Basics About Breeding Tropical Fish For a Freshwater Aquarium

All fish keepers reach a particular stage when they decide that they want to breed their tropical fish. Breeding tropical fish is fun and a rewarding activity if done right. If you feel that you want to breed your prized tropical fish and grow the off springs then continue reading as this article will provide on tips for breeding tropical fish.

Terms Used and General Guidelines

Breeding fish is often called spawning and this is an act of reproduction in fish. Fry is the term used for baby fish that have just been born. The method of spawning will depend largely on the type of fish you have. While breeding tropical fish you should know that cichlids spawn in the substrate while tetras, goldfish and barbs spawn in plants. Killifish on the other hand spawn in peat.

Ways to induce spawning

The most popular way to induce spawning is to reduce the PH of the water to mimic the effect of nature. Rain water is acidic and in nature most fish spawn after rains. In order to lower the ph of the water you can use soak a piece of driftwood in water and then use that water during water changes. Large water changes also induce spawning for many fish. The right way to use this technique is to feed your fish frozen or live blood worms for 1 week and then change 50% of the water in the tank.

Ways to Spawn Fish

Different species of fish spawn in different ways. Livebearers like male guppies, mollies and swordtails impregnate the female using a gonopodium which is a modified anal fin in males. The female then becomes pregnant and gives birth to free swimming fry in 2 weeks. Livebearers are easy to spawn and no special techniques are needed to induce spawning. Since livebearers are well known for eating their own young it is always recommended to shift the pregnant female into another tank in order to save the fry. After the female spawns remember to take her out of the tank, because she might eat the fry too. Barbs, tetras and goldfish scatter the eggs in plants and the male then fertilizes the eggs. These fish are also known to eat their own fry and the best way to protect the fry is to move the eggs to a smaller tank. Anabantoids like betas and gouramis squeeze the eggs out of the female and the males simultaneously fertilize the eggs. Male anabantoids make good fathers and most people leave the male fish to take care of the fry for the first week. Cichlids spawn on pieces of rocks or they clear the substrate to lay eggs. Male cichlids fertilize the eggs after the female has laid them. Cichlids make good parents and both the parents take turns to watch the fry. Since cichlids show aggression to other tank mates during spawning the best thing to do is to shift the pair to another tank.

Spawning Tank

The size of the spawning tank will depend on the fish you are trying to breed. The spawning tank does not have to be as big as the main tank but it should be big enough for the female to get away in case things get rough. While breeding tropical fish you should remember that this tank should have completed the nitrogen cycle and it should have a sponge filter and a few plastic plants.

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How to Set Up an Aquarium at Home

If you are interested in keeping fish a medium sized freshwater aquarium is probably the best bet for a beginner. The first decision you will have to make is what size aquarium will suit your needs. All sizes are available from a mini two gallon tank that sits on a desktop to monsters in excess of 100 gallons. Generally, a ten or twenty gallon tank is a good starter size while you learn the basics of fish care and aquarium management. Also, a tank this size is not a huge investment if you decide in the future that the hobby isn't right for you.

Filtration Systems Are Important

When setting up an aquarium you will need to instal a filtration system, arguably the most important part of the aquatic environment. This important item in the fish tank that will filter out impurities and excess debris in the water and help keep the environment balanced and the water clear and healthy. Of course you will be provided with multiple choices when you are choosing a filter. There are many varieties available, and it's always a good idea to ask for help at the pet store or do some research so that you select the right size filtration unit that is designed for your tank.

Will You Need A Fish Tank Heater?

A heater is generally not a necessity in a freshwater fish tank. Whilst tropical fish will require warmer water that may necessitate a fish tank heater, many freshwater fish will happily live in a wide range of temperatures and the temperature in most houses will be suitable for many fish. Just check with your fish supplier or pet store when you are buying your fish.

Choosing Your Fish

Choosing which fish you want to stock in your tank can be great fun. There are so many fish varieties available for a freshwater aquarium that sometimes it can be hard to decide. Beside each fish display at the pet store you will usually find notes on the habits and requirement of the species. Pay attention to the habits of the fish so that you avoid introducing aggressive or predatory fish into your aquarium. Many varieties of fish will happily co-exist with each other.

