Hot Guppies
Guppies are in the happy position of being able to handle a tropical aquarium or depending on the circumstances, live outside in a pond if the climate is a warm one. To get the best from your guppies it is advantageous to keep them supplied with a heated watery environment in which to live.
While the heaters themselves are not large, I would imagine most eco conscious people today would like to keep electricity costs as low as possible. This is achievable by keeping your tank in a room where temperature fluctuations are limited. You will have seen how specialist fish shops keep the room temperatures as warm as possible with out being uncomfortable; this is so the aquariums maintain their warmth and the shop owners do not run up huge bills. Large fish farms have well insulated and maintained external heating services. This also reduces wear and tear on the heaters and in maintaining a steady external temperature, the accidental failure in a heater minimizes any trauma to the fish.
Setting up an aquarium for your guppies will include the aspect of supplying a suitable heater and using it correctly. This ensures that the water is at a controlled temperature of around 75 degrees Fahrenheit or 24 degrees Celsius. This temperature suits many of the fish kept today in tropical aquariums of all shapes and sizes. It helps to maintain aquarium comfort if the top of the tank is covered for most of the time in order to reduce evaporation and as a consequence loss of heat.
Cut glass covers to allow for heater connections and filters to be in the tank with out spoiling the aesthetics. If you choose, cover the external walls with polystyrene to further insulate the tanks. To cover the obvious, attach pictures to the external tank walls so that looking through the aquatic scene you cannot see the styrene but a scene of your choice. These are freely available from fish stores.
Today the submersible and thermostatically controlled heaters bought from the shops simplify the heating of tanks. There are alarms that will provide an indication of a heater defect. Depending on your requirements, it can be an auditory on or a visual one. A software program that will monitor just about everything in your aquarium is available today. The thermostat is heat sensitive and as the water temperature falls, it will switch itself on for as long as it requires to lift the temperature back to the requisite setting. It should not allow huge changes in the water temperatures it controls.
Choosing the right sized heater to heat your tank is necessary to ensure that most of the water is heated and kept at a constant temperature. In real life, out in their natural habitat the guppies do swim in variable temperatures, so all you would be doing is replicating the conditions they are used to living in. Place the submersion heater where the aquarium water will get the most benefit. Generally, this will be on an angle at the back of the tank. Wherever it is placed, it must not be resting on anything, and the water must be able to freely circulate around it.
The heaters usually have explanations for the size of tank that they will service. When you go to buy a heater, take your tank size along as well. The number of liters of water can then be ascertained, and the size of the heater for the amount of water involved. A small stickon, external bimetallic thermometer will indicate at a glance the temperature of the tank.
As well as heaters, the other source of heating comes from lighting. Fluorescent lamps are at the lower end of the scale, while incandescent lights will generate two or three times as much heat. Integrate this knowledge for use with your heaters and learn how to control both systems to get the best results for the least amount of cost.
Maman is a sixty plus liberated woman despite having a husband and four children.
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Arowana Secrets, The Most Beautiful Freshwater Fish in the World?
If you are a fish lover or fish keeper or just have an interest in some of the more exotic and mysterious creatures that inhabit our planet then let me introduce you to the ‘Arowana’ fish.
Considered by many to be the most beautiful freshwater fish in the world with a number of different species found in spectacular colors, the most colorful of varieties to be found in Asian rivers surrounding the Indonesian islands of Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Papua.
‘Arowana’ from the Indonesian word ‘arwana’ or ‘Airwana’ which in English means ‘paradise’ is often called the ‘paradise fish’ by native Indonesians. Highly revered in the orient for its spiritual significance as a re-incarnation of the Chinese dragon, signifying auspiciousness, prosperity and wealth, and even Looks a bit ‘dragon’; like with its large scales and barbells and its vibrant colors, the Arowana fish has become a popular favorite with serious fish keepers world wide.
Like many exotic fish that have become popular as pets all over the world Many species of arowana are now considered to be endangered in the wild and as such are protected under law. They are farmed though and can be bought in many spectacular colors and exported under strict license laws, with each fish having to be microchiped and certified for transport before leaving Asia.
Arowana fish can carry quite a high price tag, depending on a number of factors, such as, the particular variety, the age, younger fish are generally cheaper but are a riskier purchase as the fish hasn’t fully developed and its colors can’t be reliably predicted when it reaches maturity, so its probably better to buy a fish that’s at least two years old, though it will cost you more. Some of these fish can be worth up to $250.000 but can be bought for a few hundred dollars, the less colorful varieties usually being the cheapest.
