What you should know about the auspicious dragonfish?
The dragon, long-associated with longevity, power and luck, is a much-revered icon in Chinese culture. Because the dragonfish (Asian Arowana) supposedly resembles the majestic mythical beast, it is an auspicious symbol to the Chinese. It has become a popular aquarium pet around Southeast Asia.
Believed to bring prosperity and wealth, this freshwater fish is especially well liked by businessmen and entrepreneurs. Many fish lovers also admire the fish for its whiskers because they resemble dragon’s horns—a sign of blessing. Then there are others who keep it to ward off evil and bring good luck to the home.
Super Red Arowana
Native to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar, dragonfish come in various strains and are available predominantly in three color: red, gold, and green.
Super Red Arowana
Red ones, like Super Red Arowana, are the most expensive. And because of this, some sellers fake the red hue by using hormone treatments on their fish to hood wink clueless buyers.
One way to prevent being cheated is to get your fish from a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) registered farm, and check that the farm has a reputable sales record.
How To Raise A Dragonfish
Arowana are not hard to rear, but to ensure healthy growth and longevity, the owner should take care of the fish’s feeding habits and living environment. Here are a few tips for first-time owners.
Aquarium Tank: There should be ample space in the tank for this large-breed fish so that its growth will not be stunted. Take all the necessary measurements of the fish and the tank, to make sure you use an appropriately sized one. The only things needed in the tank are equipment for aeration and filtration; any other décor will pose the risk of damage to the fish during feeding.
Solo Creature: Aggressive by nature, the dragonfish gets along best with itself; it’s not advisable to put other fishes in the tank to “keep it company.”
Water Condition: Extremely sensitive to chlorinated water, the fish should be put into tap water that has been aged for at least a day. You can change the water weekly—but not the whole tank in one go. This is to avoid upsetting the fish (a third at a time is advised). There should also be no drastic changes in pH level or water temperature as it can endanger the fish.
Diet: Insects (live cockroaches, worms, and grasshoppers), small fishes (guppies and mollies) and frogs count as part of a dragonfish’s diet. Be very sure not to feed your fish insects that may have been in contact with pesticides or insecticides! While the feeding of adult fish should be kept to once daily, young ones can be fed up to two or three times a day.
Monday, April 13, 2009
fEed yOuR fiSh
Feed your fish the right fish food for the optimal health?
Feeding your fish with the right types of fish food will help them flourish in their captive environment. Preferably, the food should be identical to those found in the fishes’ natural habitat. As the fish feed on a variety of foods in their native habitat, this is what you should try to provide.
Different types of fish food, prepared in various forms, are commercially available. They are mostly packed with minerals and nutrients that are necessary to your fishes’ health, appearance, and longevity.
Each species of fish has unique food and feeding requirements. For instance, goldfish have different dietary requirements from tropical fish. Even different species of goldfish like different types of foods. And like humans, fish can be categorized into carnivores and herbivores as well.
If you have a community aquarium, it’s best to make up a meal containing small amounts of different foods for each species.
Four Basic Types Of Fish Food
Flakes Fish Food: These are the most commercially available fish food. Fish flakes are manufactured in various compositions to suit the requirements of different fish. They can help to enhance the color of the fish, promote breeding or provide special nutrients to juvenile or ailing fish, and are the best form of food for small fish and picky eaters.
Fish flakes float for a while before becoming soft and saturated, and sinking slowly downwards to the bottom. Thus, they are suitable for surface, mid-water and bottom feeders.
Pellets and Tablets Fish Food: Pellets remain afloat longer than flakes and are suitable for surface feeders. Tablets can be stuck on t he aquarium wall at any desired level, making it possible to cater to the special needs of various species in the aquarium.
Live or Fresh Fish Food: Live fish food is a treat for your fish. Some species of fish appreciate chasing live food like worms, insect larvae, water fleas, and brine shrimp. These foods harvested a good source of nutrition.
However, adding these tasty delights to your aquarium poses the risk of introducing disease-carrying bacteria as well. It’s crucial to remove dead specimens and rinse live and fresh foods under clean running water to remove dirt. Always scoop out the uneaten portions as they will eventually die and pollute the water.
