Discus fish are very intelligent fish

discus fish

Discus fish are very intelligent fish and have very distinct personalities, and the discus fish seems to normally recognize its caretaker and will respond with a display of affection when you enter the room. You can even feed a discus fish right out of your hand! In this article I will be going through a few things to consider when caring for your own discus fish, and also some things you can expect out of your new pet.

The first thing you need to do when starting up your own discus fish tank is to pick out an appropriate aquarium for them. It is always a good idea to purchase the biggest aquarium you can afford.

Having a larger aquarium will allow you to have a bit more leeway when it comes to environmental conditions. A larger aquarium will generally tend to be a bit more stable then the smaller ones. After you get your aquarium you will need to pick out the appropriate filters and equipment for your setup. Make sure to check for your discus fish's specific requirements and adjust accordingly for your aquarium.

Discus fish are a bit harder to care for then other species of freshwater fish, and are not typically recommend for the beginning aquarium enthusiast. Discus fish tend to be more of a schooling fish and do best when kept in an aquarium with plenty of same species companions. Also you should provide plenty of cover in the form of driftwood and rocks for your discus fish.

Discus fish also require water temperatures to be around 84 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit for best results. For feeding, you should feed your discus fish a steady diet of frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, and typical sinking pellets. When your discus fish are young, you should feed them at least 3 times a day. As your fish get older you can cut back feeding to once a day. Avoid overfeeding your discus fish as it can cause them to be obese and pose health problems.

Once you get the hang of your discus fish, you can start to breed them. Discus fish are very loving parents, with both of the parents playing an active role in their fry's life. It is truly a sight to behold, seeing your discus fish swimming around with their very own offspring and I highly recommend you try and breed your discus fish when you are comfortable in your ability to provide adequate care for them.

I hope you have found this article helpful in considering owning and taking care of your very own discus fish. There are many more in-depth guides around the web that can go more into detail about the various aspects of providing care. I have just tried to give you a brief overview of a couple things to consider. As always, if you are still stuck up on some unanswered questions about discus fish, you can always contact a friendly sales representative to answer any questions you may have.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jake_Wilson

Read More

why having a pet is good for your health ?

Most pet proprietors are clear about the current pleasures that come with participating their exists with pets. It’s only recently that studies have begun to scientifically explore the advantages of the human-animal bond. analyzes have detected that:

Playing with a pet can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.

Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.

Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets.

People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets.

A pet doesn’t have to be a cat or a dog . Even watching fish in an aquarium can help reduce muscle tension and pulse rate.

Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.

Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without.

Holding, stroking,  cuddling, or otherwise touching a admiring animal can quickly calm and soothe us when we’re stressed. The companionship of a pet can also facilitate loneliness, and some pets are a great stimulus for healthy activity, which can substantially augment mood.

Sources:http://www.helpguide.org/life/pets.htm

Read More

Discus fish like clean water and a quality diet

Discus fish

Plants utilized in the discus aquarium should be completely washed with a harmless aquarium plant disinfectant.
Snails can rapidly over run an aquarium and snail excluding chemicals are harsh on discus. A decline in water quality will lead to stress in discus fish. Clean water, at the correct temperature is considerable.
Clean water should have zero ammonia and nitrite levels. Elevated nitrate levels indicate a need for water changes. Overfeeding can increase nitrate levels. High nitrate levels inhibit growth and color development in discus.
New discus fish arrivals may have scratches or torn fins. Adding non iodized salt at a rate of one tablespoon per 20 gallons will promote rapid healing. Salt has many uses at various doses. The salt should not remain in the aquarium over an extended period. contrary mollies or goldfish, discus do not require or admire water containing salt.

New discus arrivals that were shipped have spent several hours in a dark box. Avoid opening the box under bright lights. Discus eyes are designed for vision in murky waters and bright lights can irritate them. Opening a dark box in bright lights will irritate their eyes and in an effort to escape the light the discus may lie down. I recommend leaving the aquarium lights off for four or five hours after introducing new discus to the aquarium This allows time for the discus to adjust their eyes.

Sources:http://rockymountaindiscus.com/Discus_Fish_Care.htm

Read More

Why You Should Adopt a Pet ?

Adopt a Pet

Adding pets at home has several benefits and if you're among those who has always wanted to keep a pet. Here are four reasons why It's good to adopt a pet .

The first reason: You'll feel better 

Pets have a way of fixing a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Not only do animals give you unconditional feeling, but they have been shown to be psychologically, emotionally, and physically beneficial. Caring for a companion animal can assign a sense of purpose and fulfillment and lessen affections of loneliness and isolation in all age groups.

