Friday, September 23, 2011

How To Raise White Worms for Fun and Profit

How To Raise White Worms for Fun and Profit

Every successful breeder of cichlids or any tropical fish knows that feeding live foods to their charges is one of the best ways to maintain cichlids healthy and active fish. Live foods are overall high in protein. They stimulate spawning, and help to intensify coloration. Live foods enhance the natural tendencies of fish to forage for their food as they would in their natural environment.


White worms (Enchytraeus albidus) are a great source of food for the aquarium. They are about 70% protein, 14.5% fats, and approximately 10% carbohydrate. The white worm in size is approximately 3/4" to 1 1/2", somewhere between Tubifex and Grindal worms. Fish love them, and they are appropriate for a large variety of carnivore fish, even the smaller cichlids and koi fish.
 

White worms are easy to rise. A plastic shoebox from the dollar store will meet the needs of most aquarists. As worms need to breathe, the container shouldn't be air tight. Cutting a small hole in the lid and placing a piece of breathable foam in the hole will suffice to allow enough oxygen to reach the worms.


Fill the container about 3/4 full with peat moss as the medium. The peat moss should be wet, but not soaked. Test by squeezing a bit of the medium in your hand. If a few drops emerge, then you have it right. If water emerges from the mass in a stream, you have it too wet.


Add your starter culture of worms. Finding a suitable starter culture can at times be difficult. A good source can be from auctions at local fish clubs, or from a fellow enthusiast. Also, looking in the classified in the back pages of magazines like Aquarium Fish Magazine or Aquarium USA can sometimes lead to a good resource.


Place a piece of wet crustless white bread on top of the medium for compost. Cover this with a sheet of plastic the size of the slice of bread. The plastic aids in keeping the bread from drying out. It is a good idea to bury the piece of bread in the medium when first starting a culture to prevent mold from occurring. Allow the worms a week to establish before feeding them. Check on them on a daily basis to insure that they are eating the bread.


White worms will need to be housed in a cool dark place, free from insects. We use an apartment sized refrigerator with a temperature control sensor that maintains the temperature at 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit.


One of the best foods for white worms is Gerber's Baby Oatmeal. Add a pinch of active dry yeast to the mixture. The trick is to feed the worms enough to insure they thrive, but not so much that it will begin to mold. A good rule of thumb is to feed only what they will consume in three days. A little trial and error work is needed here. If mold occurs, simply spoon it out of the medium, and replace the food, using less the next time.


White worm cultures will "crash" if the population becomes too large. This can be noted by the worms attempting to crawl up the sides of the container. Simply dump the medium onto a sheet of newspaper, separate the medium into two parts and you have another culture to fall back on if the first crashes. Get another shoebox, top to 3/4 full with dampened peat moss, and you have the insurance of a supply of white worms.


To harvest white worms, simply wait until a nice clump of them are underneath the sheet of plastic, pluck them out with tweezers or your fingers, and clean appropriately before feeding to your fish. Rinsing with dechlorinated water, by pouring from one container to another will do the trick, removing any soil or left over food. You can then feed the worms to your fishes.


The biggest thing to remember about growing white worms is to never let the medium dry out. It is also a good idea to have two cultures growing at the same time, in case one of the cultures "crashes." Keep an eye out for mold, feed the worms appropriately, and you will have happy, vigorous fish!




About The Author:


Alden Smith is an award winning author. His website at King Discus is filled with information and articles relating to the hobby. This article is one of a series on Discus fish. Find more at his site.  


Nick Lockhart, breeder for King Discus feeds white worms twice weekly to our breeding discus and juveniles. His goal is to provide a wide variety of food to keep the fish interested and feeding to stimulate breeding.

Tilapia Oscar Cichlids

Tilapian Oscar Cichlids

Tilapia Large Cichlid Genus  
this genus contains more than 100 species and Oscar happens to be one of those species. They are naturally found in Africa and in the Levant region in the Middle East. They are today present in a large amount of waters around the world as a result of Tilapia farming around the world. Tilapia farming has been an important food source in some areas for more than 2500 years.

Tilapia Is Particularly Well Suited For Farming
since they are fast growing and hardy. This has made Tilapia a very important protein source in some poor areas. Tilapias did as an example play a very important role for the survival of the people in Taiwan after World War 2.

Many hope that Tilapia farming will be able to play an equal large role in ending hunger in poor areas today. The most common Tilapias in tilapia farms are not really Tilapias but rather fish of the genus Oreochromis. The genus Oreochromis and Sarotherodon are called

Tilapia in many languages including English but are not tilapias in the true sense since they don't belong to the genus Tilapia. This said, true tilapia fish are appreciated food fish in many countries. The food values of Tilapia fish have meant that they have been introduced to many waters around the world. They have established themselves in even more areas after escaping from farms.