* Brine shrimp lives in salt water and cannot survive in fresh water. Thus, they have to be eaten fast, or they will die and contaminate the water.
* Worm category includes bloodworms, tubifex, earthworms, and several others. Worms, especially the tubifex, can carry diseases. Earthworms are great for bigger-sized fish.
Frozen and Freeze-dried Fish Food: Most live fish food is available in frozen or freeze-dried forms. These types of food are more convenient and safer to use than live food – they provide the same nutrients as live specimens and are disease-free.
Fish do not enjoy eating freeze-dried foods as much as live, frozen natural foods. Give them time to get used to them.
Feeding your fish with the right types of fish food will help them flourish in their captive environment. Preferably, the food should be identical to those found in the fishes’ natural habitat. As the fish feed on a variety of foods in their native habitat, this is what you should try to provide.
Different types of fish food, prepared in various forms, are commercially available. They are mostly packed with minerals and nutrients that are necessary to your fishes’ health, appearance, and longevity.
Each species of fish has unique food and feeding requirements. For instance, goldfish have different dietary requirements from tropical fish. Even different species of goldfish like different types of foods. And like humans, fish can be categorized into carnivores and herbivores as well.
If you have a community aquarium, it’s best to make up a meal containing small amounts of different foods for each species.
Four Basic Types Of Fish Food
Flakes Fish Food: These are the most commercially available fish food. Fish flakes are manufactured in various compositions to suit the requirements of different fish. They can help to enhance the color of the fish, promote breeding or provide special nutrients to juvenile or ailing fish, and are the best form of food for small fish and picky eaters.
Fish flakes float for a while before becoming soft and saturated, and sinking slowly downwards to the bottom. Thus, they are suitable for surface, mid-water and bottom feeders.
Pellets and Tablets Fish Food: Pellets remain afloat longer than flakes and are suitable for surface feeders. Tablets can be stuck on t he aquarium wall at any desired level, making it possible to cater to the special needs of various species in the aquarium.
Live or Fresh Fish Food: Live fish food is a treat for your fish. Some species of fish appreciate chasing live food like worms, insect larvae, water fleas, and brine shrimp. These foods harvested a good source of nutrition.
However, adding these tasty delights to your aquarium poses the risk of introducing disease-carrying bacteria as well. It’s crucial to remove dead specimens and rinse live and fresh foods under clean running water to remove dirt. Always scoop out the uneaten portions as they will eventually die and pollute the water.
* Brine shrimp lives in salt water and cannot survive in fresh water. Thus, they have to be eaten fast, or they will die and contaminate the water.
* Worm category includes bloodworms, tubifex, earthworms, and several others. Worms, especially the tubifex, can carry diseases. Earthworms are great for bigger-sized fish.
Frozen and Freeze-dried Fish Food: Most live fish food is available in frozen or freeze-dried forms. These types of food are more convenient and safer to use than live food – they provide the same nutrients as live specimens and are disease-free.
Fish do not enjoy eating freeze-dried foods as much as live, frozen natural foods. Give them time to get used to them.
aDdiNg fiSh
What you should know when adding fish to your tank?
It’s easy for the beginner to feel bewildered by the kaleidoscope of offerings at any fish shop. At the spur of the moment, it’s pretty hard not to point at the prettiest fish and buy dozens of them for your new tank.
But stop for a moment. Overcrowding your tank could mean the death sentence for your fish.
What Else Could Happen If You Overcrowd Your Fish Tank?
Too many fish translates into oxygen starvation for the entire aquarium community as the fish compete for limited air. They will also produce too much carbon dioxide in the water. Waste such as ammonia and nitrated build up, turning the environment poisonous.
What You Should Do When Adding Fish To Your Tank
Before adding fish to your tank, consider these pointers:
Start with Hardy: Beginners should start out with a few hard specimens. Favorites like guppies and tetras are colorful additions that require little care. And you can buy them cheap. Sucker fish are interesting to look at, and help keep the tank clean at the same time.
Number of Fish: Limit the number of fish, especially if your tank is new, and if the plants, animals, and bacteria have not had time to establish a proper cycle.
