Ornamental Fish

Fish diseases

2007-06-30T01:42:00.000-07:00

The fish diseases are divided into two groups; Tropical and Coldwater. It is divided into two categories not because there is a distinction between them but because they apply more often to the class of fish under which they are listed. The suggested cures and symptoms apply to both classes. Obviously all nets, instruments, etc should be sterilized after use to prevent the spread of infection from the isolation tank.

Tropical diseases

White spot is the most common ailment, being simply a form of chill or fish influenza. When weakened by a sharp fall in water temperature the fish is unable to resist a tiny parasite that lodges on it, causing an irritation, a swelling visible as a tiny white spot the size of a pin point. These spots often appear first on the tail, next the fins and finally the body. If unchecked this disease will sweep through the tank as an epidemic.

Types of aquatic greens

2007-06-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

Ambulia

Ludwigia

Myriophyllum

Hygrophila

Aquarium plants

2007-06-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

Fish as pet!

2007-06-15T23:42:00.000-07:00

Betta can be found in most of the pet stores. It does well in a small container but for a permanent home, a large goldfish bowl is good enough. The bowl is to be kept in a place where the temperature is stable and without direct sunlight. If taken care properly it lives up to two to three years old.

An aerated aquarium.

My List updated!

2007-06-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

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How to eliminate hydra

2007-06-11T06:33:00.000-07:00

The aquarium can be purified by raising the temperature to 100 degrees F for twenty to thirty minutes (no fish present) or by introducing Blue or Leeri Gourami fish which will eat the hydra when forced to do so by sheer hunger. Therefore, stop feeding them for a while. Some English water snails will also eat hydra, but they have the bad habit of eating plants as well.

Another way of eliminating hydra is to black out the tank entirely, leaving only a 2 in x 2 in gap on the side facing the light. Within a few hours all the hydra in the dark tank will have gathered on the 2 in x 2 in opening and can be easily wiped off with a sponge.

For the pond, one quarter of a grain of potassium permanganate can be added for each gallon of water. The dosage can be doubled if there is no fry. This should be left for two or three days and the water then gradually changed until half to two thirds of the original has been replaced. The fish need not be removed. Another alternative remedy for the hydra infected pond is ammonium sulphate added to the water at the rate of one teaspoonful to every ten gallons. This will destroy the enemies but not the fish.

More on water enemies

2007-06-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

The dragon fly larva

It is similar to the Water Tiger except that it does not swim much but lies in wait for its prey. The victims are merely held by the pincers and are then destroyed by its hard mouth, which can do amazing damage even through the study scale protection of quite big fish.

Hydra

It is different from the two described earlier, being very much smaller and capable of harming only fry. Its presence is betrayed by a group of bunch of thread-like streamers or hairs hanging in the water; these are the tentacles. Each hydra is roughly 3/4 inch long, having about half a dozen tentacles spread out like a star fish. Since it invariably seems to multiply rapidly, ways have had to be found to remove the vast numbers other than by emptying and cleaning the pond or aquarium.

Water Enemies - The Water Tiger

2007-06-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

For both tropical and coldwater fish, the great danger when catching live foods for a pond or aquarium or when procuring plants from untried sources is that the water enemies will be introduced as well. These are small aquatic insects which can kill or harm baby fish and in at least two instances even medium sized adult fish. The main water enemies are the Water Tiger, Dragon Fly larvae and Hydra.

The Water Tiger

It is a long and thin insect, shaped rather like a caterpillar, and has two vicious pincers with which it can hold its victim and through which it can suck its blood. It grows to 1 1/2 inches or more but probably its most dangerous size is half grown as it is then difficult to detect. A good swimmer, it can tackle and kill fish twice its own size.

Sealing a tank

2007-06-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

The sealing compound of mastic is often specially made to remain soft for two months. If the glass of the empty aquarium gets shaken away from the metal frame, during a journey for example; the internal water pressure of 10 Ibs per square inch will tend to push the soft mastic into any gaps that may have been caused and so to re-seal a leak. Once the water has been put in, a leak that is no greater than a drip will stop of its own accord as the mastic is pushed into position gradually over twelve to forty eight hours, provided the rate of the leak does not increase.

An aquarium full of water should not be moved, or it will be seriously strained by the internal water pressure.

"My List"

2007-05-31T02:59:00.000-07:00

My List stands for the giving hearted and goodwill of Malaysians to help one another and also most definitely for the Malaysian Boleh! spirit in the great big world of blogsphere!

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Measuring the capacity of a tank

2007-05-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

The gallon capacity of an aquarium can be found by multiplying in feet the length x width x height x 6 1/4 . For example, an aquarium 2 ft x 1 ft x 1 ft holds 12 1/2 gallons. One gallon of water has 90,000 drops, weighs 10 Ibs and exerts pressure on the inside of the aquarium glass of 10 lbs per square inch. (All figures are approximate).

The kind of water II

2007-05-19T04:17:00.000-07:00

Unless we decide to breed very seriously with rare fish, we should not concern ourselves with the water PH.

Water that has remained quite untouched is likely to give different PH readings at different times of the day because interaction of the chemicals contained in it is always taking place. Further, one pint of water of PH 6.5 mixed with an equal quantity of PH 7.5 does not necessarily give a reading of PH 7.0 because one water may be 'buffered'. 'Buffered' water has a high mineral content and the influence of all these dissolved solids has to be overcome before there is an alteration in the PH reading. Tap water and rainwater are not usually 'buffered'.

The kind of water

2007-05-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

In different localities, water varies very considerably. Quite apart from the question of being hard or soft, the actual composition of the water varies with the amount of salts, minerals and other such substances dissolved in it. These are usually referred to as "TDS" or total dissolved solids. Water with a high TDS content is known as 'heavy' and is not always good for fish, the opposite is known as 'light'. Unless we are preparing seriously to breed the more difficult kinds of fish, we need not concern ourselves with this question at all.

Sodium bicarbonate added to the water will make it alkaline; acid sodium phosphate or very heavily diluted hydrochloric acid have the opposite effect.

Special sets are sold for measuring the changes in PH.