Pets can help your physical energy as well—just expending time with an animal can help lower a person's blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and dog walking, pet grooming, and even petting provide added physical activity that can help strengthen the heart, improve blood circulation, and slow the loss of bone tissue. Put simply, pets aren't just admirable friends, they're also excellent medicine and can improve a person's well-being in frequent ways.

The second reason:You'll save a life 

Sadly, between three and four million cats and dogs are euthanized each year in the United States simply because too many people give up their pets and too few people adopt from shelters. Because there is limited space at shelters, staff members sometimes need to make very hard decisions to euthanize animals who haven't been adopted.

The number of euthanized animals could be reduced dramatically if more people adopted pets instead of buying them. By adopting from a private humane society or animal shelter, breed rescue group, or the local animal control agency,

you'll help save the lives of two animals—the pet you adopt and a homeless animal somewhere who can be rescued because of space you helped free up.

The third reason: You'll get a healthy pet 

Animal shelters are brimming with happy, healthy animals just waiting for someone to take them home. Most shelters examine and give vaccinations to animals when they arrive, and many spay or neuter them before being adopted.

In addition to medical care, more and more shelters also screen animals for specific temperaments and behaviors to make sure each family finds the right pet for its lifestyle.

It is a common misconception that animals end up in shelters because they've been abused or done something "wrong". In fact, most animals are given to shelters because of "people reasons," not because of anything they've done.

Things like a divorce, a move, lack of time or financial constraints are among the most common reasons why pets lose their homes.

The fourth reason: You'll save money 

Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is much less expensive than buying a pet at a pet store or through other sources. In addition, animals from many shelters are already spayed or neutered and vaccinated, which makes the shelter's fee a real bargain. 

sources:http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/adopt/tips/top_reasons_adopt.html

Read More

ADDING DISCUS FISH TO THE AQUARIUM

discus fish

It is considerable to add discus fish to the aquarium briefly upon completion of the nitrogen cycle in the filter. The authority of thumb for stocking density is to allow at least five gallons per discus fish. If the filter is cycled and discus fish will not be increased for awhile, it is considerable to nourish the filter bacteria.The filter bacteria desire oxygen and a food source. The mature filter can be conserved alive by feeding ammonia every two days at a rate of five pm. 

Plural experienced hobbyists, as a precaution, quarantine any current discus fish before accumulating them to a fully setup aquarium full of discus fish. If a quarantine tank is utilized for recent discus arrivals it should have a very energetic biological filter. This is to ensure adequate filtration to prevent ammonia or nitrite spikes which will damage the discus. Air driven sponge filters are excellent filters to use in a discus quarantine tank. 

The tank should not be too small. If an air driven sponge filter is kept in the main discus aquarium, a quarantine tank can be rapidly set up using aged water from the main tank along with the established filter. 

Should a difficulty arise in the main discus aquarium it is greatest to treat the main tank. If you purchase discus fish from a pet shop to add to your discus aquarium, they should be located in a quarantine tank for observation and possible treatment.

 Difficulties arise with discus fish health from introduction of fish carrying a pathogen or parasite and from the stress constructed due to aquarium maintenance neglect.

Sources:http://rockymountaindiscus.com/Discus_Fish_Care.htm

Read More

You Should Ask Yourself Before You Get a Pet

keeping a pet is helpful and sympathetic only for those who care and enjoy domestic animals. If you’re directly not a “pet person,” pet ownership is not going to provide you with any corrective benefits or improve your life. For other public, possessing a pet may easily not be practical. Some of the drawbacks are:

Pets require time and attention

As any dog owner will tell you, there’s nothing therapeutic about coming home to a dog that has been locked up in the house on his own all day long.
 Dogs need daily exercise to stay calm and well-balanced; most other pets require at least daily care and attention.
Pets can even curb some social activity, as they can only be left alone for a limited time.

Pets cost money

Veterinary care, food bills, grooming costs, licenses,  toys,  boarding fees,bedding, and other maintenance expenses can mount up.
The unemployed or the elderly, on limited fixed incomes, may find it difficult to afford a pet.

Pets require responsibility

Most dogs, regardless of size and breed, are capable of inflicting injury on people if not handled responsibly by their owners. Even cats can scratch or bite.
Pet owners need to be alert to any danger, especially around children.

Pets can be destructive

Any pet can have an occasional accident at home. Some cats may be prone to shredding upholstery, some dogs to chewing shoes.
While training can help eradicate negative, destructive behavior, they remain common in animals left alone without exercise or stimulation for long periods of time.