Add fish slowly and gradually. Safely bringing your tank’s population up to the maximum can take more than six months.
The rule of thumb is to have 1cm of fish per liter of water. But this doesn’t mean that a 100-liter aquarium can house a hundred small fish. It’ll be just about right for 20 fish about 5cm long each. Also, don’t forget that your fish will grow, so 5cm should be the adult size of the fish.
Tank Size: The best-sized tank holds about 80 to 100 liters (about 75cm x 32cm x 35cm) of water. Try to avoid small tanks, especially those that hold less than 40 liters of water. It’s difficult to keep fish healthy in them.
A tank capacity of between 40 to 100 liters (10 to 26 gallon) is large enough for keeping a variety of different fish.
If you don’t know the volume of your tank, here’s an article on how to measure the volume of your aquarium.
Tank Shape: The shape of the aquarium also makes a big difference to your fish. I have written on this topic in length here, and to sum it up in one sentence: Tanks with narrow surface areas should hold fewer fish as there is less room for oxygen.
Schooling Fish: Many species of fish live in schools. Neon tetras, rainbow fish, and clown barbs, for example, feel happiest living in groups. They not only look great together, they also survive better as that’s how they live in the wild. Keep about eight of each variety in the tank.
Some fish simply don’t get along. They are hunters, or get territorial, eating, biting, chasing or harassing others until they die of stress. Catfish, for example, will eat fish less than half their size.
It’s easy for the beginner to feel bewildered by the kaleidoscope of offerings at any fish shop. At the spur of the moment, it’s pretty hard not to point at the prettiest fish and buy dozens of them for your new tank.
But stop for a moment. Overcrowding your tank could mean the death sentence for your fish.
What Else Could Happen If You Overcrowd Your Fish Tank?
Too many fish translates into oxygen starvation for the entire aquarium community as the fish compete for limited air. They will also produce too much carbon dioxide in the water. Waste such as ammonia and nitrated build up, turning the environment poisonous.
What You Should Do When Adding Fish To Your Tank
Before adding fish to your tank, consider these pointers:
Start with Hardy: Beginners should start out with a few hard specimens. Favorites like guppies and tetras are colorful additions that require little care. And you can buy them cheap. Sucker fish are interesting to look at, and help keep the tank clean at the same time.
Number of Fish: Limit the number of fish, especially if your tank is new, and if the plants, animals, and bacteria have not had time to establish a proper cycle.
Add fish slowly and gradually. Safely bringing your tank’s population up to the maximum can take more than six months.
The rule of thumb is to have 1cm of fish per liter of water. But this doesn’t mean that a 100-liter aquarium can house a hundred small fish. It’ll be just about right for 20 fish about 5cm long each. Also, don’t forget that your fish will grow, so 5cm should be the adult size of the fish.
Tank Size: The best-sized tank holds about 80 to 100 liters (about 75cm x 32cm x 35cm) of water. Try to avoid small tanks, especially those that hold less than 40 liters of water. It’s difficult to keep fish healthy in them.
A tank capacity of between 40 to 100 liters (10 to 26 gallon) is large enough for keeping a variety of different fish.
If you don’t know the volume of your tank, here’s an article on how to measure the volume of your aquarium.
Tank Shape: The shape of the aquarium also makes a big difference to your fish. I have written on this topic in length here, and to sum it up in one sentence: Tanks with narrow surface areas should hold fewer fish as there is less room for oxygen.
Schooling Fish: Many species of fish live in schools. Neon tetras, rainbow fish, and clown barbs, for example, feel happiest living in groups. They not only look great together, they also survive better as that’s how they live in the wild. Keep about eight of each variety in the tank.
Some fish simply don’t get along. They are hunters, or get territorial, eating, biting, chasing or harassing others until they die of stress. Catfish, for example, will eat fish less than half their size.
frEsH watEr dEcOratiOn
How to do it right?
Decorating an aquarium can be fun. There are loads of fun beads, colorful plants, even miniature pagodas if your goldfish are so inclined, but caveat emptor! Remember, whatever you put into your tank will affect its ecosystem and can harm your fish.
