Fish

It is an established fact that stressful water conditions is the major source of your fish’s diseases and maintaining your pond water could be a very challenging task. Koi fishes produce quite a considerable amount of waste than many other fishes. Because of that, you could expect your pond to easily turn cloudy and be contaminated much more often which could also mean more frequent water changes and monitoring. With the introduction of pond UV sterilizers, pond water maintenance became much more manageable and efficient. As a proven and safe solution to deal with algae, bacteria and other disease-causing water organisms, this equipment is widely used by koi pond owners worldwide and has effectively kept hundreds of thousands of ponds in its best shape.

Aquarists who are truly serious about keeping the healthiest environment for their kois use Aquanetics UV sterilizer in their ponds. Among the first produced UV sterilizers in the market, Aquanetics is known for its outstanding quality and efficiency in maintaining ponds. When properly set up as according to its manual, its UV sterilizer emits the most ideal amount of ultraviolet light suitable for your pond water. With its superior performance, the Aquanetics UV sterilizer is a truly attractive option in the control of algae and water borne microorganisms. It does not alter the water chemistry in any way and maintains the best parameters for your pond. Since UV sterilizers are meant to run 24 hours a day for the whole year, this equipment is durable enough to last you years of continuous use. It need not require upkeep and an annual bulb change might be the most you can get involved in terms of its maintenance. Though ordering the unit itself may not be possible anymore as its company is no longer doing business, replacement UV lamps and quartz sleeves are made easily made available for purchase.

The many advantages of having a UV sterilizer installed in your pond makes it a necessity in the koi keeping hobby. Though other measures could be done to reduce algae and water pathogens growth like adding plants, avoiding fish overcrowding, regular water change and installation of floating skimmers, it could not guarantee that the disease causing microorganisms harmful to your fishes are eliminated. It is every Koi pond owner’s dream to have the clearest and healthiest water their kois could swim in. Investing in a quality UV sterilizer will truly make the difference every aquarist is looking for and would better enhance the enjoyment that comes with keeping koi ponds.

The health of your koi fishes is greatly dependent on the quality and stability of the water they thrive in. Whether you are a new fishkeeper or an expert, it is needless to say that majority of the causes of your fishes’ illness and death comes from the water. If you’re keeping a koi pond in your backyard, regular water changes and maintenance is very much a necessity. That, however, is never an assurance that your fishes would be disease-free. With the many equipments developed to introduce improvements in aquatic care, the Koi pond UV sterilizer had proven to greatly benefit in keeping water healthy. Clear water is never enough as it could still carry a lot of disease-causing microorganisms your fishes might catch.

A koi pond UV sterilizer is an effective and safe way to eliminate floating algae problems in your koi pond and even help kill parasites and bacteria in it. It could also prevent the reoccurrence of water borne pathogens which brings diseases to your koi. The ultraviolet light it emits attacks algae present in your pond water as well as any other unwanted elements like bacteria and parasites. Its combined sterilization mechanism and mechanical filtering rids of these microorganisms and eliminate them from your water, at the same time creating a more balanced parameter for your pond’s ecosystem.

This equipment could be allowed to run 24/7 year-round to ensure healthy water for your koi. Bulb changes and equipment maintenance could only be done once in a year which makes it very convenient both for you and your pond inhabitants. When constantly running, you are assured of excellent water clarity and a disease-free koi habitat. Koi pond UV sterilizers come in many sizes and each brand had manufactured varying sophistication of this equipment, but all functions the same way. To ensure you are getting the kind your koi pond requires, the capacity of your UV sterilizer should be suitable to your pond size. Manufacturers have set up a guide on their equipments for that, yet your aquatic supply retailer could offer helpful advises as well. For reasonable prices that would benefit you for years, adding it in your pond is indeed a practical choice. Maintaining your pond water is definitely easier than treating your ill Koi. The ecological balance created by your koi pond UV sterilizer is truly an effective solution in creating a healthier environment for your Koi.

If you are truly serious about keeping your tank conditions in its best shape, you would consider investing in a quality protein skimmer.  As a very important tool in maintaining your water’s parameters, a protein skimmer functions by dissolving proteins, organic particles and minute waste materials present in your aquarium water. This is done by producing air bubbles into the water where these organisms would adhere. This reaction creates a foam-like material that goes up to the water surface and is skimmed to a collection cup. With a protein skimmer, waste is continuously separated and removed from your water.

Because of its outstanding performance, the Red Sea Prizm Protein Skimmer is well recommended and more preferred by many aquarium keepers worldwide. Both beginning aquarists and more experienced fish keepers would benefit from its many advantages. Apart from the others, the Red Sea Prizm is compactly designed to fit conveniently and discreetly at the back of your tank or could be installed in the sump. This unit comes with an external venturi pump attachment at its bottom which allows for maximum bubble output compared to other brands. Its counter current mechanism allows production of air into the water rather than drawing air from it which could risk oxygen level depletion in your tank water. Its user-friendly features allows for easy set up. It only takes a few minutes to have it installed and fully operational, and no amount of expertise is required to handle it. The use of Red Sea Prizm protein skimmer had proven to efficiently remove protein and other waste bi-products from your water, keeping it in its utmost condition. It greatly helps in limiting the build up of phosphate and nitrite in tanks, reduce tank water discoloration, prevent algae development as well as remove toxins produced by aquarium corals and invertebrates. With its filtering mechanisms, it eases the burden of your existing tank filter and improves its longevity, saving you money on the long run. Its intensive bubble production benefits your tank by increasing your water’s oxygen level.