Tilapia Cichlids Can Establish Strong Population Short Time
 if the conditions are right and many biologists fear what these newly established populations can do to the native fishes in the area. The fear is especially large in florid where the fish now is prohibited as a result of several populations establishing themselves in the state. Australia is another area that are especially sensitive to the intrusions of these fish and are already suffering from the effects of many other species that have established themselves on the continent.

Tilapia Easy Keepers in Aquariums
if you can offer them an aquarium that are large enough for them, The smaller Tilapia species requires an aquarium of at least 40 gallon / 150 L while the larger species requires an aquarium of at least 70 gallon / 250 L. They prefer slightly basic water but can without any problem be kept in water with a pH of 6-8.5.

Some Tilapia species are aggressive while other is rather friendly. They are best kept with moderate aggressive fish of similar size. Don't keep them with fish that are unable to stand their ground against the Tilapias. Suitable companions include non-territorial cichlids, large catfish, garpikes and tinfoil barbs. Most pleco type catfish are also suitable companions.


The aquarium should be decorated with a rocks and plants. The bottom is best covered with relatively fine gravel and some flat rocks. Tilapia cichlids should not be kept with sensitive plant species but rather with hardier species like Anubias, Amazon swordplants, crinum and java fern.

Oscar Tilapia Specie
easy to feed and will accept just about anything you feed them. They can without problem be kept on a diet of pellets but it is preferable to give them a more varied diet that includes vegetables. This said, Oscar Tilapia can be kept and breed on nothing but pellets and will usually do very well on that diet.

Some Tilapia Oscar species are mouth brooders while many other species are substrate spawners that lay their eggs on a flat rock or in a pit they dug.

Many true Tilapia species are quite productive since the survival rate of the fry is low in their natural habitat. Oreochromis species are mouth brooders and usually produce quite small fry batches. They are very easy to breed and will breed without that any special consideration needs to be taken.

The fry of these species will have to be removed once the female finally released them since they will have a very low survival rate if they are left in the same aquarium as their parents.

Oreochromis Species Best Breed in Harems'

Substrate breeding tilapias protect their eggs and fry during the first few weeks. All tilapia fry can be feed newly hatched brine shrimp from day one and the fry of many species are large enough to accept mashed pellets. It can sometimes be hard to find new homes for Tilapia fry so you might want to take this aspect into consideration when you decide how many fry to raise.

Article provided by Tilapia if you are looking for information about other tropical fish visit this aquarium fish site

Firemouth Cichlid


 Firemouth Cichlid
Do you know what one of the most popular of the cichlidae fish species is? Well its the Cichlid Firemouth ladies and gentlemen. Have you ever seen the Cichlid Firemouth before? I have and I can tell you that this fish is absolutely beautiful. In fact, I have three of my own. I cannot wait to show others my fish tank!

How would you like to learn the "simple secrets" to maintaining and reproducing, lively, bright and healthy Cichlid Firemouths? The following article is going to teach you all about the Firemouth Cichlid. In fact, I will show you how to make Cichlid Firemouth keeping easy for you.

Firemouth Cichlid Information and Facts

The Firemouth Cichlid  has quite the unusually distinctive shape and characteristics. It has fiery devil red colors mixed with deep blues and greys. It is an extremely beautiful fish! Many people will wonder where you got your new exotic pet.


As you can guess, the Firemouth Cichlid is so aptly named because of the fiery coloration on the under side of the fish's mouth. It has a very bright redthroat and belly. This coloring starts at the far end of the tail and will extend all the way around to the mouth. Now the body of the Cichlid Firemouth is generally made up of blue and gray with numerous tiny black specks.


Sometimes you just might even see one that has brown fins streaked with touches of blues. There are many different colorations of this fish. You will almost never see two alike. This is because there are so many different places in the world that the fish live. So it depends on each fishes exact place of birth.

The Cichlid Firemouth can usually be counted on to be peaceful with tank mates but there can be exceptions to that rule. This will be when the fish is spawning. During breeding times, they can be somewhat aggressive towards other fish in their habitat as well as becoming aggressive towards smaller members of their own species. Usually they will do no harm and this can be a very fun animal interaction to watch as a family.