Pets transmit health threats for some people 
 While there are many diseases that can be dispatched from cats and dogs to their human handlers, allergies are the most common energy risk of pet ownership.
If you or a family member has been diagnosed with a pet allergy, attentively consider whether you can live with the symptoms before doing wrong to pet ownership. Also consider that some colleagues or relatives with allergies may no longer be able to visit your domestic if you acquire a pet.

Sources:http://www.helpguide.org/life/pets.htm

Read More

why you should have a pet in your life ?

In this post I want to tell you why I think almost every household should have some kind of pet.

The first reason: Safety
Having a dog at home is especially good because they also double up as caretakers. No burglar alarm can be better than a dog at home!

The second reason; Pets can enhance your mood
Whether you believe it or not, pets are a great way to improve your mood and temperament. Research has shown that people who suffer from various diseases have lesser chances of depression if they keep pets as compared to those who are suffering from similar diseases and don't keep pets.

Read More

Finding the right tropical fish tank setup

Smaller tanks are ideal for fish such as goldfish, mollies, betas, or neons. These fish are usually easy to care for, but require a good bit of maintenance due to the fact that they produce large amounts of waste.

Goldfish are the most difficult to keep clean, as they produce more waste than any other fish. You will have an easier time feeding fish in small tanks as well, because you can buy one canister of flake or pellet food to last a few weeks in most cases. Ideal sizes for small tanks are one gallon, five gallon, ten gallon, and twenty gallon tanks.

While sometimes easy to clean, smaller tanks do tend to limit the type and quantity of fish that you can have, but if you want a few fish that will grow no larger than three inches or so, a small tank is just for you.

Larger tanks that hold more than twenty gallons of water are more cumbersome, so choosing the right size both for your fish and your home is a good idea.Some species that can use a larger tropical fish tank setup are eels, koi, sharks, seahorses, and other larger fish. Many exotic fish collectors choose even larger fish for the extremely large tanks that are over 150 gallon capacity, but these usually come from specialty shops that have to special order them or have them made to specific dimensions.

In-home large tanks require frequent cleaning and usually require a filtration system that is not necessarily mandatory in smaller tanks. Filters are a great way to help keep the tank clean of leftover food particles and of solid wastes, but must be cleaned often to ensure that they continue to work properly. Larger tanks, while sometimes more maintenance, are often more pretty to look at and can house more of a variety of fish with plenty of room to grow.

Whether you choose a small tank or a large one, you have to make sure that what you use as decorations is not harmful to your fish. Some gravels and rocks are not made for aquatic tanks and can only be used in mostly dry tanks such as reptile or amphibian tanks.

They often contain parasites and dirt that could harm some species of fish, so choosing the proper gravel and plants is very important.

Finding the right tropical fish tank setup for you and your home is a pretty big undertaking at times, but with a little research and a lot of love, you can create the perfect environment for your fish without any problem. It helps if you can consult someone who works with fish in a pet store or at a breeding center about what you need to do before you jump in head first, but for some fish, reading a book about it will do the trick of informing you just as well.

Find out more about getting the perfect size fish tank .

Read More

Knowing how to care for discus fish

Discus fish really are beautiful and they will make your days wonderful.Many owners would like to understand how to care for discus fish, how to prolong their life and how to create the connection.

Follow these 10 simple steps and you will raise your discus fish into beautiful

1. Check the quality of water. Do not just use any tap-water. Make sure to remove the chlorine and other chemicals and to use soft water to maintain the pH of the water.

2. Sign up for fish practical fishing magazines in order to get more helpful hints on how to care for discus fish.

3. Use warm water never a cold one to maintain the needed water temperature by the discus. pH 7 - Gh 15 - Kh 8 - conductivity 800ms - temp 30C

4. Never buy only one discus fish. It has to be able to interact with 5 or more discus in order to thrive and never alone.

5. It would be best to care for an older discus fish and they tend to be stable. Choose 12cm and over so that you can be definite regarding the color and the shape that you will be getting.

6. It would be best to keep the design of the tank minimal. You can include some plants and a few stones and wood but less is better in order to make the maintenance faster. It would be best to give the discus fish swimming space.

7. Make sure that the water is clean and changed every now and then, it would be best not to place gravel in order for an easier maintenance.

8. Never use a carbon filter as this could affect the quality of life of the fish.

9.It would be good to use a grolux tube for discus for lighting.

10.Never underestimate the power of a book. Although online suggestions are good and contain helpful hints, nothing is better than taking the time to go and research on the real informative ways to care for the discus, learn the variety of the fish, how they came about and what makes them thrive.

Some make the mistake of buying a fish that they do not even understand. Having an aquarium is a serious responsibility and is considered to be rewarding and fulfilling once done correctly

Read More