With its exceptional quality and efficiency, this skimmer is amazingly affordable. From its regular models to more upgraded types, this skimmer is prized below a hundred dollars to a few hundreds. With the many advantages of having one, it is considered a revolution to fish tanks. The Red Sea Prizm protein skimmer is truly an excellent addition to your fish keeping hobby.

With all the rewards fish keeping brings, the aquarium care and maintenance involved in the hobby could quite be challenging. Keeping your tank water clean and safe is of absolute importance in ensuring your fishes’ health. Fortunately, different equipments that could assist you on this task are made available in the market. Most popularly utilized in many home aquariums are the water filters and aeration systems. As manufacturers constantly bring in improvements, the development of the fish tank protein skimmer is somewhat a breakthrough for many aquarium owners.

Protein skimmers function by dissolving biological wastes present in the water before they could breakdown to harmful chemicals. These chemicals, especially nitrites, could be very detrimental to your fishes once dissolved in your tank water. Also considered as a chemical filtration method, this equipment functions by forcing bubbles into a column of water in your tank. The air bubbles attract tiny proteins and waste particles and bring them up to the water surface as a foam which are then skimmed into a collection cup. Since mechanical filters commonly present in most aquariums only work for large particles, the essentiality of protein skimmers is better recognized.

As this equipment work best in high pH and saline environments, protein skimmers are mostly used in saltwater aquariums. Venturi skimmers, needle wheel or pin wheel protein skimmers, air-driven or counter-current protein skimmers, sump-type protein skimmers, downdraft skimmers, internal protein skimmers and the external hang-on protein skimmers are among the many forms of this equipment.  Though skimmers could vary in brands, size and sophistication, they demonstrate quite the same objective of removing chemical wastes and bi-products from the water by foaming mechanism and collecting and disposing cycles.

Apart from ridding off water from organic wastes and harmful residue, a fish tank protein skimmer could also remove toxins given off by your decorative corals or aquarium invertebrates. It also greatly reduces your tank filter’s workload as it functions mainly to clear up the water. The mechanism’s way of preventing algae build up is an added benefit. Probably the most advantage from the bubbles it produces, the equipment also helps increase oxygen content in your tank water. This equipment is easy to purchase from many aquatic supply stores and reputable online stores for reasonable prices. The many benefits of a protein skimmer prove that adding one in your home aquarium is definitely a smart move in keeping your fishes healthy.

Whether kept in a home aquarium or pond, koi are prized fishes to keep and are very much appreciated by aquarists worldwide. Its ornamental value and symbolism makes koi keeping a very popular tradition especially in certain parts of the world. The longevity of these fishes is owed to their being hardy and ability to tolerate varying temperature changes. This particular species reproduce through spawning and the large number of eggs they lay is fertilized by either one or many male kois. Though known to be non-demanding fishes, caring for koi fry tells a different story.

When koi eggs are successfully spawned and fertilized, eggs needs to be separated from their parents to prevent them from being eaten up. Water temperature needs to be set to allow the eggs to hatch. Care for the resulting offspring involves quite a lot of work to ensure their survival. By this time, their mouths have not yet fully developed so feeding the fry for the first 3 to 4 days is discouraged as it would only cause the water to become cloudy and be contaminated. Making sure your pumps are functioning well to keep your water aerated is of utmost importance during this period as their respiratory system is still underdeveloped.

You could start feeding your fry on the third or fourth day. Newly hatched brine shrimp is mostly fed to the very small koi fry. To provide them the protein they require to develop and grow, hardboiled eggs or finely ground high protein koi food could be given. Daphnia, an abundant pond crustacean, is also among the recommended first foods for koi fry. By nature, koi are bottom feeders. Extra care is therefore needed when feeding fast sinking food since uneaten particles can pass unobserved and could cause water condition changes which could be disadvantageous for the fry. Frequent water change should be given attention to once feeding is started since the use of filters could risk some of the fry from getting sucked up into it.

Culling your fry could be done on the fourth week. The ones with certain deformities and unwanted characteristics could be taken to pet stores as donations. Koi with the characteristics desired for breeding will be kept and properly maintained. Raising koi fry may require a pretty amount of space and time, but the beauty and deeper meaning of keeping kois make the hobby very rewarding. Owning one of the most famous and fascinating underwater creatures makes everything well worth it.

If you find some green, feathery mass in your saltwater tank, Green Hair Algae is probably what you have. Though algae help improve the water quality during the early stages of your aquarium, excess growth cold spell quite a nightmare. This filamentous type of algae is hardy and tends to spread alarmingly. If left uncontrolled, your fishes and the whole tank would be in trouble. Dealing with such algae requires a little understanding about how it thrives. In order to survive, green hair algae would require light, nitrates and phosphates. If you intend to control and rid off this nuisance from your tank, you should not give it what it needs. Starving it off from the nutrients it requires is the first step.

Phosphate could be introduced in your water through what you feed your fish. Uneaten fish food left in your tank increases your water’s phosphate content and would break down into nitrates. With the use of an anti-phosphate resin in a filter and implementing low oxygen in it, both phosphate and nitrate could be reduced. You could deprive these algae from light by adjusting your tank lights to a much lower settings. Though it is always possible to remove the excess amounts of algae by hand, introducing certain predators that would feed on this type of algae has been found to greatly help in its control. Some algae eating fish, the surgeon fish, grass carp and those of rabbit fish families, or snails, urchins and hermit crabs could be added to your tank to eat off the algae. Contrary to what others believe, salt will not kill it. Treating your tank with some algae specific chemicals is much more advised.

