Tropical Fish Tank Lover

Technology, the result of creative innovations, constantly changes our lives. Each technological advancement increases the significance of our choices. Conventional products now compete with new and improved varieties. Versatility, design, and product enhancements provide consumers with more choices than ever. Hobbyists are taking note. For example, advancements in aquarium production now expand beyond the traditional glass structure, opening a whole new world to aquarium enthusiasts.

Traditionally glass tanks were manufactured using silicon sealant. Due to construction constraints sizeable aquariums were generally rectangular. Size and shape variations are difficult to achieve with glass panels. Cracking and leakage concerns hampered customization of glass aquariums also. However glass was the original material for a reason, it was the best available choice.

Nowadays acrylic is pushing glass out of the lead, at least where aquarium enthusiasts are concerned. Simply put consumers demand versatility, acrylic offers versatility and more that glass never could.

Better leak protection, greater strength, superior insulation, lighter weight and incredible pliability prove acrylic is a more advanced material. These strengths allow personalization, customization, and endless possibilities for consumers wishing to add an aquatic factor.

The differences are undeniable, glass tanks require a silicon sealant while acrylic aquariums are molecularly welded. Sealant can age and crack over time, but welding fuses the seams creating a virtually leak-proof barrier. It?ll be a long time before technological advancements allow that kind of leak protection from glass.

Acrylic is also seventeen times stronger than glass and it?s more flexible. Strength is important for preservation, protection and impact resistance. Flexibility dramatically increases design versatility. Unlike glass, acrylics can be manipulated into various shapes. For example, acrylic aquariums can have flawlessly rounded corners glass aquariums cannot.

Additionally acrylic aquariums are 20% better insulated than glass aquariums. Thus acrylic aquariums require less energy for maintenance. Enhanced insulation regulates temperatures making equilibrium easier to achieve for a variety of fish and plant life.

Perhaps consumers are wondering if transparency is affected by the increased insulation and strength of acrylic. All these benefits would not be worth a hazy view. Actually, transparency has not been compromised. Acrylic aquariums boast a 93% transparency rating, which is as clear as optical glass. Acrylics reportedly pass the most light of any known material glass aquarium panels often inhibit light transmission.

Better insulation and strength don?t comprise weight either. Acrylic aquariums weigh in 50% lighter than comparable glass aquariums. Therefore, transporting a customizable acrylic aquarium requires less effort, energy and support.

Acrylic aquariums are impressive. Their overwhelming advantages put glass aquariums on the endangered list. As a confirmation of acrylic advantages virtually all modern public aquariums are built using acrylic. The greater ability to customize size and shape are a major attraction, while leak and equilibrium protection make acrylic better for hard to keep species. Now you know the advantages of acrylic over glass, it?s time to put that information to use by designing your very own custom aquarium.

About the Author:

David Yearwood has been in the aquatic business for over twenty years is the webmaster for http://www.systems-unlimited.co.uk a website designed for customers looking for something different in aquarium design. This article may be freely distributed without modification and provided that the copyright notice and author information remain intact.

I still remember the first time I saw two beautiful looking fish in a friend's house. One fish was blue and the other was red, and they were swimming majestically in their fishbowls. That was my first encounter with a fish species known as Betta fish or Betta Splendens or Siamese Fighting Fish (three names that refer to one fish).

Up until today, I'm still keeping a few of them in my house, and they make perfect pet fish for my family. Every member of my family loves them.

Why do I like most about Betta fish, you may ask. Definitely, I have many different reasons, but here are three of them.

1. Betta fish are beautiful pet.

It's a tropical fish that comes with different colors such as red, blue and yellow. Some Betta fish have more than one color on their bodies. Believe it or not! I can spend hours looking at how Betta fish move in their bowls but even if you don't know a thing about Betta fish, you will be mesmerized by their colors alone.

2. Betta fish are easy to care.

Betta fish are hardy type of fish and they can live in a small container. A small fishbowl is enough to house one Betta fish, but be aware that two male Betta fish shouldn't be placed in one container. Or else, these two Betta fish might fight until death (that's why they are also called Siamese fighting fish).

