have different temperments which also determine if they will be compatible with their tank mates. Docile, easy-going fish will be compatible with others of the same type. There are some aquarium fish that need to be with a school of the same species. These fish can be compatible with other types of fish, but only if they have a school of their own to swim with. Compatible fish have similar temperments.

Compatible Aquarium Fish Environment Needs
An aquarium is a closed ecosystem that must provide everything the fish need to be happy. In an aquarium, compatible fish do not always need the same environment. Fish that need caves to hide in can live happily with free swimmers, or those who enjoy lots of plants. Compatible fish in an aquarium will each fill a provided environment in the tank.

When choosing compatible aquarium fish, you must carefully research all the above needs for each fish species. Compatible fish will have less stress and will therefore be less prone to disease. Compatible fish will also not kill each other in the aquarium.

How to Care for Large Aquariums

By : Monica L. Garrett

How to Care for Large Aquariums

Maintaining a large aquarium can be very simple if you adopt the philosophy of overcompensating. If you read the labels on pumps and filters at your local pet store, you'll buy a filtration system that will keep you changing your water and cleaning your aquarium more often than you would like. Overcompensate by purchasing a pond pump and filter. This will cut your water changes down to once a month or less. This is compared to weekly or bi-weekly at best with the recommended filtration system. Of course, this varies depending on what lives in your aquarium. Goldfish and koi require more maintenance than a tropical community. Neither compare to the waste produced by turtles. Frogs, on the other hand, produce very little waste.

Next, you'll need to invest in Purigen. Having tried everything on the market to keep crystal clean water in my aquariums, I was thrilled to find Purigen, which when used in my filter, cleared cloudy water in less than twelve hours.

Lastly, you'll need a python. This will make cleaning your aquarium so much easier. Just hook the python up to your faucet and use the suction to clean the gravel or substrate. You'll vacuum out the old water in the process and can then reverse the python to refill the aquarium.
Remember to clean the filters first so you do not get waste from the filters in your freshly cleaned aquarium. Don't forget to unplug aquarium heaters before doing a water change and be sure to follow safety precautions. Add water conditioner, per instructions on package, while refilling the aquarium. Tap water is dangerous to fish.

In order to be sure your water stays safe between cleanings, be sure to put an ammonia monitoring device in the aquarium and keep a test kit on hand to check the water quality. If you keep live plants in the aquarium, you'll need to read up on the products you are using to make sure they are plant friendly. Be aware that small flowering plants can cause filtration problems by getting sucked up through the filtration system and clogging it up. A major problem that leads to poor water quality in an aquarium is overfeeding. You do not want to put in more food than your fish will consume in five minutes. If you do, especially with flakes, the food will just sink and settle on the bottom of the tank.

Once you establish a large aquarium with proper filtration and water quality, you'll enjoy a fascinating hobby will minimal work.

Sunday, July 18

Tips for Considering Fish Pond UV Sterilizers

By: Sharon Brook

Tips for Considering Fish Pond UV Sterilizers

Ultra violet lights have many applications all over the industry and other fields. Ultraviolet sterilizers are used to sterilize the medical instruments and for sterilization of water. UV has another wide application in aquariums and fish ponds. It is mainly used in fish pond to control algae.

A UV sterilizer mainly consists of four main components: a UV germicidal lamp, a quartz sleeve to enclose the lamp and save it from water, electrical ballast for supplying electrical input to the lamp, and the main body of sterilizer which holds and houses all the parts. The water flows through the sterilizer and gets sterilized.

Although, UV is widely used in the water gardens, there are still some misconceptions about their use. A matter of concern is that use of UV will kill all types of bacteria in the pond: both useful and not useful. This is not correct statement. It is sure that all water can not pass through the UV sterilizer. Some useful bacteria will always remain in the pond on everything including the filter sleeve. All this bacteria is not sterilized. A UV will be installed with certain filtering capacity taking proper consideration of the pond size. It will help in reducing the bacteria and micro-organism found harmful for fish. Another function of UV is to destroy DNA in single cell algae cells and kill it effectively. When there is turbidity in water the UV will clear it and make the water clean.

UV sterilizers have proved 100% efficient in cleaning water from single cell algae. UV does not filter any water in the pond; it only makes the water clear. One of the main considerations from the users of UV can be that they see perfectly the clear water in the pond while they need water which is of good quality for the fish. Crystal clear water can still damage the fish.