During the reproductive cycle, the male Cichlid Firemouth will predominately continue to display these bluffs towards other fish. The Cichlid Firemouth will assume an aggressive stance where the fish will inflate his fiery red throat sac and gill covers. This is amazing when they do this. You will be astounded. It has been discovered by ethologists that the red coloring itself is intimidating to other fish.

During spawning 100-500 eggs can be produced, and both parents care for the fry. If you are thinking of breeding these fish for profit, then you will be pleasantly surprised. They make wonderful breeding fish and people love to buy them!

For the Firemouth Cichlids habitat, they like a tank bottom of fine sand and substrate that has plenty of hiding places among rocks, wood, and whatever else you would like to place in the aquarium. Plants are also very much appreciated by the Cichlid Firemouth as they love to hide in them and rest sometimes .You will want tp placea more hardy type of plants, such as Sagittaria, around the inside perimeter. Thus leaving an open area in the center for swimming. The plants will need to be potted to protect the roots as the firemouths may try to upend them.

Scientific Information

Scientific Name: Thorichthys meeki

Family: Cichlidae

Origin: Guatemala;Yucatan

Adult Size: 6 inches (15 cm)

Social: Territorial

Lifespan: 10-15 years

Tank Level: Bottom dweller

Minimum Tank Size: 40 gallon

Diet: Omnivore, eats most foods

Breeding: Egg-layers

Care: Easy to Moderate

pH: 7.0

Water Hardness: up to 10 dGH

Temperature: 70-75 F (21-24 C)

Now I know that many people say that "Keeping Cichlid Firemouths is too difficult". Or maybe you have heard other say "They are far too aggressive". and of course the most common misconception that I usually hear of is "You cannot keep them with other fish". All of the above statements are completely false. These fish are super easy to care for. Their aggression is laughable and fun to watch as they do no harm whatsoever and of course the Cichlid Firemouth loves to be around other types of fish in your home tank.

You just need to take the time to learn how to keep Cichlid Firemouths the right way.

I hope you enjoyed reading my article today about the Cichlid Firemouth!

To learn more about the Cichlid Firemouth, please click
Click Here!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Site Map: African Cichlids Fish


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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Aquarium-How To Get Rid Of Green Hair Algae

Green Hair Algae - Derbesia

Green Hair Algae (abbreviated as GHA for this article) - Derbesia - is a form of algae that looks like its name. It is usually dark green, grows quite long if left unattended and spreads across your tank rapidly. Once this problem has begun, it can get out of hand in a matter of weeks. And soon you start to look at your saltwater tank in disgust, thinking "Why me? What did I do to deserve this plague?"



A number of things may have contributed to it gaining a foothold in your system. Your nitrates might be too high, your phosphates may be too high (.03 or less is the goal), your aquarium lighting has recently been replaced or perhaps your bulbs are so old that the spectrum of light has shifted, fueling algae growth.

Okay, so your water is great. To get rid of the algae, you are going to have to prune it back manually. Fortunately, you can get some help from ocean dwellers like blue legged hermit crabs, but like anything, when you have too much of something, you have to get radical to bring it within manageable levels. Nothing good ever happens quickly. This is going to take some specific attention on your part for a few weeks, but you can overcome it.

You can start by ripping it out in bulk, this will prevent it from spreading, and you give your hermit crabs something they can actually keep up with. Also recommended is to get some snails to help with the battle. Turbo snails are a good choice for this. Foxface, Blennies, Yellow Tang fish, and other invertebrates including the Green Sea Urchin, which feed primarily on algae are all good choices, and will work to beat Green Hair Algae overgrowth.

Clean your protein skimmer completely. Clean the pump thoroughly and make sure your air intake is clear. Clean your collection cup often, so you don't have slime build up hindering it. You want to skim out as much of the Dissolved Organic Compounds (DOC) before they can break down in your tank and add to the Green Hair Algae's reproduction cycle. Remember nitrates fuel algae growth. You want 10ppm or less to avoid feeding Green Hair Algae. If your protein skimmer is under powered for your aquarium, consider upgrading to a better unit.

If you'll keep up with these cleaning processes for a few weeks, along with your regular maintenance, and correct water parameters you will notice less and less Green Hair Algae in your tank, until one day your tank is pristine again and under control. If you have any further questions regarding anything aquarium related including saltwater aquarium and freshwater aquariums, please visit us at OC Reef Aquatics


Saltwater Aquarium Natural Decorations

Saltwater Aquarium  Natural Decorations Living Rocks
 Some examples of saltwater aquarium decorations you might like to try in your marine tank are living rocks:

Belching clams and treasure chests - These are bubbling and air actuated action ornaments. Spacemen, submarines, clams, and treasure chests are always firm favorites. Even a frog on a log and airstones, are fun saltwater aquarium decorations. The display should be well lit and there should be plenty of bubbles for the best effect!

