The Pet Fish Care Blog

Pacus are timid fish and Oscars are too aggressive.  But Oscars live in the same tank together without hurting or eating each other. Oscars require 50 gallons each and pacus require 500-1000 gallons each. If your tank satisfies this requirement, you can go for the comination of PACUS and OSCAR. Pacu can GROW up to 2 to 3 feet long and can get larger if given the space and a good quality enviroment. Pacu are also very messy fish.

So, keep these points in your mind while mixing these two species. Happy mixing!!!

A quarantine tank (QT) is a very important accessory for any responsible aquarist. The whole point of quarantine is to prevent problems in the main tank and protect your investment. Why take the chance of introducing pest or diseases into an healthy tank or why should we let a sick fish contaminate the others.

1-Quarantine for new live stock
Before to introduce any newly acquired animals in your main tank, it is wise to assume they might carry something you don’t want. It is much easier to fix problems in smaller tanks and, if anything goes wrong, all you risk is what’s in the quarantine tank, not the entire system.

So it’s simple; you get new live stock, you quarantine and then, after a couple weeks, you introduce it into you tank.

2- Medical use
When a fish is sick or injured, it is wise to remove it from the tank and move it to a quarantine tank. This way, there is less chance the whole community get affected by the illness.
Using a quarantine tank to treat sick fish will also make you save money, as medication for a small tank is less costly than it is for a large tank.

Also, invertebrates and many micro-organism may be in may be harmed by some medication so that’s an other reason to not use medication in the main tank.
Finally, being sick in the main tank can be stress full for the fish. It has to fight against the disease and deal with all other fish at the same time. A stress free environment will help it recover.

Quarantine Tank setup:
Equipment required for a quarantine tank:
-10 gallon tank (larger if needed) with cover and light
- Hiding place for the fish. Many people simply use a few pieces of 6? long PVC
- heater and thermometer
- air pump with airline and air stone
- biologically active sponge filter
- net
- ammonia test kit
- nitrite test kit
- antibacterial and anti-parasitic medicated food
- NO SUBSTRATE

Set up your quarantine tank the same way you’d set up any tank but don’t use a substrate. At this point, the tank should be empty with only the heater and air stone in it. Next, fill it with water from your already established aquarium, add the PVC pipe pieces, add the heater, and set up the filter and air pump.

That’s it! You have a quarantine tank.

Be ready!

Always have some extra saltwater ready in case an emergency water change is needed. Never use freshly mixed water to a tank!

Quarantine procedures:

1) Set up your quarantine tank.
2) Catch your fish and acclimatize it to the quarantine tank.
3) Use recommended medication for the disease. During that process, monitor your main tank and look for signs of disease on other fish.
4) Once your fish look healthy again, you should always wait for a good week before to move it back to the main tank (just to make sure).

Algae are tiny green photosynthetic harmless organisms that are commonly seen in most habitats. Blue green algae are minute deadly life that are found in freshwater aquarium .These are nightmares of aquarists, as once get into an aquarium, it is difficult to eliminate it.

Blue green algae are cyanobacteria group of bacteria and they are able to photosynthesise same as the green algae. These bacteria are found as coatings over the tank stones, walls and the aquatic plants as blue- green, purple, black or brown color. The affected area appears slimy, which is the protective membrane that the bacteria create over their colony. If they are not removed from the aquarium, the fishes and the plants will be seriously affected by the poisonous substances produced by them. The bacteria affected water is characterized by foul smell.

Blue green algae are one of the primitive forms of bacteria. It is well adaptable to all conditions and grows fast in extreme conditions where normal flora doesn’t grow. Blue green algae have the capacity to fix nitrates. So they can grow in water with nil or low nitrate concentration. Read the rest of this entry »

You should maintain a perfect temperature of the waters in a fish aquarium because this is a basic step in pet fish care. The temperature of a fresh water fish  should be  between 74-78  degrees Celcius.

If the aquarium temperature tend to fall, you can make use of aquarium heaters to control the water temperature.

The tropical fishes would be healthy only during the small optimum temperature window, which means 76-80 degrees Celcius. Any time you buy a new fish, you should strict on to this optimal window. If the temperature sligthly above or below this range, your fishes life would be in danger.

To have a healthy pet fish care, please keep this point in mind to maintain a hale and healthy life of your fish.

For fish lovers, investing in aquarium is more than hobby. There are two major types of aquarium. They are marine aquarium and non-marine aquarium. In Marine aquarium sea fishes are kept and in non marine aquarium fresh water fishes are kept. The field of aquarium is so developed now, that we can change the temperature of the aquarium by switching on a water heater. We can provide intense or dim light that makes the fish life comfortable inside the aquarium.

In addition to the temperature control system, you have so many other water purification systems which can be used to increase the oxygen availability, reduce the level of toxic chemicals and clean the debris in the water tank. Some equipment is mechanical, some are electronic and some are biological.

