How To Cope With Disease In Aquariums

by: Paul Curran

Disease in the aquarium is often the result of poor environmental conditions, as this weakens the fish and makes them susceptible to disease. Here we describe four common ailments suffered and suggested treatments for fish lice, fungus, gill flukes and hole-in-the-head

Fish Lice

Symptoms: Behavior wise you will see the fish trying to scratch itself against whatever it can find. You will also see round shaped transparent parasites stuck to the fishes body. Evidence of locations the parasite has visited previously will show as red patches or areas that are scarred.

Reason: These parasites, that have eight legs, are lice (Argulus) that attach themselves by suckers, break the skin and feed on the fish. Eggs are laid away from the fish. Some say that they are often mistaken for algae but if you look closely enough you'll see what they are if they are adult as they appear a green color but the young may not be so obvious.

Treatment: The adult parasites can be removed by tweezers once the fish has been removed from the aquarium. Treat the affected area with an antiseptic. Then you could use a tank wide treatment to deal with the younger and newly hatched parasites with an organophosphate such as Dimlin (Diflubenzuron) but this sort of chemical is now banned in many countries.

I have noted that Parazin P, a medication suitable for treating crustacean infestations, has been proposed and takes several weeks to take effect as it is based on the life cycle of the parasite.

I have also read of a treatment whereby the fish is rubbed with a piece of kitchen roll paper on the parasite affected area, the fish is dipped in water (at the same temperature of the main tank) and all the parasites in that area leave the fish! Apparently the parasites do not like dry conditions, hence the use of the dry paper roll. It cannot do any harm so why not try it?

Photo by Felicia McCaulley

Fungus

Symptoms: The areas of the body that are affected are those where the mucous layer that protects the skin has been damaged. You will see cotton wool like material attached to the fish or the whole appearance of the skin may seem unclean. This is why this disease is often referred to as the cotton wool disease. Fungus types are typically Saprolegnia, Achlya, Leptomitus and Pythium.

Reason: This is a secondary infection as it often occurs after an initial wound has happened or where a parasite has been active or after the fish has suffered from white spot. Could also be due to bad water quality.

Treatment: You can use a proprietary fungicide such as phenoxyethanol to treat the individual fish in a hospital/quarantine tank but try to determine the cause of the outbreak and put corrective measures in place, otherwise it may well break out again. Salt baths are another alternative or the use of Gentian Violet topically on the affected area.

Gill Flukes (Dactylogyrus)

Symptoms: You will see the fish rubbing itself against objects to relieve the itching. It may be breathing fast or gulping for oxygen at the surface. As the disease takes hold the fish will become lethargic and try to isolate itself in a corner or stay on the bottom of the tank. It will go off its food, have swollen gills and a gill may be kept open or kept closed.

Reason: A worm like parasite up to 2 mm long infests the gills of the fish and reproduces there. It has hooks on its body to dig into the flesh which causes damage and possible bacterial infection. But the main effect is to reduce the fishes ability to breath and get in enough oxygen, eventually leading to death.

Treatment: This is an infectious disease so treatment of all fish is recommended. As the parasites eggs are quite hardy, repeated treatments over a few weeks will be needed to kill off the newly hatched worms. Fluke tabs are no longer recommended.

Praziquantel (Droncit (USA) or Drontal (UK) are preferred as they are safer for the fish. Other UK treatments include Paragon (for mild infections and safe with shrimps and snails or Sterazin (for serious infections but not safe with shrimps and snails. A follow up bacterial treatment is probably advisable to counteract any secondary infection caused by the parasite.

Hole in the head (Hexamitiasis)

Symptoms: This disease has an effect on the insides of the fish (intestines) and the skin (under it) so you might see pits in its head and its faeces will appear to be thready and white. Discus fish are particularly susceptible. The fish may swim backwards, it might look for shelter with its head facing downwards and the usual color will become darker.

Reason: A parasite called Hexamita is the culprit. It lives in the intestines and can become a problem when fish become stressed and/or weak due to poor environmental conditions.

Treatment: Metronidazole at about 500 mg per 10 gallons is the normal dosage. Dissolve the medication in hot water first. Several treatments may be needed over two weeks with 50 percent water changes carried out before each treatment. I have noted that some folk add Malachite Green to act on secondary infections.

Putting medication in the fishes food is a good idea because the disease has an effect on the fishes insides. 250mg (0.25g) of Metronidazole in 25g of food will do the trick.

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http://www.fresh-water-aquariums-guide.com/disease-aquarium/

Discus Fish

by: Gendo Ikari

Photo by caz.kovacs

The Discus fish is a South American Cichlid that belong to the genus Symphysodon, which currently includes three species: The common Discus fish (Symphysodon aequifasciatus), the Heckel Discus fish (Symphysodon discus) and a new species of Discus fish which has been named Symphysodon tarzoo. The Discus fish was first introduced in the 1920’s and is now regarded as one of the most beautiful of all aquarium fish. While they are colorful and attractive, they are quite difficult to care for; nevertheless, their popularity continues to rise. 

