March 29, 2009
Betta Fish Diseases: What You Need to Know
Like other pets we own, betta fish may contract a betta fish ailment. These pets nevertheless, cannot give vocal clues just as cats and dogs might hence, it is essential to keep a close eye on your betta for any behavioral changes or any abnormalcy, which might point to something is wrong.
There are a number of assorted changes in conduct that will occur when a betta is feeling ill. The actions will tell you to some extent the general issue that the betta is experiencing and from there you may have to research further to ascertain what precisely is creating the problem.
The first thing to do when discovering to see if your betta has a health issue or the initial set of indications that are going to appear, will involve the fins. When a betta is fit and healthy, they expose their fins, unfolding them to their full extension. When a betta pulls their fins in close to their sides and do not exhibit them it is normally an indication the betta may be ill. This does not have a particular disease it is related to, it is just a general symptom that suggests disease. It is from here you will have to observe to determine if there are additional signals of illness.
Some other things to watch out for which point to more specific diseases are an change in the color of the excreta of the betta. White or off colored waste, it may point to a bacterial or inner parasite. If this is the situation, and it is captured early enough you should be able to do something for your betta, if not this form of matter is normally fatal for the fish. If you discover that your betta is rubbing up against plants, it is possible your betta has caught one of the betta fish illnesses that involves an outside parasite. There are assorted medicines that can help with these forms of parasites, but they are highly specific so it is important to recognize which of the parasites are really making you fish uncomfortable ahead of applying the medication into the tank.
Fungal contaminations are also possible with betta fish, generally appearing as white buds similar to cotton fiber that appear over the entire body of the fish. These forms of infections can also appear as fin putrefaction which is basically where the fungal infection consumes the fins of the fish. This can show as a red, white or black boundary on the fins but it can also come out around the mouth of the betta and causes the fins to reduce in size – left un-dealt with it can cause the death of your betta.
Keeping a watch on your betta will serve to make sure that any betta fish diseases are noticed promptly and you can obtain the correct therapy. There are many subtle ways that your betta will alter its behavior to indicate it is not feeling well and knowing these indications can prevent the passing of your precious fish.
Filed under Aquarium Fish by Calvin Wapasa
You may have noticed that there is aggression between the Cichlids in your aquarium, and they may even be exerting it onto the other fish in the tank. Regretfully Cichlids are known for their rather fiery, aggressive behaviour. They are quick to claim their own territory in the tank and have been known to chase other fish to the point of exhaustion.
Have you noticed that some inhabitants of your tank are hiding in the upper areas of the aquarium, and seem to be swimming sideways? Unfortunately this normally indicates that the fish has been forced out of the communal tank by a more dominating and aggressive fish, and feels that it has nowhere left to go. Sadly these fish will die within a short period of time.
How can you save your other fish from this aggressive behavior?
There are two aspects to take into account when you are trying to control this aggressive Cichlid behavior. You must consider the amount of structure in the aquarium and the male to female ratio.
It is extremely important for Cichlds to have hiding spots and structures. If you have more areas of cover in the tank, there will be more opportunities for the Cichlids to claim their own territory. If there is too little wood and rocky areas in the aquarium, the other fish will become targeted by the dominant Cichlid males. But if you have too much cover your tank can become very difficult to clean and this can lead to disease or toxic levels of waste in the water.
You should start with just a few pieces of rock and wood in the aquarium and then monitor the behavior of your fish. If the Cichlids are trying to compete for a place to make their territory then this indicates that you will need to add more rock and wood to the tank.
It is also essential that you have an understanding of the female to male ratio in your tank. Male Cichlids are known for chasing their females relentlessly when they want to mate. If there are not enough female Cichlids in the aquarium, she will be targeted by the male and never get a break. The female Cichlid will become very stressed and exhausted, and in time the male will cause her death.
Too many male Cichlids in the aquarium will also cause them to fight with each other, over the females attention. This is easy to avoid by only keeping one male Cichlid to three females in the tank.
Even a medium sized Cichlid will cost at least $25 each. Therefor it can become a very expensive hobby if you need to keep replacing them. So try to keep aggression amongst your fish in check. On the other hand, with the right knowledge a successful breeding program would likely be very profitable.
With a little know how and effort keeping Cichlids should prove to be an extremely rewarding and enjoyable experience for many years to come.
Filed under Aquarium Fish by Anika Woods
March 27, 2009
Ponds
Ponds if thought out right at the beginning will give years of enjoyment and will be a great asset for the owner. If I move home I add a pond to my garden as soon as possible because I just love ponds.
Planning is the key to a successful pond. So if you want a pond then make it part of your plan to do plenty of research before you jump in with your shovel, get your pond right.
If you don’t want any mistakes or problems in your pond construction then you have got to get the design and planning right. This needs to be taken seriously to make your project fun from the beginning to the end.