So what other options are there for saltwater aquarium decorations? What about different and interesting backgrounds? You can purchase a variety of backgrounds like marinescapes, paint-on materials, foils, mirrors and cork stock. You can even buy an in-tank diorama! Display the background effectively and choose tank décor that suits its theme.


Rocks are another good choice for saltwater aquarium decorations. You can choose from sandstones, volcanic and metamorphic rock or even plastic. Some rocks don't have any impact on water quality while others improve the water quality. If you aren't sure of a certain rock, play it safe and leave it out. Try pieces of tufa, igneous, silicious/petrified woods), and brackish and African Great Lakes systems calcareous "base" rock. You can usually but rocks by the pound or the 'piece'. Some rock types are natural while others are artificial.

Driftwood is a great idea for saltwater aquarium decorations. It might be self-sinking or weighted and wither chemically or physically inert or live. Don't try to cure your own woods. It's just too time consuming and expensive.

Corals and shells can also be used as saltwater aquarium decorations. Always try to use those from a natural marine source.


Marbles are traditional saltwater aquarium decorations. They can be used underwater - whole circular to flat, marbles and crushed glass are popular in marine tanks. However marbles don't make for a good biological substrate. They do provide fantastic color to any tank, though.

Faux natural saltwater aquarium decorations are another way of pepping up your marine tank. You can choose from fake rocks, logs, shells, coral, ships and more. Fake they might be but some look quite attractive when arranged properly; so don't overlook these decorations.

Plastic plants are another option you might want to make use of for your saltwater aquarium decorations. You can obtain some good likenesses of marine plants like sagittaria-turtle grass and vallisneria-zostera for example so don't overlook them and use them to supplement your real plants while they are growing.

Your choice of saltwater aquarium decorations is up to you but there are some general guidelines to bear in mind when making a choice.

Always make sure that your saltwater aquarium decorations don't have any sharp edges on which your fish might cut themselves. Never use any substances (rocks, shells etc) that might give off toxic chemicals into the water. Choose shapes and designs that make suitable hiding places for shy animals and good substrates for the growth of marine plants.

Also make sure that your saltwater aquarium decorations are very clean when you put them into your tank. Never use decorations from a tank where the fish or plants are ill or unhealthy in any way. Make sure that there are no spaces within the decorations where fish might get trapped and die.

The best saltwater aquarium decorations don't have to be particularly fancy. If you like spacemen and frogs go ahead and decorate your tank with them - it's your tank after all. If you prefer a more elegant style choose natural, rather than faux ornaments and study natural systems and try to duplicate some of these environments in your tank.

You can easily glean this kind of information from books on marine biology or by doing some research on the World Wide Web. The more you learn the more accurate will be the marine world you create and this will make your fish and other invertebrates happy and healthy. The most important thing to remember is to have fun with your saltwater aquarium decorations.

But don't forget the health of your marine ecosystem. Try to find the proper balance between the aesthetic value of your tank and the well-being of your marine life. The only way to make sure that your stock stay healthy is to study, study, study the fish, invertebrates, plants and make sure you give them what they need to survive. Good luck and enjoy your saltwater aquarium decorations!

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Save Ton Of Money Build Your Own Aquarumin Liquid Rubber For Ponds and Plywood Application


Liquid Rubber For Ponds and Plywood Application
 
Liquid Rubber Fix pond leaks. Waterproofing fish pond, leaks repair, pond liner, fountains, & reflecting pools with Liquid EPDM Rubber Concrete which has not been modified with special additives must be protected by impervious coatings when used for containing water.

Unprotected concrete will absorb water which can then leach out soluble constituents and cause spalling when frozen. The combination of outdoor exposure plus water immersion creates a demanding environment for a coating. It must have high resistance to water penetration, be flexible enough to withstand extremes in temperature, and not be affected by ultra violet radiation from the sun. Liquid EPDM rubber coatings possess all this characteristics and are also non toxic to fish and aquatic plants.

Preparation. Drain water and clean surface dirt while concrete is still wet. High pressure water spray and/or scouring surface with a wire brush may be necessary in fish ponds. If algae are present treat with an algaecide or 25% solution of bleach, let stand for one hour and rise well. Allow one week (rain free) for concrete to dry out.