The Single Most Important Aspect in Keeping a Discus Fish Alive: Water

by: Jordan Wilson

Photo by Foto Martien

Aside from the fact that the discus fish can cost quite some penny, amateur aquarists should be wary about keeping it because they can be quite difficult to maintain. 

It's not that you have to look after them all the time, but they really need daily care to keep them healthy and happy, and this is not a task for those who do not simply have the time, money, nor patience to do so. 

Types of Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp

By Brian Huat Wong


There are many types of freshwater aquarium shrimp. Some are well suited to life in captivity in a shrimp aquarium and some are not as they will die out once held in captivity. For the most part, though, it is fairly hardy and do well with minimal care. We will look at several different shrimp in this article.

Photo by untamedfox

Firstly, the Red Cherry Shrimp. As you might suspect, the name comes from it red coloring. However, the red color in the shrimp is not widespread when you first get them until they get comfortable in their new surroundings. The female of this species is a darker red than the male. Both male and female can withstand water temperatures that vary.

Photo by AuRoRiN & MoOoK

The Bee Shrimp. The Bee Shrimp is so named because of the stripes along the outer shell that resemble the stripes on a bee. This shrimp eats either fish food or algae. If you want to breed shrimp, the Bee Shrimp is an easy one to breed but it will not thrive in water temperatures that gets too warm.

Photo by rmhprintz

Third on the list is the Tiger Shrimp which has jagged stripes like a tiger. It will also eat fish food or algae. For breeders, know that this shrimp will cross breed so if you want to keep your shrimp pure to their original coloring and species, then do not put them together in the same tank.

The Green Shrimp cannot tolerate water that's too hard. It belongs to the Indian Dwarf family of shrimp and when upset or unhealthy, it green color won't be the same. That's usually a sign that something is either disturbing the shrimp or it needs to be investigated for disease.

Photo by Noon F.F.

An interesting shrimp for most hobbyists is the Snowball Shrimp. Many assume because the shrimp has a pale color that is where the name came from. But it is called Snowball because the eggs look like snowballs. You can see the eggs through it body. It is sturdy and breeds easily.

The Malaya Shrimp is a rare shrimp that can thrive in ordinary tap water that is been treated for the chlorine that is dangerous to shrimp. Unlike some in the species, it will not interbreed. The unique Ninja Shrimp is a color changing mainly found in Japan. It has a high tolerance for a variety of water temperatures.

One of the rarest shrimps is nicknamed the Vampire Shrimp. The scientific name for this shrimp is Atya Gabonensis. It is a large shrimp given the nickname because the front legs resemble fangs.

The Yellow Nose Shrimp is a transparent shrimp with a long nose that can appear orange under some lighting. Before you set up your shrimp aquarium, make sure you study exactly what kind of water temperature and food your species will need to thrive.


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Brian Wong is a freshwater fish enthusiast, and enjoys helping others get started in this amazing hobby. His newest book, "The Ultimate Guides To Freshwater Aquariums" teaches aquarists everything they need to know about starting and maintaining a thriving freshwater aquarium. For more great information on shrimp aquarium, visit http://www.freshwateraquariumguides.com


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

Keeping Betta Fish in Your Freshwater Tank

By Nancy Pelsky

Photo by amberlschmidt 

Aquarium keeping is fast gaining its popularity among other forms of hobbies and more people are becoming interested in keeping a reef tank at home. Especially for beginning hobbyists, it is easy to find the aquatic world fascinating and to experience the joys and rewards that goes with it. No matter how fun it is, it could be very discouraging when you find some of your aquarium inhabitants had died. Naturally, when you do not have the experience in keeping fishes and maintaining water conditions, you would probably be experiencing the same problems more often. Such could quite be disheartening and might make one think about ending his aquatic venture.

Setting up a New Freshwater Shrimp Aquarium

By Ryan Wood

Photo by untamedfox

Setting up a new shrimp tank can be very easy as long as you do it properly the first time. You don't want to rush into things! Haste makes waste when it comes to mimicking nature, so please don't attempt rush nature.

Aquarium 101

Photo by Foto Martien

So you've decided to set-up your first aquarium and begin your long worth-while journey into the world freshwater aquariums. But you are worried about what could go wrong in the process.  Don't be!

Planted Aquarium have compiled a number of informative articles just for you to help you quickly jump-start your first aquarium and start enjoying it as soon as possible. After reading all of these articles you should feel like a pro who's been at it for years!

