An Introduction to Livebearing Fish

Just as their name suggests, livebearers are fish that give birth to live, free-swimming young. However, in the aquarium hobby, the term live-bearer is commonly used to refer to a specific group of fish belonging to the family Poeciliidae. This group of freshwater fish includes perennial aquarium favorites such as mollies, guppies, and platies.

Caring for Live-bearers:

Livebearers are able to thrive in a variety of water conditions and do well in planted aquariums. Though peaceful in temperament, it is a good idea to keep several pairs of the same species to eliminate any potential aggression that may occur. Livebearers are omnivores and require both algae-based foods as well as meaty foods. A varied diet including algae-based flake food, along with freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex worms, and brine shrimp will provide proper nutrition to a wide range of different live bearer species.

With an average life expectancy between 5 and 7 years, livebearers are relatively long-lived. This allows most hobbyists to witness the birth of several generations of fry. In fact, one of the most fascinating aspects of keeping live-bearers is the rearing of young fry. Hobbyists of all ages will be immediately enthralled and discover a new joy to fish keeping. Live bearers provide depth and dimension to fish keeping, provide a fantastic learning experience for both children and adults, and nurture a life-long appreciation for the aquarium hobby.

Birth of Live-bearers:

For most hobbyists, their first experience with fry (baby fish) is often through livebearers. Without any effort on your part, you may discover that the livebearers you brought home have given birth to a small brood. Depending on water conditions, temperature, and diet some live bearers can have broods as often as every four to eight weeks. You can tell if a female is ready to give birth by her enlarged abdomen or a dark spot located near her anal fin. The spot will turn darker as her delivery date nears. But you must be watchful because some fish will eagerly feast on the newly hatched fry.

To prevent this from happening, place the pregnant female in a separate 5-20 gallon breeding tank just before she releases the fry. This nursery should have all the features of a regular aquarium including filtration (simple foam filters are a great choice), a heater, and some artificial plants for cover. Float the plants, as babies will hide at the surface when first born. Substrate is not necessary and having no substrate makes it easier to see and remove uneaten food. After the pregnant female has released all of her fry, remove the female and return her to the main display aquarium.

Raising Fry:

The fry should be fed a quality food, such as baby brine shrimp, baby fish food, or quality flake food ground into a fine powder. Feed the fry small amounts several times a day. Maintain good water quality by performing regular water changes. Using water from your established aquarium is a great way to acclimate the fry to water conditions of their future home. In about 4 to 6 weeks, the babies should be large enough to release into the main aquarium. But be sure the babies have grown larger than the mouths of adult fish. If it's not possible to set up a separate aquarium, drop-in breeders are a great alternative. Keep in mind that the babies will quickly outgrow and crowd the net breeder. The fry will need to be moved to a larger aquarium sooner to ensure proper growth.

About Live Aquarium Corals

Live aquarium coral can be difficult to maintain, but by using aquarium coral you can create astonishingly beautiful and fascinating underwater landscapes in your aquarium. If you have no previous saltwater experience, you should ideally begin by keeping a fish-only saltwater aquarium or a fish-only with live rock aquarium before you set up a reef aquarium with delicate live aquarium corals.  

Aquarium coral have very particular requirements and keeping healthy aquarium coral differs a lot from keeping fish and mobile invertebrates. The ocean is filled with an abundance of different soft and hard coral species and only a fraction of them have been successfully kept in hobby aquariums. Always research each species thoroughly before you purchase them for your aquarium in order to find out more about the specific requirements for each species. 

Aquarium coral is not only beautiful to look at; they will affect the entire environment in your saltwater aquarium and many dedicated aquarists have managed to create intricate reef ecosystems in their tanks. Aquarium coral is usually attached to a substrate in the aquarium, such as a cliff or coral skeletons. Corals can also grow on artificial objects, such as aquarium decorations. In the wild, sunken ships and airplanes can quite rapidly become covered in corals. 

Flowerhorn Cichlids Breeding - About Flowerhorn Breeding

Flowerhorn cichlid fish is a type of hybrids that was created in Malaysia during the second half of the 1990s. The fish quickly became very popular due to their beauty and the fact that they got a reputation as bringers of good fortune. This resulted in Flowerhorn cichlids being sold at very high prices and Flowerhorn breeding becoming big business. Flowerhorn breeding became something that could make you rich and the fish was even traded in the same manner as stocks for a period on time before the bubble burst and a lot of people lost a lot of money they invested in no much less worth Flowerhorn cichlid fish.  