Cleaning the tank

2007-05-12T02:43:00.000-07:00

Keeping the tank clean is very important and quite simple, provided specialist advice is followed. Annoyingly enough, this advice consists mainly of a series of 'don'ts'.

Do not buy your fish from a dealer whom you distrust or whose technical knowledge as an aquarist you feel is insufficient.

Do not buy too many fish or too few plants so that the balance of your tank is upset.

Do not overfeed. Live food or its substitute is very helpful.

Place the aquarium in a sensible position; not backing on to a window, not in too bright a spot, not in a strong draught unless your dealer has been warned of that and has provided strong heaters.

Siphon off the bottom occasionally and wipe the inside of the glass very, very gently.

See that the heating elements of the tropical tank work well.

Type of filters

2007-05-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Sub gravel filters
Hidden below the sand level, these catch the dirt and concentrate it in one place. The top sand appears clean, so does the water, but the dirt is still there in the tank until and unless you remove the whole filter and siphon off the dirt.

Corner filters
The biggest hoax ever made on the unsuspecting aquarist. The filter is small, neat and cheap; it is so small that it becomes saturated in an hour or two and after that you are just fooling yourself.

Function of the filter

2007-05-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

The filter will remove floating particles and some gases, notably carbon dioxide. It will also provide a form of aeration by circulating the water.

It will not remove algae, nor the sediment at the bottom of the tank unless this has been stirred up and is suspended in the water. Thus water suffering from white or green cloudiness is not normally cleaned. Neither will the filter remove parasites that carry fish disease.

Therefore, is it worth the trouble and expense? Frankly, no. Like aeration, it is a useful adjunct but it is not an essential part of the balanced aquarium.

Please note that marine aquaria are not being discussed here, and marine filtration is therefore excluded.

Filtration

2007-05-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Filter is no more than a container for the air lift and the 'three layers'. It can be hung inside or outside the aquarium, depending on its size. The amount of work it can do is governed by its own area and by the rate of the water filtering through it.

The first layer of the filter has to be renewed most frequently, bearing as it does the brunt of the work by removing the larger floating particles. The sides of the filter, if it is being hung outside the tank, should be shielded from excess light, as should all connecting tubes, so as to discourage the formation of clogging algae.

The three layers must, of course, be packed down tightly so that the water has to percolate through and cannot run down quickly. Obviously too the layers will have to be of a reasonable area and of a sufficient thickness.

What is the filter

2007-05-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

A filter is a device for removing floating particles of the larger kind from aquarium water and even for absorbing some of the gases therein.

It is usual to connect the air pump to an 'air lift' by means of which the aquarium water can be pumped back into the tank after it has been siphoned from it and passed through the filter.

The filter normally consists of three layers; the first - such as the fine sand, spun glass or cotton wool. Their functions are to remove floating particles. The second layer is the activated carbon which is the core of the apparatus which even removes the gases and some of the organic compounds such as toxic products due to the presence of fish in the water. The third layer is merely a coarse layer of small stones allowing the filtered water to percolate to the bottom of the 'air lift' through which it is pumped back into the aquarium.

Aeration II

2007-05-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

What if the aeration stops? There are numerous reasons why this happens, one of them being the failure of the pump. Others may be while we are moving the fish to another tank. For whatever reasons, we should keep an eye for trouble. Fish accustomed to aeration will suffer in still water.

It is better to regard aeration as an auxiliary or a reserve, something that can be turned to for help in case of emergency, such as the sudden arrival of extra fish. Therefore if we have a tank with a small air surface, keep only a few fish. If we have more fish, then get a larger tank.

Putting more fish in an aquarium with small air surface and providing an aeration to them is not a good action. It takes only one fish to catch a disease for all in that cramped aquarium to succumb to it. The cure is to have a larger aquarium, with larger air surface. Providing aeration to overcrowded aquarium is not the answer.

Aeration

2007-05-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

It is not true that we can always and at all times double the proper number of fish in a tank just because aeration is provided. The utmost that the aeration can do is to keep the water at full oxygen content and to help eliminate harmful carbon dioxide gas. In fact, it can easily fail to do even that if the water temperature is raised thus automatically lowering the oxygen content. Aeration will also fail to keep the water at full oxygen content too, if the carbon dioxide content is raised by dirt or other matter fouling the tank by the fish present being too numerous, too big or too fast swimming.

Aeration does help but to credit it with doubling the fish capacity of a tank is going too far. If a tank will satisfactorily hold twenty five fish without aeration, then thirty two to thirty seven is the maximum when constant aeration is provided. In this case, thirty to forty per cent increase in the amount of fish is considered reasonable enough when aeration exists.

Why do plants die?

2007-05-01T01:46:00.000-07:00

The reasons are:

Their feet are too hot if the tank is above a radiator; a piece of protective asbestos over the radiator should normally suffice.

Too little, or unevenly spaced toplighting, especially if the tank is more than 15 inches deep.

Water too acid.

Not enough fish to fertilize the plants.

Plants were allowed to get too dry after planting.

Not enough room to grow; either thickets too thick or lead weights too tight.

Wrong kind of plants, or more rarely, unsuitable water in the tank for that particular type of plant.

Various types of plants

2007-04-29T03:20:00.000-07:00

There are the tiny, delicate, lovely and hard to obtain hair grass.

Also there are plants that form a lump on their own, such as the broad-leaved, light green amazon sword, the serrated-edged aponogeton undulatum and the very useful plants that will thrive in great heat and even in dim light - the cryptocorynes.

Numerous aquarium plants just float on the surface of the water and are not rooted. They draw their nourishment from the air and the water. The favourites are riccia, azolla and duckweed. They are useful in providing shade in breeding and as oxygenators.

Strong Oxygenators

2007-04-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

Vallisneria and Sagittaria are two of the plants that give off more oxygen than most. Vallisneria leaves have a stripe down the centre diving them into three nearly equal stripes of two shades of green. Both plants are normally found in three types, straight, twisted and giant. Anacharis, propagated from cuttings and found in several varieties, especially Elodea, is another strong oxygenator.