A fantastic creature to own and surprisingly hardy, they are a great investment as arowana can live for Up to 20 yrs or more in the right conditions. Be prepared to buy a large tank though, as arowana can grow up to 40″ long, tank size will need to be about 2′ x 8′ in size depending on the fish variety.
Keeping arowana does require some dedication especially if you want to do all that’s possible to bring out its vibrant colors, and can be quite tedious, though a lot of keepers claim to form a strong bond with there precious pet and though they are a challenge the doting keeper would say that they are well worth the effort.
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Common Goldfish Health Problems
Unfortunately, our goldfish are prone to many diseases and problems mostly caused by bacteria and parasites. The best way to prevent most of these is by doing frequent water changes, maybe 15% or 10% every week. There are treatments for many of these ailments, but some are deadly and untreatable.
These are many of the better known goldfish health problems.
Ick
Ichtyopthirius, commonly known as ich, is one of the most common goldfish parasites. They attach to their bodies and feed off them. When fish are stressed they are most vulnerable to this parasite. They look like little white dots stuck to the body of the goldfish. The danger is that these miniature parasites fall off and reproduce in the gravel so there will be recurring infections in the tank, and they can take over the whole body of the fish if left untreated. It can be treated with medication or a salt treatment and raising the goldfish water temperature.
Fungus
Fungus is a bacterial infection that needs to be treated quickly or it can be deadly for your goldies. It commonly infects open wounds or develops if Ick is left untreated. Fungus appears like fluffy white growths under their scales and on their fins. It normally develops with other goldfish health problems when the fish is in a weakened state.
Fin Rot
The weakened state of the fish, mostly caused by stress and other goldfish health problems, makes the fish prone to goldfish fin rot. It is a common problem caused by bacterial infections. The edges of the fins look whitish, ragged and torn and they can also develop fungus. Most of the time goldfish fin rot can easily be cured with antibiotics.
Constipation
This is very normal in goldfish. Fancy goldfish are compacted and this causes digestive problems. Foods can cause a goldfish to get constipated, so it’s important to feed them green foods from time to time to help them in their digestion. Frozen peas are a favorite to treat constipation. Watch to see if your goldie appears bloated, is lethargic, and doesn’t.
Dropsy
Dropsy is a side effect of various bacterial infections. It causes the scales to stick out from the goldfish’s body. They will also start floating upside down. Most of the time, dropsy is not curable, but there are times when a fish with a strong immune system will recuperate and survive. You need to treat it with anti-fungus medications. If you feed your fish flake food, make sure you soak the flakes well before putting them in the tank.
Pop Eye
The goldfish’s eyes bulge out of the socket, which usually is the first sign of Dropsy. It can be stopped with medication.
Anchor Worm
When you are looking after goldfish and you notice a white worm like thing sticking out of its body, it might be an anchor worm. The goldie will try to scrape it off rubbing against things so look out for this kind of behavior. Sometimes the worms can be pulled out manually, but they can also be treated with medication.
Fish Lice
These are parasites that have a greenish disk shape wide enough to be seen by the naked eye. The goldfish will try to rub against everything to get rid of them. You will see them on the fins, the tail and everywhere else in the body. They reproduce quickly so the tank needs to be treated right away. The ones you can see on the fish can be gently removed manually with tweezers.
Swim Bladder Disorder
This is a common problem for goldfish. The fish start having floating problems. Some sink, some float. Fancy goldfish tend to have this problem due to the way they are compacted. High nitrates and bad water quality can cause the problem, as well as not soaking the food properly.
Body And Gill Flukes
Flukes are the number one cause of death among goldfish. You cannot see these parasites with the naked eye. They are strong and survive for many days, even months in colder water. Gill flukes can also be found on the body. Body flukes can also be found on the gills. The important thing is that both bite through the fish’s protective slime coat causing bacterial ulcers, and eating away at the gills until the fish cannot longer breath. You will not see the flukes; you will only know you have a dead fish. You will see them rubbing against stuff, but other problems causes them to do that as well. You can notice heavy breathing, but again, other things can cause this as well. The best way to prevent them is by treating the whole tank at least once a year or whenever you get a new fish. There is a treatment called Prazi that will not harm the “good bacteria” in your filter or stress your goldfish in any way.
Hole-in-the-head Disease
The disease starts when the fish develops a small blister on his head. The blister opens and the area turns red, larger and deeper, until it kills the goldfish. There are treatments that involve injecting the fish with medication.
Costia
You will recognize it when you see a red spot or small hemorrhage under the chin. It’s hard to treat and can result in sudden death. Sometimes doing a salt dip will help, but it kills the goldfish very fast. It is another kind of goldfish parasites and happens when other goldfish health problems are present.
