Freshwater angelfish are one of the most easily recognized, and also one of the most beautiful fish that can be found in a fresh water aquarium.

They are prized for their unique body, color and behavior. A lot of hobbyists consider angelfish to be a highly smart fish, able to recognize their owners.

Oddly enough, the actually derived their name from the saltwater angelfish species, of which they are not related at all. Freshwater angelfish are originally from the Amazon basin South America. Angelfish are from the cichlid family. Cichlids are general known as an species of fish. Angelfish, however, are generally to overly aggressive but can be territorial during spawning, as are most fish for that matter.

Although angelfish are cichlids, their body configuration, specifically the elongated vertical body and triangular shaped fins, differ significantly from the standard cichlid shape most are used to seeing. This body design serves angelfish well however, since it permits them to be camouflaged among the tall roots and plants that makeup most of their natural habitat . In the wild angelfish eat both live food and plant life. They are ambush hunters and will stay hidden among the plants and wait for smaller prey to swim by.

Caring for Angelfish Angelfish, since they come from South America, thrive best in a warm aquarium, ideally about 79F. Angelfish have insatiable appetites and thus should be fed only moderate amounts of food several times throughout the day. If overfed they will become lethargic and are more likely to have health problems. When properly cared for angelfish can survive in an aquarium for up to 15 years. Angelfish, again since they are from the Amazon basin, will survive best if kept in a slightly acidic environment, with a pH below 7.0.

Although angelfish are generally more peaceful than their aggressive cousins, they are still members of the cichlid family, and they will attach and eat smaller fish if given the opportunity.

To find out more information regarding how to successfully Care for Angelfish ,go to the next link below and you be will taken a quick video concerning successful Angelfish Breeding.

Owning tropical fish is both relaxing and fun. You can throw your stress and worries to the wind when you sit in amazement, watching your fish swim and frolic. If you have never owned tropical fish before, here’s a tropical fish guide to help you get started. Do some research on the kinds of fish you might like to buy so that once you’re ready to buy, it’s not a drawn out event. The first thing you need to do is purchase a tank.

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 need to buy a solid tank with a lid and a stand that will hold your fish tank. You also will need to buy a light and a filter for your fish tank. Before you do anything, clean your fish tank with warm water. If you use any sort of soap or detergent, it is imperative that you rinse your tank thoroughly. You don’t want to poison your fish!

Prepare your tank by cleaning it and drying it. Then add the rocks or glass beads to the bottom of the tank after you’ve washed them, as well. Any extra things you’ve purchased should be added to the tank before you start filling it with water.

Begin adding water and set your tank heater to approximately 80 degrees. This is the ideal temperature for most tropical fish. Be sure and check with the pet store before putting your fish in their new home.

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.

Feed your new fish the right kind of food and always feed them at the same time of day. Don’t give them too much food and don’t starve them, either. This can lead to fish cannibalism. Again, not a pretty sight, especially for the young ones. Make sure your tank stays clean and your fish will be very happy to call your tank home.

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

An aquarium is as good as its filter and it is a well known fact by all aquarium enthusiasts. You will reap many advantages in the long run if you have a premium and an efficient filter like the FX5 canister filter in the Fluval range. You don’t have to clean your aquarium every now and then and the water remains free of chemicals and other products which are typically found in tap water. Also, your fish will highly benefit because they will stay healthy until they are too old. For their quality and efficiency, FX5 aquarium filters by Hagen are well known and highly recommended. Their superior features and ease of use these filters have also been applauded by many users.

Always Gets the Job Done

Maintaining a clean and healthy aquarium is a tough job. The primary reason is that your fish cannot speak and tell you about problems they face in your aquarium. The water may appear clean to you but it may be full of microscopic impurities which might jeopardize the very survival of your fish. The Fluval FX5 filter helps in filtering these microscopic impurities with ease. This filter is a multistage filter which can filter a high volume of water without any problems. Moreover, unlike the other multistage filters, these aquarium filters are quite easy to install and maintain.

The FX5 is a three in one filter that has the capacity and strength to filter several types of impurities including mechanical, chemical and biological–the basics of an ideal aquarium filter. Additionally, other unsavory conditions such as high ammonia content and other chemical combinations, that can create a hostile and toxic waste environment for your fish, are eliminated with the FX5 filter. It is the perfect aquarium filtration system.

Capable of Just About Anything

As far as their design and structure is concerned these canister filters are quite compact and this helps them fit into most aquariums easily. Ensuring an out put which is not just powerful but also utilizes the energy efficiently and economically, its hi tech electronic circuit board monitors and maintains the performance of the filter. These aquarium filtration systems are so convenient due to the fact that all you need to do is set it up and get it started. There is no requirement for any kind of manual siphoning unlike the other filters.

