Keeping Aquarium Sharks

Who’s afraid of sharks or would it be nicer if I’ll ask who wants to keep sharks?

Sharks are known to be very dangerous to humans and most of all to other aquatic animals. But a lot of people have seen how beautiful sharks are. Some fish enthusiasts even keep them inside a fish tank. Pretty cool yet you need to be careful with your choice of tanks as well as the water condition for such kind of fish. When you plan to house a shark in your home, you need to know many things to be able to successfully keep them well.

If this is your first time in fish keeping hobby, a shark isn’t the right kind of fish for you to keep. This isn’t the time yet to keep a shark, you need to have the quality traits of a good fish keeper in order for you to keep this kind of fish. Even those that are in this hobby for a long time didn’t possess yet the qualities of a good fish keeper, neither them can keep shark in their tank too.

For those who believe they are capable of keeping this fish, then go for it but be careful. Just buy one or two sharks. Most of the sharks are aggressively stronger than other fish and even to their own kind, which usually creates a high risk of stress inside a fish tank. For larger fish tanks, especially those that are for public views, you can find a number of sharks inside the tank. Some of the sharks tend to befriend its kind but only very few of them get along together.

Become aware of your shark’s behavior and where it comes from. Study its physical features if you can see any symptoms of stress or poor health – any lost scales, does it have any cuts from its body, visible spots and blemishes, check the fins if it’s held close to the body. Verify the fish tanks of the pet store where you brought your shark- are they tidy and well kept? Is your source person of the shark knows well about the subject and a shark enthusiast? It is good to have a reliable person to talk with regarding sharks because if you have any concerns you can address that to the right person and be able to get the right answers.

You should ask how they caught the shark. Why do you need to know that? This is because you will through this you will know if the people behind this activity are good, if they caught the shark in a proper way, not illegal, not harming other sharks in the natural environment. If you happen to meet other shark enthusiasts or even those who are fish lovers who shares the same passion you’ll be able to share this hobby to others by convincing to keep one as a way of supporting a campaign about stopping the shark finning, it is by pulling out shark population in the wild. By owning one shark and keeping it safe is a way of supporting the campaign for pro-aquatic life.

In order for your shark to be safe you need to house it in an appropriate tank and environment. Are you confident that your fish tank can withstand the aggressive behavior of shark? Is it big enough to offer a great venue for the shark to swim around and show its natural behavior? Does it have any covers preventing the sharks to jump out of the tank? Are the lights of your tank following the natural day and night rhythms in the natural environment of the shark? Do you have any rocks, caves or plants as ornaments in your fish tank, where sharks could hide whenever they want to?

Set up a good filtration system in your fish tank. Utilize a good electrical filter to maintain the cleanliness of your tank, take into account biological filtration too! This type of filter is guaranteed to have a greater amount of good bacteria than bad bacteria which are sometimes toxic in the fish tank, maintaining the whole tank to be healthy and clean for its inhabitants. By having a thin layer of substrate or gravel at the bottom of the fish tank helps the filtration by giving a good area for beneficial bacteria can thrive.

It is essential to keep a good water quality of the fish tank, constantly check your water to be sure. The best way to keep your aquarium healthy is to check it regularly. Maintenance includes replacing 15-20% of the water every week, scraping of algae on the tank’s walls, removing dead fish if there’s any, checking all the aquarium devices if they are still functioning well, testing the quality of the water. If you’re too busy to do all the regular maintenance of a shark tank, forget about getting a shark.

Maintain a water temperature suitable for sharks; don’t go less or over its optimum range. Place your shark tank away from which the sunlight loves to show its light. As mentioned earlier the water temperature should stay at the optimum range for sharks because if it goes beyond the most favorable range or if it did not reach the optimum range it will cause stress to sharks making them more sensitive to becoming sick. Like any other fish, don’t overfeed your shark. Drop a variety of foods but be careful, only recommended foods should be fed to sharks and again do not feed with large amounts of foods. Overfeeding will just give you too much to work on, either the shark gives off too many wastes or the uneaten food will decompose in the water creating a poor water quality for your shark.

