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The Aquarium
It is important that you get the correct aquarium. This is the base of everything.
This is the home of your tropical friends. So, it is very important that you take the
time and effort necessary to ensure your success. There are many questions
that you need to think about before purchasing your aquarium. It is important
that you think about what kind of tropical fish you would like, how big they will get
when they are full grown, what types of plants you want to put in the aquarium.
First, let’s start with what kind of tanks there are out there.
There are two kinds of tanks- frame tanks which are made with frames made of
anodized aluminum, plastic, or stainless steel and then there are frameless
tanks. Both are caulked with silicone rubber. They do not rust even with sea
water. Aquariums come in different shapes and sizes and all are suitable for
keeping fish.
Plastic tanks are just as durable but they do scratch easier than glass. If you are
looking for an aquarium without sharp edges and corners, then you are looking
for a plastic tank. Some plastic tanks are too thin and therefore the water
pressure might cause the walls to belly out. Then all of your efforts will be lost. If
you are looking to photograph your fish, then you will want to get a glass
aquarium. Plastic tanks will distort the look of your fish. The handling of the tank
is also important with plastic tanks to ensure that the surface doesn’t scratch.
The main advantage to a plastic tank over a glass one is how it looks.
A plastic tank with rounded edges and corners looks amazing in your living room.
There are a few different styles of glass aquariums. Molded one-piece tanks are
great for breeding and small fish species and also as isolation tanks. I will speak
about isolation tanks later and why it is necessary to have one on hand. One –
piece tanks are also easy to clean and will hold 5 gallons (20 liters) safely. One
issue with molded tanks is the internal stress may cause larger tanks to crack or
break. For this reason, it is important to protect your tank for temperature
changes. It is also common that the glass walls are not even which makes your
fish look distorted.
Some people choose to use transparent plastic tanks because they are lighter
and less fragile than the glass versions. They are also easier to repair. If a
plastic tank should crack for any reason, you can repair it using plastic glue. The
price is also another reason why people choose it over the glass tank. IF you are
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a fish enthusiast, you should have a plastic tank that can be used as isolation
tank or that can be used as quarantine. An isolation tank should be 3- 4 gallons
(10-15 liters) in capacity. It is also important that it be fully equipped with a
heater and a filter. I would recommend that you purchase your isolation tank
when you purchase your aquarium. The reason for this is that you can use the
isolation tank when you first get your fish and while you are setting up your
aquarium. Plastic tanks have there place but due to the fact that they are not
scratch resistant, it is better to use them only as a temporary solution to your
permanent aquarium. Plastic tanks are great economically and they are
narrower at the bottom and can be stacked for better storage. You will see as
you expand your love for your aquarium that you will run out of space quickly.
Therefore, plastic tanks are definitely an advantage.
As I mentioned before, it is important when you are setting up your aquarium that
you think about what kind of fish you want to put in the tank, what kind of plants,
the behavioral patterns of the fish. Be sure not to start with a tank that is too
small. A common mistake is that you purchase a tank that is too small for the
fish that you want to put in it. IF your tank is too small, it will quickly become
overpopulated. Another advantage to a larger tank is the stability of the
environment that a larger tank creates. The bigger the tank, the more stable the
environment, the more immune the environment will be to mistake that might be
made in tank maintenance. The less chances you will have to unexpected
surprises. No one wants to come home and find their tropical friend on the top of
the tank.
I stated before how important it is to think about what kinds of fish you want to
put in your aquarium. It is important to remember that large fish tend to be
territorial and require more space. Small fish swim in schools of fish in there
natural environment. A school of fish is at least seven to ten fish usually of their
own kind. They need and want the company. You will need adequate amount of
space for the school of fish to swim freely. If you have ever been snorkeling or
scuba diving, you will know what a beautiful sight it is to see a school of fish
swimming by. Now, imagine that sight being in your own living room. It is only a
beautiful sight if they have enough room to swim freely. Now imagine that same
school of fish in a crowded tank, it would like a mall at Christmas time.
I know what you are thinking, how do I figure out how much space my fish need.
A good rule of thumb is estimate the length of the full-grown fish, and multiply
each by half an inch ( 1cm) by 1 1/2 to 2 quarts (1 ½- 2 liters). Remember that
this only represents the water in the aquarium. It doesn’t include the materials at
the bottom of the tank, the plants, or anything that takes up space for that matter.
Don’t worry. This is just an estimate. The best advice that I can give you would
be to start out with the biggest aquarium that you can afford.
Another issue that you are going to have to consider with the aquarium is the
weight of the tank once it is filled with water. The weight can be calculated by
Another thing that will prove to be helpful is a cover. If you have a large
aquarium, it will be a pain to take off a cover the size of the tank. The cover
should have one or more opening. The purpose of the cover is to keep the dust
out to the tank and to keep the fish from jumping out. You will want an opening
for the heater or filter tubing and for feeding the fish. You can buy plastic panels
that fit your tank exactly and plastic runners for the panels. You can move the
panels back and forth. The cover panel might not be air tight but they should
never be big enough for a fish to squeeze through.
Now, that you have thought about the size of the aquarium and the cover, now
we have to think about where we are going to put it. You want to put the
aquarium in a place that has a lot of electrical outlets. You should also be sure
that the floor is level. If it is slanted, you will have to even it out. It is also
important that the stand or table that you put the aquarium on is strong enough to
handle the weight and not bend. (Tip: you might want to put Styrofoam or felt
under your aquarium because some tanks do develop leaks.) Place the aquarium
in a place that allows you to look at it comfortably from where you are sitting.
Water
The next thing that is critical to your success is water. Whether you plants and
fish live or die will depend on the water in the tank. The quality of the water will
determine whether they live or die. Not all water is the same. Water is made up
of gases, minerals and organic matter. The organic matter is from decaying
leaves and wood and from plants and creatures in the water.
There are two gases in water- oxygen and carbon dioxide. These are essential
for all living organisms to survive. Fish and plants will absorb oxygen and
release carbon dioxide. The number of fish and plants in the aquarium will have
an effect on the balance of the water. The balance will need to be naturally
maintained or the excess needs to be removed. The water will be hard or soft
depending on the minerals that are in it. IF the mineral content is high, then the
water will be hard. If the mineral content is low, then it will be soft.
You will need to find out what the mineral content of your tap water. How do you
find this information??? You can call your local water department or you can
measure it yourself. You can use indicator strips or a test kit that you can
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purchase from your pet shop. In highly populated areas, you water will come
from a variety of different areas. Water from different areas will have a different
hardness and chemical composition. Due to this, your tap water will change
composition. It is necessary to check your water periodically. Okay... you have
check the water using the indicator strips or test kits, how do you know whether it
is hard or soft. Going forward, the hardness of the water will be expresses as
dH. Each degree of dH is 30 milligrams of calcium carbonate per quart (1 litre) of
water.
Tropical fish adapt very well to soft water. The soil in their natural environments
have little or no calcium. That is the reason that they adapt so well to soft water.
East African Cichlids are the only tropical fish that live in medium or hard water.
Water hardness varies on the parts of the country. For this reason, it would be
wise to check your water hardness and choose fish that will thrive in that
environment. You can change the hardness of the water by mixing distilled water
with the tap water to get the proper degree of hardness. It might be expensive to
do it this way. Rain water is not an option because it is often too polluted. I know
what you are thinking.. You are thinking what I do if the water hardness is too
hard or I don’t want to have to add distilled water all the time.
Well, I have a solution for you. You can buy an ion-exchanger. This is used to
remove minerals from the water and will soften the water even purify the water.
The type of ion-exchanger that you will need will depend on the hardness of your
water.
Another way to change the dH in the water is to add fish. There are several fish
that you can add to the water depending on what the dH is. If the water is soft,
you can get some live-bearing Toothed Carps or large Cichlids from Lakes
Malawi and Tanganyika. If you need to harden the water, you will need some
gypsum. You can also buy plastic gypsum at the pet store.
The acidity of the water is just as important as the minerals. I will express the
acidity in terms of pH. Natural water contains certain substances that react in
either an alkaline or acidic fashion. Neutral water has a pH of 7. Water below 7
tells you that the water is acidic. Water above 7 is alkaline. For our purposes,
most tropical fish need an pH of 5.8 to 7. (East African Cichlids need a pH of 7.5
to 8.5 pH). It is necessary to test your tank for the pH level periodically. You can
do this with a test kit or indicator strips. If you water is below 5.5 pH or above 9
pH, your fish will show signs of illness.
Tropical fish come from an environment which consists of carbonic acid, carbon
dioxide and humic acid. Plants are able to absorb minerals and trace element
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better in combination with humic acid. Humic acid maintains the acidity better
than carbonic acid because carbonic acid fluctuates more with the metabolic
action of the plants that are into eh tanks. In their natural habitats, humic acid
comes from dead leaves, wood and other plant matter in the water. So, how do
we get this in our aquariums? Easy.. you can circulate it through the peat filters
or by adding liquid peat extract.
