How to choose the right LED lighting for your particular aquarium

Below are some tips on how to choose the right LED lighting for your particular aquarium setting.

Choose the Color for the Effect You're Looking For

Once the light needs of your organisms are met, you get to play with a whole spectrum of colors, depending on the way you want to present your aquarium. For example, if you want a true realistic water shimmer in your aquarium, concentrate on white LED bulbs that give your setup an appearance of being in the sunlight.

Read More

Choosing the right size tank

The tank you choose will be the foundation of your very own Marine Aquarium. It's good to get this right the first time. If you do, it will save you a lot of time and money. The reason I say this is because people buy a tank and then later on realize that they want a bigger one, so if you know what type of setup you want before you buy your tank you have more of a chance of making the right decision on the size.

Read More

Origin of Koi

by John Pasden, his live in China

So many inventions and customs originated in China that it’s not uncommon for me to learn one that I never knew about before. Sometimes, however, the claims get a little ridiculous.

My favorite is the claim that the Japanese are actually a lost tribe of Chinese from southern Zhejiang, and that the Japanese language has evolved out of the dialect of Wenzhou . I think the first part is simply a creative attempt to explain Japan’s financial success while holding onto Chinese pride. The second part is undoubtedly rooted in the fact that a lot of Chinese people think that Wenzhou’s dialect–a dialect reknowned for being totally unintelligible to speakers of virtually any other dialect in China–sounds like Japanese. The people that say it sounds like Japanese usually understand no actual Japanese. As someone that understands Japanese, I can assure you that Wenzhou-hua sounds nothing like Japanese.

Recently I ran into another possible example of a far-fetched claim related to Japan. The claim is that the practice of keeping koi (colorful carp) originated in China. I immediately found this suspect, but then figured it was probably largely because my time spent in Japan was my first significant contact with the tradition, and the word koi has been imported into the English language from Japanese (not Chinese) recently. Obviously, neither of these reasons are real evidence that the practice of raising koi really originated in Japan.

source : http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2005/06/30/origin-of-koi  

Read More

Keeping discus fish does require a bit of knowledge on their background

discus fish

When keeping discus fish you will find that they are shy and very calm in general, but when they start making couples they can often become a little bit aggressive due to breeding territory protection. Keeping discus fish will bring lots of rewards but it will also give you a few challenges as well. First off, as you will see with most groups of any type of fish, within a group it is not uncommon that the weakest discus will get bullied; this is something that can unfortunately result in death. Keeping discus fish in groups in a minimum of six individuals is thought of as ideal. By doing this you will increase the confidence of the group members and you lower the risk of group misbehavior.

Read More

Lighting and Temperatures for Saltwater Tanks

One of the most common types of heating unit used in fish tanks that support saltwater fish are the underwater heaters that are regulated by a thermostat. These specific designs of heating units are offered for your aquarium to help sustain the water at a temperature that the fish find satisfactory.

Just about all species of saltwater fish would rather be in water that is at a temperature of close to seventy-five to eighty degrees Fahrenheit. These types of conditions are definite for the saltwater fish in your aquarium as this is the temperature range they came out of in the aquariums at the fish store where you bought them.

Read More

Taking Care of a Koi Fish Pond

A Koi pond can be one of the most beautiful things around your home. Furthermore, it can be a great source of relaxation. However, it is not relaxing or beautiful when you have algae buildup or failing equipment. To overcome these problems, all you have to do is maintain your pond using these simple tips. Here is a look at how to keep this beautiful wonder well maintained.

Check for Algae

Algae are one of the biggest nuisances in any Koi pond. Although they are indicators of a healthy pond, too much is never a good thing. Most owners are usually under the impression that proper tubing and high quality koi pond filtration systems and pond aerators are all they need for a clean and pure pond. They leave them on and stop worrying.

Read More

Best Fish Food for Koi Fish

Below are some of the key factors every Koi keeper should consider when choosing a fish food for Koi and other pond fish.

Nutritional Analysis

You would never go into a restaurant and eat whatever the waiter puts on your plate if you didn't first know what it was. This same logic should be applied when selecting a diet for your Koi or other pond fish. Different Koi food varieties are formulated for use during different types of the year. All-season food varieties, for example, contain minimal protein content and designed for fast digestion. Growth foods, on the other hand, contain high amounts of protein and are ideal for summer feeding.

Read More

Freshwater Aquarium Fish Tanks

There are a number of methods to make educated estimates about fish stocking levels.

Keep a gallon of water for each inch of fish in the tank, this rule is abraded, as it does not take the adaptable fish shapes into account. 10 inches of plump goldfish and 10 inches of lean zebra fish are not the same. Therefore, ten gallons of water will not be suitable for both the fish. Also, when following this rule, people often forget to take into account the adult size of the fish they are purchasing and find themselves in a fix when the fish they bought for a ten gallon freshwater aquarium tank is now occupying most of it

A 15-gallon tank will hold 15 gallons.

