Which plants can you get for your Tropical fish tank?

All of us who own tropical fish tanks are on the lookout for new plants. Plants not only provide a balance in the environment but also provide hiding places for the fish. There are two types of plants that are available; cutting plants and floating plants. You will find the description and requirements for a few plants in this article.

Rotala is a cutting plant. It has soft, red leaves. It needs bright light for its growth. The suitable temperature for it ranges between 22 to 28 degrees Celsius. A pH of around 5 is needed for Rotala. It grows until it has leaves which float on the water surface.

Giant Hygrophila is another cutting one. It is also called Indian Water Star. It has broad leaves. It provides great shelter to the fish and also provides sites for spawning. It needs intense light and hard water for its growth. A temperature of 20 to 28 degrees Celsius is and pH of 5 to 7 is needed for Giant Hygrophila. It is a plant that will grow very quickly and requires trimming at a regular basis.

Among floating plants, the Butterfly Fern is very famous. It is also called Eared Watermoss. It does not require much maintenance. This plant is used by bubble nesters for their nests. They are also a shelter for the fry. A problem with floating plants is that they can block the sunlight for other plants and fish so they should be trimmed.

Another famous floater is Java Moss. It gets attached to driftwood, rocks and roots. It does not have any special requirements. Low light is favorable for its growth. A temperature of 21 to 24 degrees Celsius helps in its growth but the temperature can rise up to 32 degrees without any harm to the plant. You will have to tie the plant with a rock at first. Afterwards it forms its own attachment sites. This plant also provides sites for spawning to take place. You just need to keep it free from algae.

All these plants if included in your tropical fish tank will surely make it a treat to watch for the viewers.

tropical fish tank

Fish Disease Symptoms in Tropical Freshwater Fish Tanks Aquariums - Fin and Tail Rot

Most common infections found in in tropical fish tanks are caused by bacteria present in the tank. Similarly, Fin and Tail rot are one of the most common type of diseases found in fish. These are caused by Cytophaga bacteria. This effects the fish having long and soft fins. Their symptoms have quite a wide range. The fins start looking as if they are bitten or shredded. The lesions become grayish and edges become reddened. Thcan get even worse if they convert to ulcers that are orange or yellow in color. This has an adverse effect on the fish that they become restless and reluctant to be fed. If left untreated for a longer time, this will cause the fish to have white patches on the fins that’ll show that the cells have been greatly damaged.

Ultimately, this might spread more onto the fish body that causes fish to have rapid respiration and also great amount of mucous in gills. Also, you’ll find the lips to be swollen.

Causes:

Its imperative to know the reasons for this disease so that it can be avoided in a tropical fish tank to the most possible extent. Usually, the bacteria is present in all conditions in the tropical fish tank. But, there are certain conditions in which they get triggered and thus causing trouble. These conditions need to be determined.

Usually it’s the stress conditions prevailing in the tank that cause this disease to get triggered. The stress is caused by unsatisfactory conditions prevailing in the tank. This bacteria is introduced into the tank by new fish added to the tank and brought from the pet store. The fish release this bacteria into tropical fish tank through feces.

You must keep on performing the water quality test. This will enable you to look for the amount of harmful bacteria present in your tropical fish tank and also the buildup of unwanted chemicals. Perform 15% of water replacement every week. Also do vacuuming of the gravel. Any uneaten food should also be removed from the tank to avoid any kind of difficulties.

tropical fish tank

What ornaments can you put in your Aquarium for Fish

Pet keeping is a hobby enjoyed by many of us. However those of you who live in apartments cannot keep pets. An alternate option that you have is to keep an aquarium for fish. An aquarium can be as colorful as you make it to be. You can add a variety of ornaments in your aquarium for fish.

When you are choosing decoration objects for your aquarium do not buy anything that is made of limestone or plastic. These objects will alter the chemistry of the water in your aquarium. Limestone increases the pH and this alkalinity can be fatal for the fish. Also keep in mind that cockleshell and coral are not beneficial for the health of the fish.

You should test the objects if they contain any limestone in them. You can do this by putting a drop of vinegar on its surface. If you see bubbles then the object has limestone in it and you should not put it in your aquarium.

