Common names: Bumblebee cichlid, hornet cichlid
Scientific Name: Pseudotropheus crabro
Origin: Lake Malawi in Africa
Lifespan: Ten years
Size: About five to six inches. Males are slightly larger.
Temperature: 75-85 degrees F, or about 24-29 degrees Celcius
Food: Bumblebee cichlids will eat flake food, but it would take a lot of fish flakes to fill this fish up. Specialty cichlid pellet food seem to work best for mine. I also feed them frozen bloodworms once a week. They are omnivorous and will also nibble on algae wafers in my tank.
Care: Most of the time these fish do well when keeping only one male and several females.
Sexing: It can be difficult. The main difference is that males turn almost completely black when stressed, angry, or ready to breed.
Breeding: The bumblebee cichlid is a mouthbrooding fish. To get the fish ready to spawn, increase the temperature a degree or two and start making more frequent water changes, adding water that is colder than the temperature of the tank. This makes the fish think it is rainy season and get ready to spawn.
The female will lay the eggs and the male will fertilize them. After the eggs are fertilized the female sucks them into her mouth and takes care of them.
Check out this video on breeding African Cichlids:
Good luck! Feel free to add your own comments or tips in the comments below!
Showing posts with label Fish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fish. Show all posts
Long Snout Halfbeak Care
Fish Name: Long Snout Halfbeak , also sometimes referred to as Forest Halfbeak
Scientific Name: Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus
Origin: Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia
Size: Up to four inches. Males get slightly longer than females
Temperature: 72-82 degrees F
Food: In the wild, long snout halfbeaks eat insects, primarily mosquitos and spiders that land on the water. They prowl the surface of the water in between plants watching for the insects to drop. These fish can also be carnivorous. Feed them flake food, frozen and live bloodworms, and brine shrimp.
Breeding: Long snout halfbeaks are livebearers. They have about 30-40 fry and lay them a few at a time for a period of about two weeks.
Interesting fact: Long Snout Halfbeaks are aggressive fish, especially towards each other. In some Asian countries people gamble on fights between male fish, similar to Siamese fighting fish (bettas).
Scientific Name: Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus
Origin: Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia
Size: Up to four inches. Males get slightly longer than females
Temperature: 72-82 degrees F
Food: In the wild, long snout halfbeaks eat insects, primarily mosquitos and spiders that land on the water. They prowl the surface of the water in between plants watching for the insects to drop. These fish can also be carnivorous. Feed them flake food, frozen and live bloodworms, and brine shrimp.
Breeding: Long snout halfbeaks are livebearers. They have about 30-40 fry and lay them a few at a time for a period of about two weeks.
Interesting fact: Long Snout Halfbeaks are aggressive fish, especially towards each other. In some Asian countries people gamble on fights between male fish, similar to Siamese fighting fish (bettas).
Blue Gourami Care
Common names: blue gourami, three spot gourami
Scientific Name: Trichogaster trichopterus
Origin: Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam
Life-span: 4 years
Size: 4 inches
Temperature: 72° to 82°F (22 to 28°C)
Food: varied diet of flake food, bloodworms, tubifex, brine shrimp, frozen foods, guppy fry
Care: The blue gourami is a peaceful community fish, although it will eat very small fish like guppy fry. Generally, if a fish is too big to be swallowed whole by the gourami, it is safe to keep it in the same tank. Blue gouramis enjoy a planted aquarium. They also need plenty of room to swim.
Sexing: Male blue gouramis have longer dorsal fins that come to a point. Females have a rounder, plumper belly.
Breeding: The blue gourami is an egg laying fish that uses bubble nests. To condition the fish for breeding, separate them. Feed them a varied diet and I've had success feeding them betta pellets and frozen food. After a week of conditioning, put them in the same tank. The male will build a bubble nest. The female will lay up to 1000 eggs and they will pick them up in their mouth and spit them into the bubble nest on the surface.
The female should now be separated. The male guards the eggs until they are hatched. Sometimes the male will spit spouts of water into the bubble nest to keep water circulating around the eggs and prevent them from molding or growing fungus. The eggs will hatch within 2 days and you can remove the male from the tank. The fry love newly hatched brine shrimp.
