Frogstone

Electric Mills for Coffee– Comparing It to Manual Coffee Mills

2012-01-26T00:48:00.000-08:00

Electric mills are usually used by individuals who don’t want to taste less authentic and instant versions of coffee. They usually prefer those fresh, aromatic and flavourful tastes of brewed coffee. The only device that could aid them in making a traditional coffee is grinding mills. With grinding meals, one could use an electric mill and a manual mill. Both of which has its advantages and disadvantages. A coffee lover would just have to choose between the two of them, since both of them can still grind coffee. Below is the discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of having them for your brewed coffee.

Manual mills for coffee, as compared to electric mills, are not only time consuming but it also consumes too much effort. This is because you usually need to manually grind the coffee itself. In fact, most health junkie would declare that having a manual coffee grinding mill is an excellent way to develop your arm muscles. This is not surprising since you need to manually rotate the grinding handle to grind the coffee beans inside. By doing this, you will be able to finish grinding one cup of coffee beans for one to two hours. This is the obvious disadvantage that manual grinding mills have. You need to consume too much effort just to grind one cup of coffee beans. This also means that you cannot have your coffee instantly, which is not perfect for emergency purposes.

Because of this, if you are in a hurry, then using electric mills in grinding your coffee beans is the perfect device. This device is a plug and play type. You no longer need to wait and use your arm muscles just to have your brewed coffee. You just put in your coffee beans in the container and you just need to wait for not more than 5 minutes and the grinding are done. In other words, if you are in a hurry but you wanted to have brewed coffee, electric grinding mills are perfect for you.

However, when it comes to flavour and aroma, the coffee beans grinded in a manual grinding mill has the most advantage. Because there is no heat generation in manual grinding mills, coffee lovers claimed that the resulted coffee’s aroma and flavour is much alive and tasteful. Comparing the results of coffee grinded in electric mills, due to the heat generation while the coffee is grinded, it resulted to a much bland taste and aroma. Thus, traditionalist coffee lovers prefer to have manual mills than electric mills in grinding their coffee beans.

Boracay Helmet Diving

2011-07-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

more details at localvacationplaces....

enjoy fishing...

Aquatic Stingrays

2011-07-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

We love exotic fish pets and a Freshwater Stingray is one of them. This species are illegal to own or sell globally. You can collect unique species like this in South East Asia Region. Thailand is the famous in this kind of fish. You can buy different kind of wonderful fish is there country in a low price. They also export good quality of lovable fish anywhere in the world.

Spotted Sting Rays with yellow tale, are hardy, active, and easy to keep in the proper aquarium. But they have a poisonous stinger on their tails, and there is a substantial probability that they could become established and reproduce in our native water. So be careful to touch and stay out of the tale they possess because it is really painful to be caught on their tale.

See pictures and decide if you want to own this artistic fish.

Enjoy fishing.

Tankless Water Heater In Houston Needs Eternal Hybrid

2011-07-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

Water heaters are needed everywhere. Bathrooms are never complete without the water heater to control the temperature of the water flowing through the showers. This is the reason why people who have bath tubs can have hot baths with their scented oils doing the magic. This is also why even in the middle of the night anyone in the family can enjoy a warm shower. Water heaters have been a staple plumbing addendum to the bathroom fixtures. So imagine how this technology came to be: tankless water heater In Houston.

Could you imagine a tankless system for the water heater? Think about your last stay in a reputable hotel. Their water heaters do not have tanks, do they? Where did the heat come from? What made the temperature be regulated with just the turning the switch towards the left? Even the faucet in any sink will have the hot and cold feature without a tank that you have to adjust the temperature. This is due to the likes of the popular tankless water heater in Houston.

These types of water heaters that you can say is extremely brilliant use what Eternal hybrid technology has made possible. The tankless water heater in Houston would have the following benefits that only Eternal hybrid can provide any household: it has the ability to combine the flow capacity of tank together with the flow of tankless and this is a continuing process. Either of them has no drawbacks. The Eternal hybrid technology also has the feature of Dual Activation by flow or thermostat sensing in order to have the unit to guarantee that the hot water is delivered even with the fixtures of low flow WaterSense. There is also a small storage integrated within the heat exchanger for the purpose of easy recirculation and the hot water is delivered fast without losing any kind of pressure.

The tankless water heater in Houston has also been effective because it uses a 98% efficient technology which is called the Eternal Condensing Hybrid Clean. The Hybrid way that the Eternal Condensing innovation. First off, the cold water gets in from the bottom all the way up to clean itself from sedimentation then the heat will be pushed through the radiating transfer pipes. Next step is to have the three cycle process that allows the heat to be pushed in three directions by the use of the water and maximizes the transfer of energy in the whole action. To translate it into simpler terms, the patient slows down the exit of the heat by using the energy over and over again instead of bringing down the water pressure. Therefore the effectiveness oftankless water heater Houston is proven to guarantee hot water all the time.

Puka Beach Resort

2011-07-14T02:22:00.000-07:00

Isla Jardin del Mar

2011-07-12T23:50:00.001-07:00

visit localvacationplaces

4ML beach Resort

2011-07-12T01:39:00.000-07:00

More details on localvacationplaces.

Baking Accessories: Only from Harvey’s

2011-07-12T01:22:00.000-07:00

Harvey’s, a 24/7 online store offers a number of baking accessories available for sale. They’re currently on sale right now so you might want to check out what they have to offer.

First off, they have this cute Chicken Timer that is shaped like a hen and winds up as a reminder. Priced at $11.99, it can add a little color to your kitchen just right next to your cooking pans and countertops. It has a pleasant shrill when the time is up and winds up to 60 minutes. It stands about 3.5 inches and it’s one of those baking accessories that will help you keep tabs on cooking time.

Next on the list is Harvey’s Bread Slicer with Crumb Catcher. Specially priced at $17.95, this equipment complements your baking accessories as it will help you cut your loaf without cutting your hand. It’s made of wood and plastic which is fixed enough to guide your knife.

As with any set of baking accessories, a really good bread pan like Norpro 8 Inch Non-Stick Bread Pan does the trick. Perfect for creating meatloaves, desserts and bread, this nonstick steel-pan is made with special rigidity to withstand oven heat. Tapered on the sides and with square corners, this is a great addition to you at just $9.99.

When making bread or any kind of pastry, one would always need a handy dough knife. Harvey’s happen to have one on sale at $5.99 from its original price of $7.99. With its handle made of wood, it’s very easy to grip and use. This dough knife measures 6”x 3” and has measuring markers on its blade. Made for precision and detail, this is a must beside your rolling pin.

Lastly, one of the best baking accessories that Harvey’s can provide is the Home Bakery X-20. It is electronic equipment that can cook bread with a touch of a button. It can do a standard rectangular 2 lbs. loaf in just 2 hours. It has controls for crust color and has automatic settings for baking wheat, white, dough, fruit jam, cake, and so on. If you keep on baking the same set of pastries, you can program this appliance to do presets. It can turn off by itself as one of its safety features. It comes with instructional manuals and videos to teach you how to use its LCD screen. It even actually has a viewing window and comes with non-stick baking pan customized for it. It can be bought from the online store at reduced price of $214.95.

Isla Parilla Resort, Sarangani

2011-07-08T00:16:00.000-07:00

Top View

Morning View

Side View

At night

More Info at Local Vication Places

flowerhorn crossbreed fish Thailand

2011-07-07T02:34:00.000-07:00

FH Thai Pullen

2011-07-05T19:57:00.001-07:00

Sarangani ECO PARK

2011-07-04T10:14:00.001-07:00

History of Flowerhorn Picture

2011-06-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

Abreeza Mall of Davao

2011-05-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

A long wait is over. Today the newest mall and the wonder of robinson chain of mall create the biggest mall in davao this is called abreeza. Mark you calendar, thursday, may 12, 2011 is the grand opening of the mall.

Lets go and shop to abreeza.

CocoBeach Resort

2011-05-10T21:17:00.001-07:00

For Inquiries or reservations,call or text:

Clifford-09182965217

Inday-09278237780

Landline w/text- (083)893-03-24

beach in sarangani

2011-05-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

frogstone-restday.blogspot.com Overview

2011-03-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

My blog is 3 years now and I'm proud to check the standing on it. Here is the positive result of my blog.

frogstone-restday.blogspot.com Overview

frogstone-restday.blogspot.com has 5276395 traffic rank in world by alexa. frogstone-restday.blogspot.com is getting 208 pageviews per day and making USD 2.04 daily. frogstone-restday.blogspot.com has 120 backlinks according to yahoo and currently not listed in Dmoz directory. frogstone-restday.blogspot.com is hosted in United States at Google data center. frogstone-restday.blogspot.com is most populer in . Estimeted worth of frogstone-restday.blogspot.com is USD 1489.2 according to websiteoutlook

Domain frogstone-restday.blogspot.com

Title Frogstone
Description
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Rating 1.5 out of 5.0 by WebsiteOutlook

frogstone-restday.blogspot.com Traffic History

Time Range Traffic Rank Reach Rank Reach PerMillion PageViews Rank
3 Months 5276395 4578564 0.22 7121335 NaN 1.2
1 Months 6206569 5380353 0.21 7717328 NaN 1
7 Days 4162007 3601056 0.4 4522395 NaN 1

2 to 3 years OLD FlowerHorn

2011-02-27T02:29:00.000-08:00

Juvy Flower Horn

2011-02-13T09:03:00.001-08:00

This is a juvenile flowerhorn. A cute one. If you want to buy one of this just contact us.

Free Head Flowerhorn

2011-02-09T21:51:00.000-08:00

Kamfa (white eye) Flowerhorn

2011-02-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

Kinds of freemarking Flowerhorn

2011-02-02T23:13:00.000-08:00

Freemarking Flowerhorn

Honeycomb Catfish

2011-02-01T03:58:00.000-08:00

Scientific Name(s): Centromochlus perugiae, Tatia perugiae, Tatia reticularis

Common Name(s): Honeycomb Tatia, Oil woodcatfish

Family: Auchenipteridae

Species Type: South American Catfish

Maximum Size: 3 inches

Life Span: 5 years

Natural Habitat: South American rivers.

Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons

Tank Region: Bottom but goes all over at night.

Possible Tank Mates: Community fish.

Description: Though a bottom dwelling species, come dusk, they will traverse all strata of the water column--for such a non aerodynamic (or aquadynamic, if you will) body structure, they are surprisingly strong swimmers. When the tank lights go out, these fish seemingly spring to life. During daylight hours, it is possible to handle, and even remove individuals from the water without much resistance.

This is a very good aquarium fish with a nice distinctive pattern and contrasting markings. It's also hardy and energetic, does not hide like some catfishes do, and grows to be about 2.5" to 3" long, which is a very nice size for most aquariums. These are wild fish from the upper Amazon Rainforest in Columbia.

Common Diseases of Flowerhorn

2010-03-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

Mouth, Body and Tail fungus

This kind of diseases is very common to the flowerhorn community. The symptoms of this disease are:

This condition is caused by Saproglenia and other related bacteria.
Bad water quality only causes these kinds of bacteria to thrive. Bacterias are dealing with bad environment
Sudden changes in the water condition can also cause this condition in your fish.
If your fish has this condition, you will notice cotton like tufts at the mouth, body, fin and tail.
You may also notice your fish losing weight.

The only solution to cure this diseases are:

Add Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Aquarium Salt to your tank.
Adding Jungle Labs Fungus Eliminator will also help.
Be sure to treat the whole tank, but quarantine the most seriously ill fish.

We can prevent this things to happen by:

Change your water regularly.
Quarantine new fish for three to four weeks.
Avoid cross-tank contamination.

White Spot Disease of Flowerhorn

2010-03-23T23:44:00.000-07:00

White Spot Disease

The cause of this condition is Ichthyophithirius multifilis (ICH ) , a ciliated protozoan . Bad water quality can increase the likelihood that your fish will be victim to this parasite.Low water temperatures (< 25°C) are ideal breeding grounds for ICH.The most common way Flower horns get ICH is when they are fed live or frozen food that has already been contaminated with the parasite.
The most prominent symptom of this condition are the pure white spots that will appear all over your fish. You may also notice the fins are clumped together, and they act a bit more lethargic than usual. Moreover, it’s common for them to lose interest in food when ICH infects.

The parasites resides under the skin of the fish, hence it is not affected by water treatment or direct treatment applied to the fish . Break the breeding cycle of Ich by washing the tank thoroughly to remove the cysts of the parasite. Keep in mind that this is a highly contagious condition, so your entire aquarium must be treated.

To cure white spots just place Kordon Ich inhibitor in your tank.Add aquarium salt at 3g/l of water every 3 days together with the medication.After 3rd day, tank must be washed thoroughly to eliminate the causative agent.

Caring your Discus Fish

2010-03-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

Raising Discus Fish is not an easy work for the aquarium hobbyists. Discus fish is very sensitive and you should be very careful for choosing the compatible fish with discus fish. The single most difficult task Discus enthusiasts tackle is finding the right partner, most Discus fish like finding their own partner in the tank and moreover you may keep with other discus-friendly fishes. When you spend the money to start up this enjoyable hobby, it is no wonder you want to start breeding and raising Discus fish to cut down on the cost. Discus fish loves to live with a community form.

Those who breed discus as a hobby will be more than surprised to notice that the discus show signs of connection to the environment outside the tank. For instance breeding discus as a hobby implies spending lots of time around the tank, cleaning, feeding or simply watching the discus. They are said to recognize the owner in time and they can get as close to you as to eat out of your hand. When breeding discus as a hobby, some owners have noticed that the discus will watch you move around the room or even react to TV noise.

Once you understand these concepts and tactics for maintaining a proper discus fish environment in your tank, you will start enjoying this hobby more and more. You should know that raising Discus fish will take some time to learn but once you have gained the tactics, your fish will grow healthier and maintaining your discus will be so much easier.

Discus Fish Care

2010-03-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Adorning your aquarium with many attractive species of fishes can be a great way to deck up your living room. And when it comes to beautiful fishes, you simply cannot ignore the discus fish. If you are not aware, you may want to read on to find some useful discus fish care information.

Discus tropical fish are very popular with aquarium owners, however as any experienced owner will tell you, discus are not the easiest fish to keep. If you want to keep your discus fish healthy and happy, you need to learn as much as possible about their unique living conditions, feeding habits, and breeding behavior. Only with proper knowledge can you apply techniques which will turn you aquarium into a thriving ecosystem.
Discus fish are native to the calm warm waters of the Amazon River. Therefore, it is important to mimic their natural environment in order to satisfy their desires. Without the right environmental factors taken care of, Discus fish can become sick, aggressive, or even die for no apparent reason.

Environment factors are also extremely important when breeding Discus fish. Frequently, without proper care, Discus fish will lay eggs, and then simply eat them. However, there are usually very specific reasons for why your fish are unable to reproduce, and with the proper education you will be able to create the perfect environment to produce fry.
Caring for discus fish can be a challenge and a bit of an art form, but it is also very rewarding at the same time. Armed with the right information, you will be able to prepare and maintain an environment that your fish will thrive in. Discus fish are a beautiful and exotic species will make a great addition to your home aquarium.

The discus fish aquarium can be very rewarding and provides fun and satisfaction when the areas of discus fish care are properly planned. Discus fish will recognize and inter act with you. This sets them apart from the tropical fish that just swim, eat and hide. Discus can be observed watching movement on television and they will watch you cross the room. Discus fish are very aware of what goes on around them. Discus fish will quickly endear themselves to you. They will recognize you and eagerly rush to greet you and discus fish will eat out your hand. This personable behavior of discus fish is a main reason hobbyists become so infatuated with them. As you get to know these marvelous creatures and their ways, a full blown love affair will develop.

Flowerhorn Information

2010-03-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Flowerhorn cichlids are not a naturally occurring species of fish. Like humans have selectively bred different breeds of dogs, flowerhorns have been created deliberately by man. Prized flowerhorns with just the right colors and patterns can reach a hefty price.

Flowerhorns are a product of hybridizing and selective breeding of numerous types of South American fish from the cichlid family. They were developed in Malaysia during the late 1990s.

Flowerhorn cichlids grow 12 to 16 inches long depending on the type and have a characteristic knob on the front of their head. They are usually brightly colored in various patterns and sometimes have black markings that resemble Chinese characters on their sides.

Flowerhorn cichlids are not picky eaters and readily accept most fish foods. They like pellets as a staple diet supplemented with meaty foods like worms, crabs or shrimp.

Flowerhorn cichlids prefer a neutral pH around 7.0 and a steady temperature of about 82 degrees. Keep them in a large tank, about 4 feet long and 2 feet wide.

There are many critics of flowerhorn hybridization who claim that they are unnatural and may escape into the wild damaging the environment. Flowerhorn lovers defend the fish by pointing out that there are no examples of any ecological problems and that they are not genetically modified in a lab.

How to Care Flowerhorn

2010-03-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

The Flowerhorn Cichlid is a carnivore with a large appetite and can be easily underfed. So be sure they are getting enough food. Food that will be exact to his diet. In some point if you overfeed your fish they can have negative effect to in your pet. This fish can eat all kinds of live, fresh, and frozen foods of high quality. Feed high quality cichlid pellets, krill, frozen bloodworms, earthworms, night crawlers, crickets, and carotene enhanced supplements. Feed 2 to 3 times a day. It helps with maintenance if you avoid foods that pollute the tank's water. Their looks can be altered by the type of foods they are fed as well. All fish benefit from vitamins and supplements added to their foods.
Like all larger South American Cichlids they need a lot of room. A minimum of 55 gallons for one will be needed, though a tank 4' long and 2' wide would be ideal. If you are keeping them with other large fish, 200 gallons or more may be required. They do fine with moderate water movement and good efficient filtration. They appreciate a gravel substrate and some rocks to hide behind, but will spend most of the time out in the open. It is a digger and plants don't fare so well as they will be shredded. Make sure rocks are well bedded on the actual glass bottom of the tank to prevent toppling. Be sure to have plenty of open space for swimming.
The Flowerhorn Cichlid is a rewarding specimen for the aquarist as it is very hardy and easy to keep as long as the aquarium is large enough. These fish eat a lot putting a heavy bio load in the aquarium, so do water changes of 20% biweekly or 25% weekly. They are subject to infections as well as other diseases that ail all freshwater fish. One common problem is Ich. Ich is easily treated with an elevated temperature of 86 ° F for a few days. Intestinal disease can be treated with metronidazol.
The Flowerhorn Cichlid will grow to a length of 12-16" (31 - 41 cm), depending on its ancestral breeding.The Flowerhorn Cichlid is not a community cichlid, it is territorial and aggressive. This fish is best kept alone. Even your hands are fair game and its bite can hurt. It can only be kept with other fish if the tank is very large, 200 gallons or more may be required. Keeping other fish out of its 'line of sight' will help to lower aggression, so decorate in a way that provides natural borders for its territory.
If breeding you may have to take steps to prevent a pair from killing each other. They are aggressive toward those of the same species. They will will not tolerate those of a different genus.

Bird Wrasse

2010-03-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

Bird wrasse, Greenbird wrasse, Blackbird wrasse, Brownbird wrasse – many names but have one scientific name that is Paraluteres Prionurus. The different names do however have different meanings, so it can be good to clear this out once and for all. Bird wrasse is the name of the species. The name Greenbird wrasse refers to a male of the species Bird wrasse. The names Brownbird and Blackbird wrasse refer to females.

The Bird wrasse has a long narrow body with a long snout. The snout is not long in juveniles. The fish uses its snout is used to reach food in hard to reach places. Males are green. The green can be anything from olive to deep blue green. The females have this color on their posterior. The anterior is white whit brown spots. The snout on the females is orange. The Bird wrasse can not be said to be a sensitive and hard to keep species, but it isn't really a difficult species to care for either. It’s a good choice for aquarists that have kept marine fish for a while and feel comfortable caring for moderately sensitive fish. It is not suitable for beginners. The Bird wrasse can be kept as a singular fish or in pairs. If you want to keep a pair you should introduce the female before the male. The Bird wrasse is-semi aggressive towards other species and can be kept with most other suitably sized semi-aggressive fish species. Do not keep them with very aggressive fish such as triggers.

The bird wrasse originates from the Indo-Pacific. It can be found in almost the entire tropical Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean; frrom the east coast of Africa via Australia and Hawaii to islands off the coast of Florida, United States. They are also humors that this fish really originated in a small island in the Philippines. Its distribution goes as far south as Australia and as far north as Japan. It is most common in the island rich area between Japan and Australia. It is found in areas with prolific coral growth at a depth of 0 -100 ft / 0-30 m.

The maximum size of this fish for Males 14 in (11 in) / 35 cm (27.5 cm more common). Females 6 in / 15 cm. The water pH they want to live is 8.1 to 8.4 with the temperature of 72 to 78ºF (22-26°C).

These fish live singly or in pairs and are tireless swimmers. Only put them in large aquariums since they need plenty of room to swim!

Discus Fish Guide

2010-03-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

Discus fish is disc shaped, exotic fish that is a native of the Amazon river. These fishes can be bred in aquariums, however, they are highly sensitive and need constant attention. Discus fish care requires the water conditions to be maintained very well for their survival. This article dwells on how to take care of Discus fish.

This breed of exotic fishes and is highly popularized as aquarium fish. Discus fish is a native of shallow streams and lakes running off the Amazon river and its tributaries. In the wild, these fishes dwell close to the shore, among the submerged tree roots. They feature a laterally compressed, disc-shaped body which gives the fish its name 'discus'. The sides of the fish comprises of lovely patterns in green, blue, red and brown.

Discus fish care requires diligence on the part of the pet owner. As a pet owner one will have to gather as much information about the fish and its unique living conditions as possible, so as to attain a thriving ecosystem. Understanding their feeding habits, breeding patterns and other needs will help to maintain them properly. One does not want these lively aquarium fish to perish due to lack of knowledge. Some simple discus fish care guidelines that need to be followed are:

Water Condition
Water Hardness
Water pH
Water Temperature
Water Changes
Chlorine and Chloramin
Food and Nutrition
Filtration

These were some basic discus fish care tips. Besides the above mentioned points, one should also note that the discus fishes are social creatures and need to be kept in groups. One should not introduce a lone discus into a tank filled with various other types of fishes. Lone discus fish will survive without their community, however, it will not be happy. After taking care of discus fish for a while, one can even try out breeding discus fish. Though discus fish care requires diligence, it is an overall rewarding experience. Happy Fishing!!!

