Oscar - Aquarium Fish

I have written several aquarium-related posts/articles on here, and this is the only one that involves a fish, plant or aspect of this aquatic hobby that I actually have no experience in. I've never owned an Oscar. I've never wanted one, and will most likely never buy one. However, this is a very popular fish for home aquariums.
Please Note: The Oscar that is depicted in this post is a little baby one, as they get much bigger than that!

Personally, I don't like them for community tanks because they will literally eat almost any fish that they can get inside their greedy mouth. I have talked to some experienced tank owners in the past that had them before, and about the only good thing I've heard was about how they are one of the smartest aquarium fish you will commonly see.  I think they mainly say that because they often stare at the owners in anticipation of food, but does that really signify intelligence? Then again, I suppose that awareness is a sign of intelligence albeit when related to hunger, it's not a very keen marker for such things. Speaking of that, they can grow quite large, as well. I just read that they can get up to 3.5 pounds. Hell, they are often sold as a food fish in South America, where they naturally reside.

The Oscar is a species from the Cichlid family. If you'd rather read about African Cichlids (I've actually owned several of those before), feel free to visit my recent post, here: http://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/african-cichlids-aquarium-fish.html

Anyway, many people are proud of their Oscars. It must be a macho guy thing or something, you know, to hear stuff like: "Man, I got the baddest Oscar in the world. Dude, it like totally ate my Betta fish the other day. It is so cool; I'm going to drop some crawdads in there today and watch him tear them to pieces." LOL! I've heard stuff like that before. It reminds me of the guys that brag about how tough their dog is, blah, blah! Maybe there is some compensation going on, not sure... Ha!

At any aquatic rate, if you'd prefer a large rocky tank with just a couple big Oscars and perhaps a big scavenger fish like a Pleco to accompany them, then this may be the best choice for you. If you'd rather read about a Pleco, go here: http://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/plecostomus-aquarium-fish-giant-algae.html
I would much rather have a tank full of variety and fish with tropical colors, than a small group of hungry swimming pigs. Hey, if I resort to that, I'll just get a pond out back and stock it with bass and catfish, as I'll be eating those!

Image Credit: It is in the Public Domain and is not under copyright protection.

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African Cichlids - Aquarium Fish

To some people, there is only one type of freshwater fish worth having in your aquarium, and that is the African Cichlids. However, I don't believe that, as I always liked a decent variety in my tanks, but some people are literally obsessed with these aggressive little bastards nonetheless. I've owned a few of these over the years, and I must say that they are one of the more intelligent types of fish to own.

Most of the African Cichlids I owned, acted like they were starving most of the time, no matter how much I fed them. Some of them will actually watch you through the glass, come up to the top, and/or basically beg for food via slight gestures - anytime you walk by the tank. Yes, they are bad about staring. When I had a couple tanks in my bedroom, my girlfriend that would come over at the time, would always want me to cut their lights off because they kept looking at her - or so she said; ha-ha! Oh, please don't put these Cichlids in small tanks. The smallest tank I've had them in was a 29 gallon (tall) tank. Most of them only grow 4 to 6 inches long, but still, they need room to play!

There are over 1,200 species in the Cichlidae family, with most of them coming from the Tanganyika and Malawai Lakes of central Africa. The first one depicted above, is called the Bumblebee Cichlid. I've only owned one of those before, and it was utterly beautiful. I've had the other ones that are shown here, including some that I couldn't find photos of.

Some people believe that African Cichlids should only be kept with their own kind, outside of a few scavengers you may be required to have. However, I've had them in community tanks without too much trouble. I have had to separate a few of them before, though, by putting them in another tank by their self for a day or two. When I would put them back into the community tank, they would generally have a new attitude. Yes, they have major attitude problems, at times. It is not uncommon for one to try and be "king of the tank." This can be problematic. The power/reign of each fish is often short-lived, as they seem to rotate who is "the boss." They get rough, too, and have been known to kill each other. It happens, but what can I say? Humans are bad about fighting with each other, too.

Oh, make sure you have enough gravel in your tank if you have several African Cichlids in there. I say that, because they love to dig and play in the gravel. They can totally transform the decorations and gravel arrangements in your tank, in a matter of a couple hours, if motivated. I've came home from work before and basically said: "Who in the hell re-done my tank? Is this even the same aquarium?" LOL!

Well, I could babble about these cool fish for several more minutes, but I guess I need to stop right here before it gets too long. Cheers!

Image Credits: The first image was from Wikimedia Commons. Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cichlid
The other images were from Bing Image Search using the 'free to use & share' function.

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Gold Gourami - Aquarium Fish

When it comes to the labyrinth fishes (the ones that have an auxiliary set of lungs to help their gills out), the Betta may be the most popular, but I've always preferred the Gold Gourami for this category. They are also bubblenest builders, which is a method they use to provide a nest for their fry via blowing bubbles at the surface. These types of fish can live in small spaces as well, since they can literally come up for air; but, just like the Bettas, I always supplied them with a decent-sized fish tank. If I had to use the word 'cute' to describe the behavior for a certain fish, I would, for this one.