Liquid Rubber For Ponds

If you are using this in Koi tanks in immersion conditions, make sure you have 2 coats of Liquid EPDM and that you have a full cure. To do so, let cure in air (without water) for about 1 week in 70 deg F or more ). Soak and rinse out the tank several times with water before making this ready for the Koi. The soaking and rinsing is to ensure you get out any residue solvents after the curing process. You will of course need to prepare the water for the Koi in whatever normal way you prepare Koi tanks/ponds.

Whether your pond is concrete, plastic or rubber lined. EPDM Liquid Rubber can fix your leaks troubles. Plastic pond liners have a tendency to crack or to tear. There are products such at tapes and caulks that will eventually wear. EPDM Liquid Rubber, on the will not. For concrete ponds the easiest solution for leaks are to cover them with a rubber liner but they are tricky to install. Liquid Rubber Coatings provides an easy one-time solution to your pond leak regardless of if they are made of rubber, concrete or plastic. And yes, it is safe for fish!



Liquid Rubber for Coating Plywood:

Liquid Rubber Coatings has been used directly over plywood to make a finished roof in situations where expediency and minimal cost were the primary considerations. Although this procedure results in a weaker roof structure, water-tightness can be achieved if the application is performed carefully. The joint between sheets should be positioned directly over a roof truss and securely fastened to prevent warping. Next, to seal the pores, coat plywood with an oil based primer. Allow an overnight cure. Seal the joint by bridging it with a 6" wide polyester fabric strip. Apply a light coat of EPDM rubber over the joint, lay fabric into wet rubber and smooth out wrinkles. Complete job by applying a liberal coat of Liquid Rubber over entire roof surface, being especially careful to completely cover the fabric over the joint without skips or pinholes.

Using an oil base primer on the wood considerably improves the appearance of a one-coat application of Liquid Rubber.
 
Liquid Rubber is excellent for Wood Surfaces Repair Product; Liquid Rubber can be applied to wood. We recommend first applying a primer coat using an oil base primer and then the Liquid Rubber after the primer has dried. Liquid Rubber can be colored using "universal" colorants available at any paint store. You can add up to one cup per gallon of paint thinner for easier handling when going over wood. Liquid Rubber is slippery when there is only a fine mist of water on its surface. Silicone and oil-based materials are considered unstable and should be avoided.

Cichlids Aquariums for Restaurantsand Bars

Cichlids  Aquariums for Restaurants

With the introduction of the smoking ban in 2006 closely followed by a global economic crisis, and now the clamp down on drinks promotions, times have never been harder for restaurants and bars. It really is getting into the zone where only the fittest survive. Establishments that are still doing well are now spending money of refurbishments to ensure that they're business stands out from the rest and continue to attract customers in. So how do
aquariums fit into this? Well, having an aquarium in your bar or restaurant can add that extra bit of wow factor. This article aims to give a little overview of how you can utilize fish tanks in your bar.

Bar Aquariums

Replacing an old style bar for an ‘aquarium bar' really can add a wow factor to your establishment. What could be more interesting for you punters that to have a tank full of fish to lean on whilst waiting to order their next drink? There are many companies that manufacture bespoke aquariums and most of them will be able to design and build a tank that can either serve as a bar, or fit into an existing bar. Typically these tanks will be quite large, so you should also have quite a large choice when it comes to what fish and how many you'd like to stock in your tank.
 

Table Aquariums

Being slightly smaller, these can be more affordable but you will probably have to purchase more than just one to populate your bar with ‘tank tables'. However, the effect of having these throughout your restaurant or bar can be stunning and is perfect for the more upmarket end of bars that are wishing to attract the young professional market. The lighting options for these tanks can be just as varied as the aquariums themselves, and you can choose to light the tanks subtly or go for a stronger lighting design. The company who designs the tanks for you should be able to advise you on lighting options and through experience should have a good idea of what will work best in your situation.

Maintenance

Obviously, if you are having aquariums designed and built purely for aesthetic reasons, you must make sure you think about the maintenance of the tanks. There are companies that specialise in aquarium maintenance, however it is important you understand the basics even if you hire someone in to take care of the work. No one will want to be drinking over a table full of algae and floating dead fish so it is vital that the water is kept clear and healthy for the fish.

It is recommended that you purchase some water testing kits to try and spot problems before they get out of hand. Also ensure that water changes are carried out at regular intervals (every one to two weeks is best) and that the glass is regularly scraped to get rid of any unwanted algae. As long as you are willing to maintain, or pay someone to maintain your aquariums, they will certainly add atmosphere to your place.

Cichlids Glass Aquariums

Glass Aquariums

Glass Aquarium

A lot of thought, preparation and effort should go into putting together a first-rate aquarium. Ideally you will create an aquarium that matches your house or apartment's décor, provides an interesting variety of aquatic life, and satisfies your aesthetic sense.

