Abhishek Agarwal asked:

Coldwater Aquarium As A Hobby

Many people indulge in various hobbies, and an aquarium is one of them. It is extremely popular, and it requires a little time and patience to set it up so that you can enjoy it. To install a coldwater tank is a fun hobby and it can be done with minimum effort. A coldwater tank does not need heating to be installed. All fish cannot survive in this tank – there are only some varieties that survive here without heat like guppies and goldfish, but, of course there are innumerable fish available that could adorn your coldwater tank.

Supplies Required For Coldwater Set-up

You may feel that the supplies you need are endless, but you can go for a smaller and inexpensive list than what is required for a saltwater or a heated tank. Your first requirement is the purchase of a tank. This depends on individual taste as there are so many different dimensions and shapes. There is a kit that is included with the tank, but you need to see that you have an air pump and a filter, as this is the key to the set-up. When purchasing the kit, you must see that the set-up is for a coldwater tank – you will find that there is no heater.

Having bought the tank, you will now need to decorate it. There are innumerable colors of sand and gravel – include some accent plants so that it looks as natural as possible. You may want to add figures to give it a unique look – you will also need an algae scraper and a net.

If the tank that you choose is lit up, you must remember that it will get warm and this will cause algae to increase, but this can be cleaned without any trouble, and since the fish like light, you could go for a tank that comes with light. Remember to keep your tank where the sun’s rays do not hit the tank as the algae will increase.

The next step after your tank is set up is to add the fish – you will need to get coldwater fish of which there are a whole lot of varieties to choose from. You can get tips from a pet store – they will be happy to advise you.

The tank needs to be periodically cleaned at least once in two months, the algae removed, water changed and basically keep the tank spotless, so that you can enjoy the fish and the ambience of the tank. You will find that all the trouble you have taken will be worth it as you will enjoy the fruits of your labor and a hobby that is worth pursuing.

Richard Fenn asked:

Sure everyone loves Goldfish but there are a very similar type of highly colored and active fish that are just as easy to care for. I’m talking about Betta fish, also known as Siamese Fighting Fish. Hailing from the Mekong river in Asia these beautiful fish usually grow to about 6cm in length although some may reach 8cm’s or more. One little known fact is that their natural color is actually a dark green and brown. We see the bright colored ones today simply because of selective breeding by breeders from around the world.

Betta fish are very easy to care for and this makes them a great choice for people who have busy lifestyles and wish to keep pet fish. Below are seven hot tips to keep your Betta fish in tip top shape.

Number 1 – Simple Monitoring

After you’ve had your Betta fish for a while you will soon recognize their behaviors and activities. You will soon be able to see if your Betta fish are poorly. If your fish seem lethargic measure the temperature of the water. Too cold and your fish will seem listless. The ideal water temperature should be about 28 degrees centigrade (approximately 82 Fahrenheit).

Number 2 – Keep The Water Clean

This may sound obvious to some but your Betta fish need clean water. You shouldn’t need a water filter but try to change at least a quarter of the tanks water twice a week. This will insure that it stays nice and clean and will help to keep away any infections. Try not to use water straight out of the cold tap but leave it out for a day at least to let it settle. Be sure to use a PH testing kit (you can get these from your favorite pet store) and try to keep the PH at around 7.0.

Number 3 – Size Matters!

When choosing a tank make sure it will be large enough for your Betta fish to swim around comfortably. A 20 litre tank is ideal. Sharp rocks and stones should be avoided. You don’t want your pride and joy to rip or tear any of his/her fins.

Number 4 – Keep A Lid On It

Betta fish like to jump! Knowing this try to keep the water level approximately 6 centimetres below the top of your tank. This, along with the lid, should stop your fish flipping themselves onto the table for your cat to find. DO NOT use an air tight lid! Bettas can take oxygen direct from the waters surface so make sure there are good air holes in the lid.

Number Five – Fish Need Friends Too

It is a wise idea never to keep other Betta fish in the same tank. They are not called Siamese fighting fish for nothing! Try not to keep mirrors or shiny surfaces near the tank as they will flare up at the slightest sign of another Betta, even if it’s themselves. Male Bettas tend to be the worst for this type of behavior. It may be fun to watch but all you will do is stress your fish and decrease its lifespan. You can keep other fish with your Bettas. Loaches, platies (or moons) and Cory catfish are ideal tankmates.