Owners do not check the fact that a person will also want to decorate his or her freshwater aquarium and these decorations, which include corals, gravel and reef, plants and wood, considerably decrease the capacity for the freshwater tank.

 The surface area of the freshwater aquarium tank

Oxygen is what sustains the fish and though it is present in abundant amounts in water, the surface of the water is place that you will see the fish in your freshwater aquarium the most, as this is the emplacement where they can evenly get their oxygen supply.

The surface area of your freshwater aquarium tank should be what decides the number of fish that you will be conserving in your freshwater aquarium. You also need to take into account the size of the fish and the size of the tank.

Nourishing time is also the time that you will realize the consequence of the surface area of your tank, as the fish will fight for every inch of space.

The tank is their domestic and their exists are in your hand, therefore, when select the area of their domestic, you should always keep these points in mind, as they will assist you in making the correct choice.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donald_P_Hill

Read More

You Should Ask Yourself Before Starting A Freshwater Aquarium

freshwater aquarium

A freshwater aquarium is a great stress relieverwill ,it will make your home or office look better and it is also a good conversation piece.

Here is some information you need if you want to start a freshwater aquarium.

Does a freshwater tank need a lot of work to support?

Weekly I spend maybe an hour to an hour and a half keeping my freshwater tank clean and feeding my fish. Most of my time is spent to clean the debris, fish waste and replacing 10% of the water in the tank.

How big of a tank should I start with?

My advice is to start with a large tank such as 29-gallons or higher.The reason is that if your chemistry starts going south, a larger tank is more forgiving than a small tank. A large tank will give smaller chemistry changes that you can catch and adjust. A small tank may not give you the time to correct before your fish are sick or dead.

Is it hard to keep up the chemistry in the tank?

If you do the your research, you will find that conserving the proper chemistry in your freshwater aquarium is real easy. Most of the chemistry control is performed by the live bacteria and plants.

You do have to measure pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels periodically, but ammonia and nitrite is controlled by your bacteria colony so should not get out of specification. Your biggest problem will be maintaining nitrate levels low. But if you do not over feed your fish and have plenty of live plants, this will not be a problem.

Is a freshwater tank expensive?

The most expensive part I found was the tank and the stand. In total once I had it up and running I had an initial cost of about 750 dollars including the substrate, plants, aerator, lighting, decorations and fish.

For more great helpful tips visit: http://www.squidoo.com/homefreshwateraquariums.

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

Saltwater aquarium care tips

Having a saltwater aquarium can be fun. You can also find that there are some down sides to having this type of aquarium too. It is essential that you take the time to compare these options before you choose whether or not you should go with a salt water aquarium or with a freshwater aquarium.
A freshwater aquarium is easier for most to maintain because it is easier to keep clean. A saltwater aquarium will be harder to clean but it will be able to be stocked with a larger amount of variety in the fish and creatures that you can put into it. A freshwater tank will be less expensive as will the fish that you stock it with. But, again, there is more variety offered in the salt water version. And, you can even create your own living ocean in your salt water aquarium because you can put in a wide range of other sea life animals that are not fish.
You will need to do more work and invest more money into a salt water tank. You will also need to commit more time to keeping it up and running. You should realize, though, that there are many rewards offered to you in this type of tank. It will allow you to create a whole new world in your home and it can even teach children about the life under the sea. Take your time to consider your choice. Take a look at the types of fish that you would love to have in your salt water aquarium and decide if you can indeed provide for them the type of environment that they need to survive in.

source:http://www.scribd.com/doc/73341055/1/Can-You-Handle-A-Saltwater-Aquarium

Read More

keep your Koi fish healthy and disease free

An opinion that has happened to many people is to keep your Koi fish vital and disease free, before it becomes essential to used disease treatments.
The negatives have been enveloped very well, but why not consider the positives? Before we let the negatives rule, the positives deserve a fair hearing. Let's examine five positive reasons in favor of trying to keep your Koi healthy to start with and pay care to which ones ring real.
1-  Forget Koi treatment for a moment.. Certainly sometimes treating you Koi for disease is obligatory.. Certainly that is a valid objection. Remember, we can still use treatments on the Koi when prevention fails.
2- Koi that are under a lot of stress are open to a difference of diseases. You may think this is weird but nonetheless it is a fact...Koi are facilely stressed by many factors including poor water conditions, poor feeding schedules and predators just to name a few.
The main reason behind that would be that stress slowly but surely diminishes their immunity and of course a lower immune system will make them vulnerable to any kind of disease.... And also healthy Koi are more disease resistant and less likely to succumb to disease.
3- Provide your Koi with atmospheric quality water. the Koi have to breath in this water so it should be hygienic and clear. And in addition good water quality will drastically reduce the level of stress of Your Koi.
4- Try not to overfeed you Koi. This creates a dirty pond which will influence their health. You must do regular pond clean up and keep the filtration system in good order. Feed only what the Koi can eat in about fifteen minutes.
5 - Full pond treatment will be recommended. Occasionally individual hands on treatment will be advised for the individual fish. You can advise your local Koi supply store or pet store for the best treatments. In case of a severe or wide spread problem you may want to call your Vet.
Within all of the above info lies a very good list of reasons in favor of keeping your Koi healthy to start with. Reduce stress, keep your pond clean. Uncover the way to keep your Koi energetic and avoid treatment at our Koi Treatment site at http://raisingkoifish.com.