Some other factors that affect the water are of course our fish. Fish excrete
ammonia. Ammonia can be found in the water from a variety of different
sources. Decomposing animal proteins- fish food, dead snails, dead fish, feces
and urine all create ammonia in the water. If you over feed your fish, you might
be the main reason for high levels of ammonia. The unused food will fall to the
bottom of the tank and create ammonia. Ammonia is poisonous even in low
amounts. Slightly acidic water will change the water to a less toxic ammonium.
Here is a chart that demonstrates the ammonia and ammonium concentrations at
different pH levels.
pH % Ammonia % Ammonium
6 0 100
7 1 99
8 4 96
9 25 75
As long as the pH stays around 5.8 to 7, you fish will be safe from ammonia
poisoning. An aquarium that is not cleaned for some time will have a high
amount of debris food and the levels of nitrogen will be high. If you circulate is
water through an acid-enhancing filter material such as peat, it will convert to
ammonium and your fish will be fine. This is the reason why when you decide to
change the water in your tank after a long while, some of your fish die. It is
because you have changed the environment and the pH in the aquarium has
risen from the tap water. When the ammonium rises, there is a change in the
ammonia and the fish die from ammonia poisoning.
Long gone are the days where people believe that fish can’t handle the water
change. Now, they are devices available to eliminating cloudily debris without
the removing water. It is important to know that aged water means the aquarium
has plants but no fish for several weeks. Fresh water is tap water that has sat for
a while.
One kind of fish that is in constant danger of ammonia poisoning is an East
African Cichlids. They are used to alkaline the water. They are heavy feeders
and plants do not usually survive in their tanks. It is important to use powerful
filters and change their water more frequently.
Set up the tank for two to three weeks. Set up the tank, fill it with water, air pump,
and filter etc without the fish in it. This gives the plants a chance to take root and
the bacteria can develop which will create a “ good” aquarium environment.
I asked you before to think about what kind of fish that you want to put in your
tank to determine the size of the tank that you will need. It is also important to
think about the natural environment of the fish that you want in terms of the
water.
Fish from South America which are Neon Tetras, Discus Fish, Angelfish (
Scalares), Armored Corydoreas, and Dwarf Cichlids. Water from the South
American region consists of three different types of water- white water, clear
water, and black water.
White water is cloudy, yellow and clayey. It is soft, as we discussed before is 0.6
to 1.2 dH. And it is slightly acidic pH 6.5 to 6.9. It does have minimum amounts
of ammonium and nitrate.
Clear water is transparent and yellow to dark olive green in colour. It is
extremely soft 0.3 to 0.8 dH and the acid level 4.6 to 6.6 pH. It has hardly any
ammonium or nitrate.
Black water is transparent and dark brown. It is 0 to 0.1 dH and 3.8 to 5.3 pH with
no ammonium or nitrate. There is no distinct division between the three types of
water and many fish come from a combination of these waters. Pure black water
is not viable for fish to survive in.
Central America
This water tends to be medium hard to hard and is neutral and slightly alkaloid.
The most common fish that are found in this area is Cyprinodonts and live-
bearing Toothed Carps.
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Africa
This water is rich in minerals and for that reason egg-laying fish such as
Cyprinodonts, Characins and Cichlids are found from this area. They are usually
slightly acid water with low mineral content. The hardness is usually 2 dH, and a
pH level of 6.5. with no ammonium or nitrate. East African waters are a little
harder with 10 dH and pH of 7.5 to 9.2. The most common fish from this area is
mouth breeding Cichlids. They can survive in water as hard as 25dH. The most
common is 17 dH and a pH of 8.2.
Southeast Asia
Water in this area is very soft 0.2 to 0.7 dH and it is practically neutral. Danios
are common in this area. The average is 0.6 dH and a pH of 6. 0.
All of these figures are estimates and are taken at different times and different
rivers in theses areas. This does not take into account the natural effects of such
things as floods in these areas. This information provides us with some
guidelines that will help us set up our aquariums. Remember that these figures
will be very important if you are thinking about breeding your tropical friends. If
you want to breed you new addition to your living room, it is important to create
an environment that is close to their natural inhabitant. If that is not your desire,
they will be able to handle harder and more alkaline waters.
When you hear the word tropical fish, what is the first thing that comes to your
mind? Temperature of the water. In order to have any results with tropical fish,
you will need a heater. The water should be about 73 to 79 degrees (23 -26
degrees Celsius). There are several types of heaters and several ways to heat
the tank. An aquarium heater consists of a heating coil inside a glass tube filed
with sand. It is regulated using a thermostat.
The most common heaters are electric rod-type heaters without thermostats and
automatic heaters with built in thermostats. If you buy your heater separately,
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you will learn that some are made to be placed inside the tank and others need
to mounted on the outside of the tank. If you don’t want to see the cords and
electrical wires of the heater, you might want to build the heater into the outside
filtering equipment.
I recommend that you use an automatic temperature heater. I will tell you why.
Tropical fish don’t really tolerate changes in their water temperature. It should
always stay within 2degree F or (1degree C) of the temperature on the
thermostat. In a room that is 68 to 73 degrees, your heating capacity of 0.3 to
0.5 is sufficient. The tank only needs to be heated a few degrees above the
room temperature. Remember that the lighting will increase the temperature into
the tank. It is important that you check the temperature of the tank. During the
warm days it might be necessary for you to turn off the thermometer.
Okay so, you go to the pet store to buy a thermometer but which one do you buy.
The expense one or the cheaper one. In this case, there are some advantages
to the cheaper one. The smaller heater will heat the aquarium slower which will
allow the fish to adapt better and if there is a problem with it or goes on the blink.
You have more time to intervene.
The larger thermometers are usually equipped with a heat sensor with a bimetal
contact. It will turn off and on constantly and the contact will get stuck. It is
possible that it will refuse to open after some time, making it impossible to control
the temperature.
We have talked about heating the tank for the fish but there are other living
organisms in the tank. Plants also require some care. Tropical plants require a
warm environment as well. It is for this reason that you need to heat the bottom
of the tank. It is important to keep it on degree centigrade above the water. To
do this, you will need to put waterproof heating cables on the bottom of the tank.
The best way to distribute the heat is in an S shape and should be mounted on
tracks or feet so that there is no contact with the glass or you can also
incorporate it with the gravel. Another option is to use a heating pad that is
placed directly underneath the aquarium separated by the proper insulation. If
the heating pad is too strong, it will damage the bottom of the glass.
Another advantage of using the bottom heating method is that the fresh water will
constantly be flowing through the bottom. This prevents organic matter from
rotting at the bottom of the tank. It also helps bring minerals to the plants in the
tank, therefore making the aquarium more stable. Heating pads or cables may
be able to heat the aquarium without the aid of another heater inside the tank.
For best results, you should have one watt for 10 quarts or litres of water. This
will ensure proper circulation and it will pass through the gravel one or twice a
day. A dual-circuit thermostat will regulate the bottom as well as regulating the
tank on the cold days. It is for this reason that this is the best thermometer to get.
IF you are going to use a bottom heat, it is important to remember that you will
have to change the gravel every year or two. Although gravel will act as a filter,
filters do get clogged and dirty. That is the reason for the gravel change.
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It is important to get a thermostat that is UL approved for safety. This heater has
the least amount of problems associated with it. Some possible problems are an
electric shock. You might need to clip a plant and clean the glass. You usually
will not be able to tell if the fish got a shock. To ensure that this does not
happen, it is recommended that you invest in an electronic safety device. They
are used between the outlet and the unit and automatically shut off if there is a
malfunction.
Lighting
Whether you fish and plants like constant sunlight or thrive in a cycled
environment it is important to get proper lighting. Some will suggest that you
place your aquarium by the window to get as much daylight as you can. The
problem is that you can’t control the sunlight. It is also possible that if you place
the aquarium by the window, it will follow the seasons. It is not unlikely that you
will experience some green algae and turn the water opaque and the plants may
wither because it is too dark for them in the winter. Animals and plants are living
organisms and they have their own internal clock that determines their daily
behavior as well as their seasonal behavior. You have to remember that you are
trying to create an environment that is closest to their natural inhabitant. The
other area where the element of lighting is important is when you are thinking
about breeding. Some species will spawn after sunrise and some will be after
dusk. The growth of the plants and fish is based on the length of the day. The
length of the day is usually determined by the amount of daylight that they
receive. It is important to create an environment that fosters the most growth.
Fish that are naturally from areas close to the equator are used to 12 hours of
sunlight. To create an environment that is close to their natural inhabit, I advise
that you have the aquarium lit for 12- 14 hours a day. I would also advise that
you purchase a timer that will turn the lights on automatically.