They are so timid and friendly towards most other fishes, as they make for an excellent addition to the common community tanks that have a diverse population (excluding the extra aggressive fish). They have a good appetite, too. Some people claim that they can be aggressive towards certain types of fish with long fins, but I've never had a problem with them. The most popular one out of all the gourami fish is most likely the Blue Gourami (a.k.a. 3-spot Gourami). There are other variations of this type, but like I said, the Gold Gourami is my favorite for this particular class of fish. Because of their capacity to breathe atmospheric oxygen, the gourami, like the betta, can withstand less-than-ideal tank conditions in the form of overcrowding albeit you should never constantly keep them in poor conditions. I have had one killed before by another fish, but it was a complete accident. A big bala shark got scared during the middle of the night and darted into the corner of the tank and busted a plump Gold Gourami right in its side. Other than that, I have never had any trouble keeping them alive.

Image Credit: Google Advanced Image Search using the 'free to use & share' function.

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Tiger Barbs - Aquarium Fish

This is another excellent addition for most community aquariums, as they generally do well with a large variety of fish. The Tiger Barbs are a dedicated "group fish," though, and things can change in a bad way if they are kept in a community tank only as a pair or as an individual. Actually, they need to be in groups of 5 or more, in my opinion. The reason for this, is that they are pesky little devils and are notorious for being fin-nippers and whatnot. Slow moving fish like the Gouramis and Bettas, for example, may not take too kindly to a bored Tiger Barb that doesn't have many friends. Let's just say, that your pretty little Betta may be minus most of its fins, in a couple of days; ha!

In general, when you have a nice school of Tiger Barbs, they will spend the majority of their time playing with each other as opposed to acting like little mini piranhas. Much like the Giant Danio fish, they are extremely active and help add life and motion to any fish tank that has a respectable size. The tiger barbs are small and usually don't grow much past 2 inches long. The second picture I used for this post, shows the green tiger barbs albeit I still like the common tiger barbs the best. Overall, this type of tropical fish is quite hardy. Oh, if you do have a highly competitive community tank full of aggressive fish, don't worry about the tiger barbs not being able to compete for food. They are so nimble and quick, as they can snatch up food particles like a vacuum. Hmm, I've seen humans like that before; LOL!

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_barb

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Giant Danio - Aquarium Fish

On this post, I'm talking about a very active, busy fish known as the Giant Danio.

Now, unlike a lot of tropical fish, this one isn't known for being attractive and colorful. They are like the busy-bees of the tank. It is almost required and/or it is a necessity that you only buy these in groups of 3 or 4 or more. They truly are a 'group fish' (sort of like how the Tiger Barbs do best in groups) and they will be extremely sad and depressed if they are kept in solitude. Seriously, they will only stick to their own kind and that is just the way they roll. To me, they look more like a creek minnow, but unlike a common minnow, they prefer warm waters (tropical fish; duh!).

They are a close relative to the Zebrafish and the Pearl Danio, but that is neither here nor there. These swimming fanatics swim constantly. Back and forth, back and forth... In fact, the ones I had seemed to never sleep, for the most part. It didn't matter if it was in the middle of the night with the lights off, while all the other fish in my community tank were sleeping, they would be consistently making their laps. The point is, they can fill the activity gap in a community tank that is full of variety. Have you ever seen a boring, lifeless fish tank full of lazy fish before? Well, not if you have Giant Danios in there! They are excellent jumpers, too. They hit the food almost as soon as it lands on the water surface, sort of like a cold-water bass. I can't count the amount of times they have splashed water on me when I was feeding the fish. Crazy bastards; ha!

The textbook lifespan for the Giant Danios often state that they only live a couple of years, but that is wrong. I've had them live for several years, even to the point to where they became hump back. Bottom Line: They are not the prettiest fish, but they are one of the more active ones; cheers!

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_danio

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Corydoras - Aquarium Fish - Bottom Feeder

This cool fish is a tropical catfish in the armored catfish family and is the best bottom feeder I have ever had for my freshwater aquariums. As you know, any uneaten food particles collect at the bottom of your fish tank and if they are not consumed, they will literally rot and make your water cloudy and polluted. Of course, if you have a well-established aquarium there should be enough healthy bacteria in there to prevent the cloudy water, within reason, but it will still ultimately raise your nitrate and nitrite levels in a hurry.

This is why it is important to have a certain number of scavengers and bottom feeders in your community aquariums. The Bala Sharks I have previously written about are not generally praised for being scavengers, but they also go around with their sucker-like mouths at the bottom of the tank while keeping your gravel clean - especially when they are hungry in between feeding times, but the Corydoras are the best at this that I've seen. This is all they do besides sleep and lay the occasional set of eggs. They are busy little catfishes, to say the least. I do recommend some type of shelter, big rocks, plants, or cave for them because they prefer to sleep under stuff.

That reminds me, the Corydoras are often called Cories, Cory Cats and/or Cory Catfish. There are various types of them, but they all look fairly similar between each species. As a side note, they are best kept in pairs, at the very least.  I would not just buy one of them, as they really appreciate companionship with their own kind. I had two in my community tank for years, and they always stuck together, like two peas in a pod. Ha!

Anyway, if you have a decent-sized tank that requires multiple feedings throughout the day, don't forget to add these excellent bottom feeders to your aquarium. They can save you many water changes over time; cheers!

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corydoras

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Plecostomus - Aquarium Fish - Giant Algae Eater

When it comes to freshwater aquariums and problems with algae growth within your tank, the Plecostomus makes the need for magnetic glass cleaners obsolete. This is by far the best microscopic scavenger you will ever find. This giant algae eater, commonly called the Pleco, is a sucker catfish that is native to the Central and South American fresh waters. They are not even in the same league as those little Chinese Algae Eaters (never liked them anyway), as these Plecostomus sucker-freaks can not only totally rid your tank from algae, they will basically eat any leftover food you can dish out - including dead fish and/or anything that happens to die overnight; ha!