Other plants propagated from cuttings are ludwigia and hygrophila. Ludwigia, some species of which have leaves that are tinged with red in the summer and autumn. While hygrophila is similar to the former but comparatively rare and of a very light and pleasant shade of green.

There are also bushy plants, such as myriophyllum, ambulia and cabomba.

Aquatic greens II

2007-04-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

Planting effects are more decorative if done in thickets and not in single stems. Obviously, the thickets should not be congested so that the individual stems have enough room to grow. Four to eight in a bunch is reasonable provided that the fish can swim about freely.

The disadvantage of plants taking in oxygen at night, instead of giving it out, is not serious if the aquarium has a large enough air surface. It helps if the aquarium light is kept on for longer periods when greenery is first planted so as to give the plants a better change to take root. This is particularly true in winter when natural growth is slow.

Aquatic greens

2007-04-26T05:05:00.000-07:00

Lead weights wrapped round the base are sometimes used to prevent the newly transferred plants from floating to the surface of the water, but they are very liable to damage the plants unless used most carefully. If planting pots or trays are favoured, they should be big enough and deep enough.

Another reminder about these lovely aquatic greens is to keep them wet. If they are allowed to dry even momentarily for example when being transferred or while in the process of being planted, they will suffer for weeks. In fact, they sometimes will shrivel and die. Great care must be taken if for any reason the aquarium is being disinfected. The plants can easily be damaged by being rinsed in water that is too hot or in a disinfectant that is too strong. One quarter grain by weight of potassium permanganate in a gallon of water makes a strong enough solution to wash off most parasites from the leaves.

The need for plants

2007-04-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

In an aquarium, plants are not merely for decoration purposes. They serves to complete the scientific balance of the modern aquarium.

Moreover, the majority of community fish have a definite preference for a planted tank where they can find shade, privacy and hiding places when they are feeling out of sorts or are anxious to evade the attentions of a particular fish, be it a bully, a rival or too ardent a suitor. In spawning and rearing of the young, of course, plants play a very definite and important part.

So how do we care of aquarium plants?

First of all, plants in community tank need light. They should be rooted in aquarium sand, but not too deeply. Loam and earth are not necessary for their growth. Loam can breed harmful bacteria unless sterilized. If this is done, loam has little use to the plants; after all, part of the plants' function in a balanced tank is to 'absorb' the droppings of the fish. These fertilizing media being broken up by the plants, simultaneously promoting their own growth while disposing the droppings.

Plants

2007-04-24T03:55:00.000-07:00

Plants are often classified as tropical and coldwater but it is proposed here to divide them into aquarium or pond plants. Tropical plants will root in a coldwater tank kept in the normal living-room of a home, especially if an aquarium toplight is functioning. Strictly coldwater plants, on the other hand, are normally considered to be those that will thrive out in the open, winter or summer.

The main distinction of the two categories are that those grown with the aid of artificial heat, eg in a hothouse are for an aquarium while those grown in the open are for pond. It should be noted that although the same plant is often found both indoors and out, the pond one tends to be larger and coarser.

More on breeding I

2007-04-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

A temperature that is excessively high forces the growth of the fish and seriously weakens their constitution. It sometimes overdevelops the finnage too.

All along the line, inferior fish should be removed. For example, with fantails, veiltails and Moors; the ones with only single tails instead of the prized forked tails can be detected well before they are fourteen days old and should be taken out. Later as body shapes develop, the poor quality should be ruthlessly sacrificed. By the time three months have passed, the selection should have been completed.

Within two weeks, the fry are past the infusoria stage and will swallow finely powdered dry foods, dried eggs, oatmeal, etc. Nevertheless, take great care not to foul the water. It should be partly changed especially if snails are not able to cope with the work. After a few more days, micro worms, finely sifted Daphnia and not quite such powdered dry food should be introduced to the fish. Within three to four weeks, the last stage of tubifex and chopped white worms can be fed. By this time, the worst danger is over.

In the meantime, the difficulty is now to get the fish to colour. The scales should be transparent so that a good body colour can be seen through them. Opaque coloured scales would result in a dark, uninteresting fish. However if the parents are from good stock, the required temperature maintained, space is ample, plenty of live foods were constantly given and enough sunlight, the fry should colour within eight months. Some will colour within four months. A constant drip flow of water into the aquarium helps enormously. If a year goes by without the colour showing through, then having a good fish is doubtful. The general conditions, including the surrounding colours and their inter-action with sunlight influence the fry development.

The above descriptions apply to coldwater aquarium fish in general.

More on breeding

2007-04-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

We are still talking on breeding of coldwater fish.

The eggs, transparent, adhesive and the size of a pin head are laid in clusters, no two individual eggs being in contact. Within twenty four to forty eight hours, the infertile ones turn opaque, almost milky. There always seem so many of these that we might be frustrated, but patience and diligence are usually rewarded.

70 to 75 degrees F is a good temperature for the incubation and in four days, fry should appear. They are free swimming within forty eight hours and will need green water and infusoria. Most of all they need plenty of space. Warmth, space and ample food are all essential.

As many as one thousand fry can result from a good spawning, so that the problem of space is pressing. It is strongly advised to pick out the best specimens as soon as is practicable and to concentrate on them alone, disposing of the others. Aeration is helpful right from the commencement of the incubation period.

Breeding of coldwater fish III

2007-04-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Sexing the fish is difficult. In exotic specimens such as the Veil-tail and the Fantail, the males are often as full bodied as the females. Only at breeding condition do the male tubercles appear as raised white dots on the gill plates and on the pectoral fins. Absence of these dots might mean that the fish is a female or that it is a male not ready to breed.

Once spawning starts, however, the females can easily be picked out as they are vigorously chased and nuzzled by the males. Two or more males should be used to 'drive' each female in the well-known chase which may last a few hours or even two or three days. Thus frequent replacements of plants to catch the eggs as they are scattered and plenty of swimming room are essential.

In the aquarium, a good supply of aeration helps. The water temperature should not be below 60 degrees F or above 80 degrees F. In the earlier temperature the fish tend to be sluggish and in the other, the fish will lack oxygen. Temperature between 68 - 72 degrees F is ideal while bright light, especially sunlight is appreciated.