In this regard, granite is considered as a harmless substance. Ornaments and rocks made out of it can be easily used in the aquarium. You can use it as a substrate as well. Make sure that your aquarium has live plants. They not only provide a balance to the environment but also act as ornaments. These ornaments also provide hiding places to the fish. The fish need these places to sleep and take rest. The plants however, do need some care regarding pruning and cleaning.

You should clean any object that you add. Wash it thoroughly with warm water. If possible soak up the ornament in water for a couple of days to remove any chemicals that are stuck to the object’s surface in the form of paints, dyes, etc. Cleaning is the most essential part of the care that you provide to your aquarium for fish.

aquarium for fish

5 Tips on designing an aquarium for fish

An aquarium for fish needs to be landscaped. The fish are happier in their natural habitat. You can provide this environment by designing the aquarium so as to prepare the likes of the natural ecosystem. Here are some tips that can help you in achieving a healthy ecosystem for your aquarium for fish.

Tip 1: You should research the natural habitat for each of your fish. This will help you a great deal in deciding the sort of landscaping you will require. Study about the habitat requirements of your fish. Some fish require caves or dark corners. Then you need to decide how you can make such arrangements for your fish. You can preferably arrange a visit to your nearest pet store to see how they can help you in this regard.

Tip 2: You can arrange for live or manufactured decorations for your aquarium for fish. You can find plenty of clay pots, plastic figurines, driftwood, rocks, slate etc. If you are using live decorations then you should also take care to monitor the pH levels of water in the aquarium as live decorations for instance rock and limestone have a tendency to alter water acidity. This can affect the chemistry of water and harm the fish.

Tip 3: You will have to consider the maintenance of the decorations you choose to keep. You should choose the decorations that can be cleaned easily. Manufactured decorations are much easier to clean in this respect. If algae forms on your decorations and it is not cleaned your fish can eventually lose their health.

Tip 4: You should select a theme for your aquarium. The aquarium for fish should follow an idea that links all the decorations and the ecosystem that eventually develops. You can also decide on one of your favorite themes like a sunken pirate ship theme or that of a sand castle etc.

Tip 5: You can place the map of your aquarium on paper. This will allow you to make any changes before you finally set out to carry out the plan. This will save time and your precious budget. You can ‘dry run’ the arrangement as you have it on paper. This will give you a fair idea about the final look of your aquarium.

If you follow these tips properly, I’m sure you will have one of the best aquarium arrangements. You can go for two approaches for the aquarium design. You can setup the aquarium and then introduce the planned decorations or you can preset the tank and then introduce the fish in the fish tank. Either way you are bound to have the best aquarium for fish.

aquarium for fish

What can spoil your freshwater fish aquarium?

Of all the decoration items that you have in your home, freshwater fish aquariums are the most unique. They provide you with good activities for your leisure time. It is easy to maintain a fish aquarium but there are several threats that you need to prevent. Here are a few of the threats which can ruin your aquarium:

Ammonia poisoning:

This occurs when the level of ammonia in your aquarium rises to dangerously high levels. This can be because of many reasons. The probable causes are:

·         You set up a new fish tank 

·         Failure of  the mechanical filter

·         Death of useful bacteria because of medication for the fish

·         Changes in the water chemistry

There are several visible differences which tell you that there is a high ammonia level in your freshwater fish aquarium e.g.

·         The gills of the fish turn purple or red and red streaks become visible on their bodies,

·         fish frequently come up to the surface to take in air,

·         fish become less active 

·         they do not eat

·         some of the fish might be seen lying at the bottom

The solution for this is to decrease the pH to 7 or an even lower value. Half or one fourth of the water in the tank should be replaced by fresh water. You should reduce the amount of food you give to your fish. try using chemicals which are not harmful for the fish and bring down the level of ammonia.   

Nitrate poisoning:

It is also termed as ‘brown blood disease’. This disease is because of ammonia poisoning. It decreases the capacity of blood to transport oxygen. You should know that it is nitrate poisoning when,

·         The fish have tan or brown gills,

·         You see rapid gill movement,

·         The fish are lifeless,

·         The fish go towards the top of the tank to breathe

The remedies for this are to replace all of the water in the tank. After refilling add chlorine salt. Increase aeration in the tank.