The negative, when concerning community tanks, is that they really don't have much of a personality, they like to be left alone, and act sort of like a living machine that only sleeps and works/eats with no play. The other shortcomings are not so short, as the fish can often grow too large for a regular tank! I've heard of them growing 2 feet long before, so if you only have a 29-gallon tank or less, for example, you do the math.

They are very hardy/tough, too. I've seen them survive in bad conditions when others have flopped. Not that keeping a tank under poor conditions is recommended, but such things can happen with the slightest mishap and during brief bouts of neglect. At any aquatic rate, if you are looking for a remedy for your algae problems, this is the one you need to add to your aquarium! I mean literally "one," as you will only need 1 per tank and it's not a good idea to add more Plecos for this style of competition in any semi-normal tank; trust me... :)

Update: Evidently, they have a decent lifespan, as well.  I gave one of these away to friend of mine several years ago, and that thing is still alive.  Let me see... I had it for about 4 years, then gave it away. The person I gave it to has now had it for 13 years. Good grief, that means that fish is 17 years old! Maybe it's a record because I just checked on a few sources on the Internet concerning the longevity of this fish and they all say 10 to 15 years in captivity.  Either way, that is pretty good for an aquarium fish, to say the least. ---End of Update

If you are fairly new to the aquarium hobby and would like some beginner tips, visit an old blog post of mine, here: perpendicularity.org/blog/2010/05/04/freshwater-aquariums-a-scenic-decorative-hobby/ [Link is no longer active, but that post has been moved here: "New Tank Syndrome."]

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons - Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loricariidae

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One of the Best Foods for Freshwater Aquariums

This is more or less an opinion post, but out of all the years I had several freshwater aquariums in my home, freeze-dried bloodworms was by far the best food I ever used. Unlike the flake foods, tablets, and pellets, there is not very much waste involved, if any. They don't disintegrate into tiny bits like a lot of fish food does, and you don't have to hope the bottom feeders and scavengers find all of the waste particles buried in the gravel. Actually, if you use freeze-dried bloodworms too often, you will have to feed your scavengers separately, with sinking pellets, algae discs, etc.

Anyway, if you have a community tank with a variety of fish, you can simply tell which foods they like the best by how excited they get during feeding times. The warmer the water gets, the more voracious their appetite becomes, too. Another food that really tickled their fancies, was freeze-dried plankton, but it is mainly for the bigger fish. Even the small fish can consume the bloodworms. Now, I wouldn't recommend solely feeding your fish freeze-dried bloodworms. Like humans, they still need some variety in their diet for optimal health, unless they are strictly algae-eaters, but even some of those still like to eat other things. Another reason is that bloodworms and the freeze-dried plankton I mentioned earlier, are all really high in protein. Some fish do not need to stay on a high protein diet, as their organs may eventually fail. If in doubt, educate yourself about each fish in your tank(s).

At any aquatic rate, flake food is typically well balanced; shrimp pellets and tablets are really messy and require more scavengers and/or water changes, but freeze-dried bloodworms and plankton is the best in my opinion and, if anything, it makes for a good treat for your cold-blooded friends from time to time; cheers!

Image Credit: Fair Use - Product Image. This image is found on various websites and catalogs.

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Shopping (Affiliate) Link: "Click Here for Freeze Dried Bloodworms on Amazon"

The Betta: Siamese Fighting Fish

This is one of the most popular fish for tropical, freshwater aquariums. A lot of people love these splendid creatures! Personally, I only bought a few of them during the years that I was big into fish tanks. I was the oddball, evidently, albeit I just preferred the other fish varieties. When it comes to the Siamese Fighting Fish, they often have this bad reputation for being vicious and aggressive. I have never understood that. The only thing you have to watch, is when you have two males involved/together. It is best to keep the males in separate tanks, but you can have all of the female Betta fish you can comfortably fit into your tanks, with no problems at all. 

I remember being at a store that sold aquarium fish several years back, and this guy came up to the tanks, pointed at the tiny Bettas, then pointed at another tank that had large-sized Koi and Goldfish in there and said, "that little Betta would beat down every fish in there." I almost died laughing at this guy's ignorance, but tried to keep it in. I was just like, "Oh, really. That's nice." I could have told him that I've seen them get their ass handed to 'em by little friendly community fish before, but elected to let it go because I was trying to shop. What a complete moron. Anyway...

The male Betta fish is way more colorful than the females. They have long fins and if you have them in a community tank, it is best not to have little pesky fish like Tiger Barbs in there or they will nip them to death. I know, I've seen it happen before. That reminds me... The biggest thing that bothers me about the Siamese Fighting Fish, is the constant promotion of how they can live in a little cup or bowl. Sure, they can, but would you like to live inside of a little tee-tiny, itty-bitty container?

The reason why they can live in such a small space is because they are a "labyrinth fish," as they have an auxiliary set of lungs to help their gills out. These "lungs" enable the Betta to live in a small receptacle, as they can literally come up for air. They are also bubblenest builders, which is a method they use to provide a nest for their fry via blowing bubbles at the surface. However, my favorite type of labyrinth fish/bubblenest builder is not the Siamese Fighting Fish, though, as I always preferred the Gouramis over them. I'll most likely write a post about the Gourami fish in the future, so that is all I'll say about that for now.