Breeding of coldwater fish II

2007-04-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

As mentioned earlier, ponds should be periodically emptied to ensure that overlooked eggs or fry from previous matings have not remained behind to grow and to interbreed with the chosen parents.

If we decides to do the breeding in ponds, we may still be well advised to hatch the eggs in an aquarium and to keep the fry indoors for the first crucial ten weeks. A pond that is more or less bare, except for ideal spawning plants at the shallow edge, practically forces the fish to spawn on these plants which can then easily be removed to an aquarium. Thus, fresh supplies of plants should be available to keep up with the spawning.

It is important that these bunches of plants be frequently rinsed to shake off dead algae or any other such foreign matter that could later prevent the eggs adhering properly.

If the parents are not separated from the eggs, many of these will be eaten. Even more important, once the fry have appeared it is the slower swimming ones that get less of the food and are more subject to being attacked. The slower swimmers are usually those with the longer finnage - the very fish that we would most like to save.

Obviously, spawning starts with good-quality parents that have been separately brought up to the best possible condition. It is a bad mistake to use inferior fish as the resulting fry are just not worth the trouble. Each prospective parent should be known to have come from good stock and even if not perfect in itself, be known to be capable of producing good young.

Breeding of coldwater fish I

2007-04-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

The first question when deciding to breed coldwater fish is, should we breed in a pond or in an aquarium.

Two advantages of the pond are:

Large volume of water

In good weather, natural foods for the young fish are abundance

Breeding in ponds has its disadvantages too:

Especially in British climate, apart from extremes of heat or frost and ice, the normal temperature variations are very great and there is little that we can do to control them. Furthermore, these changes are rapid, occurring within a few hours.

There is also a great discrepancy in the amount of light, especially sunlight and an evenly spread supply is almost hopeless.

The above two disadvantages however have their attenuating factors. Although the atmospheric temperature changes very quickly, a fairly large volume of water is affected only slowly and cushions the fish from the worst of the shock. This is if the water is 3 - 4 feet deep. Secondly, the fish seem to have a natural ability to pick out the coming weather and will normally spawn just at the start of a good spell. Nevertheless the good weather, especially in Britain have a nasty tendency to fade off after a very few days.

Though natural foods are abundant in open ponds, so too on occasions are fish lice and water enemies. The pond should thus be capable of being thoroughly cleaned.

Breeding tips

2007-04-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

If the water in the shallow breeding tank is too low to hold an immersion thermostat comfortably, the latter can be immersed into a jar standing in the tank. Thus the water temperature of the tank will govern that of the water in the jar, so ensuring correct response by the thermostat.

In removing fry, it is advisable to use a fry catcher, as netting may harm them. This is used in a scooping action. The fry are being allowed to swim into the bowl.

Keep the water level of the rearing tank well below that of the tank sides as a protection against draughts. A glass cover is an additional protection against temperature fluctuations and dust. This is important at this fry stage.

Breeding is all about conditions, waters, fish, foods, sunlight and the likes which vary from place to place, time to time. Patience is therefore essential, as periodical failures and disappointments are quite certain to occur.

Infertile eggs

2007-04-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Eggs that prove infertile, often becoming covered with fungus should be removed. However, effort should be made to find out why they do not hatch in the normal way. It is often found that some, or even many, eggs are covered with fungus but it is rare for all to be bad.

Snails eat eggs and should be removed from the breeding tank. But in rearing tank, snails help to keep the bottom clean. They too do not eat the fry.

Why eggs are infertile?

Wrong temperature

Too much or too little light

Dirt

Infected infusoria culture that breeds fish enemies or harmful bacteria

Unsuitable water that might contain harmful gases. We can either filter or use rainwater to avoid this problem.

Water PH. If new water has been used, try ‘seasoned’ water. Leave tap water in bright light for a day; without disturbing the precipitate that will have formed at the bottom, siphon off the water in to another clean container and leave it there again in the sunlight to mature for a further twenty four hours or forty eight hours. The siphoning gets rid of any insoluble or floating matter.

Eggs not fertilized: due to the pair of adults do not harmonize. We can use two or three males to one female.

The tank is too small.

How to move the eggs

2007-04-16T04:07:00.000-07:00

When lifting out the plants holding the eggs, sudden temperature changes should be avoided. Moreover, do not expose them to the air too. So, how should we do this? Just place a bowl under these plants, raise the bowl, taking care to keep the plants, roots if any, and eggs submerged and so to move them still in their same water to the rearing tank of the same temperature.

General questions such as whether the water should be ‘old’, green or what its PH should be, or whether the floor should be spotlessly clean or covered with some mulm, can only be answered in the case of particular breeding adult fish. Nonetheless, the fry will need ‘mature’ water for their growth.

The same applies to temperature and aeration. What we should bear in mind is that fish accustomed to constant aeration will have to be taught gradually to do without it before they are transferred to still waters. If the tank is large enough, there should be no need for aeration.

In breeding, cleanliness is the utmost important thing. Danger of infection will have to be watched most carefully.

Types of eggs

2007-04-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

Different types of fish have varying preferences and methods of laying their eggs but the following general remarks will serve as guideline:

Adhesive eggs
Fish are being careful when choosing the spot where these adhesive eggs will be laid. They usually choose broad leaves of a strongly-growing plant. Fish lay eggs at the underside or inside of small flower pots or even on the hollow of a conveniently shaped rock. Some fish however merely scatter their adhesive eggs which should be caught by bushy plants group in bunches.

Non adhesive eggs
This type of eggs are either scattered on thickets of plants, noticeably on those with fine leaves. The plant not only serves to catch the eggs but hiding them and the newly hatched fry from the dangers of being eaten. Alternatively, the eggs are placed in carefully formed and guarded nest. Some fish use a hollow in the sand while some fish are bubble nest builders.

Feeding the fish with infusoria

2007-04-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

The best way is by ‘drip method’. How should we do this? Just fix a jar containing the infusoria water above the tank level and the water is allowed to drip into the tank through the rubber tube. The rate of flow can be regulated by a type of clip that can be adjusted to squeeze the rubber tube at any given pressure. Therefore the bigger the opening left inside the tube the greater the flow of infusoria.