If you have questions along the way, don't hesitate to ask them in the comments section. I'd be happy to answer them.

Last but not the least, enjoy your experience with freshwater aquariums! It's a hobby after all. :)


Aquarium 101 Series

The following are the informative articles we've been talking about. It is listed from the beginning of choosing your aquarium up to maintaining it and it's occupants.


Choosing a Fish Tank

Is Acrylic or Glass The Best Aquarium

Setting Up Aquariums: Where Do I Start?

Aquarium Decorations Creating Homes for Fishes

Aquairum Plants and Lighting Mini-guide

Type Of Fish To Stock In Tropical Freshwater Fish Tank Aquariums

Tropical Fish And It's Aquarium Maintenance

Welcome to Planted Aquarium!

Photo by Chikit Yeung 

Welcome to Planted Aquarium: One-stop Destination for Aquarium Lovers! This blog is dedicated to collecting, archiving, and sharing the most informative articles related to freshwater aquariums on the net. Our goal is to be the one-stop site for all the enthusiastic aquarists out there in search for information on creating, maintaining, and enjoying your aquarium. Whether it be about fish, shrimps, and even oddballs, we have it all.

Type Of Fish To Stock In Tropical Freshwater Fish Tank Aquariums

by: Jill Kaestner

To make your aquarium a stunning swirl of activity and color, you will want to add a variety of tropical freshwater fish. All fish have different colors, patterns, fin designs, sizes, shapes, temperaments and ideal living conditions. For the welfare of fish and therefore the success of tank aquariums, it is vital that you research the fish you would like, to know which ones can live together in health and harmony. For example, you cannot match (i.e. without stressing or harming your fish) peaceful and aggressive fish, ones that like cooler water and ones that need higher temperatures etc. Common sense stuff!

10 Tips For A Successful Betta Splendens Reproduction

by: Laurentiu Craciunas

Betta splendens (Siamese Fighting Fish) is one of the most wanted fish in everyone's aquarium. Breeding Bettas is not hard, though you might face problems at spawning them. They are oviparous fish, the male builds a nest in which the eggs/fry are kept for few days under the strict care of the Betta male. If you follow the next advices, you have big chances to get nice results of your Betta fish spawning.

Setting Up Aquariums: Where Do I Start?

by: Joe Haworth

Aquarium equipment

To set up fish tank aquariums you will need this equipment: filter, lighting, heater, gravel, plants and decor. You will also want replacement filter media and aquarium test kits to examine water parameters and monitor the nitrogen cycle. I enthusiastically advise buying entire system fish tank aquariums which come with all the necessary aquarium equipment. This means you are not confused as to what precisely you need for setting up your fish tank or bewildered by the range of numerous types of equipment for sale. Purchasing tank aquariums with all you want gives you peace of mind and relieves a lot of pressure!

Breeding Tetra Fish Successfully

by: Linda Paquette

If you are keeping tetras, chances are you are breeding tetras, even if unknowingly. In the wild, tetras normally breed during the rainy season, but in the aquarium, they may breed year round. Female tetras are egg-scatters that typically fill with eggs every ten to fourteen days.

The female tetra indiscriminately sprays her eggs into clumps of fine-leaved plants. The eggs are adhesive and stick to the plants. However, tetras as well as other tank mates often find tetra eggs and small fry an irresistible delicacy.

Apistogramma , Dwarf Cichlids In The Aquarium

by: Auke Veenstra

The real apistogramma's come from southern America, they all have the same characteristics, like a complex breeding behavior, as their large relatives, only their size is different. Besides the apistogramma group there are also some relatively popular dwarf cichlids from Africa, like the Pelvicachromis group. From this group the most widespread cichlid is the Pelvicachromis pulcher, also known as the Kribensis or Purple cichlid.

Tropical Fish And Its Aquarium Maintenance

by: Low Jeremy

Tropical fish includes fish around the world living in tropical environments including salt water and fresh water species. They are popular fish in aquariums because of their bright colors. Tropical also refers to tropical climate wherein the climate is warm or moist all throughout the year integrated by abundant vegetation.

Aquarium is an enclosed clear-sided container made of high strength plastic or constructed glass for keeping or raising animals and plants for research and observation. The ecosystem of the species is copied on smaller scale controlling environmental factors.

Aquarium Plants And Lighting Mini-guide

by: Nathan Miller

Aquarium plants are as important to aquariums as water is to fish. Aquarium plants add more life to aquarium and make it to look beautiful while completing the aquarium community structure.

The most important thing to bear in mind with plants is to form an attractive background, leaving ample space so the fish can swim undisturbed and be seen. The tall, grassy type is best planted at intervals in rows, while the feathery ones look better when they are bunched into small clumps, which makes them to appear like branching bushes.