In addition to this, wonderful equipment called automatic food distribution cum fertilized dosage system is also available. This equipment is of immense help as it takes out the hassle of remembering when to feed, what to feed and how much to feed.

The fish lovers will be astonished to know that fish tanks are now available in different sizes, colors, materials etc. You have tanks that are fitted with advanced electronic equipments. Many different equipments are available that help to improve the comfort of the fishes that are placed in the aquarium, be it fresh water fish or marine water fish. One must learn about the requirement of fresh water fish, marine water fish and cold water fish before starting the aquarium. One must know about the dangerous fish that are not recommended foe beginners like piranhas.

Let’s discuss about Gasteropelecidae family here.

1. Gasteropelecidae- this family include fishes that can fly [hatchet fishes]. These are found in northern reaches of South America. Distinctly deep figures are their characteristic features. These fishes have the ability to fly. They could do so by raising the chest fin and attempting to float in the sky, hence the name flying fish. The fish owners are advised to have a hood above the aquarium if they have flying fish. The hood should be placed at least 15 feet above the tank to prevent these fishes from falling out of aquarium.

2. Carnegiella marthae- this species is also known as blackwing hatchet fish- the origin of this species is Peru, Amazon area, and Venezuela. This species can attain a size of inch and a bit more.  The keel, ridge and chest will be black. This species perform better in aquarium. They are easy to maintain. Easy food habits, good breeding in captivity and calm temperament are the reasons why people prefer this. These fishes breed much like hyphessobrycon.

3. Gasteropelecus Levis or silver hatchet fish- the origin is Amazonian lower region.
This can grow an inch more than the blackwing variety. They have silver body with parallel stripes of blue- black tinge. They are not averse in sharing the aquarium with other fishes. They require clean water and its breeding habit is similar to blackwing variety and hence under study. Their breeding habit in captivity is yet to be understood as the study is on.

Like Gasteropelecidae family, fishes belong to cyprinidae too have very interesting species. The fishes will have bigger body and bone when compared to gasteropelecidae. They are found in Europe, North America and some parts of Asia and Africa. Few species have barbell fins instead of adipose fins. The Indian counter part is known as mahaseer. This is a fresh water fish. They have toothless jaw, soft fins, and round scales.

1. For taking proper care, one must know the fish thoroughly.   The care depends on the type of fish you have, whether it is fresh water fish or salt water fish. Salt water fish is also known as marine fish. For salt water fish you need to provide salt water and for the fresh water fish you need to provide well water, not tap water. The chlorine content of the tap water will affect the health of the fish. You must spend every day some time observing the fish behavior. Check whether they are swimming, brisk and active. Any out of ordinary behavior must be reported to fish care specialist at the earliest.

2. One must know the eating patter of the fish stock he or she has. Some fish may need food daily whereas some other fish will need meal once in three days. Herbivores will feed on the plant in the fish tank. Hence you must understand the eating habit of the species you have.

3. The aquarium water must be kept clean. More importance must be given for this; otherwise the fishes will die one by one. The water temperature must remain constant. You can buy good quality filters and place them in the water tank or aquarium to increase the oxygen availability.  You need to add iodine two times in a week in case you are maintaining salt water fish. In addition to this calcium can also be added to the water. The algae build up in the aquarium must be cleared as and when required for the healthy life of the fishes.

4. Fifteen percent of the water present in the aquarium must be filtered once in a week and the same quantity must replace with oxygenated water. This will prevent the possible build up of chemicals that are harmful to the fish. No need for any hesitation to consult the near by fish shop owner or the salesman for clearing or preventing the chemical build up in the water tank. Take his advice in providing best available filter for your water tank.

5. The debris such as gravel needs to be cleared, before cleaning the water. You need to check for the impurities such as ammonia. Buffet system and tester kit is available in plenty in the market. Buy there best one and check the levels of chemicals like chlorine, copper, and nitrate. The checking has to be done once in two weeks. If the chemicals are found in harmful level, then corrective measures needs to be taken. Be aware the fishes produce nitrites which is not harmful. Only the nitrous acid salts required to be removed. In addition to this alkalinity build-up test too needs to be conducted. At least once in a month this test has to be conducted to determine the PH of the water in the aquarium.

6. Be prepared to invest in good quality filters. There are mechanical, Chemical and biological filters available. Buy the best suited one for you in consultation with the fish care specialist or the fish shop owner, to safe guard the health of the fishes. The filter needs to be checked once on two weeks. If the filter needs to be replaced, just do that immediately. Maintain a record for your aquarium filled with details such as species, number of fishes in each species, feeding schedule, equipment details etc.

If you are a beginner for aquarium, before doing it big, better understand it in and out. There are many equipments involved, their names are head spinning. One need understand the meaning of many terminologies involved. One must master all these aspects to better pet fish care. Besides one must have enough patience if they want to have aquarium. For beginner, the recommended fish is none other than goldfish. Because these are available in plenty. They look very pretty and make the fish tank colorful. They are easy to maintain.

