By Robin Bhattacharyya
Betta fish are beautiful freshwater fish that come in a variety of spectacular colors. They make great aquarium fish for numerous reasons such as being inexpensive to keep and straightforward to care for. Like any pet however, a proper system of care is essential for good health and well-being.
Background
Also known as Siamese Fighting fish, Bettas are one of the best-known types of aquarium fish. They originate in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and certain areas of China and are usually found in shallow waters such as rice paddies and shallow ponds.
Betta fish generally live for two or three years. Unlike most fish they breathe by going up to the surface of the water for air. This makes them quite easy to care for because their tank doesn't need an air pump, filtration or aeration.
Tank and Water
Bettas do well in bowls - a large aquarium isn't necessary. However, do make sure the jar or bowl that you keep your Betta in is large enough for him to swim around in easily without bumping his fins or scales. Also be sure there is plenty of surface area so that he can get enough air, and make sure to keep the water clean.
Keep the tank or bowl in a warm spot - Bettas are tropical fish. The temperature should be around 75 to 80 degrees. Make sure not to put the bowl in either direct sunlight or a drafty spot.
Change out one third of your Betta's water every three days. Use "aged" tap water, which is water that has been set out for twenty four hours. Make sure it's the same temperature as the water in the tank and use a product that removes chlorine as well.
*Important: Never use a fish net to catch your Betta when doing water changes. Their fins are very delicate and can easily get caught and ripped in the fiber of the net.
It's also a good idea to keep a lid on your Betta's bowl because they can actually jump out. Just make sure the lid has holes so fresh air can get in. Depending on space, keep one or more live plants in the fish bowl as well: Bettas like to rest on leaves. There is a special aquarium plant called "Betta Bulbs" available. Set the plant(s) in gravel, and be sure to keep the gravel clean to avoid unsanitary tank conditions.
Tank Mates and Other Species
Make sure not to keep two male Bettas in a tank together because they will fight to the death. They don't call them Siamese Fighting fish for nothing! Females, however, can be kept together. You can also keep both male and female Bettas with other non-aggressive fish species, but don't combine them with any aggressive species or you might have a fight on your hands! Bettas can be safely coupled with species such as guppies, algae eaters or corydorus catfish.
Feeding
Bettas must be fed once a day. Make sure you don't overfeed them, and don't leave any uneaten food in the bowl. They can be fed freeze dried brine shrimp or freeze dried blood worms. They don't usually like worm cubes or flake food though. Check your pet store for Betta food; there are many kinds available, and Bettas will happily eat most of them. However, they like live foods such as live brine shrimp the best. For this reason, a recommended part of Betta fish care is to treat your fish to some live food every now and then. It's fun watching them catch and eat it!
Don't leave any uneaten food in the water. After feeding, use a turkey baster to clean small particles of uneaten food or debris from the bottom of your Betta's bowl. If you don't, the water will become cloudy and unsanitary - it will smell bad and be very unhealthy for the fish too!
Summary
With Betta fish care, always remember that fish are living, breathing creatures just like any other pet. It's your responsibility to feed and care for your Betta and make sure he has a good environment to live in, just as you would a dog or cat. If you follow a good system of care requirements, starting with the tips in this article, your fish will be healthy and happy and will add movement and color wherever you keep them!
Need more resources? Go to my website at www.robjam.com and click on "Betta Fish Care" to learn about a great system for caring for your Betta fish!
Robin Bhattacharyya is a writer, entrepreneur, webmaster and "student of life" based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He writes on a wide variety of subjects.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
A Vital Factor When Caring For Gold Fish Is Knowing Whether Something Is Hot, Warm Or Cold
By Emma Jardini
Here's a quick science lesson, that's relevant to caring for gold fish.
You may remember the concept of thermal expansion. Perhaps you're very familiar with it, even if you learned about it a long time ago.
I won't go into detail, but it is the effect where a substance expands as it gets hot.
If you remember science experiments the same way I do, the most interesting bit was always what happened when the substance was suddenly cooled (thermal contraction) by quenching in water.
The really hot material showed strong reaction as it hit the icy liquid, there and then being misshapen by the rapid cooling.
Now, I am not suggesting that gold fish are just like pieces of hot metal.
It just seems to me, this shared science memory may drive home my point. This is simply that gold fish, like any substance, find it hard to withstand dramatic temperature falls.
Any expert in caring for gold fish, would tell you to be wary of the water temperature in the gold fish aquarium, if you've just cleaned it out, or if you are about to put a new fish into the tank.
Why? Well, is it likely that your tap water is at room temperature? Or that the gold fish tank's temperature is the same as the tank at the pet store? No, to both questions.