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| Blue Gourami, photo from Flickr Creative Commons, user Brian.Gratwicke |
Scientific Name: Trichogaster trichopterus
Origin: Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam
Life-span: 4 years
Size: 4 inches
Temperature: 72° to 82°F (22 to 28°C)
Food: varied diet of flake food, bloodworms, tubifex, brine shrimp, frozen foods, guppy fry
Care: The blue gourami is a peaceful community fish, although it will eat very small fish like guppy fry. Generally, if a fish is too big to be swallowed whole by the gourami, it is safe to keep it in the same tank. Blue gouramis enjoy a planted aquarium. They also need plenty of room to swim.
Sexing: Male blue gouramis have longer dorsal fins that come to a point. Females have a rounder, plumper belly.
Breeding: The blue gourami is an egg laying fish that uses bubble nests. To condition the fish for breeding, separate them. Feed them a varied diet and I've had success feeding them betta pellets and frozen food. After a week of conditioning, put them in the same tank. The male will build a bubble nest. The female will lay up to 1000 eggs and they will pick them up in their mouth and spit them into the bubble nest on the surface.
The female should now be separated. The male guards the eggs until they are hatched. Sometimes the male will spit spouts of water into the bubble nest to keep water circulating around the eggs and prevent them from molding or growing fungus. The eggs will hatch within 2 days and you can remove the male from the tank. The fry love newly hatched brine shrimp.
Memorialize Your Pet Fish in RIP Fish Forum
I was browsing the internet today and found an interesting forum. Fishchannel.com has a forum and one of the topics is named "R.I.P." and it's a place to leave a note about your pet fish when it passes away. It's the first forum of its kind that I've seen and I found it interesting, so I thought I would share it with my readers!
People say that fish aren't real pets, but I disagree. Some people become very attached to their pet fish, and you can tell from some of the posts in this forum.
http://board.fishchannel.com/Forum29-1.aspx
People say that fish aren't real pets, but I disagree. Some people become very attached to their pet fish, and you can tell from some of the posts in this forum.
http://board.fishchannel.com/Forum29-1.aspx
Clown Loach Care
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| Clown Loaches photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons user lindsay sorensen |
Origin: Indonesia, Borneo
Life-span: over 20 years
Temperature: 77° to 83°F (22 to 30°C)
Food: Flake food, bloodworms, tubifex, brine shrimp, algae wafers, frozen foods, vegetables like cucumber, zucchini, and peas
Care: Clown loaches like aquariums with live plants, driftwood, and rocks. They like to hide but also swim out in the open. Many people have a single clown loach in their aquarium, but the clown loach is actually a schooling fish and should be kept in groups of at least three. A major bonus of having a clown loach is that they eat snails! If you buy live plants you may inherit a snail problem and the clown loach is a great remedy.
The clown loach can get quite large, 12-13 inches. Don't be fooled by the size they are sold at in pet stores. Keep this in mind before purchasing a school of clown loaches. However, despite their gigantic size, they are a very peaceful fish and do great even with small fish like guppies.
One of my clown loaches constantly swims upside down. It alarmed me at first because I though it was sick, but I've now had them over a year and they are healthy as can be. It is also said that the clown loach emits a clicking noise, but I've never heard mine make the noise so I can't describe it personally. (Mine are only about five inches so maybe they aren't big enough!) If you have any insight on this please feel free to leave a comment!
Sexing: Females are plumper and males are more slender
Jack Dempsey Cichlid Care
Scientific Name: Rocio octofasciata
Origin: Central America, Honduras, Guatemala
Life-span 5 years
Temperature: 77° to 82°F (22 to 30°C)
Food: Flake food, bloodworms, tubifex, brine shrimp, guppies, frozen foods. They are a carnivore so they prefer animal-based food
Care: Jack Dempsey cichlids are more aggressive than most fish. They can grow to 10-12 inches long but generally only get around 9 or 10 inches in aquariums. I would recommend not putting live plants in the aquarium because Jack Dempseys will rearrange the aquarium however they want! I've commonly had mine pile all of the gravel up to the front of the tank! They enjoy places to hide and swim in and out of.
