Archive for June, 2010

The plants that you  place in the fish tank should be similiar  to the fish’s original habitat. This is true even though your individual probably has never “seen” or experienced his native habitat first hand.

Typically , five types of plants can be  planted   in your fresh water aquarium.

The first type of plant is grown by bulbs. These for the most part produce rather large plants, most of which are far too large to use in a normal sized fresh water aquarium. These plants, such as the water lily and the aponogeton,  do much better in a koi pond or outdoor setting. 

Considering the fish that you have picked for the fresh water aquiarium , you may want to include plants that float. Floating plants make a great place for the young fry who need to shield themselves for protective purposes in a fresh water aquarium. Some examples of floating plants are Fairy Moss an driccia.

You may also want to  the group  of live plants called Rhizomes. This plant has a thick, horizontal stem with leaves sprouting on the top. The roots to this plant are located on the bottom . The rhizome is used as a “runner” over the surface of the substrate. As it spreads, it grows new sections of leaf and root.

The anubias and African Fern are two variations of rhizomes. These are pretty easy to setup.  You merely tie these to the driftwood you  have already in the tank. 

You’ve probably seen the type of plant that looks like a crown with roots growing beneath it and leaves growing above. This is called a rosette. They cover the water by sending out runners and growing new plants as they go. Many times these plants, which include the Amazon Sword and the Sagittaria, tend to also produce lovely flowers. 

A stem is the plant you find in aquariums with leaves growing from the nodes of a single stem (forget where the name comes from now?). The end of the plant is firmly rooted in the substrate. The leaves come in several varieties, including single, paired or even multiple.

One of the most common of aquatic plants is the Java Moss. Also called the java fern, this particular species is a great starter plant. It’s a hearty plant that can thrive in a range of different types of water and pH levels.

Another plant that’s perfect for your first aquarium is the water wisteria. Like the Java Fern, this plant grows quickly. It’ll also help to keep the algae content in the tank low.  But be careful. It has the ability to use many of the same nutrients from the water.

You’ll want to check out another hearty plant, the anubias nana. This remarkable plant has the uncanny ability to thrive in just about any condition you place it in. It’s a very pretty plant, too. It flowers underwater. And any of your fish that are herbivore won’t eat it. For the anubia nana to truly do well, though, you’ll want to attach this plant to a tree root or a stone.

The grass-like lillaeopsis is another good choice for your tank, especially if your tank is near sunlight.

If you’re truly ambitious at trying your hand at plants, consider purchasing the cryptocoryne beckettii. This is an amphibious plant – meaning it grows both underwater and on land. It does remarkably well underwater and it has the added advantage of being available in a variety of gorgeous colors.

Then there’s the Amazon sword – technical name is the echinodorus bleheri, if you’re interested. This is, without a doubt, the most popular of all aquarium plants of all time. It’s an easy plant to care for, even if you’re only beginning your journey in aquarium keeping. It grows fast. And it’s great because it helps to control the algae content of your tank as well.

Live fresh water plants can add another, more enjoyable dimension to your fresh water aquarium. They may require a little more care but the rewards are definitely worth it. You can start out slowly. And as you gain experience, you can expand the types of plants you use. Not only will you enjoy the experience, you’ll be making sure your fish feel right at home!

Keeping cichlid fish in your aquarium could be pleasurable because they’re exotic, colorful and lively in their environments. However many novice aquarists are having a tough time learning the best way to keep these fish like the African cichlids and the American cichlids because these fish species come from an extremely diverse family and cichlid tropical fish inhabit a multitude of different environments. The completely different cichlid species have developed so as to fit their very own particular niches and totally different cichlid species can therefore differ significantly when it comes to size, temperament, feeding habits, and preferred water quality. They are also recognized for being simple to breed.

If you’re caring for these distinctive tropical fish in your aquarium, probably the most essential issues to remember is that African cichlids and American cichlids should not be kept in the same aquarium. So many fish owners and even pet shops make this error, and if this happened, the poor fish are barely surviving. They’ve completely different water requirements that is why they can’t be blended together.

Another frequent mistake that even seasoned aquarist makes is that they do not make regular water changes in their aquariums. It doesn’t matter what species of tropical fish that you keep, regular water changes are actually the life-blood of all aquarium fish.

When caring for cichlid fish, another thing to consider is the dimensions of your aquarium. Depending on the species, some cichlid tropical fish develop to about 8-9 inches that’s why you have to foresee their aquarium environment after they become full adults and reach their normal length. Additionally, do some thorough analysis concerning the cichlid fish you own or are about to purchase because different varieties of cichlids require totally different ph levels, feeding and breeding techniques, and different environments.

Keeping cichlid tropical fish might be extremely rewarding, particularly because caring for them is a continuous learning process for the owners.

Cichlids are said to be the most attention-grabbing tropical fish that one may put of their aquariums-with the cichlid’s vivid colors and extremely unique look, these tropical fish are sure to make your aquarium come alive.

This household of tropical fish is unique to its diversity, for size, shape, swimming levels and even behavior. The body shapes of cichlids vary from the disc-like Discus, to the lengthy and pointy Checkerboard. These tropical fish may be very colorful, although many fish in this family get very massive-some species even up to three feet long.

Probably the most irritating issues about cichlid fish – though you may get them to breed without hassle is that they can be very, very territorial when spawning. Regardless of this, cichlids are highly sociable fish and they’re believed to be intelligent and this is what makes them rewarding to interact with.

There are quite a few varieties of cichlid tropical fish. There are the Blue Texas cichlids, which are a good species to start out as they are adaptable, the Convicts which develop to as much as just four to five inches long and are very easy to breed, the Red Devils which are highly attractive for his or her good colors, the African cichlids which have beautiful patterns and colors, the aggressive Jaguars which are the most exotic and the Slender Cichlids which are non-aggressive and finest stored in pairs.

If you wish to care for cichlid tropical fish in your aquarium, it’s essential to have a lot of space as a result of as mentioned, they can develop huge and mainly as a result of they’re community fish. You need to additionally be taught about the form of cichlids you might be about to look after as a result of some species come from environments with uncommon water chemistry and will find it exhausting to survive in a neutral aquarium.

In conclusion, cichlid tropical fish are one of the most stunning fish that can grace your home aquarium, and because they’re active and show interest to their environment, they’re positive to charm you with plenty to watch.