Flowerhorn cichlids are easy to breed and Flowerhorn breeding can be conducted in much the same way as many South American cichlids which are believed to be the origin of this species. This text will help you successfully breed your Flowerhorn cichlids but will not say anything about how to line bread and crossbreed Flowerhorn cichlids to get high quality fish as an result of your Flowerhorn breeding. Mainly because of the fact that this is a carefully guarded secret that is only know among commercial Flowerhorn breeders. 
 

Flowerhorn cichlids are best kept in large aquariums and should only be kept with other aggressive species. They can be very aggressive towards the other sex and the use of a separator is sometimes a necessity when breeding Flowerhorn cichlids. The holding tanks for Flowerhorn cichlids should be decorated with rock formations and it is beneficial if the decoration is designed in such a manner that natural territorial borders are created, especially if more then one Flowerhorn cichlids are meant to be housed in the aquarium tank. 

How to Make a Shrimp Aquarium?

Keeping freshwater shrimp is popular among aquarists,especially those in the planted tank hobby. Freshwater shrimp are hardy,make excellent scavengers on the tank bottom, and they can live in small aquaria, making them ideal for desks,offices,or coffee tables. Read on to learn how to set up an aquarium for your shrimp.

Steps

1.Rinse the aquarium under hot tap water for at least 100 seconds.Don't even use soap to clean the aquarium as it's toxic to many animals(except for us humans.). When keeping shrimp in aquariums, allow 1 quart(1 liter)of water for 1 shrimp. So that means that a 3 gallon tank can safely hold 12 shrimp.

2.Add substrate. The substrate can be gravel,sand or even soil(for planted tanks). Rinse the substrate under boiling water before adding them to your tank. Substrate is optional,however.

3.Add plants. Many shrimp love climbing on plants so by giving plants, not only will the plants boost up oxygen levels and remove ammonia in the water, your shrimp will also get exercise and a 24/7 salad bar.

4.Add any other decor you have. Then fill the tank up with spring water.Be sure to add some AquaSafe into the water before putting it in the tank.

5.Wait at least a day before adding several drops of Stress Zyme into the water. Stress Zyme will cycle your water in the aquarium. Allow at least 1 week of cycling before adding any shrimp.

Tips:

• This setup can also be applied to small fish or snails.
• Remember your plants need light to carry out photosynthesis but don't put the aquarium in direct sunlight, unless you want steamed shrimp on your plate.
• You can also use marbles as a substrate for shrimp.

Warnings 

• This setup can also be applied to small fish or snails.
• Remember your plants need light to carry out photosynthesis but don't put the aquarium in direct sunlight, unless you want steamed shrimp on your plate.
• You can also use marbles as a substrate for shrimp.

Things You Will Need:

• Aquarium
• Plants
• Substrate
• AquaSafe
• Cover
• Stress Zyme
• Shrimp

How to Take Care of Goldfish?

1.Get a large enough tank. The minimal tank size for one goldfish is 10 US gallons (Remember, they grow to about 10-12 inches, and sometimes over!) and you will need to add 10 US gallons onto that for each additional goldfish.
-->For example, one goldfish needs 10 gallons, two goldfish need 20 gallons, four need 40 gallons and soon and so forth.
-->As babies, you can provide them with a five gallon tank, but you'll want to upgrade to a bigger tank size very soon.

2.Use gravel that won't get stuck in your fish's throat. Use either large rocks (too big to swallow) or very small gravel. Large gravel is better for goldfish because it won't get caught in their throat and because goldfish like to be able to dig into the gravel to search for fallen food.
-->Be sure to clean your gravel before you put it into the tank. Even if you've bought it new, a good rinse and soak in some water for a day will draw out some of the impurities and help ensure that your goldfish are getting the best possible environment to flourish in.

