http://www.aqua-fish.netTropical freshwater aquarium fish and plants database with articles about aquarium hobby.enhttp://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?what=fish&cur_lang=2&id=84@gabbie: Just make sure that you can feed them Ramshorn snails on a daily basis, and bear in mind that this species requires hard/alkaline water. KH must be at least 4, however 6+ are much better. admin2008-08-16http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?what=fish&cur_lang=2&id=84I think puffer fish are so interesting. I heard that to make a pufferfish blowup into those spike things you have to scare them really badly. I think they are so cute because so of them are really tingabbie2008-08-16http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?what=fish&cur_lang=2&id=63Please help... I have a female platy, she had her fry about a week ago. Went to camp for the week and now that I am home I see that she now looks like a puffer fish... Swelled up like a balloon scalesAnonymous2008-08-16http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?what=fish&cur_lang=2&id=17Hi, I bought a beautiful Betta fish a few weeks ago and I hve enjoyed the experience so much that I would like to buy another one. A friend of mine has two male Bettas side by side in different tanks.Thiago2008-08-16http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?what=fish&cur_lang=2&id=17@Elise: A 40L aquarium is not big enough for them in my experience. I kept 2 (male+female) Bettas in my 42L aquarium and the female was always "under pressure". When I moved them to anothadmin2008-08-16http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?what=fish&cur_lang=2&id=5Even though they`re aggressive, my large electric yellow doesn`t live up to that temperament. He just hides most of the time but when he`s in the open and confronted by my very tiny red zebra cichlid,Luke2008-08-13http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?cur_lang=2&what=article&id=370DIY Aquarium Backgrounds When setting up your new aquarium one of the most popular items to purchase is a nice tank background to set off the look of the tank. But why do we feel the need to add a background to our tanks? Personally speaking I have a few reasons for always adding a nice background. I find all of the wiring and piping from filters, heaters and such like look very unsightly hanging down from the back of the tank. A background will hide all of these instantly and give your tank a nice, neat finish. I have known from the past that sometimes certain fish will be spooked by seeing their reflection in the glass and it can cause them to go into hiding or even stop eating. A nice background is very pleasing to the eye for me and any visitors that may wish to view the tank. When I am setting up a specific biotope the right background ensures that the tank looks as it should depending on which fish I am keeping, a typical example of this is for a Malawi tank where a rocky background falls right into place. Purchasing a background for your tank can sometimes prove to be quite a costly affair, especially when adding a structured background. The easy way around this is to make your own, this task can be done by any fish keeper with a little effort and the finished item looks just as good as any bought background. One of the most common ways of adding a background is to go out and purchase it from a pre designed roll. There are several designs available but these are not always to everyone’s taste. Rather than spend money I have on several occasions simply painted the back glass of the tank with a color that I choose to use, this method looks just as good as any roll design available. Slate can also be used to great effect on the back glass; this gives a darker background which really makes the colors of the fish stand out. The easy way to make this is to cut your slate to size using two pieces so that you can insert it into the tank without having to juggle around the bracing bars. Lay the tank onto its back placing a Styrofoam sheet underneath to protect it, and then all you have to do is stick it into place with aquarium silicon. Leave this for 48 hours so that the silicon will cure properly before moving the tank to its intended position. If you have a lot of patience you can even use rocks that are light, a good example is tuffa rock, to create a really good rock face background with this method. If using tuffa rock then seal the background with clear pond paint or a similar product as it will slowly dissolve if in direct contact with the tank water. For the artistic of us there is a way of making your own sculptured background for a fraction of the price of a purchased one. Basically this design is made from sheets of Styrofoam carved to form the rock shapes, this gives you the artistic license to create whatever rock face you wish. I have found this backing to be very effective in a Malawi set up and with a little imagination the same method can be used to create a mangrove root backing for an Amazonian set up. First thing I did was to measure the foam sheets to give me three sections which would fill out the back of the aquarium, using 3 separate pieces makes life a lot easier when placing the back ground into the tank. On top of my three base sheets irregular smaller pieces of Styrofoam were glued into position with aquarium silicon to give a rough rock face. It is a good idea to place the smaller pieces loose onto the base sheets initially until you are happy with the design. Once the smaller pieces are fixed into position, leave them for at least 12 hours to allow the silicon to cure. At this stage it is necessary to cut grooves into the background to allow for the installation of heaters and a hole will need to be cut for the inlet and outlet pipes of the filter. Doing this now saves a lot of time at a later stage plus if mistakes are made they can easily be covered over. The Styrofoam will still not look very realistic at this time, but this is where the clever bit comes in. To mould the foam into a smoother surface that will actually look like rocks, heat will need to be applied to lightly melt the foam into a smoother surface. In my case I used a miniature blow torch that I had saved from my modeling days, a larger blow torch can be used but take care not to apply too much heat. Now you have a gleaming white rock faces, not very natural looking but getting there. Using a non toxic stone colored paint; highlight the rocks trying to use a darker shade for the indentations to give a better effect. If you don’t want to use paint then sand can be used for the top