Darker gravel will bring out their colors. If you use light colored gravel the Jack Dempsey will be very light colored and dull. A minimum of 20 gallons is needed for a Jack Dempsey. They don't play well with other fish so be careful about mixing species.
Sexing: Females tend to have more blue on their faces and their spots occur all over their face, while males colored spots generally stop about halfway down their head. Some say you can tell by the shape of the fins but I have found many exceptions to this rule.
I have two juvenile Jack Dempseys, photos to come soon!
Origin: Central America, Honduras, Guatemala
Life-span 5 years
Temperature: 77° to 82°F (22 to 30°C)
Food: Flake food, bloodworms, tubifex, brine shrimp, guppies, frozen foods. They are a carnivore so they prefer animal-based food
Care: Jack Dempsey cichlids are more aggressive than most fish. They can grow to 10-12 inches long but generally only get around 9 or 10 inches in aquariums. I would recommend not putting live plants in the aquarium because Jack Dempseys will rearrange the aquarium however they want! I've commonly had mine pile all of the gravel up to the front of the tank! They enjoy places to hide and swim in and out of.
Darker gravel will bring out their colors. If you use light colored gravel the Jack Dempsey will be very light colored and dull. A minimum of 20 gallons is needed for a Jack Dempsey. They don't play well with other fish so be careful about mixing species.
Sexing: Females tend to have more blue on their faces and their spots occur all over their face, while males colored spots generally stop about halfway down their head. Some say you can tell by the shape of the fins but I have found many exceptions to this rule.
I have two juvenile Jack Dempseys, photos to come soon!
Zebra Danio/Zebrafish Care
Fish Name: zebra danio/zebrafish
Scientific Name: Danio rerio
Origin: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar
Life-span 5 year
Temperature: 65 to 78°F
Food: Flake food, bloodworms, tubifex, brine shrimp
Care: The zebra danio is a schooling fish so get at least three of them (I recommend at least five) so that they can school. They generally swim in schools around the middle and top of the aquarium. They breed like crazy and watching them spawn playfully is very entertaining. However, they eat their eggs. If you are interested in breeding your zebra danios, put them in a tank of at least five gallons with marbles lining the bottom so that they can't reach the eggs to eat them. Remove the danios after seeing them spawn or after 24 hours. As long as you have at least one fertile male and female in the tank, you SHOULD have eggs. Sexing zebra danios is difficult. The males are slender and females tend to have a larger belly.
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| Zebra Danio photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons User bob_jenkins |
Origin: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar
Life-span 5 year
Temperature: 65 to 78°F
Food: Flake food, bloodworms, tubifex, brine shrimp
Care: The zebra danio is a schooling fish so get at least three of them (I recommend at least five) so that they can school. They generally swim in schools around the middle and top of the aquarium. They breed like crazy and watching them spawn playfully is very entertaining. However, they eat their eggs. If you are interested in breeding your zebra danios, put them in a tank of at least five gallons with marbles lining the bottom so that they can't reach the eggs to eat them. Remove the danios after seeing them spawn or after 24 hours. As long as you have at least one fertile male and female in the tank, you SHOULD have eggs. Sexing zebra danios is difficult. The males are slender and females tend to have a larger belly.
Red Finned Shark/Rainbow Shark/Ruby Shark Care
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| Red Finned Shark |
Scientific Name: Epalzeorhynchos frenatum
Origin: Thailand and other areas in southeast area
Temperature: 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit
Food: Flake food, algae, bloodworms, tubifex, brine shrimp
Care: The red finned shark or rainbow shark can grow to 6-7 inches. It likes a pH of 6.5-7. They tend to hover around the bottoms scavenging for food with their whiskers. They enjoy a planted aquarium and swimming under and around rocks, wood and plants. They are general peaceful but can get aggressive of other rainbow/red-finned sharks.
Sexing these freshwater fish involves looking at their anal fins. Males have black lines on these fins and tend to be thinner than females. Breeding is difficult. They are egg scatterers and will eat their eggs so remove the parents after spawning.
