How to Take Care of Betta Fish

by: Mike Hickmon


Betta fish, also known as Betta Splendens and Siamese fighting fish can be popular pets because they are friendly, interactive and can have low costs for maintenance and care. Betta fish can live for up to four years and there are some simple steps that you can follow in how to take care of betta fish so that your fish will stay happy and healthy and with you for a long time.

Before you purchase a betta fish, an important point to remember in how to take care of betta fish is what equipment that you will need to make sure that your betta fish remains healthy. You will need:

1. A 5-10 gallon fish tank
2. A filter
3. A heater
4. Water conditioner such as chlorine
5. A fish net
6. Betta fish food which is high in protein
7. Smooth stones or gravel which cover the bottom of the tank
8. Ornaments to decorate your tank as well as places for betta fish to rest on so that they do not drag their fins on the bottom of the tank and leave them prone to fin rot.

Once you have all of these items, then you are now ready to know how to take care of betta fish. The first important step in how to take care of betta fish is to prepare the home of your betta fish and you should take some of these points into consideration:

When choosing a home, you should remember that in the wild betas come from Thai rice paddies and they are capable of living in quite shallow but spacious environments. When choosing a tank for your betta, you should remember to give your fish a good sized tank to help prolong life expectancy and more water is obviously better. If you are keeping your betta fish with other fish then you should use a tank which holds at least ten gallons of water. And remember- larger fish tanks will enhance the betta’s quality of life.

You should also decorate your betta fish tank and you should remember that one of the betta’s better known features is that it can breathe oxygen in the air and the water so you do not need to worry about aeration. You should decorate the tank with colored stones or gravel, silk plants and even a cave structure so that the betta can hide, remember the more creative the living space the happier the betta will be. Add a filter and a small heater to take care of betta fish. 


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About The Author

The author has created a review site that provides you with the most in-depth and complete analysis of the best care of betta fish guide called Caring for Betta Fish.

http://pet-whisperer.com/Betta-Lovers-Guide-Review.html

How to Deal With Cichlid Diseases

by: Simon Edwards


Taking care of cichlids is a pretty simple task provided you adhere to some simple guidelines. Cichlids like you and I also suffer from sickness and diseases, and as their owner it is your responsibility to keep them at optimal health, meaning its good to keep an eye out for any signs of disease or sickness. If you neglect your fish then they will surely peril. 

Photo by: Ron's Aquarium photos 

Diseases in cichlid fish can be caused by parasites in the body, fungi on their exterior and also bad bacteria in the tank water.

Things that you want to look out for are cloudy or puffy eyes, sores on their bodies, loss of color, restricted movement, bloating of stomach or internal organs. Any of these symptoms are usually caused by some sort of bacterial infection.

If you observe any strange looking growth around the face area or sporadic behavior in the tank like darting about in a crazy manner you may be looking at some sort of fungal infection.

If you see any weak breathing, impaired movement, mucus growth on the skin, loss of appetite, spots, intense scratching. These are generally the sign of parasite infection which may include leeches, worms or lice.

Just about the most common cichlid disease is Hole in the head disease. Hexamita, usually results in rapid weight loss and a major loss of appetite, and you will also notice little indentations on and around the head area.

Ich or Ichtyophthirius is also another common cichlid disease. With this particular ailment whitened crystal marks show up on the head first, and then propagate over the entire body. Inhaling and exhaling is fast, the fish scrapes a great deal, and also the eye balls and fins all become cloudy.

When the belly is enlarged, and you find reddish scales encircling this area, it is possible that the cichlid is actually struggling with Dropsy. This may be because of germs, parasites, or even cancer. The best way to deal with this is saltwater treatment.

If you neglect their water conditions then your fish may end up with Fish Pox, Fin Rot or even Ammonia poisoning.

Columnaris or Cotton Wool Disease is one you must be very wary of as it is very contagious. Symptoms will be a grey/white layer on the skin, fin damage, ulcers and sores, loss of color in the gills. You must treat this immediately with a good antibiotic type treatment, and u will have to treat the whole tank. The same goes for Fish Tuberculosis which too is extremely contagious.