Check your shark in regular basis to see any signs of illness. Indications of illness show that the shark’s surrounding is not in good condition thus making its inhabitants sick. Continue to be watchful in terms of your shark’s physical features and behavior that could tell you any signs of stress or any health problem. In most cases the root of any disease or sickness in fish such as parasites or infections is by having a poor quality of water and taking for granted the poor tank condition. Prepare a separate tank that will serve as a quarantine tank to house a sick fish for treatment or if you see any signs of health problems with your shark can put it in the quarantine tank until you’ll figure out what’s wrong with it. In this way you will be able to stop the spread of disease in the whole tank and lets you focus your attention to the one that’s really need the treatment, not the entire tank.

Enjoy your sharks and share it to others the breathtaking experience of such kind of pet!

Aquarium Decors: Think Twice!

Setting up an aquarium could sometimes be very tiring but enjoyable as well. If you want to have a beautiful aquarium for your fish to live in, you can put decors in it. Finding the right decors for your fish tank is both hard and easy. Hard because you need to check the decors if they contain harmful chemicals that are toxic for your fish, on the other it can be easy because you can just ask around the right decors for your fish tank.

You can find a lot of fish tank decors and colorful unique materials that are great for beautifying your fish tank, they can brighten up your dull aquarium and the list of these ornaments will go on and on, but the important part here is to choose the ornaments that best fit your fish tank and fish as well.  Plastic materials and rocks like limestone are not recommended for use because they will soon degrade and will eventually alter the water chemistry consequently causing hazards to fish.

Some materials used in manufacturing aquarium ornaments contain limestone which are easily dissolved in water and that will increase the hardness of the water and raises the pH level too, thus making the water more dangerous. Almost all aquarium fish won’t be able to withstand this kind of water leading them to die fast. Cockshells and corals are also avoided for the same reason, since both materials will increase the degradation of water. Forget about how they look, surely they’re lovely but think over the damage they will cause if you put them on tank.

There are many ways how to know if a material contains limestone. Here’s how to do it, take a small piece of that ornament on a flat non-absorbing area and put some diluted acid or vinegar on the surface of the material. If you see small bubbles surfacing in that piece of material then it’s clear it contains a limestone, therefore it needs to be avoided.

There are a lot of great options of aquarium ornaments available in many pet stores. For instance Granite, it’s a great substrate, natural rocks on the other hand can also be taken into account. One of the most common aquarium ornament is an aquarium plant but you need to be ready for the maintenance since it requires additional time and cost.

Lastly, if you would like to add any decors in your fish tank it’s vital to wash them properly with lukewarm water. It is recommended to soak them at least 2 to 3 days to get rid of those harmful materials like any metal chips.

Eani Mini Aquariums for Kids

The age-old goldfish bowl is getting competition from tiny aquariums in a variety of interesting shapes and sizes. Even the smallest apartment or college dorm room can now be graced with live fish. But are they a healthy habitat for the fish? If properly set up and well cared for, yes they can be. If haphazardly put together and marginally cared for, the fish will be doomed to a very short and unpleasant life.

The Good Side
The good side of mini aquariums is that anyone can have one. The monetary investment is small, and the space requirements so minimal that virtually everyone can find a place for one. College students in dorms, nursing home patients, apartment dwellers, even the most crowded of school classrooms all have space for a mini aquarium. Often apartment building ‘no pet’ rules don’t apply to fish. Fish are very relaxing to watch, and can provide an opportunity for children to care for a pet in situations where larger pets are not allowed.

The Bad Side
Mini aquariums do require maintenance, and should not be purchased with the notion they can be ignored for long periods of time. However, the biggest down side of small aquariums is that problems can occur swiftly, and are often fatal before they can be rectified. This is due to the small volume of water in which the fish live. Changes in water chemistry and temperature can happen in a matter of a few hours – or even minutes. Therefore it is critical to monitor the water conditions closely, and perform water changes faithfully.

First time fish owners should be particularly careful during the initial break-in stage of the mini fish tank. Toxins in the water will rise sharply as the biological system is first being established. If water changes are not performed, the levels will become lethal very quickly. Testing is a must, so have water-testing kits on hand or make arrangements with a local pet shop to do the tests for you.