And if the difference between the temperatures is too big, it's likely that the fish will not only suffer, but die.
Gold fish are actually quite tolerant of different temperatures, if it's fairly constant. It has been shown that some fish can live when it's so cold that ice floats in the water, and others will live in water at above 80 degrees Fahrenheit for decades.
The actual temperature is not so important - they can tolerate the warm and cold, as long as it is generally unvarying.
However, sudden warming or cooling is quite different and will harm gold fish very easily.
What does all this mean? It's clear. Looking after gold fish is just a tad more complicated than you might have thought.
Don't worry too much however. Keeping track of the temperature isn't that hard. All it takes is presence of mind and some practice.
And every time you work at it, you will move one step closer to being an expert at caring for gold fish, even if your science knowledge is a little rusty!
Get more information and guidance on caring for goldfish at: CareOfGoldFish.blogspot.com
Here's a quick science lesson, that's relevant to caring for gold fish.
You may remember the concept of thermal expansion. Perhaps you're very familiar with it, even if you learned about it a long time ago.
I won't go into detail, but it is the effect where a substance expands as it gets hot.
If you remember science experiments the same way I do, the most interesting bit was always what happened when the substance was suddenly cooled (thermal contraction) by quenching in water.
The really hot material showed strong reaction as it hit the icy liquid, there and then being misshapen by the rapid cooling.
Now, I am not suggesting that gold fish are just like pieces of hot metal.
It just seems to me, this shared science memory may drive home my point. This is simply that gold fish, like any substance, find it hard to withstand dramatic temperature falls.
Any expert in caring for gold fish, would tell you to be wary of the water temperature in the gold fish aquarium, if you've just cleaned it out, or if you are about to put a new fish into the tank.
Why? Well, is it likely that your tap water is at room temperature? Or that the gold fish tank's temperature is the same as the tank at the pet store? No, to both questions.
And if the difference between the temperatures is too big, it's likely that the fish will not only suffer, but die.
Gold fish are actually quite tolerant of different temperatures, if it's fairly constant. It has been shown that some fish can live when it's so cold that ice floats in the water, and others will live in water at above 80 degrees Fahrenheit for decades.
The actual temperature is not so important - they can tolerate the warm and cold, as long as it is generally unvarying.
However, sudden warming or cooling is quite different and will harm gold fish very easily.
What does all this mean? It's clear. Looking after gold fish is just a tad more complicated than you might have thought.
Don't worry too much however. Keeping track of the temperature isn't that hard. All it takes is presence of mind and some practice.
And every time you work at it, you will move one step closer to being an expert at caring for gold fish, even if your science knowledge is a little rusty!
Get more information and guidance on caring for goldfish at: CareOfGoldFish.blogspot.com
Saturday, December 15, 2007
How to Control Algae in Your Aquarium
By Richard Gilliland
It is impossible to eliminate algae altogether, and you should not be frustrated by the persistent nature of algae to accumulate. What you can do is control the condition under which plant life and fish thrives and algae does not. First, how much light are you allowing into your tank area? If you have light for more than ten hours a day, you are assisting algae grow in your tank, so don't keep the lights on 24-7. You can purchase algae eating fish if that would fit with your aquarium's motif. Some fish types that consume algae are three breeds of suckermouth catfish, the Ancistrus, Peckoltia, and Otocinlus. In addition, the Siamese Algae Eater, Crossocheilus siamensis is a great choice for controlling the algae in your tank. If you have a large tank, then the Common Plec is a good choice as well. But they are aggressive fish and do grow to huge size. Saltwater fish that are excellent for algae consumption are most tangs/surgeon fish, or any grazer.
The next step in controlling algae is to consistently change the water itself. By doing this, you are controlling the nutrient levels in the tank, which is crucial. Controlling nitrates, phosphates, and silicates are especially important. Another thing to look for is how you are controlling the iron in the tank. You can include different kinds of plants in your setup so they will compete for iron and other nutrients algae feeds off of in order to how a low opportunity for algae to survive.
Your first battle is likely to be with brown algae, or diatoms, because it appears first by siphoning silicon from the new aquarium tank itself, and unlike other stages of algae, it is unaffected by low lighting levels, so controlling light will not stop it from thriving. You can effectively combat it by changing water and gravel often. Diatoms thrive in conditions where phosphate is low and silicon is high, and this is generally what your scenario will be when you first start your aquarium. As time progresses and the environment changes, brown algae is usually replaced by green algae, because green algae thrives in a higher phosphate environment.
