5 tips for keeping healthy fish in a healthy tank

This week, I have a guest blogger,Michelle, from My Aquarium Club Blog. She can be reached at http://www.myaquariumclub.com/blogs. Michelle would love to offer some tips for keeping healthy fishes.

1 - Water changes: the first and the most important rule is to change the entire water of the tank every month – 25% each weak is a reasonable solution. The water changes helps to remove contaminants and waste byproducts from the aquarium and replace them with fresh clean water

2. - Consistent Temperature: fish cannot regulate body temperature so changes to the water temperature are creating a lot of stress for the fish. You'll have to ask for the right temp for your fish and make sure that all your fish can live at the same temp range. Be careful during water changes not to add too cold or too warm water.

3. - Don’t use too many chemicals or products: Chemicals are not very helpful for a healthy tank and this includes pH adjusters and medicines. The only chemicals that go into my tanks are tap water, water conditioner to remove chlorine, charcoal in the filters and aquarium salt (if needed). If you need to adjust the pH of the water, there are natural things you can use such as rocks or substrate to raise the pH or wood or plants to lower it. This way you'll stabilize the pH without creating too much ups and downs.

4. - Use a quarantine tank: This is really important. If your tank is healthy and stable the highest risk for a disease is bringing in new fish that you just brought home from the store. Even at the best pet stores fish can get disease so always keep the newly bought fish at a quarantine tank for at least 3 weeks. This goes for other purchases too such as rocks, plants and anything else you introduce to you tank.

5. Compatible fish: It is important to enable the fish to live peacefully if you have one aggressive fish that is attacking another, know that stress leads to disease and attacks can end up in dead fish. Try to buy compatible fish choosing a fish not just for its beauty but for its ability to live with the other fish that you have. Create hiding places for the fish that needs its and if you have no choice try trading the aggressive fish for a more suitable one.

Black Widow Tetra

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Data Sheet
Scientific Name:	Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
Other Names:	Black Tetra, Black Skirt Tetra
Origin:	Brazil
Adult Size:	2.5 inches (6 cm)
Social:	Excellent
Lifespan:	5 years
Tank Level:	Mid Dweller
Minimum Tank Size:	10 gallons
Diet:	Omnivore
Breeding:	Egg Layer
Care:	Easy
Ideal pH:	6-8
Temperature:	68-78 F (20-26 C)
Tank setup:	Ideally planted aquarium
Sexing:	Females are generally larger and have rounder body.

Description: Growing to about 6 cm (2.5 in) total length, the black window tetra has a roughly tetragonal body shape and is greyish in colour, fading from light at the nose to near black at the tail. Two prominent black vertical bars appear just posterior of the gills. Habitat/Care: The Black Skirt tetra is a very hardy fish that is suitable for beginner aquarists. Since it is native to subtropical waters, it will appreciate a lower temperature than what is found in most tropical aquariums. Ideally keep the temperature between 20 and 26° C (68 and 79° F). A schooling fish by nature, black widows Tetra are best kept in groups of six or more. Due to their peaceful nature, they make an excellent community fish. FishLore noted that Black Widow Tetra sometimes nip the fins of slower moving fish, particularly those with long flowing fins such as Bettas Angelfish. However, when keep in groups of 6 of more, they tend to chase one another harmlessly and leave the other fishes alone. or The Black Skirt tetras can adapt to a wide range of conditions, but rapid changes and extreme conditions should naturally be avoided. The aquarium should ideally include a lot of large plants. Diet: The black widow tetra is an omnivore and will eat nearly anything it can fit into its mouth. Wild Black Skirt tetras are mainly carnivores and feed on insects, worms and small crustaceans. They do however also ingest smaller amounts of algae and plant matter. In an aquarium, it cheerfully and readily accept flake food, worms, and brine shrimp. Breeding: To breed the black widow tetra in captivity, the aquarium should ideally be densely planted with fine-leaved plants as the Black Skirt tetra is an egg-scattering species that prefers to release the eggs among fine-leave plants. The male will claim a territory during the breeding period and defend it. Once the eggs are laid, the parents should be removed from the tank as these fishes tend to eat their own eggs. The eggs will typically hatch within 24 hours. The frys could be feed with egg yolk or newly hatched brine shrimp. As the fry grows larger, you can give them larger and larger brine shrimp. Disease: Black Widow Tetra are prone to WHITE SPOT (Ich, ichthyophthirius). This disease is caused by environmental stress and/or cold water. It can also be caused by sudden changes in water temperature. It is a parasite resembling a grain of salt that feeds on the tissue of the fish causing irritation. It spreads through the skin and fins and will eventually kill the fish if left untreated. The mature parasite cannot be killed, nor can its eggs. It can only be destroyed in its free swimming stage after the spot falls off and the eggs hatch. This can take from 1-4 days. This is why it is important to continue to medicate for at least 3-5 days after the spots are gone. Add 1-2 drops of formalin or copper sulfate to the tank water and raise the temperature to 82 degrees (use formalin with great care as it is a cancer causing agent).

References Cited:

1. Black Widow, [Online], Accessed on 12 June 2008 [Available] http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/characins2/a/blackwidow.htm

2.Black Skirt Tetra [Online], Accessed on 18 June 2008,[Available],http://www.fishlore.com/profile-blackskirttetra.htm

3. Aquatic Community [Online], Accessed on 18 June 2008,[Available],http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/tetrafish/blackskirttetra.php

Jinjin and Sasa Aquarium Adventure @ Hong Kong Aquarium Plaza

Jinjin and Sasa Map of the Store Spacious Shopping Center unidentified plant with more than 40 stores, there is something new at every corner Sharks for sale

This section list the adventures of Jinjin (Me) and Sasa (my lovely wife) as we head to Hong Kong Aquarium Plaza. Hong Kong Aquarium Plaza is located in Hong Kong Island, near Tai Woon MTR exit B. The basement is really big and contains over 40 shops, and sells all kinds of aquarium items, from accessories, tank, gravel, to fishes and other exotic animals. It has a nice selection of marine and freshwater fishes. Map of how to go to Hong Kong Aquarium Plaza. Our first stop is the marine fish aquarium, and we stand amazed at the variety of fishes, star-fish and other rare marine fish available. The highlight of the tour is a huge tank containing sharks! Clown Fish Wide Variety Of Coral Exotic Sting Ray Nurse Shark Rare StarFishes unidentified fish. Help is appreciated Then we visited the freshwater aquarium. There is a wide variety of freshwater fishes available here, including congo tetra, platy, guppies, discus, goldfish, koi, angel fishes, and parrot fishes. Koi Parrot Fish with tattoo on their body Puffer Fish Cute Terrapins