3. Betta fish are responsive.

If you have a Betta fish in a small fishbowl and you move closer to the fish, you'll see that your fish will turn its head to look at you. That's what makes me fall in love with Betta fish. They are responsive to your presence and aware that you are there, unlike many other pet fish.

So, you can now consider if you want to adopt Betta fish as your family pet or for your kids. They are lovable creatures and you will know it immediately one you have a Betta in your house.

Rosalinda Zamora is a betta fish lover. She cares for her Bettas like no one else, and she highly recommends you to visit http://www.bettafishsecret.com/ebook to learn the secrets of caring your own Betta fish.

The important question of whether or not to add salt to your pond is often confusing for beginners and forgotten by experienced pond-keepers. To newbies and pro's alike we have this to say:

“Add Salt Today to Keep the Fish Doctor Away”

True, there are some negative effects of higher salt levels on plants in the pond, but overall we think it is absolutely the very best thing you can add to your pond in terms of keeping your fish happy and healthy. Salt acts as a natural 'stress coat' and essentially thickens the slime coat on the fish's body - which is it's own natural defense system against bacteria and parasites.

Salt is also very effective in killing bacteria and parasites in the pond. When added in proper doses, salting your pond can dramatically reduce the threat of disease affecting your fish.

It's just like with humans - we are always exposed to the common cold cells in their body, but can usually resist if their immune system is strong. Similarly, pond fish and KOI are always exposed to some degree of parasite and bacteria presence in the pond, but by keeping their immune system strong and their slime coat thick, you shouldn't have any problems.

Pond fish actively maintain a natural balance of electrolytes in their body fluids. Electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, chloride, calcium and magnesium are removed from the water by chloride cells located in the gills. These electrolytes are essential for the uptake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide and ammonium across gill membranes.

The lack of electrolytes can cause serious health problems to the fish. Pond Salt is an all natural salt, providing the essential electrolytes fish need to survive. Pond Salt is not just a table salt ( sodium chloride ). It is made from evaporated sea water. Evaporated sea water contains the necessary electrolytes pond fish need.

How Pond Salt helps Improve Gill Function to Reduce Stress….

During periods of disease and stress, healthy gill function is disturbed. This can lead to the loss of electrolytes through the gills, sometimes called osmotic shock. Osmotic shock interrupts healthy gill function by reducing the intake of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide and ammonium from the fish. Pond Salt reduces the risk of osmotic shock by supplying natural electrolytes through the chloride cells in the gills.

Nitrite Toxicity

Overcrowding and overfeeding can lead to elevated nitrite levels especially in newly set-up ponds. The nitrite ion NO 2 enters the gills and prevents the blood from carrying oxygen resulting in nitrite toxicity or “methemoglobinemia”. Pond Salt will temporarily block the toxic effect of nitrite.

All natural Pond Salt is safe and non-toxic to all pond fish when used as directed. Pond Salt can be used safely with Pond Care water conditioners, filtration materials and fish foods.

Directions for Use:

1. When used as a general tonic for fish, and as a stress reducer, add 2 -1/2 cups full (728g) of Pond Salt for each 100 gallons (378 L) of pond water. Sprinkle salt evenly around the perimeter of the pond. Avoid any contact between salt crystals and pond plants. If this is not feasible, pre-dissolve salt first.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Once added to a pond, salt does not evaporate and is not filtered out. Pond Salt should only be added as directed with each water change, or when fish have been treated with medications.

2. When used to reduce stress in separate treatment tanks or during fish transportation, use 4 tablespoons full (95.2g) of Pond Salt for each 10 gallons (37.8L) of water.

For the health of your pond and environment, it is important that you test pond water regularly. We recommend Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Dry-Tab Master Test Kit for Ponds to test for pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

For more information about Pond Salt, click here: http://www.macarthurwatergardens.com/Additives/pondcare_pondsalt.html

About The Author

Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several pond-related websites including macarthurwatergardens.com and pond-filters-online.com. He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 9,000 pond owners. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive a complimentary 'New Pond Owners Guide' for joining, just visit MacArthur Water Gardens at his website.

Aquarium keeping does not have to be a hobby that endangers the environment. There are steps you can take to ensure that your aquarium will not have a negative impact on natural ecosystems.