Beaked Leatherjacket

2010-03-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

The Beaked Leatherjacket (Oxymonacanthus longirostris) is also commonly referred to as the ‘Harlequin filefish’ or ‘Harlequin Leatherjacket’ others known them as Harlequin Filefish or Longnose Filefish. This small leatherjacket/filefish species is known to occur in the warm tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region and has been recorded in east Africa, Samoa, Ryukyu Islands, New Caledonia, Tonga and the east coast of Australia to southern Queensland mos of them are found in Mindanao, Philippines espicially int he islands of Davao City. This species replaced by Oxymonacanthus halli in the Red Sea. The Beaked Leatherjacket has a long snout with a small upturned mouth. The body profile above and below the snout is concave. The body is green with small dark-edged yellow to orange spots. There is a dark spot on the caudal fin. It can be found living on coral reefs and in lagoons from depths of 1 to 30 metres. It is generally found in pairs and can be found hiding in amongst coral branches. It is known to feed exclusively on Acropora polyps with feeding taking place throughout the day becoming less towards the evening. The Beaked Leatherjacket (Oxymonacanthus longirostris) grows to a maximum length of approximately 9cm Male and Female.

Discus Fish Habitat

2010-03-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

Having a discus fish you must need to know what is there true environment so that they can adopt and stay long in you. The natural discus habitat is shallow streams, creeks and small lakes running off the Amazon River and it's tributaries. The wild discus live among submerged tree roots, close to shore. Nature has provided the discus with black horizontal bars which are ideal for blending in with root systems. The natural discus habitat has warm, soft water in the acidic ph ranges. There are variations within these parameters, determined by location. Some areas have clear water, some white water and some have black water. The black water areas are due to tannins and organics in the water, primarily from leaves falling into the water. This gives rise to the numerous black water tonics found on the market. Most of these are peat based. Unless your are setting up a discus bio-tope with wild discus caught in black water areas, this additive in not necessary in providing proper discus fish care. The ideal water parameters for proper care of the discus aquarium is medium hardness, slightly acidic ph values with the temperature between 84 and 86 degrees.

In having this idea you can raise and make your discus fish happy.

HAPPY FISHING!

SETTING UP CYCLING DISCUS FISH TANK

2010-03-11T16:50:00.000-08:00

A discuss fish is a lovable fish that can be keep as a pet in your home. In keeping this fish you need to know how to handle them carefully so that you can have a beautiful set of discuss fish in your hands. We will start for the common characteristics of a discus fish. Discus fish like to school with other discus in a group. This fish will form a "pecking order" with the most dominate fish leading the group or community. The dominate discus fish is usually the largest, the first to eat and the first to pair off. Obtain the largest size aquarium possible to allow ample room for the group of discus. Calculate the estimated weight of the aquarium at 8 pounds per gallon of water. To this add the weight of the aquarium itself, including any gravel or substrate to be used. The substrate or the equalizer stone for the acidity of the water will displace, but this gives you an idea of the weight of the aquarium. You need to know the weight so that your tank will have longer life. Obtain a suitable stand for the weight of the aquarium. Some aquarium manufacturers offer 20 year warranties or longer with a stipulation the tank sits on their brand of stand. When the aquarium is set up and all equipment is operating, it is not quite ready for the addition of discus fish. This is where patience is required.

Consideration should be given to the type of filter you wish to use in your discus aquarium. For an explanation of aquarium filter types and how to set them up for best results in the discus aquarium. Also you need to understand that pick a quality pump so that it can help circulate will the water and for the porpuse good cycle of the water.

We go to filtration of a discus tank. As a said earlier your aquarium filter must "cycle" or become "established" with nitrifying bacteria before it is ready for discus fish. This process is called nitrification. For information on nitrification in the discus aquarium filter:
Discus Fish Aquarium Nitrification

This is the process of establishing colonies of nitrifying bacteria in the aquarium filter. The nitrifying bacteria consume the fish wastes as a food source. These filter bacteria eat ammonia and nitrites. Many good products are on the market to speed up the nitrification process. If an aged filter or filter media is added to the new aquarium, fish may be introduced immediately. With an understanding of the nitrification process in the discus aquarium, a decision must be made on which method to employ to achieve nitrification in the discus aquarium filter. For an explanation of the different methods used to cycle the discus aquarium filter: Cycling The Discus Aquarium Filter.

Water changes on the discus aquarium are an important aspect of proper discus fish care. Water changes must be done on a regular basis to ensure a healthy discus aquarium. Discus thrive in clean water conditions. For information on discus aquarium water changes. The best water you use for a water change will the an aged water. This water are stock for a day so that the acid that are in the water will be subside and you can assure that your water are less harmful than the water that came for your faucets.

To give time with your pet can result to a nicer and good development of your pet.

Discus Fish Tank

2010-03-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

Adorning your aquarium with many attractive species of fishes can be a great way to deck up your living room. And when it comes to beautiful fishes, you simply cannot ignore the discus fish. If you are not aware, you may want to read on to find some useful discus fish care information.
The discus came to the fore as an aquarium fish in the 20’s and its popularity has grown by leaps and bounds since then. It is a South American Cichlid and can be found in three varieties which are common discus, heckel discus and the symphysodon tarzoo.

Discus needs lots of room to grow to its maximum size. The bigger the tank setup the better. Water conditions are harder to maintain in an overloaded fish tank. This will lead to increase stress and stunting of fish. Therefore, the minimum tank size recommended for discus is a 55 gallon tank. As a rule most hobbyist follows, one adult discus will need about 10 gallon of water. More fish could be kept, but more frequent water changes and cleaning of filters are needed. For a beginner, we recommend 6-8 small discus for a 55 gallon tank.
Discus tank setups can be divided into two types, planted discus tank and bare bottom discus tank. Each have its own advantages and disadvantages.
Bare bottom tanks are mostly preferred by breeders and some serious discus keeper, including ourselves. These setups only have an air stone or power head for circulation and sponge filter for biological filtration. The advantages to this setup are that its easy, and simple to clean/maintain; fish can be fed heavily, uneaten food will not be trap in gravel; fish will not shy away because they have nothing to hide; and relatively inexpensive to setup. Disadvantages are that setup looks less presentable and plants cannot be kept.
As for planted tanks. The advantages are more artistically pleasing to look at; ability to keep plants; and if setup correctly, more biological balance cycle. The disadvantages are that its maintenance are more difficult; heavy feeding cannot be done; and more skills are needed (i.e. CO2 injectors, lighting, etc); medications cannot be administer without affecting plants; and cost more to setup. We do not recommend beginners to start out with planted discus tanks unless they have previously kept planted tanks.
Tank mates for discus would be any fish that are not aggressive or over complete with discus for food. An Amazon tank setting would be excellent for discus. Fish that would be compatible are small tetras (neon, cardinals, glow lights, etc), German rams, corydoras, etc. Angelfish are not good tank mates because they usually compete with discus.

Firefish Goby

2010-03-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

The Firefish is one of the more popular fish in the marine hobby. It is a magnificent fish with brilliant coloration, a unique body shape, and unparalleled personality. Also known as the Firefish Goby or Fire Dartfish has a yellow head, white anterior, and pinkish to orange-red posterior. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are highlighted in a dark color or black. In addition to its striking coloration, the Firefish Goby is also heralded as a sweet-tempered fish because it plays with the fish surrounds him and with its lots of personality. And, because of its small size, the Firefish Goby makes a great addition to the smaller reef system that makes them cute and admirable. The approcimate size of it is 1 ½ inches to 2 ½ inches.

To best recreate their wild habitat, the Firefish Goby requires a 10-gallon or larger system with moderate lighting conditions and a moderate current passing over the live rock "reef." Keep in mind that a stressed Firefish Goby will try to jump out of your aquarium. As such, house the Firefish Goby in aquarium systems with a lid. Hobbyists who use a halide system with an open top should construct a Plexiglas "edge" around the trim, at least 10" tall.

In the wild, the Firefish Goby is usually found in groups hovering over the reef, harvesting planktonic food that drifts by in the current. The docile, Firefish Goby is timid and in the wild, each will have a "bolt-hole" into which it quickly ducks when threatened. In the home aquarium, the Firefish Goby needs multiple safety zones amongst rocky crags or outcroppings into which it can dart if stressed. This member of the Gobiidae family is generally not aggressive towards other fish except those of its own species. However, a mated pair can live peacefully together.

Along with algae and zooplankton growing in the aquarium, the diet of the Firefish Goby should consist of finely chopped small crustaceans, vitamin-enriched brine fish (live or frozen), mysis shrimp, and prepared foods.

Threadfin Shad

2010-03-08T16:57:00.000-08:00

Dorosoma is Greek for "lance body", referring to the lance-like shape of young shad. The word petenense refers to Lake Peten in the Yucatan, the species type locality. Threadfin shad are usually easily distinguished from gizzard shad by the fact that the upper jaw does not project beyond the lower jaw. The anal fin usually has 20-25 rays, as opposed to 29-35 rays found in gizzard shad. The upper surface is silver-blue and grades to nearly white on the sides and belly. All fins have yellow tint except the dorsal. In this species, unlike gizzard shad, the chin and floor of the mouth is speckled with black pigment. Adults are considerably smaller than gizzard shad adults, rarely exceeding 6 inches in length.

Threadfin shad are most commonly found in large rivers and reservoirs, like gizzard shad and any shad family. That they feel free to swim and love the water.
Threadfin shad are more likely to be found in waters with a noticeable current and are usually in the upper five feet of water. They are quite temperature sensitive, with die-offs reported at temperatures below 45°F. Spawning begins in the spring when water temperatures reach approximately 70°F, and may continue into the summer. During spawning, one or more females are accompanied by several males.

This Fish naturally occur in waters west of the Appalachian Mountains, north to Kentucky, west to East Texas, south to the Rio Grande drainage, and east to Florida. The species has been widely introduced in California and Arizona, as well as Appalachian and southern Atlantic states. Threadfin shad are common in all East Texas streams and have been introduced as forage fish in many reservoirs statewide.

This fish is often used as a bait fish. Threadfin shad almost never bite on a hook. Because of there shinny color they can attract more fish and also they are easy to be catch and some how they can be a bait for more large fish at the river banks.

Flowerhorn Gender

2010-03-08T00:32:00.000-08:00

How to determine the Gender of your flowerhorn. The following are some points that can be use to specify the gender of your fh.

Dorsal black spot flowerhorns are hybrids,therefore this method will not be 100%accurate.this method is usally use on pure bred cichlid. However the rest of the method we are going to talk about here will not apply to fries under 3 in therefore this one is included.

90%of fry with out dorsal spots,will be males.
60% of fry with dorsal spot will be females.

Body structure male flowerhorn often have more angular and muscular lines ,while females often have a rounder,smoother body line.

Dorsal spine method. Look at the first 6 dorsal spines of your fh, males often have rounded and thick spines, while females have a more flatened and thiner look to the first 6 dorsal spines.

Pelvic fin and pelvic spine method. Female flowerhorn need to use their pelvic fin as a fan to fan the eggs while breeding,therefore when you touch the pelvic fin and pelvic spine of your fh,if it is soft,and the spine is not as hard that will make you bleed,your fish is highly possible to be a female.

Chest line(chin line) method. If you view your fish from the side,behind the gill jucture and before the pelvic fin,right under the petoral fin,this is the chest of your fish,if your fish have a bulkier chest,the it is more possible to be male,females often have a smaller,and smoother chest(unlike human)...lol

Anal venting method. Hold your fish upsidedown,look at the anal vent,males have a V shape and females have a U shape.
now look from the side,males should have their tube pointed toward the back ,while females have straight tubes.

Salt can Cure Fish Stress and Sickness

2010-03-03T22:28:00.000-08:00

Fish stress is relieved and the organism can fight off diseases easier which aides in the recovery. The concentration should be 4 teaspoons per Gallon and the duration of the bath about 30 minutes. This bath will also stimulate the protective slime coat, which will further enhance the fish's' ability to cope with the disease. Do not forget that a heavy concentration can make them loose their equilibrium and they simply "roll over". At this point the fish has to be moved to clear water very quickly.

Salt does not evaporate, it can only be removed by water changes and plants will not survive higher concentrations. The reason is similar to what we can observe with fish that cannot survive higher salt concentrations. Freshwater naturally moves from an environment with a low salt concentration, to one with a higher salt concentration (the water). As a consequence the diversity of plants and animals decrease. This is because they cannot keep the water and salt content of their bodies at the right concentrations for them to survive this environment. The lethal point for plants is reached at about 1000 mg/l of salt. One teaspoon of salt equals approx. 5500 mg.

Points to be REMEMBER:

Salt does interfere with the osmotic regulation of fish and plants. It should be left alone; nature regulated that part itself, by creating freshwater, brackish and saltwater fish.
The low beneficial amount of salt, mentioned above will not have any benefits in addition to water conditioners and/or stress coats already used for water treatments.
It is good to know about the benefits of salt and the understanding of the mechanisms involved. It comes in handy, should the nitrites get out of control or as possible treatment for parasites (salt bath). A first aid kid, for sure.
Parasite prevention? Yes - in theory. But it is not justified. The long-term use of salt in the aquarium will have more negative aspects then benefits. Use of salt as a first aid tool should be determined on an individual basis, as there are no real guidelines on how to use it safely and effectively.

And last, disease prevention and cure. This is largely if not mainly based on enhancing the slime coat or regulatory osmotic control, but again stress protecting additives and water conditioners have the same effect.

Salt for your Frshwater Aquarium

2010-03-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

Another salt related claim is the prevention of nitrite poisoning, which is also a theoretical true statement. This is one common problem we hobbyist encounter. We need a safety and clean water for our fish.

Let's assume your tank is brand new and cycling, or the beneficial bacteria are adjusting to a change in tank inhabitants, or worst case, you killed some bacteria colonies using antibiotics to nuke the small algae glancing at you. But you can't kill all of them by using salt you can slowly kill the bacteria.

Salt can be used to prevent nitrite poisoning, if the chloride ions are 30 times the concentration of nitrite ions. Salt is very helpful and have a big advantage for your fish.

Nitrite reaches a toxic level at about 0.1 ppm, which would require about 3 ppm of chloride ions. Depending on the salt (sodium chloride) used, it might translate to about 5 ppm (given that common salt has a chloride concentration of 60%) to ease possible nitrite poisoning. This in mind, one teaspoon of salt would be sufficient to provide this effect for a 300 Gallon tank.

As a brief summary, 1 teaspoon per 300 Gallons will do as described above. Table salt does contain iodine and anti caking additives (to prevent the salt from clumping together). Iodine is essential for certain plants and animals, and definitely of no concern, considering the low amount of salt and the low concentration of iodine added to the salt. Iodine at this concentration should be rather beneficial instead.

FreshWater Aquariums + Salt

2010-03-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

Do you know that salt is best for fish in a Fresh Aquariums? Some hobbyists religiously use salt in fresh-water set-ups. The claim is a noticeable health improvement of certain fish.

There can be many benefits that can be get in salt this include the ease of stress, reducing osmotic pressure, inhibition of nitrite uptake, promoting the slime coat, and helping in healing wounds. The salt recommended should be free of additives such as iodine.

It is claimed to be safe and should be used as a preventive measure against various parasitic infestations - it is also said to cure various diseases.

One of the expert friend recommended quantity ranges from 1 tablespoon per Gallons to 1 tablespoon per 5 Gallons.

At first view the claims do not sound bad.

Salt (sodium chloride/ table salt) does in fact have a direct connection to osmotic pressure. To explain this, picture a fish in an aquarium. The internal density of fish is greater then that of the water (fish contain salt in form of sodium and chloride ions transported by the blood). Incoming water tries to dilute their bodies to equal both sides, the inside of the fish and the water outside.

Freshwater fish therefore have to constantly eliminate the water - mainly through respiration and urine. Osmotic pressure can be best described as the water trying to dilute the fish's body until both sides are equal. The same applies to saltwater species, but in this case the roles are reversed. Saltwater fish have to "drink" water in order to survive from there daily life.

Osmoregulatory stress can occur during the transport of the fish, but is taken care of by stress protecting additives right from the beginning. Other than that, osmotic pressure is essentially non-existent and needn't be of concern.

So I conclude that osmotic pressure issue, should salt be considered, for whatever reason, one teaspoon would be sufficient to treat about 500 Gallons of water.

Quality Flowerhorn

2010-02-28T22:42:00.000-08:00

The Flower Horn fish is believed by the Chinese as the most lucky fish that is acquired by hobbyist to date. Its every characteristic is somehow related to prosperity, health and wealth, to the owners of the fish, of course! The hump, the colur, the aggressiveness, the so-called "pearls", etc is much sought after. For the bigger, the brighter or more active fish believes to tell instantly on the owner's level of abundance. So, how do you select the best fish?

The forehead or "Nuchal Hump" of the Flower Horn fish is the main focus of attraction of the Flower Horn fish and is much sought after. After all, the main reason (among others) that this fish is so popular is because of its unique feature: the head!

A fully developed forehead, which is round and tender, is a symbol of luck, prosperity, longevity and happiness. It enhances the glory of its owner. A huge and beautiful forehead that harmonizes with its body qualifies it to be a fish of choice.

Some even believe that as the head grows bigger and bigger, so does the level of prosperity to the owner! A fully developed forehead decorated with evenly spread red spots is more preferred. Such a forehead is called "li-zhi" forehead resembling the auspiscious Chinese fruit : Lychee!

The color on the fish should be naturally pleasing yet intense enough to generate excitement. The more varied and intense the colors, the more outstanding the fish will be. The base colour of the fish should not be pale and dull.

Nowadays, the Flower Horn fish possess lots of shimmering/luminiscent scales or so-called "pearls". There are generally 2 colors on the "pearls": blue and green. Some "pearls" are by patches, like an armour and some are bright dots like stars in the sky. These "pearls" add more spectrum of colors and shine to the fish and is a considered a "must-have" on the latest Flower Horn fishes. The most auspiscious gem for generations of Chinese must be pearls, hence, the more "pearls" on the body of the fish, the better!

Other Stress Factors of FH

2010-02-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

OTHER FACTORS:

Stress is also induced by insufficient oxygen levels (fish gasping for air), old fish food, and an unbalanced diet.

Fish are not good travelers, even on short distances. Good care should be taken during the acclimation process.

SYMPTOMS OF STRESS:

Fish does not eat or eats less than usual
Fish hides
Fish hovers at the surface or motionless at the ground
Wounds do not healing
Fish gets sick
A lot of contributing factors have to be considered. Eliminating some causes will raise the resistance of other stress factors.

The more stress the weaker the fish.

Stress Flowerhorn

2010-02-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

Everything outside the required environmental- or behavioral needs of your fish causes stress. Stress greatly affects the health, reduces the life span, and and closer your fish to vulnerability for diseases. Stress is also the main cause of a deteriorating slime coat that protects the fish. This slime coat is the defense system toward infections. Fish can adapt to slightly different conditions in their environment. Understanding the factors that contribute to stress, will eliminate or reduce unnecessary risks. Stability in the water column and a balanced environment are as important as eliminating some other potential stress causing factors.

This are the main factors of fish stress:

TANK MATES - Compatibility is the key. Aggressive fish chasing others, naturally or as part of a mating ritual or territorial defense. Smaller species without adequate hiding places feel unsafe among bigger fish. Some species require larger groups (schooling); others are best kept individually as some tend to get aggressive towards their own. Fish communication (body language/ behavior) also might not be recognized by other species, again potentially leading to aggressive behavior. Stress also occurs when feeding if the fish have to compete for food. Needless to say they will always compete. The thing to remember is to distribute the food evenly throughout the water surface. Avoid spot feeding.

TANK SIZE - Does overpopulation trigger a thought? The rule of thumb is about 1 inch of fish per 2 Gallons of water. This guideline should only be used in order to get a sense of the limitations of your tank. However, some species can be kept in a 10-Gallon tank, others need more physical space. Territorial fish require a larger tank as they chase intruders out of their claimed territory.

WATER TEMPERATURE - An often overlooked topic. Fluctuations of temperature should be moderate and controlled at all times. The optimum temperature varies from fish to fish, but too cold or to warm will cause stress. Keep in mind that a tank in direct sunlight will heat up during the day. The water temperature may also rise during the light-on period. This can be more of a concern with smaller tanks. Water changes cause stress as well. It is important to replace the water with fresh water, which is about the same temperature as the tank. Further, the cleaning and removal process disturbs fish. Considering this, it ads validity to the discussion about proper water changes = change less water more frequently.

WATER PARAMETERS - Poor water quality is the most significant cause for stress. Fish can survive sub-optimal conditions if not too far out of range. But sudden changes within the water chemistry will cause severe stress. Adjustments in pH, salinity, or water hardness should be made gradually. Ammonia and nitrite are extremely stressful and can be detrimental if high levels persist.

OTHER FACTORS:

Stress is also induced by insufficient oxygen levels (fish gasping for air), old fish food, and an unbalanced diet.

Fish are not good travelers, even on short distances. Good care should be taken during the acclimation process.

Determining your FH Gender

2010-02-24T12:16:00.000-08:00

Tips on determining your flowerhorn gender:

Dorsal black spot - flowerhorns are hybrids,therefore this method will not be 100%accurate.this method is usally use on pure bred cichlid
however the rest of the method we are going to talk about here will not apply to fries under 3 in therefore this one is included.

90%of fry with out dorsal spots,will be males.
60% of fry with dorsal spot will be females.

Pelvic fin and pelvic spine method - female flowerhorn need to use their pelvic fin as a fan to fan the eggs while breeding,therefore when you touch the pelvic fin and pelvic spine of your fh,if it is soft,and the spine is not as hard that will make you bleed,your fish is highly possible to be a female.

Body structure - male flowerhorn often have more angular and muscular lines ,while females often have a rounder,smoother body line.