Like everything else in your aquarium, it is worth a little time planning beforehand and getting your supplies from pet or fish stores.
Aquatic hobbyists have a wide range of options when it comes to decorating their tanks: a nice piece of hollow driftwood, a conch shell picked up from the beach, or some nice rocks and plants. There are even rainbow-colored pseudo pebbles that release oxygen into the water!
Dos & Don’ts of Freshwater Aquarium Decoration
* Wallpaper: Some stores sell decorative “wallpaper” sheets that fit externally on the glass at the rear of the aquarium. These can help convey a feeling of depth, and block off an unsightly background like a tangle of wires or a boring wall.
* Aquatic Plants: Place big, bushy plants along the back and sides of the tank, then place one or two small ones in the middle as a centerpiece. More details on aquatic plants here.
* Log: A hollow log would be much appreciated refuge for shy or smaller fish fleeing their larger neighbors.
* Glass, Plastic Ceramics: Most items made of plastic, glass, and ceramics are inert, i.e. they don’t release or leach chemical into your water.
* Untreated wood: Like the piece of driftwood you found on the seashore, may be very pretty. But it may leach substances such as tannins that turn the water a yellowish tea color, and can change its pH. If you’re using wood that you’ve found yourself, boil it first to kill any pathogens or dangerous bacteria. Boiling it long enough will also make it sink.
* Seashell: You picked up a lovely shell and thought it would be a great additional to your aquarium decoration? Take a close look, and you may see tiny little inhabitants inside that perhaps should be left alone. Check the insides carefully and rinse the shells thoroughly before adding them to the tank. As a precaution, keep checking pH and buffering levels in your water in the days after adding the shell to check if it leaches carbonates.
Decorating an aquarium can be fun. There are loads of fun beads, colorful plants, even miniature pagodas if your goldfish are so inclined, but caveat emptor! Remember, whatever you put into your tank will affect its ecosystem and can harm your fish.
Like everything else in your aquarium, it is worth a little time planning beforehand and getting your supplies from pet or fish stores.
Aquatic hobbyists have a wide range of options when it comes to decorating their tanks: a nice piece of hollow driftwood, a conch shell picked up from the beach, or some nice rocks and plants. There are even rainbow-colored pseudo pebbles that release oxygen into the water!
Dos & Don’ts of Freshwater Aquarium Decoration
* Wallpaper: Some stores sell decorative “wallpaper” sheets that fit externally on the glass at the rear of the aquarium. These can help convey a feeling of depth, and block off an unsightly background like a tangle of wires or a boring wall.
* Aquatic Plants: Place big, bushy plants along the back and sides of the tank, then place one or two small ones in the middle as a centerpiece. More details on aquatic plants here.
* Log: A hollow log would be much appreciated refuge for shy or smaller fish fleeing their larger neighbors.
* Glass, Plastic Ceramics: Most items made of plastic, glass, and ceramics are inert, i.e. they don’t release or leach chemical into your water.
* Untreated wood: Like the piece of driftwood you found on the seashore, may be very pretty. But it may leach substances such as tannins that turn the water a yellowish tea color, and can change its pH. If you’re using wood that you’ve found yourself, boil it first to kill any pathogens or dangerous bacteria. Boiling it long enough will also make it sink.
* Seashell: You picked up a lovely shell and thought it would be a great additional to your aquarium decoration? Take a close look, and you may see tiny little inhabitants inside that perhaps should be left alone. Check the insides carefully and rinse the shells thoroughly before adding them to the tank. As a precaution, keep checking pH and buffering levels in your water in the days after adding the shell to check if it leaches carbonates.
Oil layEr
There is a layer of oil on my tank’s water surface that seems to have caused the death of my Arowana and sucker-fish as well as made the rest of my fish sick. I suspect the oil comes from the new water hose that I’ve just bought. How can I find out whether it is the cause of the problem? Besides scooping away the water at the surface to remove the oil, is there another method or a chemical that can be used to solve this problem?
Personally, I have never encountered this type of problem before. To the best of my knowledge, a hose is usually sold clean of any solvents. Whether new or old, a hose should not leak out oil-based solvents.
