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.

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.

Your tank should be decorated, your fish need places to hide in places to rest. Mainly though you will find a decorated fish tank much more pleasing to view.

Your dealer has a wide range and size of gravel they should be placed in the bottom of your fish tank. Your fish will look better in a darker colored gravel. You should use small gravel instead of larger pebbles but you can mix them if you want a good rule of thumb for the depth of gravel in your fish tank would be about 10 pounds per square foot of surface area. But be aware once you put all of your other decorations in your fish tank, you may not even see the gravel.

The background of a fish tank. The choices here are many. You can get scenes printed on a roll. 3-D backgrounds. Mirrored backgrounds, self sticking backgrounds, and painted backgrounds. The choice is yours.

You can use large rocks for building blocks inside of your fish tank, your fish will love them.

You are going to need to choose between live plants, or plastic plants. Whatever you decide they will provide hiding places, shade, and beauty to your fish tank.

Be careful if you decide to collect rocks and drift wood and stuff for your fish tank, because they could be contaminated and be a danger to your fish. Store-bought items, will be clean and safe for your fish tank.

You can also purchase air driven ornaments to go in the bottom of your fish tank. Like treasure chests that open and close, divers, and sunken ships. No fishing signs are cool also.

In conclusion a decorated fish tank is more comfortable for your fish, and much more pleasing to look at. Choose gravel that is 1/8 inch in colors that bring out the color of your fish. Backgrounds are attractive and hide electrical cords. Have fun decorating your fish tank.

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This will be a beginners guide to setting up a tropical fish tank. You will need to take your time and make sure not to add fish to the tank right away as this could kill your fish. You must understand that it takes a little time for the water to fully cycle so your fish can live a long time and stay healthy.

When you are selecting an aquarium to buy you must know what kind of fish that are going to be living in it and how big the fish will get. As a simple rule, for every inch of fish that there is there should be 1 gallon of water.

Some of the things you will need to set up a tropical fish tank will consist of the aquarium itself, a stand for the aquarium, filter pump, heater pump, thermometer, water conditioner, bacteria supplement. Some other additional options you can add to your fish tank would be a lamp, decorations and wall paper for the back of the fish tank.

Now that you have all the items you need next is to set up the stand and put the tank on it. Make sure you choose a good spot that will not be blocking anything you will need to get to later on like receptacles, air vents, etc.

The next thing that I would do is make sure that there are no leaks in the fish tank. Fill up the tank with water to the top, and just let it sit there for about a day, more if you want. Once that day is up check the surrounding area for any signs of water, once you know your tank is not leaking you can empty it.

What I would do next is I will fill up multiple gallons of jugs with tap water mixed with water conditioner, and then I will add bacteria supplement 15 minutes later depending on what the directions day. I will let the water sit for a couple of hours or longer, it is up to you.

Next you can start adding gravel, make sure that you rinse the gravel very good. Since the tank is still empty you can start putting in the gravel and decorations. It is very important to make sure that everything that you put into your fish tank is washed well, as it only takes a little bit of dish soap to kill fish.

Now add the premixed water into the tank, and turn on your filter pump or pumps, heat pumps, and overhead light if you have one. Let the tank cycle for at least a week before adding any fish, as it takes a tank time to complete a full cycle.

Once it has been a week and the water is cycled you can add a few starter fish to get the ecosystem of the aquarium started. Do not attempt to add any more fish to the aquarium for at least 4 weeks, the longer you wait the better off your fish will be.

The author has been setting up aquariums of all kinds for many years and has great knowledge on fish tanks. You can visit his store if you need to purchase a home aquarium. Cheap Fish Tanks