The intensity is also important to keep in mind with regards to your tank. The
tank needs the lighting to be supplied for the plants and the fish in the tank. You
want the lighting to resemble natural daylight. Your fish will need less light than
your plants. Water will also act as a light filter. Smaller plants are more affected
by the source of light than the larger plants. Larger plants are closer to the light
source. How do you know how much light you need? A good rule of thumb is 0.4
to 0.7 watts per quart (litre) of water. An example is if you aquarium is 48X 12 X
21, your lamp should be about 80 to 140 watts.
One thing that is common in the tropics is algae. It is for this reason that you
should add algae eating fish immediately. The most common algae eating fish
are Siamese Flying Fox, the Sphnenops Molly, and some kind of Bristle- Nose or
Chinese Algae- Eater.
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It is hard to determine what the exact lighting for the fish is. The advantage to
having a well planted aquarium is that if it is too bright for you fish, they can find
shade among the plants. The more natural the lighting is to sunlight the more
natural the fish and plants will appear. The color of the light varies depending on
the time of day. How does that affect your aquarium? Well, the different colours
of light encourage different things. Red light which occurs in the morning or the
evening encourages vertical growth. Blue light which occurs in the midday
fosters the sturdiness of the plants. For these reasons, it is important that you
supply your aquarium with both sources of light.
Most tanks use fluorescent tubes because light bulbs are too expensive and
generally give off too much heat. Fluorescent tubes are also used because you
can vary the types of tubes that you use. The variations will provide different
coloured lights that will give your aquarium a good mixture for both the fish and
the plants. An aquarium should have a combination of warm and cold tone lights.
Warm tones tend to use the red end of the spectrum and cold tones tend to use
the blue end. White lights will give you a range of the spectrum. (Tip: Grow
lights tend to change the look of your fish). If you are going to use grow lights,
they should not be used in the first three to six months because they cause algae
to form.
It is important to note that fluorescent lights will lose half their power within six
months. You should replace your lights every 6 months. Most lights have
reflectors that will increase the light intensity. If this is not the case, then you can
line your cover with foil. This will give you the same effect. Ask your retailer for
fluorescent tubes with reflective coating. The light will be more efficient if you
clean the cover every week. Mineral deposit and algae will build up on the cover
making your fluorescent lights ineffective. It is ideal if you can hang the
fluorescent lighting above the tank. They will then not heat the aquarium and
they are out of splashing range. It is also easier to clean, catch fish and empty
the tank if there are no lights attached to it. IF you have to move the lights to do
anything in the tank, you might not be able to see what you need to do in the
tank. A good distance between the lights and the cover is 4 inches or 10 cm.
Then if you need to do work in the tank, you can raise them.
Another type of lighting that has become popular recently is mercury vapor lights.
They are usually suspended over the aquarium and they have been quite
successful. This type of lighting should only be used in tanks that are 20 inches
or higher. They tend to last longer than fluorescent lights and they are still 80%
of their original capacity after 2 years of use. They are also at full intensity after
about 5 minutes. This mimicks the natural sunrise and may be easier on the
occupants of the aquarium. It is not uncommon that plants under this form of
lighting will grow quite quickly and will require you to cut them back. I
recommend that you plant the back and the side with dense plants and leave the
top open. In this case, you may not need to cover the dense area of plants. Fish
hardly ever jump where there are dense plants.
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Most filters are placed inside the tank and can be used for small aquariums or
your breeding or quarantine tank. There are also larger filters can be used if you
do not want to use an outside filter. Inside filters can be hidden by the plants
without any damage to their functioning. One drawback of an inside filter is that
cleaning the filter may disrupt the inhabitants of the tank. Most inside filters
come with an air pump. Some new model come equipped with cassettes of filter
material so that you don’t have to take the entire filter out of the water.
Outside filter are used when you don’t want to clutter the inside to of the tank.
They can be mounded behind the tank or put lower in a cabinet out of sight. It is
for this reason that outside filters are generally bigger. Small outside pumps are
run by air pumps and large ones are usually run with water pumps. These types
of filters create a strong current and clean the water. They work best for tanks
that are 30 inches or 80 cm. Outside filters are also better for aquariums that are
highly populated.
There are three types of filters- biological slow filters, under gravel and
mechanical fast filters.
Biological slow filters break down the bacteria and algae in the tank after two
weeks. The organisms will break down the waste products. Remember that
bacteria needs oxygen to survive. Many filters will only filter the first 2-4 inches.
It is best to use a filter that passes through 2 inches thick with a large surface.
Under-gravel filters are also good. The water is pumped underneath and grated
on the bottom of the aquarium. Bottom heating causes the water to flow up
through the gravel. You filter should be large enough that the water flows
through it every hour. Remember that the efficiency can drop by 50 %. This is
important to remember when you are purchasing a filter.
Mechanical fast filters are water pumps with small filter that will remove large
particles or debris in floating water. They are good for heavily populated tanks.
They are no substitute for slow filters or for regular tank upkeep. The filter does
require some maintenance. It needs to be washed and replaced frequently. If
you do not do the general upkeep, bacteria will form on the filter and it will slow
down the filtering system. This defeats the purpose of the filter.
There are two reasons for the filter. One is to alter the water and the other is to
remove harmful substances from the water. Gravel is a house for bacteria.
Polyester fiber takes small particles out of the water. Charcoal draws toxic
substances from the water. Substances will soon break down in a charcoal filter.
Due to this charcoal filters need to be changed more frequently. You will need to
change them every 3-4 days. It is good to keep charcoal on hand. It is a good
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idea when you first set up your tank to filter the water through the charcoal which
will help to remove harmful substances.
Okay, so we have talked about the kinds of filter and but how do we take care of
filters.
How often you need to clean the filter will depend of a lot of factors. It depends
on the filter itself, the quality of your water, the size and number of fish in the
tank, and the type of food that you feed them. If you are using a biological filter,
it will take 2-3 months before they are 100% effective. If your tank is
overcrowded or your fish are overfed, your filter will need to be cleaned
frequently. Mechanical filters need to be changed as soon as the water gets
slimy or the flow of the water is reduced. Charcoal should be cleaned every 3-4
days. (Tip: wash your filter in cold or lukewarm water. Hot water kills bacteria). If
the pump stops, it could be due to the filter. In the case, take out the filter and
clean it thoroughly. Bacteria will die in oxygen. It is important to that if you do
not clean your filter in the tank, you fish may die within a short time after
cleaning. It is important to note that filters are not a substitute for cleaning the
tank. It is still important to clean the tank regularly. All healthy aquariums have
plants in them. Don’t underestimate the contribution of plants in your tank.
Remember that the purposes for filters are not just to keep the water clean but to
keep the water moving. In a tank with no filters or aeration, the bacteria forms
quickly which creates more carbon dioxide and can suffocate the fish. For this
reason, it is quite important to get rid of the carbon dioxide. One way that is quite
effective is to install the filter so that the outlets are at water surface. This will
allow the water to have contact with the air which gives off carbon dioxide and
the oxygen is then carried into the aquarium. You filter can also be run on an air
pump. The air will run through the stones in the filter. This will create a larger
exchange for gases between the water and the air. Air stones should be
changed every 3- 4 months because they will clog and start to discharge large
bubbles. Larger bubbles will cause the pump to work harder.
Arrange the air stone and the filter outlets so that there are no warm or cool
spots. The best way to determine how the water moves in your tank is to
sprinkle a bit of peat on the water. This will tell you the changes that you need to
make in the tank.
Tip: the more plants that you have in the tank the more carbon dioxide they will
take on. I would recommend that your tank resemble a botanical underwater
garden with the fish being used to highlight the garden. Most people do the
opposite. What happens in that case is that the tank is overcrowded with fish
and the plants because covered with algae and barely survive. You also need to
have a strong aeration then in the tank to support the fish and the plants and to
get rid of the excess carbon dioxide that is produced.
Okay.. so, we have discussed the equipment that you will need. I know what you
are thinking. Is that it? Is that all I need? NO, you will need a few more things
before you can set up the tank.
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You will need a thermometer. You can ones that have suction cups so, you can
put them on the wall or you can put them at the bottom of the tank in the gravel.
The choice is yours.
You will also need attachments for your filter and aeration system. The air is
moved through plastic tubes. It is necessary to attach clamps and valves to
regulate the flow. The items should be made of plastic not metal. The metal
could be poisonous to the fish.
I would also recommend that you invest in tubiflex strainers and feeding rings.
You install them in the corner of the aquarium and they are used to prevent dry
food from spreading throughout the tank.
You will need a fish net to catch your fish coming cleaning time. Get a big net.
The smaller nets will require you to chase your fish more and will cause more
disruptions to the rest of the tank. You can also use a glass trap. This creates
less disturbance and the fish are not able to see you coming behind them. They
will know something is behind them but they will not be able to determine what
that is.