Other Interesting Facts

The FX5 comes with twin out put nozzles which help in circulating and filtering the entire water in the aquarium. This filter also has a valve drain which allows it to get rid of all the waste without opening the lid of the filter or moving the unit. The rim connector helps in holding the pipes and the entire equipment in place. These filters also come with three year warranty and guarantee which means that you don’t need to spend money on buying any additional guarantees or warranties. FX5 aquarium canister filters come with all the features that an aquarium owner would want in a filter. It is compact, easy to install, energy efficient and utilizes the most superior technology available. Once you install the FX5 in your aquarium, you can just sit back and relax and watch your fish swimming happily!

Trevor J Rockberry has had a keen interest in aquariums and aquarium care products for many years. For more details, particularly on the Fluval FX5 and other brilliant aquarium canister filters, check out his online resource page now.

Altum angelfish are the largest of the angelfish genus. They can reach a length of up to six inches and height of up to 12 inches. The Altum is a species of Pterophyllum that originates from the waters of the Rio Orinoco in Venezuela. More explicitly, they are found in the Amazon river basin where the upper Negro River drains, and from the Orinico river basin.

The Altum angelfish, with their tanned perpendicular stripes and silvery body, are well camouflaged amongst the long stemmed plants that is typical in their natural habitat. Altums have a rather unique shaped mouth, which is rather pointed, and their forehead is sharply sloped. The first dark band runs through the eye; the second runs near the mid-section of the body, while the third runs from the tip of the dorsal fin, through the body, and to the tip of the anal fin. The final band runs on the caudal penuncle.

Since full-grown Altum are very big, they ought to be kept in a tank of no less then 30″ tall and 4′ long. The ideal aquarium setup for your Altum angelfish would also include some sizable pieces of bog-wood in addition to large leafed plants, such as the amazon swordplants. Attention must taken to ensure there is still satisfactory space in the center of the fish tank for open swimming.

Perfect water conditions for your Altums would be very soft and only slightly acidic. A pH level of 4.5 to 6.5 are ideal. The water ought to also be warm, in the 82 to 86 degree range to match natural conditions. The nitrates levels ought to be kept very low and the water ought to be somewhat circulated to imitate the natural environment this species are ordinarily found in the wild. It is extremely critical to maintain high water quality to effectively keep this variety.

Unlike the common angelfish, the Scalare, Altums can be tough to keep and successfully raise in captivity. This is due largely to the reality that just about all Altum sold are wild caught, not domestically farmed. Because of this they can more difficult to obtain and not a lot of individuals try and keep them.

In attempting to acquire Altums, it is sensible to look for an qualified angelfish breeder. Because they are wild caught they can be difficult to obtain, and sometimes imitations are sold.

Altums normally do best by alone, but can be kept with other peaceful species from the matching river region, such a tetras and discus. Being cichlids, Altums can also be quite territorial in disposition. Also bear in mind that no matter how calm Altum appear to be, they will consume smaller fish if given the occasion. Smaller tetras such as cardinals and neons would most likely become costly fish food.

Altums, similar to other angelfish, have an insatiable appetite. Because they are normally caught wild, live food is the ideal cuisine. Most will eagerly accept other foods over time, such as frozen brine shrimp and blood worms.

Even if given a fine diet and fine water quality, the Altum is still extremely tough to breed. Further, just as with the other species of angelfish, it is tough to establish sex outside of spawning, when males have a pointed genital papilla.

To discover more great tips on Altum Angelfish Care visit our site at http://angelfishbreeding.slhost3.com and sign up for our free “Angelfish Breeding and Care” email mini-course

There was a time when all living things in heaven and earth were created by the hand of God, or a product of evolution, depending on you philosophical belief. That time is now gone, never to return. The creation of biogenetically engineered animals is becoming more and more common place. To date over 660 patents have been issued for genetically manipulated animals in United States alone and the number is increasing every year.

The Golfish just turned 10 years old. Happy birthbay! Just a decade ago there was no such thing as a Glofish. What exactly would be the purpose for making a fish glow? Good question, especially if you stop to consider how much easier they would for a potential predator to find and decide they might make a tasty snack. But the goal was not to create a fish that screamed out, “Here I am. Come eat me.” Nor was it to create an entirely new species for the thriving global ornamental fish industry. In fact, monetary gain did not come into play at all when in 1999 when Dr. Zhiyuan Gong and his team of bioengineers at NSU (the National University of Singapore) decide to genetically modify a preexisting freshwater species of fish to make it glow. So if eradicating a nuisance species by making it more easily detectable, or accumulating a vast fortune by creating a “must have” novelty item for the hungry fish hobbyist market was not the objective, then what was? As incredulous as it may sound, the objective was to create a fish that would selectively luminescence when it came into contact with environmental contaminants. Hmmm… a fish that fights pollution by tracking industrial ecological offenders to their source, we might be on to something here! Do you think it was a sheer coincidence that the first Glofish ever created was GREEN?

