Tropical Fish  

For many years this has been one of the most exciting and challenging hobbies on the market. People have always been fascinated and intrigued by their vast color and variety. Tropical fish can be kept by the beginner and by the fish expert. The more you know about the hobby, the bigger you want to go.

Freshwater tropical fish come from all over the world, mainly from rivers and lakes in South America, the Amazon, Africa Congo, South east Asia and places in Australia. It is always wise to read up on certain species before adding them to your community aquarium.

The joy of your tropical aquarium

People tend to overlook the advantages of an aquarium, especially in places of discomfort like waiting rooms (at doctors, dentists, hospitals, corporate offices and optometrists), open offices, consulting rooms were patients/customers have to wait and most places were the public/customers could feel uncomfortable to spend time. This may sound strange, but brightly colored fish that’s constantly moving is always an eye catcher and tends to calm people down that are under stress. This calming effect that fish have on people has been medically proven (see below).

People watching a living aquarium often forget about what is happening around them and concentrates only on the happy environment of the aquarium they observe. All this taken into consideration the joys of having an aquarium outweighs the weekly work involved to keep it clean and healthy. If you do not intend to do the work, you could always hire a professional company to do it on your behalf. I am sure that all visitors to one of these stress environments will appreciate the fact that management gives them a nice, natural way of calming them while spending time in that environment.

Fish from Lake Malawi is a perfect example of this. They come in bright colors like orange, blue, yellow, white and many more. These fish are very hardy and do not die easily. They are very “busy” fish swimming up and down the aquarium constantly. They are very territorial fish which makes them a little aggressive. To control their aggressiveness they can be overcrowded in the aquarium if a proper filter is used, which will calm the fish down because there is not enough space available in the aquarium for the males to claim territory. This makes for a spectacular display aquarium because there are so many fish in the aquarium. Another very interesting aspect of them is to watch when the male makes a safe spawning point in the aquarium and defends this point with everything he has. He will then attract the female to this point with a spawning dance where he positions himself in front of the female and “vibrates” his whole body, followed by a quick dash to his point. It is also very interesting to watch the female picking up the eggs after they have been fertilized and keeping them in her mouth until the eggs hatch and then letting them loose in the aquarium. This hatching period is in the region of twenty one days and during this period the female will not eat and will be in hiding most of the time. When the female releases her fry you will notice about thirty baby Malawi’s hiding in the holes in the rocks. All this will happen in your aquarium if the water quality is kept good.

The following are two examples out of hundreds of studies done where pets, in particular fish, are used to lower stress levels.

Research done in connection with aquariums and stress.
"Blood pressure drops with fishless fish tanks, but it doesn't drop as much and it creeps back up faster. With fish in the tanks, you truly get relaxation."
Lowered blood pressure is one way to measure reduced stress. A number of ailments have been associated with high stress in daily life, including heart attacks, sleep disorders and some ulcers.
Beck, psychiatrist Aaron H. Katcher and biologist Erika Friedmann decided to see if interaction with other animals produced similar results. They selected fish because they are such common pets. The Pet Information Bureau, sponsored by pet products companies, estimates that more than 10 million American homes have aquariums.
The researchers divided 100 paid volunteers into two groups. One at a time, they were put in a room and asked to read aloud - a proven way to induce stress - for one minute.
Then they were left alone with a fish tank for 20 minutes. Half the time there were fish in the aquarium; half the time there were none. A device automatically recorded the volunteers' blood pressure. Those who had fish to watch fared far better.
The random selection of volunteers resulted in the participation of some who suffered from high blood pressure. "For them, the fish were much better than for a normal person.”

Effects of Watching Aquariums on Elders' Stress

Associate Professor, Gallaudet University, Department of Physical Education and Recreation, did the following excperiment.
Experimental group members watched a fish aquarium or a fish videotape, while control group members viewed a placebo videotape. Three eight-minute treatment sessions were held one week apart. Members of all three groups perceived their treatments as relaxing. Aquarium observers tended to experience a decrease in pulse rate and muscle tension and an increase in skin temperature.

Most people think that to own and maintain a tropical fish aquarium requires a lot of work and is very expensive. The majority is also under the impression that fish die often and needs to be replaced on almost a weekly basis. This misperception of people led to the fact that they love to go to pet shops and look at all the lovely fish, but do not want to own an aquarium because of all the work related to the keeping of fish. With the proper filtration, selection of fish and at least a 90cm aquarium, weekly maintenance should not take more than 30 minutes at a time and this will ensure a healthy and successful aquarium.

Next time you walk into a waiting area and you see a beautiful fish tank on display, indulge yourself in its beauty and tranquility and thank your host for thinking of you as patient/customer by adding a natural stress reliever to his or her waiting area.