Green algae is apparently delicious and the best way to get rid of it is to bring in those algae eating catish and/or Siamese. Combined with keeping your aquarium only lit for a maximum of ten hours a day and simple manual removal of clumps of green algae, you can control what is typically the most usual and common algae growth in your aquarium.
Red Algae, or Brush, is a real problem because it is difficult to remove manually and most fish won't eat it. Take care of this pesky nuisance by changing your water to RO/DI water and let your Siamese fish tackle it.
Blue Algae, or Cynobacteria, have photosynthesis, meaning the more light, the more it thrives. It is extremely harmful to both plants, by smothering, and fish, by poisoning. Treat your aquarium with erythromycin but be sure you know what you are doing, as you will need to check for ammonia and nitrate.
SaltySupply.com offers the most premium aquarium supplies on the net. We offer protein skimmers, powerheads, pumps and more for your saltwater aquarium.
It is impossible to eliminate algae altogether, and you should not be frustrated by the persistent nature of algae to accumulate. What you can do is control the condition under which plant life and fish thrives and algae does not. First, how much light are you allowing into your tank area? If you have light for more than ten hours a day, you are assisting algae grow in your tank, so don't keep the lights on 24-7. You can purchase algae eating fish if that would fit with your aquarium's motif. Some fish types that consume algae are three breeds of suckermouth catfish, the Ancistrus, Peckoltia, and Otocinlus. In addition, the Siamese Algae Eater, Crossocheilus siamensis is a great choice for controlling the algae in your tank. If you have a large tank, then the Common Plec is a good choice as well. But they are aggressive fish and do grow to huge size. Saltwater fish that are excellent for algae consumption are most tangs/surgeon fish, or any grazer.
The next step in controlling algae is to consistently change the water itself. By doing this, you are controlling the nutrient levels in the tank, which is crucial. Controlling nitrates, phosphates, and silicates are especially important. Another thing to look for is how you are controlling the iron in the tank. You can include different kinds of plants in your setup so they will compete for iron and other nutrients algae feeds off of in order to how a low opportunity for algae to survive.
Your first battle is likely to be with brown algae, or diatoms, because it appears first by siphoning silicon from the new aquarium tank itself, and unlike other stages of algae, it is unaffected by low lighting levels, so controlling light will not stop it from thriving. You can effectively combat it by changing water and gravel often. Diatoms thrive in conditions where phosphate is low and silicon is high, and this is generally what your scenario will be when you first start your aquarium. As time progresses and the environment changes, brown algae is usually replaced by green algae, because green algae thrives in a higher phosphate environment.
Green algae is apparently delicious and the best way to get rid of it is to bring in those algae eating catish and/or Siamese. Combined with keeping your aquarium only lit for a maximum of ten hours a day and simple manual removal of clumps of green algae, you can control what is typically the most usual and common algae growth in your aquarium.
Red Algae, or Brush, is a real problem because it is difficult to remove manually and most fish won't eat it. Take care of this pesky nuisance by changing your water to RO/DI water and let your Siamese fish tackle it.
Blue Algae, or Cynobacteria, have photosynthesis, meaning the more light, the more it thrives. It is extremely harmful to both plants, by smothering, and fish, by poisoning. Treat your aquarium with erythromycin but be sure you know what you are doing, as you will need to check for ammonia and nitrate.
SaltySupply.com offers the most premium aquarium supplies on the net. We offer protein skimmers, powerheads, pumps and more for your saltwater aquarium.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Setting up a new Freshwater Shrimp Aquarium
By Ryan Wood
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.
A very important rule is that you do not keep your shrimp in a tank with fish that will eat them. If a fish can fit it in its mouth, it will most likely eat it, or stress the shrimp out so much that it will go into hiding and you will never see them. When it comes to breeding, the baby shrimp are so small that they will undoubtedly get eaten by fish. You have to remember that shrimp are a natural food source for most fish in the wild. Most of the shrimp that hobbyists keep are genetic breeds which bring specific color strains. Wild varieties are more of a camouflaged coloration in order to hide. Having a colorful shrimp removes the shrimps natural camouflage defense and makes it easy for fish to find and eat it. In other words, if you want a successful shrimp tank, make it a shrimp-only tank, just a suggestion.
First thing you need to decide of course is what size tank you are going to get. Shrimp tanks are typically small, 10 gallon being very common. The reason for such a small tank is so you can manage them better, meaning you can easily remove them if need be and you can count them easily as well as well as many other reasons. This does not mean that having a large tank for shrimp is a bad thing, especially if you plan on having a massive colony. Keeping more than 100 shrimp in a 10 gallon tank is not recommended so keep that in mind. If you want to have a large colony, start with a larger tank.