Liquid Fish Food

A type of fish food that is becoming increasingly more popular, especially among fish breeders, is liquid fish food. Having food for fish available in a liquid form can make some of the components of the food more bio-available to fish, and may also have some other health benefits for good pet care. However, the majority of fish owners are unaware of the benefits of liquid fish food, which can promote good health in overall pet fish care. There are several different type of liquid fish food formulas available on the market today, which may or may not be the best fit for your fish’s nutritional needs. Here is some general information about liquid fish food formulas.

 

LIQUID FOOD FOR BABY FISH

The use of liquid fish food formulas is sometimes used to feed baby fish, or ‘fry’ as they are sometimes called. Liquid fish food formulas provide an aqueous suspension of tiny food particles, which are much easier for newly hatched fish to ingest. Because baby fish grow at such a rapid rate, they will thrive off of a diet that provides them with a constant supply of nutrition.

INGREDIENTS OF LIQUID FISH FOOD

Some of the most common ingredients in liquid fish food formulas include:

CALANOID COPEPODS

Calanoid copepods are a type of zooplankton that is in the order of copepods. There are approximately 2000 different species of calanoid copepods, which may reside either in saltwater or freshwater environments. The reason why calanoid copepods are a valuable source of nutrition for fish, is because they ingest phytoplankton and algae. This ingested food is then converted by the calanoid copepod into a more digestible form, which provides better nutrition for other animals, such as fish. Most commercially grown fish are dependent on calanoid copepods for a source of nutrition, which may be consumed either in their adult or larval forms. In most cases, calanoid copepods are freeze-dried before they are added to liquid fish food formulas.

NANNOCHLOROPSIS

Technically, nannochloropsis is a genus of alga that was first classified in 1981. For the most part, nannochloropsis is spherical in shape, and lacks chlorophyll b and c (unlike other related microalgae). However, nannochloropsis contains a high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are often used for many different industrial applications. As an additive to liquid fish food, nannochloropsis provides a high-energy food source for most pet fish.

TETRASELMIS

Tetraselmis is a type of phytoplankton that is commonly used as a nutrient source in liquid fish food formulas. By description (in its natural state) tetraselmis is motile, green and very tiny. Tetraselmis is valued for its extremely high level in natural EPA lipids. In addition to this, tetraselmis also contains a fairly high protein content. Tetraselmis is also able to stimulate feeding in many different types of pet fish, by using its natural amino acids. In its digestible form, tetraselmis contains a 54.66% concentration of protein, a 18.31% concentration of natural carbohydrates and a 14.27% concentration of total lipids.

You can visit KidsAquariums.com to see the newest designs of fish tanks for kids that will not cost you much!

Benefits of Air Stones and A little of its Drawbacks

Precisely how effective are those small bubbles which come out from air stones, or diffusers? A number of aquarists believe that they perform a crucial role inside the aquariums with regards to oxygenation and air diffusion of the water, and that this air source is sufficient. When it comes to the rise of DO (dissolved oxygen) in a fish tank, the water surface is one of the main sites where this exchange takes place. Oxygen is blended down into the water; carbon dioxide is released out to the air, not forgetting that other gases readily pass through the permeable surface of water at the same time. This is the principle which our bodies work on whenever we breathe; inhale good air and exhale bad air. It’s the same manner with the fish tank.

So, if the water surface area of your aquarium is where the primary exchange of gases occurs, then why use air stones and also have bubbles in the aquarium in any respect? For the reason that they do have their benefits.