Seeing the colorful fish glide through their silent, lush miniature undersea world, almost like dancers in a tiny ballet, can be the perfect calming influence after a hectic and stressful day of work. For this reason one often finds aquariums not only in homes but also in the waiting rooms of doctors and dentist, in physiotherapy or massage therapy rooms, hospitals and psychiatric clinics, and even prisons.

Glass Aquariums"the Tank

Typical sizes are 10, 20, 29, 30, 40, 50, 55 gallons and larger, all the way up to 400 gallons. The standard aquarium axiom applies"the bigger the tank the better, because a larger aquarium will tend to have much more stable water conditions.

Compare a five-gallon tank to a 55-gallon tank. The five-gallon Glass aquarium tank may fluctuate in temperature as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit daily whereas the temperature will not be as likely to fluctuate as much in the larger tank.




Having more water will also give you more time to correct anything that is going wrong. Tanks can be purchased from your local fish store, online, or built by a custom aquarium builder, so one way or another you can have the Glass aquarium you dream of.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Glass Aquariums

Acrylic is lighter, stronger, and more durable than glass. On the other hand, an acrylic aquarium will scratch much more easily and can be very difficult to repair when scratched. Glass is cost-effective compared to acrylic.Glass is available in a variety of colors, and colored glass tends to look better than colored acrylic.

Glass is far more breakable than acrylic, however, which can result not only in the death of your fish but a real mess in your tank or apartment. Also, glass tanks are more prone to leak than acrylic. Even empty, glass aquariums are much heavier than their acrylic counterparts. With proper handling and care, however, you can avoid the pitfalls that may come with a glass tank and reap the advantage of a far more scratch-resistant, and thus more beautiful, aquarium.

Glass Aquariums"the Stand

Water is very heavy, so your glass aquarium will need adequate support. An aquarium typically weighs at least 10 pounds per gallon of water it holds. Thus a big 55-gallon aquarium could weigh 550 pounds! Typically, glass aquariums are small enough to be placed on sturdy furniture or desks, but you may want to consider a custom stand not only because it is designed to bear the weight but also because aesthetically a glass aquarium on a custom stand is typically more aesthetically pleasing.

Regardless of whether you use a stand built to hold an aquarium or regular furniture, make sure it is level and more than strong enough to hold your tank, and thereby avoid any fish tank tragedies.

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Cichlids -What Equipment Do I Need To Become A Fish Breeder?

Cichlids -What Equipment Do I Need To Become A Fish Breeder?
Breeding fish is a very complex, very tricky thing to try. If you've decided to try and breed fish on your own, you are going to need to buy a few essential pieces of kit. The basic set up of a fish breeder comprises of the same as with any other aspect of fish keeping.

You'll need a tank plus filters, lights and all the usual. However, if you're going to breed fish successfully, you'll require much more than just the basics. For example, you will need to have either an additional tank to breed the fish in, or a special fry tank for the safety of the young fish. It is important that they be separated from the adult fish until they're big enough to fend for themselves. But this second tank is just one of the necessary considerations.
Many people start off keeping fresh water cichlids in their aquarium because of their beauty. With the variety of colors and shapes, it's about as close to a saltwater fish tank that you can get, without the salt or the upkeep of salt water tank!
 
But before long, most people become interested in breeding cichlids, rather than just having them. Quite often this is due to the cichlids breeding without any intervention on the aquarist's part, who thereafter becomes interested in keeping the next batch of fry.

By and large, the majority of African cichlids are mouthbrooders. This means that the eggs are actually brooded in one of the parents' mouth - typically the female cichlid's mouth. Other types of cichlids (shelldwellers for example) will be written and considered in other articles. But how do you get your cichlids to breed? How can you protect the female, and ensure that the eggs hatch successfully? And then how do you protect the young from hungry predators?

The first step in breeding cichlids is to obtain fish that will breed. While this may seem obvious, it's not as simple as obtaining a male and female of the same species of tropical fish. With African cichlids, it's much better to obtain a harem, quite often referred to as a breeding colony. If you only have a pair, the male may be too aggressive towards the one available female, resulting in stress and potential death.

When you have your breeding colony, you'll want to give them a good environment. Have plenty of caves, rocks, shelves and crevices that the cichlids can choose as their territory and breeding ground. Don't bother with aquarium plants; they'll only be removed by the cichlids!
 