coat, this is held in place by spreading silicon all over the surface and then laying the background onto a tray full of the chosen media. The whole background, front and back, needs to be water proofed. I found the easiest way to do this was to use some left over clear pond paint that I had but I do know of several people that use epoxy resin for the final finish. The finished background can then be siliconed into place in the tank, allow the whole project several days to dry out completely before adding any water into the aquarium and there you have a quality background which will look just as good as any for sale, a lot of money saved as well. The background will look even more stunning when the tank has been running for a while and there is a slight growth of green algae on it, well worth the effort!admin2008-08-13http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?cur_lang=2&what=article&id=369CHEAP AQUARIUM LIGHTING Nowadays there are many complete aquarium packages to be bought from the high street retailers, but these all come at a price. Many fish keepers find that they can build up their systems by purchasing second hand tanks and running equipment far cheaper than just going for the complete package. Included in the running equipment has to be a good reliable lighting system but reliability doesn’t always mean that the price will strain the fish keeper’s pocket. Adequate lighting has to be provided especially if running a planted tank or a reef system but shopping around can pay its dividends when trying to save pennies. Is lighting a necessity - the answer to that is yes!!! For your aquarium to be successful then lighting will have to be added. There are several reasons for this, when feeding your fish it will help them locate the food that you have just added to the tank, never add food when the lighting has gone off, it will foul your water as it decomposes at the bottom of the tank. If you are growing live plants in your tank they will need lighting for their growth, photosynthesis is dependant on a good lighting source. If you are running a reef tank the corals will feed from the light, they nearly all use zooanthellae for their growth, these too can only aid the corals if given enough light. For aesthetic purposes lighting makes for easy and pleasant viewing of the tank and its inhabitants, a well lit display is pleasing to the eye for yourself and any visitors to your house. For those of you that do not mind using second hand equipment there are several websites that allow guests to sell off any unwanted lighting units. There are generally genuine reasons for the sale, the owners could have upgraded to a more expensive unit or maybe they are just breaking down their tanks due to upgrading the tank as a whole. Some people will advertise if they intend to close down their tanks permanently due to other commitments. Keeping an eye on these websites will ensure that the correct lighting you are looking for can be purchased at a fraction of the cost of a new one, even if you intend to buy a brand new unit, using second hand ones initially will give you a bit more time to save up towards the future costs. Often in the local papers there maybe be someone who wishes to sell off their equipment for whatever reason, always keep all of your options open for a bargain. As mentioned in other articles the auction sites on the internet will provide another option for getting your lighting unit. As well as second hand units being available there are plenty of sellers that are selling brand new units for very reasonable prices, always check the postage and packing charges though as some unscrupulous sellers may inflate these to recuperate some of the money. I have often seen on eBay a couple of sellers that do a very good price on fluorescent luminaries or metal halide units, they cover most sizes of tanks and even give you a choice of the lighting that will be sent with the unit, tropical or marine set up can be purchased. One tip when paying out for larger items on eBay is to always try to pay through sites like Pay pal so that if there is a problem with either the postage or the actual item purchased you have some kind of back up as Pay pal will pursue any claims for you. One particular seller that will ship worldwide is eqj-trading that deal with all luminaries and metal halides. They are based in Germany and have been selling on eBay for quite a while now and looking through their feedback ratings seem to be selling quite a lot of units. As an example a four foot twin T5 luminarie is offered for 100 pounds (200 dollars), this works out at 50% cheaper than other well known brands like Arcadia. Having said that I have never used one of these units but I do know several people who have and they seem well pleased with them. Shipping worldwide is approx. 15 pounds (30 dollars) so the unit still works out quite a lot cheaper in total. There are many retailers on the net that are competing with each other for business, many a deal to be had. One thing I did find out very quickly is that if you find a good retailer and become something of a regular customer, discounts will start to become quite common with your orders. On many occasions I have personally spoke to suppliers on the phone and explained exactly what I am after, the quotes given are always lower than advertised on the websites, “good customer relations “, the secret to keeping in business. Another way of saving money on your lighting is to take a step backwards in technology. All of the modern lighting units will have internal ballasts, slim line tubes like the T5’s, this often means that the suppliers cannot sell their stocks of older units as the customers want to get the best and most modern that they can afford. A few years ago I was still setting up the lighting with the bulky external ballasts and separate tube holders that needed to be fitted to the tank lids. I still have no objection to using these if I have to as the external ballast can easily be hidden from view at the rear of the tank and the tube holders can be fitted to the hood by anyone, they are so easy to do. There are still external ballasts being made and sold but buying your lighting system this way will always work out cheaper than purchasing an all in one unit. Remember that if you are using external ballast they do get quite hot so please ensure that they do have airflow around them. Always check out any second hand unit that you may buy to make sure that it is in full working order with no loose connections, loose wiring can lead to electrical shocks, especially when near