• They are widely used to drive various kinds of filters and equipment, for instance under gravel filters and a few sorts of protein skimmers.
• Fish tanks that contain solid covers or close fitted hoods on top are prime candidates for stagnant air, low oxygen levels, and high levels of carbon dioxide. Nonetheless, for these types of set ups with an under gravel filter run by an air pump, the fresh air bubbles that come up through the uplift tubes help to get rid of these problems by provided superb oxygen along with other gas exchange opportunities. A power head works extremely well instead of the air pump and stones to work the under gravel filter, however, if the power head is not equipped with an aeration function, or this characteristic is not used, it can provide low oxygen and low PH.
• Whether having an under gravel filter or not, air bubbles aid to maneuver the tank water vertically on the way to the surface, aiding with oxygen and other gas exchanges.
• They are an affordable way to move the tank water vertically.
• They do develop a wall of bubbles that can look pretty cool in the aquarium, plus watching them can be quite soothing.

Air stones can be made of ceramic, glass, or getting more in fashion, wood. Wood stones can be easily made at home with different kinds of woods that are attainable, however the most typical wood used is lime wood. This kind of air stone must be perfect for air driven protein skimmers, and they are reasonably priced to produce. These air stones are also available on the market.

Ok, so air stones do have some positive aspects, however are there any down sides with their use? Of course!

• They usually are not as reliable as power heads, water pumps, and/or protein skimmers are in making water movements within the aquarium. Most of these are far better at helping with oxygen and also other gas exchanges at the water’s surface.
• They do not move water swiftly enough or in adequate volume for what a tank normally needs for good at all times, vertical and horizontal, water flow. This condition can also contribute to a low or too little GPH (gallon per hour) tank water turnover time.
• They generate a lot of salt spray that in turn contributes to salt creep issues.
• They clog up.
• They tire out very quickly, in most cases need replacement.
• They can result in irregular air flow.
• Air line hoses can get pinched or kinked, which often weakens or cuts off the air flow.
• More often than not the air pump chosen to work air stones is inadequate, contributing to low air flow pressure.
• Some air flow pressure is dropped the longer the distance the air has to travel through the clear tubing from the air pump to the air stones.
• The deeper the fish tank water, the farther the air has to be pushed downhill to reach the air stones, resulting in shortage of air flow pressure.

Now that you have known all the benefits of air stones as well as some of its negative sides, you will be able to set up your aquarium completely. Kids can participate in this one of a kind hobby and might have their own fish tank if they want. You can check the coolest designs and latest models of kids aquariums at KidsAquariums.com that will definitely suit your child’s taste.

Catching fish properly out of from your Aquarium

If you want to remove fish from your fish tank for routine maintenance reasons, you need to be careful. When you are not gentle in handling the fish, it might get wounded and the ones with injuries can result in infections. It will likewise lead to tension to the fish.

Each and every fish has a slimy coat on its body. It protects the fish from risky things in water, this coat is produced continuously. If a number of it is removed as a result of your handling, don’t worry. It’s going to be replenished soon.

The following are some advices for avoiding troubles in catching the fish.

1. You shouldn’t touch the fish by hands if you have any injuries on your hand. The fish can get some infection or infection as a result of your wounds. It’s also possible to receive some infection from your fish in case you are already injured. Aquariums usually are full of bacteria and micro-organisms. Many of them may be dangerous for you.
2. It is best to make use of a net for catching purposes and it net needs to be soft. After using for a while, it may well get stiff, therefore it must be immediately thrown away. Place the net within the aquarium water for a while prior to using it. That could help to make the net soft. Perhaps the fish will get comfortable when using the net and it won’t have stress.
3. Your net has to be either green or black in color. The fish is comfortable with both of these colors. You should not make use of a white net even for leading the fish to the black or green net. That will terrify the fish.
4. You should not lash the net across the water. Again it’s going to generate stress to some of the fish.
5. It is possible to lessen the water from your aquarium before taking out the fish so the fish may have less space for floating around and this will be easier for you to do your work.
6. Sometimes the fins of the fish may get entangled when using the net. But do not get panic in that case. Position the fish in water again and make it free. The net should always be free from the fins of the fish.
7. If your aim of using the net will be to get a sick fish, you should clean the net thoroughly before using once again for all the other fish.
8. You need to wash the hands properly in the event you touch the fish.
9. Specific varieties of fish can be caught by specific strategies. For example, an angelfish can be withdrawn with a plastic bag. Guppies might be obtained by bringing the net slowly from the bottom.
10. For catching the fish residing at the bottom of the aquarium tank, you should use two nets. You must herd all the fish first to a corner after which capture them within the net gently.