Video of Red Finned Sharks:
Video of Red Finned Sharks:
Neon Tetra Care
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| Neon Tetra |
Scientific Name: Paracheirodon innesi
Origin: Columbia, Peru, Brazil
Temperature: 75-85 degree Fahrenheit
Food: Brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms, tubifex, plant matter, algae, flake food
Care: Neon tetras are mid-level schooling fish so they do best in groups of three or more. They enjoy a planted aquarium with hiding spots. Neon tetra can live 5-10 years. Sexing neon tetras is easier when you have a group of males and females. Male tetras tend to be slimmer and have a straight blue line. Females tend to have larger bellies and the blue line is bent due to their larger frame.
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Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons user Leino88 |
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Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons user MotoClub4AG |
Fancy Guppy Care
Scientific Name: Poecilia reticulata
Origin: Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Virgin Islands, Barbados,
Temperature:75-80 degrees Fahrenheit
Food: Guppies eat flake food, algae, newly hatched brine shrimp, and tubifex.
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| Male Fancy Guppy |
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| Pregnant Female Fancy Guppy |
Images courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons. Users: Tartaruga33, threefingeredlord, wwarby
Video of female fancy guppy giving birth:
Betta Care
Fish Name: Betta
Scientific Name: Betta splendens
Care: Bettas are commonly sold in tiny jars and containers. THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR THEM! Get them a real tank! You cannot keep more than one male together; otherwise they will fight to the death. This is how they get the name “Siamese fighting fish”. They grow 2-3 inches long and live 2-3 years. Males have larger fins. When mating, the male builds a bubble nest on the surface, fertilizes the female’s eggs, and then uses his mouth to place the eggs in the bubble nest at the surface. The eggs hatch in 2-3 days and the fry remain in the nest another couple days. The male guards the nest until the babies leave it.
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| Betta |
Scientific Name: Betta splendens
Origin: Cambodia, Thailand
Temperature: 75-80 degrees
Food: Betta pellets, brine shrimp, bloodworms
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| Betta splendens |
Angelfish Care
Fish Name: Angelfish
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| Angelfish |
Scientific Name: Pterophyllum eimekei/scolare
Origin: Amazon River
Temperature: 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit
Food: Mosquito larvae, flake food, bloodworms, brine shrimp
Care: Angelfish are very nice looking fish that can grow up to 12 inches in height and 5 ½ inches in length. Due to this, they do well in deeper aquariums. These lovely fish can live 10-12 years. They prefer to live in slower-moving water and should either be kept singly or in groups of three or more.
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Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons user Cliff0066 |
Sexing angelfish is difficult until they are ready to spawn. Both have a papilla that develops between the anal and ventral fin. The papilla of a female is larger.
Do Fish Sleep?
Fish do not sleep like we do, but they do exhibit behavior that is sleep-like. Fish don't have eyelids that close so they do not close their eyes. However, at night you will notice that their movement slows and also their breathing slows. They pick a spot, usually out of the current, and remain relatively stationery. Fish never completely zone out of their environment though. They can sense movement in the water and remain guarded and on the lookout for predators. Fish also use their keen sense of smell and taste at night.
Aquariums and Supplies
Choosing Your Aquarium
The general rule for the number of fish you can keep in a freshwater aquarium is one inch of fish to every square inch of surface area in your fish tank. Others say it is one inch of fish for every gallon. Either way, if you already know what types and quantities of fish you would like to keep in your aquarium, keep the number and their maximum size in mind when choosing your aquarium.
You will need to buy a hood for your aquarium so that fish can't jump out of your aquarium. (Yes, they can jump out of the water!) Most hoods contain a light, and if your doesn't, you will need to purchase a light. You should plan on making sure that your aquarium is lit about 10 hours a day for fish and plants to thrive.
Location
There are several things to keep in mind when choosing the location of your aquarium. Here are some tips:
Don't place an aquarium in front of a window or anywhere that gets direct sunlight. This can cause unwanted fluctuations in temperature, evaporation, and excessive algae growth.
Keep it away from moving objects. For example, a playroom for kids who play with balls or throw things around probably isn't a great location for obvious reasons.