water!admin2008-08-11http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?cur_lang=2&what=article&id=368Electric Blue Hap Electric Blue Hap is the common name for the Sciaenochromis fryeri, Sciaenochromis ahli, Cyrtocara ahli, or the Haplochromis ahli. All of those names are used to represent the same cichlid because of some discrepancies in the naming process. The proper scientific name for this fish is Sciaenochromis ahli, but other names are still used today out of habit and familiarity. This fish is nicknamed “Electric Blue” because of the rich, metallic blue of the males once they reach maturity. This cichlid was mistaken for a Haplochromine because they prefer to swim in areas where the rocks surrounding the shoreline meet the sandy bottoms of the deep. Natural Habitat: The Electric Blue Hap is native to the waters of Lake Malawi where the rocky cliffs meet the sandy bottoms. This tropical freshwater cichlid is found in regions off the coasts of Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. Water Conditions: Optimal water conditions for the Electric Blue Hap include a pH of 7.5-8.5 and temperatures between 75 and 78°F. Be sure to provide plenty of rocky caves for hiding and a sandy substrate covering the bottom of the aquarium. This rambunctious cichlid needs little to no plants or else they will do their best to dig them all up. If you do decide you would like plants in the aquarium be sure to find very strong, hardy plants. Fake aquarium plants work best because they are very durable. Physical Description: This laterally compressed cichlid has an elongated snout and a fairly large mouth. The metallic blue coloring is very prominent on the males while the females and juveniles exhibit a dull blue exterior. There is a white edging along the top of the pale blue dorsal fin and an orange tinge on the anal fin. Males also have “dummy egg spots” on their anal fins which comes in handy during the breeding process. The Electric Blue Hap will have 8-10 vertical stripes on each side of its body. These stripes become more dramatic when they are in an aggressive mood or if they are ready to breed. The electric blue hap can live as long as 11 years or possibly more. Behavior: The Electric Blue Hap is a very aggressive species. This cichlid will attempt to rule the aquarium despite the presence of larger fish. If a larger, more aggressive fish is present the electric blue hap might back down and find a place to hide. If this same fish is surrounded by smaller timid fish, not only will he display his dominance but he will also try to devour any fish small enough to fit in his mouth. It would be best to place other aggressive cichlids of similar size, and also from Lake Malawi in the same aquarium with the Electric Blue Hap. Food: Electric Blue Haps love nothing more than to devour the fry of one of their fellow fishes. They are never to be trusted with tank mates small enough to fit in their mouths. They will definitely seize the first opportunity to take one as a small snack. They are piscivorous which means fish is their main source of nutrition. In the aquarium an electric blue hap will happily eat any foods you are willing to provide. They will feast on flakes, pellets, veggie matter, live, dried or frozen foods. Sexing: The mature male Electric Blue Hap will have the bold, shiny blue coloring that earns them their common name. They will also exhibit “dummy egg spots” on their anal fin which is an important component in the breeding process. The female and juvenile Electric Blue Haps are not as shockingly blue as the adult males. They will show some of the same blue in a duller shade with plenty of gray. The females lack the “dummy egg spots” on their anal fins. Breeding: If you are looking to breed this cichlid species it is a good idea to keep only one male and 3 to 5 females. If you have only one female for your male to breed with, you are setting her up for disaster, because the male electric blue hap will be very aggressive at the time of breeding so he may or may not cause harm to your one female. Problems generally occur if the female is not ready for spawning when the male is. When you increase the number of females in the aquarium, the male is likely to go from one female to the next until he finds the one who is ready to breed at the same time that he is. It is a very good idea to place rocky caves in the aquarium for the females to retreat to. This will give them a place to hide when the male threatens her with his aggressive behavior. Electric Blue Haps are mouthbrooding cichlids which means the female will hold her clutch in her mouth until her fry are ready to be released. This process usually takes up to 3 weeks. First the male will start to show interest in breeding by digging a pit for the female to lay her eggs in. She then takes the eggs into her mouth and starts to stimulate the male by touching his “dummy egg spots” with her mouth. This causes the male to release sperm which the female will take into her mouth to fertilize her eggs. The fry will hatch within 24-48 hours and it will take up to 3 more days for them to become free swimming. Once the mother thinks it is safe enough for them to venture out of her mouth she will allow them to explore, all the while keeping them within a safe distance. If the fry feel they are in any danger they dart back into their mother’s mouth where they are safe from predators. Raising the Fry: When raising Electric Blue Hap fry in an aquarium setting it is important to keep them in a tank separate from the adults. Once they are completely independent of their mother’s safe haven the fry will need further protection. After being permanently released by their mother, the female and every other fish in the aquarium will begin to look at the young as if they are food. A nursery aquarium should be set up with plenty of hiding places such as dense plants or rocky caves. Feed the babies a high protein diet of microworms and baby brine shrimp. They will accept crushed flakes which contain the rest of the much needed nutrients that are not provided by the live foods. Pictures Sources aquariumlife.netaquatic-hobbyist.comFocus on Freshwater Aquarium Fish by Geoff Rogers and Nick FletcherEyewitness Handbooks: Aquarium Fish by Dick MillsThe Encyclopedia of Aquarium Fish by Dick Millsadmin2008-08-11http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?what=fish&cur_lang=2&id=38Hi everone. I`ve generally only kept bettas but I`m thinking of getting tetras this time. I`m thinking of only getting 5 males since I don`t want to breed them. I only have enough time and money for aBryan2008-08-10