There is a quick way to find out if your new hose is the cause of your problem. Fill a small pail with water using the hose and put the pail in a brightly-lit place where you can see sunlight hitting the water surface. The presence of oil will be marked by a patch of thin film on the water surface that reflects rainbow hues, or a film with a whitish to yellowish tinge. If that is the case then, somehow, traces of oil are present in your new hose.
Getting Rid of the Oil Layer In the Fish Tank
Getting rid of the oil layer is a tricky business. I do no advocate the use of chemicals to dissolve it. Neither would a surface skimmer solve your problem. This might remove the film of oil from view but some oil would still remain in your tank’s ecosystem. Instead, try this method:
1. Take a piece of newspaper. Cut it to fit three quarters of your tank’s water surface.
2. If you are using powerheads and filtration systems, cut off the power supply and wait for about 20 seconds for the water current to stop.
3. Slowly place the newspaper flat on the water surface. This is the part where experience helps. Do not despair if part of the newspaper gets submerged below the water.
4. Stand at one end of the tank’s width. Hold each corner of the side of the newspaper nearest to you, and slowly pull the newspaper up and towards you. As you pull it up slowly, the newspaper will pull the film of oil together with it as it breaks contact with the water surface. You may have to repeat this procedure a few times before the oil film is completely removed.
Personally, I have never encountered this type of problem before. To the best of my knowledge, a hose is usually sold clean of any solvents. Whether new or old, a hose should not leak out oil-based solvents.
There is a quick way to find out if your new hose is the cause of your problem. Fill a small pail with water using the hose and put the pail in a brightly-lit place where you can see sunlight hitting the water surface. The presence of oil will be marked by a patch of thin film on the water surface that reflects rainbow hues, or a film with a whitish to yellowish tinge. If that is the case then, somehow, traces of oil are present in your new hose.
Getting Rid of the Oil Layer In the Fish Tank
Getting rid of the oil layer is a tricky business. I do no advocate the use of chemicals to dissolve it. Neither would a surface skimmer solve your problem. This might remove the film of oil from view but some oil would still remain in your tank’s ecosystem. Instead, try this method:
1. Take a piece of newspaper. Cut it to fit three quarters of your tank’s water surface.
2. If you are using powerheads and filtration systems, cut off the power supply and wait for about 20 seconds for the water current to stop.
3. Slowly place the newspaper flat on the water surface. This is the part where experience helps. Do not despair if part of the newspaper gets submerged below the water.
4. Stand at one end of the tank’s width. Hold each corner of the side of the newspaper nearest to you, and slowly pull the newspaper up and towards you. As you pull it up slowly, the newspaper will pull the film of oil together with it as it breaks contact with the water surface. You may have to repeat this procedure a few times before the oil film is completely removed.
biGgER taNk
Does a bigger tank promote faster growth in fish compare to the smaller one?
A tank is a home to a fish. There are three-, four- and five-foot tanks sold in aquarium stores. Just like we have three-, four- and five-room apartments or houses available for us to choose from. We aspire to have the best we can afford. The same goes for fish; they too would prefer a larger home.
With a bigger tank, fish will have more space to move around and feel more comfortable. Naturally, they will tend to “exercise” more, thus eat more which in turn grow faster than in a “constraint environment.” It is more important, however, to provide them with clean water (right water chemistry), a stress-free environment, and healthy varied diet. Without these factors, how ever much space your fish has will not do any good let alone grow faster.
Arowana grow quite fast, so it would be good to anticipate their growth and invest in a slightly bigger tank from the start. This way, you need not spend more money upgrading the tank. Of course, you also have to consider the availability of space to accommodate the tank, and your finances.
A tank is a home to a fish. There are three-, four- and five-foot tanks sold in aquarium stores. Just like we have three-, four- and five-room apartments or houses available for us to choose from. We aspire to have the best we can afford. The same goes for fish; they too would prefer a larger home.
With a bigger tank, fish will have more space to move around and feel more comfortable. Naturally, they will tend to “exercise” more, thus eat more which in turn grow faster than in a “constraint environment.” It is more important, however, to provide them with clean water (right water chemistry), a stress-free environment, and healthy varied diet. Without these factors, how ever much space your fish has will not do any good let alone grow faster.