Number 6 – Cleaning

Never (and we mean never) use soap or detergents to clean out your fish tank. Simply use a plastic brush and warm water to scrub any rocks or decorations you may have. To remove any old food from the bottom of the tank try using a pipette or a kitchen baster. This will ensure your tank stays nice and fresh and doesn’t smell.

Number 7 – Food

Your Betta fish will absolutely love live food such as brine shrimp or bloodworms. Feeding them live food will keep them active and it is great fun to watch them gobbling them all up. For variety try feeding them on thinly chopped vegetables like broccoli, carrots and soybeans. They will enjoy these just as much as live food. Feeding your Bettas on a wider range of food will help them to live longer.

David Marc Fishman asked:

If you are planning to purchase an aquarium, you will want to make sure that your fish stay healthy, and the only way to ensure this is by cleaning the tank regularly. Many small stores do not carry everything you need so you might want to visit a larger store, the larger stores have many more items in stock for you to purchase. The aquarium is the home the fish live in and must be maintained for the welfare of the fish.

Before even setting up your tank decide what kind of fish you are going to keep, some people don’t have much time on their hands and so low maintenance cold or easy to manage tropical fish are the best ways to go, for those with much more time and a higher level of commitment there are many varied species to chose from, including the easiest to care for fresh water fish to beautiful and fascinating marine fish.

Unfortunately rushing to the pet store and picking out the prettiest, most colorful and interesting looking tropical fish is not the best way to stock the tank. Some people have synthetic decorations and rock for there fish tanks.

If you are thinking about purchasing a fish for your saltwater tank you need to plan it out first and make sure that the fish you purchase can live in the environment with the other fish. The first step to your fish tank is setting it up and this is only the beginning. After the fish tank is setup you will need to make many adjustments, some of the adjustments are the water temperature, food and lighting, plus you must consider the items and decorations that you put into the tank.

A fish tank that is a salt water tank needs to mimic the ocean, the salt water needs to be the same salinity and the environment needs to be very similar. Once you get your tank up and running with no problems you will able to enjoy the salt water tank and the fish.

Lighting is actually as important as filtration it mimics the day light and the night so fish think they are in their natural habitat. When choosing a salt water tank and filtration systems it can be a very confusing process since there are so many to choose from. One of the most important things to remember is that filtration is very important when taking care of you tank.

For freshwater fish you may be able to get by without having one. Many people think it is easy taking care of a freshwater fish, but in reality there is work involved. At time you will need to clean your freshwater tanks, they do require cleaning, so you will need to remove the fish and place them somewhere else for the time being.

When decorating the fish tank the gravel will sit at the bottom, this make the tank much more interesting and it gives a more real feel to it. Fish tank gravel can be bought in either natural or colored designs.

There are many tanks of various sizes and shapes, when choosing the tank for you home make sure the tanks size fits and it won’t be in the way or accidentally knocked over.

Abhishek Agarwal asked:

Freshwater are a lot easier to take care of than saltwater fish. If you are just deciding to own fish for the first time, start with freshwater fish. This is a great starter and a good way to practice.

There are many different types of freshwater fish available. You won’t have to stick with a little goldfish swimming around your bowl if you don’t want one. There are tropical fish, which come in an assortment of colors, and coldwater fish that don’t need to have the temperature regulated too much.

When deciding between what types of fish you want to get, think of the differences between fresh and saltwater fish first. Saltwater fish thrive in reef tanks that have underwater ridges with rock and coral. Freshwater fish wouldn’t really do well in reef tanks because, like goldfish, they receive oxygen from the surface of the tank.

Goldfish are ornamental fish, which generally resemble a gold hue with their color. These come from eastern Asia water. These fish are great little pets for children because they don’t take much care. You find children winning them at carnivals or fairs, but be careful, because sometimes they don’t last very long.

When you get your freshwater tank, the next thing you want to do is pick a place in the home to keep it. Look for a place that is going to remain a constant temperature. This means avoiding places around the house neat windows or doors. And, especially don’t put the tank near a heater. You are going to need other items for the tank such as a water filter (very important), gravel, test kits and other equipment. Don’t forget about the food because without that your other purchases will go to waste.

You have to get the right filter for a freshwater tank. Make sure the filter is going to clean the water if any impurities and it is going to handle the size of the tank. Filters can be internal, external or under gravel. If you use tap water, you might want to use a water purifications system before putting it into the tank. External filters cost the most out of the ones on the list. You should consider an external filter is you have many elements in the tank besides the fish such as plants, rocks or a school of fish. All of these things will lead to impurities in the water. One of the benefits of an external filter for a freshwater tank is maintenance. It is much easier to care for than an internal or under-gravel filter.

