You should perform regular fish tank maintenance every two to three weeks. This means that you should look at the overall condition of your tank. Start with the outside first. Make sure that everything is functioning the way that it should. Check the lights, the filter, the heater, and the pump. If anything looks like it is not working properly, be sure to fix the problem before moving on. Malfunctioning aquarium equipment will also cause the fish tank to require more frequent cleaning and maintenance.

Ignoring an issue like this will not make it just go away. In fact, it will only make the problem worse and endanger the life of your fish. After thoroughly checking the outside of the tank, move to the inside. Check to make sure that the water temperature is where it should be, and that the chemicals in the water are within an acceptable range. Also, remember to check and see if your gravel needs to be cleaned. If it does, take care of it right away. How aboutthe walls of the tank? If there is a lot of algae growing, be sure to find out why, and also clean it off.

If you need help with fish tank maintenance, there are many books available. You can also ask your local pet store for advice on fish tank maintenance. The Internet is also a great source of information, as there are hundreds of websites devoted to fish tanks and aquarium enthusiasts.

Fish tank maintenance is an important aspect of your larger aquarium setup-and is important to integrate into your overall scheme. There are ways to keep maintenance down, but you can not escape the inevitability of having to perform maintenance. For example, there are special fish you can buy, called algae eaters, that will eat the algae from the inside of the tank. They do a fair job, but a thorough cleaning can’t be beat.

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Many parenting experts will tell you that it is important to give children small amounts of responsibility to begin with. While it is important that kids learn how to do things on their own, overwhelming them with unreasonable demands will only cause emotional distress and may even permanently damage their confidence. The same rule applies when choosing out a first pet. The reason that fish are such great first pets lies in the fact that fish requires some work on the part of the child, but not so much that it is overwhelming. Additionally, fish are easier to care for in general, and they won’t make a mess all over the house or the yard.

Finding out that they are getting a fish can be disappointing to a child, but you need to explain things to him or her. If you live in an apartment and any other type of pet is not feasible, you need to say that. If you are allergic to other animals, you need to explain that cats and dogs make you sick. And if you think that you will get another pet down the road, tell the child that you will use the fish to see whether or not he or she is responsible enough for a pet. Once the child proves that she or he will take care of the fish properly, then you can move on to a more care intensive pet.

Shopping for the fish can actually be a fun experience. The kids get to look at different kinds of fish, and they get to look at aquariums. Picking out what goes in the aquarium, to “decorate” the fish’s “home” is also part of the fun. Starting out with a simple aquarium, or an even simpler fish bowl, is a good bet. Let the child choose out colorful rocks for the bottom of the fish tank or bowl, and let him or her choose a plant or some ceramic decoration. It need not be fancy.

Put your child in charge of feeding the fish each day. Show him or her how to properly do this, and choose out a time of day that is easy to remember for the regular feeding. Just before school, or just before bed, are good times because they are times of the day that are generally associated with a fairly set routine. Help your child clean out the tank as needed, ensuring that the child learns how to care for animals.

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So many people are constantly asking me why they have to keep buying new goldfish all the time and I always ask them what their dedication to goldfish care is. What I find is this, most people don’t actually follow the 3 simple rules of goldfish care and they are:

Rule Number One Of Goldfish Care

Keep your tank clean at all times. If you can’t afford to by a high powered filter, which is most people, than you must make sure you are cleaning your tank ever week. If you aren’t doing this now than you better start because this is one of the major reasons why goldfish become infected with deadly diseases. Fin rot is one of the most common results of an unclean tank. If you are one of those people who doesn’t clean your tank weekly than go take a look at the tails on your goldfish. More than likely you will notice there are many holes and parturition on the ends of the tails.

Rule Number Two Of Goldfish Care

Feed your goldfish once daily. Again most people tend to feed their goldfish too often. This is one of the worst things you can do to your goldfish. Unfortunately goldfish will eat until they kill themselves and many people ask me why their fish suddenly pass even though they seemed completely healthy. More than likely overeating was the cause. Just take a look at them, unless you have a pregnant fish, there’s no reason why you should have a fat fish unless you’re feeding them more than once a day.