Plant tongs are also useful. They will come in handy when you need to thin out
the plants or remove dead debris from them. You will also need a hose about 5
feet by ½ inch in diameter. If you have tested your tap water and it is suitable for
your tank, you will want a hose that is long enough to reach from your tank to the
sink. Depending on the size of your tank, the larger the tank, the easier it is to fill
using the tap. It is a pain in the butt to carry large buckets throughout the house
to fill up the tank…
You will also need 2 buckets. Be sure to mark them for tank use only. It is
important that they are not used for anything else. Even the smallest amount of
soap or detergent will be harmful to your fish. A bucket with a spout is your best
bet. The front panel of the tank should be cleaned using a window wiper.
Preferably with felt or razor edge. Brass with scratch the surface. IF you are
planning to photograph your fish, this will not be in your best interest. Most algae
will be able to be wiped off with the foam rubber side. The rougher side of the
wiper will remove the calcium and the tougher algae. Other option is a wiper with
a magnet. The magnet is placed inside the tank and will clean as it moves. It is
important to note if you are going to use household utensils to clean the tank.
Remember to place them in hot water for a few hours. IF they still smell of
plastic after that, they are not acceptable for aquarium use. Plastic utensils give
off a toxic substance which will be harmful to your fish. Once you have installed
all the equipment, you are ready to decorate the tank.
Scarlares need driftwood to hide behind whereas bottom fish like to dwell among
the rocks. Labyrinth fish like floating plants to build their nests in. Remember
that the look of the tank will depend on how you decorate it. A dramatic contrast
will not only catch the eye of anyone passing by the tank but will also provide an
environment for a variety of different fish.
Filling the tank with water once you have decorated, you can fill the tank with
water. If you want plants, fill the tank one third full before you plant. This will
prevent leaves and stems from drying out. Be sure to add fertilizer for your
plants and not to pour in the water that it stirs up the gravel. You will want to fill
the tank slowly. It is best if you fill it with a bucket or a watering can. You can
then control the rate that the water comes in. IF you are going to use the faucet,
be sure that you don’t do anything else. Tanks can fill quickly. You don’t want a
big mess on the floor that could have been prevented.
Water plants such as Egeria Densa can really only live underwater. The roots
serve more for holding onto the ground than to absorb nutrients. It is not
uncommon that they dispense their roots and just float in the water. They are
extremely thin and the nutrients can be absorbed from the water directly by the
leaves.
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Swamp plants will adapt to change much easier. The most common plant is
Nomaphila stricta. They are able to grow beyond the water surface. These
plants will nourish themselves mostly through roots and the leaves. The leaves
above the water will be tougher than the leaves under the water.
When you bring your plants home, they will be in wet paper so that they don’t dry
out. You will want to place them in a bowl and cover them with newspaper. The
newspaper will soak up the water and keep the leaves out of the wet water. You
will want to disinfect your plants. You can do this by putting them light purple
solution of potassium permanganate or water with 1 teaspoon of alum per quart
of water. Leave the plants in the solution for 10 minutes. Remove all the injured,
wilted or damaged leaves. Healthy leaves are light in colour and snap off when
bent. Dead ones are brown and limp. Take a pair of scissors and trim the roots
by one-third to one-half. This will stimulate growth. Be careful not to bruise them.
Now you are ready to plant them. Poke a hole in the bottom of the material and
place the roots as deep as you can facing downwards. Fill the hole in and place
the sand gently around the plant. Now pull up the plant so that the crown of the
plant is barely visible. This will hold the plant in place as it grows. You will need
to know how your plant will grow to have the best results. For example,
Cryptocoryne plants and Valisneria spiralis roots grow straight down and need to
be planted in a deep, narrow hole. Acorus genus have creeping roots and
should be planted on a slant. Microsorium pteropus and other ferns need to be
planted deep enough to show the green root top. You can also tie you these
plants to rocks or clay where they will set their roots. Egeria and Cabombia and
Nomaphila sprout roots at the stem nodes. Hold them down with stones or glass
clamps until they have grown roots.
It is important not to crowd the plants. The distance between them will depend
on their size. Top rooting plants should be spaced wider than deep rooting
plants. In a large tank, it would be helpful to make a diagram of the tank as you
see it. This will help you in your planning stages. The largest plants belong in
the back and the front should have low ground cover plants. Plants should be
arranged in the same kind rather than mixing different types of plants. They
should also be planted in clusters or groups. Red and brown plants show up
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nicely against green ones and light green against dark green. You should put the
larger growing plants at the end that receives more light. Fine-leafed plants
require a lot of light. You will be able to remove leaves that are infected with
algae without is showing up in the overall look of the tank.
You will need to provide you plants with some type of fertilizer. There are a few
types of fertilizers- liquid and tablets. The tablets are pressed into the bottom
material near the plants. How often you need to fertilize will depend on what
product you use. You will also need to change the water when you are fertilizing
or your plants will refuse to grow. This is because the fertilizer has different
nutrients that are used up at different rates. If you use the same water, the
nutrients might be too highly concentrated and will end up dieing. If you thought
about your plants when you set up the aquarium, you can use a time-released
fertilizer in the bottom of the gravel. You should also put heating cables so that
the water flows steadily. If you have done this, you will only need to add a liquid
fertilizer periodically.
For plants like Crypotocryne, you will have to add iron. Some just add a paper
clip to the filter. Iron is definitely necessary when you are dealing with tropical
plants. The most important nutrient is carbon dioxide. If there is not enough
carbon dioxide in the water, your plants will not survive. A safe way to add
carbon dioxide is to use pressurized bottles that are electronically controlled and
give off steady amounts of carbon dioxide.
The most common disease that plants get is called Cryptocoryne rot. It looks like
the leaves have holes from nibbling but within a few days; the plants will collapse
and rot. It is causes by excess nitrates. The excess nitrate cause toxic
compounds and the plants die. This is due to long overdue change in the water,
the replacement of an old, worn-out fluorescent tube, and infrequent addition of
fertilizer.
These can be easily prevented. Keep the environment constant. The nitrate can
be kept low by regular water changes. Add a well-balanced fertilizer after the
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water is changed. Replace the fluorescent lights regularly so that they are not
subjected to changes in the lighting.
Algae
There are always some algae present in your tank. As soon as the environment
in the tank changes, algae will thrive. Blue-green algae is the oldest form of
algae. They form a dense blue-green, violet or brownish-black layer on the
bottom. They will also be on the plants, rocks, etc. You can strip them off with
your hand or siphon them off. It is important to get it all off the surface because
they will continue to thrive as long as there is a trace of it present.
Red algae look like dirty-green threads or beards from plants, wood and rocks.
They are just as persistent as blue-green algae. The good news is that Simese
Flyng Fox enjoy eating this kind of algae.
Brown algae and gravel algae grow into a thin brown layer. This is usually
caused by not enough light and oxygen. Just add more light and they will go
away. The plants will produce enough nutrients once the light is introduced.
Green algae will be light green and will float in the aquarium and make it opaque.
It will sometimes appear in newly set up aquariums when the fish are overfed. It
will vanish in a few days or you can introduce water fleas. Green algae only
exists in tanks that are clean and well fertilized so, they are a good sign. The
algae can be removed by hand or you can siphon it off. The drawback of them is
they create webs around the plants which will decrease the amount of light the
plants get. If you are going to remove them by hand, be sure not to pull out the
plants. Some fish do like to eat the algae but it will grow faster than the fish can
eat. You may need a chemical killer. Follow the directions when you are using
these products.
The easiest way to prevent algae is to ensure enough plants in the tank in the
beginning. In a sparsely planted tank, algae will grow. Start out with a lot of
inexpensive plants and replace them as you go a long. This will ensure that you
don’t have an algae problem.
Snails
Snails will eat the leftover food that t the fish refuse to eat. You will rarely have to
purchase these because you will find snail eggs usually on the leaves of your
plants or they will get in with live food.
In warm water tanks, there are three kinds of snails. Ramshorn snails are found
in most tanks. They will not damage plants unless they are in large numbers.
Cabombia aquatica are sometimes subject to their attacks.
Malayan snails live in the bottom of the tank. They only emerge at night. During
the day, they will hide in the gravel. They do not eat plants but they will dig in the
bottom of the gravel and can cause some rotting at the bottom of the aquarium.
The South American will grow almost the size of escargots. They eat fish food
and plants. If there is enough food, they will not harm the plants tin the tank.
They are rare to be found in pet stores. In rare cases, you might add mud snails.
Mud snails or Limnaea stagnalis will feed on plants and may carry some
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diseases. If you find that your tank is being taken over by snails, put a scalded
lettuce leaf in the tank. The snails will collect on it. You can then remove it from
the tank. If you do this once a week or once a month, you will be able to hold
them in check. Tip: Puffer Fish and large Cichlids like to eat snails that you
collect.
The positive thing that snails bring is that they are a good indicator of the water
quality in the tank. If they move around actively on the bottom and eat clear
through the algae, you have nothing wrong with the water in the tank. If they lie
there, then there are some toxic substances in the water. If Malyayan snails
remain above the surface during the day, it means that the bottom is rotting. If
snails die off in a short period of time, it is time to do a chemical analysis of the
aquarium water.
