Aquarium Fish Wonders » hardy breed

Tetras: Secrets to Keeping Them Healthy and Happy

Mermaid — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:31:19 +0000

Tetras are small tropical freshwater fish belonging to the family Characidae in the order Characiformes. Tetras are among the most popular and widely sold fish in the world. Why is that so? Some hard facts about tetras:

impressively colorful and agile
generally do not exceed 5 centimeters in length, so little space is required.
easy to care for, sometimes termed as the perfect beginner’s fish
are hardy and peace-loving, they don’t play political games with their neighbors, and thrive well in most community aquariums

Avoid These Tetras: If, however, you spot colored tetras with nice names such as “blueberry” or “raspberry” tetras, don’t buy them. These are nothing but albino black tetras cruelly dyed an artificial blue, pink, or orange. By not buying these fish, you will help stamp out this miserable trade.

Living Environment for Tetras

These days, many tetras are bred captive, and are hence more adapted to aquarium life. But some are still caught in the wild, and have to travel great length to reach us.

Tetras don’t travel well, so it’s highly important to get them acclimatized—first at the store, then at home. Try not to buy tetras that have just arrived at the store, and do your utmost to make them feel at home.

Tetras are used to extremely soft water, and some have been known to live with a pH as low as 4.5, and a temperature of between 22 and 25 deg C. However, certain species also do well in hard, alkaline water, though such conditions are not conducive to them fro breeding.

If you’re considering buying a tetra you’re not sure about, look it up in a book. Avoid getting fish that require extremely low water pH, especially if you’re just starting out. Tap water is usually treated to become slightly alkaline (about pH 7.5), to help prevent corrosion of mains pipes. Beginners should not be tempted to adjust the pH of the water with chemicals, as water chemistry is a very complex process. One wrong move and you can kill your fish.

There are plenty of hardy tetras out there for beginners that don’t need special water, such as the Black Skirt Tetra, the brightly colored Glow Light Tetra, and the radiant orange Jewel Tetra.

These fish prefer well-planted aquariums with an open swimming space. They also like a dimmer environment, which can be created through the use of floating plants and a dark substrate. The darker surroundings also show up their brilliant colors better.

Quarantine Tetras: Once you’ve brought them home, quarantine them in a quiet tank that’s not too bright.

If your new tetras develop ich, get anti-ich medication and raise the water temperature. This speeds up the life cycle of the protozoan parasites to reach the free swimming stage, when they will be more receptive to the medication. Medication time for the fish will hence be decreased.

You may need to do this for 12 days or more. Once your fish look healthy again, they can be put into the main tank.

Feeding Habits: Tetras usually prefer the middle and lower levels of the tank.

When they surface, it’s only to gulp their food quickly before darting down with a splash. This is when you’ll realize how nimble these little fish can swim if they want to.

In slow moving streams where wild tetras live, they feed on small insects, crustaceans, plants and worms. Therefore, live foods, are great for tetras, as they really come into being when they have something to chase.

They love aquatic insects, but are not fussy about food. They will eat almost anything you feed them, and also do well on dried flake food. However, once in a while give them live foods to chase to keep them happy.

Though their mouths seem small, they’re pretty lethal, and work like trap doors with sharp teeth. As a result, they can handle bigger chunks of food than you think, and even damage the fins of other fish from their own school.

Occasional Fights: Don’t worry if you witness mock fights between your male tetras. Mock fights are just a display when tetras show off their best colors, flare their fins, position themselves head to tail with each other, or make sudden sideway movements. Some tetras may even get their fins ripped between the rays due to over-stretching from an especially heated display!

Basic Care For Your Guppies

Mermaid — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:42:05 +0000

Guppies are one of the most popular freshwater aquariums in the world. Noted for their colors and patterns that are at once unique and beautiful, guppies are fascinating to watch, and extremely easy and enjoyable to care for.

Related to a species of fish close to the pike, wild guppies are found in Barbados, Trinidad, Brazil, and Florida in the U.S. This small fish usually lives in clear tropical waters, but can also survive in brackish water.

Sexing Guppies: No two guppies are alike. Female guppies are much larger than the male, and have dull colored bodies with brighter colors enhancing the tail. Male guppies are brilliantly colored, and patterns and colors combinations are endless. In addition, male guppies can often be identified by longer tails and tail fins.

Tank Size: It is recommended that fish owners use a 10 gallon aquarium or larger for guppies two months or older. For fry, a 5½ gallon tank is enough. It is a good idea to have more than one tank so male and female guppies can be kept separate, so that the poorer quality males can be prevented from breeding and reproducing. Separation will prevent unwanted babies.