Preventing green hair algae from taking over your tank is so much better than curing it. Since fish food is where most of the phosphates begin with, as well as the development of nitrates, a controlled and disciplined feeding would better maintain your water in its most desirable parameters. Inadequate aquarium care is another factor in the growth of this type of algae, a more responsible water and tank management should be observed. Along with that, make sure your equipments are functioning properly. Never let this messy, smelly, slimy algae cover your whole tank. With the right maintenance, you do not only keep your aquarium free from green hair algae, but you are also keeping all your aquarium inhabitants healthy.

Probably the best fish food ever made available in the market, Dainichi fish foods are perfected in Japan and made available to all fish enthusiasts worldwide. More than 30 years of experience has taught them to develop the freshest and outstanding quality fish food to optimize your fishes’ health, beauty and longevity. Dainichi utilizes all-natural human grade products in their fish food. Without the fillers or added processing chemicals, there is lesser chance for your fishes to develop any diseases or compromised health. Their specialized knowledge of formulating the best koi, goldfish and cichlids foods allowed them to develop the same best quality of general marine and tropical fish foods.

Avery pellet of Dainichi fish food is coated with the much needed vitamins and minerals for your fishes. The special compounded bentonite clay they make available in every preparation acts as a metabolic toxin neutralizer, ensuring maximum rate of digestion and promoting growth – - – that is something other fish foods don’t do. Dainichi is definitely a smart way to start improving your fishes. The all natural formulation of nutrients and minerals best enhances your fishes’ colors and overall health. With Dainichi fish foods, your fishes would be beautiful, healthy and disease-free. Even the pickiest fish owners would agree on the quality of this brand.

Dainichi Koi foods are prepared in All-season, Growth plus, Premium and Color intensifier formulations to suit what fish owners are seeking for their kois. Dainichi cichlid foods are available in several formulas such as XL Pro, Ultima, Veggie deluxe, Color supreme, Veggie FX and Color FX, all to cater the specific needs of your carnivorous and omnivorous cichlids. Primary krill, Ultima and Color supreme are among the formula variations of Dainichi Goldfish food. Each of their preparations delivers a balanced diet to your fishes to keep them in perfect shape. Amazing improvements of your fishes’ coloration, noticeable increase in their size and beautiful finnage developments would be experienced if fishes are regularly fed with Dainichi. No doubt this fish food had made hundreds of thousands of fishes worldwide happier and healthier while keeping fish owners satisfied. No other brand could ever come up with such perfect blend Dainichi have on their formulas. A true winner among all other brands, Dainichi fish food is definitely the best choice if you are serious about having the most beautiful, show quality fishes every enthusiast would dream of owning.

Every aquarist knows how essential proper feeding is to keep your fishes healthy. The kind of food your aquarium or pond inhabitants receive directly affects their health and general condition. Apart from that, whatever you feed them would also affect the quality of your water. Choosing the right food to meet your fish’s nutritional requirements while ensuring your water’s condition could pose some challenge. It seems like there are too many available fish food in the market to begin with. The key to giving your fishes exactly what they need requires a better understanding of the kind of fish you have. Every fish have different nutritional needs. However, the job of finding the right food to give your adoring pets has been made easier by Tetra. Pioneering the development of the healthiest variations of fish food, the brand has been around in the market for over 50 years now. They have a wide selection of fish food of all flavours, colors, sizes and formulations to meet every fish’s particular need.

Among the most appreciated innovations of fish food they have developed is the Tetra floating fish food. This new breed of feeds is designed to provide your fishes a proper balance of the needed nutrients to meet the desired growth and health as it contains high quality carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. The added vitamin C and the balanced diet maximizes the benefit in terms of digestion and meeting the required nutrients. When these are properly met, your fishes will develop a stronger immune system necessary to resist diseases. Tetra floating fish food is easily digested as they soften quickly when it comes in contact with the surface water. Such quality ensures maximum nutrition for your fishes and lesser waste. Scientifically designed to entrap air to give its floating capability, the Tetra floating fish food is designed to soften easily yet remain stable to be readily eaten by your fishes. As they do not easily fall apart, it lessens the chance of clouding up your water and polluting it from uneaten food. Its well developed blend retains all the nutrients to give your fishes what they need while promoting better digestion and enhancing their color to make your fishes look their best.

Just like people, your fishes enjoy a variation of their food too. They would love some occasional snacks and treats. Tetra floating fish food comes in a wide selection of different options from flakes, stick and pellets of varied flavours and sizes to suit your fish. Since your fishes’ nutritional needs also changes with the weather, Tetra also has made available every food to meet your fish’s needs for certain periods. They have specific spring and fall diets for your fishes, as well as wheat germ preparations for cold weather feedings since your fishes’ activity level changes with the temperature. Floating fish food however is not designed for bottom feeders. Tetra has formulated sinking tablets and pellets for such species. With floating foods, aquarists could enjoy viewing their fishes while they feed. That is something not experienced with fast sinking foods. Tetra floating fish food not only ensures your fishes’ health, but gives every fishkeeper a more rewarding feeding experience.

One of the biggest challenges of aquarists is keeping their fishes healthy and making them live long. Different species of fishes have different life spans, but with proper care, fishes could actually survive much longer than they are expected to. If you wish to keep your fishes healthy, you need to be aware of the typical symptoms of a sick fish so you could better prevent them from dying. Or if your fishes are sick, you should be watchful of the different signs that your fish might be dying so you could get the necessary help at the soonest time.