Firstly when you go to a pet store to buy fish or plants, ask the retailer where the specimens came from. If they say they do not know, do not buy anything. You will want to know whether the specimens were bred in captivity to sell specifically for aquariums or if they were captured from the wild. Always go for the plants and fish that were bred in captivity. The less that aquarists buy organisms that were captured in the wild, the less the demand will be for wild fish and plants, and the less they will be harvested from their natural ecosystems.

Some times aquarists are given an organism they can not keep, or they buy one too many, or they simply decide they want to get rid of a perfectly healthy, living plant or fish. Believe it or not, letting your unwanted goldfish loose in a pond is actually a bad idea. An organism that is released into the wild when it has only lived in captivity has little hope of survival. They do not understand their environment. They will not know what their natural food source is or how to hide from a predator. In the unlikelihood of survival, the organism becomes what is called an invasive species. These are organisms that are introduced to the environment and harm it. They degrade ecosystem functions. Invasive species also affect human day-to-day life. Because they upset ecosystems where they do not belong, whatever waters they are introduced to become unsafe to use for recreation. ’Drinking water plants’ have to work harder to keep the water drinkable, which costs more money.

There are alternatives to releasing an unwanted fish or plant into the great unknowns of the wild. Contact the retailer you bought it from and ask them about returns. If they will not take the fish back they might have some ideas about how to get rid of it. Another option is to trade or give it to another aquarist. Plants are easier-just seal them in a plastic bag and throw them away with the rubbish.

The best and really only way you can take steps to setting up an environmentally friendly freshwater aquarium is to think carefully about what fish and plants you want before buying. It is easier to buy few organisms and add on to your collection than it is to take organisms away! Your collection should only consist of specimens that were bred in captivity specifically to be sold for home aquariums. Follow those two steps and you will have a very environmentally friendly freshwater aquarium.

Garry Macdonald is a freshwater aquarium enthusiast with many years real-life experience. For more information on the ecosystem of a freshwater aquarium, visit http://www.freshwateraquariumsexplained.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Garry-Ian_Macdonald

Can you imagine a real aquarium fish, swimming, flipping and tossing with other aquatic creatures in your screen? Do you want to have the most beautiful fish with bright and vivid colors whirling in your computer screen? Of course, you might think it is impossible but this is not impossible. You can have your favorite aquatic creature in your computer by saving a mind flowing aquarium screensaver in your computer.

Aquarium screensaver is a computerized reflection of real life fish tank. It looks like real with aquarium weeds and other supplies. It contains fish as well. It provides the same viewing satisfaction only that you do not have to feed the fish to give you the pleasure you need.

An aquarium screensaver is a three dimensional aquarium screensaver. It is a type of screensaver that gives you moving images with a real effect. This type of software is developed using flash, 3D studiomax and Maya through transition pattern giving away real life images.

Three dimensional aquarium screensaver is a big example of the amazing product this software has made. It features images and sceneries like a real time aquarium. It also contains plenty of features like an option that will change the scheme or background in less than no time.

The three dimensional aquarium screensaver is very popular especially to those who love aquarium. It has several of options available to match every occasions and seasons. It is available everywhere.

You can get one from computer stores in your area. All you have to do is to download it in your computer and you can use it anytime. You do not have to worry about the prize because anyone can afford it.

If you do not want to exert more effort on buying an aquarium screensaver, you can use your computer to download one. Internet has plenty of sources like websites and search engines where you can get real time aquarium screensavers. The price is almost the same compared to buying it in stores near you.

Aquarium screensavers are even offered free. Yes, some websites offers free aquarium screensaver download free. You do not have to pay upon downloading. However, you need to be careful when you download free aquarium screensavers. Be aware of the frauds in the net. Many websites are advertising this type of opportunity but in reality, it can ruin your computer?s functionality. So, choose the website you want to get the aquarium screensaver warily.

This content is provided by Low Jeremy and may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more info on Aquariums, please visit http://aquarium.articlekeep.com

Are you having trouble finding your fish in the fish tank due to cloudy water? There can be several different reasons for cloudy water in a fish tank, so let's take a look at the most common ones. These are debris from new substrate, bacterial bloom, chemical imbalance, or even floating algae.