How much should we feed the infusoria to the baby fish? The only advice is to use common sense but infusoria must be given early and constantly until the fry have outgrown the need for it. The bellies of the fry should always be full. Continue feeding the fry until they are about three times their original size. If we stop feeding too early, the fry may die. Feeding them with infusoria too long may stop their growth.

The real problem is when the fry are too big for infusoria and too small for ordinary foods. Rotifers, newly-hatched brine shrimps and dry powdered food can be fed to the fry during this difficult stage. Later, finely sifted daphnia can be introduced to the fry. Nevertheless, if the fry spit out the food, it is still too big for them. Use a magnifying glass to check on this.

In addition, at this stage, fry should be fed frequently; up to eight times per day. A limited amount of sediment should be allowed to accumulate as it helps to grow the plants and infusoria.

The above is a general guide on how to feed fry with infusoria. What we must bear in mind is certain type of fish (fry) needs more detail guides.

Preparing infusoria

2007-04-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Infusoria can be prepared in many ways, some of which as follows:

Method 1:
Leave outside leaves of a lettuce in water and in bright light for three or four days. When the water especially round the leaves becomes white or milky, the culture is ready. One drop examined under a microscope will be seen to be teeming with life, appearing as continuously moving dust-like particles. Pond water (free of all enemies) is better than tap water. After about four days, the culture “dies”.

About three bruised leaves per quart of water can be used in this method. Bruising hastens the decomposition of the leaves and the birth of infusoria.

Method 2:
Leave finely sliced potatoes or any other vegetable in water till they begin to smell. Cow dung gives especially small infusoria that can be used for tiny fish.

Method 3:
Pour boiling water on chopped up hay, leaving it to stand in the sunlight till the water becomes light brown.

Method 4:
Using some such mixture as the peel of one potato, one split pea, one yellow skin of a banana, one spinach leaf, thirty drops of milk, one tiny piece of fish to about two gallons of water and leave in the light as described above.

All the above four cultures smell and go foul after three to five days.

Method 5
To overcome this difficulty the cultures can be sterilized. Slow boil for twenty minutes a mixture of almost any vegetable. This slow boil will kill the bacteria of putrefaction. Then the mixture should be left to cool for a day and be carefully protected against dust. We may call this ‘the culture’.

At the same time, similarly boil for twenty minutes separate quarts of water, each containing one of the above ingredients (hay, lettuce, potato, etc). Pour into separate jars and leave to cool for a day, protected from the dust.

Next add six or seven drops of the culture to each jar, keep protected from dust and leave in the bright light for three days. The water will be teeming with life and the infusoria is ready for use.

Advantages of method 5:

The different infusoria of oatmeal, hay, lettuce, etc are separate and fish will soon show which particular one they prefer

The preparation will not ‘die’ under two weeks

There is practically no smell.

Risk of infection is greatly reduced if all implements are sterilized.

All the five methods of making infusoria, are affected by temperature. If the infusoria water is at 80 degrees F or above, the cycle of events is accelerated that makes the culture ready sooner but it dies more quickly. Whereas under 60 degrees F, the development is slow. The best temperature is therefore between 65 to 68 degrees F. Infusoria, like fish, however is affected by temperature changes. Therefore they will tend to suffer if put in an aquarium with vast different in water temperature.

Rearing and feeding the fry

2007-04-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

The mating and spawning process is often easier than the rearing of the fry. The commonest difficulties are insufficient or unsuitable food at the early stages and lack of space.

When the eggs are hatched, or the viviparous babies are born, in both instances a ‘yolk sac’ is attached to the fry. It supplies sufficient food for the initial period which may last from a few hours to three days, especially if supplemented by liberal quantities of green water to the tank. Green water is rich in baby-food!

When the yolk-sac is gone, it is our responsibility to feed the fry. This is done by providing infusoria early and constantly.

What is infusoria? Infusoria are living organisms in water on which fish can live until they have grown enough to eat normal foods.

Before we discuss more on infusoria, let’s talk about the importance of breeding trap. Breeding trap is used inside the rearing tank, so as to separate the parents from the eggs or the young. These traps can be done by using finely meshed wire, or any method allowing the eggs or live babies to drop through gaps into the rearing tank. The gaps must be just big enough for them but too small to allow the adult fish to follow. This is necessary if the parents are likely to eat the young fish or their eggs. Otherwise, it is not necessary.

Choosing and conditiong the parents

2007-04-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

It is important to choose the parents when we intend to breed. Size, shape, colour, finnage and so on should be considered. Moreover, both should like each other! The best way to ensure this is to place a group of adult fish in a tank and wait for them to pair off. The chosen ones then are being transferred to separate tanks.

With the egg-layers, two or even more males are often used with one female. It is usual to put the weaker fish (often the female) in the mating tank first, so that it is already feeling at home before meeting the other fish.

Fish will often spawn the next morning if they are placed in the mating tank at night. Better still, if they can be put together at dawn, they will tend to spawn almost at once.

Green water and/or two hours daily of sunlight are helpful in bringing the parents to breeding condition. Live foods are necessary too. Feed them with daphnia, tubifex worms, chopped earthworms etc, twice a day. Each feeding is to last about 15 – 30 minutes. However, too many white worms will tend to make the fish fat and reluctant to spawn. The rule is to feed well but not too heavily.

On the other hand, it must be remembered that feeding frequency depends on the temperature of water too as it affects the eating habit of the fish, both of tropical and coldwater.

In mating tank, the water temperature is often raised when the adult fish are introduced. This higher temperature can be maintained till the eggs are hatched and even for the early stages of the fry. Nonetheless the high temperature should not be prolonged as it will weaken the fry.

Once spawning is completed, the parents are separated from the eggs or young, except for a few types of fish where males are left with the nest for about a week.

Breeding and rearing tropical fish

2007-04-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

Ever thought of breeding your fish?

Some fish give birth direct to fully-formed live baby fish. These are called viviparous. From them, many interesting cross-breeds, or hybrids have been evolved.