OK, so you have decided on the size tank you want, now it is time to get to the equipment. Sponge Filters are highly recommended for many reasons: baby shrimp won't get sucked up into the intakes, great bio-load with the sponges, and they are inexpensive. You do not need to go out and purchase an expensive canister filter for a small shrimp tank. Sponge filters are best for smaller tanks. You can always use a canister/HOB filter for a larger tank and slip a sponge over the intake to prevent the shrimps from getting sucked into the filter. Most have reported though that after switching to a sponge filter they have seen a dramatic increase in the number of baby shrimp, suggesting that other filter types are killing them via the intake. I cannot confirm this because I use a sponge slip over the intake of my HOB AquaClear-50 filter on my 10 gallon tank. Also, sponge filters are also best for bare tanks. If you have a lot of plants you will need good circulation, which a sponge filter may not provide enough of. You make the decision, either way you will still be able to breed shrimp, just cover the intake to protect the shrimp.
Now you need to get substrate for your new tank. This can be a tricky choice and many people prefer different types. I pick the type of substrate based on the water parameter requirements of the shrimp I wish to keep. Remember that some shrimp need hard water, and some need soft water. Some shrimps need high-ph, and others low-ph. ADA Aquasoil is a substrate chosen by many hobbyists who wish to have soft, acidic water. Aquasoil also helps buffer the low ph. This substrate is best suited for shrimp that fit the soft, acidic requirements. If you notice, most Crystal Red Shrimp(CRS) breeders keep their CRS in tanks with ADA Aquasoil substrate. You can also use an inert substrate along with peat to lower ph and hardness, although buffering the ph is more difficult this way and I don't recommend it.
For a hard-water, high-ph tank, you can use an inert substrate instead of Aquasoil. Use a smaller amount of peat as well in a tank with inert substrate to keep the ph from becoming too alkaline, but not enough to drop the hardness of the water. This all depends on your tap water of course. If your tap is coming out at the ph and hardness you want when using an inert substrate then it is best not to touch a thing. My ph comes out at over 8.0, so I need to use peat in my hard water tank just to bring the ph down a bit and soften the water as well. It may sound difficult to get the ph and hardness you want, but trust me it really isn't as long as you have the right setup.
Next on the list is vegetation in your shrimp tank. It is HIGHLY recommended that you have some form of vegetation in your tank. Whether it is moss, stem plants, rhizome plants, etc., as vegetation provides cover, removes ammonia and nitrates from the water, and provide a good food surface for the shrimp, especially the baby shrimp. Moss is commonly used because it acts as a fine comb and holds a lot of microorganisms which the baby shrimp eat. You can use stem plants, which are also a good choice because they grow fast, remove harmful nutrients in the water faster, provide cover, and are also good food surfaces. Remember though that you may need to have CO2 in your tank in order to grow most stem plants, so use moss/anubias/ferns if you do not plan to inject CO2.
Fertilizers can be tricky when used in a shrimp tank. I have a heavily planted 10 gallon tank with plenty of high maintenance stem plants, moss, and anubias. The tank is injected with CO2 (DIY) and I dose plenty of fertilizers. I DO NOT dose nitrate however, I only dose Kent Pro-Plant, Seachem Iron, and K2PO4 (phosphate). I also do not dose anything with copper (Seachem Flourish, etc.). Excessive copper is sure to kill your shrimp as you may have read elsewhere. I have been dosing a lot of the abovementioned fertilizers for a long time and have not had problems with my Red Cherry Shrimp at all. They still breed like crazy. However, unless you are experienced with high maintenance planted tank and using fertilizers, I don't recommend attempting to grow shrimp in a similar tank. You can very easily kill your shrimp because fertilizers and plant uptakes are not easy chemistry.
Lighting and heating are pretty self-explanatory. Use a heater to keep your tank at the recommended temperature, and only use a small amount of light for the mosses/ferns/anubias.
Good luck. Go to http://www.planetinverts.com/forum to ask any questions you may have.
By: Ryan Wood
Planet Inverts.com
Planet Inverts.com Shrimp Store
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.
A very important rule is that you do not keep your shrimp in a tank with fish that will eat them. If a fish can fit it in its mouth, it will most likely eat it, or stress the shrimp out so much that it will go into hiding and you will never see them. When it comes to breeding, the baby shrimp are so small that they will undoubtedly get eaten by fish. You have to remember that shrimp are a natural food source for most fish in the wild. Most of the shrimp that hobbyists keep are genetic breeds which bring specific color strains. Wild varieties are more of a camouflaged coloration in order to hide. Having a colorful shrimp removes the shrimps natural camouflage defense and makes it easy for fish to find and eat it. In other words, if you want a successful shrimp tank, make it a shrimp-only tank, just a suggestion.