Another parasite type infection is Slime Disease which causes a white coating of the skin, sporadic movement, reddening around the gills and even folded fins. You must treat this straight away with a good parasitic medication and also by raising the water temperature a degree or two.

Cichlids can also suffer from constipation which will cause a swelling of the stomach, loss of appetite, and erratic swimming. The fish may even have feces hanging off of them. The best way to fix this is to starve them for two days then start them on a different diet.

On the subject of diet if you over feed your fish they may end up with Swim Bladder disease which will cause difficulty in swimming, swimming upside down, floating. Flip Over disease is also possible with these symptoms.

One popular way of dealing with diseases is salt treatment, but this should ideally only be done in a quarantine tank as other fish may be negatively affected. Plus it will not guarantee a cure for all diseases.

Fish tanks with heated water can become an incubator for disease if not monitored correctly. Regular cleaning of your tank and water will be your best weapon against disease in your aquarium.

It is best to spot these things as early as possible so as to implement a cure strategy before it is too late....Good Luck


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About The Author

You will find a vast range of cures and treatments for Cichlid Diseases on my websitehttp://www.cichlidssite.com which also covers cichlid breeding, care, species, buying, tank setup and much much more.

The Colors of Koi

by: Mark Justice

Photo by: Araleya

The Japanese have taken a great deal of pride in the careful breeding of Koi Fish to produce the many different fabulous colors and patterns that are available today. Koi fish are loved and treasured by their owners because of the gorgeous colors and patterns available. 

Vivid and bright colors shoud mark the Koi Fish. Yellow Koi should be a vivid yellow, and black Koi should be a deep jet black. Dullness of color or spots that are slighly off color are undesirable qualities. You also don't want any specks of gray in your pure white Koi. Color is an indicator of the Koi's overall good health. Imperfect water conditions as well as dull drab colors is an indicastion of poor health. Understanding the importance of color and what the colors should be will help a great deal when you are selecting your Koi. It will also help to keep an eye on the color at home as you are raising them to be sure the water conditions and care you are giving them is the best quality possible. 

Koi Fish come in a large variety of colors. Some of the most seen Koi colors are red, black, white, green, blue, yellow and cream. Certain terms and descriptions are used by the Japanese to describe the different colors and traits of the Koi Fish, There are a large number of categories that have been identified by Koi breeders. Gosanke is the most popular variety and it includes many sub-categories such as Kohaku, Taisho Sanshoki and Showa Sanshoki Koi. The Kohaku are white with red patterns. The white on this breed of Koi should be pure white and the red should cover 50 to 70 percent of the body with well defined edges. 

The Taisho Sanshoki category or Taisho Sanke or just Sanke, as they are also known, are white fish with red and black markings. Again the white should be snowy white and the red and black should be brightly colored with distinct edges. Like the Sanke category of Koi, the Showa Sanshoki, or just Showa category are white black and red in color as well. The difference is that the main color is black with white and red markings. There are many other varieties that each come in their own color variations. The Ogon come in an assortment of colors but they are all one color. They sould be a solid bright color with no patterns, or markings at all. 

You can help keep you Koi's colors bright and distinct by feeding them a rich diet. Shrimp, marigold, plankton and blue-green algae known as Spirulina are some of the things added to commercial grade diets for Koi. These foods are specifically geared to enhance the colors and markings of the Koi. Also, adding foods such as freeze dried brine shrimp and daphnia, you are ultimately feeding them color anhancing foods. Each of these fodds have high concentrations of carotenoids, and carotenoid pigments are the major pigments in the Koi's skin.
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About The Author


Mark Justice is a koi fish enthusiast. For more information on koi colors, visit:http://www.raisingkoifish.com

Lemon Tetras

by: Linda Paquette

Glassily transparent, the lemon tetra (hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis) could appear to be just a sunbeam flashing through your community tank if not for background elements like plants and driftwood. Another member of the large characin clan, the lemon tetra has a fairly elongated body like its smaller relative the neon tetra and like neons and other characins, the lemon tetra does best if kept in small schools of six to eight fish.