To get your African cichlids in breeding condition, you need to feed them well. I've always found spirulina flakes to be excellent quality food, as well as the live earthworm, white worm or crickets and shrimp.

When the fish are ready to breed, you'll notice the male chase the female and do a mating dance, which consists of shimmying in front of the female. The female will drop eggs, and then proceed to pick them up in her mouth. The male will fertilize them. It is theorized that this is where the 'egg spots' come into play. The egg spots are the small round yellowish spots on the male's anal fin. Many feel that when the male shimmies, these look like eggs that the female hasn't yet collected. She attempts to, and the eggs that are in her mouth are able to be fertilized by the male.

The process will be repeated a number of times, until the female loses interest (just like people!). If the eggs weren't properly fertilized, they will be disposed of. If they're fertilized, they will be kept until the eggs are hatched and the yolk sacks have disappeared. This can take from three to five weeks.

If you want to keep the baby cichlids, I strongly suggest that you remove the female to a comfortable tank for the female cichlid a place of her own. This can be a smaller tank, with some rockwork for her to hide in. You don't need to feed her, although when the eggs hatch (you'll see the wigglers in her mouth) you may want to toss in a very small amount of flake food. She may pick at it for the sake of the fry. There will be a follow-up article explaining how to strip the female cichlid, a process necessary if she won't release the eggs or if she eats them.

To feed the babies, you can crush up some flake food into a fine powder. Take a little, mix it with water. Then suck it into a straw of piece of aquarium tubing. Then insert it into the water near the swimming cichlid fry, and release it for them to eat.

Allow the female cichlid to feed back to health before putting her back in the tank. Also, try to keep the babies with cichlids of the same size, lest they become live cichlid food!
Firstly, the smaller baby fry tank will require a good filter unit. Generally, it is thought best to stick to using air powered filters with a basic sponge filter so that the small fry can't get sucked into it. Bigger mechanical filter systems occasionally suck in the fry and cause them to get stuck inside the filter. You obviously wouldn't want that to happen.

If you are serious about breeding fish, you will have to read up on the specialist fish foods that have been developed especially for small fry. This special fish food is made from different ingredients from standard fish food and is especially formulated to nourish developing fish. It is specially formulated to be easily eaten and digested by the fry and to provide them with all the nutrients they need to grow and develop at a healthy rate. Once again, it's essential to keep them apart from bigger fish for quite some time, just in case the bigger fish start to see the babies as food.

Breeding fish can be a painstaking and complicated hobby. However, with the right equipment, a good level of knowledge and a little determination, it can also be a rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable experience.

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Yucatan's Cichlid Firemouth


Cichlid Firemouth
Yucatan's Cichlid Firemouth also known as Thorichthys meeki originated from Mexico specifically located from the Yucatan peninsula. Firemouth Cichlid ranges habit can reside in any locales such as rivers, lakes, streams as well as ponds in the Yucatan. Are you aware one of the most popular of the Cichlidae fish species is the Cichlid Firemouth if you haven't seen the Yucatan's Cichlid Firemouth before you are in for a real treat? 

Cichlid Firemouth recognized and is regarded as among the most beautiful cichlid in the western hemisphere. This fish is definitely more colorful during breeding. It exudes a stunning red-orange color on its ventral region and will often extend pectoral and caudal fins specimens. 

Usually the color and hue of the body a white gray color promoting silvery color in aquarium environment. The firemouth thrives in water which has a pH level of 7.5 to 8.5 in addition to a GH of slightly hard water to neutral. Supplying the aquarium with caves as well as dark areas is essential for your Cichlid Firemouth.

How would you like to learn the "simple secrets" to maintaining and reproducing, lively, bright and healthy Cichlid Fire-mouths? The following article is going to teach you all about the Cichlid Fire-mouth. In fact, I will show you how to make Cichlid Fire-mouth keeping easy for you.
 
Determining the gender of Firemouth may be done through the color. Males possess a more colorful color with a filament-like extension at the rear part of the dorsal fin. It is hard to pinpoint the sex of Firemouth at juvenile stage but when it reaches about 7cm the dimorphism becomes more evident.
  
Witnessing and recognizing the mating rituals of your firemouth cichlid will be helpful to you, in this way you won’t panic and assume your cichlids are trying to kill one another; mating is similar to those with other cichlids, and is able to do so in a year older and will also lay its eggs in caves or any safe area of the tank. Both parents tend to defend their fry although one will concentrate more in playing the role of a guard. Both Yucatan's Cichlid Firemouth will transfer their eggs from one cave to another from time to time and their fry will be free to swim in a matter of four days. Firemouth makes an excellent parent especially when it comes to caring and defending their fry. The safest time to remove the fry is when they have reached about half a centimeterthen you can sale the fry.
Whether cichlid Firemouth is suitable to be a community aquarium has been actively in dispute comprising with different opinions from different hobbyist. It is not a good tank mate for small fishes and to tetras when Firemouth reaches its full size of 15 centimeters or more. Though they are lovely pets, they can be quite unpredictable sometimes but with the proper way in handling they can cause no harm.