Read More

Freshwater Pet Care

If you get beneficial at recycling water, freshwater aquariums become efficient to maintain. Water recycling is the only way by which freshwater can be renewed.
Natural conditions precipitate rain, mist and snow to renew freshwater. Naturally occurring bacterial sources, induce the nitrogen cycle thereby maintaining the biological balance, but that is not the case in an artificial aquarium.
In an artificial freshwater aquarium, natural precipitation and natural breeding of nitrogen-friendly bacteria becomes complicated.
Why Is Water Recycling Very considerable?
The food not eaten by the fish, the waste excreted by the fish, decayed plant matter, and other biological waste in the aquarium produce ammonia. Ammonia is very deadly and it is harmful to the health of your freshwater pet.
It is absurd to prevent the formation of ammonia, but you can control it. Good bacteria help bring down the toxicity of the water, thereby conserving water quality. Two disparate strains of bacteria help the process. The bacteria feed on ammonia and related byproducts eventually reducing the toxicity and salinity in the water.
One strain of bacteria converts ammonia to nitrite (nitrite is not good either) and another strain of bacteria converts nitrite to nitrate.
This process is nothing but the infamous nitrogen cycle that maintains the biological balance in the freshwater. Do things that trigger this process in your tank to ensure freshwater renewal.
Gravel Vacuum
Spare a few dollars and purchase a Gravel Vacuum to clear the tank of fish waste, excess fish food and other biological impurities that build up ammonia.
If you are looking for some natural options, investigate plants.
Aquarium Plants
Plants that feed on nitrates are great options to buffer up salinity as desired. If you are not good at routine gravel vacuum, there are aquarium plants that feed on nitrates for their food, thereby maintaining the biological balance of the fresh water.
If you feel plants evacuate a lot of decayed material, try nitrate filters.
Nitrate Filters
Nitrate filters reduce nitrates by filtering them from the water. However, they are never 100% resultant.
If you are looking for some quick fix remedies, try biotechnological and bacterial products.
Water Recycling With Fish And Bacterial Products
Cycling the water with fish is well-known, age-old method. If you do not choose to buy fish just for cleaning, you can try biotechnological products containing bacteria that actually speed up the re-cycling process overnight.
Fresh water fish with atmospheric resistance
If you love fresh water pets and have less time for routine maintenance, there are fishes that adapt to both saline and freshwater conditions. The process of adaptation is hormonally controlled.You can buy diadromous fishes to serve as your freshwater pet.
Prevention is better than cure. If you believe in it, stop Overfeeding Your pet
Do not over feed your pet. By doing this, you leave less room for excess food and ammonia accumulation. This in turn makes your recycling less tedious. Identify water with higher immunity to ease maintenance.

If you like more helpful hints Check out  buyfreshwaterfishonline.com

Read More

The Biotope Aquarium

Whether you are starting your first aquarium or the next in a long line it helps significantly to have an idea of the fish tank design before you actually get going. The design includes: what types of fish are going in it; whether or not it will have live plants; tank decor elements such as rocks and logs; and the overall impression or feel that the tank should have.
Some people have strong ideas before they get started as far as what fish they want to get and then the tank can be "built" around that. Others know that they want a heavily planted aquarium first and foremost, and the fish are secondary. Still others are basically clueless and want some ideas of where to start.
One type of aquarium design that has grown quite popular in recent years is the biotope tank. A biotope aquarium aims to replicate a particular geographic area within the confines of an aquarium. It is a miniature version, almost a model of a specific place in the world, complete with the native plants, fish, and landscaping of that place.
A well thought out biotope aquarium can be quite impressive. Many people choose to do a tank like this if they have a particular interest in a part of the world and want to learn more about it. The more one studies and learns about the native lands that they are recreating, the better the end result will be.
With that in mind, here are just a few ideas to get you started, knowing that the only real limitation to fish tank design is your imagination.