There are many things to consider when you install a pond in your garden. Where shall I put my pond. How big shall I make my pond. How deep do I go. This is why you need to research.
As you research you will find out things that you hadn’t even thought about, so the more you know up front the better you can plan your pond. There is nothing worse than finding out something that should have been done at the beginning of your project when you are half way through it or even further.
Unless you are building a pond for the purpose of wild life instead of having fish. Then you will need to decide what kind of fish you want to be in your pond when it is finished. this par tis a great part of the pond building.
A good way of doing this is to visit a few fish suppliers in your area so you can get a look at the fish close up. The research part when it comes to fish will also reveal the behaviour and characteristics of different fish and whether some fish are not suitable to keep with others.
Plants is another big thing to think about before you start your pond. What kind of plants are you going to go for to get the right water balance and also the right look for your pond. The same as applies to fish, checkout what plants look like which ones you like and what they do for the pond.
The moral of the story is, you want to research and plan your pond right from the beginning that way you are assured of a successful pond in the end.
Filed under Aquarium Fish by Ricki Geotti
March 25, 2009
Which fish tank is the right for me?
Fish tank is also known as aquarium fish tank for keeping ornamental fishes. Fish tanks or aquariums were once all made of glass but now Acrylic aquariums are also becoming more and more common place.
Fish tanks are the glass or strong Plexiglas boxes or rectangles that you use to create your aquarium habitat for fish. Fish tanks are loved by all, and the thought of growing and maintaining a system of living, breathing beings is more than a hobby, it is a life. Many people say that Fish tanks are expressions of their owner’s personal style or of the style of the room or home in which they reside. Fish tanks are a wonderful place to observe a habitat on a smaller scale. Maintaining a fish tank is not a difficult task, but it requires time and consistency. Fish tank setup is well known as an interesting hobby if you know how to care for the aquarium.
Saltwater tank known as well as marine fish tank, this type of tank is more expensive and more demanding then a freshwater tank but with a little help and with the appropriate guide you can setup your own saltwater tank, I believe that if you have the suitable equipment or fish supplies it will help you to avoid future faults.
A reef aquarium or reef tank is an aquarium containing live corals and other animals associated with coral reefs. Unlike the marine aquarium, the main purpose of which is to house various types of fish, the true stars of the reef tank are the coral, shrimps,anemones, sea stars and other invertebrates . Reef tanks are usually kept at a temperature between 25 and 27 C (75-80 F). Reef tank is a beautiful and exotic and for plenty people a piece of nature.
The primary filtration for reef aquariums usually comes from the use of large amounts of live rocks which come from various rubble zones around existing reefs. Researchers are finding that saltwater fish aquariums have therapeutic health benefits. The tanks are usually constructed from either glass or acrylic. With advances in modern aquariums it’s recently became possible to have a piece of coral reef at home and enjoy it in the privacy of your living room.
Freshwater fish tank or tropical fish aquarium is an aquarium containing fish, plants, deco, rocks, and woods depending on what you want to keep in your fish tank. The most common freshwater fish tanks are plant tanks, cichlid tanks and community tanks. The tanks are usually constructed from either glass or acrylic. In order to keep a healthy tank it should be maintain on a regular basis.
Filed under Aquarium Fish by Rotem Gavish
Goldfish would have to be one of the most popular household pets. Surprisingly few people realise that they have the potential to live over 10 years, given the chance and the ideal environment.
It is a common misunderstanding that Goldfish only need a small bowl to live in. This is one the of the reasons most goldfish will never reach their life potential. If your goldfish is limited to a small bowl without filtration they will need constant water changes and few people will be able to keep up with this.
The size of the tank that you will need depends a lot on how many goldfish you plan to keep in it. You should allow at least 7 gallon of water per goldfish.
A long tank with plenty of surface area is ideal for goldfish as it allows more oxygen in the water. Maintaining good levels of oxygen in the water is vital for healthy goldfish so avoid tall tanks.
Goldfish like their water to be fairly cool, a temperature between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. A thermometer in the tank will help regulate this. If the temperature is kept at the right level your goldfish will be less susceptible to disease.
A good quality filtration system should be set up in the tank. Be sure to buy one that is suitable for the size of the aquarium and don’t use a system that causes too much current; if you plan to keep fancy tailed goldfish. This special type of goldfish will have trouble swimming around in fast flowing water.
The main causes that a goldfish does not reach its live expectancy are overcrowding, overfeeding and bad water quality. To give your goldfish the best chance at a long a healthy life provide a good filter, complete regular water changes and don’t allow uneaten food and other waste to build up in the tank. Waste in the aquarium will cause the water to become toxic which often proves deadly for goldfish.
With very little work and maintenance you and your goldfish will feel the benefits for years to come. Keeping goldfish can be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience, and doesn’t have to be short lived.
Filed under Aquarium Fish by Emma Woods