Firemouth by nature is a territorial fish; the attacking and the wading of other cichlids are extremely impressive and wonderful. Actually, it may just be a show because no harm is done with the other fishes inside the same tank. The flaring of the gills and even the posture of the fins are more likely a tactic to intimidate but not mainly to harm. Firemouth exudes beautiful colors and admires antics they are described as cichlids that portray beauty beyond words I can testify too,

Firemouth is a great choice for beginners in cichlid collecting since caring for them is not so fragile. They can live in a wide range of water parameters and are extremely hardy. Availability can be abundant thus making them affordable.

Firemouth Cichlid eats just about anything fed to them they are not so meticulous and picky when it comes to food. They appreciate being fed with flakes, live or frozen foods. Nowadays, you can readily find and buy fish foods that are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients they basically need.
Facts about Cichlid Firemouth

The Cichlid Firemouth has quite the unusually distinctive shape and characteristics. It has fiery devil red colors mixed with deep blues and grays. It is an extremely beautiful fish! Many people will wonder where you got your new exotic pet.

As you can guess, the Cichlid Fire-mouth is so aptly named because of the fiery coloration on the under side of the fish's mouth. It has a very bright red throat and belly. This coloring starts at the far end of the tail and will extend all the way around to the mouth.

Now the body of the Cichlid Fire-mouth is generally made up of blue and gray with numerous tiny black specks. Sometimes you just might even see one that has brown fins streaked with touches of blues. There are many different coloration of this fish. You will almost never see two alike. This is because there are so many different places in the world that the fish live. So it depends on each fish exact place of birth.

The Yucatan's Cichlid Firemouth can usually be counted on to be peaceful with tank mates but there can be exceptions to that rule. This will be when the fish is spawning. During breeding times, they can be somewhat aggressive towards other fish in their habitat as well as becoming aggressive towards smaller members of their own species. Usually they will do no harm and this can be a very fun animal interaction to watch as a family.

During the reproductive cycle, the male Cichlid Firemouth will predominately continue to display these bluffs towards other fish. The Cichlid Firemouth will assume an aggressive stance where the fish will inflate his fiery red throat sac and gill covers. This is amazing when they do this. You will be astounded. It has been discovered by ethologists that the red coloring itself is intimidating to other fish.

During spawning 100-500 eggs can be produced, and both parents care for the fry. If you are thinking of breeding these fish for profit, then you will be pleasantly surprised. They make wonderful breeding fish and people love to buy them!

For the Fire mouth Cichlids habitat, they like a tank bottom of fine sand and substrate that has plenty of hiding places among rocks, wood, and whatever else you would like to place in the aquarium. Plants are also very much appreciated by the Cichlid Fire mouth as they love to hide in them and rest sometimes .You will want to place more hardy type of plants, such as Sagittaria, around the inside perimeter and leaving an open area in the center for swimming. The plants will need to be potted to protect the roots as the fire mouths may try to upend them.

Scientific Information

  • Scientific Name: Thorichthys meeki

  • Family: Cichlidae

  • Origin: Mexico Yucatan peninsula

  • Adult Size: 6 inches (15 cm)

  • Social: Territorial

  • Lifespan: 10-15 years

  • Tank Level: Bottom dweller

  • Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallon

  • Diet: Omnivore eats most foods prefer shrimp

  • Breeding: Egglayers

  • Care: Easy to Moderate

  • pH: 7.0 to 8.5

  • Water Hardness: up to 10 dGH

  • Temperature: 70 to75 F (21-24 C)

Myths Regarding Firemouth Cichlids: Now I know that many people say that "Keeping Cichlid Firemouth is not too difficult". Or maybe you have heard other say "They are far too aggressive". And of course the most common misconception that I usually hear of is "You cannot keep them with other fish". All of the above statements are completely false. These fish are super easy to care for. Their aggression is laughable and fun to watch as they do no harm whatsoever. And of course the Cichlid Fire mouth loves to be around other types of fish in your home tank.

You just need to take the time to learn how to keep Cichlid Fire mouths the right way. and I hope you enjoyed reading my article today about the Cichlid Fire mouth!