Rule Number Three of Goldfish Care

Always clean any external object you plan to place in your tank. You may think you’re doing everything right, you clean your tank weekly, you’re feeding your fish once daily, but then suddenly after you place a new object inside the tank, one of your goldfish dies. What more than likely has happened is that with the object, came a certain disease from the outside air that unfortunately was deadly for your goldfish. To prevent this from occurring, always make sure you disinfect and clean any new object you add to the tank. That way you’ll be reducing the risk of your goldfish catching any unwanted diseases.

Follow the three rules of goldfish care and you’ll have happy healthy goldfish for quite some time to come.

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Choose a home. they are fitted to living in relatively shallow but spacious environments. However, consider giving your betta a decent sized tank to help prolong its life.

Decorate your Betta’s home. One of the Betta’s distinct features is its ability to breathe oxygen in air and water, so aeration is not required. Decorate their home with gravel stones, silk plants, and a small cave-like structure to hide.a gentle filter and a small heater.Avoid jagged rocks or decorations

Avoid hard plastic plants, as they can be rough on the fins. Use the ‘pantyhose test’:

Prepare the water. Use a water conditioner before putting fresh tap water in the tank, as chlorine and chloramines can harm Bettas. Older sources may suggest aging the water (standing it for a time) but it’s best to use a water conditioner, as aged water removes chlorine but not chloramine and heavy metals. It is a good idea to use spring water or purified water but it is good to add a water treatment specifically for betta fish that makes tap water safe to any water because they have almond oil extracts and other things to reduce stress in your Betta

Fill your tank. If your tank is without a top cover, fill it about 80% high to ensure your fish won’t leap out. Bettas are very active and can jump over 3 inches when motivated!If your tank is without a top, use a mesh cloth on top to discourage jumping. Your betta will be much happier with the extra water and access to surface air.Test the water temperature. Your tank must be maintained at a constant 72-82 degrees.

You can fill the tank up with tap water but put some water conditioner in it you wont need much but betta’s like to swim around the tank just like all the other fish. you should have at least 10g to make it happy. Your Betta may lie at the bottom at the tank sometimes or gulp air from the top of the tank, and it is normal. Some people panic when their Betta does this.

Source : wikihow

What does a butterfly fish eat?– feeding butterfly fish is not a tough task. They are mainly carnivores; they usually eat crabs, barnacles and other invertebrates. You would need to provide a new butterfly fish live food to feed on. Once they get acclimated they will also feed on meaty and frozen food as well.

What kind of diseases can Butterfly fish catch? – Infections, parasites etc are common diseases in butterfly fish. They respond well to the standard treatments. It is preferable that they should be taken in a cup instead of a net if needed to move, as their fins and snout can get tangled in the net and the wounds can turn out to be fatal.

What type of aquarium should they be put in? – The aquarium for the butterfly fishshould be large minimum 30 gallons and peaceful with lots of space for swimming. They also like caves in their aquarium. They require an excellent quality of water with good movement for oxygenation. A tropical tank would be a perfect choice with 76 – 80 Ftemperature best for butterfly fish.

If you decide to keep your butterfly fish in salt water aquariums then these species are recommended, racoon butterfly fish, teardrop butterfly fish, auriga’s butterfly fish, black and white butterfly fish, kliein’s butterfly fish. Avoid putting them with other butterfly fish and similar looking fish. They might act aggressively. Do not put them in coral reef tank as they like eating corals. Gradually introduce a new fish to the tank. To keep your butterfly fish happy avoid crowded situations this might bring disease for them. Butterfly fish tends to swim in schools and is a peaceful fish. Keeping a butterfly fish would only enhance your fish keeping experience, if you follow the above mentioned butterfly fish care tip.

source from:  petcaregt

Steps to clean a fish tank:

1. Clean your hands properly before starting the cleaning process then turn off all electrical appliances connected to the fish tank such as – lights, heater, aerators and filter. Remove the hood of the aquarium and keep it aside.
2. Use algae scrubber to remove the algae that have built up on all the walls of your fish tank. An algae scrubber is almost available at every aquarium store. If your aquarium regularly upsets you by the formation of algae then you should try to determine the cause or can prevent the growth of algae by putting algae eating fishes in your tank.
3. Remove all decoration and plants from the tank so that excess food. Shake the decorative items well before taking it out as it might contain fish in them. Put the fishes in another bucket which contains water because fish can’t live without water for long. Use algae scrubber on decorative items and plants to clean the debris. Avoid the use of soap and detergent.
4. Drain one-fourth of the water of the aquarium into the sink or bucket. Then remove the filter from your fish tank. Clean the filter thoroughly so that the debris gets remove. If your filter has bio wheels then removes it and keeps it aside. If you find that the filter of your tank is not working then replaces it with the new one.
5. After finishing the cleaning process refill the aquarium through siphon hose. Kindly pour the water, fishes, plants and other decorative items in the tank. Remember that the water should be at room temperature. Make sure that t he tank should contain too much water.
6. Try to clean the hood as well before placing it again on the tank. Avoid the use of any cleanser for it just clean it with any of the clean cotton clothes, or you can take an advice from a nearby aquarium store.

The above mentioned steps will definitely help to clean your fish tank properly. If you really want to preserve the beauty of your fishes and fish tank then it is significant for you to follow these steps regularly. For a beginner cleaning process might seem to be tiring. However, it is not that difficult to keep your fish tank clean.

source from:  petcaregt

Identifying the dead fish and the sick fish : It is very important that you remove the fish from the tank only if you are 100% sure that it is dead.

• Take a closer look at your fish and specifically at its gills. Is it breathing? If not then it is dead.
• Tap the glass of the tank. Do you notice any movement? Did it respond to your tapping? If not then your fish might be dead.
• Try lifting it out of the tank for just a second, if it doesn’t struggle then it is an indicator that your fish might be dead.
• Notice the color of the fish. Is it partially or fully white? If it is, then your fish has begun to rot.
• If you are having a goldfish then you must have observed that they sleep lying down at the bottom of the tank. This does not mean that it is sick or about to die.
• Make sure that your fish isn’t sick as sick fish can sometimes look dead. However if your sick fish has not moved for along time then it is dead.
• Check the water temperature as a sudden change in the water temperature can shock your fish and can even lead to their death.
• If your fish is spending a lot of time behind the rocks or plants in the aquarium then it is a clear indicator that it is sick.

How to remove dead fish from the tank: Do not hesitate to remove the dead fish as it can pollute the water by releasing toxins in water.

• Locate the dead fish from outside before opening the lid.
• If the fish is big then the entire lid may be required to be opened.
• Do not remove the fish with bare hands. Use gloves or small fish nets for removing the fish.
• Check the health of the remaining fish in the tank.

Disposal of dead fish: It is very important to dispose off the dead fish in a proper way.

• If the fish is small then you can flush it off in your toilet.
• If the fish is big then flushing it in your toilet may block your toilet.
• It is suggested to bury the big fish at your backyard if it is allowed in your country.
• You can also cover it up in a big plastic bag, tie up the bag and dispose it in the trash properly.

I hope that your fish isn’t really dead but if it is, then hurry up and remove the dead fish before it releases any toxins and now you know what to do with dead fish.

source from:  petcaregt

Some hobbies need almost nothing to start and not much more to continue, like for example Origami. What do you need? You and paper, that’s about it. But when you’re starting a tropical freshwater fish aquarium you do need a tank, fish, accessories, and, most importantly, research prior to starting.

If you think you can start a freshwater fish aquarium by chucking some water into a tank with a few fish and a filter thingy then think again ‘cos that ain’t how it’s done folks.

What size tank will you get? Will it fit into the available space in your house? What do you do to the water before fish can live in it? Can you get a mixture of fish species or will some eat each other? Can you use real plants or will the fish eat those as well? How do you treat algae before it treats the fish?

You really need to research the subject before doing absolutely anything, this is crucial as without it you will certainly fail after a very short time. If you think the word “research” sounds a bit heavy then it’s time for a re-think. Research is simply reading up on a subject, and in the case of fish aquariums it’s really interesting, you’ll be amazed at the information out there. It doesn’t take long and besides you’ll really enjoy it, honestly you will.

So come on folks don’t let lack of information stop you entering one of the most enjoyable, rewarding and interesting hobbies out there. Get that information and you can start a freshwater fish aquarium in no time and without wasting time and money. Do it right and you’ll have a superb and stunning fish aquarium for life.