Internal filters are most popular though because they are cheaper than external filters and more efficient than under-gravel filters. There are different varieties of internal filters. You can get some that have special alerts to let you know when it is time to clean the filter and tank. If you choose to get an under-gravel filtrations system, it is recommended that you can combine with another type of filter to maintain a safe environment.

Another thing you want to consider for your freshwater tank is if you need a heater. For cold-water fish, such as gold fish, this isn’t necessary. However, if you have any sort of tropical fish or fish that come from warm parts of the world, you will need a heater to sustain the fish. If the temperature is too cold, the fish will die, but there opposite if also true. You have to maintain a very specific temperature for these fish. Check the maintenance guide for different fish to see what temperature is best for them.

If you are going to own freshwater fish, filters and heaters (and don’t forget the food) are going to be the most important elements for a fresh water tank.

Abhishek Agarwal asked:

Markets are a resource of a variety of fishes including the freshwater, coldwater and tropical fishes. Apart from these one can also find the saltwater and Seawater fishes. People who have written about fishes have pointed out to the saltwater fish also called the damsels as a species which are one of the top starter fishes. What they must know is that there are around 22000 species of fishes suitable for the fish tanks and some of these fishes are ideal for starters even more so than those damsels. It takes more effort in maintaining salt water fishes. water conditions and feeding patterns have to be carefully monitored. In order to settle on the ideal fish for starters one has to learn about fishes in general. In this article, we will look into fresh water fish even as we know starters are nicer with coldwater and freshwater fishes.

Shark fish which is black in colour and has a red tail is called Labeo Bicolor. Thailand is the home of this fish which grows to a maximum of 4.5 inches. Labeo Bicolor is shaped like a torpedo and is vary popular because of the way it looks. Just like the shark, this fish has a dorsal which looks like a flag and complements its silvery colour.This fish which is black in colour feels velvety and has a red tail which gives it a different look. This fish is not suited to be kept in tanks as known from one of its traits. One such trait is the yellow and orange caudal fins. This fish is very friendly though which makes it an ideal candidate for aquariums maintained by communities.

Just like the sucker which cleans the glass of the tank and the plants kept in them with the help of its mouth suitable to this job, the Labeo Bicolor also carries out similar responsibilities in the communal aquariums where they are kept. They thus are happy in communal waters but do not tolerate fishes from other families. Being a forager Labeo lives on algae and other foodstuff. Labeo is not fussy about the condition of water and makes sure the tank is sparkling clean at all times. One important thing to be noted though is that if one chooses to go in for this fish, he or she must make sure other fishes in the tank are those which can effectively adapt to the same living conditions. There are fishes that will easily adapt to acidy waters which are soft and there are those others which will adapt to alkaline waters which are hard. It is advisable to go through every detail regarding the nature and habits of this fish before going in for purchasing them for your aquarium.

One more breed of fishes which grow upto one and a half inches in size and feature olive or brown skins are the White Cloud Mountain Minnows or the Tanichthys Albonubes. These fishes have their origin in the White Cloud Mountain rivers in China and Canton.This fish has attractive stripes which goes all the way to the snout and roots of the caudal or the peduncle of the tail.Its adjusting nature and preference for all types of food stuff make the White Cloud Fish best suited for communal tanks. Water conditions can be neutral or hard for this species of fish. Ideal temperature would be about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, definitely not 70 degree fahrenheit. Though a lot of fishes of other species generally prefer a temperature of 80 degrees, the White Cloud Mountain are the cold water types. Males of this species are not as plump as their female counterpart.

Minnows

Breeding the White Cloud

If you have ever bred the Brachydanio, then you can breed the White Cloud Fish in the same way.Brachydanios including Rerio require you to line the bottom of the aquarium with pebbles of one and a half inch diameter.You must make sure water is not more than three inches deep. These fishes are happier in longer aquariums.

Drits asked:

Betta fish will do fine even in small containers. This is due to the fact that they can breathe air directly like us humans with the help of a special organ called labyrinth organ which is situated on the top of their head. The betta fish are able to also breathe like the other fish using their gills. Betta fish care tip # 1 is that small bowls are fine with betta fish for the above given reasons.