You will need an outlet(s) close enough to your aquarium to be able to plug things in like the light, heater, and filter.
Make sure your aquarium is easily viewed. After all, it's the whole point in setting up an aquarium, right?
Heaters
You will need a heater to maintain the temperature in your aquarium. Most tropical freshwater fish need to be kept around 75 or 76 degrees Fahrenheit. However, this is not true for all species like koi or goldfish, so research the temperatures required by the fish you intend to purchase. Most heaters have adjustable thermostats. Find one that includes suction cups for ease of placing in the aquarium.
Gravel
Most aquariums should include 1 1/2 to 3 inches of gravel. Some fish prefer sand. Research what types of gravel the fish you intend to purchase prefer.
The general rule for the number of fish you can keep in a freshwater aquarium is one inch of fish to every square inch of surface area in your fish tank. Others say it is one inch of fish for every gallon. Either way, if you already know what types and quantities of fish you would like to keep in your aquarium, keep the number and their maximum size in mind when choosing your aquarium.
You will need to buy a hood for your aquarium so that fish can't jump out of your aquarium. (Yes, they can jump out of the water!) Most hoods contain a light, and if your doesn't, you will need to purchase a light. You should plan on making sure that your aquarium is lit about 10 hours a day for fish and plants to thrive.
Location
There are several things to keep in mind when choosing the location of your aquarium. Here are some tips:
Don't place an aquarium in front of a window or anywhere that gets direct sunlight. This can cause unwanted fluctuations in temperature, evaporation, and excessive algae growth.
Keep it away from moving objects. For example, a playroom for kids who play with balls or throw things around probably isn't a great location for obvious reasons.
You will need an outlet(s) close enough to your aquarium to be able to plug things in like the light, heater, and filter.
Make sure your aquarium is easily viewed. After all, it's the whole point in setting up an aquarium, right?
Heaters
You will need a heater to maintain the temperature in your aquarium. Most tropical freshwater fish need to be kept around 75 or 76 degrees Fahrenheit. However, this is not true for all species like koi or goldfish, so research the temperatures required by the fish you intend to purchase. Most heaters have adjustable thermostats. Find one that includes suction cups for ease of placing in the aquarium.
Gravel
Most aquariums should include 1 1/2 to 3 inches of gravel. Some fish prefer sand. Research what types of gravel the fish you intend to purchase prefer.
Choosing Between A Freshwater or Saltwater Setup
Both freshwater and saltwater aquariums are very pleasing to keep, but there are some differences in the types of fish and maintenance that you need to know about when making the decision on which type of aquarium to setup.
Freshwater Aquariums
This blog is dedicated to freshwater fish so I must admit that I'm a little partial to freshwater aquariums. Freshwater aquariums are a great choice for beginners. The most common fish come from Asia, Africa, and South America. Most are fairly inexpensive and readily available, however there are some varieties that are harder to find and more expensive. There is work involved in maintaining the aquarium and water quality, but it is pretty easy to learn.
Saltwater Aquariums
Saltwater fish are found in the oceans, with the most popular fish coming from coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the Caribbean. These fish can be very colorful and exotic, but require a little more work than freshwater fish. Saltwater fish are very susceptible to fluctuations in water quality, so the water conditions need to be monitored very closely. Saltwater fish tend to be more expensive which makes monitoring you water that much more important.
Freshwater Aquariums
This blog is dedicated to freshwater fish so I must admit that I'm a little partial to freshwater aquariums. Freshwater aquariums are a great choice for beginners. The most common fish come from Asia, Africa, and South America. Most are fairly inexpensive and readily available, however there are some varieties that are harder to find and more expensive. There is work involved in maintaining the aquarium and water quality, but it is pretty easy to learn.
Saltwater Aquariums
Saltwater fish are found in the oceans, with the most popular fish coming from coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the Caribbean. These fish can be very colorful and exotic, but require a little more work than freshwater fish. Saltwater fish are very susceptible to fluctuations in water quality, so the water conditions need to be monitored very closely. Saltwater fish tend to be more expensive which makes monitoring you water that much more important.
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