Aquarium Decorations Creating Homes for Fishes

by: Rajesh Rastogi

 Aquarium decorations are not only beautiful to look at they also have an important purpose. They provide fishes with homes---- hiding places and natural borders resembling their natural habitat. There are many different types of decorations, for instance Cave dwelling fishes love aquarium decorations that structure like caves, holes and crevices. Whereas Fishes that live in dense vegetation prefer plants and other types of tiny hiding places. Decorations are crucial for a happy and healthy aquarium they also keep fishes from getting bored.

Breeding Discus – 3 Ways to Encourage Spawning

by: Rob Clarke

So you have a mature pair of discus fish that have shown an interest in each other but there not laying any eggs.

The most important factor in discus breeding in the water quality, make sure it is soft, acidic and clean. If you have this water, your most likely stressing over why there isn’t hundreds of eggs in the tank. If you have discus ready to lay eggs there are a few ways in which you can give them a helping hand.

Choosing A Fish Tank

by: Daci Georgieva

People think that if you choose to have a fish tank it is a simple decision, but it can become, instead of a pleasurable hobby but, a big disappointment. So consider several things to before you decide to buy it:

Location. To decide where to locate I you should consider not only its size but also its shape. Usually tanks have every gallon of water 8 pounds weight plus the weight of the tank itself. Rocks ornaments, filters, stands, hoods and gravel add the additional 4 pounds per gallon. A 50 gallon tank can weigh over 500 pounds and it can be positioned to a small floor area of your home. There could be an unexpected problem if your corners have been cut with the floor joists by the builder so first you should inspect the floor before choosing where to place it otherwise your tank would shake every time someone walks by,.Even you can find it find it downstairs which is the worst of all. Room temperature is also very important because heat can cause a lot of problems while excessive cold means additional expense in order to maintain a suitable temperature. Direct sunlight is also undesirable as it may cause an algae growth.

Tips on Rearing of Flowerhorn Fish

 by: Goerge Kepner

The Flowerhorn is a very hardy fish and it is relative easy to rear. However, there are also certain measures and techniques to adopt in order the very best quality out of your fish. No fish can survive in captivation without some control with the environment to the owner's part.

Choosing flowerhorn fish will be lively, and don't easy for being caught. No external injuries on the outer fish body. It have to be healthy no sign of diseases found.

The Location of this aquarium really should be placed in a quiet location and avoid direct sunlight or high traffic area. It is best to start using a bigger aquarium of 3-4 feet and above for every adult flowerhorn.

Picking The Right Aquarium Type

by: Nathan Miller

Aquariums have evolved into a very popular hobby, with about millions of aquarium and tropical fish enthusiasts worldwide.

Starting in the 1850s (when the predecessor of the modern aquarium were first being developed as a novel curiosity) the ranks of aquarium keeping has grown as more sophisticated systems including lighting and filtration systems were developed to keep aquarium fish healthy.

Neon Tetra Facts

by: Joe Haworth

Neon tetras or Paracheirodon innesi are members of the family Characidae. Characidae are commonly referred to as Characins. Neons are natives to southeastern Columbia, eastern Peru, and western Brazil, including the tributaries of Solimoes. They can be found in black water or clear water streams

Neons are an all time favorite among freshwater aquarium owners. In any given mouth approximately 1.8 million neon tetras are exported to the US alone. Their petite size most certainly contributes to their popularity. They rarely exceed an inch and a quarter in length. You can keep an entire school of them in an aquarium no bigger than 5 gallons. They are the perfect choice for desktop nano tanks.

Is Acrylic or Glass The Best Aquarium

by: Jim F. Johnson

An aquarium in your home can really make a space come alive. It's no wonder that millions of people are tapping into this hobby. Most hobbyists will start with a fishbowl or a small tank. Invariably, however, they will enjoy it so much that they will soon opt for a bigger size.

When purchasing an aquarium, one issue that often comes up is should I get a glass aquarium or an acrylic aquarium. While arguments can be made for each, when purchasing a large aquarium, acrylic is usually the best choice. 

How To Grow Daphnia For The Aquarium

by: Alden Smith

The benefits of feeding live food to fish in a community tank are many: live food will improve vigor and color, and more closely resemble the food found in the fish's natural habitat. Live food is easily obtained.

Some drawbacks include the transmission of diseases or parasites to the aquarium, it is time consuming to maintain the cultures, and a lot of space needs to be devoted to raising live foods. The cost of equipment and supplies needed to maintain cultures is also a consideration for the beginner.

Online AQUA JOURNAL

A quick share is ADA's (Aqua Design Amano) Online Aqua Journal Magazine.

Here

Plenty of useful information can be found in the "Nature Aquarium" section.  From basics to advanced aquascaping techniques.

It's a good read!