The aquarium must be kept in good condition. Whatever may the fish that it is going to have. Be it gold fish or dangerous and aggressive piranhas. There is certain procedures one need to follow daily and weekly basis. One may see the gold fish in small container or bowls either in cinema or in real life. This is a very bad idea. In small container the gold fish will only survive for short time. The reason is faster disease spread.

If you want to have aquarium, you must consider minimum of ten gallon water with filtration facility. The filter is most important component in aquarium. This agitates the water surface thereby providing more oxygen to the water. Hence the fishes can use this oxygen for their survival. If more space is provided for the gold fish, it will swim more and remain healthy and happy. The water space provided must be in accordance to the number of gold fish you want to have. More number of fishes requires more space. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you planning to purchase salt water aquarium? Hold on for some time. There are several things one has to know about saltwater aquarium purchase. Here they are. First you must finalize what kind of fish you want to have. In case more than one type is selected, then you must know whether they can share the salt water tank without trouble. Some species will fight with the others and destroy the whole atmosphere of the aquarium. If the types of fish are finalized, then it is the time for selection of the appropriate salt water aquarium.

Size of the tank needs to be considered first. If more space is available, the fish will swim more and remain healthy and happy. But larger salt water tank requires more time for cleaning and for maintenance. The cost of the tank also increases with the size of the tank. You should remember that you have enough space in the house. Read the rest of this entry »

Fishes that belong to super order Ostariophysi contribute to the near 70 percent of the fresh water fish in the world. The characteristic features are weberian apparatus and release of alarm substances. These alarm substances are released by the fish, when it is put under stressful condition.

The fishes that are classified under Characidae family do have some characteristics that resemble characteristics of ostariophysi. Members of family characidae were discovered first in central and southern America. They are found in central Africa too.

There are two main different variations in the members of family Characidae which can be kept in aquarium. They are carnivores and omnivores. The carnivorous type will eat only the meat whereas the omnivorous type will eat both the meat and plant [vegetable matter]. It is better to avoid herbivorous type as they consume all the plant material in the aquarium. Read the rest of this entry »

Fishes that belong to super order Ostariophysi contribute to the near 70 percent of the fresh water fish in the world. The characteristic features are weberian apparatus and release of alarm substances. These alarm substances are released by the fish, when it is put under stressful condition.

The fishes that are classified under Characidae family do have some characteristics that resemble characteristics of ostariophysi. Members of family characidae were discovered first in central and southern America. They are found in central Africa too.

There are two main different variations in the members of family Characidae which can be kept in aquarium. They are carnivores and omnivores. The carnivorous type will eat only the meat whereas the omnivorous type will eat both the meat and plant [vegetable matter]. It is better to avoid herbivorous type as they consume all the plant material in the aquarium.

In case one is planning to have Carnivorous type of characidae, he must keep few things in mind. Let’s discuss it here. These carnivores consider anything that is smaller than its size as its food and hence the same will be consumed by them. In case you want to keep other type of fish such as herbivores, that is possible, but the size should be bigger than carnivores. Herbivores have the habit of not disturbing any other fish unless provoked.

The Characidae carnivores can attack the other either alone or in school. But piranha fishes will attack only in schools. The piranha’s eating habit and jaw formation is similar to the characidae carnivores. Hence both these types of fishes are not recommended for those who don’t have prior experience in maintaining aquarium.

As discussed earlier the Characidae carnivores will eat anything and everything, such as smaller fish, worms, shredded meat portion etc. one has to be careful in not exposing the finger while feeding them.  One should not expose red meat to these fishes. The members of Characidae breed well in captivity. The eggs can be found struck to the bottom of the container. These fishes prefers acidic PH. They are found in plenty in rivers of the central and South America.  As these Characidae carnivores will eat their own young ones, one should be prepared to separate the adults and the young ones, if they want these fishes in their aquarium.

Piranhas are the other dangerous fishes like Characidae carnivores. Many love to have these fishes too in their aquarium. These fishes can grow to the length of 10 inches in wild condition but in captivity they can grow up to 5-6 inches. These fishes too are certainly not recommended for beginners. They are seen in abundance in South America [Amazon basin].

The piranhas can’t be kept with the other fishes. These fishes have needle like sharp teeth arranged in rows. They have oversize jaw. These fishes use their teeth to tear away their prey. Hence while netting, the hands should be kept at safer distance. These piranhas can tear away an adult cow in few seconds, in the wild. This will make you understand how dangerous these fishes are.

But the biggest advantage is that piranhas adapt to the changes in water conditions. These fishes are not bad breeder in captivity. Hence possible presence of school of piranha is avoided in tank, which is good, as these are more dangerous in school. Piranhas don’t mind attacking each other in case no other fish is there. Hence careful handling is necessary.