Others lay eggs first in the normal way; which can be adhesive or not and can be scattered or carefully guarded. The nests vary; including floating air bubbles with the eggs individually wrapped in these hygienic containers.

In breeding, the problems are not in the mating and spawning but in rearing the fry. This is one of the main reasons it is so much easier to breed the viviparous kinds as the eggs are fertilized and hatched inside the mother’s body. Thus it passes the danger stage when born.

Breeding problems differ between fish. There is no particular season for the breeding of tropicals because it is nearly always possible to provide ideal conditions, the supply of live foods and sunlight.

The first thing to consider when we intend to breed is the breeding tank itself. The breeding tank is often shallow; perhaps 15 cm – 22 cm deep. It however should not be too small, not less than 35 cm long by 20 cm high and 25 cm wide as many fish get nervous and excited when confined in a small space.

A large breeding tank is not necessary although it is essential for the successful rearing of the young. Overcrowding can retard the growth and strength of fish, cause illness and destroy the weaker fish. For rearing too, a deeper tank, around 30 cm is advantageous since it encourages the development of better specimens.

When plants are being used, the planted side of the breeding tank should always be towards the light. This will enable the fry to have hiding places.

Unsuspected danger II

2007-04-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

When a perfectly functioning aquarium goes wrong out of sudden, then the following may be the reasons we tend to overlook.

Too much mastic or putty
Mastic on the outside does not affect the water in the aquarium, but mastic or putty on the inside of it and in contact with the water is inadvisable.

Harmful substance
Apart from the non-aquatic rocks, ornaments, etc; harmful substance can be brought in to the aquarium by dirty hands, newly applied nail varnish, dirty cloths, etc. It is surprising how strongly the hands can smell of the kitchen, the garage or of a tin of varnish.

Disease introduced by new fish, plants or live foods
New fish, plants or live foods can sometimes introduce disease to the existing fish. Adding in unsuitable fish that take up too much oxygen (due to their sizes), bullies or even killers might bring problems to the existing community. Furthermore, fish accustomed to aeration will suffer in still water.

Temperature of the water
In case of tropicals, the fluctuation in water temperature can cause problems. The sudden changes in temperature of water can be caused by faulty wiring or perhaps simply that the heater or the thermostat has got buried by drifting sand. The thermostat used might be giving false readings too. In addition, the heating elements might no longer be in good condition.

Besides all the above unsuspected dangers we likely fail to see, we should bear in mind to look into the possibility that the sudden problem to our aquarium might be due to the aquarium being too deep or the source of light being too bright.

Unsuspected dangers I

2007-04-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

Our aquarium has been functioning perfectly for a long time, but suddenly it goes wrong for no apparent reason. What should we do?

Before consulting a specialist, check on the following.

Incorrect feeding
The problem may be caused by lack of live foods or their substitutes.

Overcrowding
The aquarium is overcrowded. There may be too many fish or the fish kept are too big.

Dirty aquarium
Excess food is nearly always the cause of dirt that lies about the aquarium as brown sediment.

The water temperature
If the water temperature is consistently kept too high or too low, the fish will be weakened, even to the point of sickness or death

The light is too strong
It is tiring for the fish, if the light shining on the aquarium is too strong or too prolonged. They too need some shade or at least some periods of darkness. We can used plants or rocks as shed for fish to retire for rest and privacy.

Condition of plants
The plants in the aquarium should be healthy and sufficient in number.

The presence of paint, varnish, disinfectants etc
The above is harmful as water absorbs these foreign elements to the distress of the fish.

Example:
An aquarium is kept near a bathroom where strong Dettol is used.

The chauffeur occasionally feeds the fish and rearranges the rocks; as he comes straight from the garage and his hands smell of petrol and oil.

The room has beautiful parquet flooring which is regularly polished.

The over-careful aquarist washes his hands thoroughly before touching his aquarium, unfortunately he uses strongly scented soap.

The above are examples of how these foreign elements come into contact with the aquarium and affect the fish.

Sign of trouble II

2007-04-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

We have discussed white cloudiness in the aquarium water. Let’s go on to brown cloudiness. What are the causes of brown cloudiness? Mostly it is caused by dirt or by excess food that has not been eaten and lies around the tank, often turning the sand black. Other reasons that cause brown cloudiness is that when the sand used is not properly washed or there might be too much sediment at the bottom of the aquarium which is not siphoned off. Decaying leaves of plants cause brown cloudiness too.

Other factor that might cause this situation is the lack of sufficient growing plants in the aquarium. Though brown cloudiness is unsightly, it is not particularly dangerous. Nevertheless prolong condition can encourage disease to the fish.

What about green cloudiness? Fortunately, green cloudiness is healthy! Under excess light (sunlight, daylight or artificial) microscopic life is born which is green in colour; suspended in the water. It can also settle to become green slime over the sand, rocks, plants, glass, etc. Unless excessive, the fish will thrive on the green algae!

However, green is not pleasant to view and should not be permitted in a show tank. The cure is simple! Cut down the amount of light received by the aquarium. Of course, if the light is reduced too much, the plants will not grow.

How to clear the green algae? It can be cleared in two to four days by adding one grain by weight of potassium permanganate to every eight gallons of water. Then, change one-third of the water by siphoning off from the bottom.

On the other hand, should the green water turn yellow, the water must be changed immediately. This is due to the sudden death of the microscopic green algae causing them to decompose and turn the water yellow which means that the water is now foul and must urgently be changed.

Sign of trouble I

2007-04-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Fish can fall sick too. Curing them requires knowledge which is only obtained with years of study and experience. Otherwise we have to rely on the advice of the dealer. However as an aquarist, there are many things we can learn to enable us to recognize signs of trouble and to apply the more simple remedies.

The first and most obvious sign of trouble is the water becoming cloudy. The cloudiness may be one of these three colours; white, brown or green (sometimes turning to yellow).