Algae:

Growth of algae is favored when there is an excess supply of nutrients. Once you observe algae growth change all the water in your freshwater fish aquarium to get rid of it. A good advice is to clean the tank regularly to avoid any threats.

freshwater fish aquariums

3 Steps to Light Your Freshwater Fish Aquarium

Amongst the several arrangements that you have to make for your newly set up freshwater fish aquarium. You should give special importance to your lighting in aquarium. This lighting will improve the view of your aquarium along with enhancing the living conditions for fish. You must follow the following important steps to follow for having proper lighting for your fish:

Step 1: You have two options: either the full tank setup that includes the lights and heater or to purchase the lights separately. If you buy all the tank components separately then you’ll be able to make a good custom freshwater fish aquarium. In case of custom building of tanks, you can select, yourselves, the lights that you want in the aquarium.

Step 2: Selecting the right wattage for light bulbs. You need to have around 2-3 watts of lighting per every gallon of water in the freshwater fish aquarium. Plastic plants require lower levels of lighting in comparison to live plants. Live plants need more light because of different biological processes they have to carry out such as photosynthesis. Most fish are more comfortable with lower levels of light. Brighter lights cause rapid algae growth. You can opt either for incandescent (fluorescent) or full spectrum daylight bulbs. As, the plants need this light for photosynthesis so remember to keep this light suiable and sufficient for your requirements.

Step 3: Maintain the lighting temperature that can help the fish and the plants survive well. The lighting temperature should be such that it helps keeping algae from growing. If you have a few natural plants in your aquarium then you will need a minimum of 10-12 hours of lighting. But, if there is only fish in your freshwater fish aquarium then you need lighting for a minimal of 6-12 hours.

Now, you know the basics of selecting the right light for your freshwater fish aquarium. You are in a position to select the light that best suits your requirements. When you are done setting up the freshwater fish aquarium lights, don’t forget to turn them off when its time for the fish to have a sleep.

freshwater fish aquariums

Top 3 fish suitable for your Tropical Fish Tanks

When you start with a new tropical fish tank, you might have difficulty in choosing the kind of fish you should have. Here in this article, you will find descriptions of three fish Rosy Barb, Striped Hatchet Fish and Swordtail. These fish are most suitable for tropical fish tanks.

Rosy Barb

This fish has a slightly misleading name. This fish is rosy in color only during the mating season. The fish is olive green and silver the other times of the year. It has big scales on its surface too. The males and he females are easily distinguished from each other because females have yellow fins while male have red ones. Also, the males grow larger in size. Condition the fish before mating by feeding them with exclusive live feed. The female should be isolated before the males and put into a separate tank if you are not using a breeding trap. Their fry do not need very special food.

Striped Hatchet Fish

This fish is visible clearly only when the light in the aquarium is sufficient. Hatchet’s feed should contain some live feed along with the dry feed. If you want to have hatchet in your aquarium you will need to have open areas at the top because this fish feeds at the surface. Their females are generally thicker. The fish is silver and olive green in color. Hatchet does not breed easily. If you want them to breed then you should have floating plants. Spawning mats are required for the eggs otherwise the fish might eat them. The fry are however, easier to take care of.

Swordtail

This fish has sword shaped fins. They are green and red in color. As the fish grows up, its sex can change from female to male. It likes algae and needs a large tank where it can swim around. They produce around 60 young fish during the breeding season which is quite a lot. Breeding trap is necessary for them. The fry can be given tubed live feed after few days of hatching.

tropical fish tanks

3 Common Approaches to Acclimate fish to your Tropical Fish tank

Acclimating fish in your newly set up tropical fish tank is an important and at times, a difficult job. But here I will give you three most effective ways to acclimate your fish.

1. Using a Drip

To carry out this kind of acclimatization, you need to have a bucket, some veggie trimmers and a suction pump. You also need a strong and a long air pump tubing that reaches out to the bucket from tropical fish tank. Start by placing one end of the tubing into veggie clipper and the put the clipper in the aquarium. Now take the suction cup and put the other end into the bag inside the bucket. If you want to control the drip arte then you can also use C-clamps. If you have to perform this kind of acclimatization for freshwater tropical fish then you need to do it for at least an hour, before putting the fish in your aquarium.