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A Guide To Good Saltwater Fish For Beginners
Introduction
If you have never kept saltwater fish before, it’s a good idea to research into which fish are easiest to keep, since some are definitely less demanding than others. For first time saltwater fish keepers, there are a range of fish that are suitable for beginners. Below you’ll find a list of some of the fish which we think are pretty good buys for first timers.
Damselfish
These fish are relatively small, they only grow to approximately 3-4 inches. There is a wide variation of colours, so they’ll look good in any tank, but most importantly, they’ll eat a wide range of fish food and they’ll tolerate changes to their environment better than most saltwater fish. They’re low-cost investments that will happily breed in captivity, and they’re known for being non-aggressive.
Hawkfish
There are several varieties of hawkfish, and an interesting fact to note is that they lack swim bladders. They seem to “hop” around instead of swimming, and they appear to have an interest in what goes on outside of the tank, which makes them very interesting fish to keep. They’re peaceful aquarium fish that will quite happily eat a variety of live, freeze dried and frozen foods – they’re not fussy!
Yellow Tang
If you’re looking for beginner fish that you can keep a large number of in the same tank, the yellow tang is the perfect fish for you. Unlike large numbers of marine fish species which you can only keep one of per tank, these will quite happily live in groups. The yellow tang likes to feed on green algae within the tank, so they’ll help to keep algae numbers down. Plus, they can tolerate changes to water conditions if they happen to fluctuate for some reason.
Clownfish
Most people know that Clownfish like to live near anemones, but they can also be quite easily kept without them. Clownfish aren’t very demanding marine fish, so they’re a great choice for beginners. When you get more proficient at keeping marine fish, you may also want to introduce anemones to make your tank into a better environment for them. When you’re just starting out, however, it’s best to concentrate just on the fish! Clownfish can be territorial with other members of their species, so it’s best to only keep one in your tank at a time.
Blennies
Blennies are small bottom feeders, they’ll happily graze on algae within your marine tank. Like the previously mentioned hawkfish, these only tend to swim short distances so they have the appearance of “hopping” from place to place. They’re interesting to watch, and easy to keep as long as you provide them with some sort of cave to call home, plus a diet of vegetable matter.
Gobies
Last but not least, Gobies are one of the most diverse groups of marine fish. They range from neon Gobies to firefish and watchmen gobies. Gobies tend to be small, brightly coloured and very easy to keep in a marine tank as they are calm natured fish. Remember to keep only one species per tank, though!
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Practical Ways Of Training A Cat
It is widely known that dogs are more loyal than cats, and training a cat expecting it to change the way it responds to your commands is asking for trouble. They just do not do something to please you at will. If they are offered some a treat they will respond favorably.
Training a cat to resist from biting and scratching furniture or teaching it to potty outside the house is easier. In fact, that is what you should be happy about. It can get trained for all the right things quite quickly.
Training A Cat To Respond To Commands
To make it understand about other important commands, the first thing you need to do when training a cat is to ensure it will come to you when you want it to. This is not that difficult if you use some bait. Food is good to lure the cat.
Bottle openers, can openers, aroma of food, milk can entice the kitten to respond. Start training a cat early so that it understands why you are feeding it so often. They have sharp ears, so making sound when filling a cat bowl will always work.
Ensure the cat is healthy by feeding it good food. Sudden changes in diet or frequent changes in food make cat training difficult. You must remember that initial training will make the cat respond favorably to more complicated duties later like being on its best behavior in public or when you visit a relative or friend.
Refer To A Good Book
Cats have been in contact with humans for centuries, but they are still a stubborn animal that can be tamed. Training a cat with the help of the right book is a good approach for first timers. There are many books out there on different topics, but you should be looking for one either written by a veterinary doctor or breeder.
Gather insight on training a cat from day one. It should cover topics on all aspects including potty training, grooming, healthy food, noticing signs of distress, and behavioral training techniques that will help you recognize and solve potential problems quickly.
Getting books is easy. You either get them in hard copies that are delivered to your home or read them online as an eBook. You also have the option of joining membership sites that offer useful information on cats and have experts on their panel to answer queries you may have on training cats.
Repeat Commands That Work
Now that you have gathered relevant information from a book or other sources on training a cat, it is time to implement them effectively. A simple rule of thumb to follow is to repeat commands that work. You could be training the cat with food, voice commands, or a leash.
Whatever works should be repeated till the cat instinctively responds even when experiencing some distress. Lastly, training a cat is not actually required in the true sense. Teach them some basic rules and help them develop good potty habits. The rest will follow. Spend more time with the pet and love and care for it.
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