The betta fish are also well known as Siamese fighting fish due to the fact that they are very territorial in nature and fight with other fish violently when any other fish enters their territory. The betta fish also protects their territory from other betta fish, not even a female betta fish can enter their territory. Great that I am not a betta fish…I would love to have female companions in my house. For this reason if you place a female betta fish, you are bound to end up with a dead female betta fish just with in minutes. This gives us the next tip about caring for your betta fish. The care #2 is keep only one fish per bowl.

The bowls of betta fish should always be kept away from the places where the temperature tends to be very hot or too cold. Ideally, the temperature of the water should be maintained around 70 to 80 degrees. Betta fish care tip #3 is to keep the temperature around 70 and 80 and to avoid very hot and very cold places to keep the bowl.

Ideally, feed your betta fish up to three times a day. You have to give the food you bought from the store and make sure you do not over feed your beta. Betta fish care tip #4, feed up to 3 times a day.

Cleaning the bowl and changing of the water should be done once a week as the water start to become dirty. It is recommended to use water which was kept stagnant for a day for removal of chemicals. You have to tranfer your betta fish to this water which has been kept aside and then clean the bowl. While cleaning the bowel be sure that you do not use any soap, and if need be, you can use a mild soap. When you use soap, it is recommended to clean and rince the bowel, rocks, and plants thoroughly to remove any soap in the bowel. Now you can transfer your the betta fish along with the water to the bowl. Betta fish care tip #5 you have to change water once a week but it can be said that this duration depens upon the of the fish bowl.

Betta fish is also spelled beta fish. This is a beautiful little fish with brilliant colors and long tail and ohter fins. The betta fish is naturally is not so beautiful fish, but the beauty and brilliance is a result selective breeding by humans. Just imagine how it would feel to have small little beautiful being in your living room and also funny to see the aggressive fighting beauty, and naming them with suitable betta fish names itself if a funny activity.

Abhishek Agarwal asked:

Presently there are around 20,000 types of fishes and to instruct on care for each of them is going to be a very hard task. Hence I have decided to help you out by giving you the basics in fish and tank care. Unlike animals with fur coats fishes do not have any protection. This is why the temperature of the water is so vital. If it is very high then the supply of oxygen would be affected and if it is too cold then too the health of the fishes would be in danger. Make sure you read the manual properly so that you can ensure the right gravity and temperature is maintained for healthy fish. For goldfishes you must keep the water temperature at 75 degree Fahrenheit. For tropical fishes keep the temperature of the water between 75 to 80 or 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

While buying the aquarium, make sure to buy a thermometer and also a heater to cater to different type of fishes. Like Goldfishes which can withstand low temperatures at some times.

1. How to measure water?

The measuring of water is done in pH, depending on the sourness of water and also on the different types of fishes you have. For saltwater fishes, the water should be measured from 7, 8 to 8.3 and for freshwater fish you should measure from 6.8 to 7.2. In case you should monitor the pH measurement of the water where as water is measured more ammonia will be produced. If the temperature of the water falls too low it could become harmful to the growth of bacteria and also for the gills of the fish. In order to maintain the pH balance in the fish water, you could also buy test kitsand buffers. Further, we will discuss how gravity and oxygen is measured in the water.

2. How much of oxygen is needed for fish?

Human beings, animals and even fishes require oxygen in order to survive. If there is no sufficient supply of oxygen to the brain then it will die and slowly the rest of the body too will collapse. Both air and water give the needed oxygen to the fish tanks. The oxygen level can be increased by the usage of air supply or pumps which gives the oxygen. The other thing that you can is keeping the water cool.

3. How to measure gravity?

The chemicals added to water is the basis of gravity. If the aquarium is supplied with unadulterated water the ionic gravity is 1.0 If the fish is a saltwater one the gravity level should not be more than 1.023. Anyhow, illnesses of saltwater fish can be reduced by keeping the water gravity level at 1.017. Freshwater fish or non-marine fish can benefit by adding a lesser volume of salt to the water, particularly to reduce stress. The gravity level can be maintained with the help of test kits and refactometers .

4. How are saltwater fish aquariums maintained?

This question is stressful as saltwater fish being marine creatures, their habitat and environments change consistently. It also depends on the kind of aquarium that is purchased to keep your fish. When a larger aquarium is purchased, maintaining saltwater fish is easy when you keep the environment stable. However if the saltwater fish is yet to be purchased, it has to be noted that Damsel, an aggressive salt water fish hardly mates with other fish.

To conclude, visit the internet to know more about fish care and aquariums , where you can get a wide range of information.

Tip: Damsel fishes are ideal for beginners as they require very little attention.