The bottom line: The Betta is a pretty fish that is easily managed and, in my opinion, is overrated. They are just too delicate for my liking, but they would be an excellent starter fish for little kids and tanks that are only 10 gallons or smaller (just not too small!).

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_fighting_fish

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Red-tailed Shark - Aquarium Fish

First of all, whoever named this particular aquarium fish a "shark," must have really been highly imaginative or confused, to say the least. Unlike the tropical fish known as the Bala Shark, the Red-tailed Shark doesn't even remotely resemble such a creature. I'm assuming they got their name because of their somewhat high dorsal fin, but good grief! Anyway, this is a very mild-mannered tropical fish. I have heard before that they can be a bit scrappy amongst each other, but the ones I had in a large community tank always minded their own business. Then again, there were big African Cichlids in the tank to keep everybody on their best behavior, too. Ha!

The red-tailed shark can be dull colored or a deep, rich color. I prefer the dark black ones with the bright red tails, but the one pictured here isn't so hot. If I still had my tanks, I'd take pictures from it. I may try to find some old pics if I can find the data discs around here. At any aquatic rate, this is an excellent fish for community tanks.  They do not get very big, either. I've read that they can grow up to 6 inches long (probably the ones kept in bigger tanks), but the ones I had where more in the 4-inch range. They are not picky eaters, either, which is always a plus. If you allow a decent amount of time in between feeding times, they are fun to watch when they get hungry, as the red-tailed shark will vivaciously scavenge the rocks and the live plants for any microscopic growth or crumbs, which also helps keep your tank clean and looking good.

So, if you're looking for a scavenger-type fish that is not a bottom feeder nor a suckerfish and/or algae eater, that actually has some type of personality, this may be a good choice for your community aquarium. Now, if you're looking for something that has more of the shark look, then the Bala that I linked to at the beginning of this post would be a better option.

Image Credit: Is in the Public Domain and is not under copyright. Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-tailed_black_shark

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Hornwort - Aquarium Plant

In my last post, I mentioned something about having fish for pets and my aquarium hobby. Well, I haven't had any fish tanks in a few years, but for several years I had many of them. At one time, one of my rooms looked like "aqua world." Ha! Anyway, I have a lot of experience with tropical fish and freshwater aquariums, but I used to never write about it for some reason. I may dedicate this month of February to all aquatic topics on this Wildlife & Nature Blog...

Anyway, most folks like plants in their aquarium. However, most people seem to think those fake, plastic plants are the way to go. To have a healthy environment for your fish population, it is an added bonus to include live plants. They not only provide additional oxygen and put less demand on air pumps and bubble makers (aerators), they also provide shelter for young fry, a place to lay eggs, food for some types of fish, and help balance the nitrogen cycle, and so on.

The plant I'm talking about today is called Hornwort. It was my favorite aquatic plant out of all the ones I tried. It grows really fast, has lush green growth, and turns your tank into a jungle if you don't trim it on occasions. You can buy a small amount from an aquarium/aquatic pet supplier, throw it into your tank, and watch it grow. I've had some come in before with snails attached, but they were all consumed by my fish, so it didn't matter. It grows from both ends, and you can trim, cut, and spread it out accordingly. I liked to let mine grow in long strands, as I preferred lots of green growth that wasn't algae.

Hornwort often floats around at the surface, so it does block a good bit of light when it starts getting big. This can be a good thing if you don't have very many algae eaters in your tank, as that will sort of help keep that in check, as well. Another added benefit for having a fast growing plant like Hornwort in your tank, is that when you have to periodically remove a lot of it, you are also removing some of the built-up nitrogen/nitrates that accumulate in your aquarium. Yeah, the waste cycle goes from ammonia to nitrites to the less harmful nitrates, but it is good to keep the cycle flowing for healthy fish. Of course, a good supply of healthy bacteria that is naturally found in established tanks will quickly convert the waste into nitrate, and semi-regular water and filter changes will keep that in check, also.

The one thing you need to watch out for, when you have a tank full of Hornwort, is the pH level. This particular aquarium plant tends to lower your pH, as it pulls the nutrients and trace minerals from the water to sustain its fast growth. Okay, well, I thought I'd share that today, in case anybody is out there searching for a good aquarium plant; cheers!

Image Credit: Using the 'free to use & share' Google Image Search function.

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New Tank Syndrome: Adding Healthy Bacteria to your Aquarium

This will now be a 2-part post since I recently deleted an old website of mine. I've been re-posting articles amid multiple blogs of mine lately, and have combined some posts that are related, etc.

Part 1: "Freshwater Aquariums – A scenic, decorative hobby…"

An aquatic delight, which brings animated beauty that can enliven any home, room or area...

Other than the obvious supplies and fish, what's mainly required is: responsibility, special care, and an ongoing interest in this splendid, creative hobby.

Before you begin…

If you’re new to this, don’t jump right in without giving it some thought. It’s amazing how many people lose interest in a whim, after finding out there is a little effort and care involved. I really think some people believe that an aquarium supposed to just run itself or perhaps, they rely too heavily on others doing the work for them. The fish are confined to a limited water space outside of their natural habitat and they depend on the owner to feed them, clean the tank, change the water, check the PH, replace filters, supply air flow, etc.

On the flip side, successfully operating a single aquarium or multiple aquariums with lots of tropical fish and live plants, can be so easy and fluent that you don’t even consider it to be a chore, just merely fun play and amusement.