In this post, we will focus on white cloudiness. White cloudiness in the aquarium water is dangerous. It often means that the oxygen content of the water is too low and the carbon dioxide content is too high. There might be too many (or too big) fish that are taking the oxygen out of the water quicker than the air is replacing it. It also might be a dead fish, snail, mussel or other decomposing matter that is fouling the tank. Besides that, it might be a harmful rock, shell or ornament that keep on dissolving in the water.

In addition, it might also be that the temperature of the water has risen; reducing the water oxygen content and causing overcrowding and white cloudiness. White cloudiness should be tackled at once or the fish will die. It is thus essential to find the cause, calling in the specialist if necessary and to change one-third of the water at a time, replacing with fresh water of the same temperature. The water can be changed with an ordinary clean jug or it can be siphoned, whichever is easier.

In this state of water, the obvious distress signals we notice is that the fish gasping at the top for air, or have their top fins folded and drooping.

Prepared and live foods

2007-04-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

There are two types of foods for our fish; prepared and live foods.

Prepared foods are widely sold and very convenient. Fish prefer their prepared foods to be dry. Thus sodden particles at the bottom of the aquarium are not favored. Therefore, the golden rule still applies. Fish should not be overfed.

The other type of foods is the live food. The very best food of this type is live insects and worms. Daphnia is the favourite. Red tubifex worms, white enchytrae worms, brine shrimp, bloodworms and earthworms are also beneficial. The trouble with gathering these foods from rivers and other natural sources is the very real danger of introducing water enemies and diseases to our aquarium. The good news is that, this food can also be obtained from the aquarium store.

Feeding the fish

2007-04-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

There are two main foods to feed our fish – live food and prepared food.

The live are better, but they might be difficult to obtain constantly. Anyhow, fish will thrive quite well on a mixture of live and prepared foods; in fact they can get along without any live food if that proves necessary.

When talking about feeding, the golden rule is ‘do not overfeed’. All the food given, including that which falls to the bottom of the aquarium, should be completely eaten in three minutes. The frequency of feeding is a matter of opinion but once or twice a day should be sufficient. The type of fish and the temperature of water they are in affect their eating habits. Therefore we must be aware of the state of our fish in order to decide the amount and frequency of feeding.

We are all aware that fish can go for long periods without any food, so that if we plan to be away, example for a week; we could only feed up the fish on live food for ten days or so prior to departure so as to store up surplus fat energy in the fish, on which they can draw in. However all traces of excess excreta or uneaten food must be siphoned off before departure or the water will be fouled. Should we are unable to feed them live food before our absence, there is nothing to worry as the microscopic life already exist in the water will be sufficient for the fish. This is better than to let someone unskilled to feed our fish in our absence.

About fish

2007-04-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

How to handle ‘bully fish’

Fish that are too boisterous and are inclined to throw their weight about can be ‘stood in the corner’ by being imprisoned in a small container or jar. The water for the jar must be taken from the aquarium itself. If the jar is only two-thirds full, it will float safely in the aquarium and maintain its temperature. The top should be covered to prevent the fish from jumping out. After 12 – 24 hours, it could be released.

What a way to teach the ‘naughty fish’ a lesson!

How to catch fish

Once in a while, for whatever reasons, we need to ‘catch’ a certain fish in the aquarium. How should we do it without ruining the plants and general appearance of the aquarium? The answer is - just chase the fish into the net!

Firstly, we can use a ruler or another small net to drive the fish into the main net.The main net is held in a good position so that it can be quickly pulled upwards and not forward as the fish will prove to be too quick for this. This way, we will not mess up the whole aquarium chasing the elusive creature all round the aquarium.

New fish 'on the block'

2007-04-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

Introducing new fish to an existing community must be done with care.

Put the new fish in a small container or can. Then, this container can be hung, or floated in the aquarium until its water temperature becomes similar as that of the tank. It usually will take about 15 – 30 minutes. Nevertheless we must ensure that the container is clean before being floated.

On this one occasion only, feed those already established in the tank extra well and while they are busy eating at one end, tip gently the newcomers at the other. Thus the new arrivals are given a chance to settle down, to find hiding places and generally to take stock of the situation before meeting the crowd.

General maintenance of the aquarium

2007-04-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

With proper care, no overfeeding and not to overcrowd the aquarium, not much general maintenance is required. What we have to do is to just remove the sediment. Thus siphoning should be done once in a month. We can do this by using a bucket and a siphon tube. The tube is to be completely filled up with water from the tap, sealing both ends with the thumbs, and releasing both ends simultaneously (with the aquarium end of the tube under water). This will make the water from the aquarium flow down into a bucket place on the floor. As it flows, it will carry the dirt with it. Usually about the bottom ten per cent of water is removed in this process. The aim is to remove as much sediment and as little water as possible. When this task is over, the aquarium should be topped up with water of the same temperature.

Sounds easy but care should be taken not to siphon out the fish too!

The aquarium is here!

2007-03-31T18:16:00.000-07:00

Now, let’s imagine that the aquarium we order has finally arrived!

The following guidance may prove of interest:

The sand to be used should be thoroughly washed. This is to ensure that dirt in the sand will not cloud the aquarium later on. The inside of the aquarium is to be cleaned before the washed sand is introduced bit by bit. We must keep in mind that the outside of the aquarium should only be cleaned when there is already water in the aquarium. Cleaning an empty aquarium will likely dislodge it and cause the aquarium to leak

In case of Tropical tank, the heater and thermostat should be fitted.

The sand and the ‘harmless’ rocks could be arranged according to our creativity but the heater should be kept right down at the lowest point of the aquarium since heat rises. If the sand is arranged in hills and dales, the heater ought to be laid horizontally in a dale. The heater must not be buried in the sand. Heaped up sand should be anchored by rocks, otherwise it will flatten out when water is poured in.

Fill the aquarium gently. Once the tank has been filled it should not be moved. Moving it when it is full will cause leakage.

In case of large aquariums, planting can better be done when it is only half full of water. The plants with roots should have covering only as far as their “crown”, the green part should not be buried. Cuttings should be inserted up to half an inch. While doing all these, plant should be kept wet otherwise they will later tend to shrivel and dry.

The top light usually supplied with the aquarium, should be connected and plugged in.