Among the most common causes of death of your fishes is poor water conditions caused by either lack of maintenance, filters and pumps not working or overcrowding of fishes. Stress is another reason and may be caused by shipping, perhaps from moving around or by the presence of a bully fish in the tank. An untreated disease or opportunistic infections affecting existing injuries or wounds could also be another factor. When a fish is sick, its weakened state makes them more vulnerable to pick up parasites and other infectious microorganisms that would develop into a secondary condition. Poor feeding, incorrect water temperature settings and being transferred to a new tank with a different water chemistry are common causes as well.

When any of your fishes could not cope with the stress, disease process, lack of oxygen, hunger or undesirable water conditions, they would be demonstrating certain signs which could indicate they are dying. If you are not observant enough, you may eventually lose your fishes. Among the symptoms you need to be aware is when your fishes are swimming abnormally. This is seen when your fishes start to swim on their sides, tilting or at an angle, or even upside down. They would also show sluggish, lethargic and uncoordinated movements. Your fishes would appear a lot less active than it normally is and at times, not swimming at all. Aside from the change in your fish’s level of energy, its normal behaviour may change too. If your fish normally swims at the bottom of the aquarium and is now constantly seen at the surface, it is a sign that shouldn’t be neglected. Or if your fish is normally a mid-water or surface swimmer but is now constantly sitting at the bottom of the tank, there is a need for you to watch them closer too. A normally hiding fish that is now always visible is also indicative of behavioural change. A dying fish is not eating or could be losing weight even if eating regularly. Also, slow movement of your fish’s gills, appearing to be breathing heavily should never be ignored. Signs of distress can be demonstrated when the fish opens and closes its mouth constantly than it normally does, frequently swimming at surface and sticking its head out of the water to gasp for oxygen. You would notice physical changes as well. A dying fish may have a sunken belly on certain occasions. There could also be blood or red area around the fins that isn’t previously present. Be watchful of the presence of colored spots (may be black, white, gray or yellow) and sores on certain areas of your fish’s body. At times, there would also be a noticeable color change where the fish’s shade may appear paler or darker than the normal.

Often, a fish may show signs of poor health and nearing death. The problem of fish owners is that some of their fishes sometimes do not show these signs and would just be found dead or floating on the tank. Proper tank and water maintenance would always be helpful to avoid any of these from occurring then. Constant interaction with your fishes, especially during feeding, gives you the opportunity to inspect them and observe for changes. If you better understand the symptoms of a dying fish, you we may be able to prevent it more effectively. Keeping your fishes safe and healthy saves you from disappointments, heart aches and money wasted.

It is good to have a basic understanding about your goldfish if you are keeping one in your tank. Oftentimes though, learning a little more is important to help better care for them. One doesn’t really need years of experience with fishes to successfully keep a goldfish. To have more knowledge about maintaining them, you could look up many reliable aquatic care websites online and get the information you need. However, when you feed your goldfish, do your regular maintenance and checkups, you get the chance to interact more with them. Constant interaction helps you get to know your fishes much better and have wider understanding of their needs and general behaviour.

When you are new to keeping fishes, you would find yourself often alarmed at every slightest change you will notice on them. Every fish keeper must be aware of the several diseases a fish can get and finding white spots on your goldfish’s gills would be reasonable enough to be concerned. However, if you are more familiar with goldfishes, you would know that finding white spots on goldfish gills is not an alarming thing, but a normal occurrence. These spots, more often called tubercules, naturally develop on the gill plates of a male goldfish when they sexually mature. The breeding tubercules feels like sandpaper when you try to hold your fish to feel the gills. Although sexual maturity of a goldfish could be attributed to several other factors like its size, age, sex and health, the white spots are one of the indicative factors.

When these white spots develop somewhere else in the body of your goldfish, and worse, noticing that your fish is somewhat unwell and irritated, it is an indication that it is sick. Your goldfish might be developing a form of fungal infection called Ich if you see spots on his body that appears like sprinkled salt. Unlike the breeding tubercules, these spots are soft to the touch. When these spots appear larger and more blotchy, your fish might be infected with columnaris (oftentimes called flex) which is a deadly bacterial infection. There is also a form of parasitic infection (called ‘White Spots’) that affects lesions incurred from rubbing against objects. They appear white and small like that of a pinhead size and are found on the fins and body of your fish. These many conditions often occur when your water conditions are not properly maintained.

The white spots on your goldfish’s gills do not indicate a problem. You see, your male goldfish is now in his prime. He is mature enough to mate, and you should prepare yourself coz you would soon be seeing newer members of your goldfish tank.

The popularity of goldfish among aquarists is owed to its amazing characteristics. Its attractive colors and lively nature brings so much life and energy to any home aquarium. But fish keeping isn’t just about bringing home a fish and putting in your tank for you to watch and enjoy. It involves some degree of care and time to make sure your fishes stay healthy and will live long. Maintaining your goldfish tank includes many aspects. The water conditions, temperature, lighting, equipments, feeding schedule and so much more needs to be attended to. One thing you have to make sure when caring for your goldfish is that they get adequate oxygen. Oftentimes, fishkeepers would notice their goldfish coming up to the surface of the tank or bowl appearing to be blowing bubbles. Others would think their fish is hungry, or trying to make bubble nests, or even playing around. When you see this behaviour in your goldfish, it is actually an indication that it is need of more air. A goldfish is very sensitive to oxygen shortage, and gasping for air at the water’s surface (‘blowing bubbles’) is the quickest way to express their distress.