Dorsal spine method - look at the first 6 dorsal spines of your fh, males often have rounded and thick spines, while females have a more flatened and thiner look to the first 6 dorsal spines.

Anal venting method - hold your fish upsidedown,look at the anal vent,males have a V shape and females have a U shape.
now look from the side,males should have their tube pointed toward the back ,while females have straight tubes.

Chest line(chin line) method - if you view your fish from the side,behind the gill jucture and before the pelvic fin,right under the petoral fin,this is the chest of your fish,if your fish have a bulkier chest,the it is more possible to be male,females often have a smaller,and smoother chest(unlike human).

FEMALE

MALE

Flowerhorn Fish Tanks

2010-02-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

Fish tanks are beautiful in the eyes it can relax you and release your stress out. But it would be better if your fish tanks are clean. Your fish is like a person that needs a clean environment for them lo leave. Proper fish tank management and beautiful Flowerhorn fish complements each other perfectly. Therefore, it is crucial for all hobbyists to have proper knowledge of good fish tank management. This time I will share to you the ways on choosing material in to make your tank look like there fish habitat.

As Flowerhorn fish or any fish pets is essential to set up a tank to a close simulated natural habitat for the fish, which at the same time, pleasing to the eye.

Several sizes and designs of fish tanks are available at your nearest local fish store. Select one that will complement your house. Always assume that Flowerhorns will grow to be about 500 mm in length. Thus, it is recommended to get at least a 3 feet tank to start comfortably. Acrylic aquariums are suggested as these tanks are leak proof, light weight and the wall materials provide exceptional clarity. Always have a tank top or tank cover to keep your fish from jumping out. This is one basic mistake of many hobbyists that lead to their fish "common suicide".

Several attractive background designs for aquariums are available easily. Select one that will fit the natural environment of the fish. Pebbles, stones and gravels is a must in your flower horn tank because it be used as substrate for biological filtration. The fish is also a naturally active "excavator" and this creates an environment closer to its original habitat.

Hobbyist advice is to prevent pebbles that have sharp edges. These types of pebbles usually inflict cuts on the mouth of your fishes and if not treated, it will be infected. Many flowerhorn fishes are prone to mouth infection because of minor cuts sustained when they constantly dig at the pebbles.

Other unnatural tank ornaments are discouraged as these do not serve any purpose at all in the tank. Furthermore, these objects may even be hazardous, which might cause accidental cuts and injuries on your Flowerhorns as these fish possess fierce territorial behaviors and is always actively swimming.

I love my Flowerhorn

2010-02-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

Aquariums should be considered to be miniature versions of natural habitats. Even though we are not able to establish perfect ecosystems in our aquariums, we can try to provide environments as close as possible to natural habitats to enjoy their beauty.

- If you buy a flowerhorn for the nuchal hump, take a look at the frontosa (Cyphotilapia frontosa) a Tanganyikan cichlid. When left in small groups in a big enough tank the dominant male develops a hump which no flowerhorn will produce.
- If colour is what you seek in a fish, then take a look at the redheaded cichlid (Cichlasoma synspilum). It's got all the colours of the rainbow.
- If you desire black markings, a trimac (Cichlasoma trimaculatum) has a distinct pattern.
- If you are looking for pearls, consider the Texas cichlid (Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum).

If there are natural specimens that have all the traits one expects in terms of sheer beauty then why go for the man-made stuff? There are 1500+ known species of cichlids in the wild and hundreds with striking beauty and amazing personalities available to the hobby. This availability is rich enough to fit anyone's need. Let us respect Mother Nature. Doing something awful is not difficult but the consequences would have to be faced. As far as we know only one planet holds the key to create, support and cycle a phenomenon called Life. Let us not cheapen it or take it for granted.

Some reports claim that the Flower Horn Fish is a "mutated" breed of fish. Rest assured that this is just a claim. Flowerhorn have gone through a lot of selective cross breeding in order to have the best characteristics of the respective strains of the Cichlid family. For instance, most breeders are striving to produce Flower Horns with a bigger nuchal hump on the forehead, better colouration, bolder black markings on the body (which at times resemble Chinese characters), more elegant fins, and wider bodies. No chemicals, or biogenetic engineering have been incorporated to improve on the traits/characteristics of the Flowerhorn. Thus, the claim that this is a mutated fish is unfounded. Its a big NO!

This fish is very hardy, and can endure water conditions that are not suitable for most breeds of aquarium fish. This is also part of the reason why the Flower Horn is well received by many tropical fish hobbyists.

What ever Negative statement I encountered, I will never let go loving the most wonderful fish.

Tips on feeding Flowerhorn

2010-02-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

In feeding a pet you must know what will be the best food that can help them stimulate there proper growth and make them as fit as possible also away from the any illness.

I can share a simple tips on how to feed a right food for your flowerhorn fish.
Flowerhorn like similar sized fish, astronotus ocellatus for example, need a live food integration to be healthy and in shape. Their diet can consist of live food, frozen food, and standard dry fish food. The live food should be of good dimension, or the fish could not notice it, earth worms and big meal worms or wax worm are accepted; moreover you can give small fish, poecilia reticulata could be a good choice since the high number of fry they spare monthly. Remember to feed every live food you choose, and in case of live fish be sure they are healthy.

Frozen food is another good solution, especially when you do not have the live one. Young Flowerhornusually eat chironomus, brine shrimps and other frozen fish foods, while older ones could not notice them; at their place you can offer frozen fish for human use, you have a great choice, anyway if possible get freshwater fish and avoid the sea ones.

Both live and frozen food can pollute the water, so be sure that Flowerhorn eats all the given food in 5 minutes maximum, in case of rests remove them fast; for this reason it is better to have an aquariumset up that allow you to clean fast without needing to move objects.

Dry standard fish food is a good complementary option, especially if it is of good quality. You can find special food produced for cichlids that usually consist of big pellets that Flowerhorn like.

A Flowerhorn cichlid should be fed two times a day, everyday, anyway be careful with the quantities and avoid to overfeed it, reducing the food amount specially if it is really rich of nutrients.

Happy fishing!

Grade Your Flowerhorn

2010-02-18T09:05:00.000-08:00

This is how breeders grade their ZZ flowerhorn (AAA,AA,A,B or C) while they are still at fry size. This process must be use or observe to make or select the best fry and comes out the best among the rest flowerhorn. You know why? First of all when a flowerhorn lay an egg they comes in a thousand, if you got lucky, this eggs will be 90% fry. So having this thousand fry and will be free swimming fry there will be a time that you do not have time to take good care and them they will not develop to there potentials and competitive fish. So usually most breeders will cull and partition their breed at the size of 1" to 1.5". Since they are such a young & small size, not much thing could be seen out of them except of their flowerline.

Firstly let us understand what does ZZ mean. ZZ means zenzu (mandarin) it equals to pearls. So what is a ZZ pearls? As you can see the earliest of ZZ do not have any pearls dots on their body so how did they come about the name pearls? For your information, the pearls on the ZZ means the each dark flowerline found on the ZZ body which was surrounded by some metalic hue & glow which resemble a black pearl shine. You may want to get back to your ZZ flowerhorn now to know what I am saying.

Ok, so it is the flowerline that determine the grade of a ZZ. This will be a great grading system of a flowerhorn fish.

Grade A - flowerline should be more than 75% to 100%. Perfect!
Grade B - flowerline should be more than 50% to 75%. Good!
Grade C - flowerline which are less than 50% or only a few dots. Average!

From Grade A, we could gradually know if the ZZ is going to be a AA or AAA later by determining the growth traits of the fish with the written explanation.

1. Kok (Head) - the bigger the better.
2. Colors(Body Color) - the more solid & colorful the better.
3. Body ( Shape of the Body)- the stout & thicker the better.
4. Finnage & Tail - Balance & proportion.
5. Flowerline (plums) - the darker & more shiny pearls surround it the better.

Hope this will help you grading your Zenzu, selection and enjoyment of this wonderful fish!! It's a beautiful thing to know the quality of your Flowerhorn.

Acclimatization on a Fish Pet

2010-02-17T11:15:00.000-08:00

Shifting a fish can be stressfull and we all know that this fish is really sensitive to the point that this action my cause there delay of physical development. I would like to share what are my techniques in dealing this kind of problem. The following steps or point can be helpful for you. This method can be use in any kind of fish.

1. Newly arrived fish may suffer intense stress or trauma subsequent from unexpected exposure to blinding light, in order to make sure to switch off the aquarium lights, and dense the room's surrounding lighting where you open the shipping box. Do not open the package in burnished light.

2. Float the plastered bag in the aquarium for 15-20 minutes. Do not open the shipping bag yet. You need to allow the water in the shipping bag to adapt slowly to the temperature in the fish tank, while sustaining a high level of dissolved oxygen.

3. Take away or cut the tied bands at the top of the bag while it is still adrift in the aquarium. Wrap the top edge of the bag down one inch to create an air pocket within the lip of the bag. This will enable the bag to float on the surface of the water.

4. Add 1/2 cup of fish tank water to the shipping bag, and repeat the procedure every 5 minutes until the shipping bag is full.

5. Bring up the shipping bag from the fish tank and dispose half the water from the bag.

6. Swim the shipping bag in the fish tank again, and continue to add 1/2 cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag every five minutes until the bag is full.

7. Immediately your fish is ready to be discharged into the fish tank. Submerge the bag in the aquarium, and easy allow the fish to swim out from the bag into its new home.

8. Take away the filled shipping bag from the fish tank and dispose the water. Try not to spill the shipping water directly into the aquarium.

I hope you can get some point in this.

Happy fishing.

Taking Care with your King Kamfa

2010-02-16T09:27:00.000-08:00

Kamfa Flowerhorn is one of the best breed flowerhorn in this planet. This kind of fish is the first flowerhorn variant that come out in the market. Kamfa is the result of the curious breeding of cichlids fish. As time goes by the beauty of this fish was discover because of some difficulties to raise and breed this variant fish. The fact that this fish are hard to raise because this flowerhorn fish needs more attention, care and love also it will eat your time to make this flowerhorn unleash his wonders to your eyes.

The following are some tips to make your king kamfa develop over all beauty.

1. Background of the tank. It is a need to invest in a colorful background for the fish (designs of coral / water plants). Also to make your eyes more relaxing.

2. Gravel – the fish needs to have colorful gravel and crushed coral as well.

3. Depth of the tank – it requires a minimum of 15 to 18 inches in depth.

4. Heating – the water temperature should be around 85 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Ideal pH will be around 7.5 to 8 for Kamfa.

6. Tank – it is recommended that the fish has it own tank of at least a 50 to 70 gallon tank for large kamfa.

7. Lighting is also of importance – make sure that the tank is properly illuminated for at least 8 – 12 hours a day.

8. Kamfa also requires a tank mate – a blood parrot / an unwanted flower horn. Be sure that they are smaller than the Kamfa .

9. Water change – the frequency depends wholly on the filtration system of the tank, but do only around 20 percent of water change each time. I personally conduct a water change to my Kamfa's tanks once every 2 weeks. You need to make sure of this because this fish are sensitive and got stress easily.

10. Feeding should be done around 3 times a day, and should be fed with a variety of food – bloodworms, feeders, and pellets (which also includes color enhancer as well).

11. Place the tank of the Kamfa in a low traffic area at home, especially for small to medium size Kamfa. For larger ones, they should have no problem in adapting quickly. Always put your Kamfa in a tank where the tank is around 4 feet above ground.

Hope this information can make your kamfa nice and beautiful.

Cyphotilapia frontosa

2010-02-15T11:28:00.000-08:00

Cyphotilapia frontosa are commonly know as Zaire blue because you can see a blue markings below its body runs to its fins. They possess hump like a flowerhorn with a big mouth and huge eyes. Frontosa are friendly and lovable fish. Cyphotilapia frontosa is one of the largest of the cichlids collected from the Rift Lakes, Lake Tanganyika, specifically. The most common are the "Six-stripe" and the "Seven-stripe". Others include the "Cape Chaitika", "Mpimbwe Blue", "Samazi Blue", "Zambian" and the "Zaire Blue"

Frontosa is present in different populations (color variations) in all parts of Lake Tanganyika. They are found in both sandy and rocky parts of the lake. They are deep water inhabitants, ranging between 40 and 350 feet, and when collected have to be brought to the surface in stages so they don’t get the bends or end up with swim bladder problems.

This fish likes hard alkaline water around 76-82 degrees, although they will tolerate slightly higher or lower temperatures. Some salt may be added but they do fine without. As stated, C. frontosa likes a sandy to rocky habitat and caves and/or large flower pots should be included. Minimum tank size is a 29 or 30 gallon tank for one fish. They do best when kept in groups. For a group of 5 or 6 adults a 75 gallon tank would be overcrowded. I recommend no less then a 125 gallon tank, the large, the better.

Cyphotilapia frontosa is a monomorphic species with little or no difference between males and females. Males usually have a larger hump than females, but this characteristic is by no means a garauntee. Frontosa can only be sexed reliably by venting, and even this method cannot always be trusted. Venting frontosa accurately requires experience. Males also tend to be larger - they can grow to over 12 inches while females are lucky to reach 10 inches - but this too is not always true. In short, be cautious of any one ready to sell you sexed frontosa; make sure they're experienced and reputable.

The Zaire blue frontosa is a predatory fish and needs protein rich food. Shrimp, fish meat, crayfish etc makes good food choices for picky frontosa but most specimens can be trained to accept cichlid pellets as well. A varied carnivorous diet is important.

Frontosa cichlids are best kept in a colony of their own species. They can be very aggressive to other fish, especially those with a similar striped pattern to their own.

Adopt a fish and take good care of them. Good Luck with your frontosa.

Convict Cichlid

2010-02-12T12:09:00.001-08:00

Convict Cichlid are commonly know as zebra or convict in the aqua world there scientific names are cryptoheros nigrofasciatus. They originated in the river Central America from Costa Rica to Panama. They are terittorial and aggressive fish but they are very easy to keep and breed in aquariums and is therefore an ideal beginner’s fish and especially suited for those who want to keep their first cichlid. The name convict cichlid describes these beautiful fish and its black stripes on a white background very accurately.

Convict cichlids is a hardy species that can adept to just about any water condition which is one of the reasons behind this fish suitability as a beginner cichlid for all aquarist how can offer them an aquarium of at least 100l/ 24gallon You should however know that Convict cichlids can sometimes be white aggressive towards other fish which means that they shouldn’t be kept with other to small or timid fishes. Suitable tank mates to keep with convict cichlids are instead fish species that are large enough to stand their ground or hardy species that are fast enough to avoid the convict’s aggressions such as some barbs. Another good option is to keep a pair of convict cichlids alone in an aquarium without any other species in the aquarium. Keeping them alone will make it easier to observe their fascinating breeding behaviour including the rearing of the fry.

Convicts are one of the most commonly available fish in the hobby. With their ease of breeding, these pocket-sized monsters from Central America are often referred to as the "rabbits" of the fish world. One male Convict plus one female Convict equals babies on a regular basis, usually every 4 to 6 weeks, for the rest of your original pairs life. Pound for pound, Convicts are one of the most aggressive of all Central American cichlids, but this is often overlooked, due to their small size. Spawning time is when you will see the most aggression, and I have heard of Convict pairs taking down full grown Oscar's more than twice their size. These are n ot community fish and cannot be considered safe unless a very large tank is involved.

The Convict Cichlid is probably ranked number 3 out of all cichlids as far as popularity goes, with Angelfish and Oscars being 1 and 2 respectively. They have the common name of "convict cichlid" because of the white and black contrasting patterns they sport. Males may be larger than females of the same age and the females may have a pink or orange tint to the belly region. There is an Albino Convict Cichlid as well. This fish can get to be about 4 inches (10 cm) and should do fine in a 20 gallon (78 liters) or larger aquarium.

This is a fascinating species that is known as being a profilic breeder. If you have a male and female, chances are you're going to get some baby convicts soon. All they need are stable water parameters and a cave or flower pot for securing the eggs. They will get quite aggressive in protecting their territory and they should not be kept with peaceful community type fishes. The great part about breeding convict cichlids is watching the parental care given to the fry. This can provide hours of enjoyment.

Keeping a pair in a community tank is just asking for trouble. If you have only one, you may be able to get away with keeping them with peaceful species but caution is still advised.

They should eat nearly everything offered including flakes, frozen and live foods. Look for cichlid pellets which can give them all the vitamins and minerals they need.

An aquarium intended for convict cichlids should be decorated with a few flat stones and perhaps a cave or two. Plats are not necessary and most plants will be destroyed by the fish. There is however a number of hardier plants that can be kept with convict cichlids such as Amazonian swords plant and java fern. Using plants of this type can be beneficial by making the fish feel more at home and by making the aquarium more beautiful to look at. The fact is that convict cichlid will make them selves feel at home however you decide that you want to decorate as long as you avoid using harmful or toxic things in your aquarium decoration.

They will accept a very wide temperature range and pH level range as long as it keep relatively stable but is best kept in 20-28C/ 68-82F and pH 6-8.

Feeding convict cichlids is very easy since they accept any food you may choose to give them and can without any problem be kept and bred on foods such as flake food and pellets.

There are several colour variants of the convict cichlid such as an albino variant often sold as ivory cichlid and a pink variant. These variants can sometimes be a little harder to breed then the regular convict cichlid but you should be able to succeed as long as you keep the water clean, the fish well feed and have patience.

Good luck with your convicts cichlids!

Altum Angelfish

2010-02-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

The largest of all angelfish in the earth is the altum angelfish or commonly know as orinoco angelfish. This fish is a closerelative to the freshwater angelfish and can be found in a relatively large area around Rio Orinoco and Rio Negro in Brazil, Venezuela, colombia and some parts in the philippines that are really abundant in nature.

The Altum Angelfish are not so widely available in the aquarium trade due to being more sensitive and harder to breed then the common freshwater angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) You should however be able to Altum angel fish without to much problem, but you will however have to be prepared to the fact these fish can be quite expensive, especially compared to the regular angel.

Altum angelfish is as earlier mentioned considerable more sensitive then the regular angelfish and needs a care similar to that of discus fish. They need due to their height a high aquarium tank and should never be kept in aquariums shallower then 75cm/ 30". The aquariums don’t need to be very large in other aspects and an aquarium that is 120 cm/ 4 ft long is sufficient. The aquarium should be decorated with large pieces of bogwood that if possible should reach the waters surface. Large leafed plants like Amazon swordsplants can also be beneficial and are usually left alone. The water should be kept in very soft water that is not so slightly acidic. A pH level of 4.5-6.5 is suitable for Altum Angelfish. They prefer very warm water and they are best kept in 28-30°C / 82-86°F. The nitrates levels should be kept very low and the water should be slightly circulated to mimic the environments this species are normally found in, in the wild

Though they are considered a community fish, Altum Angelfish may get territorial as they get older. They are reportedly a more peaceful fish than other angelfish species, but being in the cichlid family smaller fish may not do well with them. As they mature they will pair off, developing a strong nuclear family, and defend a territory in which to breed. A nice thing about the Altum Angelfish is that they don't burrow or disturb plants!

Altum angelfish are suitable to be kept with most calm fish, and are ideally kept with other calm species from the same area such as Discus and Tetras. Small fish might be considered food and should not be kept with cardinal and neon tetras since Altum angelfish as all angelfish seems very fond of eating these. They should never be kept with regular angelfish since they can hybridise.

The Altum angelfish is a more delicate flower than the regular angelfish and requires a more caring environment but is without a doubt worth the extra effort.

Solid Platinum Ogon Koi

2010-02-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

No one, it seems, can agree on the exact origin of these festive-colored carp. Perhaps no one truly knows. It is known that nishikigoi have been around for thousands of years. They definitely have Asian ancestry probably bred in China first, possibly more for a food source, then the art was mastered much later in Japan. The carp was used as a subject in many Ancient Asian sculptures and drawings. Asians believe these beautiful fish bring good luck and prosperity especially when presented as a pair.

Platinum Ogon High Quality Koi, imported from Asia, are a striking solid white color with a brilliant metallic sheen. Their deep, pure coloration does not contain blemishes of any kind. These beautiful Koi have a ghostlike appearance and stand out dramatically against the dark background of a typical pond. Ogon Koi are in the family Hikarimuji, which translates to "light without pattern." The Platinum Ogon Koi we offer are rated by breeders as AAA Grade Select - the highest rating these fish can receive. They are produced by some of the best brood stock in Asia. While Platinum Ogon HQ Koi can live longer than 200 years, they typically live 25 to 35 years. These high quality Japanese Strain Koi are a product of years of professional breeding, and will turn your pond into a showcase of champions.
The ideal setup for Platinum Ogon Koi is a 1000+ gallon pond with a fine gravel substrate, rocks, and hardy plants. Because these Koi savor plant roots and will dig to get to them, be sure to place large rocks around the base of plants to protect them. You will also need to provide adequate filtration to maintain proper water conditions.

Males are easily recognized by their concave anal section and occasionally by breeding spots on the head. Spawning may result in as many as 1,000 eggs, with fry emerging in approximately 4 to 7 days, depending on the water temperature. Feed fry small live foods or frozen daphnia for the first 3 to 4 weeks. At that time, gradually change their diet to crushed flake and pellet foods. Their color will emerge in about 3 to 12 weeks.

Nishikigoi are most often referred to as “koi” by those who speak English. That’s probably due to the fact that “koi” is easier to say. Regardless of what we call them, they are basically carp that have been bred for color though most koi-keepers will refer to them as more of an obsession! It’s hard to resist buying “just one” for the pond — and it’s tough to decide which one to buy. They come in so many different colors and styles. It’s almost like picking out a car or a new sofa!

Basic Flowerhorn Set-Up

2010-02-09T12:20:00.000-08:00

Flower Horn Fish are very territorial and very aggressive. They usually will not tolerate other fish, and will often eat smaller fish that fit into their mouths. Some aquarists have said that they can play with their Flower Horn Fish, but instead of playing the Flower Horn is probably trying to get rid of what it sees an intruder, your hand.This fish is very hardy, and can endure water conditions that are not suitable for some types of aquarium fish. Their hardiness is one of the big reasons that the Flower Horn is enjoyed by many tropical fish hobbyists.