Tank Maintenance: The rules of proper tank maintenance apply to keep your guppies healthy and disease-free. Approximately 20% of the water should be siphoned out and replaced once a week. Remember to siphon the water from the bottom of the tank as removing water from just the surface does not rid debris.

Water Perimeters: The recommended pH level of the aquarium water should fall between 6.8 and 7.6, with the most desirable range between 7.0 and 7.2. Buy a kit to test the pH level of the water.

Feeding Guppies: Baby brine shrimp are high protein favorite of the guppy. These tiny eggs can be hatched at home and fed as a supplement to flake fish food. They are not sold at aquarium shops. Only their eggs are.

All you need to do is prepare a container of brine. Mix an appropriate amount of aquarium salt with fresh water according to the label instructions. After adding the eggs into the brine, aerate the preparation with an airstone.

Bring shrimp should not be fed exclusively because they are mostly protein and do not contain other required nutrients. Other foods good for your guppies include infusoria, micro worms, daphnia, mosquito larvae and white worms.

Feed guppies several times a day with small feedings, as opposed to one large feeding. This is especially important for small fry to get the proper nutrition for growth and development.

What You Should Know About Keeping An Auspicious Fish Like Koi

Mermaid — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:10:05 +0000

Koi are elegant and beautiful, however many don’t realize that Koi are surprisingly hardy and have an average lifespan of 25 to 35 years. Some people still think koi are just big goldfish. On the contrary, these beauties are descended from the common carp, and came about as a result of careful breeding by the Japanese some 200 year ago.

Fact: The Japanese name for Koi is Nishikigoi.

Believed to be capable of swimming upstream against rapid currents, the koi has become a popular motif in Chinese and Japanese art to symbolize strength, courage, and patience in the face of obstacles.

According to Chinese legend, a carp that courageously climbed up a waterfall was transformed into a dragon. While in Japan, it is customary for boys to pray on Children’s Day that they will take on the characteristics of koi and live their lives strongly. They also hang out giant koi-shaped streamers on that day.

Fact: Koi with more than one color are unique because no two are exactly alike.

Keeping Koi As Indoor Fish

Koi usually look best in outdoor ponds, especially those that are beautifully done up. However, I know of fish hobbyists who have taken the trouble to create an artificial pond in their condominiums just for their koi. Although more work needs to be done to set up a pond, the end result is worth the while—you have an excellent aerial view of how beautifully and gracefully they swim.

Water Temperature: Though graceful and elegant, fragile they are not. Sturdier than even the common goldfish, koi can withstand relatively wide temperature ranges, even extremely cold ones, as long as the water doesn’t freeze.

Filtration: If you keep koi in a pond (be it outdoor or indoor), it must be aerated and filtrated 24 hours a day, and be free from debris, especially at the bottom.

Pond’s Size: The depth and width of the pond should be sufficient to allow the koi’s comfortable growth—the fish’s maximum length is about three feet. Do not overcrowd the pond; the fish will require more room as they grow bigger. And try not to keep the water level too close to the pond’s edge as the fish may jump out.

Feeding: Twice-daily feedings should suffice for koi. If your pump stops, do not feed the koi as they will use up more oxygen when fed.

Health: Stress is a major cause of koi deaths, so avoid sudden changes in pond conditions. Do not over-handle or over-medicate them either.

How To Set Up The Right Aquarium For Your Guppies

Mermaid — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 06:00:27 +0000

Q. I have just bought some guppies and a tank. Please advise me how to set up my new aquarium and care for the guppies? What other fish can exist alongside them? What do water pH and water hardness mean?

Guppies are a species relatively easy to maintain. They are the most fuss free aquarium fish for any budding fish hobbyists.

Setting Up A New Aquarium For Guppies

There is no need for a heavy-duty power filter. An inside box filter powered by an air pump for biological and mechanical filtration and aeration (for a five- to ten gallon tank) will do. Charcoal is not necessary either. There is no need to add plants or gravel to the tank. Simply paint the outside bottom of the tank with dark paint (black is a good choice). A clear and smooth glass bottom is more comfortable than gravel for the guppies to rest upon at night, and also makes it easier to maintain a clean tank.

Fish That Can Co-exist With Guppies

As guppies prefer water that is rather hard, do not mix tetras or other soft water species with them. If you add salt to your tank water, choose other fish that will tolerate this as well. Live bearers such as mollies mix well with guppies, but not aggressive fish such as bettas.

Water Change

If you are raising high-quality fancy guppies, generally, you should change no less than 25 per cent of your water in the aquarium at least once a week. It is better to change a smaller amount of the water more frequently than significantly higher amount less often.