Lack of air in the tank could be attributed to certain factors. Perhaps you are keeping your goldfish in a bowl or a small tank not adequate enough for the space your fish requires. Adequate space is needed in order for your goldfish to breathe properly. Make sure your tank is big enough, or if you do not have one, you should avoid overcrowding your tank. Too many fish could deplete the available oxygen in the water, and eventually suffocate your fishes. There is a guide followed by fishkeepers as to how much fishes you could stock in your tank to achieve enough space healthy enough for all aquarium inhabitants to thrive. Information for such could be obtained from fish care books and websites. But your local aquarium fish dealer could advise you on that too.

Live plants could bring a lot of good things to your aquarium and more importantly to your fishes. Adding plants to your aquarium is a good way to create an environment for your fishes that more closely resembles their natural habitat. Your aquarium inhabitants would appreciate having plants around coz it makes them feel more at home and to have lots of hiding places. It also makes your tank a lot more attractive. But their ability to give off oxygen is what makes live plants excellent additions to your tank. Regular water changes and maintenance is also a good way to keep parameters within acceptable limits. You should also check your filters and pumps and make sure they are working well. Keeping water temperature somewhere between 74 to 76 is said to be best in keeping goldfishes. When it’s too warm, your goldfish would try to swim up and gulp for air. Some would advise putting airstone in your bowl. Your goldfish blowing bubbles is something that should be given immediate attention. If these signs are ignored, it might be too late for you to save it.

Guppies are wonderful fishes to keep. They are known to stand hard water, high levels of salinity and tolerate water changes. They also hold great ornamental value. When you notice that your female guppy is pregnant, you would expect having to deal with a large number of fry in just a month’s time. These fishes are outstanding brooders and when females are always kept with the males, you would have plenty of guppy fry swimming in your tank. Watching your guppy fry wiggling around is a very enjoyable view. But raising the fry isn’t really as easy as it looks. Controlled breeding is necessary for female guppies if you do not have all the tanks to accommodate the fry. Local fish stores, however, take guppy fry donations and could well keep and raise them. If you intend to raise the guppy fry yourself, setting up a few tanks for them to grow out would be of importance. Since this fish is easy to breed, it is easy to produce many variations in the colors of this species. This gave birth to the popularity of a wide selection of fancy guppies. They do appear more attractive and appealing, though fish keepers have noticed they are much weaker and have the tendency to die easily in poor water conditions. Many people still prefer keeping the wild guppies as they are the hardiest kinds. Caring for its fry is much more assuring too. Guppy fry development follows a certain pattern.

The first four weeks of your guppies are the most critical, and it is when most of care and attention are to be given. It is around this period where the kind of care you provide could make or break your guppies. In fact many expert breeders are constantly trying to develop diverse methods to handle guppy fry during the critical first month. A fish keeper had to properly ensure good water conditions and feed the fry as often as time would permit to allow them to build body and muscle tone. Feeding them 4 to 5 times would be ideal; however, if you could feed them more often than that, it would be good for your little guys. At the end of their fourth week, your fry fully develop their gender and becomes sexually active on the sixth week. It is during this period (between the fourth and sixth week) that male and female guppies should be separated into groups. It might take a little work as it is done individually on each fish, placing each on a water filled clear container and observing it through a magnifying glass to identify whether it has the gonopodium or the gravid spot. This is performed to avoid mix ups and for a more successful controlled breeding.

During the 6th week up to the 6th month, deformities may develop in some of the fry and taking out the bad fishes is necessary. The procedure is called culling, and ensures only the good and healthy ones are left in the tank. Local fish stores would be very willing to take your culled fry if you wish to donate them. Guppies are considered adults on their 6th month and onwards. During this period, guppies continue to grow, but growth is more channelled into his finnage size and development. They keep on growing even up to death, however the rate of their growth is much slower. These fishes generally thrive for 1 to years, but water temperature and general water conditions could greatly influence their growth and survival. Fancy guppies tend to live a much shorter life span.

Frequent water not only helps remove harmful ammonia and waste from the water, but is also found to help spur the growth of the fry. When your tank lights are turned on more often, your fry would feed more frequently. Since lights could affect fry development, tank owners oftentimes leave the lights on as much as possible. It is important for fishkeepers to understand the stages of guppy fry development to raise healthy and happy guppies for them to keep and enjoy for a long time.

Keeping and raising guppies is a very rewarding experience. These active fishes are very appealing and their colors are very fascinating. As active breeders, caring for guppies involve constant dealing with its fry, as your females guppies can get pregnant much often than other species. Raising guppy fry could even be a more enjoyable experience. Not much expertise is needed to successfully do it, but a little basic knowledge would do. The first four weeks of your young guppies are necessary for body and muscle building, and are the most critical period of their overall growth and development. During this time, your guppy fry are fed as often as possible. Others would feed their guppy fry about five times in a day, but doing it more often, like up to 10 times in a day would be better for them. Their very small digestive systems require refilling every 20 minutes to maximize their growth period.

When kept in the same tank with the mature ones, they usually feed on the leftovers and nibble on the algae. Usually, when the fry are housed in a different tank, they are fed with some baby brine shrimp or ground flake fish foods. The nutrition obtained from the brine shrimp is found necessary for the fry to develop and enhance their coloration. Color enhancing fish food is strongly discouraged. They do not provide the necessary vitamins and your fry needs the proper nutrition to properly grow and develop. They need protein source too, which is easily obtained in fish food supply stores. But if you could cook them up an egg yolk, they would love it. Other options in feeding your guppy fry are micro sized live food, paste food and special fry formula dry food you could purchase from pet supply stores. Your guppies would also enjoy some live tubifex worms, walter worms, mosquito larvae, wingless fruit flies and vinegar eels.