It is necessary to always have a biological filtration system installed along with the UV sterilizer in the pond. Fish gives off ammonia in pond. The biological filter is required to split ammonia and dead organism including the dead algae that is killed UV. In case a biological filter is not being used, green water will vanish with algae; there will be another filamentous -algae which will replace the algae.

When you want to purchase a UV sterilizer you are bound to face some sort of confusion. Some manufacturers do not use the name UV sterilizer; in stead they call them UV clarifiers. The specification and suitability given by different companies don't match. For instance a 25 W UV is suitable for 1200 gallon pond whereas the 25 W UV from another company is said to be good for a 2300 gallons pond. That is all confusion.

So what is correct? There are two reasons for this confusion. One company is calling it as a clarifier: means it will not make crystal clear water without a large number of plants to help it. So the capacity is 2300 gallons. The other company designates it as sterilizer, it will give clear water even without the plants and its capacity is 1200 gallons. The plants are good to make the pond healthier. In addition to this there can be some difference in the efficiency of UV system. It means that 25 W from two different companies will not be equally effective.

You can get some real advantages by installing a UV sterilizer in your pond. But it is essential to include biological filtration equipment also to get best results in your fish pond.

Tips on Caring for African Cichlids

By: Michael Grantham

Tips on Caring for African Cichlids

Both large and diverse, the cichlid family holds over one thousand species from many different locations, including the great African Rift Lakes, South America, Central America, Madagascar and even Asia. Noted for their hardy nature, strong personality and vibrant color, many cichlids have become favorites throughout the aquarium trade and are often kept by those new to tropical fish keeping as well as experienced breeders and advanced hobbyists.

Although each species falls under the common family name, it is important not to generalize as cichlids are unique and have specific requirements and habitats depending on the geographical location from which they were derived.
Should anyone wish to keep cichlids it is a good idea to first consider; how much effort you are willing to put into your hobby, the size of the tank you have available and what you are looking for in a fish. Furthermore, it is also recommended that you do some back ground research, reading up on several species which appeal to you, their requirements and their availability in your local area. It is important to remember that just because you see a fish on the internet or in a book, does not mean you will be able to obtain that specific fish, as import laws and environmental restrictions vary from country to country and even from state to state. However, any questions you might have about such laws can easily be cleared up by taking a quick trip to your local pet store.
When deciding which fish is right for you, it is most important to remember that each cichlid species is unique not only in terms of requirements, but also when referring to aggression, nutrition requirements, reproduction method and preferred tank decorations and or tank mates.

Of the cichlids, those from central and south America, are generally larger in size and bulk to their African counterparts. Species from Central America tend to prefer a neutral pH of about 7.0. Commonly, these fish are large and loud in terms of personality and aggression and as a result, tend to be best kept with fish similar in size and level of aggression. On the other hand, many of the cichlids derived from South America prefer a far more soft acidic environment; their pH around 6.5. Further, fish of these area tend to be far less aggressive and should be kept in warm watered community tanks. Both South and Central American cichlids are omnivorous and should be fed a mixed diet, incorporating live, prepared, and dried and frozen foods. This may include both meat and vegetables.

Far more complex in their geographical distribution, cichlids from the African Rift Lakes often prefer hard Alkaline waters with a pH ranging from 7.5 9.0. Essentially, the range of these fish goes beyond the scope of this article. Thus, should you wish to learn more specific information about such species, please see my other articles for further advice.

Tips for Choosing Fish for a Cold Water Aquarium

By: Matthew Olsen

Tips for Choosing Fish for a Cold Water Aquarium

The majority of aquarium fish that are on the market can actually be considered in an unheated tank. The problem however is that without a heater in your tank the temperature can change relatively quickly. These temperature swings send most fish into shock and can be fatal to them. The fish that can adapt to these temperature changes quickly are considered to be cold water fish because of this ability.

When beginning to look at fish to go into an unheated aquarium you need to look at a few factors that will determine the type of fish you will buy. How large a fish will get and how well it can survive in a tank with constant temperature swings are the two questions that are specific to choosing cold water fish. By answering these two questions you can easily verify how well a fish will survive.

The size of any fish determines ultimately if you can even think about putting it in your tank. For example koi are a well known cold water fish but they can grow to be as big as 24 inches long easily requiring 500 gallons per fish. Not even I know someone who has a tank that big!