These are just a few tips on how to set up an aquarium. Take your time deciding on the size and style of tank that you want and the types of fish you'd like to add to your tank. Keeping fish is often considered to be an expensive hobby but if you're prepared to start out with a small aquarium you will be able to stay within a budget and still experience the enjoyment provided by a peaceful tank of freshwater fish.

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Fish Tank Plants - Don't Be Put Off by the Experts

I think that it is extremely easy to put someone off  growing live plants in their aquarium. Simply start talking about water parameters and watts per gallon, using the correct substrate, balancing the micro and macro nutrients and pretty soon people are looking at you with a glazed expression and quickly giving up on growing any plants in their tank.

But that really isn't the reality of fish tank plants. Think of growing aquarium plants as the same as growing anything in your garden. Most people could find out enough to be confident of growing something. After all, you don't need green fingers to grow potatoes. Just stick one in the ground and nature will do the rest.

You may need to practice a bit before moving on to growing orchids. Well aquariums are exactly the same. There are plants that will grow quite happily with the minimum of light and without too much care. You don't need to double the lighting in your aquarium in order to throw out the plastic and silk impersonators. If you do, then you are more likely to give yourself an algae bloom than you are to grow aquarium plants successfully.

Just like with gardening, choose the hardy, easy to grow plants and you can have a thriving planted aquarium in around six weeks without adding lights or installing a co2 system. Sure you may need to feed them but that is either a liquid feed or adding some laterite to your gravel. Don't panic about the laterite, if your tank is already set up and has matured a bit there is probably enough natural fertiliser in the substrate to support most plant life.

Your fish will feed the plants by producing ammonia that will get converted into nitrates. Nitrates are great plant food. After all, algae are plants and I bet you're already growing them successfully.

So chuck out the artificial plants, get down to the aquarium store and ask them about plants for beginners. If you're a bit worried, just store the artificial plants and throw them away in six weeks when the tank is thriving from your new found skill.

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Types of Freshwater Aquarium Fish

Freshwater aquarium fish are much easier to care for compared to saltwater fish so those who would like to add an aquarium to their home or office would be wise to choose freshwater aquarium fish. They can be kept in tanks of various sizes so there are possibilities for a great aquarium display in a small bedroom or a large reception area. Freshwater aquarium fish are more flexible in their filtration requirements. They also can eat most commercially available fish food.

Among the most popular:

Guppies

Guppies prefer water temperatures of about 22 ?C (72 ?F) for reproduction. After giving birth, the female is ready for conception within a few hours. Guppies can live in a wide range o . Guppies are often bred for their natural colour, so over the years the domestic guppy has grown weaker. As a result, guppies will sometimes die after 2-3 days.

Angelfish

Angelfish, gouramis, and dwarf catfish (Corydoras ) can also work well, though angelfish at least are predatory and will eat very small fish such as neon tetras . Angelfish are considered by many to be the most beautiful fish associated with coral reefs. Many members of this family, known scientifically as the Pomacanthidae, grow too large for small and medium-size home aquariums.

Tetras

Tetra's do quite well feeding on regular dried or freeze-dried aquaria in foods and some frozen brine shrimp now and then. Tetrahymena is a teardrop-shaped ciliate ( Figure 4 ) that moves along the outside of the host. The presence of Tetrahymena on the body surface in low numbers (less than five organisms per low power field) is probably not significant.

Having freshwater aquarium fish is a very rewarding experience, I highly recommend it.

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Tropical fish tank Part 1.2

This is Part 1.2 of my fish tank.

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Aquacultured Live Rocks - Saltwater Aquarium

Florida aquaclultured rocks are undeniably beautiful. Including aqaucultured live rocks in your saltwater aquarium will not only improve the ascetics and natural look of your habitat, but they also improve your water quality. Aquacultured live rocks are a great asset to many saltwater aquarium enthusiasts. The marine life contained within the live rocks filter many pollutants out of the water and help to keep nitrate levels in check. Here is a list of some of the flora and fauna you may find in aquacultured live rocks.

