Tropical Fish

Aquariums Specials


February 12, 2010

Angelfish – What You Need To Know

Community Tank Opinions are wide a varied concerningthe compatibility of angelfish with other fish. As a general rule angelfish will get along with gouramis, platies, tetras, danio, loaches, plecostomus, mollies and swordtails. Furthermore, the volume of the fish tank can have an impact on compatibility. A crowded tank will stress fish and cause them to be more hostile.

Everyday Angelfish Diseases The common wise saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is without doubt spot on when is comes to raising angelfish. The crucial component is good water quality Regular water changes will lessen the probability of any outbreak that might occur in your fish tank. In addition, the most common reason why angelfish expire is due to elevated levels of ammonia. The reason for high levels of ammonia is due to a jam-packed fish tank or from sporadic water changes. Make normal water changes and your angelfish ought to be healthy.

Fin rot, dropsy, worms, mouth rot, constipation and hole in the head are universal angelfish diseases. All can be treated with appropriate medications. But maintaining high water quality will prevent most of these diseases from ever infecting your angelfish.

Breeding Breeding Angelfish is not necessarily complicated and can be a truly rewarding experience. A fish hobbyist’s success in breeding angelfish can depend on many factors, including the fish themselves. Many angelfish have been so inbred that they have lost much of their rearing instincts. This often results in parents eating their young.

Angelfish can lay between 400 to 1100 eggs in a typical spawn. The total will fluctuate based on a number of conditions. After fertilized you should become aware of movement in the eggs at about day 3 and fry will develop in about 7 days.

There are a number of variables that ought to be weighed when attempting to breed angelfish including aquarium size, water temperature, water condition, environment and lighting. Successfully breeding angelfish requires the appropriate blend of many factors that mimic an angelfishes normal environment. If you discover yourself to some extent puzzled in how to bring together the needed requirements there are a number of first-rate sources accessible to the fish hobbyist that will provide you the necessary tools and information to successfully breed angelfish.

Angelfish are a great aquarium fish. To discover more excellent tips on how to care for freshwater angelfish visit our site at http://angelfishbreeding.slhost3.com and sign up for our free email “Angelfish Breeding and Care” mini-course

Filed under Aquariums by Donna Milcher

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February 6, 2010

Raising Angelfish

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.

Filed under Aquariums by Bob Clarson

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A Good Tropical Fish Guide For Amateurs

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

Filed under Aquarium Fish by Harold Peterson

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February 3, 2010

Altum Angelfish Information

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

Filed under Aquariums by Bill Bradley

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January 8, 2010

Setting Up A Tropical Fish Tank For Beginners

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

Filed under Aquariums by James Conley

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