Due the big size they can reach, Flowerhorn need big aquarium with a lot of free space for swimming; a 200 litres tank is the minimum you can offer to an adult fish to let it live healthily. It is a really strong fish and can live in different water conditions without having problems, anyway it is important to provide a temperature between 28°C and 32°C; pH value is also important, because acid water can tone down fish colours and make it sick, the ideal condition is a light alkaline water, with a pH between 7 and 7.8. Moreover it is necessary to avoid sudden condition changes of temperature and chemical values, because they can make Flowerhorn being more sensible to sickness like bacteria attacks.

Water filtration is really important because this big fish produces lots of refuses that end increasing nitrite and nitrate levels in the water. You can choose both internal and external filtration, even if the second one is preferred to leave more free space to the fish. The biological part must work properly, so be sure to have a well activated aquarium before to house a Flowerhorn cichlid.

Take also a look to the water current, an excessively strong one can damage the fish, anyway it is important that a slow movement is present, because it oxygenates the water, and avoids that the water heats only near heater.

Tank decorations are important to make the fish feel quieter. Use a layer of fine gravel and be sure that rocks and woods are stable and do not risk to fall easily on the fish; be sure, as well, that all the decorations do not make the tank cleaning too much difficult. You may also use a substrate to equalize the ph of the water, this can help shane the pearl of your fish and look healthy. Live plants are important for filtration and oxygenation, anyway choose strong plants like big anubias, because any Flowerhorn cichlid use to dig a lot; you can also use plastic plants, even if they are not useful and you can risk that the fish accidentally eat them. But some of the hobbyist don't pud plans because they want to play there fish. Space will be a great elp to make your fish grow big and more decorations can affect them. Make sure that your decoration must not be eaten by your fish.

Being big and aggressive is better not to house it with other fish species, specially if they are smaller. While if you plan to house more than one Flowerhorn, provide a big tank and divide it with accessories to let fish divide the territory; to avoid fights it is recommended not to keep more than two or three fish together in the same tank.

The success of your flowerhorn will be in the cleanliness of your aquarium.

Basic type of Flowerhorn

2010-02-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

The Flowerhorn chichlid is a result of hybridisation between different South American chichlids. The Flowerhorn was developed in Malaysia during the second half of the 1990s, and exactly which South American cichlids that was used and in which combinations is still a secret. The following are the basic type of flowerhorn.

Kamfa

The territorial Kamfa has a larger, more blocky build. It often has white or yellow recessed eyes, small mouth, fan tail and sometimes head flowers. More aggressive than other flowerhorns, Kamfa are difficult to breed because they remain immature longer and have fertility problems. They prefer heated water that has been sitting for a day. With a black double flower row and white pearling, the King Kamfa is a member of this family.

Zhen Zhus

With a name that translates as "pearl flowerhorn," Zhen Zhu are the most common flowerhorn in the United States. They usually have a rounded tail, large mouth, bulbous red eyes, and a noticeable head flower. Known for the pearling pattern, Zhen Zhus mature early and mate readily. A hardy fish, Zhen Zhus are popular because they demand little special attention. These agreeable breeders are often bred with other flowerhorn types. The pearling creates a desirable skin quality in their offspring.

Golden Monkey

Golden Monkey flowerhorns have the traditional large head hump with a coat that features pearling all over. When bred with a Zhen Zhu male, a Golden Monkey female produces the popular IndoMalau strain. A Golden Monkey male crossed with a Kamfa female produces a fish with a face and body resembling the Golden Monkey while the fins and eyes mirror the Kamfa. Fins have a rare frosted pearling over the head.

Golden Base (Faders)

Golden Base flowerhorns are also known as faders because as juveniles they lose color and turn black. The black then disappears, leaving vivid color in its place, traditionally red or yellow. One of the two original fader types in the United States retained their natural color, eventually replacing its gray skin with a golden hue. Red Texas cichlids are related to faders. To get the desirable red color the earliest flowerhorns, King Kong parrots were crossed with green Texas cichlids.

This fish are nice to keep and dominating the aquarium world because of their bright colors and exotic appearance, flowerhorns are coveted as pets, although their care requires thought and consideration. Most need a spacious aquarium where they can be kept alone because of their size and aggressive nature. While breeding flowerhorns raises controversy among fish enthusiasts because of genetics and overbreeding, their popularity remains strong.

Flameback Angels

2010-02-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

Flameback Angels are a small angel that makes a beautiful, colorful resident in saltwater aquariums. These Angels are adored by the people who keep them. Centropyge acanthops is known under several different common names in English, such as African flameback angelfish, African flameback angel, African pygmy angelfish, African pygmy angel, Orangeback angelfish, African cherubfish, and Jumping bean. The African Flameback Angelfish, also known as the African Pygmy Angelfish or Orangeback Angelfish, has striking contrasts of blue and orange-yellow colors. While the body is predominately blue, there is a broad and bright orange to yellow swatch from the head along the back to the tip of the dorsal fin.

Flameback Angels are a small angel that makes a beautiful, colorful resident in saltwater aquariums. These Angels are adored by the people who keep them.

The Flameback Angel often brightens up an aquarium with its activity and coloration. However, it may be kept most easily singly. Flameback Angelfish can be aggressive toward fish that they perceive as threats to their territories. Often, fish of similar species, size, or temperament are not accepted. To remedy this, a larger tank would be ideal, in order to allow each fish its own sizeable territory. Flameback Angels have also been reported to nip at coral polyps, which could be a problem in reef tanks, so they must be observed when placed in such situations. They are generally considered to be reef safe and are reported to show the less destructive behavior than most dwarf angels. If you must keep a dwarf angel in a reef environment, it is often recommended that you choose a Flameback Angel. Flameback Angels usually do best in established aquariums containing live rock, which they will often pick through in order to supplement their diets with small organisms.

At maturity, Flameback Angels may reach about three inches (7.5 centimeters) in length. They are deep blue to bluish-purple in color and have bright yellow to orange shading along their backs, from whence their names arise. This coloring extends from the top of the head down the back toward the tail.

Flameback Angels are found along the western coast of Africa, and are commonly collected from the Kenyan coast. They are also known as African Flameback Angel Fish, probably for their origin.

The African flameback angelfish is found in the Western Indian Ocean, from the coast of Somalia down to East London in South Africa. You can also be encountered it around certain oceanic islands. Its range includes the waters of the Cargados Carajos Shoals (dependency of Mauritius), the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory), Kenya, Madagascar, the Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Reunion, the Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Yemen.

The African flameback angelfish inhabits environments with coral rubble and is found from 6 m / 20 ft down to a depth of 40 m / 130 ft. It forms groups consisting of up to about 10 individuals.

The largest scientifically measured African flameback angelfish was 8.0 cm / 3.1 in.

The African flameback angelfish is a strikingly coloured fish where golden-yellow to orange shades contrast sharply against dark blue and purple. The upper sides, head, dorsal and caudal fins are golden yellow to orange, while the lower two-thirds of the body and the anal fin is dark blue and adorned with a profusion of close-set purple dots. In many specimens, a blue ring can be seen around the eye.
The African flameback angelfish (Centropyge acanthops) looks very similar to its close relative the Brazilian Flameback angelfish (Centropyge aurantonotus), but the African flameback angelfish has a somewhat transparent yellow caudal fin.

It is not advisable to house the African flameback angelfish in an aquarium smaller than 30 gallons / 115 litres. The aquarium should contain plenty of hiding spots and a lot of algae covered live rock for grazing.

The African flameback angelfish is considered reef safe with caution. It may nip at small-polyped stony corals.

The recommended water temperature for an African Flameback angelfish is 72-78º F / 22-25.5º C. The specific gravity should be in the 1.020-1.025 range and the pH-value at 8.1-8.4.

In the wild, the African flameback angelfish feeds chiefly on algae and small invertebrates. It is important to provide it with a varied omnivore diet in the aquarium to keep it healthy. You can for instance combine fresh and dried marine algae, spirulina, angelfish preparations, high-quality flakes or pellets suitable for algaevore fish, and various types of meaty foods such as mysid shrimp and brine shrimp.

A Flameback Angel is best kept in a reef environment, so long as they are not nipping at other inhabitants of the aquarium. Conditions would remain in the mid to upper 70 degrees Fahrenheit (23 to 26 degrees Celsius) with a pH value of 8.3 or 8.4. The specific gravity should remain between 1.020 and 1.025 if the fish is kept alone, and normally the lower end of this range would aid in keeping parasitic infection at bay. If it is kept with invertebrates, specific gravity should remain between 1.023 and 1.025.

Flameback Angels should have a variety of foods in their diets to ensure they are receiving proper nutrition. Many will accept live mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, lettuce, plankton, vegetable-based foods, or food formulated for Angelfish. Most Flameback Angels graze on algae in their enclosures. When introducing a Flameback Angel to your aquarium, it is important to choose a healthy fish that is eating in the supplier's aquarium. When introducing a Flameback Angel into an established aquarium, you could rearrange the landscaping to render all fish in the enclosure without a territory. Keep the lights in the aquarium off for a day and monitor the fish as closely as possible.

Flowerhorn Care

2010-02-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

The Flowerhorn fish is very aggresive in nature and highly territorial. It is not adviced to coexist it with another fish. Also, if your planning in having 2 or more Flowerhorn fish in one tank, have your tank patitioned or better yet, put the other fish in another tank. Some hobbyist say that they can play with their fish, real deal is that the Flowerhrn fish is trying to get rid of the intruder because of this trait.

This hybrid fish is very easy to feed. It eats live and fish pellets and it has a big appetite. There are a number of types of fish food in the market that you can buy. Have a diet planned. Giving live feeds is good, but it can be heavy in your wallet. Give your fish pellets and every once a week live feeds as a reward. Also excessive feeding of color enhancers is not recommended because it may contain harmful chemicals. Please do it in moderation.

The Flowerhorn fish does not require much when it comes to its environment. A thin layer of gravel will do. The idea is to make your fish feel at home and avoid stress. Stress could cause discoloration, loose in nuchal hump or stop its growth.

In caring your Flowerhorn you need to have a basic knowledge on the do's and dont's of this fish. I will discuss the basic tips on how to give your love to them.

The Flowerhorn fish is no different from other tropical fish when it comes to temperature of its habitat. It flourishes in temperature between 20-30 C. It is recommended to maintain a temperature between 28-31 C.

The Flowerhorn fish requires a moderate PH level, between 7.5 to 8.0. It would be best to have regular water change, intervals of once every week. It would be advisable if ou could mix crushed corals with your gravel to maintain pH level. Please be cautious that drastic changes on pH level can be harmful to your Flowerhorn. To avoid this periodically check the pH level of your tank.

To bring out the best from your Flowerhorn, a good filtration system is recommended. Usually an overhead filter is used because it is easily cleaned and clogging is minimized. The good criterias in choosing a filtration system would be its ease in cleaning, efficiency and minimal clogging.

A good water flow is recommended. This will distribute even water temperature, oxygen and will prevent thin film from forming on water surfaces which hinders gaseous exchange between the air and the water in your tank.

Salt helps the fish stabilize by providing sodium and chloride ions. It also help kill some parasites in your tank. In addition, dissolved salt contents in your tank helps make your fish feel at home.

The very important is waterchange. The water in your tank should be changed at least once a month. Be informed that your filter does not clean you tank 100%. Regular partial change of water, around 25 to 50%, once a week is recommended. This will surely make your fish heathier and happy. So don't let laziness overcome you.

For more question just drop a comment.

Flower Horn For Sale

2010-02-03T10:55:00.001-08:00

Bomboo

Thai ZZ
2 inches

Reason For Selling: Busy on work.

Ratsada

Thai ZZ
2 inches

Reason For Selling: Busy on work.

Just Drop a message on comment.

Carberryi

2010-02-02T12:02:00.000-08:00

The Carberryi Anthias is also known as the Threadfin Goldie or Threadfin Anthias and comes from the reefs of the Indian Ocean. The Carberryi anthias has a yellow body with a purple field that stretches over the lower half of the body from the upper part of its head to the bottom of the tailfin peduncle. Females are of an orange yellow color. A striking fish, it is purple on the head and abdomen and the back and tail are yellow. It is a very active fish and will help to draw out shier fish that share the tank.

The Carberryi anthias is a stunning little fish that unfortunately only occasionally is available in the trade. You will likely be able to find it in the trade if you are patient but it make take some time. If you want to keep Carberryi anthias try asking your local fish store to order it for you or try to find and order it online. The Carberryi anthias is also known under the name Threadfin anthias.

The Carberryi Anthias does best when kept in a species-specific tank of at least 70 gallons for a group. Tank mates should be nonaggressive. It dwells in the middle of the tank and requires the availability of multiple hiding places. It does best in tanks with strong water movement and needs excellent water quality. The Carberryi anthias is best kept in groups with one male and several females. In the wild they are often found in groups of thousands of fish.

This is a sensitive fish and only advanced marine fish keepers should try to keeping Carberryi anthias. They require frequent feedings and perfect water quality. Carberryi anthias should only be introduced to well established aquariums. They can sometimes have a hard time acclimatizing to a new aquarium. The presence of another anthias species can make the process easier. Give your fish 4 hours to acclimatize before releasing them into your tank. Carberryi anthias is one of the more aggressive anthias species. They do best if kept alone or with another friendlier anthias species in a large aquarium. If you want to keep them with other fish you should only keep them with small friendly species.

Anthias species all share the trait of being hermaphroditic. If a dominant male perishes, the largest female of the group will often morph to take its place.

The diet of the Carberryi Anthias is consistent with other members of the Anthias group – zooplankton and floating filamentous algae. In the aquarium, it should be fed a varied diet of mysid shrimp, vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, frozen preparations, and other meaty items for zooplankton feeders. Feed the Carberryi Anthias small quantities, at least 4 times a day.

The Carberryi anthias needs a large aquarium despite being a small species. This is due to the fact that they live in open water above reefs and like to swim a lot. They should not be kept in aquariums smaller than 70 gallon / 250 L.

Carberryi anthias prefer an aquarium with plenty of small hiding places among live rock and a lot of open space to swim in. Strong water circulation is important but it is beneficial if there also are a few calmer areas where the fish can rest. They prefer if the aquarium isn't too brightly lit. Excellent water quality is very important when keeping Carberryi anthias

Ideal conditions for the Carberryi anthias are pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025, and temperature 72-78ºF (22- 26°C).

The Carberryi anthias needs a large aquarium despite being a small species. This is due to the fact that they live in open water above reefs and like to swim a lot. They should not be kept in aquariums smaller than 70 gallon / 250 L.

Carberryi anthias prefer an aquarium with plenty of small hiding places among live rock and a lot of open space to swim in. Strong water circulation is important but it is beneficial if there also are a few calmer areas where the fish can rest. They prefer if the aquarium isn't too brightly lit. Excellent water quality is very important when keeping Carberryi anthias

Ideal conditions for the Carberryi anthias are pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025, and temperature 72-78ºF (22- 26°C).

The Carberryi anthias is a hermaphrodite species that lives in harems. All fish are born as females. When the male dies the dominant female transforms into a male. This means that you can buy a group of juveniles and be sure to get a harem when they grow up. Although we have heard rumors about Carberryi anthias being successfully bred in aquariums we have not been able to confirm those rumors or find any information on how to breed them in aquariums. It is an egg laying species.

Tips on caring Midas Blenny

2010-02-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

The midas blenny (Ecsenius midas) is from the family Blenniidae. This bottom dwelling species is native to the shallow water reef systems of the Indian Ocean.

The Midas Blenny is a hardy fish and easy to take care of. It is a great choice for amateur aquarists. In the proper environment you can expect these fish to live anywhere from 5 to 8 years.

Midas blennies are small fish. They can reach a maximum length of 5 inches but are more typically 3.5-4 inches. It has a slender, cylindrical shaped body that varies in color from solid golden-yellow to orange. There is a pale blue region on anterior of their under bodies and usually a brighter blue trim around their eyes. This fish's coloration will morph into a light gray when it is experiencing escalated stress levels. Blennies are often confused with another small bottom dwelling creature, the goby. Although they are closely related, blennies can be distinguished by the tiny antenna like appendages projecting from their heads. These appendages are called cirri. The Midas blenny is also marketed under the aquarium trade name Persian blenny.

Blennies are generally docile in temperament. They make an excellent addition to a community tank provided they are not mixed with larger more aggressive species. This species is rated reef safe. They will fit in perfectly in marine reef setups. They will not disturb your anchored inhabitants or your ornamental crustaceans. They do however often demonstrate territorial behavior toward other bottom dwelling fish and rival blenny species. Plenty of hiding places and an adequate food source will lessen these tendencies. You do not want to overcrowd your reef aquarium with bottom dwellers. The larger the bottom surface area, the more diverse a population you can realistically expect to maintain.

Blennies are hiders by nature. They will seek cover in the small cracks and crevices of rock work and create burrows for sanctuary at the base of these rocks. They will frequently be seen peaking out at their surroundings form the relative safety of theses borrows. The Midas will also spend a fair amount of time perched atop of rocks and coral formations near their burrows. This species swims very similarly to an eel. Its body undulates creating as a means of propulsion through the water. They commonly back into their burrows just like an eel would.

In an aquarium setting the Midas is not a particularly finicky eater. They will readily accept frozen foods, marine flakes and pellets. Make sure to provide them with plenty of protein to help maintain their vigor and coloration. They can be fed vitamin enriched brine shrimp, zooplankton and finely chopped fresh seafood such as shrimp, octopus and squid. You will also want to address their need for vegetable matter. They have an affinity toward micro and blue-green algae. A well established living rock collection will help give them plenty of options to choose from. A supplement of dried algae sheets is also a recommended.

The Midas blenny is an opportunistic omnivore. It has a higher concentration of protein based matter in its diet than most other blennies. It has even been known to nip at the fins of gobies and firefish.

Bandfin Cardinal fish

2010-02-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

Bandfin Cardinal fish or in laten called it Apogon Menesemus. This fish where originally found in the western and Eastern Indian Ocean, Northwest, Western Central and Eastern Central Pacific. And in the philippines at Samal Island they discover the one beautiful extraordinary bandfin cardinal fish. The color of this fish arereds, electric blues, yellows and blacks. Bandfin are come from the family of apogonidae and it will grow up to 6 to 8 inches. They are peaceful fish and social.

As with all the majority of cardinalfish they must be given a dark shelter under which it can hide during the day. Keep nitrate, nitrite and ammonia levels as low as possible. They will hide under ledges and in crevices throughout the day, becoming more active at night time.

Apogon menesemus (Bandfin cardinalfish) like lower temperatures better, but 72-78 degrees F. is fine. They must be given a dark shelter under which it can hide during the day. Keep nitrate, nitrite and ammonia levels as low as possible. Brisk filtration is usually necessary.

The Bandfin cardinalfish feeds on zoobenthos, benth crustaceans, small fishes and invertebrates (particularly crustaceans). In an aquarium, you can feed your Bandfin cardinalfish shrimps, small fishes and other fresh and frozen meaty foods. Apogon menesemus (Bandfin cardinalfish) can also be trained to eat frozen processed foods. Avoid dry prepared foods, such as flakes and pellets.

Cow Fish

2010-01-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

The Cowfish, Longhorn Cowfish, or Long-horned Cowfish is easy to keep. Boxfish are not challenging if you feed young specimens several times a day. Start with brine shrimp.
The puffer's teeth will continually grow throughout its life so you will need to supplement their diet with some hard shelled foods. Occasionally offering foods such as live ghost shrimp and various live snails will keep their teeth worn down.

Feed all kinds of live and frozen foods. The boxfish also eats greenstuffs. Best to feed small amounts several times a day. We generally feed squid, shrimp (the same kind people eat), mussels, and all kinds of chopped up fish. Be sure to wash these foods thoroughly before feeding. A good vegetable formula like Formula II is also beneficial. Live fish will also be taken but should not be fed exclusively.

Cowfish, Longhorn Cowfish, or Long-horned Cowfish are found in the Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Marquesan and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island. Inhabits inshore on coastal muddy or sandy habitats in still bays, and commonly found in harbours and estuaries. Small juveniles on protected shallow mudflats. Found in weedy areas near rocks or reefs. Juveniles often near river mouths and in brackish water. Adults are solitary, juveniles often form small groups. Large adults are shy. Feeds on benthic invertebrates by blowing away the sand

All kinds of meaty foods and greenstuffs. A bottom feeder. Puffers are primarily predatory fish in the wild though they do graze on a bit of algae. This puffer will enjoy all kinds of meaty foods including shrimp, worms, clams, various mussels, snails, tunicates, and fish.They are not picky eaters and will quickly become adapted to a variety of prepared aquarium foods and an occasional algae wafer. Flake food is not recommended. Even though they may eat it, puffers will not thrive on it.

Apparently this fish is sometimes aggressive and sometimes not. Keep an eye on newcomers with an established boxfish and any new boxfish that are added to the aquarium.

Cowfish are at least as unique as they appear-- they are so different from most fish, they belong to their own order of spiny-finned saltwater fishes called Tetraodontiformes. "Tetradonts" as members of this order of fishes are called, are thought to have broken off in their evolutionary path from other fishes over 40 million years ago. Other members of this order include triggerfish, puffers, filefish and the ocean sunfish. One distinction from other fish is the lack of a gill cover in the tetradonts, replaced by a small slit or hole. Another is the ability to not only "cough" as many fish can do, but to expel water in a stream, to "blow"; and in the case of pufferfish, modifying this reflex further to "inflate" themselves as a means of defense.

To make the story short the cowfish is probably one of the most comical-looking creatures on the reef, with its boxy appearance and four long horns. Its fins are small compared to its body, making it look more like a blimp moving through the water than a fish. Cowfish, as with other boxfish, uncover their meals of crabs and shrimps by blowing jets of water into the sand with their mouths.