But if you are an amateur to aquatics, ask questions to yourself, such as: Do I really have time for this? Do I have too many pets already? Do I really want to change filters with fish waste adhered to them and clean the gravel with a manual vacuum? Can I afford this hobby? If you plan on buying bigger tanks, 29 gallon and up, you better ask yourself if you plan on moving/relocating anytime soon. Take it from me, it is no fun having to transport and reset a tank setup from house to house, but it can be done – if caution is applied. Once a large tank gets established at your residence, especially if you have a lot of stock swimming around, it is a delicate process to relocate them.

What you need for a Freshwater Aquarium…

Basic supplies, besides the actual aquarium, fish, and the optional live plants, include: gravel/rocks, decorative items [semi-optional] of your choice (caves, ornaments, fake plants, etc.), depending on the water flow from your filters – you may need an aerator with electric pump (to oxygenate the tank), food (flake, pellets, freeze-dried, etc.), medicinal products (optional, but sometimes necessary for parasites, infections, etc. — this can normally be prevented be keeping good water conditions), a filtration unit with replacement filters, PH Test Strips with PH buffers – to maintain a proper acidic/alkaline balance, gravel vacuums/water siphons, magnetic glass cleaners, sea salt (an additive that, when added in small amounts, promotes the health of freshwater fish), a lighting unit/bulb – unless the tank comes with one already supplied, and if you have chlorinated city water, you must definitely get a de-chlorinator/water treatment formula to remove any existing chlorine; use this anytime you add water to your fish tank. Don’t forget the adhesive thermometer; you may need an aquarium heater, especially during the winter months (some tropical fish are more sensitive to cooler temperatures than others). All of these supplies can be found at a local retailer, pet shop or online.

Tips & Advice when first setting up a tank…

Don’t add a bunch of fish all at once. There is a biological process (it slowly transpires) that has to take place, which involves healthy bacteria thriving within the tank, on random substrate, that helps break-down waste material. If you overload your tank before this naturalistic fundamental takes place, you will end up with toxic amounts of ammonia in the tank(s), which can be lethal to the fish. Remember, without good bacteria, your tank’s initial waste accumulates Ammonia, then when enough bacteria has cultured, the bacteria breaks the ammonia down to Nitrites (still harmful) and finally, into a less toxic Nitrate – which can be reabsorbed back into live plants, released into the atmosphere or removed manually by your filter replacements and water changes.

Don’t overfeed your fish; too much waste can build up and cloud the water. To rectify this (New Tank Syndrome), try adding scavengers and bottom feeders to your tank; they will feed off of the excess food and they add a nice touch to the tank.

If you don’t want to clean the glass with a magnetic brush, try adding some algae eaters. They will keep the glass surface spotless, as they regularly scavenge for microscopic growth, etc.

When first setting up your aquarium, after adding fish, ornaments, et cetera, you may notice the water becoming cloudy in a couple days. This is normal; let it clear on its own, naturally. This is simply a bacteria bloom and even though the nitrites may be high, it should taper down over the next several days into less harmful nitrates. But, during this crucial setup (as mentioned before), be careful not to overfeed or add too many fish. A crowded tank may look appealing, but it is not healthy for the inhabitants.

If this seems quaint or unfamiliar, I’d purchase a simple Beginners Guide/Book for aquariums and tropical fish. Once you get the basics, the rest is trial & error.

Closure…

This subject is so vast, it would require separate pages that specifically target certain aspects of Aquaria. If you have specific questions, there is a ‘comment field’ below.

This can be a very scenic, decorative piece to add to any residence or area.

Lastly, there is another, more complex aquatic hobby that requires more preciseness, that being Saltwater Aquariums.

But for beginners, I’d recommend freshwater fish for the meantime, and maybe eventually work your way up to the big boys – if desired.

Additional Reading Material:

A while back I started a Wildlife & Nature blog.  Recently, I just finished an aquatic series dedicated to freshwater aquariums, fish, plants, etc.   You can find that material in the February Archive, located here:  http://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015_02_01_archive.html

—End of Part 1: “Freshwater Aquariums – A scenic, decorative hobby…"

Part 2: "New Tank Syndrome: Adding Healthy Bacteria to your Aquarium"

For the ones that are new to the aquarium hobby, you may inadvertently find out about an aquatic condition some people call "new tank syndrome." Unfortunately, it can be lethal to the more sensitive fish, but it can easily be avoided.

Anyway, when you first set up a fish tank, everything is obviously fresh. There is no waste, no fish, etc. Well, this also means that there are no bacteria present in the water (in most cases), as well. Not all bacteria is bad, and an established aquarium should always have an abundant supply of healthy bacteria, of course. Well, after you get all your primary components, gravel, air pump, water filters, etc., it is time to start adding some fish. When you start adding these little creatures and start feeding them, the waste will begin to accumulate. If you add too many fish early on and/or start overfeeding them, your ammonia levels can soar to unsafe levels. In due time, ammonia-eating bacteria will form and turn this into another harmful substance called Nitrite. Hopefully the nitrite will not hang around too long, and the nitrite-eating bacteria will soon appear. When they do show up, they will change the nitrite into a much safer nitrate. 

You can easily remove a lot of the nitrate that builds up by performing periodic water changes albeit most fish can handle high nitrate levels. Another way to naturally remove nitrate is to have live plants in the tank, as they will use the nitrates for nutrients and growth. Then, as you trim or remove the excess plant growth over time, you will also be removing the nitrates they absorbed during the process.