3.Make sure your tank has some scenery and light. If your tank has gravel and nothing else in it, your poor goldfish won't be very happy. Goldfish also like light. Try to keep your aquarium lit for 12 hours each day.
-->Think about putting a rock or wood centerpiece with some artificial greenery into your aquarium. The rock or wood will give the goldfish nooks and crannies to explore and the artificial plants won't accelerate plant growth in your tank.
-->On the other hand, real plants are beneficial because they help absorb some of the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates that accumulates in the aquarium because of waste and natural wear and tear.
-->Be sure that any decorations you choose aren't hollow (it's a breeding ground for potentially harmful bacteria) and that they don't have sharp edges (your fish might tear its fins).
-->Try using fluorescent lights for your goldfish. Halogen lights and incandescent lights will also do. Pay attention to how much light you give them — goldfish love light.
4.Rig up a water filter. A water filter should take care of the breaking down of the fish’s waste by beneficial bacteria; the trapping of larger particles such as fish waste or excess fish food; and the removal of odors, discolorations and other organics by carbon or mineral absorption. Having clean water and a functional, efficient filtration device will keep your goldfish content and healthy. There are three very popular kinds of filters:

-->Hang on back (HOB) filters, which hang on the rim of your tank, and bring water in and filter water out. They are very popular, reasonably priced, and probably give you the most bang for your buck.

-->Canister filters sit underneath your aquarium and use a series of tubes to filter water in and out. Canister filters tend to be almost silent, are a little pricier than HOB filters, but tend to be more efficient at filtering than HOBs.

-->Wet/Dry filters use an overflow box to filter out impurities. Wet/Dry filters, however, are significantly bigger than HOBs or canisters, and so generally only fit into aquariums that hold at least 50 gallons.

5.Go through at least one fish-less cycle before introducing your goldfish. A fish-less cycle involves adding ammonia to a tank and keeping track of the nitrate levels to make sure the water is safe for your goldfish to live in. Sadly, many fish die once introduced into a new tank because of ammonia and nitrate poisoning.

Next 4 Steps are:

1.Perform a 10%-25% water change weekly assuming you have one goldfish per 10 gallons. If you do not have a filter in your tank, do a water change twice a week.

2.Clean the aquarium at least once every two weeks. Goldfish produce waste that even your water filter won't be able to zap. A clean tank means happy, healthy goldfish.
-->Do not remove the fish from the tank when you clean. Using a gravel vacuum to soak up debris can be done without extracting the fish from their habitat. If you have to remove the fish, for whatever reason, use a plastic container instead of a net, if possible. Nets can injure goldfish fins easier than containers can. If you need to use a net, soak it before capturing the fish.
-->Measure for ammonia, nitrite, and pH. Ammonia and nitrite levels should be at 0. A range of pH 6.5-8.25 is fine.
-->Soap is poisonous to fish and will kill them quickly, so don't wash your tank with soap. Also, don't use regular tap water to put in your tank. Drinkable water is not good for them because it takes out some of the minerals which are good for goldfish. Buy a water conditioner at a pet store and put in the amount it says on the label.
3.Feed your fish 1-3 times daily. Be careful not to overfeed them, and always follow instructions on the label of your goldfish food. Goldfish can easily overeat and can die. Underfeeding is always preferable to overfeeding.
-->Just like humans, goldfish want diversity of nutrition. Feed your goldfish flake or pellet food most of the time, live foods, such as brine shrimp, some of the time, and freeze-dried foods, such as mosquito larvae or blood worms, every once in a while.
-->Feed your fish only what they can eat in five minutes. Remove any excess food. More goldfish die from overeating than from anything else.
-->Feed your goldfish at the same time each day (once in the morning, once at night) and in the same spot in the tank.
4.Let the water temperature change as the seasons change. Goldfish don't like temperatures over 75°F (24°C), but they appear to like seasonal changes where the temperature dips to the high 50s or 60s (15-20°C) in the winter. Understand that goldfish will not eat below 50-55°F (10-14°C).

Fish Aquariums – Tips, How to Buy Aquariums Cheaply

Many fish fans these days are thinking of a nice home for their fishes, with a large aquarium with range of spirited fish, but doing it can cost you thousands of money on your account. Maybe you are now disappointed about the concept of having your own fish aquarium, but there are inexpensive aquarium that can turn your desire into real estate. Although some other equipment for aquariums is expensive, you can buy inexpensive aquariums to decrease the problem. If you want to still engage in your greatest desire, read these following tips on how you will discover inexpensive aquarium for your desire water haven:

• You can look around for sales. A lot of pet stores these days have their annually purchase on aquariums. Most especially the set ups, they do once or twice a season to remove old stock aquarium. You can take the advantage of this purchase to have your desire aquarium. This purchase usually happens during the end of the season or in the middle of the season.