While accomplishing maintenance work, it becomes necessary to take out the fish. It should be done slowly along with care. If the fish get injured or stressed, they could get sick soon.

After going through the entire article you will realize how vulnerable fishes are. Kids will definitely love helping you in doing this task yet always keep in mind to guide them. If you want to see the latest designs of kids aquariums, you can log in to KidsAquariums.com and might as well buy one for your kids.

Most Preferred Freshwater Fishes

You will discover a large number of different types of fish that could wind up being held in home fish tanks. Still, there are a few species that happens to be the most common fish desirable to fish owners. Most species of fish have specific care treatments that require to be followed in order the fish to have a long and healthy life. It’s crucial to research the proper fish care requirement with different varieties of fish that you’re planning to keep, to ensure that they’re capable to live comfortably.

Goldfish

Goldfish are probably the most common types of fish that can be kept in freshwater aquariums. Goldfish are affordable, and easily conform to various living surroundings with no stress at all.

Goldfish are of ancient Chinese origin, and also at one time those who were not in the Imperial family were not permitted to keep certain kinds of goldfish. Contrary to public opinion, goldfish need to have a large amount of water in order to be healthy. This is because goldfish expel a substantial quantity of waste both through their bowels and off their gills. This waste accumulation is the number one reason why goldfish held in small bowls apparently die unexpectedly.

Though goldfish are relatively hardy, they’re not going to manage to survive rapid, sudden alterations in temperature. However, most goldfish are able to survive in tanks without external heat, making them great pets for fish owners on a tight budget. Goldfish thrive when expose to ultraviolet light, however, as it permits them to have a pigment production response which brightens their color. If a goldfish is saved in a dark area for an extended length of time, their skin will suffer its colors and turn a dull gray.

Neon Tetra

Tetra fish are small types of fish which have been native to Africa, Central America and South America. The common tetra fish that can be saved in home aquariums known are the neon tetras. Neon tetras are seen as bright, vibrant colors that are light blue, silver-white as well as an iridescent blue horizontal stripe that runs down their side. Neon tetras would be better held in groups of five or maybe more, because they are prone to being shy and anti-social if alone. Neon tetras can live for many years, sometimes being known to live for a decade or more. Neon tetra fish are normally kept in aquariums because of their economical price and comparatively low-impact behavior.

Angelfish

Freshwater angelfish are classified to be part of the genus pterophyllum. Currently, are freshwater angelfish are indigenous to the Orinoco River, Amazon River and Essequibo River basins in South America. Angelfish are quite triangular in shape, with dramatically protruding fins. They have a tendency to have vertical stripes giving them a technique for camouflage among aquatic plant life. Angelfish certainly are a predatory species, and may even sometimes eat smaller fish within their tank if not properly fed. Angelfish are a common species among freshwater fish owners because of their exotic appearance.

There are a lot more varieties of fishes to choose from, if you have kids at home you can ask your kids to help you out check the coolest fish for your aquariums. You can even let your kids have their own aquarium; this is like training them to be responsible with their own pets. You can check the latest aquariums for kids at KidsAquariums.com.

Fish Aquariums Maintenance

Fish keeping is enticing not to mention full of fun and lesser commitments than any pet animals. The majority of your accountability as a fish owner falls in the category of water maintenance. Keep in mind the water you put inside the fish’s tank is the human equivalent of the air they take. Just like inhaling and exhaling air filled with smog and smoke is unpleasant, water that is poor in quality can make fish’s ill, miserable and perhaps even die early. Its quality of life is completely determined by the standard of water in their tank, therefore a number of essential things you’ll need to do to provide your fish a first class home ecosystem.