Temperature swings are the kicker. How can you tell from that little two inch by four inch square in front of the fish's tank if it is the right one? Well you must keep in mind that all fish can live in an unheated aquarium. The determining factor is not there on that little info sheet provided so I have a few fish listed that can survive temperature swings fairly well.

Goldfish are not as big and being related to koi is a definite choice in a cold water tank. They are very common fish and are not at all expensive. The only problem is that they are hostile to any small fish that are not of their own type.

Barbs, tetras, and dianos are all relatively small fish growing almost three inches and can live in a cold water environment. These fish relatively like the water to be in the low sixties but can survive in lower temperatures. These fish are schooling fish and rarely can survive on their own.

Loaches are the substitute to catfish you can use in your tank to clean up after other fish. These scavengers will pick up anything that was left over after feeding time that the other fish missed. They are not all suited for this type of tank however but the two that seem to be the best are the hillstream loach and the weather loach.

Last but not least guppies and white cloud minnows are the best of the best of cold water survival besides goldfish. They can go to low temperatures and come in many different colors. These fish are also schooling fish, grow to about one or two inches, and are very easy to come by.

These fish are the best at adapting to changing temperatures but they are not the only ones. Other fish can be in an unheated tank but they must be located where the temperature does not change suddenly. With the right size of tank and correct location you can have almost any fish you could want in your aquarium.

Friday, July 16

Keeping Malawi Cichlids

By Mark Daymond
  • Keeping Malawi Cichlids
  • Malawi Mbuna Cichlids - Keeping and Breeding
  • Introduction to Malawi Cichlids

Malawi Cichlids originate from the third largest lake in Africa and the eighth largest in the world, Lake Malawi. Lake Malawi is home to more fish species than anywhere else on earth. Being a rift valley lake, it is very rocky lake with little vegetation. The edges of the lake provide a different type of habitat; more sandy with fewer rocks and more open water. These two different types of habitat give rise to two different groups of Cichlid; the rock dwellers (or mbuna) and non-rock dwellers. If you are thinking of keeping Malawi Cichlids you will really need to decide which group you want to keep as generally the rock dwellers and non-rock dwellers do not get on well together. In fact they do not particularly get with other types of fish, so you will really need to restrict yourself to just mbunas or non-rock dwelling Cichlids. Once you have decided you will need to set up your aquarium accordingly. For rock dwelling fish, it should come as no great surprise that you need plenty of rocks. Not only this though, your fish need plenty of little caves and places to hide and explore. The non-rock dwellers prefer a sandy substrate and generally more open water. They should not have a completely bare tank though, they do need some interest. Typically they should have just a few rocks scattered over the floor of the tank, and they do not particularly need caves. In their natural environment, Malawi Cichlids live in water temperatures of around 24-26C or 76-79F, therefore you will need to try and replicate this within your aquarium. In order to avoid variations in temperatures you will need to locate your aquarium away from heaters and out of direct sunlight.

  • Keeping Malawi Cichlids
  • Malawi Mbuna Cichlids - Keeping and Breeding
  • Introduction to Malawi Cichlids
Article : Ezinearticles

Privacy Policy

fish-care-guides.blogspot.com Privacy Policy

Your Personal Information
fish-care-guides.blogspot.com does not require, collect or store personal information. This Web site is free for all and You can use it without need to register account and leave any personal information. Therefore Your privacy is 100% safe on our Web site.

Third Party Advertising
fish-care-guides.blogspot.com uses Google AdSense and other third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our Web site. These advertising companies may use some information (excluding Your name, address, e-mail address or telephone number) about your visits and behavior during those visits in order to provide advertisements about goods and services that may be of interest to you.

Third Party Cookies
Third-party advertising companies like Google AdSense i mentioned above may place or recognize a unique "cookie" on your browser while serving advertisements during Your visits. Cookies are not harmful in any way to You or Your PC and can be removed directly in any modern Web browser with no need of any anti-virus or anti-spyware software.

Thursday, July 15

Ammonia Effect On Fish

By Ben Helm

Ammonia’s Effect On Fish

Ammonia is a tissue irritant, causing real problems for delicate areas such as exposed gill tissue. The gill tissue responds to this irritation by hemorrhaging, with the delicate filaments thickening and clumping together — a condition called hyperplasia. The vast reduction in surface area caused by the clumping reduces a fish’s ability to absorb oxygen from the water. In addition to their undesirable state of affairs, any oxygen that is absorbed is done so suboptimally, as the presence of ammonia reduces the blood’s carrying capacity.