2. Using a floating bag

It is the most common and easy approach for acclimating your fish. This is, also, a very easy way to do it. What you have to do is to take out about one fourth of water from the container, in which fish presently are, and replace that amount with the water from the aquarium. You have to do it after every 10 minutes till next two hours. Next step will be to use a net and take them out of container and into the tropical fish tank.

3. Using a bucket

This method is also very similar to the previous one. The only difference is that instead of placing the fish container in the aquarium and getting fish acclimatized, you’ll have to use the bucket. You just have to open the bag and take out some water, about one fourth, and replace it with water in the bucket. There won’t be any need to put the whole container or the bag inside the aquarium. You will be using the aquarium’s water in the bucket to put your fish in, for getting them used to that water. Afterwards, just transfer the fish to aquarium directly.

tropical fish tanks

Why Home Aquarium is better to keep than any Pet

Home aquariums were quite popular in coastal areas in earlier times. They were not only the source of joy but also a sign of luxury. Many five star restaurants also had many big aquariums even at that time. Maintaining home aquariums were not a very easy to maintain but this tank has become very easy and affordable with the passage of time. 

Home aquariums add a colorful touch to the surroundings. They are considered as a source of a lot of attraction for kids and adults alike. They also have a healing effect on people around. That’s why they are also used in hospitals.

It is also good, to keep a home aquarium, for your kids. If your kids are insisting to have a pet and you cannot afford having one because of time constraint then you can definitely go for a fish aquarium. Most of the people around have more attraction towards fish than any other pet.

Home aquariums are great entertainers for small kids. They have great affection for fish. But, try to keep them away from aquarium because you won’t like to bring down your home aquarium. A dog or a cat requires very frequent visits for the vet doctor. They need regular visits for their tick and flea treatments with vaccinations. Fish do not need any kind of vet visits and such regular treatments.

In today’s technology era, several cable channels and other addictive video games make children stick to them and this is the reason, children are losing their hobbies. In this case, an aquarium is an attractive and very refreshing addition to any home. You will feel a lot of difference provided that you try to substitute the television program with an hour of sitting and playing around with the home aquarium.

home aquariums

3 Tips For Owners of Home Aquariums

3 Tips For Owners of Home Aquariums

If you don't have ample amount of information about keeping a home aquarium, you are very likely to land in a great mess. All the money you've put into it will go to waste as well. Not only that, but also the time and materials as well. This article is going to help you stay safe from any such trouble.

Before getting any fish for your home aquarium, note this fact that all fish do not live peacefully with each other. The degree of their activity should somehow match with each other. An aggressive fish cannot live with the fish which are timid in nature. And I'm sure you don't want fish to define territories for themselves and fight over them. After all, guppies can't survive with carnivorous fish, that's common sense. For help in this regard, you should ask the owner of your pet shop yo help you out. The only way you can learn about this topic is by research and discussion with others.

The second tip is about cleanliness! It should never ever be neglected in any case. A filter for your aquarium is the most essential part of the whole equipment used in the home aquarium. You should keep regular check about this. Clean the filter on regular basis. This will keep the fish healthy for long periods of time.

Another important tip that will keep your aquarium attractive and beautiful is hard work. Whenever you work hard on something, it surely reflects that. You should keep a record of the maintenance and cleaning routine because we've all heard that excess of anything is bad. It'll take some time for your home aquarium to get in shape and this will require some hard work so be patient and start working!

home aquariums

Ways of getting the best filter for tropical fish aquariums. 

 

Filter system is the most vital part of any aquarium. Those of you who are thinking about setting up a tropical fish aquarium should know about its importance. Filters keep the aquarium free from toxins and other decaying matter like leftover food. Here’s how you can get the best filter for your tank.

The filter you choose should provide multiple levels of filtration. It should be appropriately sized i.e. neither too big, nor too small for your aquarium.

Many good quality filters provide biological, chemical and mechanical filtration.  Chemical filtration accounts for the removal of chemical waste such as ammonia and excess nitrates. Mechanical filters help in removing particles e.g. excess food, fish waste, dead plant etc. Biological filtration is done by bacteria which develop in the aquarium. These bacteria help in driving the nitrogen cycle thus converting fish waste into useful nitrates for the plants.