Photo by: CK Yeo

One of the most distinguishing features of the lemon tetra is their large eyes. The upper part of the lemon tetra’s eye is brilliant red, which is a sharp contrast to the yellow pastels it displays in its body colors. Actually, though, the lemon tetra is quite colorful on close inspection. Body coloring is a delicate pale yellow, flanks are silver, and the leading edge of the anal fin is shiny-bright-yellow and sharply divided from the other rays, which are black. In the male, the rest of the anal fin is broad and fringed in black, a characteristic that is missing in the plumper female. As many male characins do, the male lemon tetras also have tiny hooks on their anal fins. Both males and females have the tetras’ characteristic adipose fin, which is also pale yellow in color.

Although omnivorous and able to exist on a diet of flaked food, the pale yellow color of the lemon tetra displays best if the fish’s standard diet is well supplemented with live treats. The lemon tetra is an egg-scatterer. However, breeding can be tricky since females often have a problem expelling their eggs and after spawning, the lemon tetra like many others of its species, is quick to cannibalize its eggs if not removed from the breeding tank. However, eggs will hatch in about 24 hours after spawning. Fry should be fed a live diet and if they survive, they’ll be about two inches long as adults.

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About The Author


Linda is an author of AquariumGuides.com Hundreds of especially written articles about your aquarium fish and aquarium hobby.

Aquarium Fish Health: White Spot Disease Symptoms And Cures

by: Nathan Miller

Fish death is one of the main problems that beginner aquarist and even some expert aquarist face. It’s frustrating to the extent that most quit keeping aquarium fish.

Photo by FJP

But fish death can be avoided. Most fish deaths are caused as a result of both an internal and external types parasites that compete with the fish in tank.

As a result if you watch your aquarium fish often you should be able to discover when they have been infected by this parasite and be able to treat them to avoid fish death.

Look out for the following White Spot disease behavioral symptoms in your fish:

- Constant lying on the bottom or hanging at the surface.

- Rubbing of the body against rocks

- Gasping at the water surface

- No response to feeding

- General dullness and lethargy

- Hovering in a corner

- Fish swimming with clamps up

The most common of the visible signs is the development of the pin head-size while spots on the body or fins. This ailment is referred to as White Spot disease and is caused by the parasite - Ichthyophthirius Multifillis.

This parasite has a free-swimming stage, which attaches itself to the fish. The most common chemical used in treating infected fishes is Methylene Blue. You could buy a one per cent stock solution from a reputable chemist or aquarium shop and apply at 0.8 to 1.0ml per gallon of water. This amount should be added all at once. Repeat after one or two days.

The fishes must remain in this bath until every while spot has disappeared. A water change after treatment is necessary or else prolonged contact with the chemical may affect the fertility of the fish.

Another tip if you are using a side filter with activated charcoal should remove it to prevent the coal from absorbing the Methylene Blue.

Another tip... during treatment you should use artificial aeration with coarse bubbles near the surface, since a dirty bottom would inactivate the medicament by absorption. A better measure is to remove all dirt from the bottom before treatment.

Methylene Blue is harmless to young fish and unlike the general belief, it does not affect plants if used in weaker concentration.

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About The Author


Nathan Miller


For more great aquarium related articles and resources check outhttp://freshwaterfish.aquariumspot.com

5 Tips For Your Goldfish Aquarium Maintenance

by: Abe Hensley 

Photo by:  axlbxl  

A hobby like that of maintaining a fish aquarium is something that gives one a real pleasure and takes one close to nature. But, sustaining aquatic life in conditions like that of a fish aquarium is not easy if you don’t have an exact idea of what exactly to do. Goldfish is one of the all-time favorites and needs a lot of care. Here are some general tips for keeping and maintaining a goldfish in aquarium.

1. The life for a goldfish is around 5 to 10 years. It highly depends on the fish aquarium conditions and also upon your way of maintaining it.

2. Goldfish is a very active fish and keeps on moving around in the fish aquarium. Therefore you need to give it a lot of space to swim in the fish aquarium.