Banggai cardinal fish

2010-01-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

The Banggai Cardinal Fish, sometimes referred to as Kaudern's Cardinal Fish is a remarkable looking specimen having a silver body with vertical black stripes. The Banggai cardinal is a truly wonderful fish for the marine aquarium; so much so that it has been overfished to the point of possible extinction in the wild. It's body is covered in small white spots that are more easily seen on the dorsal, pelvic, anal and caudal fins. It is interesting to note that these Cardinal Fish are only found in a rather small area around Banggai Island off Sulawesi. Fortunately, it is also one of the easiest marine fish to get to spawn, and raising the babies is a fairly easy task. This fish is very close to being placed on the endangered species list because of over collection. Before you purchase this fish, ask the retailer where they come from. If they say that is was wild caught, please don't buy them. Only buy captive raised or aquacultured specimens. The babies are brooded in the mouth of the male for a month or so, and when released they are perfect little miniatures of the parents, able to take enriched live brine shrimp from the moment they are released. In the wild the babies are released into, and hide among the spines of the long-spined sea urchin. Giving them the same cover in the aquarium greatly increases their chance of survival. Doing so will help those wanting and willing to aqua culture this species and we definitely want to reward these breeders. Another benefit from getting captive raised Banggai Cardinals is that they usually acclimate much easier than wild caught fish.
The good news is that these little guys are one of the easier saltwater species to breed. The males are mouth brooders which should increase the chances of successfully raising the young. The difficult part is figuring out if you have a pair. You may only be able to accurately tell once they've paired off. If you're really interested in breeding this fish and you have the appropriate equipment and tank setups you can buy a group of 3 and see if 2 of the 3 start to pair off. If they do, you may also notice them going after the third cardinal fish. If this happens and they are in a smaller tank, you will need to remove the third before it is hassled to death.

If they end up breeding you may notice that the mouth on the male will be bulging at the jawline and they aren't eating anything. They won't even go after their favorite foods! The male will mouth brood the fish and then release them after 20 days or slightly longer.

Take your time when acclimating these cardinal fish to your tank water. Once introduced they may hide out for a day or two but should come out once food hits the water. Give them lots of security by providing hiding places (think live rock) and they may be out in the open more.
Feeding them can be challenging when first introduced to your tank. They can be quite finicky and will probably not go after flakes or pellet foods. You may need to start with frozen or live fish food and then try to get them onto vitamin enriched flake foods. Aqua cultured specimens should be a little easier to feed.

You may be able to keep multiples in the same tank if it is sufficiently large enough. If you cramp multiples into a smaller tank you will probably see aggression among them, especially once a pair has formed.

Banggai cardinal fish seem to be fairly disease resistant but you still need to take proper pre-cautions and use a quarantine tank before introducing them into your main tank. Keeping them in quarantine can also give you a chance to get them eating without any competition from others.

The Banggai cardinal is a very peaceful fish, and needs to be kept with other nonaggressive fish. Doing just fine in a reef tank, this fish will not bother any invertebrates or corals. The fish can be kept in groups if the tank is large enough. Normally a pair will form and break off from the group. However, the pair may also make life miserable for their brethren, especially once they spawn and the male is carrying eggs. Feeding the Banggai is easy, as it will take any kind of meaty food as it drops through the water column. Make sure the fish gets enough to eat. Males carrying babies do not eat for the entire incubation period, and it is a good idea to isolate brooding males.

Species Name: Pterapogon kauderni

Synonym: Pterapogon kauderni

Common Names: Banggai cardinal fish

Family: Apogonidae (Cardinalfishes)

Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes)

Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)

Max. Size: 8.0 cm / 3.1 inches

Environment: Marine reef

Origin: Western Central Pacific

Temperament: Harmless

Company: Pterapogon kauderni (Banggai cardinal fish) is suitable in a reef tank.

Aquarium Setup: Pterapogon kauderni (Banggai cardinal fish) must be given a dark shelter to hide under during the day. They are nocturnal bottomfeeders by nature. Banggai cardinal fish appricieates low temperatures, but 72-78 degrees F. is not a problem. Keep levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate as close to zero as possible, even though Banggai cardinal fish usually can edure a few tens of ppm of nitrate. Brisk filtration is usually necessary.

Food: Pterapogon kauderni (Banggai cardinal fish) eats benth crustaceans, zoobenthos, small fish and mobile invertebrates. In aquariums, they will happily eat shrimp, small fishes and other fresh and frozen meaty foods. You can also train your Banggai cardinal fish to eat frozen processed foods. Dry prepared foods, such as pellets and flakes, will not be able to sustain a Pterapogon kauderni (Banggai cardinal fish).

Midas Blenny

2010-01-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

The midas blenny (Ecsenius midas) is a colorful and interesting little marine fish from the family Blenniidae. This fish is an excellent candidate for a reef tank. It is a beautiful, deep golden-yellow with a shadow of blue under the chin and bright, blue-rimmed eyes. When swimming, the motion they use is very eel-like. All members of this family have small antenna-like projections protruding from their heads called cirri. This is how the blennies can easily be distinguished from the Gobies (another group of small, bottom-dwelling fish). The seldom available Midas Blenny from Africa is larger, nicer and brighter in color than its Pacific counterpart. This fish is usually orange or yellowish orange with a blue eye. Unlike most of its close relatives, it feeds more on zooplankton than algae, swimming in the water column when it feeds. Keep only one per tank, unless your aquarium is large. In nature, it often enters shoals of Orange Lyretail Antias as they feed in the water column.

Midas blennies spend a lot of their time hiding in crevices and small caves or holes as shown in the photo of a blenny hiding inside of a barnacle. Resting inside of small holes with only their head showing is common behavior for them. If you provide rockwork with lots of small holes in it your midas blenny will also spend a lot of time swimming in and out of them.

Midas blennies are small fish, reaching only about 3.5-4 inches (9-10 cm) in length. They are generally peaceful, but have been known to fight with other bottom-dwelling fish. If you keep other bottom-dwellers in the tank with your midas blenny make sure you have a large tank and that there are plenty of hiding spots for everyone. Providing them with lots of room will minimize fighting.

Likewise don't keep them with large aggressive fish either.

Although it is difficult to tell from the photo on this page, midas blennies usually have yellow to orange bodies. They often have blue markings and their eyes are usually rimmed in blue. There is some color variation.

Midas blennies are omnivores and so they need both meat and plant based marine foods. You can feed them zooplankton, vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and marine preparations for omnivores, as well as marine algae. They can also eat finely chopped seafood. Also, provide them with plenty of live rock for hiding spots and for grazing.

This blenny will appreciate a minimum tank of 30 gallons or larger with numerous rocks on which to perch. Sometimes, the Midas Blenny will vex small planktivores and has been known to nip at firefish and gobies. Larger tanks are advantageous as many of the Midas Blenny's aggressive behavior traits seem to relate to a confining tank situation.

Unlike most blennies, the Midas Blenny requires a meaty diet including finely chopped crustacean flesh, mysis and vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, along with frozen herbivorous preparations, micro and blue-green algae.

Yellowtail Damselfish

2010-01-26T09:28:00.000-08:00

The Yellowtail Damselfish is extremely hardy and gorgeously colored. In fact, Chrysiptera parasema is considered by many aquarists, both beginning and advanced, to be the ultimate damselfish. This is partly because its jewel-blue body is contrasted by an energizing yellow tail. This color combination looks stunning against any backdrop of corals and live rock. But what pleases aquarists most is that the Yellowtail Damsel is less aggressive and does not need as large of an aquarium as other Damsels. It can be housed with a variety of tank mates but because damsels become more aggressive as they mature, smaller or very weak fish are not recommended. Fish types that could be at risk include small juveniles of butterflyfish and Centropyge angelfish, cardinalfish, etc. A group of several individuals of this species can be kept together but only if there are many hiding places, otherwise they may very well fight to death. Some good tank mates include other non-aggressive damselfish, (but not of this genera), larger butterflyfish, and wrasses. Very territorial dottybacks, and such fish as sea basses that will eat anything, are not recommended if the tank is not large enough. In addition The Yellow Tail Damsel is a very hardy fish and quite territorial. Many people will use this fish to cycle a new tank, although Reeftime.com does not endorse this practice. Not only does this place undue stress on the fish, but it also sets up a precarious situation for any new inhabitants of the tank. Damsels are so aggressive that once they have their territory staked out, they will likely kill any new additions to the tank.

After establishing a territory, a male damselfish cleans a rocky ledge or coral surface to prepare it for spawning. Using color changes, excited swimming movements, and, in certain species, clicking sounds, the male fish encourages a mature female to approach the spawning site and lay her eggs, which he quickly fertilizes. Courtship and mating take about 10 to 20 minutes. Some males may mate with several females. Each female fish lays up to 20,000 tiny oval eggs, which the male tirelessly guards and tends. He fans water across the eggs with his fins, sometimes picking out dead eggs that could threaten the whole batch. Male damselfish defend their eggs against fish much larger than themselves with little regard for their own safety. The eggs hatch after three to seven days, and the larvae spend weeks drifting and feeding on animal and plant plankton. Some species of damselfish mature at two or three years of age while others take much longer. During courtship rituals vibrant colors distinguish the sexes more clearly.

Native to the reefs of the Indo-Pacific, this member of the Pomacentridae family prefers multiple hiding places and peaceful tankmates. Though most Yellowtail Damselfish will ignore other fish, invertebrates, or corals, some may be territorial towards its own kind or similar-sized fish. The Yellowtail Damsel is best kept in small groups of odd numbered fish in suitably sized systems.

Yellowtail Blue Damselfish or Yellowtail Demoiselle, and sometimes confused with the Azure Damselfish, C. parasema feeds on zooplankton and algae in the aquarium. For best care, it should also be fed a varied diet of meaty foods, such as mysis and vitamin-enriched shrimp. It is best to feed several small meals throughout the day.

Yellowtail Damsels have been bred in captivity. Though difficult to sex, males are usually larger and more slender and become aggressive towards females when ready to mate. However, the male Yellowtail Damsel is ultimately responsible for the care and guardianship of the eggs and will become very territorial while watching over his brood. But it is difficult to identify the sex organ of this fish.

Butterflyfish

2010-01-25T11:28:00.000-08:00

The Auriga Butterflyfish, also known as the Threadfin Butterflyfish, is one of the more popular and readily available butterflyfish. Generally a hardy species, in the wild it is found on inner and outer reef slopes. As with many fish, the Threadfin Butterfly's color and markings can vary with the region of origin. Extends from Hawaii southward to central Polynesia and Australia and westward through Micronesia, Melanesia, the East Indies, and across the Indian Ocean to the coast of Africa and the Red Sea.

The Auriga Butterflyfish's diet should primarily consist of plankton frozen, freeze-dried, fresh or flake food is readily accepted. Also provide regular vegetable food source and vitamin-boosting supplements.

Approximate Purchase Size: Small: 1-1/2" to 2-1/2"; Medium: 2-1/2" to 4"; Large: 4" to 6"

The Auriga Butterflyfish is quite shy and should be provided multiple hiding places. It is safe to keep it in a live rock-only tank, although it will pick at the rock , but is one of the more aggressive species that is best kept singly or as a mated pair. It will often chase related species and other non-related fishes that have similar color patterns.As with many fish, the Threadfin Butterfly's color and markings can vary with the region of origin. Red Sea specimens tend to lose the eyespot (false eye to confuse predators) on the dorsal fin.

If you will try to raise it you need to have 75 galoons tanks or up and Provide with lots of shelter and room to move around. A fish that is sensitive to even the lowest levels of ammonia, as well as touchy to other changes in its environment relating to poor water quality issues. Not suitable. Will eat a wide variety of soft and stony corals and desirable invertebrates.

These vividly colored fish can add a stunning splash of color to an aquarium. Their oval shaped bodies are compressed and are white, black and bright yellow.
The Auriga’s have a black band that runs from the top of their heads and ends at the jaw, covering the eye. The back of their bodies are vivid yellow with an eye spot at the top of the dorsal fin.
They have perpendicular bands that run up and down on snow white front bodies. These bands may or may not be lined with black. And, they have an elongated nose that they use to dig in corals and substrate for foods.

Breeding may do so, Auriga Butterflyfish are very monogamous, they will choose a mate and remain with the same partner for years. Breeding in captivity is quite difficult, the fry go through a metamorphosis that increases mortality rate.
They can breed all year long and will spawn frequently. Eggs are released into water columns and externally fertilized. The eggs float in the water columns for around 30 days before morphing into plankton and spending another 40 days floating in the column.
Hundreds of thousands of eggs can be released during each spawning. There’s very little information known about their breeding and parenting habits since they are so difficult to breed. But, it’s suspected that once the eggs are released there’s no further parenting or protection from the parents.

When first introduced to the tank, the Auriga Butterflyfish may refuse to eat. If this continues or three days or more, try offering them live foods. If they still refuse to eat, soaking their food in garlic can sometimes coax them into eating it!
Butterflyfish have very small mouths and their teeth are flexible! As they age a long, trailing filament will begin to grow from their dorsal fin that can grow up to 8 inches long.

Common Names: Auriga Butterflyfish, Threadfin Butterflyfish, Cross-Stripe Butterflyfish
Scientific Name: Chaetodon auriga
Family: Chaetodontidae
Maximum Size: 9 inches
Life expectancy: 5 years
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Temperature Range: 72-78 °F
pH Range: 8.2 – 8.4
SG: 1.021 – 1.023
Water hardness: 8 – 12
Temperament: Peaceful
Origin: Fiji, Hawaii, Indo-Pacific, Maldives, Tonga

LionFish

2010-01-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

Lionfish’. ‘Scorpion Volitans’. ‘Firefish', its name reveals the fiery character of the Indo-Pacific red lionfish, scientifically know as Pterois volitans/miles. With bold maroon and white zebra stripes, and a plume of feathery spines, the lionfish is a stunning specimen. Elegant. Graceful. Deadly to its prey. The red lionfish’s profuse dorsal, anal and pelvic spines deliver a venomous sting that is fatal to potential predators; painful and dangerous to humans. Native to the tropical Indo-Pacific region, red lionfish have been introduced to the Atlantic Ocean within the past several years, and gained a foothold in the coral and rocky reefs along the Gulf Stream.

Lionfish are quite eye catching with their long showy fins and intricate red and white stripe patterns. But as beautiful and delicate as those fins may appear, be warned that they are covered with venomous spines that can deliver a painful sting!
Although usually not deadly some people have had quite an adverse reaction to their poison and require emergency medical attention. However, don’t let this scare you off – Lionfish make excellent subjects for the marine aquarium. These predatory fish come from reef areas in warmer waters throughout the world. With their large mouths they quickly swallow up other fish and small crustaceans.
The smaller species of Lionfish reach a length of 6 inches while the largest can grow to 18 inches.
Lionfish are hardy adaptable creatures that get along well with each other and with other fishes, as long as they are too big to swallow. They need a large tank that is decorated with lots of rockwork with caves for shelter.
Lionfish aquariums also require an efficient filtration system along with frequent water changes to deal with the large amounts of food consumed and waste produced. Although many people love to feed them live feeder goldfish for “entertainment”, this is really not very nutritional. Lionfish should be fed a variety of fresh and prepared meaty foods including marine fish, shrimp, krill, clams, etc. Remember to be careful whenever doing any work in your tank – you don’t want to get an accidental “poke” from your pet.
It is difficult to differentiate between male and female Lionfish and efforts to breed them in captivity have been unsuccessful.

Humu-Humu

2010-01-21T09:32:00.000-08:00

Humu-Humu, Aculeate, Lagoon, Pig-Nosed, and Blackbar Triggerfish are only some of the common name of Rhinecanthus aculeatus is the true Picasso Triggerfish, not to be mistaken for the Rhinecanthus regtangulus species which is "tagged" with this same common name. In hawaii this fish is called Hu-mu hu-mu nu-ku nu-ku a pu-a-'a. Both the Rhinecantus aculeatus and rectangulus bear this famous long Hawaiian name. Roughly translated this name means "fish with a pig-nosed face". In short, this and most all other Triggerfishes worldwide are referred to commonly as Humu-Humu's, and sometimes incorrectly as Huma-Huma's, but these names do not actually identify an individual species one may have.

The Picasso Trigger is a magnificent and very popular aquarium species that is easily recognized by its creamy grayish-tan and white colored body splashed with many distinctive bright blue and yellow fine-line, and golden, black and white wide-band type markings.

This species can be found in the island of Hawaii and the Marquesas Islands westward through central Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanasia, and the Philippines in bankerohan river to be exact and around samal island to the coast of China, through the East Indies, and across the Indian Ocean to the coast of Africa and the Red Sea.

The Average size of an adult triggerfish is almost 9 to 10 inches. If you are planning to make this as a pet then you need to have 75 gallon tank and above to have more space. To maintain a peaceful tank that houses triggerfish, be sure to provide lots of room and a cave or rocks for a retreat area. Also house appropriate fish together that have similar needs and can hold their own. In this case larger protein eaters such as groupers, surgeonfishes, and basses, Some eels and puffers can be appropriate too.The Picasso Triggerfish or Huma Huma Trigger are known to have a pretty good disposition for a trigger and are generally a peaceful fish.This fish enjoys the shallower waters inside and outside the reef where lots of rocks and creviced structures are present to hide in and search for food from. To help to reduce aggression towards other tankmates, provide ample room and shelter to allow this fish to establish an adequate sized territory of its own.Not recommended. This fish eats a wide variety of crustaceans and other invertebrates, with the exception of stinging anemones such as the Stichodactyla or Carpet species for example.
Characteristics & Compatibility:

The characteristics and compatibility of Picasso species behaves in the typical aggressive Triggerfish manor. However, it may be housed with members of the same genus, if they are all added at the same time and ample space and housing is provided. Same species juveniles can be kept together, but as they mature fights are likely to occur between them. The Picasso Trigger is best kept in an aquarium with other similarly aggressive species of the same size or larger, as it may opportunistically eat smaller fish.

3- Striped Damselfish

2010-01-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

The 3- Striped Damselfish is also known as the White-tailed Damselfish, or Humbug Dascyllus. Three striped damselfish is a popular fish. The three bold black bands are separated by two white bands with a smaller bar of white to offset the tail.
This fish can be a great source of joy and can make you out of stress, but be sure that as they grow each one has it’s own rock cave or a coral. This is because young species of Dascyllus in the ocean will often live in a comensal relationship with anemones. As they mature, however, they will abandon the anemone and move to corals.

A 30 gallon is good for beginning but as time goes you can transfer them to much bigger tank and suitable with plenty of hiding places for the 3-striped Damselfish to survive. Due to its aggressive behavior as an adult, it will do well with other moderately aggressive fish in a community tank. It will not harm invertebrates or disturb the tank setting.

The 3-Striped Damselfish need a diet of meaty items, herbivore preparations, and flaked foods. You can also buy a fish food from your nearist fish shop. This fish will readily eat all kinds of live, frozen, and flake foods and algae a very good example of this is prawn live or frozen one. It is best to feed small amounts several times a day. In a reef situation they don’t really need to be fed very often at all.

Most of this fish stay in small shoals in the wild when young, breaking away from the group as they grow, and eventually become solitary as adults. When exposed with several Damsels in one aquarium, plenty of rockwork and hiding places are necessary in order minimize quarrels among them.

The 3-Striped Damselfish can be found at depths up to 12 meters and can grow upto 6.5cm. It associates itself with branching corals on inshore and lagoon reefs. Like all damselfish, the 3-Striped Damselfish can be territorial and aggressive, especially as they get older. These can be kept with other larger fish but watch them closely to be sure their aggression doesn’t become destructive The 3-Stripe Damselfish, Humbug Dascyllus, or White-tailed Damselfish are found all over the Indo-West Pacific from eastern Africa and the Red Sea to the central and western Pacific as far north as southern Japan and south to Tuamotu islands and also you can find it near bankerohan river.

Moorish Idol

2010-01-19T12:33:00.000-08:00

The Moorish Idol is not an Angelfish, nor a Butterflyfish, but rather a close relative of the Acanthruidae or Surgeonfish family. A one-of-a-kind Zanclidae family member, this fish is also often misidentified as a Pennant or Bannerfish, which are actually species of the Heniochus genus that are commonly referred to as the "False" or "Poor Man's" Moorish Idol.

It can be found in the place of Hawai'i to Australia ocean, and from the west coast of Central America westward to the coast of Africa and the Red Sea.

You should provided with plenty of unobstructed swimming space, as well as ample hiding places to take refuge when feeling threatened. And if you put it in an aquarium you need to have a minimum of 100 galoon tank.

Typically the Moorish Idol is a moderately-peaceful fish best kept with other non-aggressive species. In regards to keeping multiple numbers of these fish together, there are many opinions. Some aquarists recommend only keeping this fish singly or in mated pairs.

From experience we know that large mature adults have a low tolerance for one other, and therefore keeping a single specimen or a mated pair is recommended. As far as juveniles, although this fish does seem to commune fairly well as a group, nonetheless their behavior towards one another can be "unpredictable". Sometimes a group of smaller Moorish Idols will get along just fine, while other times there may be one renegade in the group that becomes dominant, and decides to pick on all the others.

This is typically difficult fish to keep, larger specimens usually do not adjust well to aquarium life. With the tendency to ignore foods offered, most often their health will decline due to slow starvation. Smaller juvenile or sub-adult specimens may more readily adapt to their surroundings, but just the same, these fish are unpredictable in their feeding behavior. For fish that refuse to eat, to survive in captivity live rock that is rich with coralline algae and sponge growth may be needed to stimulate their desire to do so. Offer finely chopped fresh or frozen shrimp, clams, squid, and other meaty fares suitable for carnivores, live mysid and brine shrimp, some vegetable matter as well as supplemental vitamin-enriched prepared foods that contain marine algae and Spirulina. Feed 2 to 3 times a day.

Moorish Idols will often pick at LPS corals, and certain soft coral polyps. Although this fish primarily eats coraline algae and sponge in nature, this doesn't mean that it might not pick at other types of sessile invertebrates, or maybe even motile crustaceans. Because these fish are typically difficult to care for in captivity, a key factor in the success of keeping a Moorish Idol is buying one that is in the best of health to start with. Here are some important things to observe and find out about this fish, before you decide to buy one.

The colors should be dark, and bright, not faded or washed out. Generally it is about 7 inches, but some adults may attain 8 or 9 inches long.