The water temperature is a big factor in the growth of your guppy fry. An increase of the temperature speeds up their metabolism. You would have to feed them more often, but you could expect them to grow much faster and healthier. How you care for and feed your guppy while they’re young could make or break the quality of guppies you have as they turn into adults. Feed them right and feed them well. When your fry are well nourished, and your tank is kept at its best condition, you will definitely be looking forward to having show quality guppies in the weeks to come.

A common freshwater aquarium fish, guppies are known for their extraordinary colors and patterns sure pleasing to have in any aquarium. Active and fascinating, they make wonderful additions to anyone’s reef display. The popularity of guppies among the many fishes best kept in home setting is probably owed to its ease of care and being hardy. The many wonderful qualities of this fish made it very much recognized in the aquarium keeping hobby.

Guppies make great community fishes too. Though they could get along easily with many other species, guppies are most comfortable being around with those of their own. If you are keeping your female guppies along with the males, chances are they would get pregnant about once every 30 days. Keeping guppies need to have certain knowledge about these finned creatures. How frequent they multiply is one thing you need to watch for if you want a controlled breeding. Your local fish retailer could offer you helpful advises in performing controlled breeding successfully. But as a fish keeper, it is important for you to be aware and watchful of signs of guppy pregnancy.

Your female guppy is pregnant when she starts developing a dark spot (known as gravid patch) under her tail, towards the back of its stomach. As the babies start to form, you will notice this spot would increase in its size and would tend to appear much darker. On the final stages of a guppy’s pregnancy, its patch would turn black and your guppy is very bloated and fat. Many other observations are noted from a female pregnant guppy such as constant arching of their back and pushing, a noticeable fading of their coloration and their vent would appear slightly opened. They would also behave quite differently and would often sit on one spot, would either not feed or become more a voracious eater; they could also become very skittish or very aggressive at times. When pregnant guppies become stressed, they remain pregnant until they eventually die. Expert aquarists would advise isolating your pregnant guppy and prepare her a place she could lay her fries.

With more guppies, means a lot more of beautiful swimming finned friends in your aquarium. Naturally you have to make sure they stay best in shape too. Guppies are a pleasure to own, and very much rewarding to keep. When you know how to care for them right and deal when your females become pregnant, you will have plenty of healthy and happy guppies and a splendid aquarium display.

People keep fishes for the many rewards the hobby bring. Known as hardy fishes, goldfish are popularly kept in home aquariums and garden ponds because the many advantages for keeping such species proves to make anyone’s fishkeeping venture more worthwhile. We know as fishkeepers, we should look after our aquarium’s and pond’s water conditions and over-all environment to make sure our fishes stay healthy and are free from diseases. Hardy as they are, our goldfish could get sick if not cared for well.

The many diseases that could affect your goldfish are a result of any or a combination of several factors. Your goldfishes’ genetics, environment, nutrition and many harmful microorganisms like parasites, bacteria and fungi all contribute in causing certain health conditions to your fishes. Though there are certain genetic anomalies in your goldfish like lack of an eye, odd-shaped mouth or late color changes that can be tolerated, genetically diseased fishes are mutated and have unexpected developmental changes which could already affect their health one way or another.

Environmental conditions could cause your goldfish to have Swim Bladder disorders. Because of such, aquarists should be watchful of high nitrite contents and generally poor water conditions. Parasitic diseases that could affect your goldfish are Ich, Anchor Worms, Fish Lice and White Spot. The Ich (Ichtyopthirius) is the most common of all. When your goldfish is stressed, it becomes more vulnerable to this condition and is known to be deadly if not managed early. Similarly, White Spot is a stress-related condition. When Anchor Worm and Fish Lice attach to your goldfish, they could be manually removed. But the problem of its ability to quickly reproduce makes management of the condition to take a little while. Bacterial infections known to goldfishes are FinRot and Dropsy. FinRot is an opportunistic bacterial infection that takes advantage of frail fishes. It is characterized by white edges on your goldfishes’ fins, but is generally easy to cure. Dropsy, on the other hand, is an internal infection that could cause the scales of your fishes to appear sticking out, and is most detrimental, often causing your goldfish to die. Like most bacteria, fungal infections are opportunistic and would tend to thrive on open wounds, causing a white cottony appearance on your fishes’ injuries. Your goldfishes could also experience digestive problems such as constipation when they are not eating the proper food. With cause not fully understood, Hole in the Head is a deadly disease most prevented by maintaining water on a regular basis. Less common, but could affect your fishes, are body and gill flukes, costia, lymphocustis, velvet disease, columnaries and Trichodina.

These diseases that could affect your goldfish have certain treatments and management options. But knowing the best water temperature, diet, space requirements and more of their needs would prepare and equip you in preventing such. Examining your goldfish regularly, water-quality checks and proper maintenance, along with a proper understanding of your goldfishes and all conditions most suited for them, is important to have disease-free goldfishes.

Feeding your goldfishes is the best time to bond with your fancy-finned pets and is among the most pleasurable moments in the fish keeping hobby. A simple procedure as it is, and even kids could do it easily, many aquarists are misguided on what to feed their fishes. Generally, goldfishes would devour anything that would fit their mouth, and could be greedy creatures. Many fish keepers feed their goldfish with common tropical fish food and claim to work great for them. But since they need sufficient amount of protein, vitamins and carbohydrates, nutrient-packed foods specific for goldfishes should be fed to these little guys. Fortunately, everything your goldfishes require is readily available in pet supply stores. There are a couple of hundreds of sites that sells goldfishes foods in all brands and variety. But to make sure you are giving your fishes what they require, purchase foods that displays its nutritional contents. That way, you are certain about what your goldfishes are getting.