When you buy a filter, keep the dimensions of your tropical fish tank in mind. You should also decide about the number of fish you are going to keep in your aquarium. There are different types of filters available in the market. You can choose one according to its cost and properties. There are two kinds of filters; under gravel (internal power) filters and hang over the back (external power) filters. The external power filters can handle any sized aquarium i.e. from 10 to 40 gallons so they are better than the under gravel filters. The smallest filters are the sponge filters, and then are the internal power ones and finally the external power ones are the largest and can be scaled according to size of the aquarium.

Once you have installed the filter, you have to clean it regularly after some time. You can use a brush to unclog it. Also, the water needs to be changed frequently. All this is done to promote healthy environment for the fish to grow and develop.

tropical fish aquarium

Can there be Hiding Places in a Tropical Fish Tank?

Can there be Hiding Places in a Tropical Fish Tank?

 

Tropical fish can get stressed out after some time. Yes, you read it right! They need a place to rest too. This is a point that is neglected by many people who do not have enough information about fish keeping. Thus the tropical fish aquariums should provide them with places where the fish can relax. This is of great importance for the fish’s health.

There is a list of things that can be added to provide safe hiding places in the tropical fish aquarium. Some of them include hunks of driftwood, stones, sea-shells, and plants. These objects provide comfortable hiding places for the fish because of their large size. The fish can enjoy minutes of solitude in these hideouts. Like other organisms, fish also need places to sleep peacefully. So, these places can fulfill that purpose too, even during the day.

Tropical fish are a kind of fish which do not like to be in the open all the time. The natural objects used as hiding places act as the fish’s natural habitat thereby giving them a feeling that they are still out there in the tropical waters. There exist a lot of plants and rocks to hide from predators. This makes the tropical fish get used to this behavior even when there are no predators. So, when there is no hiding place, the fish get scared and eventually fall ill. Also, if the place where the tropical fish aquarium is placed is noisy, then the fish might want to have a moment in the quiet.

There is no set rule about a hiding place. You can choose whatever you want. It can be natural or artificial like models of Greek ruins, small statues etc. small flower pots can also be put inside. Whatever you choose, make sure that you wash it properly because if it is not properly cleaned, they might alter the pH levels of the water thus harming the fish.

These are a few ways by which you can provide hiding places to the fish in your tropical fish tank. Such places will also provide more room for swimming around. So hurry up and get nice little objects to make the hiding places!

tropical fish aquarium

Why to use live rock in aquarium fish tank

Why to use live rock in aquarium fish tank

It is widely believed that live rocks just add to the beauty of your aquarium. However, this is not true. This is not the only purpose they serve. They make the environment closer to the fish’s natural one. Therefore, the fish become more comfortable and their growth flourishes.

Water is not the only thing needed by the fish. There is a whole system that they live in. This system has several basic natural entities that provide them with suitable conditions for survival and nourishment. If you want to keep them in aquarium fish tanks then you need to have adequate arrangements that can help them survive in such artificial conditions. The important things for this are the plants and stones that you keep in your aquarium. Live rocks are something that is naturally present in seas and oceans. So, they can provide the fish with best of natural living conditions.

The most important factor of using these main live rocks is that they provide you with the best natural filter. Many a times when you want to keep saltwater fish, you would need to have live rocks too. They are the best when it comes to biological filters in a saltwater aquarium fish tank.

To add to their advantages, these rocks also add to fish aquarium’s face beauty and decorate it. The reason these rocks are called 'live' is because they have macroscopic as well as microscopic marine life dwelling in them. However, these rocks are not alive themselves. They are just calcium carbonate skeletons of corals that died long ago. But, its capability to provide the organisms makes them alive. These organisms help in keeping the toxins away from fish along with maintaining overall healthy quality of water.

So, now that you know the importance of these live rocks for your aquarium fish tank, you are surely going to consider adding them o your aquarium. When you replace the artificial one with the live ones, you will notice that your fish will be more active, healthy and grows much in size.

aquarium fish tank