Types of fish
Catfish:
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Common Name/s: Asian Stone Catfish, Asian Moth Catfish
Scientific Name: Hara jerdoni
Origin: Asia (specifically India and Bangladesh)
Natural Environment: Slow moving streams with sandy bottoms.
Sexing: No real difference, but said that female banjo cats have a slightly
rounder stomach, are larger and tend to be darker in colouration. None of this is
fact, just peoples opinions based on their experience.
Breeding: It is said that banjo cats breed in groups and will lay between 3000
and 5000 eggs overnight. These eggs will be placed in a place where they feel
comfortable, often under flat surfaced rocks (like slate) or underneath plant
leaves. Eggs should hatch after approximately 3 days; fry can be fed on usual fry
foods like baby brine shrimp and grindal worms.
Comments: If you want a fish that is out and about and easy to see this is not
the fish for you. Being nocturnal fish, they hide in the sand all day long (you’re
lucky to spot their gills) and will come out for food at night. In the 6 months I’ve
had mine now, even with moonlight on only I’ve only ever seen them swim once.
Though these fish do well in community tanks, it’s not recommended to put them
in with aggressive feeders. Banjo cats themselves are very ‘slow’ feeders and
are not likely to catch enough food when all is eaten within minutes. Feeding
should also occur after the lights go off. For anyone who considers getting banjo
catfish, I advice you check up on their stomach once every 3 or 4 days (at least
for the first weeks) to make sure they get enough food and don’t starve to death.
Common Name: Bronze Cory, Albino Cory (for the albino variety)
Scientific Name: Corydoras Aeneus
Origin: Trinidad (from Planet Catfish)
Average size: 3 inches
Care: These cute critters couldn't be easier to look after. All they really need is
good water (as with any fish), somewhere to hide and food. Oh yes, and other
cories, as they like to be in groups of 6+. Bronze cories also come in albino, and
are one of the few readily available albinos on the market. They are very
peaceful fish, and will never nip any other fish. They can also be kept in cooler
water, providing they are properly acclimatized (as most you find are kept in
tropical conditions). Not to fussy about water prams, and are a fairly hardy
beginners fish.
Feeding: As with most cories, anything. Suggested foods include- flakes, algae
pellets/wafers, bloodworm, cucumber, courgette. Just make sure the food
actually reaches the bottom.
Sexing and Breeding:
Sexing- Females are larger than the males, and grow larger as they become full
of eggs. There is also a difference in the fins, but this is less reliable as you
cannot always see the fins.
Breeding- Generally easy to breed. Basically-
1. Condition the cories for about a week with live food until the females are laden
with eggs.
2. Do a 20 ish percent water change on the tank with cooler water.
3. Leave them.
The cories *should* go into spawning behaviour, which involves the T position.
The eggs are laid on the sides of the tank, the floor... Anywhere really. After the
fry hatch, feed on MW, BBS, Liquifry, or whatever, until big enough to take flake.
Viola! Your own baby cories. For a detailed account, check the profile on other
cories.
- Minimum Tank size would be 20G for a pair or 30G for 3+.
- Can be quite fussy with water conditions so check your LFS parameters against
your own and acclimatize them carefully.
- They like rocks or large plants to sit on / in, along with some caved areas.
Feeding: Seem to take very kindly to feeding on catfish pellets and anything else
they can forage for on the bottom of the tank. A bit of vegetables is always
appreciated and keeps their colours bright.
Breeding: Similar to that of a cory. Requires Wet/Dry season simulation and
feeding on live food or possibly frozen bloodworm throughout.
Sexing: Females are much fatter than the males, easily distinguishable (unless
yours are very greedy and are all fat!).
Comments: I Have 2 of these and they seem very good friends, so its safe to say
keep them in groups. It is usually recommended in groups of 5+ if you have the
space. Never caused or been the subject of any problems, an ideal community
cat.
Care: Needs a minimum tank size of 10 gallons, preferably bigger. Keep the
temperature from 75 to 80f. Likes to hide in caves and under rocks. Prefers
smooth stones and large rounded gravel. Very timid and only comes out at night
or when no one is in the room. Very nice fish but you'll only see them like once
every week or so. Keep with peaceful community fish.
Feeding: Algae wafers and veggies like cucumber, lettuce, and squash, some
live or frozen foods.
Sexing: Males have a longer dorcal fin then females and the striped pattern is
more noticeable.
Breeding: Unknown
Common name/s: Sailfin pim, painted catfish, saddle catfish, sailfin marbled
catfish
Scientific name: Leiarius pictus
Family: Pimelodidae
Origin: Amazon basin
Maximum size: 24" to 30"
Care: Rightfully known as a true tank buster this fish requires a large tank with
massive filtration, unless you have plans for a tropical pond or a tank of at least
8x3x3 feet then this is not the fish for you. The fish is not fussy of water
parameters but due to the fishes massive appetite water changes of at least 50%
weekly are recommended. Tank furniture needs to be large and robust and any
plants should be of the floating variety as the fishes large bulk will easily move
objects around the tank and uproot even the most well rooted plants. As with all
pimeloids the fish is a predator and any tank mates need to be equally large,
other large catfish arownas and cichlids such as oscars are suitable.
Feeding: This fish isn’t fussy and will accept all manor of large meaty foods;
juveniles will hover up catfish pellets and bloodworm like its going out of fashion.
As with all large predatory catfish once the fish has grown to 12" it should only be
fed one very large meal once a week.
Breeding and sexing: Unknown
Comments: The width of the tank is more important than the length for this fish;
if the tank is not wide enough the fish’s barbels will touch both sides of the tank
at once and cause the fish to try to forcibly leave the tank!
Common name/s: Shovelnose catfish, hockey stick catfish, duck bill catfish
Scientific name: Sorubim lima
Family: Pimelodidae
Origin: Found in north western and south western parts of the Amazon and its
tributaries, Venezeula to Paraguay
Maximum size: 12" is common in aquaria but some fish can grow to 20"
Care: Due to the fishes large adult size the minimum sized tank for a single
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specimen would be a 75g (48x18x18"), for groups of this fish allow a additional
20 gallons per fish. Can be kept in a wide range of water parameters providing
you avoid the extremes of hardness and pH, temperatures can be between 23
and 30 centigrade (74-86f). Regular large water changes (30 to 40% weekly) are
recommended to keep this fish in good condition. This fish is a predator and so
tank mates should be at least 4" to avoid being eaten.
Feeding: The fish is a predator and so should be fed a diet of meaty foods,
mussels, cockles, fish, earthworms and pellets for carnivorous fish should all be
accepted, smaller specimens can be fed bloodworms until they are big enough to
take larger food.
Breeding: Unknown
Sexing: Unknown
Comments: The fish has a couple of peculiar habits which may alarm those new
to keeping this fish. The first is its preferred hunting position of lining its self up
vertical to tall structures within the tank while it waits for prey, this behaviour only
seems to last a short while in captivity and once it adapts the fish takes on a
more natural at rest position. The second is that this catfish will periodically shed
the mucus coat from its body, there are several theories as to why the fish does
this ranging from poor water quality to being connected with the fishes growth
and even that the fish uses this as a defense mechanism when startled, I
personally go with the second theory as my S.limas always seem to do this
shortly before a growth spurt, it is none the less nothing to worry about and the
mucus will quickly be eaten either by the fish its self or by hungry tank mates.
Care: This catfish should be kept in a temperature between 22-26 degrees C (72-
77 degrees F). The PH should be anywhere from 6 - 7.5 . This catfish should
have a completely dark cave, they prefer wood to stone, but even a long black
piece of PVC pipe would work well. Lots of vegetation like large Amazon swords
should be provided. Lots of hiding places or narrow cracks or holes should also
be provided. They are not aggressive and peaceful with its own and other
species. This fish would do well in a community tank.
Feeding: This catfish is an omnivore. It is not a fussy eater and will probably eat
any type of prepared food, although brine shrimp and blood worms appear to be
a special favorite.
Sexing and Breeding: Sexing is unknown. Breeding is difficult and reported
successful only with experts.
Comments: Although this catfish hides during most of the day, it is a great
addition to 15 gallon or larger aquarium. I find that my bumblebee catfish loves
dried Blood Worms and will even come out of his cave and dart to the top to grab
a mouthful! He is quite an amazing catfish.
Sexing:
When trying to sex your synodontis, first you'll need to catch it.... Good Luck...
Next, in great care of its sharp dorsal and side fins, place the catfish's dorsal in
between your index finger and your middle finger, to hold the fish on its back.
