Fish

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.

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.