August 21, 2011

Tropical Fish Guide For Beginner

Keeping tropical fish is a great hobby. It is also needs careful consideration. How do you decide which tropical fish is best for your tank?

There are basically three breeds of tropical fish and believe it or not they are categorized by their temperament.

Social breeds: These fish will get along with other types of fish. Examples of such fish are Danios, Tetras, Guppies, Swordtails, Mollies, and Corydoras.

Semi-social breeds: These fish get along with other fish that are approximately the same size and are not aggressive. Examples are Barbs, Angelfish, and Gouramis.

Aggressive breeds: You do not want to mix these fish with other breeds. Just keep them in pairs with more fish of the same breed. These fish include Male Bettas, Oscars, and Jewelfish.

Good pet stores can always supply you with more detailed information about what kinds of fish you can keep together. Note that all fish that you purchase should have been kept in quarantine for at least two weeks. Fish that are put up for sale before being quarantined are likely to catch infections. The quarantine period is basically meant to relieve fish from whatever stress that they might be suffering.

An important factor while purchasing tropical fish is the color. You should opt for fish with well defined and solid colors. In case the fish has patterns instead of solid color then make sure the pattern does not have any color fading (or gradients).

Aquariums are the next concern and these require a lot of work. The water in an aquarium must always be clean and well aerated. Fish must always be supplied with ample food. In case you add plants they must get sufficient light and nourishment. Algae control is another chore.

For people who are thinking of keeping tropical fish for the first time you need to purchase certain essential items. These are:

* Aquarium, naturally, you need a place to keep the fish.
* The aquarium stand. It is best not to keep the aquarium resting on a solid surface for efficient thermal conduction.
* Aquarium hood. This is to prevent water evaporation and also to keep the fish safe from pets like cats.
* Water filters. These can be chemical, mechanical, or biological.
* Chemical filters. These filters get rid of gases that can accumulate in water as it passed through the carbon filter. While not essential it is still a good idea.
* Lights. Plants in indoor aquariums need a source of light.
* Decorations. While most decorations are up to personal taste there are some things like backgrounds that are a must in order to hide all the wiring in the tank.
* Substrate. The gravel or sand that is usually found at the bottom of most aquariums.
* Plants. Many marine plants are available today. You can purchase live plants (better but they need extra care) or plastic imitations.
* Heater. Remember that tropical fish come from warm climates so they need the water temperature to be slightly higher than room the typical room temperature in cold places.
* Thermometer. This is to check the water temperature.
* Net. For scooping things (including fish) out of the aquarium. Do not use hands or plastic bags.
* Cleaning agents. A scrubber, a brush, a bucket for exclusive aquarium use.
* Food. If you keep fish in a tank then they need to be fed.

Keep these in mind while taking proper care of your tropical fish.

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July 16, 2011

Tropical Fish Overview – Danio

Looking for a companion to your Bala Shark or another tropical fish? Then look no farther than Danios. These fish are tough, highly vigorous, and have a mild temper. These fish are great for your home aquarium, and suggested to be your first fish.

You want one quarter of an inch of gravel on the bottom of your tank, with the heater adjusted between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The longer you keep your fish, you can slowly adjust the temperature to a point to where you do not even need a heater.

When buying food for your new fish, it is recommended you use freeze dried worms and brine shrimp. Danios are a community fish and prefer to live in groups of a minimum of 6 fish.

These beautifully long, sleek and shiny fish are a wonderful addition to your aquarium. Danios originate in fresh water rivers and streams of Southeast Asia. These fish are becoming more widely known as new species have been found in Myanmar. They can grow between 4 cm to 15 cm, and are not expected to live more than a few years at most.

The Danio are wonderful fish to have with other types of fish. They can be unruly and have a tendency to chase one another and your other fish. This tends to lead to nipping of fins, although most of the time it was an accident. They will eat any fish small enough to fit in their mouths.

When preparing your water, you need to make sure the pH balance is between 6.0 to 8.0, and the water hardness of 5.0 to 19.0, with a temperature difference of 68 to 80 degree Fahrenheit, however cooler temperatures are preferable.

If you choose to breed your own Danios, you might want to arrange a smaller tank for the babies. Also remember that they like to scatter their eggs, which do not adhere to anything, and hatch within 2 to 3 days. Remember - their eggs make easy prey if there is not a heavy layer of marbles or Substrate plants.

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June 20, 2011

Tips For Choosing Fish For Your Tropical Fish Tanks

I was quite surprised when we first got our tropical fish tank to find that choosing fish wasn’t as simple as just going to the pet shop and picking the one that looks the prettiest. It turned out that there were a few more factors other than how pretty the fish was that we had to consider before making our choice. So in this article I’m going to share with you some tips that I have learned to consider when choosing fish for your tropical fish tanks.

Fish Temperature

If you are having tropical fish you will need to have a heater in your tank set at the right temperature for those type of fish. So it is important to remember that not all fish come from the same part of the world and therefore some fish will require different temperatures than others. So you will want to choose fish that all live within the same temperature range.

Tank Size and Fish Size

The number of fish you have in your tank is quite important as you don’t want your tank to be overcrowded. You need to keep in mind that when you buy fish they are often young fish and are not fully grown, so think about how big those fish are going to get and then work out how many fish you can have in your size tank based on their fully grown size.

Not All Fish Get Along

All fish have different personalities and some breeds tend to be more aggressive than others so it is very important to take in their personality when putting different types of fish together. Some fish breeds will not only attack other fish but some will even eat other smaller fish. Fish such as Cichlids can be quite aggressive and so it is best to keep that type of fish together with others of the same type and not mix them with other types of tropical fish, this will ensure that you have happy fish that can live peacefully together.

Fish Diet

Different types of fish will have different diets. Some fish eat frozen food, others will eat flakes and others will eat live food. It is easiest if you stick to fish that eat the same type of foods and you need to learn how much to give them and how often to feed them.

So as you can see, choosing fish isn’t as simple as picking the prettiest one, you really do need to consider these other factors. If you aren’t sure about any of these factors then talk to your fish specialist at your local pet store and I’m sure they will be able to help you find the right fish for your tropical fish tanks.

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