Most new rocks and decorations will cause cloudy water. If this is the case then your debris should settle and go away on it's own in a couple of days. Before adding the next decorations or rocks it best to soak them in separate water to get all the loose dirt off before addingthem to your tank.

Another problem that can come from new fish tanks is a bacterial bloom. This can cause the water to have a haze and look rather gray. This can come from overfeeding the fish or dying plants.

A sure sign of a bacteria bloom is when your water is milky and has a very bad odor. Not all bacteria are bad but some bacteria blooms can be deadly to your fish. When the nutrient levels get extremely high the bacteria go ballistic and multiply rapidly.

Be sure to remove all dead or dying plants if you have a bacteria problem. If you are changing fifteen percent of your water and using a siphon to clean debris, this type of haze will not cause the fish harm. But it is essential that you get in under control quickly.

Another thing to look at is whether or not your fish are being overfed. This can also cause the water to get cloudy. Just check the bottom of the tank for leftover food - that would be a sure sign of overfeeding.

Fixing fish tank problems like cloudy water from algae can be a pain because it will be thick and green. One of the best ways to cut down on the amount of algae in a tank is by adding algae eating fish. Keeping your lights on for long periods will encourage algae growth as well as sunlight shining on the tank so make sure to watch the amount of lighting your tank gets to help prevent algae growth.

If none of the above helps you with fixing your cloudy water problems, you should follow with a test kit. The test kit will be used to check the ammonia and nitrate levels of your fish tank water.

Once you have checked the levels, the reading for a normal level for both the nitrate and ammonia is zero. If you have something other than zero then your water quality is bad.

What causes cloudy water in fish tanks with open or semi-open style tanks? Many times these style of tanks could possibly have a stopped up filter causing debris to cloud up your water.

If you are still not sure what is causing the cloudy water in your fish tank, don't panic. As long as your water doesn't seem extremely bad and your fish are acting fine, give it a little time. Sometimes if bacteria is the cause the bacteria will kill itself.

This is definitely not advice for all cases. If you are concerned about your fish you should probably remove them until you get your problem under control. It is extremely helpful to have a quarantine tank just for occasions such as these. Regular maintenance will also help you enjoy your fish tank without concern.

Cris Stanford is the publisher of www.saltwater-aquarium-secrets.com where you'll find money saving advice, expert tips and answer to questions like What causes cloudy water in fish tanks?.

I was interested in finding a pet fish for my son’s 6th birthday. We went to the fish store. The idea is that a pet fish would be an ideal tidy little pet that would not require a lot of maintenance.

Fish are beautiful and come in a lot of colors. Children respondto pets. Having a pet is said to teach responsibility to a child.Fish are the perfect first pet because a child can actually care for the fish. We decided to get some fresh water fish as opposed to salt water. This was our first time owning a fish so we did not want to buy fish that we could not care for.

Fish do not require heavy maintenance. It was easy to have the pet store show my son what he should do each day to make sure the fish was taken care of.

We purchased two goldfish. We were not trying to innovative or buy some rare tropical fish. All we wanted was a couple of healthy fish.

We chose a small Aquarium that fit the size and number of the twogold fish we selected. It was interesting to watch the transformationwhen my son developed from a little boy to the proud owner andcaretaker for the fish.

The supplies for our little pet fish costs over $100.00, We justwanted to put the fish in a little bowl but were persuaded topurchase an aquarium that included all of the following items to make thefish more comfortable.

In addition to all those items we had to buy fish food. I did not know that goldfish are omnivores. That means they eat either other animalsor plants. To think that gold fish actually eat vegetables and meat made me squeamish. I opted to purchase the little flakes. I kept this information about the meat eaters to myself. I told my sonthat he could be almost exclusively responsible for feeding the new gold fish. Naturally this filled him with some great delight.

We took the fish, the aquarium and all the associated equipmenthome. We started immediately putting the ac together. The aquarium was really beautiful with the plants, castlesand brightly colored stones. We followed the instructions that we were given .

The store?s customer service representative encouraged us to slowly introduce the fish to its new environment It took over an hour to get the aquarium set up.