Finally, the aquarium should not be located right by an outside window where the outside air might change the temperature of the water. The excess light will likely to turn the water green too.

More on aquarium setting

2007-03-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

When my spouse first set up our first aquarium not so long ago, he just had ideas and no whatsoever guidelines. The staff from the aquarium store was not being helpful either. What we did not realize at that time was that setting an aquarium needs proper planning and knowledge too.

We are still talking about keeping fish the natural way; without using an air pump. For that reason it is important that we plan correctly on the size of the aquarium, water surface, number of fish, plants and light.

Coldwater fish are usually larger than tropical fish. Thus, compared to tropical fish, very few, very small coldwater fish can be kept in an aquarium of similar size. Overcrowding causes stress to the fish and affects their health.

As guidelines, with a water surface of 45cm x 30cm and 30cm depth of tank, it is wise to put 18 tropical fish with an average body length of 3cm. 24 –28 tropical fish of similar length is also reasonable for a 61cm x 30cm of water surface and 30 cm depth of tank.

Should we use air pumps, then the number of fish can be increased. But keeping fish the natural way proves to be satisfying too.

Shells, ornaments and rocks can mostly be used in a community aquarium. However, many kinds of rocks, in particular, slowly dissolve in water resulting in definite clouding of the water which will consequently alter the chemical content of the water and may be harmful to fish.

An important point to remember is that within reason, it is not the volume of water which counts but the area in contact with the air. Piling sand in hills and dales so that the fish have varying depths of water to choose from is helpful to their health, in addition to being decorative. Sand used must be not too fine or too coarse. Coarser sand will trap greater amounts of food and excreta and cause fouling. In the meantime, sand that is too fine will choke the plant.

Light is necessary for the health of the plants. Too much light will however cause the appearance of microscopic life known as algae and cause the water to turn green, while insufficient light kills the plant.

Last but not least, an aquarium is better situated in a dark spot where the amount of light it receives can be exactly controlled by using electric bulbs instead of relying on the whims of daylight.

Setting an aquarium without aeration

2007-03-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

The vital factor of an aquarium is length and the width of it and not its depth.

Excess depth from top to bottom is harmful since it will be a factor contributing to the difference in the water temperature. Besides that the light may fail to penetrate down in deep tanks.

Large water surface enable us to use glass covers or close-fitting top light, as there would be enough oxygen in a cushion of air trapped between the top of the water and the glass cover. The carbon dioxide concentration will not be harmful for a good many hours. During this time, the cover would normally be displaced, for feeding thus renewing the oxygen supply and letting out the ‘bad’ air.

Then, another question will prop up our mind. Without aeration, do we need to change water in the aquarium? The anwer is no.

Fish consumed oxygen dissolved in the water and give off harmful carbon dioxide. We do not have to change water if the tank has sufficiently large air surface of the water. This will allow fresh oxygen taken and the bad gases escape at a fast enough rate. What we should remember is that there should not be too many or too big fish, otherwise the oxygen is consumed and the bad gases are produced too fast. Therefore, the size of the air surface (the area of water in actual contact with the atmosphere) and the number and size of fish should be relatively appropriate.

Growing plants in the aquarium is another way to break down the carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen and nitrates. The oxygen is for the fish consumption while the nitrates act as fertilizers for the plants. Lastly, there must be light to make the plant grows.

Who needs aeration pumps then? And say goodbyes to the extra responsibility of changing water.

Lets keep our fish the natural way.

Choosing fish

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Appearance is not everything.

There are other factors involved in choosing a selection of species for our aquarium, whether it is an initial population or a subsequent addition. It is our responsibility to find out whether the species we are buying is suitable for our aquarium and as ‘tankmate’ for other fish we already own.

Moreover what we should do is to consider the compatibility of the fish. Fish of the same size do not mean that they are compatible. Two species may require the same water chemistry and temperature but are incompatible as regards to other factors such as water movement. Fish of the same species will not always get on together as in many cases, males, in particular regards each other as competitors. We must also bear in mind that fish found together in nature are mostly predators and prey and are not suitable to be ‘tankmate’.

On the other hand, species that naturally live in groups need the company of their own kind. There are also species which survive in whatever environment they are in. However it is wrong to assume that they are compatible.

When choosing fish, we must also consider the eventual fish size as the majority of fish bought is not yet fully grown. Overcrowding can cause stress and contribute to health problem. Besides overcrowding, incompatibility situation, whether between fish and fish or fish and their environment is likely to cause stress too.

Visit as many aquarium stores as we can so that we do not only have the opportunity to compare but to see a far wider selection of fish, equipment, décor, medications, books and other items. The condition of the store and the staff’s attitude will depict the state of the fish on sale.

A good dealer must also capable of advising and offering information on the eventual size of fish, suitability of fish for a community and the length of time we must wait after purchase, before setting up the aquarium and putting fish in it.

In conclusion, it is wise to buy or obtain fish from a good fish-keeper.

Tips to get healthy fish

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When getting fish from the pet store, we should look into the following matters in order to ensure only healthy fish are obtained.

Fish for sale are in large display tank

In large aquarium, the fish may seem few in number and therefore gives the impression that the dealer is not offering a good assortment from which to choose from. But what matters is the fish is healthy.

From the dealer’s point of view, the small aquarium lowers the overhead costs, makes it easier and quicker to catch fish and gives a better ‘display’. On the other hand, we as the customers might suffer as fish kept in such conditions are bound to be weak and fall sick unless removed quickly.

The display tanks are not aerated

Fish accustomed to aeration will suffer if moved to non-aerated water. Therefore, we who do not have air pumps will face problems in keeping our fish healthy. Good dealers will keep fish in still water.

Fish are isolated before sale

Fish may carry disease or be sick themselves, so that quarantine of a few days is the only real safeguard. If the fish have been obtained from new or untried sources, a much longer period of separation is required. Look out for tanks labelled with 'Quarantined' in the store we visit.

The water and tank condition

The tank displaying fish for sale should be clean and a good dealer will go to the trouble to equalize water temperatures before taking the fish out of one tank to put into another.

To conclude, how the dealer keeps their fish gives us the indication on the condition of the fish for sale.