(Make sure the head is towards your palm and the tail is in the direction of your
fingers, that way if the catfish wriggles, you’re less likely to get some damage
done... To you that is)
Next pull the tail down gently; doing this should straighten the pelvic fins to
reveal a furrow tissue underneath. The furrow will open to display the anus of the
fish and the genital pore. The female will show an extended papillea but the
oviduct is on the ventral side of this papillea; if the female is mature a slight
redness might be apparent. A small or thin female may have 2 pink pores,
oviduct and anus. Males on the other hand have quite ridged genital papillae on
which the spermatoduct is on the back end facing towards the tail fin.
Females may appear more 'plump' also.
Breeding:
None yet stated
Overall these catfish are beautiful and a great community fish to have. It's a great
joy to watch them scamper across the aquarium floor at night (when the lights
are dimmed).
I would recommend these to anyone with a big enough tank.
Characins
Family: Anostomidae
Size: 7inches, 20cm
Diet: This fish will accept dry and frozen foods (brine shrimp I found is preferred)
as well as things like cockell and mussell occasionally.
Compatibility: This fish is fairly peaceful, community fish, which is better off in a
larger tank with fish of roughly the same size. Fish I’d recommend to keep with
the Anostomus are:
Leporinus fasciatus fasciatus -Black banded leporinus size:12"
Abramites hypselonotus -High-backed Headstander size 5.5"
Distichodus affinis- size 8"
Tank conditions:
Temperature -between 22-26degrees C
PH-around neutral
Layout:
A good environment for the anostomus would be that of a tank of around 3',
gravel substrate with pieces of bogwood and lots of plants so this fish can swim
around securely.
Common Name/s: Discus Tetra, Disc tetra, Salmon tetra & Disk characin
Scientific name: Brachychalcinus orbicularis
Other scientific names: Brachychalcinus guianensis, Ephippicharax orbicularis,
Poptella orbicularis & Tetragonopterus orbicularis,
Family: Characidae
Origin: Guyana and Suriname.
Maximum Size: 9cm/3.5"
Care: Groups of 6 at the very least. These fish go beyond schooling to the point
of acting as one fish.
pH range 5.5-7.6 temp range 18-25c
Feeding: Omnivourous, will accept any foods offered. Know to eat the odd plant
or two.
Sexing and Breeding: impossible to tell from external viewing. Not known to
breed in the aquarium.
Comments: A rare and beautiful mid level fish. Lighting the tank from the side
will bring out the green, pink and violet hues on its otherwise silver body. Looks
very similar to silver dollars
Family - Characin
Size - 4cm (1.5inches)
Origin - Amazon Basin, South America
Care - These fish are very easy to keep and are good for beginners providing
water quality is good.
Diet - I feed my head and tail tetras flake food. This is the staple diet however;
they are scavengers and eat anything. They also eat Freeze Dried Bloodworms
and Brine Shrimp
Compatibility - Corydoras Catfish, Large Tetras, Mollies, Platies, Plecostomus,
Swordtails, Zebra Danio
Feeding: FISH! The species are out and out piscavors, with time some fish can
be converted to frozen meaty foods.
Sexing and breeding: Unknown
Comments: Not really suited to aquarium life, the fish often die for no apparent
reason; I was only able to keep my pair alive for 4 months before they both died
from unknown causes
Common names: Bentosi White Tip Tetra/ Bentos Tetra/ Ornate Tetra/ False
Rosy Tetra
Family: Characidae
Sub-family: Incertae sedis
Order: Characin
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Origin: South America/Amazon River Basin
Maximum size: 5cm (2 inches)
Minimum Tank Size: from 60l (13 Imp gallon, 16 US gallon)
PH range: 6 – 7.5
dH range: 5-19
Temperature: 24-28 C (75-82 F)
Care: I have found the Bentosi white tip a hardy and easy to care for schooling
fish, with similar needs to their close relation, the Rosy Tetra (Hyphessobrycon
bentosi rosaceous). As a schooling Tetra, they need to be kept in groups of at
least five or six to fully appreciate their impressive social displays. Sufficient
planted areas should be provided around the sides and rear of tank for hiding
when resting, and free swimming space in the centre. A small current also
mimics the natural environment of this fish.
Feeding: My Bentosi become quite excitable at feeding time, but rarely have the
nerve to compete with Danio, or other fast swimming surface feeders. They
prefer to snatch and run with anything that drops to mid-water, even if it is too big
for their mouth! They happily take flake food, but love live foods as an occasional
treat, especially daphnia, mosquito larva and bloodworm. I have also observed
them sneaking up and picking at the seeded part of a cucumber slice (when my
female Ram is not guarding it!)
Sexing: Males have a flag like extension to their dorsal fin and an elongated
pelvic and anal fin. Females have a rounder dorsal fin and are plumper and
deeper in body.
Breeding: I haven’t personally bred this fish yet, but understand that a mating
pair should be separated and introduced into a breeding tank (approx 10 gallons)
and the water temperature should be 75-79F (24-26 C), with the PH slightly
Tropical Fish Secrets
acidic and water hardness of 4dH or less. Fine leafed plants should be provided,
on which the eggs will be laid. A calm current and low lighting will mirror their
natural environment. The parent fish should be removed before the eggs hatch.
The fry hatch usually after 24 hours and are free swimming within a few days.
Start feeding micro-organisms once the egg sacs have been consumed, and
crushed flake can be fed after 10 days. Weekly partial water changes are
beneficial to the fry.
Comments: I have personally never found the White Tip to be fin nippers (as
their close cousins are often renowned to be) neither do they truly "shoal" except
during times of unease, or when feeding. Though they are not constant
swimmers - often preferring to hang around a favourite rock or piece of driftwood
when relaxed - these little fish are rarely still; they seem to constantly flicker and
shiver.
Cichlids-African
Plants:
Keeping plants in a Tanganyikan tank is a challenge since the water is
(supposed to be at least) hard. Then we have that (in) famous digging, after a
few days a lot of the plants would most likely bee floating around. There are a
few that can work though. For me it is the anubias species and java fern. Since
they can be attached to rocks the fish will leave them alone. I’ve also heard the
vallisneria species will do fine, if you put them in between the rock piles they
might stay in place.
Care & Company:
Since they require a special tank you might be put of thinking this fish is very
hard to keep. But in my opinion it’s quite easy to keep as long as you provide the
correct environment. Feed them spirulina flakes and brine shrimps (frozen food).
As with all aquarium fish regular water changes are required.
These fish are territorial but these territories are quite small and the fish is best
kept in small groups (6-8 fish or more). Water should be hard. 7.8 or higher if
possible (up to 9). Temp: 23 – 26 Celsius.
Even if it is a very small cichlid they can be kept with a lot of other species of
tanganyikan fish as long as the tank is big enough and the other fish aren’t so big
they think of the small shell dwellers as food. Otherwise this fish really proves
that size doesn’t matter and will chase away fish several times their size if they
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come to close to its shell.
Interesting behaviors:
This is (in my opinion) best thing about these little fish. People who love
aquascaping might be disappointed since these fish will do this for them! I tried to
make a nice smooth layer of sand about 3 inches thick and after a week the fish
had moved the sand into huge piles in some places and deeper pits in others. As
said before these fish will dig a LOT, attempting to “correct” the way they build
their sand piles is useless since they will move the sand back again over night.
The shells play a very important part in this fish’s lives since they practically
spend their whole life in and around their shells. They usually dig a small pit so
that the shell is below the sand surface (less obvious to predators).
Breeding:
They are quite easy to breed. If they are kept in hard water with plenty of shells
they will most likely breed. The couple will dig a “nest” (big pit with a shell in),
even if they live in separate shells the breeding take place in the female's shell
were she lays her eggs. The fry will eat the same food as grown fish. Usually
they have between 5-20 fry, they can have new fry every third week if you are
lucky (or unlucky depending on if you want them or not).
If you want to make sure as many as possible of the fry survive keep the couple
in a separate tank. If they are kept in a larger community tank it might be hard to
make sure the fry get their share of the food. These fish are very good parents
and the fry will stay in or very close to their mothers shell and will be guarded by
their parents.
Final note:
Lamprologus similis are often mixed up with Lamprologus multifasciatus (the
common name suggests they are the same species). I’ve only kept the similis but
they are supposed to be very similar as far as care and breeding are concerned.
Since I don’t have a digital camera I can’t post a picture but the similis have a few
extra stripes on their head.
Some shops sell these fish simply as “shelldwellers”. Of course this is almost as
dumb as selling them as “some kind of African fish”. There are several kinds of
shell dwellers make sure you get the kind you wanted!
Sexing - When sexing the Blue Acara the anal and dorsal fins are longer, often
extending beyond the caudal fin, on the male.