First thing you need to decide of course is what size tank you are going to get. Shrimp tanks are typically small, 10 gallon being very common. The reason for such a small tank is so you can manage them better, meaning you can easily remove them if need be and you can count them easily as well as well as many other reasons. This does not mean that having a large tank for shrimp is a bad thing, especially if you plan on having a massive colony. Keeping more than 100 shrimp in a 10 gallon tank is not recommended so keep that in mind. If you want to have a large colony, start with a larger tank.
OK, so you have decided on the size tank you want, now it is time to get to the equipment. Sponge Filters are highly recommended for many reasons: baby shrimp won't get sucked up into the intakes, great bio-load with the sponges, and they are inexpensive. You do not need to go out and purchase an expensive canister filter for a small shrimp tank. Sponge filters are best for smaller tanks. You can always use a canister/HOB filter for a larger tank and slip a sponge over the intake to prevent the shrimps from getting sucked into the filter. Most have reported though that after switching to a sponge filter they have seen a dramatic increase in the number of baby shrimp, suggesting that other filter types are killing them via the intake. I cannot confirm this because I use a sponge slip over the intake of my HOB AquaClear-50 filter on my 10 gallon tank. Also, sponge filters are also best for bare tanks. If you have a lot of plants you will need good circulation, which a sponge filter may not provide enough of. You make the decision, either way you will still be able to breed shrimp, just cover the intake to protect the shrimp.
Now you need to get substrate for your new tank. This can be a tricky choice and many people prefer different types. I pick the type of substrate based on the water parameter requirements of the shrimp I wish to keep. Remember that some shrimp need hard water, and some need soft water. Some shrimps need high-ph, and others low-ph. ADA Aquasoil is a substrate chosen by many hobbyists who wish to have soft, acidic water. Aquasoil also helps buffer the low ph. This substrate is best suited for shrimp that fit the soft, acidic requirements. If you notice, most Crystal Red Shrimp(CRS) breeders keep their CRS in tanks with ADA Aquasoil substrate. You can also use an inert substrate along with peat to lower ph and hardness, although buffering the ph is more difficult this way and I don't recommend it.
For a hard-water, high-ph tank, you can use an inert substrate instead of Aquasoil. Use a smaller amount of peat as well in a tank with inert substrate to keep the ph from becoming too alkaline, but not enough to drop the hardness of the water. This all depends on your tap water of course. If your tap is coming out at the ph and hardness you want when using an inert substrate then it is best not to touch a thing. My ph comes out at over 8.0, so I need to use peat in my hard water tank just to bring the ph down a bit and soften the water as well. It may sound difficult to get the ph and hardness you want, but trust me it really isn't as long as you have the right setup.
Next on the list is vegetation in your shrimp tank. It is HIGHLY recommended that you have some form of vegetation in your tank. Whether it is moss, stem plants, rhizome plants, etc., as vegetation provides cover, removes ammonia and nitrates from the water, and provide a good food surface for the shrimp, especially the baby shrimp. Moss is commonly used because it acts as a fine comb and holds a lot of microorganisms which the baby shrimp eat. You can use stem plants, which are also a good choice because they grow fast, remove harmful nutrients in the water faster, provide cover, and are also good food surfaces. Remember though that you may need to have CO2 in your tank in order to grow most stem plants, so use moss/anubias/ferns if you do not plan to inject CO2.
Fertilizers can be tricky when used in a shrimp tank. I have a heavily planted 10 gallon tank with plenty of high maintenance stem plants, moss, and anubias. The tank is injected with CO2 (DIY) and I dose plenty of fertilizers. I DO NOT dose nitrate however, I only dose Kent Pro-Plant, Seachem Iron, and K2PO4 (phosphate). I also do not dose anything with copper (Seachem Flourish, etc.). Excessive copper is sure to kill your shrimp as you may have read elsewhere. I have been dosing a lot of the abovementioned fertilizers for a long time and have not had problems with my Red Cherry Shrimp at all. They still breed like crazy. However, unless you are experienced with high maintenance planted tank and using fertilizers, I don't recommend attempting to grow shrimp in a similar tank. You can very easily kill your shrimp because fertilizers and plant uptakes are not easy chemistry.
Lighting and heating are pretty self-explanatory. Use a heater to keep your tank at the recommended temperature, and only use a small amount of light for the mosses/ferns/anubias.
Good luck. Go to http://www.planetinverts.com/forum to ask any questions you may have.
By: Ryan Wood
Planet Inverts.com
Planet Inverts.com Shrimp Store
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