Source:ezinearticles.com

The Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens) is one of the most recognizable fishes in the marine aquarium industry along with the blue tang, percula clownfish and the flame angelfish. It is also the most popular tang in the surgeon fish family and its very easy to see why. Its entire body is a stunning pastel like yellow.

The yellow tang is commonly collected from Hawaii and the nearby islands. Once acclimated the yellow tang is a hardy fish that is peaceful with other fishes (Outside of the tang family) which makes it a popular choice for community aquariums.

Care should be taken when choosing specimens as most tangs and surgeon fish are itch magnets and also susceptible to lateral line erosion.

The yellow tang is heavily traded in the live fish market, with juveniles going for about $30 to $40 while adults retail for about $60 to $70 per specimen.

A peaceful fish, the yellow tang does not normally bully larger or smaller tank mates. Making it an attractive candidate for all aquariums.

When keeping multiple tangs it is important to provide enough space for all of them or there might be aggression between them.

In they wild they are a schooling fish and such behavior can be witnessed in captivity.

If more than one is desired they should be introduced into the tank at the same time.

The Yellow Tang can reach up to 8 inches in length so its best to stick with larger tanks. Nothing smaller than a 100 gallons should be used, 150 gallon or bigger is recommended.

This popular fish is all too often bought when they’re 2 to 3 inches and kept in tanks as small as 30 gallons. They will quickly outgrow such tanks, leaving the owner with the headache of finding a buyer for it, or finding a larger aquarium to house it.

Live rock is needed for shelter despite the fact that are a brave “open” swimmer.

The yellow tang grazes on live rock throughout the day as it forms huge shoals in the wild. They feed mainly on algae so such foods should be offered frequently. {Ensure they get enough algae based foods in captivity as algae makes up the bulk of their diet in the wild}. Unlike marine angelfish, they are completely reef safe and do not bother corals, one of the reasons why they’re so popular in marine reef aquariums.

Seaweed/Nori sheets are a great food for tangs. You can either buy seaweed produced and packaged specifically for marine fishes (Julian sprungs sea veggies) or you can go to your local supermarket and buy some nori sheets there. Be sure to get unflavoured nori.

They will normally consume anything that is offered in captivity despite being strict herbivores in the wild. So they should be fed not just greens but a wide variety of items.

They should be fed good alga and seafood mixes like Formula One and Formula Two by Ocean Nutrition as well as a good pellet. New Life Spectrum produces some excellent pellets for all marine fishes.

Many fish stores can be seen giving their tangs lettuce to nibble on. Never feed your tangs lettuce. Nutritionally they do not offer much to the tang (Iceberg or Romaine lettuce).

Source:ezinearticles.com

Hopefully you realize the utter importance of research prior to starting a tropical freshwater fish aquarium. No research means no success so it is mandatory, and while the internet and book research is the obvious place to start, don’t under estimate the pet shop assistants. They know quite a bit more than you might think.

When folks first get the idea that a fish aquarium may be just the sort of hobby they were looking for they usually haven’t thought about how exactly to make a start and what maintenance is involved throughout the life of the fish. The internet and books are indeed the first place most of us would carry out our research, myself included, but lots of folk have this idea that pet shop assistants don’t know that much at all.

Folks, let me tell you, that just isn’t true. The owners of most businesses want their customers properly informed of all products, maintenance and best practice. You’ll notice in a lot of pet stores that fish tanks normally take up all the wall space, in other words there are lots of them. Why? Because they’re very popular.

Now that being the case, the assistants need to know the ins and outs of how to start a freshwater fish aquarium and how to then maintain that aquarium You’ll be very surprised at how much knowledge they have and therefore how they can be a huge advantage to making your new hobby a success for life.

So listen up folks. Use the internet, books and magazines as most, if not all of us do, but don’t forget the pet shop assistants. By the way I am not one, but I do have lots of praise for their knowledge in the hobby of starting a freshwater fish aquarium and keeping it for life. Don’t be afraid to approach them for help that’s what they’re there for. So go on, use the internet and books but get that person to person information as well. You won’t go far wrong that’s for sure.

Source:ezinearticles.com