Algae: There are many different kinds of algae that one may find. These saltwater plants supply aquariums with food for some species of fish as well as a beautiful range of colors. Algae also provide a saltwater aquarium with natural nitrate removal.

Anemones: These saltwater invertebrates are filter feeders which will remove unwanted excess from polluting your saltwater aquarium. They come in a number of different shapes, sizes and colors. They add a great deal of natural beauty to a saltwater aquarium but some species can overtake a tank if not properly maintained.

Coral: Live rocks may be covered with many different species of corals which all coexist on one rock. Live rocks are the home to many different species of coral. These filter feeders survive on plankton and other forms of microscopic food. The beautiful designs they form are actually the skeletal remains of previous generations of coral which are now the home of their offspring.

Crustaceans: Crustaceans come in many different forms, some of which are not welcomed guests in a home aquarium environment. But the ones that are provide a great deal of life and beauty to a saltwater aquarium. These invertebrates act as a cleaning agent within a saltwater aquarium and can remove excess food and unwanted algae from aquacultured live rocks.

Echinoderm: This category of creature includes sea stars, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins. These bottom dwellers scavenge and eat much of the leftovers which make it to your aquarium floor. Sea cucumbers filter debris from the sand and sea stars and sea urchins clean much of the coral. These unique creatures will add a lot of life to a saltwater aquarium.

Gorgonian: These filter feeders build large structures which resemble plant life. They are also known as sea fans. Their construction consists of the skeletal remains, much like coral.

Mollusk: Most of us know mollusks as clams, muscles, oysters and the like. These filter feeds attach themselves to aquacultured live rocks and begin filtering water to find food.

Snails: Sea snails do a wonderful job of cleaning up unwanted algae in a saltwater aquarium. Their suctioning ability enables them to travel all over your tank in search of food.

Sponges: Your rock may come with a sea sponge. These filter feeders add great color and unique beauty to a tank but are very hard to maintain in captivity. They require a great deal of nutrients which they can find in a natural environment because of consistent nutrition circulation.

Worms: These marine invertebrates are another of the oceans filter feeders. They come in a number of different shapes, sizes, and colors and need a good amount of nutrients to be maintained. They have absolutely beautiful displays that any saltwater aquarium enthusiast would wish for.

Click here for more information about aquacultured live rocks

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Online Business Ideas For Beginners

Would you like to make easy money online before you ever spend a penny of your own money? There are thousands of online business ideas that people use to make online income. If you are just starting your Internet home business, you need to know that you can use some online business ideas to earn money without spending any of your own money.

Let's take a look at how you can base your initial Internet marketing plan on using the resources available for free using the tools provided by Blogger. This is a free blogging platform that is owned by Google. All you need to do is go to blogger.com and open a free account. Google allows you to post text, photos, videos, and more to your blog... all for free.

While you are setting up your account, you will be prompted to name your blog. Since the name of your blog should be related to whatever it is you intend to promote, you need to choose an appropriate manner in which to monetize your blog. There are thousands of money making ideas on the Internet. You need to focus on offering quality products from a trustworthy source. I suggest you consider starting with products offered through ClickBank. Simply go to ClickBank (clickbank.com) and choose an interesting product to promote. And, don't worry too much about which product you start with because Blogger will allow you to create several hundred free blogs.

You first need to sign up as an affiliate at ClickBank.com. There is no fee to become a ClickBank affiliate. Then, click on "Marketplace". You will find plenty of information about how the ClickBank affiliate marketing program works. Next, you'll want to find some ideas for making money. Pick one of the categories that interests you and review some of the thousands of products available for you to promote. For each blog you'll want to focus on a single niche or category. So, choose your favorite product from your favorite category.

Back at blogger.com you need to name your blog. Let's say you are interested in promoting a ClickBank product called "My Freshwater Aquarium Secrets". You might want to name your blog "Freshwater Aquariums" and create your URL as freshwateraquariums.blogger.com. You will be able to start posting content to your blog immediately, along with your affiliate link(s) to one or more ClickBank products.

In addition to promoting ClickBank products, another Internet business opportunity you will want to consider is to become an AdSense publisher. AdSense is owned by Google. Simply go to adsense.google.com and sign up for free. You will then be able to add AdSense ads to your Blogger blog. Each time someone clicks on an AdSense ad displayed on your blog, you will earn a small amount of money from Google.