Breeding - The Blue Acara is an open-breeder and will accept a range of water
conditions. To promote breeding, raise aquarium temperature to 78-82°F. The
Tropical Fish Secrets
Blue Acara readily pairs and forms a patriarch/matriarch family and both the male
and female will care for the young. The female will lay the eggs on a cleaned
rock. They will spawn about every two weeks if the young are removed from the
aquarium. Both Male and female will be aggressive when caring for young
Common name/s: Discus (Blue, Green, Brown, hybrid Discus), Pompadour Fish
Scientific name: Symphysodon discus, Symphysodon aequifasciatus
aequifasciatus, Symphysodon aequifasciatus haraldi, Symphysodon discus
willischwartzi
Family: Cichlidae
Origin: South America, black water Amazon/tributaries
Maximim size: 8-10"
Care: Moderate, easy when acclimatized and Discus specific basic care is strictly
observed. Not forgiving of mistakes with water parameters, therefore not
beginner’s fish. Prone to bacterial build up in water, and Hole in the Head
disease (Hexamatia). Both can be avoided largely through attentive care of the
water.
Small fish should be kept in groups (the larger the better) older fish can be kept
singly or in pairs, groups in large tanks. Mature fish prefer soft acidic water (wild
fish will thrive in pH down to 4.5) while young fish need slightly hard water for
proper growth. Most tanks bred Discus will accept a pH up to 7.6 after careful
acclimatization. At any pH above 7, extra special care to eliminate/prevent
ammonia is crucial. Water must be warm, 86F/30C is ideal, with gentle water
flow. Provide plenty of cover with bogwood, roots and carefully chosen plants
that can tolerate heat.
Tank mates should be non-aggressive, unimposing fish. Avoid very active fish,
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for first time keepers, species tank is preferred.
Water changes of 50% tank volume per week is recommended, with more
frequent, smaller changes being preferred (i.e. 20% every second day).
Feeding: Frozen foods such as brine shrimp and bloodworm are readily
accepted, but do not contain enough protein for vital energy. Most accept quality
flake and pellet food, check protein content around 50%. Beef heart or turkey
heart are readily accepted but are messy, recommended for bare bottom tanks
only. Tetra Prima granules highly recommended. Variety and balance is the key.
Sexing: Very difficult except at breeding times, males will develop protruding
breeding tube which is short and pointed, females breeding tube is longer and
thicker, rounded. All other methods of sexing are unreliable.
Breeding: May spawn if conditions are favourable, raising young fish can be
difficult. Rows of eggs will be laid on flat surfaces such as vertical bogwood and
large leaf plants. Both parents care for the eggs and fry, parents will darken in
colour as a mucous is excreted from the skin, the young fish will eat this mucous
as a first food. Newly hatched brine shrimp will be taken as they develop.
Comments: Beautiful fish that requires dedication. Not quite as difficult as its
reputation, but beginners should make the inevitable mistakes with hardier (and
less expensive!) fish before moving on to Discus. Calm and observant demeanor,
Discus will look at you as much as you look at them! Some form of tap water
filtration method is highly recommended (Reverse Osmosis being ideal) to
remove metals that can affect nervous system and other pollutants.
Common names: Uaru (Wah-roo), triangle cichlid and occasionally, poor man's
discus.
Scientific name: Uaru amphiacanthoides
Family: Cichlidae
Origin: South America, black water environments. Found in same areas as
angelfish and Discus
Max size: 12" (4' tank minimum)
Care: It is recommended that Uarus are kept in groups because they are a
cichlid that prefers to be in a group and will most likely become skittish when kept
alone. Keeping them in a group while in juvenile stage is critical, if they don't feel
secure when young, they never will. If you can not house more than one or two
Uarus due to their size, other fish can work as a foster family IME. I kept my
single Uaru with several rainbow cichlids, and they served as his fellow Uarus for
a few months, and have now been replaced with a severum and Surinam
geophagus. Temp should be from 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit (27-32 degrees
Celsius) they do well at a neutral pH.
An appropriate Uaru tank will have plenty of driftwood or FAKE plants for shelter,
as Uarus love plants and actually need them in their diet. Uarus aren't
aggressive, and won't do well when kept with overly aggressive fish. Severums
make great companions for Uarus, because they both have very similar needs.
Feeding: Uarus aren't very picky at all once they have settled into their
environment. They will eat just about any fish food you give them, although mine
ignores pellets. Be sure that your Uaru gets enough vegetables though; they can
be the key to keeping yours healthy.
Sexing: Near impossible
Breeding: Very difficult, it is said that they breed in the same manner as discus.
Other info: A very interesting fish, what it lacks in color is made up for by its dog-
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like personality and eagerness to eat. If you have the space for an Uaru, get one
Cyprinids
Labyrinth
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The male will now "hold" the eggs in his mouth anywhere from 7-14 days, until
the fry reach maturity. Then the male will release the free-swimming fry. During
this "holding" time the male will become less active, stop eating, and hide out
more than usual. You will notice him turning the eggs from time to time in his
mouth, quite a sight.
Comments:
I have found B. falx to be a great starter fish for folks interested in keeping mouth
brooding wild-type bettas. The male displays wonderful coloration during
courting, and their whole courting and spawning ritual is something you don't
want to miss. I have found my two pairs to be bold and quite the attention pigs,
rather than being shy and skittish like so many wild-type species. They are very
active little fish and a joy to watch and own.
Betta simplex is a small sized mouthbrooder in the picta group. The most
common type locality of betta simplex is the krabi province of thaland, but there
are many other lesser known localities which create a bit of a variety meaning the
krabi species is possibly smaller or larger then those from other localities.
Features: The most distinguishing feature of betta simplex is its very large head.
The males’ body color is generally light brown to yellow-ish while the females is a
yellow-tan color generally marked by fear or breeding stripes. The anal fin of the
male features horizontal yellow, blue/green, black, and white stripes (see photo).
the tail also features a blue stripe as it almost looks as if the anal fin connects to
the tail with the stripes during breeding displays.
Sexing: The male simplex is generally more colorful then the female. The male's
gill and throat covers are an iridescent green while the females are white or
yellow. The female also does not feature the tail and anal fin stripes that the male
does. Both male and female have distinctive chin markings extending to the
eyes.
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Breeding and Keeping: Betta simplex prefers alkaline water between the Ph of
7.0 and 7.5, as they are from limestone pools some mainly the krabi locality
prefers a bit of limestone. The temperature must be between 75 and 80 degrees
Fahrenheit or they will become stressed. Betta Simplex is very sensitive to water
temperature. A pair can happily be kept in a 2.5 gallon tank minimum to 5 gallons
is preferred. Nothing special must be done to get them to breed if you keep a pair
together. During conditioning a variety of foods may be fed. My fish eat frozen
bloodworms, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, live grindal worms, and live brine
shrimp. During spawning the female initiates the embrace but no eggs will fall if
the male is not ready. They must also be kept in a low traffic area if not you will
have a lot of difficulty in getting the male to keep a spawn. After spawning the
female picks up most of the eggs and the "tosses" them to the male one by one
and if he is too slow to catch them she snaps them up and tries again. Spawning
may last up to 24 hours. After spawning you will see the males’ lower jaw extend
and he will not eat during incubation. Betta simplex holds eggs for around 10
days and the female ovulates about every seven so if the female is not removed
at least 3 days after spawning she will pester the male to spawn again in seven
days and you will lose the first batch. After 10 days the male will release guppy
fry sized babies in groups of 20 or less. They can immediately take a variety of
live foods. Young males that have spawned for the first time will most likely not
carry the eggs for all 10 days and swallow them. Other reasons for swallowing
eggs include infertile eggs, diseased eggs, or sometimes no reason at all.
Care: Can be kept alone or in a small group, minimum tank size for one would be
20g or 40g for a group though larger tanks would be better. They are not fussy of
water parameters as long as the extremes of pH and hardness are avoided, keep
the temperature between 22 and 26 centigrade (71-79f), as with all Channa
species they are intolerant of salt and even small amounts can kill them.
Decorate the tank with dense plants and bogwood caves, if keeping more than
one make sure there are two caves for each fish. The fish are predators and so
tank mates should be equal sized or larger.
Feeding: Live and frozen meaty foods of all kinds, earth worms and crickets are
favourites.
Sexing: Females are larger than males
Breeding: Once a pair has formed breeding is easy, the fish are mouth brooders
and brood care is similar to that of cichlids, the fry can be fed on new born live
bearer fry and small live foods.
Comments: The species is identical to Channa orientalis in all ways apart from
C.orientalis has no ventral fins. All snakeheads are powerful jumpers so the tank
needs a tight fitting heavy hood.
Livebearers
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The Dalmatian is omnivorous and requires algae. Provide these fish with an
algae-based flake food, as well as freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, and brine
shrimp.
Approximate Purchase Size: 1-1/2" to 2-1/2"
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Platy
Common name: Platy, sometimes variatus or southern platy.
Origin: North Eastern Central America
Size: 2 - 2½ in. (5 - 6.25 cm.)
Scientific Name: Xiphophorus maculatus and Xiphophorus variatus
Family:Poeciliidae
Care: Platys are very easy to care for, and are great beginner fish. Platy's prefer
water temperature at 76-79F ( 24.4-26.1C). Platy's are very hardy, and can adapt
too many types of water. PH can rage from acidic (6.5) to basic (8.2). Platy's
have even been reported to live in brackish water (lightly salted water) and
experience no negative effects of it.