We dropped the fish into the tank still in the plastic bag filled with water. The fish were a beautiful gold color. We purchased a book on goldfish. I read the instructions and information about this breed of fish. I discovered that the name goldfish is a misnomer as all fish of that breed are not gold in color. Some goldfish have different patches of black or silver.

We had just added new members to our family. We were responsiblefor feeding these omnivores food on a daily basis. We had to keepthe water clean. There are a lot of health hazards that we needed to be aware of and the fish food needed to be of high quality. The temperature in the house had to be level.

Pets are a great way to bond a family. My son and Itake care of the fish together. The fish are happy andhealthy My son loves watching the fish swim in the new aquarium. They are thriving in the clean fresh water. My sonis diligent about feeding the gold fish. I thank son for that.

For more information on freshwater pet fish please visit Pet-Fish-Super-Guide.info where you will find helpful information on saltwater pet fish, saltwater tanks and freshwater fish tanks

There are a variety of methods that breeders use to know the gender of a discus fish, most of them are used when they have already grown. While they are still young, it is virtually impossible to determine its gender. Also, be warned that over handling the fish may result to its death.

Therefore, you need to have a very keen observation so that you will be able to truly determine the sex. You have to to be very patient and to follow the fish well, for those who do not know the differences between the male and the female, it would be very hard to discover its gender.

Here are some tips which can help you identify the gender:

? Male discus fish have thicker lips. They use their mouth to fend off any attackers. So the thicker lips are necessary for their protection and of the females as well.

? The male tends to be larger and has a bigger forehead. The male also tend to be more aggressive, they also tend to come between the female and any intruder to protect the female.

? In the female, the dorsal fin will seem to be rounded, while in the male, it will look more pointed. This is not distinguishable when the discus fish are still young, you can only notice this when they are in their adult stage.

? During spawning, you will notice that the breeding tube of the male tends to be smaller and sharper, with the female, the breeding tube will be rounder, and broader. The breeding tube can be found between the anal fin and the anus.

? Some breeders say that the female discus fish have a more vibrant color, but there are fewer patterns.

It’s never easy to find the sex of an animal when they are small, especially when they are fishes. Fishes tend to be fast and moving all the time. So this may cause a lot of problem.

But, if you really determined to become a breeder, then use these tips to help you out. Determining the gender of your fish will help you to pair them equally.

Too many male fishes and they tend to fight, and you may lose your fishes, too much female and then the pairing will be set off. But always remember, you can only successfully determine sex when the discus fish are older. I hope this tips helps.

For more tips,advice,and information on how to care your discus fish, please visit: http://www.SecretOfDiscusFish.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gabby_Wilson

Aquariums are available in many and diverse shapes and sizes. From the old fashioned fish bowl with a couple of goldfish to various wall hung styles and on to the more complex rectangular which most people think of when aquariums are discussed. As these last type of tanks grow in size it is good to consider that not only are they heavy but they may also pose other problems such as splashing or dripping water as tank maintenance is performed. As water evaporates from the tank it could possibly do damage to surrounding areas.

The above are all important points to consider as you make a decision on what you will use to support your tank. Water weighs about 8 pounds to the gallon. Add to this substrate, tank decoration in the form of rocks and coral, heaters, aerators, tank lights and other implements can quickly add up to several hundred pounds or more. It stand to reason then that placing the aquarium on a table or stand that is not up to the task can spell disaster. Fortunately there are many stands made for tanks that will serve you well.

One of the most common is the wrought iron stand. These stands not only do a fine job of supporting the tank weight but also add to the attractiveness of your aquarium display. some have drawers or shelves to support pumps and other supplies which are always at the tank as you need them. If your tank contains salt water then the wrought iron stank should be coated with polyurethane to help protect against rusting.

Many beautiful and stout stands are fashioned from wood. This is a favorite of many aquarium owners as they will fit into most decoration schemes. One caution to note with wood is that many of the wooden furniture today is made from chipboard which will deteriorate rapidly if it comes in contact with water. It is always a good idea to have a plastic drip cloth of some kind under your tank if it is to be displayed on any wood stand.