Water pH

The acidity or alkalinity of water is measured in terms of pH of 0. If it is 100% acidic, it has a pH of 14. A pH of 7 has no measurable amount of alkaline or acid, that is, it is neutral. The best pH for guppies is 6.6 to 6.8. Most guppy keepers, however, do not pay much attention to their pH levels.

Water Hardness

The degree of water hardness (DH) depends on the amount of dissolved salts. Rainwater and distilled water have very low levels of dissolved salts. Hard water (also referred to as lime water) could be dangerous to certain species. If you use gravel in your tank, remember that it will gradually dissolve in the water over time, and build up the DH level. If a white scum line starts to build up at the water line, this is usually due to distillates, which are a product of dissolved salts. You should try to determine the cause of the sudden rise in the DH level and change the water immediately.

Once you get everything in order, you might want to learn more about helping your guppies to stay healthy much longer.

Flowerhorn: An Auspicious Fish To Have In Your Home And Office

Mermaid — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:55:52 +0000

The Flowerhorn fish (a.k.a Luohan) is considered a beauty by those who appreciate its hump on the forehead—apparently, the bigger it is, the more beautiful the fish—and the splashes of red on its body. Another draw, of course, is the bold black markings that some say represent Chinese characters or numbers.

Actually the latter characteristic is a reason why many Asian Chinese fish hobbyists fell in love with the Flowerhorn; some say the black markings on the fish represent lucky numbers—use as inspiration for buying lottery numbers.

Raising The Flowerhorn

A hardy breed, the Luohan can endure water conditions that are often unsuitable for most other aquarium fish. A clean aquarium environment is very important. Once weekly partial water changed is a must, and at the same time check the filtration system is always in good working order.

The Flowerhorn fish thrives well in water that is slightly more alkaline, so the ideal pH level should be around pH7 to pH7.8.

Highly territorial and thus aggressive by nature, the Flowerhorn is best off without tank mates. Most people think the Flowerhorn loves to “play” because it gets particularly edgy and active whenever someone approaches the tank or puts a finger in the water.

However, the truth about their apparent edginess is that they associate any foreign presence as an intrusion—the fish is actually displaying aggressive behavior toward your finger in the water. And they do bite when provoked!

Not a fussy eater, this fish can be fed with shrimp, bloodworms, or food pellets. My parents feed bloodworms to the younger Flowerhorns. The fish has quite a big appetite, so it is advisable to feed it only tow to three times a day. If reared properly, this breed can live up to eight or ten years.

Tetras: The Most Popular Fish In The World

Mermaid — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:01:00 +0000

Small, peace loving, and impressively colorful, tetras are among the most popular and widely sold fish in the world.

Being a hardy species, they are sometimes termed the perfect beginner’s fish. They are generally easy to maintain, though harder to breed than other aquarium fish.

Characteristic Of Tetras

Tetras are alert and hear very well. They’ll quickly know when someone is approaching the tank, and will be among the first to take cover. They also possess a chemical warning system telling them if any member of the school is injured. When a fish gets injured, the whole school may get nervous and hide!

Best Aquarium To House Tetras

Tetras are schooling fish, which means they are happiest hanging out in a school of six or more of the same species. There are many varieties of tetras. The more of each variety you have, the better. This is because they prefer to school with their own kind, though they do sometimes mix with other tetras into one large school.

Be careful not to overdo it. Too many tetras won’t look like a school, while too few in a large tank may not be enough for a school. A fine balance between space and numbers must be ensured.

They are mighty impressive when swimming around in schools, tetras are best showcased in long, rather than squarish tanks. They offer better colors contrast in fully planted aquariums with dark background and sides, where they can dart in and out among plants, which provide them with a sense of security.

Tetras are extremely good-natured and non-aggressive. Although they can defend themselves, you shouldn’t tempt fate by putting them into a tank of aggressive fish, as they may still get bullied or killed.

On Feeding Tetras

Most tetras are not herbivorous, and will leave your plants alone. They feed frenziedly, darting for food once it hits the water. These non-fussy eaters will eat almost everything you feed them, including flakes, freeze-dried food, frozen and live foods, as long as it is small enough for their mouths.

On Buying Tetras

When buying tetras, make sure all the fish in the tank look healthy. Watch out for spots, discoloration, dark patches, fungus, and rotting fins. Be very picky!

Helping Your Guppy To Stay Healthy Much Longer

Mermaid — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 08:02:36 +0000

Guppies today are a lot less hardy than they were several decades ago.