The fish's body should appear somewhat full and rounded out at the sides, the stomach area should not appear concave or sunken, and the skeletal structure of the fish should not be noticeable underneath the skin. Ask someone to feed the fish while you are at the pet store. If they will not, because they may have set feeding times, find out when this is, and then ask to be present so you can see for yourself that the fish is eating well. Find out what the pet store is feeding the fish, and match that diet.
If the fins and the tail appear to be frayed or ragged looking, or are partially burnt off around the edges, and the fish's eyes are cloudy, this is most often a sign of exposure to ammonia burns, which usually stems from bad collecting and shipping practices, but can also result from poor aquarium water quality conditions and care. One of the best gauges for judging how this fish has been handled is to look at its long white streamer or pennant. If it is partially missing, or burnt off altogether, it's a sign the fish was at one time, or may be exposed to unfavorable conditions. However, if the streamer is missing, but you can see a new, small white filamentous-like growth starting to grow out of where the pennant used to be, its an excellent sign that the fish is getting the proper care, recovering and regaining a state of good health. Now if the pennant is missing, but no new growth is yet apparent, its a good idea to wait a week or two to see how the fish's condition progresses. It is not unusual for the symptoms of exposure to ammonia burn to be delayed, therefore a particular fish's condition can possibily decline as well.

What are porcupine fish?

2010-01-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

The body of the porcupine fish is round; much like that of the puffers, but how they inflate the body is distinctly different.

Named for its spine-covered skin, the porcupine fish can be found in oceans throughout the world. This interesting little fish is a member of the Diodontidae family and is most often found swimming among or near coral reef areas. The porcupine fish range in size from around three inches with some of the larger species reaching up to nineteen inches or more. In the larger of these fish the spines are set into the skin, much like the puffers, erecting only when the fish is threatened and has inflated its body. But the smaller of the species have spines that are permanently erected whether the fish is aggravated or not. With around fifteen species of this fish, some are very popular as aquarium specimens while others are blown up, dried and sold as souvenirs. Most species of porcupine fish are nocturnal, choosing to feed at night when their favorite food is active. As a member of the Tetradontiformes order, the porcupine fish is believed to have evolved over the centuries from the Perciformes order. Although the porcupine fish, like many of the Tetradontiformes, are poor swimmers they have often been seen swimming with amazingly agile motions in and out of the coral reef as they search for prey.

The body of the porcupine fish is round; much like that of the puffers, but how they inflate the body is distinctly different. Unlike the puffers, the porcupine fishes do not have a special sac in the intestinal area to fill with water or air when inflating their bodies. Instead, these amazing fish take tiny gulps of water into their stomach until the body is fully extended. With the smaller of the species that have their spines always present this action gives them the appearance of an angry porcupine within seconds. In the larger species the spines lay along the body becoming prominent as the body inflates. Another of the distinct characteristics that differentiates the porcupine fish from the puffers is their incredible hunting habit. As night falls, some species of these interesting fish begin to appear from cracks and crevices within the coral reef. The move stealthily along the bottoms searching for their favorite food which is the mollusk. Just when it appears that no prey is present, the porcupine fish will move its body over a small area of sand and spurt tiny jets of water to uncover its prey. These tiny fish have a voracious appetite and when kept in an aquarium will swim to the top to await their food. In fact, some porcupine fish have even been known to spray a small stream of water at anything that moves when they are hungry.

Much like the puffers, the porcupine fish have large teeth that take on a beak-like appearance. Although the mollusk appears to be the favorite food of this fish, they are also known to eat clams, oysters and other invertebrates that dig into the bottoms of their habitat. Interestingly, claims that the spines of the porcupine fish are known to inflict a venomous sting have been made but to date no proof of these claims have been found. Since most data concerning the smaller species of this fish shows that they have been used more as shelf trinkets and to spice up the fish life of aquariums, it is highly likely that few or none have been ingested by humans. Another interesting aspect of this rather small, brown spotted fish, is that even though they are often observed in aquariums, very little is known about their mating habits or the juveniles of these species.

Cubicus Boxfish

2010-01-13T14:24:00.001-08:00

The Cubicus Boxfish is also referred to as the Yellow Boxfish, Polka Dot Boxfish, or Cube Boxfish. The juvenile form is easily identifiable as having a yellow box-shaped body with brown spots. As an adult, the yellow will fade and become brown. The Cubicus Boxfish is sometimes confused with the Longhorn Cowfish, Lactoria cornuta which is occasionally also called the Yellow Boxfish.
This is a very difficult fish to keep in the aquarium setting by any other than the most experienced aquarist. It should have a minimum of a 125 gallon tank. Use caution if placing the Spotted Boxfish in a reef tank as they will often nibble at tubeworms. If stressed, the Cubicus Boxfish releases a poisonous substance, called ostracitoxin, from its mucous glands which will kill other fish in the tank very quickly.

Very little success has been achieved in breeding these fish in an aquarium.

When first introduced, the Cubicus Boxfish prefers a diet of live brine shrimp or bloodworms. Once acclimated, the diet should include chopped squid, clams, mussels, and herbivore preparations.

Approximate Purchase Size: Small: 1" to 2"; Medium: 2" to 3; Large: 3" to 5"

Caution: This species secretes or releases toxins when stressed or injured that may kill fish in the aquarium.

Tips to maintain your Arowana

2009-12-16T07:49:00.000-08:00

Well here are some tips to maintain your Arowana and the Aquarium; the Arowana’s eating habits produce a lot of waste and you should therefore, pay extra attention to water conditions in your aquarium. Changing 25% to 35% of the water weekly is advisable, or better yet, 20% twice a week. You should maintain the pH neutral. Pay particular attention to the temperature and pH ranges suggested below on the various species, since if you have it too warm, it might cause them to age faster, look less Arowana, and even shorten their life. A to cold temperature might on the other hand kill them.

Generally, a good healthy Arowana Fish will grow to be at least 24 to 30 inches (60-75cm). Some varieties can become 48 inches (120 cm) in the wild. They may be aggressive (definitely not good community fish), and Arowana fish can sometimes be best kept alone in an aquarium. Remember that other smaller fish in the tank may become their dinner.

Arowana fish will often swim in the top of the aquarium, and are capable of jumping from the aquarium. Keep the aquarium well covered to avoid coming home to a dead pet. Silver Arowana Fish in the wild have been known to jump at insects in trees as read in a comic J.

Arowana Fish may live for many years, and if well cared for Arowana fish may live longer than 20 years in captivity. If you keep the aquarium temperature towards the lower end, they may look young longer than they would in a higher temperature. Please pay particular attention to each Arowana Fish’s needs below.

The Asian Arowana or Golden Arowana (Scleropages formosus) is considered an endangered species. Care should be taken to follow the law in purchasing and transporting them. Asian Arowana fish generally can grow to about 36 inches, and are often much more expensive then the other Arowana species. These are well known and popular South East Asia where they are believed to bring luck. Feeding them healthy Guppies, Gold Fish, Frogs, or Shrimp makes a good stable diet. The temperature is best kept between 75 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit (24-30 C), and a pH level between 7.0 and 7.5 are advisable.
Well about their Vastu value:
Generally people say that by growing these kind of fishes, we get mental relaxation, by and large its true because When we watch the movements of these colour fishes our mind gets relaxed.
When we try to attach the Vastu element to these fishes, they are seen as a balancing element, When these live colourful fishes are grown in houses, it brings prosperity and happiness in one’s life and I have been experiencing it too...

How to care Yellow Labido

2009-12-15T07:16:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most commonly kept African Cichlids and is THE most common Malawi Cichlid to be kept in home aquariums. It is a Rock dwelling Mbuna and is a maternal mouthbrooder. The reasons for its popularity are primarily its looks, size and temperament but, fairly obvious sexing, and ease of breeding contribute to keep this in the Top Ten of African Cichlids!

Appearance:
The most popular and widespread form of Labidochromis Caeruleus is a Bright Yellow - hence its common names (Both Males and Females are Yellow with the Males having black pigment in their finnage). In fact it exists in Blue and White and in the wild the Yellow version is only to be found in the Northeast part of the lake between Charo and Lions Cove.

Size:
Yellow Labs are a dwarf species and can reach a length of 10-13 cm (4-5 in.). The females are commonly smaller than the male (2-3 in).

Temperament:
Lab. Caeruleus is a quiet and peaceful Mbuna, and is a perfect cichlid for Aquarists moving from Community fishkeeping to the colourful world of Cichlids. However, be warned, a quiet and peaceful Cichlid is still a Cichlid, Yellow labs are not suitable for adding to your community tank and doing so may well result in not only, rather fewer fish than you start with but also unhappy fish all around.

Sexing:
Adult dominant males are extremely easy to sex - They have Black Anal and Ventral Fins and a Black Dorsal Fin with a bright yellow top stripe, as they age they also develop more Black pigment leading to a jet black underside and Charcoal Stripes on its body, from the front they look as though they are wearing a Mask . Sub dominant males are harder to sex in that whilst they will usually also have black Anal/Ventral fins the black pigment is far less pronounced leading to easy confusion between sub dominant Males and Females.

Female Yellow Labs are a paler/pastel version of the Males - They tend not to have any black Anal/Ventral fins these instead being a pale yellow, The Females tend to be much smaller than the Males although this difference is not obvious as Juveniles when all the Fish are the same size.

Breeding/Reproduction:
Labidochromis caeruleus is one of the easiest mouthbrooders to breed. Either buy five or six juvenile fish (try for a ratio of at least two females to each male) and grow them on. They will breed from around six months of age or about 1-1/2 inches in length. Or buy Trios of Adults in the same ratio. Breeding occurs as for many mbuna. The Male will select a spawning site, it could be on a piece of Slate or on the bare bottom. He will flirt with all the females until one responds and follows him. The female deposits the eggs in the immediate area, and the male follows fertilizing the eggs. The female returns and picks up the eggs holding them in her buccal cavity (beneath lower Jaw/throat) and also deposits more eggs. This can go on for about an hour. The female will then hide out and begin to brood. (The male starts looking for the next female - his involvement at an end).
Females are generally good "holders" and will refuse food for up to four weeks. Because going for food for so long weakens the female it is a good idea to remove her from the Main tank into a separate tank anytime after you see her obviously "Holding". This means that after she has released the Fry you can feed her up before returning her to her often boisterous tankmates. Upon release of the Fry she will continue to care for them for about a week given the opportunity and providing she has plenty of food the fry should be in no danger. The actual time she will hold depends on a number of factors and Temperature plays a significant part with release times recorded of 25 days at 27-28° C (81-82° F) or 40 days at 23-24° C (73-75° F) so somewhere between these would be the average. The number of Fry is generally quite small with Young females producing 5-8 Fry and older more experienced fish producing up to 15.

Keeping Labidochromis Caeruleus in the home Aquarium

pH: 7.7 - 8.6 (This is the variation found in Lake Malawi) Aim for midpoint.
Hardness: Aim for 8-10 KH and a little higher ideally for GH (Most aquarists think all Rift lakes are extremely hard water-This is not necessarily so) Aim for Harder end of scale to achieve regular spawning.
Temperature: 73-82 F (23-28 C)
Minimum Aquarium size 120 Litres, Ideal size from 300 Litres upwards.
Décor: Provide Lots of Rock work/Caves and fine Gravel or Sand as substrate. Whilst they do not dig up plants they will often eat them so Plants happy in their environment would be those such as Java Fern.
Filtration: Lake Malawi is a lake so vast that there is no measurable pollution, in the wild, Malawi fish would never have to cope with Ammonia or Nitrite OR Nitrate, therefore you should aim at keeping your water conditions as close to perfect as possible. The only way to do this is via Efficient Filtration and regular water changes. Undergravel filters are not really suitable for any Mbuna due to their digging habits so I would recommend a Good quality External or Internal Power filter or two. Malawi fish require well oxygenated water achieved by good surface movement and are high waste producing fish. Therefore your filter should ideally turn tank water over at least 5 times an hour but bear in mind that it is not necessary to have white water rapids at the surface.

Feeding:
Labidochromis Caeruleus are Mbuna and Mbuna need vegetables (herbivores) while other Cichlids mainly feed in high protein, frozen and even live foods (omnivores, carnivores or piscivores). Providing Yellow Labs with too much protein may cause the Malawi bloat disease which is extremely difficult to be treated and usually fatal. Restrict food stuffs to good quality Flake food with a high vegetable content and pellets and alternate these with High vegetable content frozen food, Lettuce on a clip (Labs love Lettuce!), shelled peas and once a week or so Live brine shrimp. Avoid Tubifex and blood worms because although they will eat it with relish, tubifex worms should be avoided since they are reported to carry many microorganisms which may harm your fish. Leave them without any food at least once a week.

LABIDOCHROMIS CAERULEUS

2009-12-14T13:53:00.000-08:00

L. caeruleus is understandably one of the more popular Cichlids in the hobby, always being in demand. This is due to its bright yellow coloring and its more docile temperment. This latter attribute makes this African Cichlid a compatable tank mate for virtually hundreds of other Cichlids. Dear to the hearts of many cichlidophiles, this mbuna gets housed with peacocks, featherfins, lamprologus, and of course other mbuna. Its omnivorous diet also makes it a versatile addition to just about any setup.

The "Electric Yellow" morph is just one of almost a dozen different morphologies seen in this species through out the lake. These other morphs go either unnoticed, ignored, or forgotten by most hobbyists because of the omnipresent availability of the "Electric Yellow". This color variant, while more rare in the lake, enjoys a distribution in the hobby that would easily out number the wild population by probably several hundred-fold. In fact, the "Electric Yellow" that is so popular today was only recently discovered (about 15 years ago). The discovery and subsequent public offering of this mbuna constitutes a very colorful tale.

L. caeruleus was first identified in 1956 by G. Fryer. He described this fish as normally being white, with a black stripe through the dorsal fin, which would become a pale blue cast in breeding males (probably the morph from Nkhata Bay, Malawi). Believe it or not, this species was named caeruleus (meaning "blue" in Latin) for this very reason. It wasn't until around 1980 that this xanthic color variant was discovered by Stuart Grant and his divers. Grant et. al supposedly discovered a small colony of "Electric Yellows" at Lion's Cove, Malawi.

Stuart Grant only collected a few specimens, but refused to mass-collect and export them because of the population's small numbers, fearing that they would be pushed into extinction. Then two Swedish collectors paying a visit to Stuart Grant noticed these beautiful, bright yellow mbuna in his tanks and requested that he collect and export some for them. The story is that when he declined, these two Swedes bribed some of his divers, who knew right where they were located. They then returned to Sweden with two yellow labs, unbeknownst to Grant

From what I have read, these two yellow labs were then given as a gift to Pierre Brichard, who was very impressed by them. This is where the story gets really interesting: Brichard then took them back to his fishing operation in Burundi, along Lake Tanganyika (of all places!) and bred some 20,000 fish, all related to that pair. Quite amazing. And he did this in less than six years time. Then, in 1986 he made them available to the public, selling them for a hefty price from what I hear. Brichard ended up making a good dollar off that pair, while Stuart Grant on Lake Malawi, who found the fish in the first place, was left holding the bag.

The story of the yellow lab doesn't end here, my friends. When Brichard put his yellow labs on the market in 1986, he called them "Labidochromis tanganicae", which caused immense confusion among hobbyists. Was this a Tanganyikan Labidocrhomis species, or had Brichard collected this "new" Labidochromis from Malawi and raised it in his ponds on Lake Tanganyika? Eventually the issue was settled, but it did cause quite a commotion. And to think, that most yellow labs in the hobby all descended from that single, illicit pair.

Stuart did capture 22 fish later on but had a bit of a spill and only a few were left. These were given to Gary Kratchovil in San Antonio, TX. You'll see him offer F1 stock from time to time. A couple of years ago, a friend of a friend bought some F1 yellow labs that had been pond-raised in Africa. Surprisingly, they were no better in quality than other good yellow labs that we have seen! There are plenty of bad strains out there - some with lots of black on the body and face. There is a morph with a whitish belly that is not as attractive. Don't be mislead into thinking that is a man-made strain. This is a naturally occurring morph that comes from Lion's Cove, along side the yellow lab we all know.

I mention this because I have heard a lot of people bag on yellow labs and breeders, suggesting that they have been over-bred. True, there are many breeders out there that are not patient or careful and put up for sale anything that hatches. BUT, a fish can be bred for hundreds of generations and still retain is beauty and fitness, as demonstrated by Pierre Brichard. In fact, some of the most spectacular fish you will ever see - you know, the ones that win all the shows - have been line bred. The best looking progeny from each generation are pulled out and then bred to each other. Sometimes, the best genes aren't those that come from the lake (F0), but from a carefully maintained line. This isn't unethical, in my opinion. These people are simply selecting the more desirable traits and retaining them. If you find this reprehensible, next time you see a black-barred yellow lab next to a clean one, ask yourself which you'd rather own, or purchase for that matter.

Before concluding, let me say a few words about this fish's behavior in both the wild as well as captivity. L. caeruleus is an omnivore, feeding primarily upon insects, snails, and mollusks; however, in the aquarium, this fish can be fed a wide assortment of foods. I personally recommend a good Spirulina based flake food with occassional frozen food supplements, or alternatively, The European Shrimp Mix. These insectivores wander through their rocky biotope, never lingering at any particular spot, and it seems they are tolerated in the territories of most other species.

L. caeruleus prefer dark caves, but they are always careful to inspect the ceiling for prey. Likewise, in the aquarium, rock work, and particularly honeycomb limestone (aka holey rock), is appreciated. Notice in the picture above how this female is hiding from the male, anxious to induce her to spawn with him. The hole is too small for him, but not for her! This provides her an opportunity to escape his aggressive entreaties when she is not interested or ready to spawn. And as already mentioned, L. caeruleus has a very wide distribution in the lake, with the yellow morph occuring between Charo and Lion’s Cove on the Malawi side of the lake, at a depth of 20 meters. Broods usually number between 15 and 20 fry, with incubation periods lasting typically 28 days. Males tend to have much more black on their pelvic and anal fins, and are usually 1/3 larger than females at adulthood.

Queen Angelfish

2009-12-11T14:41:00.000-08:00

Queen Angelfish Overview

Scientific Name : Holacanthus Ciliaris

Origin : Western Atlantic Ocean

DIfficulty :Medium

Minimum Size Tank : 150 gallons

Temperament : Semi-Aggressive

Temperature : 72 - 82°F

Reef Safe : No

Maximum Size : 18 inches

Diet : Omnivore

Probably the most popular "large" angelfish in the hobby, the queen angelfish is a stunning blue and yellow all across its entire body body. It has a single electric blue crown on its head and dorsal and anal fins are elongated. This combination produces one of the most beautiful angelfish the marine hobby has ever seen. The other two popular angelfish are the Emperor Angelfish and the French Angelfish.

It is collected mainly from the Caribbean Sea but can be found in Florida and some parts of South America.

Its close relative, the blue angelfish (Holacanthus Bermudensis) is almost entirely similar in appearance and can be hard to tell apart.

Holacanthus Townsendi is the supposed scientific name given to their offspring as both fish have been known to interbreed in the wild.

Its worth noting that hybrids do not represent a new species. Therefore, Holacanthus Townsendi is not a valid angelfish species.

While both the queen and blue angels look alike, telling them apart is easy. Two things to look out for, a blue crown on their heads and the shape of their tails.

Only queen angelfish have a blue crown and the queens tail is also more rounded. Blue angels have tails that a re much straighter vertically.

As juveniles, queen angelfish along with most other large angelfish have different coloration compared to adults. They also often act as "cleaners" in the wild.

They will set up cleaning stations where fish go to rid themselves of parasites. This behavior is shared by almost all juvenile "large" angelfish.

Queen Angelfish : Temperament

As with all of its larger cousins, the queen angel is somewhat of a bully as adults.

Its aggression is mostly reserved for its cousins, other large angelfish. A surefire way to start a fight in your tank is to introduce two queen angelfish. As far as tank mate compatibility goes, the blue angelfish should always considered to be another queen angelfish.

It is peaceful towards members of other species of fish but always look out for trouble with similarly sized or shaped fish.

To the right i've added a video of a queen angelfish taking on a pair of Gray Angelfish (Pomacanthus Arcuatus) in the wild.

Queen Angelfish : Diet

All angelfish have the potential to consume corals in captivity, the queen angel is no exception to this rule. Although you may come across some reef aquariums that have these angels with little to no problems, its generally a bad idea. What happens when they start nipping one day? Tear down the tank to get it out? Becomes a huge mess in the end.

In the wild they feed on sponges, polyps, corals and algae. They should be offered a wide variety of foods like seaweed, meaty foods like krill or mysis shrimp and a good pellet from a reputable brand like New Life Spectrum.

Formula Two by Ocean Nutrition is a balanced food for herbivores like angels and tangs. You can either get them in pellet, flake or frozen form.

Angel Formula by Ocean Nutrition is by far the best, most complete food on the market for angelfish. Its ingredients consist of items they would normally eat in the wild. As such, it contains marine sponges (rare seen food item) as well as algae, vitamins and a good blend of seafood. Unfortunately angel formula only comes in frozen cubes.

Seaweed is a popular offering for angels. You have two options with regard to seaweed. You can buy a branded type like those produced by two little fishies (Julian Sprungs sea veggies) or you can save some money and get some nori sheets from your local supermarket. Not all nori found there is cheap, some are even more expensive than those found in the marine hobby so shop around.

Nori comes in many flavours, spiced etc. You want to stay away from those and get just plain nori. You can purchase seaweed clips or you can fashion one up yourself. Attach the sheet to the clip and stick the clip onto the glass.

Iodotropheus sprengerae

2009-12-11T08:11:00.000-08:00

Iodotropheus sprengerae was first described in 1972 by Oliver and Loiselle. It is considered one of the classic fish in the hobby. Out of the enire Iodotropheus genus, the Rusty Cichlid is the only one that is generally available in the hobby.

Although the word "Rusty" does not seem like it would depict a colorful fish, adult males have a beautiful purple and rust sheen. Sexing Rusty Cichlids can be difficult. Males are larger than females, have more pronounced eggspots than females, and more of a purple hue. A male Rusty will top out at about 4 inches. Female get up to about 3-3.5 inches.