Outside of sheer neglect and ignorance, most of the premature deaths of aquarium fish happen early on, in a new tank, with a beginner hobbyist. Oh, I forgot to mention: Even if you do everything right and only add a small number of fish and feed sparingly, it is totally normal to have a cloudy tank in a couple days after first setting it up. Do not change the water when this happens, as this is called a "bacteria bloom." Yeah, the stuff you need. Eventually, the healthy bacteria will find various types of substrate and settle, colonize, and so on. A lot of the bacteria will thrive in the water filter housing and the water filter itself, along with the gravel and other objects in the tank. I'm not getting into vacuum pumps for gravel cleaning or the best types of filtration today, so let's move on.

Okay, so here is the main point of this post: If you are unsure and impatient when it comes to slowly building up your community fish tank, they do make a product just for you. Depicted above, is a product that contains live, healthy bacteria. It helps prevent ammonia and nitrite build-up and allows you to add more fish early on, without having to worry as much about the "new tank syndrome." This product comes highly recommended.  After your tank gets established, you shouldn't need to use this product anymore.

Anyway, I hope this post helps a few people that are just starting out in this aquatic hobby; cheers!

Shopping (Affiliate) Link:  "Click Here for this 'Safe Start' Aquarium Product from Amazon"

---End of Part 2

Image Credit: Fair Use - Amazon.com - Product Image is found on various websites and catalogs throughout the globe.

---End of Post "New Tank Syndrome: Adding Healthy Bacteria to your Aquarium"

Livebearers - Aquarium Fish

Without going into detail, livebearers (also known as live-bearing aquarium fish) don't lay eggs like most fish, as they actually have some penile insertion going on, also known as sexual intercourse. These can be some of the cheapest, most colorful fish you may ever acquire for your freshwater aquarium. I say that because many times you will just need one male and a female or two of each livebearer species, and the next thing you know, you'll have an entire tank full of tropical bliss.

Most livebearers have one distinct habit that makes them seem rather ferocious when compared to the rest of the common aquarium fish, as they have the tendency to eat their own young. Yikes! Anyway, if a person had the supplies, the space and the public demand for such things, you could make a living selling these things with no problem at all. Yeah, but it don't generally work that way anymore. For one, most people will prefer a wide variety of fish (mostly egg layers - which are harder to breed in captivity) and, with the fish business, the losses and liabilities often pack a big wallop against the total profits, to say the least. But forget the business side of it for now, as we are talking about aquarium fish for the hobbyist.

Livebearers are an excellent fish for the beginner. The most popular livebearer I can think of, is the Guppy. 2nd on the list would be the Platies/Platys. Coming in at a close 3rd would be the Swordtails and the Mollies would bring up the rear at number 4, in my opinion, as the most popular livebearers in freshwater aquariums. Depicted above, will be those very fish I just mentioned in that order. They come in all types of different colors, which is another reason they are so cool to breed.  You will get to see all the different colors mix and match from generation to generation.

I once knew a guy that kept a turtle in his tank, and he had so many livebearers in there that he never had to feed the turtle. The turtle would keep the population in check and they would reproduce at about the same rate they got consumed; ha!

Image Credit: Public Domain & Wikimedia Commons. Source = Wikipedia

---End of Post "Livebearers - Aquarium Fish"

Bala Shark - Aquarium Fish

This will now be a 2-part post since I recently deleted an old website of mine. I've been re-posting articles amid multiple blogs lately, and have combined some posts that are related, etc. In this case, the first part will be about a feign aquatic shark and the second part will be about the real deal: the oceanic sharks and how we need to keep their population thriving, etc.

Part 1: "Bala Shark - Aquarium Fish"

The Bala Shark, scientifically called the "Balantiocheilos melanopterus," also known as the tricolor shark, shark minnow or silver shark, is a tropical fish species of the family Cyprinidae, and is one of the two species in the genus Balantiocheilos. Of course, this particular species is not a true shark (Duh!), but it is commonly called a shark because of its torpedo-shaped body and large fins that resemble such things... Yeah, the movie Jaws now has a real purpose. Not! LOL!

This is one of the most peculiar fish I have ever owned. In fact, it is the only fish I have ever had that managed to bust through the lid of the aquarium and jump out of the water while ultimately landing on the living room floor. In the event you have indoor cats, that is not a good option; ha! When or if you let them get too big for their tank, they are also one of the fish that has a reputation for being "tank busters." As they could ram the inside of your tank so hard, it could possibly crack it.  The good thing is that fish usually only grow in proportion to the dimensions of the aquarium, as small tanks seem to stunt the growth of a lot of fish, but there are exceptions. Hopefully, though, nobody out there would put a big Bala Shark into a small tank, but just saying...

These fish are more nervous than an alcoholic suffering withdrawal symptoms, to say the least! They jump, dart, and flicker around with the slightest vibration. They are good at bottom-feeding since they have a sucker mouth, which helps keep your tank clean. The main emphasis I'm adding here, is the fact that they need a large tank. You really need to put them in a tank no smaller than a 55 gallon, although I've had them temporarily placed in a 29-gallon aquarium before. They love live foods to the fullest and some folks even feed them boiled oatmeal albeit my Bala Sharks always loved freeze-dried brine shrimp the best! Did I mention that they grow really fast? I'd type more about this beautiful aquarium fish, but what's the point?

Image Credit: This work has been released into the public domain by its author. Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bala_shark

---End of Part 1: "Bala Shark - Aquarium Fish"

Part 2: "We need to keep the Shark Population thriving…"

Original Post Date: Sometime during the year 2012.