Goldfish food could come in many forms. You can feed these lovely creatures both with wet and dry varieties of fish food. Goldfish flake food is most convenient to feed and easiest to obtain from stores. They usually consist of brine shrimp and are found helpful in preventing bladder conditions known to fishes. Goldfish pellets have the same composition as the ones that come in flakes but are packed as pellets. There are different options for goldfishes’ frozen food. Goldfish keepers can opt between live frozen brine shrimp, tubifex worms, frozen daphnia or mosquito larvae. Freeze-dried goldfish foods include Pacific Plankton, bloodworms and krills. Lettuce and peas are easy to chew and digest and are among goldfishes’ favourite home-prepared foods. They would also feed on eggs, cucumbers, spinach and fruits like oranges and grapes. An occasional snack would not hurt. It is good to offer some live food or leafy vegetables once in a while for some variety. Like any other pets, they have their personalities too, so even goldfishes could get bored with their food. But remember not to overfeed them.
Depending on the size and type of goldfish you have, you should follow the specified amount of food you are allowed to feed them in a day, and how often. Anything more than the required is considered waste and could pollute your water.

Don’t forget, there are so many varieties of goldfishes. In picking their food, it is necessary to seek advice from the aquatic supply retailer personnel or expert aquarists on the best recommended food for the type of goldfish you own. Goldfishes are wonderful, rewarding pets. By understanding how to properly care for them and choosing carefully what to feed them, they will thrive happily and healthy.

An atlantic garden fish pond in your backyard is a landscaping asset and is a wonderful way of having a serene place for a quick get away from all the stress and pollution. Its calm and peaceful set up would make any fish keeping hobby more rewarding and fruitful. However, these garden ponds are man-made ecosystems so its nature makes it susceptible to the build up of toxic compounds because of the in and out balance of the pond’s water conditions. To stay on top of this, a variety of techniques and equipments are developed to keep your pond water clean with minimal effort. One of the simple but brilliant innovations ever contributed in the fish keeping technology is the fish pond skimmer.

An atlantic garden fish pond skimmer works by suctioning the floating debris on your pond which could pollute your pond water from the biological bi-products they give off. This skimming action is made possible by a pump attached to a fixed or floating device in your pond. The skimmer contains some plastic or wire basket to collect the materials suctioned by your skimmer unit. An atlantic garden fish pond skimmer is a reliable and efficient way to keep your pond water clean and would save you from hours and hours of water maintenance. All ponds would require a filter, but your pond filter by itself cannot eliminate all the debris that falls into your pond water especially if they are large in size. In some way, it lightens the load of your filter and increases its life, saving you a lot of money in the long run. Atlantic garden fish pond skimmers are designed for safe use even with your fishes swimming around the pond and are equipped with devices to prevent sucking up your fishes along. As an added benefit, when a pond skimmer is used with a pond waterfall, it is found to work well in circulating more of the needed oxygen for your plants and pond fishes. According to its size, capacity and sophistication, an atlantic fish pond skimmer could cost somewhere between to $100 to $800. A bigger pond would naturally need a bigger skimmer. They are easy to obtain from aquatic supply stores. Online, you can find great deals from places like Atlanticwatergardens.com, Watergarden.org, Pondpetsusa.com, Pondepot.com, Yourpondstore.com, Pondliner.com and many more.

A skimmer is an important element in your atlantic garden pond. They’re easy to install and can be hidden from view. For any aquarist, keeping your pond water is a must and your skimmer could do the job for you. Your atlantic fish pond skimmer, along with your filter and pumping systems, could very well keep your pond clean and healthy for a very long time.

Some invertebrates are known to be great additions to an aquarium, and if you are keeping fishes, you must be considering adding some in your fish tank. There are numerous species of shrimps, but only a few of these are suitable for home aquarium set ups. Among the most interesting ones, the Bamboo Shrimp make really gorgeous and functional newcomers that would work wonderfully in your planted aquarium.

Also known by other names such as Wood Shrimp, Flower Shrimp, Asian Fan Shrimp and Rock Shrimp because of its unique fan-like appendages, the Bamboo Shrimp has a very fascinating appearance that brings in added attractiveness and appeal to your aquatic collection. The minimal care they require and their peaceful nature makes them a popular choice for tank additions. Known as filter feeders, they collect microorganisms from the food debris left off by your fishes. Bamboo shrimps are mostly kept in community tanks and your aquarium inhabitants would produce the detritus necessary for the microorganisms in your filter to thrive and produce, which in turn the Bamboo shrimp feeds on. If that is sufficient, they need not specifically fed. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean they have sufficient food all the time. If you have bamboo shrimps in your fish aquarium, you would oftentimes observe them scavenging for food on the bottom of your tank, and is an indication that the little fellows are hungry. They could be fed with finely flaked food, pleco wafers, small Daphnia or newly hatched brine shrimp. Bamboo fish food comes in the form of pellets and mostly wafers and could be purchased from local fish supply stores; but crushed or powderized shrimp pellets or crushed fish flaked food would do the job. If any of these foods, however, are missed by your Bamboo shrimp, could alter the water’s chemistry and eventually pollute it. Great attention to your tank’s ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels to make sure it won’t be in any way detrimental to your fishes. This is done by adjusting your filter output and even performing target feeding which is done by specifically dropping the bamboo shrimp food into the flow.

When these attractive and convenient to keep aquarium dwellers are well-fed and comfortable, they would flourish and keep your tank pretty and clean. Keeping aside some bamboo shrimp fish food would come in handy if they go hungry. Bamboo shrimps will scrub and clean your tank like nothing else you will see. They are fun and interesting creatures that are almost maintenance-free. Though not much use with algae, bamboo shrimps will keep the bottom of your aquarium clean and makes wonderful additions to your tank.