Arowana grow quite fast, so it would be good to anticipate their growth and invest in a slightly bigger tank from the start. This way, you need not spend more money upgrading the tank. Of course, you also have to consider the availability of space to accommodate the tank, and your finances.
aQuariUm taNk
What should you look for in an aquarium tank?
Like fish, your aquarium tank is something that you should choose wisely. It is not something to be bought on a whim. The tank has to be suitable for what you are planning to put in it. Aquarium tanks can be used for several things, decoration, fish, amphibians or corals. All these different things need different tank types and different types of things in the aquarium. Fish are the easier thing to keep whereas corals are a lot harder than the others.
Corals require a marine setup tank, this means saltwater basically. The aquarium tank needs to have intensive hard lights, a saltwater level of around 0.7, this is the optimum level for fish and corals that need saltwater. Corals are like beautiful rocks, they are different colored and also available for this type of set up are anemones. Anemones are like lots of little fingers sitting on a plant that wave around in the water and are absolutely stunning. Saltwater fish can also be incorporated in a coral tank aquarium.
Though amphibians don’t really need a lot of taking care of, but that doesn’t mean you should put them in cheesy aquarium tank. Important thing it to make sure that they have adequate water and surrounding objects that they can associate with their natural habitat. Some amphibians need water baths so that they can bath in them such as turtles and snakes, it is important to make sure that these animals have enough room and space to move around because if they don’t then they may suffer from the effects of disfigurement and growing problems.
Fish are like I said the easiest to keep in an aquarium tank; they need a full tank of water, obviously. They need a filter, heater and proper lighting equipment. There are several different types of fish that can be put in an aquarium and they all need different types of habitats, so do take note that your aquarium tank suits the type of fish that you have purchased.
Any aquarium tank is of course the most essential part of any tank set up. Furthermore aquarium tanks don’t come cheaply (as they are made of reinforced and safety glass in order to stop the glass from breaking when you fill it with water); so all the more you should take serious consideration of what type of animals you intend to rear before you make your investment.
Again I stress, decide what types of animals interest you most first, then the aquarium tank comes second. Otherwise your animals won’t live very long!
Like fish, your aquarium tank is something that you should choose wisely. It is not something to be bought on a whim. The tank has to be suitable for what you are planning to put in it. Aquarium tanks can be used for several things, decoration, fish, amphibians or corals. All these different things need different tank types and different types of things in the aquarium. Fish are the easier thing to keep whereas corals are a lot harder than the others.
Corals require a marine setup tank, this means saltwater basically. The aquarium tank needs to have intensive hard lights, a saltwater level of around 0.7, this is the optimum level for fish and corals that need saltwater. Corals are like beautiful rocks, they are different colored and also available for this type of set up are anemones. Anemones are like lots of little fingers sitting on a plant that wave around in the water and are absolutely stunning. Saltwater fish can also be incorporated in a coral tank aquarium.
Though amphibians don’t really need a lot of taking care of, but that doesn’t mean you should put them in cheesy aquarium tank. Important thing it to make sure that they have adequate water and surrounding objects that they can associate with their natural habitat. Some amphibians need water baths so that they can bath in them such as turtles and snakes, it is important to make sure that these animals have enough room and space to move around because if they don’t then they may suffer from the effects of disfigurement and growing problems.
Fish are like I said the easiest to keep in an aquarium tank; they need a full tank of water, obviously. They need a filter, heater and proper lighting equipment. There are several different types of fish that can be put in an aquarium and they all need different types of habitats, so do take note that your aquarium tank suits the type of fish that you have purchased.
Any aquarium tank is of course the most essential part of any tank set up. Furthermore aquarium tanks don’t come cheaply (as they are made of reinforced and safety glass in order to stop the glass from breaking when you fill it with water); so all the more you should take serious consideration of what type of animals you intend to rear before you make your investment.
Again I stress, decide what types of animals interest you most first, then the aquarium tank comes second. Otherwise your animals won’t live very long!
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