• Look for different pet stores regionally or in the internet. This concept is even better than searching down some purchase. You can discover a shop that has a lot of empty aquarium that is constricting up the area in their shop. Look for the shop administrator and ask them if they want to purchase one of these aquariums for a very affordable cost. A lot of professionals of pet stores may pick up your offer because it is the most practical way on how they can remove mess in their shop.

• Check out some homes that have a moving purchase. Individuals tend to shift locations from locations these days and the least that they would want to carry is aquarium. Especially if this folks are in a rush they might likely to offer aquarium in a very inexpensive cost. They will be grateful selling aquarium to individuals like you. You can look in your community for others who live nearby who will shift and have aquarium in their home to left behind.

• Another very useful way to discover used aquarium in the categorized ads and online stores. There are a lot of new pet groups in the categorized ads most often features used aquarium. These individuals are grateful to offer aquarium to you to get rid of them.

• Talk to people such as friends and other family members. If you make some discussion to multiple people, you might discover several those who have used aquarium in their home that are taking too much area in their home. These individuals surely want to offer aquarium to remove the mess inside their home. Some of them would to modernize their homes and would not want aquarium to be part of their remodeling.

If you are really determine to discover inexpensive aquarium you can definitely discover one. Nothing is difficult in this world these days. You can always discover what you are looking for if you will look for options.

For more information:

Aquarium Illusions Inc.

http://www.aquariumillusions.com/

Phone:  780 483-7027

Fax:    780 483-7081

Toll Free:   1-800-559-6546 (In Canada)

Keeping a Personalized created Fish Box Needs Obligation

Custom fish tanks make a unique eye-catching operate for your home. But there is a lot more to looking after a custom-made created container than the simple reality that it looks very. Fish are amazing creatures and if you are going to keep them in captivity you have to operate to look after them.

You need to take some time planning the set up of your container before purchasing your seafood. Once set up, you will have to expert how to refreshing out your custom-made created fish tanks continually. You should have a look at your seafood every day to make sure they are healthy. You will soon view if there is a concern as they will stop having and or sailing around. You need to notify yourself about your new household. Find out more about every kind you own. You can do this swiftly from the internet, magazines or by becoming a associate of a local action group. Once you know how they are required to operate you will place any potential problems much formerly.

When designing your custom fish tanks, keep in thoughts the needs of the people and your stage of practical knowledge rather than how well the tank will look. You may think vegetation will create the container look very but they add another part of care into the situation.

If you are a amateur you are probably best following built crops and other models at least actually until you become more experienced at looking after your new family household pets. Fish need provides as well as sailing area so you might want to technique your box things on papers before you go to the store. One supplement you might want to make is to buy a box historical past. This papers or unpleasant products will hide the links, filtration techniques etc. but also large of large or image on the rooms behind where the customized made box is situated.

For more information:
Aquarium Illusions Inc.
http://www.aquariumillusions.com/
Phone:  780 483-7027
Fax:    780 483-7081
Toll Free:   1-800-559-6546 (In Canada)

How To Trace A Leak In Your Pool, Ways To Find A Leak In Your Pool, Pond Repair

So you're losing water in the pond, and I do not know where the water is going. Here are some things you can do to find out where the water is going.

1. Make sure there are no leaks in pipes to the outside of the pond. To do this, the feeling throughout the country in which the plumbing is the water pump is not here yet. Check for damp or wet soil. If you find an area that gets wet, carefully dig deeper and wider, is the source of water, or uphill from there. Key-note: the water flows through gravity, so if you find the area where the wet earth, the water could come from there or climb. It is necessary to trace the source of water. To do this step correctly, however, may need to disable the combat system, etc., to dry the ground so you can easily search for a wet area caused by the loss.

2. If you have searched along the entire pipeline in your area and found no leaks, then you want to check your pond liner. To do this, turn off the water source (ie the pump) for a few days if possible. (If you have fish, you may need to provide ventilation for them during this time of an air pump or a ventilation system.) Let's fall in water level is the lowest point in the pond. Then, when sure it is at its lowest level, look carefully around the pond only a little above or in the water. Find all the tears, the projections of stones, etc., which may be the source of the leak from a puncture in the wall.