Over the past century, there have been some factors contributing to their decline in hardiness: intensive breeding based on appearance instead of disease resistibility, over-reliance on medication resulting in new forms of medication-resistant parasites, global transportation of guppies with viruses and bacteria that local guppies have no immunity to.

Therefore, whether you are a guppy novice or someone who has been successful with breeding other fish, keeping guppies healthy is no mean feat, and is a discipline requiring constant, intensive care. To do that, we have to know what disease that causes them to have ill health and to prevent them from occurring.

Disease. You may think you can keep your well-scrubbed tank with its newly-cleansed filtration system disease-free, but do not be mistaken.

When new guppies are introduced into a tank, they bring along bacteria, fungi and parasites on their scales and in their intestines. These can then get transferred to your hands and nets. Hence, no aquarium can ever be free of infection sources.

Different types of food such as live and frozen food, or even dry flakes, increase the risk of introducing diseases against which your guppies have not develop an immunity.

An enclosed ecological system is at a disadvantage compare to a natural body of water, as guppies cannot escape when conditions get unfavorable. A tank’s fish population is also of a much higher density than that in the wild, and the fish are entirely dependent on your sanitation and feeding methods.

Disease is a fact of life for guppy breeders, and unfortunately, there is no one successful method to prevent this from happening.

Prevention. In every sense of the word, prevention is better than cure considering how less hardy guppies are today.

Any chance of curing fish disease lie within the first two to three days of the onset of the symptoms. Treating them with medication will help buy time while the fish tries to ward off the disease with its own immune system.

If you detect disease only after three days, it will probably be better to euthanize your guppies and bleach the tank.

Early detection can help save the day. Keep a keen eye for unusual symptoms your guppies may be exhibiting when cleaning their tanks or feeding. Tank conditions such as cloudy water also act as warning signals that something has gone wrong. The longer you rear guppies, the more trained your eye will be in diagnosing problems.

Though guppy breeders have their favorite treatments, there is no one cure for any disease. Even if a treatment works the first time, it may not work the next. And while certain symptoms provide obvious clues for treating your fish, others are not so direct.

For example, bloating and constipation may signify dropsy. In such cases of uncertainty, consider bringing your fish to a veterinarian who treats fish regularly. He or she can perform water tests, make the appropriate diagnosis and recommend treatment.

Beginners’ Tips: Good and Problem Fish

Mermaid — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 02:14:56 +0000

Thousand of fish are potential aquarium inhabitants, and hundreds are commonly kept. But which species, among all these, merit a place in a beginner fish hobbyist’s aquarium?

A good beginner’s fish should be defined one that is easy to feed and care for, hardy able to live in less-than-ideal water conditions and attractive.

Good Fish For Beginners

Some ideal first fish are rainbow fish, cichlids, platies, loaches and many of the small lively, colorful and peaceable schooling fish such as tetras, barbs and zebra danios.

Schooling Fish

Tetra inhabit streams and rivers in Central and South America and Africa. Danios and most barbs originate in Asia. Many of these fish sport bright colors and patterns, and even neon iridescence, which aid in school formation and maneuvering.

Beginners should resist the temptation to get just one or two each of several different species of schooling fish. Schooling fish feel great stress when kept alone or in pairs. Their nature is such that they do better if there are several of their own species to interact with. Therefore schooling fish should always be purchased in groups of at least six, preferably more.

In the long run, a school of a dozen fish displaying their natural behavior will be more pleasing than a mixed group of fishes unhappily forced to co-inhabit the same tank.

Mum, why is that fish hiding behind the pump and the other one always hanging around the back?

Problem Fish For Beginners

Mollies. Although they are often recommended, mollies do not make good beginners’ fish. Get these only when you have gained more fishkeeping experience. Mollies are sensitive to water conditions and require plenty of space.

Cichlids. Cichlids are very hardy fish but not recommended for community tanks. They are aggressive and highly territorial and will contend with each other for dominance. If you do keep them stock their tank with rockwork where they can take cover.

Siamese Fighting Fish. Another fish you should never introduce to a community aquarium is the Siamese fighting fish. They are likely to die a slow, painful death as the water is too deep and usually turbulent.

Gouramis. Kissing gouramis are so called because pairs can occasionally be seen locking lips. This makes them popular with fish hobbyists. However, this “kissing” behavior is aggressive, rather than sexual, in nature. And the kissing Gouramis can not only grow to a very large size, but also be a troublemaker in a community tank, as they often harass tank-mates. Gourami, however, do make good fish for beginners with larger tanks.

Goldfish. Do not introduce goldfish to an aquarium setup with tropical species. They grow much too big and produce a lot of water-polluting waste.