It really vexes me, when I hear a lot of talk about senseless shark killing for nonsensical products and pills. There are many reasons why we need to keep the shark population thriving, albeit it seems to be on the decline, at the moment. Below, I’ll list a few reasons why these vicious predators and swimming machines help keep the ocean waters clean along with keeping other types of life in check, which all helps to maintain a balanced ecosystem – something that a lot of us humans are always trying to challenge.

With a shark being at the top of the food chain, they affect many different types of life as well as their populations, as you go down the line. I’m sure a lot of you probably think, “well, if we have less sharks, we will just have a few more innocent seals, right?” Wrong! It doesn’t work like that, although, yeah, we would also have a massive boom in the seal population, as well. Okay, for the ones that like to eat fish and shellfish, do you know that would also be affected by a mad decrease in the number of sharks swimming around? No? Well, the reason is simple… Sharks eat other predatory fish that eat other fish. Sharks also consume rays along with other aquatic creatures that feed on shellfish, for example. Once the shark population has suffered too many deaths from the Homo sapiens for their asinine reasons, the clams, scallops and oyster populations (just to name a few) are preyed on heavily by other aquatic life that would normally not be thriving in such large numbers due to getting ate by the, uh, sharks.

For some reason or another, many folks don’t like to refer to sharks as scavengers, albeit their scavenger-like ways help keep the water clean. If something dies, like a squid that floats to the top of the water or whatever, it is not uncommon for a large shark or several small sharks to group up and make a meal out of it. That particular aspect combined with their insatiable appetite, makes me want to label most of them as scavengers, but call ’em what ya want.

Anyway, we have enough problems with overly fishing certain types of commercial fish for human consumption, and about the time we fix one problem we are busy creating bigger ones, it seems. This simple concept about the better management of our shark population, doesn’t stop in the water. Many land mammals that are overly hunted and/or killed for fur, expensive clothing, out of spite, etc., end up causing population explosions elsewhere in the ecosystem that is unwanted and often wreaks havoc for the environment, and so on. For an even better example, I recently read this quote:

“In A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold wrote about one of the apex predators of the west. In his days with the Forest Service there was a mass kill policy for wolves. As a result, deer populations exploded. This led to major overgrazing of mountain vegetation. Erosion and river-choking sedimentation are a couple of the problems associated with overgrazing. Leopold wrote: “I now suspect that just as a deer herd lives in mortal fear of its wolves, so does a mountain live in mortal fear of its deer.” You can read more from that page, here: http://www.clf.org/blog/ocean-conservation/in-honor-of-shark-week-why-i-love-sharks/

Anyway, now that it is obviously apparent that we need to keep the shark population thriving, even with only reading a few out of the many examples, it is time to move on to some of these senseless products that the humanoids like to use sharks for. Oh, but before I start on that, I forgot to mention another thing that bothers me about the ones who try to kill sharks just for spite and/or for pathetic reasons. Ya know, the ones who think they are “protecting” humanity from the Great Whites or the ones who took the movie JAWS a little too serious and are mad that humans get bit and/or killed on occasions from these deadly creatures. One must realize that no matter what, even though it sucks when humans do get killed by sharks, that we are on their territory when we are out surfing or swimming or floating around in the ocean.

Okay, now back to some of the products and uses that come from sharks…

The least ridiculous use of sharks are the ones that at least consume them. I’m not talking about the Shark Fin Soup, either, as we’ll get to that in a minute. Sharks are a common seafood in many places, including Japan and Australia. In India, baby sharks are sold as a food product, as well. However, when it comes to a total waste, I must bring up the Shark Fin Soup. It is common for fishermen to capture live sharks, fin them with a hot metal blade, and dump the fin-less animal back into the water where the immobile shark later dies from suffocation or from other predators. All for a little expensive soup, eh? …The things some people will do to make a lot of money… Utter nonsense…

Anyway, there are many products that are unnecessarily made from sharks, such as certain types of lipstick and skin care products. It is not uncommon for people to sell a shark’s sharp teeth to make necklaces. Some folks use the shark’s skin to adorn certain types of handles, such as a sword handle, for example. There is even a silly demand for their jaws, as well.

Another reason why there has been a shark killing craze over the last several years, is due to all the hype about how shark cartilage can cure cancer. It is funny that they haven’t proved this yet, and further research is showing that, although rare, sharks can get cancer. Either way, we sure got a lot of shark cartilage capsules to sell in the herbal sections throughout the globe now, don’t we? I’m sure there may be some health benefits from taking these non-herbal shark cartilage capsules or extracts, but I’m also sure that with whatever benefit they can find from these pills, it can be matched or triumphed by another extract that is a true herb and grown from the ground. Plus, they have experimented with bovine (cow) cartilage in the past, so why not stick with that? At any rate, I have provided many reasons why we need to keep the shark population thriving as opposed to the direction it is heading now, which is on the decline.

Well, I’ve chattered about this subject a little more than I meant to, but before I end this page, here is one last tidbit: Out of more than 360 species of sharks, at the time I'm writing this, only 4 have been involved in a significant number of fatal, unprovoked attacks on humans: the great white, oceanic whitetip, tiger, and bull sharks.

---End of Part 2: "We need to keep the Shark Population thriving..."