Habitat
Iodotropheus sprengerae is associated with rocks and is found at Boadzulu and Chinyankwazi Islands in Lake Malawi, Africa.

Care
Rusty Cichlids are very hardy and easy to keep. Like all Malawian cichlids, it likes hard water. A temperature of 76 to 80F is optimal.

Iodotropheus sprengerae is very peaceful for an mbuna. A group of 6 to 8 adults could easily be kept in a 40 gallon breeder, with very few issues. This fish can also be kept with some of the more peaceful Malawians with no problem. The only time I observed aggression in this fish was during spawning, but even then, it was very minimal.

Feeding
Iodotropheus sprengerae is an herbivore, but will do okay if fed some food higher in protein. Keep the fish on a fiber-rich diet. I fed mine HBH graze, Dianichi Veggie deluxe, Spectrum, and baby brine shrimp.

Breeding
Rusty Cichlids are supposedly easy to breed. I know many people who had no problem breeding these fish. I, sadly, am not one of those people.

When I saw Iodotropheus sprengerae available, I knew I had to buy them. There were not any in stores near me that were for sale— this once popular fish seemed to disappear. I bought eight Rusty juvies so that I would get at least one of each sex. . . a good habit to practice if you want to breed fish.

The fish were small, but within four months started breeding. The first spawns were not fertile, but I was not surprised because the fish were young. After about eight spawns, I was getting angry.

I watched these fish spawn. They would hold for three days, and then drop. I eventually tried stripping the fish and the eggs would go bad within 24 hours.

One day while viewing the "Rusty Tank", I noticed that none were eating. All eight of my Rusty cichlids were holding, which is not right. This fish is not a bi-parental mouth brooder! Unable to obtain a male Rusty, I had to sell the group.

Chapter Two began. I purchased a bag of six full grown Iodotropheus sprengerae. It took me a while to get the fish a permanent home, as they bounced from tank to tank. I finally settled the group in my 58 with some West Africans. Everything in the tank was fine except the Rusty Cichlids would not breed.

Four months went by and still nothing, and by that point they should have spawned. This time I had all males! At this point, I was extremely ticked off and, due to my low patience level, these fish were about to get the boot.

Luckily this story has a happy ending. On the eve of the night the fish were to be shipped out to a friend Texas, they spawned. Only one of the six fish was a female.

Rusty Cichlids are good holders. Mine held for eighteen days before I stripped her of free-swimming fry.

Be careful when raising these fish as feeding too much baby brine tends to give these fry digestive issues.

Retail Price
For juvie Rusty cichlids, you are looking at about 3 to 4 dollars each. Adults will probably run you 8-10 dollars each at a pet shop.

Availability
In the mid-late 1990's this fish was very popular, but now are kind of difficult to find. Occasionally they will pop up in a pet shop or an auction or swap meet.

Aulonocara baenschi

2009-12-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

Aulonocara baenschi (common name: "New Yellow Regal Peacock") is a classic Aulonocara. In nature it will reach 10 cm while in the aquarium it may become considerably bigger (even 15 cm is not rare for adult males in large tanks). Needs a substrate of small pebbles or fine sand. Some tough plants may be also used in the tank, such as Anubias, Vallinserias, Cryptocorynes and Saggitaria. They thrive in alkaline, moderately hard water (pH range 7.5 - 8.4, GH > 10). It is better kept alone (in species tanks) or in community tanks without any other Aulonocara females. Cross breeds very easily mainly because the females of all Aulonocara species are almost identical. This species sometimes poses a problem for the fish keeper. Too peaceful to be housed with similarly sized mbuna, it is too small to be kept with Malawi haps (especially piscivores). Very popular due to its spectacular vivid colors.

These spectacular close up photos were taken in April 2000 by hobbyist Dale Paulter, from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Dale has been a fish keeper for 2 1/2 years and is a member of CRLCA. He currently runs 13 tanks ranging in size from 10 to 60 gallons and this is his beloved species. This pair is housed in a 60 gallon tank (one male with 4 females). This photo was taken during the fourth spawning of this particular female while the male has already produced over 300 fry all thriving at various sizes. Tankmates include three Synodontis petricola and one sailfin marble pleco.

Aulonocara Benga - Aulonocara baenschi

2009-12-10T07:23:00.000-08:00

Species name: Aulonocara baenschi

Common Names: Aulonocara Benga, Benga Aulonocara, Benga Yellow, New Yellow Regal, Nkhomo-Benga Peacock, Yellow Peacock

Family: Cichlidae (Cichlids) , subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae

Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)

Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

Max. size: 10 cm / 4 inches

Environment: freshwater

Origin: Lake Malawi: Chipoka, Maleri Islands, Nkhomo, and Usisya

Temperament: Relatively non-aggressive .

Company: Can be kept with other non aggressive species of the same size.

Water parameters: pH 7.0-8.5, temperature 22-26°C / 72-78° F

Aquarium setup: Requires stone formations that allows the fish good hiding places. Plan the Aquarium setup so that several territories can be formed with natural boundaries. Also make sure there is a lot of free space for these fish to swim on. Don’t use roots in your aquarium since they lower PH levels.

Feeding: Accepts all kinds of food.

Breeding: Mouth-brooder. The female will protect a batch of 4-25 fry in her mouth for up to 4 weeks. The females will not eat will they brood. You can tell if a female is brooding by her enlarged mouth. fry are quite small and fragile but will accepts most kinds of food. Brooding females are isolated for more productive breeding. It is recommendable to try to make the isolation as short as possible to avoid that the females loses their social status which may cause fights once they are returned. Stress to the female can cause her to eat her eggs and fry.

cyrtocara moorii

2009-12-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

The Malawi blue dolphin (cyrtocara moorii) is a peaceful African cichlid (family Cichlidae) that inhabits Lake Malawi.

As these fish mature the males develop a hump on their heads. Because of this hump these fish are sometimes called "blue humphead" cichlids. Their snout also elongates. Their elongated snout is said to resemble a dolphin's face, hence the name "blue dolphin."

This is a medium sized African cichlid - about 8 inches (20 cm) in length. You'll need a spacious aquarium because you should keep them in a group of at least six.

The substrate in their aquarium should be sand. You should also provide some rockwork for caves.

Their aquarium should have relatively hard, somewhat alkaline water.

Water temperature should be between 74-80 °F (23-27 °C).

In their natural habitat they eat small crustaceans that live in the sandy lake bottom. In fact, they often follow behind other fish species that dig in the sand and eat any invertebrates that are dug up. In captivity they can be fed cichlid pellets, flakes, and frozen foods.

Blue dolphin cichlids are mouth brooders. The female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth for about two weeks.

Once the fry are released feed them newly hatched brine shrimp and powdered food for fry.

Oscar Fish

2009-12-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

How to Care for Your Oscar Fish

Oscar Fish (Astronotus ocellatus) are a freshwater cichlid from South America and are also known as Peacock Cichlid, Walnut Cichlid or Velvet Cichlid. Oscars are a relatively large fish that grow up to sixteen inches long and can live for up to eight to twelve years if proper care is given. Read on to learn the steps for ideal Oscar fish care.

Setting up a Freshwater Tank

This is an important step, as this will be your Oscar's home. The first step is to gather all the equipment you will need:
Freshwater testing kits
Cichlid Food and other cichlid care products (Water conditioners, buffers, substrates, trace element supplements)
Aquarium vacuum or siphon
Tank of proper size for your Oscar fish
Aquarium gravel (there are gravel blends especially for cichlids)
Aquarium heater
Filter
Fish net
Bucket for water changes
Ornaments or plants(either real or fake) for hiding places
Thermometer

Choosing an aquarium size

Oscar fish need at least 30 gallons of space each. The minimum tank size for a single Oscar fish should be 40 gallons.

Washing the aquarium

Everything must be washed. Hose out the inside of the aquarium thoroughly and then dry it with paper towels. Make sure to remove any soap residue. Rinse all equipment and ornaments you plan to submerge in tap water.

Place the gravel in a bucket and rinse it with water. Fill the bucket with enough water to submerge the gravel and stir until all of the loose sediment and debris comes off. Rinse and repeat this step until the water remains clear.

Finding a place for your aquarium

Oscar fish are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, noise and light, so keep the tank in a place where there will be minimal external influences on the environment. Place the tank away from doors, windows and vents and out of high traffic areas. Also, be sure to keep the tank out of direct sunlight as this promotes algae growth and temperature fluctuations.

Be sure to situate the tank on a sturdy piece of furniture or a special aquarium stand as a tank can weigh well over a hundred pounds when filled. To protect the floor and carpet, you can place a piece of corkboard beneath the stand or furniture as well as underneath the tank itself to keep the tank secure and even.

Filling your tank

If you're using one, place your under-gravel filter on the bottom of your aquarium. (More on filters later.) Next, add about three to four inches of cichlid gravel. The amount of gravel is not pivotal, but there should be enough to support all decorations and plants.

Next, begin conditioning your water. Tap water should be left standing for 24 hours or use a water conditioner or stress reliever to remove contaminants and make your water suitable for fish. You can also use special products for cichlids that recreate the mineral content of their natural environment for optimal health. These elements will be important in your cichlid's healthy transition to your aquarium.

Once your water is prepared, you can begin filling the tank. Pour the water in gently so as not to disrupt the gravel. You can also place a saucer in the bottom of the tank and pour the water directly into the saucer to avoid stirring up the gravel. Fill it up about halfway.
Once the aquarium is about half-full, add plants, ornaments, and rocks. Fill it up the rest of the way after these items are secure.

Bringing your Oscar Fish Home

The most jarring experience of your Oscar's captive life will be the ride from the pet store to your home. Follow these tips to reduce the amount of trauma on your new Oscar.
If it is cold, prepare an insulated box to keep your Oscar in on the ride home.
Wrap the bag in newspaper or place it in a brown paper bag to reduce the amount it is exposed to. The transition from indoor light to outdoor light can be particularly shocking for an Oscar fish, as cichlids don't like bright light.
Keep the Oscar away from heating vents and direct sunlight.
Make the trip home as quickly as possible. The less jolts from the car ride, the better.
Once you get the Oscar fish home, place the bag in the water without opening it for about 15 minutes. Next, add water from the aquarium to the bag a little at before opening the bag and setting it free.

Keeping the Tank Clean and Comfortable for your Oscar Fish

Keep a close eye on your Oscar fish's water temperature with a digital aquarium thermometer. Oscar fish prefer temperatures between 74 degrees Fahrenheit and 81 degrees Fahrenheit with an ideal around 77 degrees. Avoid fluctuations in temperature.

Ideal pH level for an Oscar fish is about 7.2, but Oscar fish are easily adaptable as long as the change is gradual. Keep an eye on the pH level of both the water in the tank and the water you are about to add for water changes using your pH test kit. If the pH level is drastically different, add only a little bit of new water each time or treat the water first using cichlid buffers.

Keeping several small filters is best for a larger tank, as it staggers the maintenance of the filters. You will at least want either an external power, canister or internal filter, combined with an inexpensive sponge or undergravel filter (or both) to ensure that you have enough surface area for proper biological filtration.

Performing a water change

Changing about 10 to 15 percent of the water is a simple way to keep the water clean and healthy (never change all the water in a big tank at once). Do this on a weekly basis by siphoning off a bit of the water and then siphoning new water back in. Make sure you condition the new water as you did when preparing the tank.

Be sure you remove water, even if some of the water has evaporated from the tank. Evaporated water leaves behind impurities that make the water harder and by simply "topping off" a tank you leave the impurities in.

Feeding your Oscar Fish

Oscar fish are primarily carnivorous, even preying upon smaller fish. In the wild, they prefer live foods, but even purchased live foods commonly contain parasites or other contaminants and it is safer (and easier) to feed them processed or frozen foods. There are special cichlid food blends that will provide a good stable diet, but you should regularly supplement these with freeze-dried worms or other organisms.

There are feeder goldfish on the market, but these fish are not very nutritious and could carry disease.

Blended beef heart, earthworms, shrimps as well as cichlid pellets, peas and lettuce are all good alternatives to keep your Oscar on a balanced diet. An Oscar needs a variety of foods with high protein in order to stay healthy.

Overfeeding

It is extremely important not to overfeed your Oscar fish. Oscar fish produce a lot of waste as it is and adding excess food can cause problems related to pollution, like ammonia buildup. Only feed the Oscar fish as much as it can eat in about two minutes. Any food left uneaten should be removed, along with any other floating debris you spot.

Breeding Oscars

Breeding Oscar fish is typically easier than breeding most other fish. Keep the water clean and raise the temperature to about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The male and female will then begin the process of spawning.

Oscar fish will change colors and begin courting when they are about to spawn. Oscars will build mounds of gravel around the aquarium and will chase each other around the aquarium. Then the female will lay her eggs on a flat rock and the male will fertilize them.

Oscar fish usually lay about 1000 eggs at a time. Unfertilized eggs are white and fertilized eggs will turn transparent after about 24 hours and hatch within 2 to three days.

Feed the newly hatched fry brine shrimp and do 25% water changes every day to keep the conditions suitable for raising fry.

Be aware: sometimes the male will kill the female during courtship.

General tips on Oscar Fish Care

After setting up the aquarium, it is best to wait a couple weeks to make sure everything is in order.

Add only one or two fish at a time. Biological filters need time to accommodate new inhabitants and changes in the water.

Before adding an Oscar fish to a community, keep it quarantined in a separate tank for a few weeks to make sure it is healthy. A diseased fish could contaminate an entire population.

Oscar fish prefer hiding places. To keep them relaxed and happy, provide them with plenty of decorations and plants. Oscars prefer about half or more of the tank to be covered, so keep lots of hiding places for him.

Oscars prefer to live alone. If you must, choose other Oscars as companions with even temperaments. A passive Oscar is quickly bullied while an aggressive Oscar will attack other fish.

Do not neglect regular partial water changes.

Air pumps and air stones are necessary to oxygenate the water and release harmful chemicals by agitating the surface of the water.

Oscar fish and many cichlids do not like bright lighting. Use low intensity fluorescent bulbs in your hood or a fluorescent fixture - a 10,000K rating will provide the best viewing - or actinic lighting to avoid stressing them. Make sure to turn them off at night or supply a lunar light.

To avoid electrical shock, make a "drip loop" on all your cords. Hang a small weight in the middle of the cord so water will not travel down the cord and into the outlet.
Choose gravel that is free of dye and will not be swallowed. Cichlid gravels are your best bet.

Cyrtocara moorii

2009-12-08T13:48:00.000-08:00

Cyrtocara moorii is a beautiful, mild-tempered fish that is a delight to keep. It is commonly known in the hobby as the Malawi Blue Dolphin, and was once classified as Haplochromis moorii. Now it is the only species belonging to the genus Cyrtocara. The nickname Blue Dolphin originates from the shape of its head – a nuchal hump and bill-like mouth – which resembles that of a dolphin.

This fish is quite rare in Lake Malawi, although it has a very wide distribution. Notwithstanding, most exports come from Lumbaulo and Malombe. It has been in the hobby for several decades now, being first imported in 1968. In the wild, C. moorii displays a very unique feeding adaptation. Classified as a micro-predator, it follows close behind substrate-digging cichlids - like Taeniolethrinops praeorbitalis, Fossorochromis rostratus, and Mylochromis lateristriga – and feeds on the small edible organisms and particles that get stirred up behind them as they feed.

In fact, as these fish dig in the sand looking for food, the resulting clouds attract C. moorii, like sharks to blood, but not as dramtatic. This is its only documented method of hunting for food in the lake.

C. moorii attain very respectable sizes. Males grow up to 8 inches (20cm) in length, and females up to 6.5 inches (16.5cm). While they certainly do grow larger than this, these are more typical lengths. The only downside to keeping this fish is that it takes a very long time to grow and reach sexual maturity. Typically, it will take about one and a half to two years for fry to reach 4-5 inches, at which point they will begin spawning. Juveniles are silver and begin taking on blue coloring at around 4cm. Interestingly, fry have an orangish-yellow anal fin, which disappears a few months after hatching.

Despite requiring patience while waiting for these fish to grow and spawn for the first time, once they do reach sexual maturity all your patience will be rewarded. They turn into little clocks, spawning every two months, with clutches ranging between 20 and 90! Several days before spawning occurs, the male will begin to display more often to the female. He also becomes much more active, digging a nest out of the substrate or clearing off a smooth stone. The female will then lay her eggs either in the nest or on the stone and picks them up immediately.

Fertilization occurs before the female actually picks the eggs up in her mouth. The eggs hatch after 18 to 21 days and are usually released a week after that.

When attempting to catch a holding female, be very careful to not make any sudden moves that may frighten her. C. moorii females are notorious for spitting eggs when chased by a net. It is best to catch her at night, several hours after the lights have been out. If she does spit the eggs out during transport (i.e., in the net), drop the eggs in the new tank with the mother, as she will pick them up after an hour or so.

C. moorii are polygamous mouthbrooders and do best with one large male and several females. If you keep more than one (and preferably three to six), they will tend to cluster together and school around the tank. They tend to get along very well with just one lone male and several females. The two sexes are difficult to differentiate because there is no difference in coloration between them. Furthermore, there is no apparent correlation between hump size and gender. Having said that, there is quite a bit of variation in the shape and size of the fatty, fibrous hump on the forehead, which becomes larger with age.

Because of this fish’s giant proportions, adults and even sub-adults should not be kept in aquariums less than 125 gallons in size. This fish also needs a large open area to move around. Sand or a fine gravel such as aragonite are the best choices of substrate for this fish that is found in muddy bays and sandy coastal areas. It is known as one of the chisawasawa, or sandy bottom-associated cichlids. It is a sifter, and eats the smaller bits of food left behind after feeding time. Rocks are okay, but should be kept to the back or corners of the tank. This is important because C. moorii gets startled easy and could potentially get injured if the tank is cramped with rocks. Also, note that it will burrow down into the substrate, but won’t harm any live plants

Bicolor Rainbow

2009-12-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

The Boeseman’s Rainbowfish is a relatively new addition to the hobby and has become sensationally popular due to its almost unreal coloration!

Looking at a mature male Boeseman's Rainbowfish makes it easy to see why they are called rainbowfish. Its coloration in a pet store is usually a dull steel gray and hardly seems worth purchasing. But a serious and patient aquarist can bring out unforgettable colors. The secret to good colors is to buy quality specimens, feed a varied diet, and above all keep up with frequent water changes and maintenance.

Being an endangered species, the Boeseman’s Rainbowfish deserves some special consideration. Wild populations are being decimated by over harvesting and environmental destruction. Not only are harvesting practices usually damaging to the wild populations and environment, but they also upset the ecological balance in these regions. Domestically, this unfortunate fish is being bred recklessly with other species, muddling the bloodlines of species. Nature has taken thousands of years of selective breeding to develop their beautiful colors. Please carefully consider the decision to buy wild caught fish, and consider purchasing responsibly bred rather than farmed fish.

Remember that every fish has a slightly different distribution and intensity of colors which is largely based on genetics. However, age, health, water quality, and many other factors can and will impact colors

Size - Weight:
Male Boeseman's Rainbowfish will reach 4.5 "(11.5 cm), females will be closer to 4" (10 cm).

Care and feeding:
The Boeseman's Rainbowfish are omnivores and should be given a high quality diet to encourage good coloration. A mix of live and processed foods is necessary for optimal health. Buy processed food in small amounts frequently as nutrition in these products quickly deteriorates past usefulness by this species. Boeseman’s Rainbowfish relish live food like bloodworms, tubifex worms, water fleas, brine shrimp and the like. If these are unavailable, frozen (defrosted) substitutes would be fine.

As with many fish, Rainbowfish will do best and are most effectively displayed in tanks which simulate their natural habitat. These fish are fairly adaptable but a planted tank with swimming space suits them best. Try, if possible, to plan for one or two hours of sunlight hitting the tank. This should be time when you can view the tank as the illumination will make the fish even more stunning.

Rainbowfish are not exceptionally difficult to care for provided their water is kept clean. At least 25 - 50% of the tank water should be replaced weekly, especially if the tank is densely stocked. Because they are very active swimmers it is also advisable to keep these Rainbowfish in a tank at least 30 inches long and ideally 30 or more gallons. Additionally, the tank should be securely covered as these fish are skilled jumpers and will probably do so if given the opportunity.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
Boeseman's Rainbowfish tend to gather in the open space of the aquarium, usually in the top or middle of the tank.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
Temperature: 70 - 79° F (21 - 28° C)
Hardness: 8 - 25 dGH
Ph: 6.5 - 8.5

Social Behaviors:
The Boeseman's Rainbowfish do fine in a larger fish community aquarium of similarly sized fish, but do exceptionally well in a geographical tank stocked with other rainbowfish. Although generally non-aggressive, overly aggressive or very shy tank mates will make bullies out of them. Mix them with other playful but good natured fish for best results. You may notice some chasing between rainbowfish, but this is rarely a concern unless a fish is injured, has nowhere to hide, or is constantly harassed (usually a result of one of the first two).

Boeseman's Rainbowfish are schooling fish and the ratio of males to females is very important to keep a reasonable peace among them. Although you can always keep single sex schools, you will see significantly better coloration if both genders are in the tank. Properly stocking rainbowfish is a little tricky so we include the following recommendation for stocking. Choose which type of school you want to keep and how many fish.

Sexual Differences:
Sexing is generally difficult at the young age at which the fish is usually sold, but mature males will be more colorful, have the arched back described above, and will often be the more territorial sex.

Breeding/Reproduction:
A breeding tank should be set up with a sponge filer and either many fine leaved plants or a spawning mop. A pair of healthy adult rainbowfish should be introduced. They should be conditioned with live foods and plant based foods. Remember, you are trying to emulate the bounty of the flood season so feed more and higher quality food than you normally would.

After the female has produced eggs, the males will display an amazing show of intense colors and direct the female to the spawning site, spawn, and then rest. The spawning mop or plants should be removed and replaced after the spawning or the eggs will be eaten. The fish will repeat this daily for a few days, with steadily decreasing numbers of eggs produced. The parents should be removed when egg numbers fall or if the females show signs of fatigue.