Sustaining the Water Quality

• Check the pH levels daily– Weekly evaluation of pH levels of the water is very important to the overall health of the marine life. You should also have a master test kit to check on readings of ammonia, nitrates and nitrites of water aquarium.
• Do not overfeed – Avoid giving food more than they can take. Observe the amount of food they consume every day and soon you can estimate their daily food requirement to avoid overfeeding.  Waste foods from uneaten meal affects the water quality, only give whatever they can take within five minutes and after wards get a net to take the leftovers.
• Good Bacteria – Though providing clean water is essential, there are actually helpful bacteria that actually work to scrub waste and in case you dispose all old water, wash all the decors and substrate, you kill every one of these beneficial organisms. Hence the key in fish tank maintenance requires only partial cleaning of the water to permit bacteria to grow and survive other than start all over again in every cleaning.

Weekly Clean-ups

• Water Replacement- Every week, change approximately around a quarter or perhaps less of the water by simply siphoning it out of the tank, then changing it with new water which has been allowed to sit for at least 24 hours to allow chlorine to escape or until it has been taken care of with a conditioner. Water kept laying at least a week is suitable but 24 hours needs to be the minimum. This process is known as conditioning or cycling your water. Bear in mind the fresh water ought to be exactly the same temperature as what’s in the tank or you will distress the fish.

• Clean the gravel and ornaments- While you are undertaking the partial water removal, also clean up 25 percent of the gravel or substrate in your own fish tank by using a gravel vacuum. Basically clean off a few of the accessories if it is becoming mucky from handful of algae but NEVER utilize any variety of soap or cleaning merchandise on it, fish are highly susceptible to chemicals.

• Filter Cleaning- To ensure water to stay clean, filters have to be rinsed and taken care of at the same time. However, choose a specific time other than during a water replacement to deal with your filter systems to lessen the effect on the tank bacteria and the fish.

Algae Growth- Keep it at Bay

Although algae is a sign that your water is at prime state to hold marine life, keeping your tank filled with it restraints visibility, removing one of the significant delights of fish keeping in the first place. Keep algae growth manageable by scrubbing up algae from the sides of tank before water changes, maintaining filters thoroughly clean and not permitting direct sunlight to reach the fish tank (this also can make temperature alter) which helps make an alga grow in number. Acquiring plant life inside an aquarium also combats algae development as plants take in the same nutrients algae needed to grow.

Observing Your Fish

Sometimes it is hard to discern from water assessments if there is something wrong with the condition of your aquariums, but the behavior of the fish is definitely a clear sign of problems.

You van log in to KidsAquariums.com to see a variety of designs of kids fish tanks.

You’re an Addict when…

– Your daughter can identify more species of fish than most pet store employees.

– You buy a $200 water purification system for your fish tank while you’re still drinking out of the tap.

– The first thing that moves when you move are your tanks.

– You go into a pet store and the employees ask you what kind of plants or fish they have.

– Your idea of a vacation is going to look for cool new things for your aquarium at pet stores.

– Your idea of going to the lake means looking for new and interesting plants and fish for your tanks.

– You buy fish as an excuse to buy another tank.

– You use the excuse “Ahh come on honey the next tank will be yours I promise” to get another tank.

– You take better care of your tanks than you do your vehicle.

– The refrigerator is bare except for the frozen fish food.

– You make weekly trips to the lumber yard to make more tank stands.

– Your tanks get their own room.

– Touring houses for sale, you look at the garage and automatically start figuring out how many tanks will fit in there.

– Your spouse gives you the option of your tanks going into the garage or you going into the garage, and you decide to put your bed out there instead of your tanks.

See your score below:

0-5 points – You have a problem.

6-10 points – Need to check yourself

11-14 points – You’re officially addicted!

 

For more information about kids aquariums, log in to KidsAquariums.com

 

1 2 3 4 5 Once I Caught a Fish Alive

1  2  3  4  5
Once I caught a fish alive.
6  7  8  9  10
Then I let it go again.

 

Why did you let it go?
Because he bit my finger so.
Which finger did he bite?
This little finger on my right.

1  2  3  4  5
Once I caught a fish alive
6  7  8  9  10
Then I let him go again.

 

Why did you let him go?
Because he bit my big fat toe.
Which toe did he bite?
This big fat toe on my right.

 

 

If you are interested in kids aquariums, log in to KidsAquariums and you will see a variety of cool fish tanks that best fits your child’s taste.