So exactly what is involved in creating a species that is biologically designed to help save the planet? The logical first step is to engineer a fish that glows to begin with. Once you have a fish that glows then you can set about tackling the issue of selective bioluminescence.

These are the obstacles Dr. Zhiyuan Gong and his colleagues decided to overcome in 1999. The first step was to select a fish. The geneticists chose the Brachydanio reri a rather small fish in the minnow family native to India. This species is more commonly known as a zebra danio or zebrafish because of it distinctive horizontal stripping. Zebrafish are raised on fish farms in Singapore for export so their eggs were readily available.

With the selection process complete it was now time to initiate phase one of the process of creating the world’s fist aquatic toxic avenger. The genetics team integrated a bioluminescent gene found in crystal jellyfish known as GFP (Green Flourescent Protein) into a fertilized zebrafish egg and allowed it to gestate. The introduction of this gene into the embryo’s genome produced fluorescent green zebrafish. Experimentation with a variation of GFP resulted in yellow fluorescing fish. RFP (Red Flourescent Protein) found in certain species of sea coral added yet another twist in the spectrum of what was soon to be called Glofish.

Whenever there is something new that can have a dollar value attached to it there will be someone, somewhere that will find a way to package and sell it. Businessmen Alan Blake and Richard Crockett of Yorktown Technologies immediately recognized the commercial viability of biogenetically engineered fluorescing fish. Contracts were drawn up and Yorktown Technologies was awarded sole distributorship of genetically modified zebrafish for the entire planet. Austin, Texas became the new home for the first fluorescing fish ever created by man, a.k.a Glofish.

One would think that the marketing of a novelty item (even one that is genetically engineered) within the booming aquarium trade industry would be of little national interest. Think again! The gene that was inserted into zebrafish to make them fluoresce was immediately deemed a drug. As such the environmental risk assessment of the proposed commercial distribution of Glofish fell within the jurisdiction of U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Yorktown Technologies complied with two years of extensive environmental risk assessment research and consultation with various State and Federal agencies to procure the right to sell these fish to the public. In Dec. 2003, the FDA ruled that since Glofish are not designated to be part of the nation’s food supply they did not fall within their jurisdiction. Yorktown Tech was summarily granted the right to move forward at the federal level. The state of California, however, was not convinced. They did back down from their original stance and agreed to allow the sell of Glofish if Yorktown submitted to more extensive research in the area of risk assessment. Unfortunately, said research would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take years to complete. Glofish have been sold in 49 of the 50 states in the U.S. since Dec. 2003. The sell or possession of Glofish is still prohibited in the State of California.

From an ecological standpoint, this is not simply a matter of genetic engineering. The southern platyfish, a native of Central America, is wreaking havoc in Hong Kong’s freshwater ecosystems because of aquarium trade related releases into the wild. Its genetic cousin, the swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) is endemic to both North and South America. Swordtails prefer the swift moving water and heavy vegetation of tropical rivers and streams but can make themselves right at home in creeks and canals. Consequently, they can adapt to a multitude of freshwater ecosystems. The swordtail’s prolific breeding has wreaked havoc on previously uninhabited ecosystems. Feral populations are significant in both Africa and Australia. This nuisance species has caused serious ecological damage on two continents. It is for this very reason that the sell of piranhas is illegal in most of the United States. If a seemingly harmless species such as swordtails and platyfish can inflict such damage on pre-established ecosystem one doesn’t even want to consider what would happen if one of the most fearsome predators on the face of the planet was suddenly introduced at the top of the food chain. Point of fact: The sell and ownership of piranhas was legal in the U.S. until piranha specimens were discovered in the wild most likely after their intentional release because they had outgrown their fish tanks.

Do Glofish pose a threat? The end of World War II marked beginning of an explosion in the aquarium trade industry. There is only a single gene separating Glofish from their natural counterpart, zebra danio. Over 200 million of these fish have been imported and sold in the U.S. alone over the past half century. Zebrafish are incapable of surviving the temperate water conditions in all but the most southern states. To date, there has not been a single report of an established reproducing population in the wild anywhere in the United States.

Fluorescing fish are the first and might very possibly go down in history as the only genetically modified animals to be commercially sold as pets, at least in the immediately foreseeable future. In a day and age when pigs, rabbits, and even household pets such as dogs and cats florescence, perhaps keeping the genetic genie tightly sealed in its bottle is wise. Fifty years from now, however, not having a dog or a cat that literally glows in the dark might be considered extremely old fashion or possibly even irresponsible pet ownership. I’ll leave that up to the future to decide. As for me, it’s time to call this a wrap. I have to feed my Glofish.

Glofish only reach 1.5 to 2 inches long when fully grown. You don’t practically need a large aquarium to display them. They would be right at home in a desktop aquarium. To get more fun filled facts on commonly kept freshwater aquarium fish browse through my fish buying guide.