If that’s not bad enough for our fish, the reduction in the surface area of the gills also reduces a fish’s ability to excrete ammonia from its body, causing the ammonia levels in the fish to increase, damaging every cell in the fish’s body. More than 90 percent of all ammonia excreted by fish is done so by the gills. It’s not surprising therefore that when fish do experience ammonia in an aquarium, they show a pronounced and typical gasping response.

If ammonia strikes in what has previously been a mature and stable aquarium (not a result of New Pond Syndrome), then you should check the following:

1) Food and feeding. Have you (or anyone else) changed the food or fed more than usual?
2) Check the filter. Is it blocked? Is its flow rate reduced? Does the media need cleaning?
3) Fish count. Are there any fish missing? Is a dead fish decaying unnoticed behind your tank decor?
4) Too many fish? Have you recently added more fish — perhaps more than your tank can handle?

In summary, ammonia is lethal, and we should aim for zero levels at all times. Sublethal levels can also go unnoticed, causing fish stress and making them more susceptible to disease. If an ammonia spike does occur, it is likely to be in either a new aquarium (New Tank Syndrome) or due to an acute catastrophic event (overfeeding, fish death, etc.). However, rapid intervention and a mature filter will address both the problem and enable your aquarium (and fish) to recover. Fortunately, a filter will reprocess ammonia relatively into nitrite. Unfortunately, nitrite is still lethal to fish and proves to be more persistent and is a more stubborn problem to resolve — but that’s another story!

Wednesday, July 14

Cherry Shrimp Tank Mates

Cherry Shrimp Tank Mates

They prefer clean water, with a pH of 6.5-8, and a temperature of 14-30°C (65-85°F) They are most comfortable at 22°C. Cherry shrimp are omnivores that may live 1-2 years. Red cherry shrimp are easy to care for in the home freshwater aquarium and breed well. They will adapt to a wide range of water conditions, and will thrive in the same conditions as many common aquarium fish. A few cherry shrimp can be kept in a desktop aquarium of 4-8 litres (1-2 gallon) capacity, and a setup of 40 litres (10 gallons) or more will allow for an active colony.

Cardinal Tetra Tank Temperature

  • Cardinal Tetra Tank Temperature : 73°F - 80°F (23°C - 27°C)
  • Water Hardness : 2° to 6° dH
  • pH : 5.5 - 7, prefer water slightly on the acidic side
  • Tank Size : 10 gallon or larger.

Cardinal Tetra Maintenance

Cardinal Tetra Maintenance

This species is more elongated than the Neon Tetra. Which it otherwise resembles in shape. These fish can reach a length of about one and one half inches. Sexually mature females are more stocky than males and are generally a little longer.
A somewhat delicate fish that is sensitive to water conditions. The tank should be a planted aquarium, with some floating plants to cut down on the light intensity. A darker substrate material will bring out the Cardinals colors best. Tankmates should consist only of other peaceful species,with no Cichlids. A temperature of 75° to 84° degrees F (24° to 29° c.) should be maintained and water of middle hardness to soft is recommended.

Zebra Danio Care and Tank Maintenance

Zebra Danio Care and Tank Maintenance

In their home waters the zebra is extremely active and always on the move. We need to provide for this in our home aquariums. The tank should be fairly large with length being more important than height. The ideal tank should be at least thirty inches in length.

Decorate the tank with plantings and rockwork, but always leave plenty of open space for swimming. They will take all types of commercial food from live , flake to frozen. They are a hardy species that are not overly demanding in their water conditions and make the ideal fish for the cycling of the tank. Today we see many inbred and twisted zebras in the store tanks, and it would be nice to see some fresh importation from the wild to give vigor back to our tank-bred strains.

Tuesday, July 13

Frozen Betta Foods

Frozen Betta Foods

Freeze-dried betta food is very convenient to use. You can simply pick one or two free-dried bloodworms or shrimps and drop it into the container for your betta. Freeze-dried foods should be kept in airtight containers. Live food suitable for feeding includes shrimps, bloodworms and mosquito larvae. Some live foods can remain alive for a period of time in the water and allow your betta to be fed over a period of time. There is no fear of these organisms decomposing and making the water dirty.