• The Amazon - This is a very popular biotope option and when done properly can be absolutely stunning. Many of the most popular fish found at pet stores are native to the Amazon basin. The cardinal tetra, cory cat, hatchet fish, and ram cichlid are all Amazonian fish, as are many others including most common tetras. One of the other wonderful aspects of the Amazon biotope is the plants. There are many beautiful species of Amazon swordplants, as well as many other plants that offer variety in leave shape, size, and color. A piece or two of driftwood helps to complete the natural Amazon landscape. Slightly soft water with a pH around 7 is best for this type of tank.
• African Cichlid Habitat - The central African Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi are home to the African cichlids, some of the most interesting fish that one can keep in a home aquarium. They are colorful, active, territorial, and full of personality. The biotope aquarium for these fish is one of somewhat stark appearance. The tank is all rocks and rock formations with many caves and hiding places. There are not plants in the tank as the fish will uproot them constantly. This biotope has rather hard and alkaline water just like the lakes.
• Your Homeland - That's right, many people don't consider their own backyard for fish tank design ideas, but most people live close to some very interesting fish. In North America there are sunfish, shiners, darters, and dace that are quite colorful and active. Native plants and perhaps a crayfish - there are a lot of options. One thing to look into before you just head out and collect whatever you can catch, is to check out your local laws on what can and cannot be kept. Usually the state fisheries department is the best place to turn for legalities as well as ideas for fish to keep.

Biotope aquariums can be an exciting challenge for the fish tank hobbyist and are a great opportunity to learn more about a specific area. When done well, the biotope tank can be one of the most impressive home fish tank designs that you can set up.

Drew Bartlett is a freshwater aquarium enthusiast who owns www.TheFreshwaterAquariumGuide.com where he writes about fish tank design as well as many other topics related to freshwater fishkeeping.

Read More

Deal with a cloudy fish tank

A cloudy fish tank can be a frightening situation for a new tank possessor. If your tank has been running for a while and abruptly has gone cloudy, it could be due to one or more of the following reasons.
Green Clouds
A green cloud indicates green water, which is caused by algae blooms. What happens is bacteria will convert this damage into nitrates which can build up and leave you with an algae bloom.
You can deal with an algae bloom by cleaning your tank and performing partial water changes over time. This will lower the nitrate levels. Another option that works is to add fast growing plants to your tank. They will use up nitrates thus reducing the nitrate count in your fish tank.
High phosphate levels will also assist to algae growth, as will too much light in your aquarium. Half a day is all your tank needs. If you consistently go over this, then you will end up with an algae bloom. 

White Clouds
If you have a white cloud in your fish tank, then this is usually from a bacterial bloom. A white cloud will usually take care of itself as the microbe run out of food. To do this you easily need to clean the tank. Remove decaying plant and old nutriment and waste by vacuuming the sand or gravel. You can feed a bit less than you are right now  try to reduce uneaten food. Also, make sure that you don't have too many fish for your tank size. Fish grow and many new aquarists don't consider this when making their initial purchase.
With proper maintenance of your aquarium, you will relieve the chance of having to deal with a cloudy fish tank. 

Read More

Glad and Healthy Tropical Pet Fish

You can get larger out of keeping tropical pet fish in your domestic than you may understand. True, you can't take your fish on the road with you or cozy up to them on the couch, but tropical pet fish do have individual personalities and very distinctive character traits that are shown in the ways they act around other fish. If keeping tropical pet fish is a new absorption for you, or even if you already have an aquarium at your abode, here are some tips to keep your pets affable and well.
It's effectual you do not upset the fish in your tank by accompanying too many fish. We aren't continuously able to have a huge aquarium in our homes and owning a smaller tank means the number of fish and the varieties of fish you choose must be limited in order to fit the tank. If the aquarium is overcrowded with too many tropical pet fish they won't have the room they need to swim freely and they may have problems with other fish due to the crowded conditions. They may feel territorial and nip or even attack some of the other fish. You should make sure to gain some knowledge about different species of tropical pet fish because some varieties are aggressive while some are very peaceful. Aggressive fish will often fight with one another, and they will pick on and nip at the more peaceful fish, who may get seriously injured. Most fish can live quite peacefully with other fish, but there are a few that will bully the other fish so you should be careful of them, just as you would be careful with some breeds of dogs. It is important that you do not over-clean your aquarium, however cleaning your tank on a regular basis is a must, just like feeding your tropical pet fish the proper amount and not over-feeding them is the best way to keep them at their happiest and healthiest. It may be the most common error made by tropical pet fish owners to give them too much nutriment and not clean their habitat often enough however, when cleaning the tank chemicals and vigorous scrubbing methods should never be used.
By doing a bit of analysis and following the above recommendations, you're sure to be the confident owner of tropical pet fish that live happy and energetic lives!

Read More