Friday, September 23, 2011
Firemouth Cichlid
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| Firemouth Cichlid |
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
| Site Map: African Cichlid Fish |
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Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Aquarium-How To Get Rid Of Green Hair Algae
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| 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
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| Saltwater Aquarium Natural Decorations 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!
Find tips about papillon chihuahua and mini chihuahua at the Types Of Chihuahua website.
Save Ton Of Money Build Your Own Aquarumin Liquid Rubber For Ponds and Plywood Application
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| Liquid Rubber For Ponds and Plywood Application |
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.
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| 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.
Cichlids Aquariums for Restaurantsand Bars
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| 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.
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
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| 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.
Getahugetank.com offers Glass aquarium, acrylic aquarium and other aquarium supplies.
Cichlids -What Equipment Do I Need To Become A Fish Breeder?
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| Cichlids -What Equipment Do I Need To Become A Fish Breeder? |
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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