Betta Live Food

Betta Live Food

Mosquito larvae are the betta fish's natural food. Red mosquito larvae are called "bloodworms". Live brown worms and bloodworms are enjoyable to betta fish, but are notorious agents of disease and bacteria, as are most live foods.

If you decide to feed live worms to your betta, be sure to wash worms thoroughly. Never feed your betta fish worms from the garden or caught in the wild as they may have been subjected to pesticides.

Sunday, July 4

Oscar Fish Care

Oscar Fish Care

Here are certain tips that must be followed in order to keep the Oscar fish diseases away from your Oscar fish.

Oscar Fish Care
Once the aquarium is set up, wait for some days for the Oscar fish to settle, as they will be a bit uncomfortable for the first few days.
Oscar Fish Care
Add only one or at most two fish at a time, as their biological filters take time to respond to the new changes and members of the tank.
Oscar Fish Care
An Oscar fish must be quarantined before it is moved to the main aquarium. This will reduce the risk of infection to the any other fishes.
Oscar Fish Care
Oscar fish need special treatment. Decorate your aquarium with lots of plants and small rocks and pebbles. Get it designed in such a way that the Oscar fish can hide. They love playing and hiding.
Oscar Fish Care
Generally, Oscars are loners, but you can choose other fishes that have a similar temperament as that of the Oscars. Neither a belligerent nor a passive Oscar is good for the other fishes.
Oscar Fish Care
Changing the water in the fish tank periodically is essential.
Oscar Fish Care
Use low intensity light as Oscars don't like bright lightning. You may use fluorescent light bulbs with ratings at 10,000K.
Oscar Fish Care
Choose gravel that can't be swallowed by the Oscar fish.
Oscar Fish Care
The air pumps and air stones must be placed so that they can oxygenate the water and release harmful chemicals by stirring the surface of water.

Thursday, July 1

American Flagfish Care


American Flagfish Care

  • Sexual differences: Males are colorful, while females are dull brown. Females are fuller bodied, with less elongated fins.
  • Minimum Tank Size: 48 inches (55 gallon) longer is better than wide
  • Aquarium : Water Temperature 66-72°F (19-22°C)
  • Hardness: Hard 6-20 dH (12),
  • pH 6.7-8.2 (7.7)
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Temperament: Semi-aggressive
  • Max. Size: Size/Length: To 2.3" (6 cm)
  • Feeding and Diet: Food Flake; live; insect larvae, insects, worms, crustaceans; spinach; algae.
  • Difficulty of care: 3. This hardy species is ideal for a temperate community
  • Suggested companions: Livebearers, Loricarids, Corydoras , minnows.
  • Color Form: Blue, Green, Red

Goby Care

Goby Care

  • Minimum Tank Size: 48 inches (55 gallon) longer is better than wide
  • Water Conditions: Temperature 75°F to 80°F (24 to 27°C)
  • Hardness: Hard (dH 10.0 - 20.0)
  • PH: 7.5 to 8.0
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Temperament: Peaceful
  • Max. Size: 1-1/2"-3-1/2"
  • Feeding and Diet: diet of brine shrimp, large shrimp chopped into bits, and other meaty foods.
Salinity A 1% addition of salt is recommendedas these fish are found in brackish water.This can be accomplished by adding 7.5 TSP of sea salt/ 10 gallons (10g/10 L) on a hydrometer the reading should be between 1.005 to 1.010 specific gravity.

Yellow Watchman Goby, Diamond Watchman Goby, Yellow Clown Goby, Yashia Whiteray Shrimp Goby, Tiger Watchman Goby, Blue Spot Shrimp Goby, Blue Mandarin, Target Mandarin, Warpaint Clown Goby, Red Clown Goby, Bullet Goby, Orange Spot Prawn Goby, Blue Dot Jawfish, Bluespotted Watchman Goby, Dracula Goby, Ember Blenny, Flaming Prawn Goby

Black Molly Fish Care


Black Molly Fish Care
  • Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
  • Water Conditions: 67-80° F, KH 10-25, pH 7.0-7.8
  • Care Level: Moderate
  • Temperament: Peaceful
  • Max. Size: 3"
  • Color Form: Black
  • Diet: Omnivore