If by chance your water level remains the same after you turn off your water feature and the water level in your pond has remained the same, then you probably missed it somewhere in your plumbing or drain comes from.

3. If you are sure that the plumbing does not miss a boat pond, you should consider your features like a water fountain or a waterfall. Fontana is a day of wind can easily blow the water out of the edges of the pond. Typically, the height of the fountain should be less than half the diameter of the pond. For example, if the fountain shoots water up to 6 meters in length, then the pond should be at least 12 feet in diameter, preferably much higher.

If you do not have a fountain, but there is a waterfall, and there is no leak anywhere else, check the entire area of ​​the waterfall. If the cascade is not built properly, water can flow behind rocks and boulders, where the water is difficult to detect unless you can dig deep, and the tears could have been done under the rock, when the is installed. In this case, unfortunately, to terminate its own waterfall and built properly to avoid future losses.

While repairing a Leak If you have found the cause of the leak in your pond by a pump or pipe connectors, make sure to cut your plumbing and replace it correctly taking your plumber.

If you have found the cause of the leak in the pond of a hole in the tank line, then you will need to carefully prepare the coating to repair the leak. This can lead to a reduction of water in the pond several inches below the leak, clean the skin very, very well, paving the area with the first adhesive quickly and then place another piece of the lining of the patch (cover band) on it and seal the edges, you can do the trick. If possible, get to the source of the problem though. (For example, removal of the rock or root that caused the puncture, for starters.) Therefore, you can repair the hole properly.

For more information:

Aquarium Illusions Inc.

http://www.aquariumillusions.com/

Phone:  780 483-7027

Fax:    780 483-7081

Toll Free:   1-800-559-6546 (In Canada)

A Wet-Dry Filter, A Berlin Sump or a Refugium, What Should you Use with Your Aqaurium?

Definition

In a world of aquariums, the "Marsh" or "sump Berlin" a general term for an open basin or reservoir of water below the reservoir, fed by water from the surface of fish or reef tanks. The water is then returned to the top of the aquarium, using a pump connected or inside the sump. A swamp can also be part of a filter system which also has an open space for pumps and / or skimmers and other devices used to enhance or control the conditions of the water.

Amount for aquariums

Aquarium sinks can be classified into three categories, Berlin tanks, filters, wet dry and a special type of system known as a refuge. These systems can vary widely in design, shape and mechanics, which prevent us from being able to provide generic instructions for configuration. However, most often a large box like acrylic or glass tank which was divided into two sections in the center. A section is where the aquarium water is delivered. The other part is used to allow a water pump to the back of the aquarium.

Berlin housing

The word "swamp" usually refers to the section containing the pump or vacuum pump. But in the case of a system of Berlin, which is a completely open tank, the entire tank is sometimes called "swamp". All these systems have several things in common. Because these filters are open systems, they can be supplied with water taken from the surface of the aquarium. If they were fed from below the surface, a filter below to overflow and flood, when the pump was turned off. Therefore, they all require the use of a pre-filter overflow in some way, either integrated into the reservoir or drawing that hangs on the back of the aquarium.

What should I use?

The big question is always asked, which service to use? In general, if the aquarium is live rock aquarium or sump, then the Wet-Dry filter is not necessary, because it really is just a temporary storage for debris (debris from the tank), and not really desired. The surface of the organic live rock is great and good bacteria to form and follow, and offers the best possible growth of a biological system. Containers for live rock biological media are generally unharmed loads of big fish, because the biological system is so strong.

If you build an aquarium fish only system of live rock, it is not desired, and then the wet-dry filter system or well is very necessary for further growth organically stable aquarium environment the media.

What about refugium?

Sump refugium is an area divided was added to our growing marine plants that absorb the nitrates in the water. These act as a nitrate fertilizer for the plants, and maintain the level of nitrates 0 aquarium or very close to it. Refugium can be one of the aquarium cover is added, or it may be the main sump system with a common area dedicated to the main pump, self-illuminated seaweed, and the area dedicated to the skimmer.

For more information:

Aquarium Illusions Inc.

http://www.aquariumillusions.com/

Phone:  780 483-7027

Fax:    780 483-7081

Toll Free:   1-800-559-6546 (In Canada)