Update (3/15/22): This is just a supplemental tidbit, but when it comes to longevity and low food requirements, Greenland sharks seem to have those two traits down pat. They are typically found in the frigid waters of the Arctic Oceans and North Atlantic, as well as the seas surrounding Greenland. They are a large species (unlike the little aquarium fish that is called "Bala sharks" that are not really a shark) and can grow up to 20 feet long, albeit most are under 15 feet in length. Anyway, going by what I recently read on an article from msn.com, Greenland sharks are one of the longest-lived animals on Earth, and the world's longest living vertebrate. Scientists believe they could live for 500 years. Wow! But to make it even more interesting, they analyzed the data collected during a process of capturing, tagging, installing testing devices, etc., and came to the conclusion that this particular shark would only have to eat 2 to 6 ounces of fish per day to survive at 500 lbs. of bodyweight. Holy crap! That is not very many calories! Yeah, that must be one sluggish, lazy shark! If they really are moving around at that rate with such a slow metabolism, maybe they need to rename the Greenland Shark to Turtle Shark, instead. Ha!

Image Credits: perpendicularity.org/blog/ [Link is no longer active]

---End of Post "Bala Shark - Aquarium Fish"

Salpa Maggiore: See-through Sea Salps

I was just reading an article about how a fisherman stumbled upon a bizarre sea creature swimming close to the surface, in water north of New Zealand. It was see-through and/or translucent, and it evidently threw the guy for a loop (confused him), going by what I read. While being dumbfounded by it all, he captured it. This weird-looking critter was later identified as the Salpa Maggiore, more commonly known as Sea Salps (a.k.a. Sea Grapes). If you'd like to see some cool photos of the Salp in question, go here: www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/bizarre-see-through-sea-creature-baffles-angler/ [unfortunately, this link is no longer active]

Anyway, it reminded me of a post I did earlier, about the ghost shrimp. It is not really that uncommon for certain types of aquatic life to appear to be see-through, though. It pretty much acts as a camouflage for the water, which makes perfect sense when thinking about a nifty defense mechanism for survival along with an easier way to catch prey, etc. Many jellyfishes and hydrozoans have this property, as well. Although it is not totally translucent, a good example of such, is the poisonous "Portuguese Man-of-War." To get a better idea what this sea creature is about, go here: exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-poisonous-portuguese-man-of-war.html

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons - Altered by MS Paint - Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salp

---End of Post "Salpa Maggiore: See-through Sea Salps"

Ghost Shrimp - Transparent Crustacean

After writing a post about the Tire Track Eel (a.k.a. Zig Zag Eel), which was one of the few creatures that didn't make it (survive) in my community tanks, it reminded me of another type of aquatic life that didn't do so well in my aquariums. Have you ever heard of ghost shrimp? Some people also refer to them as glass shrimp, but either way, they are really cool to look at. These little scavengers are transparent crustaceans. Yeah, you can basically see right through them! Just think, when they eat, you can literally see the food work its way through their process of digestion, from one end to other. Well, I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but it is what it is, as they say.

I added a bunch of these to my tanks one time, not realizing how appetizing they would appear to some of the other fish in there; ha! Needless to say, the ghost shrimp may as well have been ghosts, uh, within a couple of hours. LOL! I guess a person would have no problem raising these interesting crustaceans, but only if they are in a tank with tiny little fish and/or not in an aquarium with anything that may consume them.  On a good note, these things are really cheap to buy at pet shops, etc.  I mean really cheap, like 20 or 30 cents each kind of cheap.  So, in a way, if a person wanted to have a separate tank and breed these transparent little things, you could use them for live food for your bigger fish.  Yeah, sort of use them like fish treats and/or light, see-through snacks. Anyway, I posted a few pics of the glass/ghost shrimp in case some of y'all have never seen them before; cheers!

Image Credit: Bing Image Search using the 'free to use & share' function.

---End of Post "Ghost Shrimp - Transparent Crustacean"

Tire Track Eel

This little eel is native to India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia and a few other countries in that area. I first became aware of this cool creature when I was involved with the aquarium hobby. I only had one "tire track eel," but it didn't work out too well. I had that particular tank packed with aggressive eaters and the bottom-dwellers and scavengers took care of the lower section, as well. That type of scenario was especially bad for them, since these types of eels like to dwell close to the bottom and even burrow into the gravel, at times. Basically, I should have never bought the Tire Track Eel, but they are hard to turn down when you have fish tanks. I'm assuming they do well in less competitive tanks...

I would explain how they got their name, but their appearance should be self-explanatory. You know, like it has tire tracks imprinted on it? LOL! Anyway, they are nocturnal for the most part, and they do prefer live foods, going by what I've read.  Going by what little I have seen of them, they definitely seem shy and/or timid. Since they do prefer darkness, it is sort of pointless to have them in a community fish tank. When it comes to common fish foods that a person would typically use for home aquariums, they also seem to be picky eaters. However, if you have a tank with a bunch of tiny fish in it (like the small livebearers known as guppies), I've heard that they will come out and eat them at night; ha! Other than that, I don't really know very much about this eel. I just think they look cool, so I posted it here; cheers!

Update: A few years after I posted this, it seems that the Internet has shifted into calling these little aquatic creatures "Zig-Zag Eels." Uh, okay, I guess... I even changed the Wikipedia link below to reflect that name change. I mean, these eels are also still called "Tire Track," just saying that now it seems their primary, most commonly used name is "Zig Zag."  I guess it doesn't really make a difference because it's just silly semantics. It is what it is, as they say... 

---End of Update

Image Credit: Using the Google Image search with the 'free to use & share' function. The 2nd pic is from Wikimedia Commons. Source = Zig-zag eel - Wikipedia

---End of Post "Tire Track Eel"