The fry will hatch after about a week and should be fed infusoria or a liquid fry food until they are able to eat small live foods. The fry are something of a challenge to raise until they are about two months old. The fry grow slowly and require clean water during the entire process.

A problem to be aware of is crossbreeding. Rainbowfish in the wild will not breed with fish of another species, even when presented the opportunity to do so. But for some reason, rainbowfish of the Melanotaeniidae family in the aquarium will interbreed, often with undesirable results. Somehow the fry of mismatched parents lose most of their coloration. Since many of these species are rare, it is desirable to keep the bloodlines distinct, or risk losing the beautiful coloration that nature has taken thousands of years.

Firemouth Cichlid

2009-12-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

This is often recommended as a great first cichlid for beginners to cichlid keeping. The Firemouth Cichlid can be extremely hardy and will tolerate a wide range of water parameters. Obviously, they are great adapters but try to maintain them at recommended parameters (see below). If you're interested in this cichlid it should be relatively easy to locate them at a local fish store and since they are so common they should be inexpensive.
They get to be around 6 inches or so as adults. Flat rocks formed into caves can be a good idea and it can help make them feel secure. Keeping them with live plants can be challenging since they sometimes will dig in the substrate. If you're interested in breeding them, you will need to provide an over turned flower pot, pvc pipe or something similar for them to deposit their eggs in.

The get their common name "firemouth" because of the display of the males in this species around spawning time. They develop a red coloration on the bottom side of the body and can extend the red area under the gills to warn other fish to keep out of their territory. Many hobbyists keep them in tanks with other species but it is recommended that you use caution if you plan on doing the same. While they are not as aggressive as some other cichlids, they can still get territorial around breeding time.

The Firemouth cichlid is not picky when it comes to fish food. Flakes, live and frozen foods are taken with gusto. There are many fish foods (pellets, sticks) made especially for cichlids that can be a great source for most of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients they need to thrive.

Scientific Name : Thorichthys meeki
Common Names : Red Breasted Cichlid

Firemouth Care Level : Easy to Moderate

Size : 6.7 inches (17 cm), possibly larger

pH : 6.5 - 7.5

Temperature : 75°F - 80°F (24°C - 27°C)

Lifespan : 8 years or longer

Origin / Habitat : Central America, Belize river, Mexico, Guatemala

Temperament / Behavior : May get aggressive when they form pairs and are breeding.

Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : Get them ready by providing high quality foods and you may want to raise the tank water temperature slightly. Slowly raise the temperature a couple of degrees over a 2 day time period (aim for a temp around 82°F or around 28°C). If they have paired off and are getting overly aggressive with their tank mates, you will need to use a tank divider or plan on separating them. They should place the eggs on a flat rock, tipped over flower pot or pvc pipe. The female will protect the eggs while the male protects the area around the nest. After 3 or 4 days, the eggs hatch and the parents will move them to another location for another couple of days until the babies are swimming. Like many cichlids, the firemouth is no exception when it comes to taking care of their young. Plan on feeding finely crushed flake foods, baby brine shrimp or other fry foods.

Tank Size : 30 gallon for a pair, much larger for multiples.

Compatible Tank Mates : Some hobbyists report that they keep them with larger tetras originating from Central America and they co-exist just fine with the Firemouth. Use caution and be prepared to remove fish if you see signs of aggression.

Fish Disease : Freshwater Fish Disease - Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment. They are fairly hardy but are not immune to ich infestations. Use a quarantine tank for new arrivals!

Diet / Fish Food : This fish is not a picky eater. They should go after all foods and it is easy to provide a balanced diet. Using a Cichlid Pellet Food can provide many of the vitamins and nutrients they need. They may eat fish that are very small.

Tank Region : Likes to hang out by their turf.

Gender : Females are usually smaller, less colorful and males will develop an extended point on the dorsal fin.

Severum Fish

2009-12-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

Most often found in hobby literature under the "old" genus Cichlasoma, Heros severus is an old timey favorite of cichlid lovers everywhere. And as the title above denotes, there are more than one "Severum". Of the four currently recognized species of the genus Heros, (H. fasciatus, H. spurius, H. notatus (fishbase.org) only H. severus occurs in the trade regularly, in both wild and golden xanthic color forms. "The" Severum has been an aquarium "standard" since its inception into the hobby in Germany and the U.S. in the early twentieth century.

Though often haphazardly placed with other freshwater fishes, this South American often suffers from being placed in water that is too cool in temperature, and too hard and alkaline in chemistry.

Habitat

Tank

Some writers have declared that Severums are aggressive in nature. I would encourage these same folks to try placing their fishes in adequately large settings. Breeding pairs should be kept in at least a hundred gallons, small communities of this species in at least twice this gallonage.

Water Quality

Severums that have been bred in captivity for successive generations (as opposed to recently wild-caught specimens) can do well in most tap waters of moderate hardness and neutral pH. However, they are best bred in softer, more acidic water that approximates their natural waters (see above). Water motion is best dissipated with the use of spray bars in the case of canister filters and slower, more numerous numbers of smaller hang on filters if used. This fish "hangs out" under substantial floating plant cover in stiller waters in the wild.

Decor:

Though not overtly digging monsters like many neotropical cichlids, Severums do eat a bit of plant material in the wild, and may well do the same to softer species in your tanks. If you use live plants, try the tougher (non-indigenous to South America) varieties of the genera Anubias or Cryptocoryne... or the ever-popular Plasticus floribunda, polyethylene plants. Rockwork and sunken driftwood are definitely appreciated by Severums, and useful for limiting aggression and serving as spawning media.

Tankmates:

Best kept with fishes that enjoy the same type of water conditions, and about the same size. Severums can be housed with Festivums, Acaras (Aequidens species), Eartheaters, many types of Loricariid and Callichthyid catfishes, even large angels and dwarf cichlids when young.

Foods/Feeding/Nutrition

As previously mentioned, Severums are partly herbivorous. Some home-grown lettuce, green peas or zucchini that has been blanched or microwaved can be offered, oriental algae-based foods, or dried-prepared foods of plant origin. Beef heart and liver are not suggested for Heros as they have a hard time digesting these fatty foods. Given the various food formats, pelletized and "stick" foods are preferred by most large cichlid keepers. These are readily available and cheap (especially in bulk), and make for the least amount of wastes and their by-products. An occasional earthworm, mealworm, bloodworm or marine crustacean offering is much appreciated.

Breeding

Breeding pairs are best developed through the raising of six or eight young together. Even at relatively young, small size Heros severus may be sexed by the absence of markings on the gill covers and smaller body size of females. Pairs should be either housed with other Severums (in a large enough system for two or more territories), other cichlids of equal aggression and size, or at least some fast, aware ditherfish, to reduce intraspecific and pair aggression. "Making" pairs from adult fish is not easily done, best to raise a group together and let them sort each other out. Males of this species are decidedly larger with prominent nuchal humps. Many commercial breeders utilize dividers that the pair can see each other, but not get to each other, to accommodate fertilization w/o risking loss of the adults from fighting.

For proper hatching and development, softer, more acidic and tropical water is required. Though the serially tank-bred specimens will tolerate pH's approaching 8.0 and 300 ppm of total hardness, and temperatures in the seventies F., conditions of pH in the 6's, up to 50 ppm total hardness maximum and the mid to upper 80's are best for breeding.

Heros are partial or delayed mouthbrooders. After hatching, the young are taken into the parents mouths. Periodically they are released to hunt for foodstuffs that can include freshly hatched brine shrimp, ground flake or pelleted foods. Most pairs of Severums prove to be good parents.

Disease

Severums are one of the most sensitive freshwater fish species to the ill-effects of diminished water quality. Head and lateral line disease is often evident (neuromast destruction) in specimens that have been kept in water of too high concentration of dissolved organics. Undercrowding, sensible feeding, sufficient biological filtration and maintenance procedures (particularly frequent, partial water changes) can/will preclude this problem.

Though probably not considered a "disease" per se, this is a "nervous" species of fish that is quite capable of damaging itself, even jumping out if disturbed. Endeavor to make slow movements, gradual increase/decrease of lighting in and around their system, and do provide a secure, complete cover to prevent jumping.

The damage from handling and shipping this fish often results in ich and "fungal" fin rot (actually bacterial) infections. These respond well to TMC in addition to chemical protocols.

Cloze

An old-timey favorite for good reasons, the Severum is a good fish for folks with lots of space, easygoing tankmates and possibly a need for hobby-supporting income. Consider a large (1-200 gallon) system for maintaining a breeding pair and the accessory tanks, space for rearing their young.

Koi fish

2009-12-02T14:56:00.000-08:00

Koi fish are a form of carp fish originally from Japan. They are very similar to goldfish, and some experts believe kois were an attempt by Japanese breeders to imitate goldfish. Raising koi fish was not introduced worldwide until 1914, and before that date it was solely a Japanese affair. During this time period, shipping became faster and safer and so the threat of fish death was very low. The hobby of raising koi exploded.

Different types of koi fish are classified by their patterning, scalations and coloration. Koi fish come in many different colors. A few of the main ones are blue, yellow, purple, white, and black. On the scales of a koi, it is possible to see a metallic gleam. This is what's called Gin Rin. Also, there are types of koi that have no scales. Scaleless kois are usually called Doitsu. Doitsu fish were made by crossbreeding Nishikigoi and German mirrored carp.

Although there are endless variations of koi fish, there are some varieties in specific categories. An example of a popular type of koi is the Gosanke. Fish that fall into this group are Kohaku, Taisho Sanshoku and Showa Sanshoku varieties. The main groups of named koi are Kohaku, a white and red striped fish; Taisho Sanshoku, a white fish with red and black design; Showa Sanshoku, a black fish with a red and white design; Asagi, a fish with blue scales on top and red scales on the bottom; Shusui, a similar fish to Asagi with less scales; Bekko, a white, yellow and red fish with a black design; Utsurimono, a black fish with a yellow, red and white design; Goshiki, a black fish with touches of brown, blue, white and red; Ogon, a fish that's all one color ( can be red, orange, platinum and yellow); and KinGinRin, a fish with shiny scales.

Today, there are fourteen types of koi and they have been bred especially to draw attention to their visual appearance. A lot of koi are bred in the US, but some koi come from Japan, China and Israel. There is a wide range of prices for purchasing koi, starting at $3 for baby koi and skyrocketing up to $20,000 for a prize fish.

Really, to pick a good fish you want to start with a good koi dealer. They can give you advice on color and sizes that will fit how much you can spend and how much experience you already have with koi. Usually dealers will sell inexperienced owners fish that range between three and five dollars. Then they can trade in for bigger fish once they have more experience.

Discus fish

2009-12-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

Discus tropical fish are very popular with aquarium owners, however as any experienced owner will tell you, discus are not the easiest fish to keep. If you want to keep your discus fish healthy and happy, you need to learn as much as possible about their unique living conditions, feeding habits, and breeding behavior. Only with proper knowledge can you apply techniques which will turn you aquarium into a thriving ecosystem.

Discus fish are native to the calm warm waters of the Amazon River. Therefore, it is important to mimic their natural environment in order to satisfy their desires. Without the right environmental factors taken care of, Discus fish can become sick, aggressive, or even die for no apparent reason.

Environment factors are also extremely important when breeding Discus fish. Frequently, without proper care, Discus fish will lay eggs, and then simply eat them. However, there are usually very specific reasons for why your fish are unable to reproduce, and with the proper education you will be able to create the perfect environment to produce fry.

Caring for discus fish can be a challenge and a bit of an art form, but it is also very rewarding at the same time. Armed with the right information, you will be able to prepare and maintain an environment that your fish will thrive in. Discus fish are a beautiful and exotic species will make a great addition to your home aquarium.

Flower Horn

2009-11-27T13:46:00.000-08:00

Flower Horn Fish or Luo Han which is popularly known, has taken the aquatic world (particularly in the South East Asian region) by storm within the last two years. Its popularity is gaining momentum day by day, and it is set to be an internationally known fish as can be compared with the likes of the Discus Fish and Arowana.

Flower Horn Fish is basically from the Cichlid family, which is classified under the genus of Cichlasoma, which is commonly found in South America. This beautiful hybrid is thought to be the end product of cross breeding between the Cichlasoma Trimaculatus, Cichlasoma Festae, Jingang Blood Parrot. To date, many of the better quality Flower Horn have been produced due to the intensified eagerness of breeders to produce the best show quality fish for the market.

As stated in some reports, the Flower Horn Fish is also known as a "mutated" breed of fish. Rest assured that this is just a claim. Flower Horn Fish have gone through intense selective cross breeding in order to have the best characteristics of the respective strains of the Cichlid Fish family. For instance, most breeders are striving to produce Flower Horn with a bigger nuchal hump on the forehead, better coloration, bolder black marking on the body (which at times resembles Chinese characters), more elegant fins, and wider body. No chemicals, or bio-genetic engineering have been incorporated to improve on the traits / characteristics of the Flower Horn. Thus, the claim that this is a mutated fish is unfounded.

In addition, this fish is very hardy, and can endure water conditions that are not suitable for most breeds of aquarium fish. This is also part of the reason why the Flower Horn is well received by many tropical fish hobbyists. But the ideal pH level in the water required, should be around pH 7 to pH 7.8 with water temperature ranging between 27 to 32C. For temperate / colder climate regions, they just need a water heater.
The Flower Horn is from the South American Cichlid family, and this fish is very territorial. They are also very aggressive in nature. Co-existing with other fish is not advisable, especially smaller fish. Some parties have claimed that we can "play" with the Flower Horn. In actual fact, Flower Horn is actually trying to get rid of the "intruder" (be it a stick or a person's hand). Therefore, it is advisable that we keep our hands to ourselves as the fish has quite a nasty bite depending on the size of the fish.

Oscar Guide

2009-11-26T14:29:00.000-08:00

Scientific Name: Astronotus ocellatus

Type: Freshwater

Size: up to 16" (40cm), over 3 pounds (1.5kg)

Tank Size Needed (Minimum): Long, 75 gallon (283L)

Water pH: 6.0 to 8.0

Water Hardness: Soft to hard (5-20 dH)

Temperature: 72-78°F (22-25°C)

Origin: South America, Amazon River

Social: Does best as the only Oscar or in a pair. Will successfully live with fish that are either too fast or too large for it to eat, including other Cichlids, Clown Loach, Pictus Catfish, Silver Dollars, and Tinfoil Barbs.

Life span: 15+ years

Diet: Omnivore. Prefers live food (worms, crickets and other insects, smaller fish, crayfish), with flake or pellet food as a supplement.

Difficulty Rating: Intermediate to advanced

Comments: The Oscar fish is one of those species that frequently gets returned to the pet store. Beginners buy them without realizing how fast they grow and how big they get. One of the cichlid fish, a juvenile Oscar can grow more than an inch (2.5cm) per month, so it will rapidly outgrow a starter aquarium. However, if you want a very large aquarium, this is an excellent fish to keep in it.

The key to a healthy, happy Oscar is aquarium stability and a varied diet. This fish doesn’t really care exactly what pH, hardness, or temperature its water is, but it needs whatever the levels are to stay that way, not fluctuate every time fresh water is added to the tank. Many people make the mistake of only feeding pellet food or feeder fish, but Oscars require different kinds of food to get all the nutrition they need.

Keeping an Oscar’s tank clean can be difficult, especially if the aquarium is only the minimum size. These fish put out a huge amount of waste every day. A strong filtration system is an absolute must, as are regular water changes. Also, be careful about what kind of decorations are used in an Oscar’s aquarium. These fish are not nimble, so they swim into things. They also like to move things around. Driftwood and smooth rocks won’t scrape Oscars if they bump them, so these are good options for tank furniture.

Though cichlids are typically aggressive and territorial, Oscars are usually only aggressive if they are feeling crowded in an aquarium that is too small, or if they are breeding. Otherwise, this fish is intelligent, rather hardy, and quite a showpiece when it gets big.

Oscar care requirements

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Oscar fish are a good choice because they are very hardy, easy to keep and long lived, up to 16 years however, they do have a few specific requirements and this is due only to their large full grown size. Baby Oscars are tiny and cute but unbeknown to most fish keepers, they grow very large, over a foot long, 12 inches and their rate of growth is extremely quick. It has been reported that Oscar fish grow up to 1 inch per month while they are young! With that said, never purchase these little fish and put them into a small aquarium thinking you'll upgrade the tank size "down the road"

The minimum tank size recommended is 33 gallons, and this is only if you plan on housing one individual alone, without any tank mates. The recommended tank size for housing Oscar fish is 100 gallons, of course the bigger the better. Oscar fish can live alone, or with a buddy. They are not schooling fish so it is up to you if you will combine them with a partner or not. Oscar fish can be compatible with other South American Cichlids but some rules of thumb must be followed. Be sure that the fish you are introducing is the same size as the current Oscar and that the maximum size is close to that of the Oscar. They are very territorial and will either eat the fish if it's too small, or get beat up and harasses by it's larger tank mate, since all South American cichlids are aggressive and territorial.

Basic Flower Horn Keeping

2009-11-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

The Flower horn is a sturdy fish that is not hard to care for. Providing your Flower horn with a suitable environment is not difficult. You need to give your Flower horn cichlid an aquarium that is large enough, suitable aquarium decorations, neutral or slightly basic water, a water temperature around 28º C and nutritious food.

The aquarium has to be quite large, since the Flower horn can grow big. A larger aquarium will also reduce the amount of aggressive behaviour. You can keep your Flower horn alone in the aquarium, but it is not obligatory as long as the aquarium is large enough to house other species of roughly the same size and temperament. Large cichlids from South America that will not tolerate being bullied by the Flower horn is one example of suitable tank mates. Since the Flower horn is a territorial species you should fill the aquarium with decorations that create natural borders. If the fish can keep out of each others way and stay inside their own territory, the amount of aggressive behaviour will decrease. Keep in mind that some Flower horns like to destroy plants.

As mentioned above your Flower horn will appreciate neutral or slightly basic water conditions. It is however a though fish and will survive in a wide range of different water conditions as long as you avoid the extremes. A Flower horn will produce a lot of organic waste since it eats a lot. You must therefore perform frequent water changes to keep the water chemistry at suitable levels and prevent the organic compounds from reaching toxic levels that will harm the Flower horn. A 20 percent water change twice a week is the best solution, but once a week is usually okay if you change 25 percent. If you notice that certain food types cause the levels of organic waste to sky rocket in your aquarium, you can naturally avoid these.

It is not hard to introduce a Flower horn to new food. If you have kept other South American cichlids you will recognise the feeding habits and adaptability. The Flower horn is an energetic and active fish and its metabolism requires plenty of food which makes this fish surprisingly hard to over feed. Feeding your Flower horn two or three times a day is a good rule of thumb. High quality pellets can be a good base and should be supplemented with more meaty foods such as shrimps and worms. With a varied diet it will be easier for your Flower horn to receive all necessary nutrients in order to stay healthy and good looking.

"The flowerhorn in the picture is SANTINO, champion in small category and also get the best show award last gmall flowerhorn show."

Origin of Flowerhorn

2009-11-23T07:47:00.000-08:00

In 1993 -Malaysians admired fishes with protruding head, known as Karoi, in the western part of Malaysia, also known as warship. In Taiwan, this fish has a slight protruding forehead and long tail, and is widely accepted in the Chinese society which brings luck in geomancy.

In 1994 - The import of Red Devil also known as human face and Blood Parrot from Taiwan to Malaysia mark the birth of flowerhorn.

In 1995 - With the introduction of 1994 birth of flowerhorn this has lead to the blood parrot being crossbreed with the Human Face Red God of Fortune which produced a new species called five-colors god of fortune. With its beautiful colors, it has brought an overwhelming response.

In 1998 - It has further improved with the import of seven-colors blue fiery mouth, from South America, known as Greenish Gold Tiger and Jin Gang Blood Parrot from Taiwan. This crossbreeding was a success, leading to the first generation of flowerhorns named Hua Luo Han which is then followed by subsequent flowerhorn developments.

In 1998 It has further improved with the import of seven-colours blue fiery mouth, from South America, known as Greenish Gold Tiger and Jin Gang Parrot from Taiwan. This crossbreeding was a success, leading to the first generation of flowerhorns, named Hua Luo Han which is then followed by subsequent flowerhorn developments. The flowerhorn arena still continues till today.

Arrival In the US.

When flowerhorn first arrived there were really only 2 breeds of these fish for distribution, flowerhorn and jks. Flowerhorn came in 2 varieties those with pearls and those with out. Jks also had two varieties, those that faded and those that didn't. With the flowerhorns, the ones w/o pearls were quickly over taken by those with pearls, so then it became pearl scale flowerhorn (zhen zhou). With the jks the unfaded ones developed nice golden skin over the flowerhorns grey skin.

So at 1999 there were 4 strains of flowerhorn hitting the American market, regular flowerhorn, pearl scale flowerhorn, golden flowerhorn, and jks. there were so many breeders that these 4 strains had so many different names and minor variations, that names became a joke. No importer wanted to hear a name but rather look at the fish. Knowing this the breeders and exporters started line breeding going for better quality traits and so fourth. The pearl scale flowerhorn beat out regular flowerhorn and became ZZs.4W36YQRRTDZA

About now its 2000-2001 and kamfa hit the scene. These were hybrids of any type of flowerhorn crossed with any vieja or parrot. These guys brought on some new traits people became interested with. Short mouths, tail wrap, sucked in eyes, and of course bigger koks. seeing this those guys who had the GMs began to line breed there fish to have similar traits. Those who had the ZZs wanted to completely dominate the market and began line breeding there fish to develop faster and become more colorful. This meant that they could have a fish that could compete with the kamfa strains.

Louhan - Original flowerhorn created from crossing 4 pure cichlids.4W36YQRRTDZA

General flowerhorn classification, containing several subsets of strains from different countries and breeders. The parent breed is called Luohan, from the Chinese word for the Buddhist concept of arhat. The four main breeds of flowerhorn are Zhen Zhu, Golden Monkey, Kamfa, and Goldenbase Faders