3. As the goldfish lives at normal room temperature therefore you would need a heater to maintain temperature in the fish aquarium. The goldfish cannot bear any kind of rapid and abrupt changes in temperature so you need to have a good system for maintaining favorable conditions for fish.

4. Remember to put some of the ornaments or plants to your fish aquarium. This would also provide the fish with hideouts. These hideouts will make fish more active and have a positive effect on them.

5. Now, something about the water, that is the most important thing. As the water in the fish aquarium gets old, it develops some very useful and beneficial bacteria. These make fish healthy but it is a very time taking process. Also look for the extra leftover food that is left over and starts rotting up. This also produces lots of toxins that are harmful and may affect your fish badly.

http://www.aquariumhow2.com

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About The Author

Some people just have a calling, they're born with a adoration of something without knowing why. My family never lived near the ocean, however I always enjoyed fish. I recollect getting my very first fish on my 9th birthday, from my grandfather and grandmother; unfortunately the fish perished inside a couple of weeks. I was so annoyed, but that made me study more about how you can take care of them. Subsequently I have studied and built my personal freshwater and saltwater aquaria, made heaps of mistakes, but had so a lot fun. I have assisted plenty of young families build their personal home aquariums...they've been shocked at the difference it has made to their lives. An aquarium just gives this quiet and peace to the room, I suppose that's why I really like it so a lot.

Regardless, please look into my blog and get involved

http://www.aquariumhow2.com

http://www.4LUREFISHING.COM

http://www.4LANDSCAPEGARDEN.com

Feeding Bettas

by: William Berg 

Knowing the right way to feed your betta is fundamental, because not doing it right can have big consequences on your bettas health. Nothing is more stressful than dealing with a sick fish, right? So, let's do it right, and get rid from the calamity!

Here are some golden rules on feeding your betta.

First, select the proper food. Bettas are selective eaters. A betta specific pellet is ok, but live and frozen foods are preferable. The recommended diet includes frozen brine shrimp and frozen bloodworms.

Photo by cod_gabriel

The next rule is to not overfeed your Bettas. Carefully dose the meals, because even if the fish ate all you give him, he will produce so much more waist when overfed and the pollution level of the jar he is in will go beyond safe range, this problem is smaller if you keep your betta in a larger aquarium. Remember not to leave uneaten food in the Aquarium! Once your betta and the rest of the fish is done eating, you must remove all uneaten left over food. If you do not remove it, it will punctually rot and cause havoc in the tank.

Bettas prefer to eat from the upper parts of the water column. They don’t really enjoy eating from the bottom of the tank. So before dropping the food in the tank, make sure you have his attention. Let him see the food, get it close to his face from the outside of the aquarium, let him check out what it is, and then there you go! Drop food in front of his nose. The best way is to drop a tiny bit of food--about 6 frozen brine shrimp, watch the bettas eat it all and then look at the belly, if it looks the same as it did before you fed, it’s ok to give them more, but always watch and make sure to make the second portion smaller than the first.

Your betta should go for the food right away, but if not, watch where the food sinks, and what the betta does. If more than 15 min he has not eaten the food yet, remove the food. Never let the water go cloudy. If it is already, then change it, as cloudy water will threaten your betta’s health. Normally, small bowls or containers should be changed at least twice a week. Larger tank can be changed once a week. And notice if the ammonia and nitrite levels are up the roof, because both are very bad for your Betta. Also be wary of harmful bacteria they can ruin your fish life, but don’t kill of all bacteria in the aquarium since a lot of bacteria is essential for a well functioning aquarium.

During the pre-spawning period you can feed a wide variety of food, including blackworms, Grindal worms, fruit flies, brine shrimp, mosquito larvae and frozen blood worms (all are life except the frozen blood worms). During this period the adult fish may be fed 4 times per day or more depending on how close the fish are to being placed into the spawning tank.

You can start feeding your betta fry, 5 days after the spawning. Feed the fry several times per day, using a variety of foods (infusoria, boiled egg yolk, baby brine shrimp…) made up of small particles.

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About The Author

William Berg has over 20 years of aquarium experince and runs the website http://www.aquaticcommunity.com and you can find more of his articles on http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/universal.html.