Every fish owner desires to give their fishes nothing but the best. Aquatic supply stores are flooded with many different products that help aquarists provide better care and ensure their fishes’ health. Every product comes in so many brands to allow a variety of choices so fish owners can pick out what is required and what is best for their fishes. Among the tough choices they make is on what they should feed their fish. Of course you can find hundreds of fish food brands on the shelves of many supply stores. But when it comes to the finest fish food products in the market, Hikari is among the names that stand out.

Originally known in Japan, Hikari has become recognized everywhere else because of the superior quality of fish food they produce. Since they use all-natural ingredients on their fish food, and are known to be packed with lots of protein and multi-vitamins, you would know you are providing your fish all the goodness there is in a fish food. Hikari has a wide variety of fish food products from fry food, freeze-dried food and specialized food for certain species. From cichlids, kois, goldfish or bettas, Hikari has something specially made for them.  Among the many are Cichlid pellets, cichlid gold pellets, cichlid excel pellets and pellets specifically for Lionheads, Wheatgerms and Orandas. They have made their pellets in a variety of sizes from baby pellets, mini pellets, medium and large sizes so whatever fish you have, you can find something that would fit the size of their mouths. Algae Wafers, Sinking wafers and food sticks are packed in various sizes to allow fish owners to experiment on which their fishes would love by trying on the small pouches first. The resealable package allows for good storage.

The colourful pellets are so attractive to the fishes and need not be a concern for fish owners. The color enhancers Hikari puts in your fish food are carotene which is good for your fishes. Hikari takes pride on their products’ ability to enhance your fishes’ colors and though not really proven how, a lot of fish owners have noticed their fishes’ color do appear brighter and more attractive, and claims they are more active too. I guess that happens when your fishes are happy and healthy. Who wouldn’t be? Hikari fish food is so great and fishes love it – they devour everything in seconds. Fishes could show different enthusiasm for different types of food. It is easy to tell if your fish gets excited over what you feed them, and this is one of those they look forward to. But no matter how much we love to spoil our fishes, don’t forget that overfeeding them is bad. Probably the best thing fish owners love about this product is it doesn’t cloud the water like other fish foods do. The fish care tips at the back of every Hikari fish food package is an added plus.

There is no doubt fish owners are satisfied with Hikari fish food. Everyone who has tried it on their fishes has nothing but good things to say about it. Though a lot of other manufacturers have tried to produce fish food products of the same grade, they could not come close to the standards Hikari could offer to your aquarium inhabitants. Hikari is the brand every fish would love and would actually beg for. Your fishes could live a really long time if you provide them quality care. If you want what’s best for your fishes, give them Hikari fish food. With its nutritional value and good price, you get exactly what you pay for.

The Oscar Fish is one of the most amazing pets to have in an aquarium. Their personalities make them very popular as these creatures are very smart, entertaining and fun to keep. If kept healthy, an Oscar fish will provide you a very rewarding fish keeping experience any aquarium hobbyist could ever have. If you own an Oscar fish, or if you intend to keep one, it is important to have a little knowledge about their health and ways to keep them from getting sick. If your Oscar could get sick, treating them could be very time-consuming and expensive.

A known potentially lethal disease of Oscar fishes is the “Hole-in-the-Head” (HITH). The disease affects sensory organs in the fishes’ face and lateral lines, characterized by small sores above the fishes’ eyes which grows, penetrates the skin and creates small holes or pits. For some reason, the Oscar fish is among those most susceptible to HITH. Cause of how the disease came about is inconclusive. Many theories have surrounded the development of the disease such as carbon and flagellate Hexamita parasite, but many believes that stress, food and water plays a very great role in Oscar fishes getting sick from this disease.

As you become more familiar with keeping Oscars, you would come across with other conditions common to Oscars if not kept in the best conditions. Occasionally, you would see your Oscars with cuts and abrasions and damaged fins. This may be caused from squabbling with other Oscars or from rubbing against some rocks or decorations in the tank. These injuries are mostly superficial and would heal up reasonably quick. As long as you keep your water in good condition, there is no need for medicating the tank. If the injury on your Oscar fish looks nasty and does not heal in a reasonable time, you should consider calling a local vet and obtain medications for treating your tank.

If you notice grey, white or brown cotton-wool type growth on your Oscars’ skin, they may be developing fungal infections which can often cause an outbreak if you have a community tank. Fungal infections can also cause serious physical damage to your fish if they have existing cuts and abrasions. When this happens, fungal remedies used to treat the water which can be obtained from local fish stores and should be used. One other condition that could affect other fishes in the tank is the Velvet disease. It is a dangerous parasitic infection that needs immediate attention. It is mostly treated by anti-parasite medication but seeking expertise from a professional is more advised. Pop-eye disease and Finrot are some of the diseases your Oscar fish can also have and are either caused by bacterial infection, poor water quality and parasitic infestation. These conditions are normally treated by antibacterial medications.

Feeding your Oscar with live goldfish and guppies increases the chance of introducing diseases. Vegetarian cichlid pellets, peas, lettuce, earthworms and shrimps are more advised. Keeping your water healthy and well-filtrated is also one way to assure your Oscars stay healthy. Frequent interaction with your Oscars is helpful to observe for changes in them. Besides, these fishes are very sociable and love to be lifted from the water, it would be a good chance for you to inspect and observe them. Your Oscar fish makes wonderful and interesting pets. It is your responsibility to care for them and provide them a healthy environment, and they would in turn be great companions for a long time.