Diet: Flake, frozen, freeze dried, and live food is all accepted by the Platy, and all
should be fed to them on a rotating basis. Although flake can be their staple diet,
it will keep them healthier to feed varying food, and help them show better colors.
Fry (baby fish) will also be consumed by the Platy and company.
Sexing: There are many ways to sex a Platy (these sexing methods, by the way,
can be applied to all livebearers), but there are two that are more widely used
than others. The first method is to observe the shape of the Platy, Females will
be longer, and also have wider stomachs (even when not pregnant) than males.
The second method (and most accurate) involves observing the three fins on the
underbelly of the fish. Female Platy's will have three almost identical fins, two a
little further up the belly (closer to the front) than the rear, and with a male, the
two frontal fins will be the same, but the aft fin will be much smaller, and pointed.
Common name/s- Russells lion, lunulata lion, Red Volitans, Spotless lionfish,
soldier lionfish, Largetail turkeyfish, Military turkeyfish, Plaintail firefish
Scientific name- Pterois Lunulata
Family- Sorpinaedae
Origin- Indo-Pacific
Maximum Size- 12"
Care- Should be kept in a tank of at least 55 gallons. Needs a few hiding places
like lace rock and other decorations. Cannot be kept with small fish as it will most
likely eat them. Should have very good filtration as they are messy eaters. In
sump skimmers are best as they are more powerful generally. Should have a UV
sterilizer as it will eat cleanup crews.
Feeding- should be fed frozen silversides, cocktail shrimp, scallops and other
fresh seafood. Can also be fed squid and live ghost shrimp as a treat. Soaking
the food in a multivitamin is also good. NEVER feed freshwater feeders as they
cause fatty liver disease and will kill your fish. When you first acclimate your
lionfish you should establish a regular feeding schedule so that it recognizes you
as the feeder. When it starts to know when it is getting fed you should start
substituting live food for frozen food. Soaking the food in garlic makes it more
appealing to the fish. Start substituting more and more frozen food until it is
eating full frozen food. If you have a clean up crew including hermits, other crabs,
shrimp, and snails they will be an expensive meal.
Sexing cannot be sexed.
Breeding if a pair is obtained they will spawn readily but the fry haven’t been
raised past 9 days. The fry are tiny and will die of lack of food.
Notes THESE FISH ARE POISONOUS!! If stung by one soak the hand in VERY
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hot water. These are best kept with Lionfish and Scorpion fish except a stonefish
(if u get stung by one u will die). Do not keep with triggers or puffers as they will
most likely nip its fins. Any small fish will be eaten. This is the most active lionfish
in my opinion. They like to swim and show off their fins.
CAPTIVE CARE: This fish is fairly hardy and will spawn in captivity. M-F pairs
can be kept if introduced at the same time. Males will fight until one is killed.
Characteristics and Compatibility: The picasso has the most character of all of
the triggerfish (IMO). They are almost like little dogs, and will "beg" for food when
you come in the room. These triggers are also very inquisitive! Picassos are very
territorial, so make sure that you only put fish in with them that are as big as or
bigger than them. Ideal tank-mates are triggerfish, puffers, wrasses, and other
fish which are able to defend themselves from the triggerfish's sharp little teeth!
Comments: This fish is one of my favorites, and has the most amazing
personality of any fish I have ever owned! Make sure to provide many hiding
places for the trigger to "wedge himself into" when he goes to sleep at night.
Saltwater invertebrates
Transportation:
Your fish will come in a plastic bag which is good for short trips. For long trips,
24 hours or more, you will need to pump pure oxygen in the bag. Spiny fish may
puncture the plastic with their fins. It is ideal to double bag the fish for transport.
If you are transporting in the colder months, I would advise that you wrapped
them in newspaper or in a Styrofoam box.
Okay, now you are home. Open the bag and hang it in the tank. You can do this
either with the cover or a clothespin so that it doesn’t tip over. Add some of the
aquarium water to the bag until the water in the bag is the same as the tank.
Once you have added as much aquarium water to the bag that was in it
originally, you can turn the bag upside down and release the fish into the tank. If
you don’t want the water from the pet store in your aquarium, you can remove
the fish with your net.
I would suggest that you keep the new fish in your quarantine tank for a few days
so that you can watch them closely and see if they have any diseases. It is
possible that they looked healthy at the store but with the trip home, they could
have an outbreak. This is one of the reasons that I don’t advise that you buy new
fish before a vacation or a long period away from your home. The person that
you have watching your fish might not be aware of what they need to look for.
The best food is clean live food. This kind of food keeps fish busy. It will provide
them with the necessary nutrients and roughage. This is only true if the live fish
are fresh. IF it is kept alive in storage, it has no more nutrients than dry food.
Some live fish you can catch yourself or you can buy in the pet store. Keep in
mind if you are going to catch your own, the water quality of where you catch
your live food. You will be exposing your fish to this environment. Some types of
live food are red mosquito larvae. They are available in the winter months.
White mosquito larvae are also available in the winter months. They are also
quite hard to catch in the icy waters. Black mosquito larvae are available in the
summer months. Water fleas are also available in the summer. Tubifex worms
are probably the cheapest live food. They are good nutrients but they do lack
roughage. They will also use up a lot of oxygen which could be used for your fish
and plants. AS you fish get older their tolerance increases. You can start feeding
them live food collected in the wild. You can also feed your fish lettuce,
dandelion greens, chickweed, and other wild plants. If you are going to feed
them these sources, be sure to collect them far from the edge of the highway.
The highway is exposed to chemicals that you do not want to feed your fish.
I have given you a lot of information that you might be thinking how I am going to
remember all this. Well, I will make it easy for you. I will break it down for you.
I have included a checklist of duties that you should do to create an optimal
environment for your friends.
Daily
Feed the fish
Observe the fish- you are looking for are they coming to the front of the tank or
staying in the back? Are they eating? What colour are they? Do they have any
discolourations? Do they swim upright? Are they swimming nervously? Are they
breathing rapidly?
Look at the plants- are there new shoots? Have the leaves dropped off or are
there brown spots?
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Check the water- is it clear? Does it smell good? Are the snails crawling around
or are they lying motionless? Is there foam on the water?
Check the equipment- Is everything working?
Weekly Duties
Groom the plants
Siphon off debris
Clean the filters so that the water flows freely
Clean the front panel of the aquarium
Frequent Duties
Change the water
Helpful Hints
If you flash your flashlight in the aquarium, this will tell you how much bacteria is
in the tank. If you see dusty air, then there is too much bacteria.
You can see the floating algae by looking at the tank from the side.
If foam is forming at the filter outlet, change one third of the water right away and
then again over the next couple of days. If an odor persists, check the bottom
material. If it is black, mucky and stinks, you should dismantel the aquarium and
start over again. Be sure to wash the gravel thoroughly. This is a good time to
install heating cables in the bottom gravel.
Replace one third of the water at least once a month.
Siphon off debris.
Remember that when you clean the filter. What looks like dirt might not be dirt. It
could be bacteria. As long as the filter is working, there is no reason to clean the
filter. But if it clogs, then you will need to clean it. All cleaning disrupts the
aquarium. Do them considerately as you can.
The last thing that you need to know is territory. Some fish are extremely
territorial. Two things will happen in regard- two fish will challenge each other for
territory. They will swim toward each other with extended fins, but they will stop
short and stake themselves. When one realizes that they can’t win, they will hang
motionless in the water as to say “you are stronger”. The victor will leave him
alone and return to his brood mate. If you have one pair of Scalares, you can
trick him using a pocket mirror and taping it to the outside of the glass.
Cichlids and Labyrinths are the most violent defenders of territory. If you have a
male and you add a female, the male will position himself broadside in front of
the female and spread out his fins as far as possible until the female trembles.
You may think the male is showing his beauty but he is not. The spreading of the
fins, the broadside stance and lowering of the bottom of the mouth are gestures
of warning. Males consider the entire tank his territory and will defend it against
every other fish.
If you want to introduce new fish to the tank, you will have to remove the larger
ones and then when the newcomer have gotten used to the tank, you can add
them again. In terms of territorial fish, you might have to rearrange the whole
tank to make it look and feel different so they don’t feel so at home.
Some fish will travel in schools. This is usually because they are weaker and
they are safer in numbers. They are generally smaller fish. In the water, they
look like one large creature from far away. If they are attacked, the predator will
not know where to start because there are so many of them.
I have outlined many aspects that will be helpful to you. I hope that you find this
information helpful and I encourage you to contact me with your successes.
Remember that the goal is to provide your fish with a healthy environment that
they can grown in. There are many tips in this book to ensure that you are
successful. Good Luck!
Tropical Fish Secrets
Tropical Fish Secrets