In some installations it is helpful to add casters to make it easily moved for maintenance, cleaning or just the ability to move it to a new location from time to time. Again always keep the weight of these tanks in mind when placing the stand and be sure to protect carpets or wood floors with some kind of padding to deep casters or stand legs from sinking in and damaging the underlying flooring.

As with any part of your aquarium equipment, a little thought and research will give you the guidance needed to pick the perfect aquarium stand.

Keep up to date on the latest aquarium information and find some super bargains here: Aquarium Decor and here: Aquarium Plants.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chet_Hastings

Aquarium keeping at home can be a wonderful hobby. A well maintained aquarium properly lit can look stunning with crystal clear water, colourful, healthy fish going about their business moving between thriving exotic plants. It’s no wonder that aquariums are common place in dentists and doctors waiting rooms because they are well known to provide stress relief, in general they have a calming effect on people.

On the other hand, if you haven’t started out on the right foot then you could have a nightmare on your hands; cloudy water, diseased and dying fish, straggly plants etc. So make sure you follow the guidelines outlined below and this won’t happen to you.

Do Not Buy A So Called Beginners Tank

Small tanks, generally 12 to 18 inches across, are often sold as so called ’beginners tanks’ presumably because they are easy to carry out of the shop! However you need to know that a well maintained home aquarium is a delicately balanced ecological system which can easily become unstable. It is a fact that the smaller the aquarium is, the less stable is the balance and the more quickly it can go out of balance. I won’t go into the details here, sufficient to say that your first tank should be somewhere around 36″ x 12″ x 18″.

Do not buy your tank and your fish on the same day

This is probably the biggest mistake that you can make. Before any fish enter your aquarium it needs to have been established for at least a few days, preferable a week to achieve some kind of equilibrium. Ideally you should set up your aquarium with everything, including plants but no fish. Leave it like that for a week. During that week you should monitor the temperature and the clarity and condition of the water using test strips. Provided everything has stabilised then introduce a couple of cheap fish and keep an eye on them for a few days. If they appear to be ok then buy and introduce the rest of your fish.

Choose your fish carefully

Do not assume that all of the fish you buy for your community tank will live happily together. This should not be left to chance. Sad to say that generally speaking if a fish is small enough to enter the mouth of another fish then that is what will happen i.e. it will be eaten! Males of some species fight to the death. Females of some varieties can be pestered to despair by the males so it can be good to have a ratio of females to males of certain species of around 2 or 3 to 1. Some fish prefer to stay near the gravel while others prefer to swim near the surface. Different fish require different conditions (temperature, water ph etc), although this is not normally a major issue it should be considered. You should not buy any fish that look sickly or have split fins, always go for the lively ones that are difficult to catch. The best approach is to find a really knowledgeable fish supplier who can advise you about these things.

Do not overstock you tank

There are various ’rules of thumb’ for calculating the fish capacity of your tank. Here are some of therm:

* 3 cm of adult fish length per 4 litres of water (i.e., a 6 cm-long fish would need about 8 litres of water).

* 1 cm of adult fish length per 30 square centimetres of surface area.

* 1 inch of adult fish length per gallon of water.

* 1 inch of adult fish length per 12 square inches of surface area.

Do not apply any of these rules too rigorously. Remember that any fish you buy will usually be juveniles that will grow in size and will need more room. You must take this into account. Establishing maximum capacity is often a matter of slowly adding fish and monitoring water quality over time, following a trial and error approach.

Monitor the water and change it regularly

As I said before, your aquarium is delicately balanced so it is important to check the water condition regularly. You have probably heard of aquarium ’cycling’. This is the name given to the process whereby fish waste turns to ammonia, bacteria turn the ammonia into nitrite and other bacteria turn the nitrite into nitrate. In the natural world this cycle generally works faultlessly without any intervention. In your aquarium however you need to help it along by changing at least 25% of the tank water every week. It is also important that you monitor nitrite and nitrate levels because high levels, particularly of nitrites will kill your fish.

So there you have it. Follow this advice and you should make a good start and have an aquarium that you can be proud of and that will be a joy to look at.

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John Thomson is an aquarium expert. For more great information on freshwater aquariums, visit http://www.freshwateraquariumsecretsonline.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_A_Thomson