Blogger, ClickBank, and AdSense are all highly respected and offer excellent quality. These online business ideas are a great place to start for beginners who want to learn about legitimate Internet business opportunities without investing any money. I wish you well!

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Ways to Quiet a Squeaky Hamster Wheel

Ways to quiet a squeaky hamster wheel.

About a month ago, I realised that one of my silent spinner hamster wheels was not as silent as before. Squeaking sounds came from the wheel as my roborovski hamster was running on the wheel. I was puzzled because I spent a few more bucks buying a silent spinner but it ended up making more noise than the normal ones. I Googled the possible reasons and solutions as to why my silent spinner was making these loud squeaky noises and came to realise the mistakes I have made and how it can be resolved.

Ways to quiet a squeaky hamster wheel

Use non-toxic lubricant to keep your silent spinner noise free! Strip your silent spinner and detach the axle from the wheel. Use a cotton pad, dapped with some lubricant, to wipe the axle thoroughly. Fix back the axle to your wheel and your wheel will be as good as new!


Some lubricants you can use:


Vegetable oil
Vaseline
Butter - wears out after awhile and you would have to apply it more frequently

If this method should fail and your hamster wheel is still squeaking, then you can try the following methods to solve your problem.

Instead of using a cotton pad to dap the axle of your hamster wheel, soak the axle in vegetable oil for an hour. Make sure that the plastic part does not get into the oil. After that, take out the axle and wipe it with a kitchen towel before fixing it back to the other parts of the wheel. This will prevent the vegetable oil from over-flowing into the wheel and getting onto your hamster.
Another method you can use is to move your hamster cage into a closet at night when you are sleeping. It will not make the wheel quiet but at least the sound will be more muffled as compared to leaving it outside of the closet. Remember to leave it slightly ajar so that your hamster will have some ventilation.
Lastly, and this should be your last resort, move your hamster cage out of your room.

These are some of the information gathered while searching for ways to quiet a squeaky hamster wheel. In the process of doing so, I have also came across 2 factors that might have caused your wheel to become squeaky and how you can prevent it.

Here are some of the reasons why your hamster wheels become squeaky and how you can prevent it.

Rusting of axle
I have read in forums and some 'online answers' advising hamster owners to use vinegar to rinse their hamster's toys to remove odour. This is an excellent method to remove odour but vinegar will oxidise the metal and cause it to rust. Once it rusts, the process will be irreversible. So my advice is to remove the axle from the wheel before rinsing it with vinegar and water. Then make sure it is dry before attaching the axel back to the wheel.

Wheels being used for a long time
Because hamsters run a lot, the axle might get worn out in the long run. This wear and tear is caused by friction and can be prevented by lubricating your wheel frequently with the recommended lubricants mentioned above.

Conclusion

In my article, I mentioned 4 Ways to quiet a squeaky hamster wheel:

Lubricate using cotton pad
Lubricate by soaking
Leave your hamster cage in closet at night
Move hamster cage out of room

I have also mentioned the 2 causes of ending up with squeaky hamster wheels and how to prevent them:

Rusting of axle
Wheels used for a long time

I hope you have learned something new from my article and I want to emphasize that the lubricant use MUST be non-toxic. This is because the lubricant might get onto your hamster's wheel and the consequences will be fatal if it ingests it. Another thing is, prevention is better than cure. So before your wheel becomes all squeaky and noisy, wipe the axle with a cotton pad soaked with oil. This will allow you to have longer lasting silent wheels. Wishing you and your hamster happiness!

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Cant have enough air

New 28" bubble wand with power head. 55gallon, cascade 1000 canister filter, 3 common, 1 comet, 3 red tail tin foils, 1 minnow, 1 common pleco, 1 calico fantail, 1 red top oranda fantail

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My 10 gallon aquarium

Here's a look at my fairly new 10 gallon aquarium! (It was cycled before I put fish in, no worries!) All my home raised guppies are in there! I also have 3 baby guppies in there that are no more than 2 months old! Enjoy!

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