Food for tropical fish

By :PET STOP Rietfontein pavilion centre
012-329 8965 
www.onlinepetshop.co.za

There are a lot of different foods you could feed your tropical fish Live food, frozen food, Freeze dried food, prepared dried foods, micro food and vacation food. The following detail is just enough to wet your “fishes” appetite

Live food includes the following!
Brine Shrimp (Artemia salina)
Brine shrimp is one of the most popular live foods in the hobby. Brine shrimp are available in live, frozen, and freeze-died forms. Brine shrimp eggs are widely available for home cultivation. The young nauplii are excellent food for fry. Adult brine shrimp are suitable for small to large fish. Brine shrimp provide good roughage with their exoskeletons and do not harbor disease to affect freshwater species.
Water Fleas (Daphnia)
Daphnia are an excellent supplementary food that can be fed every 7-10 days to provide roughage. Daphnia are available in frozen, freeze-dried, and occasionally, live forms.
Cyclops
Cyclops is a good food for large fry and small fish. These crustaceans will attack small fry. Cyclops is available in frozen and live forms.
River Shrimps (Gammarus)
These shrimps are a natural food for many large fish, especially cichlids. In order to be kept alive, keep these shrimp in cool water with strong aeration.
Black Worms
Blackworms are segmented worms typically raised on fish farms (hence significantly cleaner than Tubifex worms).
Tubifex Worms
Tubifex inhabit muddy, polluted streams and cannot be recommended as fish food because they harbor parasites and toxins, and have a low beneficial nutrient content. Always soak the worms in water for several days before feeding. Feed sparingly as uneaten Tubifex worms will burrow in the gravel and may die. Tubifex worms are only good to feed temporarily, if fish refuse all other foods.
White Worms (Enchytraea)
White worms are found in decomposing materials including compost piles and seaweed piles. White worms are fatty and should only be fed on an occasionally basis. White worms are commonly used to feed older fry. These worms can be cultured at home.
Earthworms
Earthworms can be found in most gardens. Before feeding them, clean off all dirt and slime. Earthworms are a good food for large, carnivorous fish.
Bloodworms (Chironomus)
A favorite fish food that can be purchased frozen, freeze-dried, or live. In nature blood worms are known for constructing cocoons of plant debris and mud. Chironomus mosquitoes do not bite.
Mosquito Larvae
Mosquito larvae are an excellent food, full of vitamins that appear to help trigger spawning in some species. Mosquito larvae are easily caught in ponds and can be raised in standing containers of water.
Glassworms
Glassworms are found in ponds. These insect larvae develop into gnats. Glassworms are available in live and frozen forms.
Meal Worms
Meal worms are the larvae in beetles and are available in many pet shops. Meal worms can be fed to large fish. These larva should not be considered a regular food, but an occasional supplement.
Fruit Flies (Drosophila)
Use only short-winged, non-flying fruit flies which are less likely to escape. Drosophila are a natural food for many species and can be used to help stimulate spawning. Drosophila cultures are available mail ordered from breeders. In order to culture Drosophila, place a feeding mush in a jar with two or three dozen fruit flies. The mush can be prepared by blending a banana, one can of plums, corn or oat flakes, one peach or orange, and a cup of vinegar. The mush should be sprinkled with bakers yeast.
Flies, Crickets, Beetles, Back swimmers
House flies can be captured, disabled, and fed to medium to large, carnivorous fish. Crickets can be captured or purchased at a pet store. Beetles and back swimmers can also be captured.
Feeder Fish
Goldfish and guppies are widely used as feeder fish for large, carnivorous species. Feeder fish can carry disease or parasites. Many aquarists medicate the water which houses the feeder fish to reduce the risk of the spread of disease into the main tank. Usually these creatures are captured in local ponds and streams.

FROZEN FOODS
There are many frozen foods available for freshwater fish. Among these include: all of the live foods mentioned previously, krill, plankton, squid, vegetable-based foods, and other meat-based products. There are frozen foods containing a mixture of ingredients formulated specially for certain fish types. Some aquarists make homemade frozen foods with meats, live foods, and vegetables.

FREEZE-DRIED FOODS
Many varieties of freeze-dried foods are available. Freeze-dried foods have an advantage because they retain all the nutrients of live food but with out the hassle of keeping live foods. However do not feed exclusively freeze-dried foods as, like live foods, they lack vitamins that can be provided by a good flake food.

FLAKE, TABLET, & PELLET FOODS
Flake, tablet, and pellet foods are the most widely used food for aquarium fish for good reasons: they are generally inexpensive, easy to use, and well-balanced. These foods are available in many forms including specially formulated mixtures for certain fish or conditions.
Flakes can be fed one to four times a day, but only in small amounts which can be consumed by the fish in two minutes or less (Algae pellets are an exception). Flakes absorb water within 10 seconds of being added to the water. With fish that feed on the flakes before they absorb water, the flakes should be soaked before adding them to the tank.

MICRO FOODS
Micro foods are easier to collect or culture than they are to buy. Micro foods are usually used for raising small fry.
Green Water (Suspended Algae)
Green water is easily cultured. Simply take a jar of aquarium or aged tap water and leave it in a sunny spot. Add some algae from the aquarium and add a few drops of plant fertilizer. The suspended algae should develop within a few days. Dispense the green water using an eye dropper.
Infusoria and Rotifers
Infusoria is the name given to certain single-celled microorganisms. Infusoria are often present in the aquarium. Infusoria can be cultured by adding crushed banana or lettuce to a jar filled with aquarium water. Within a few days, the presence of infusoria can be determined by the cloudy water. Feed the infusoria using an eyedropper. Rotifer eggs can often be purchased at pet shops.
Other Protists
Other protists can be collected, with care, from ponds and other sources of clean water. Pass the water through fine mesh in order to collect the small organisms. Beware that some microorganisms may harm fry.
Egg Yolk
Egg yolk can be prepared for feeding by shaking yolk in a jar until the water is cloudy. Then dispense the yolk using an eyedropper.

VACATION FEEDING Do not add any new plants or fish to the tank later than one month before the vacation. Prior to taking a vacation, the tank should be given a thorough water change and no new fish or plants should be added. If the aquarist is to be gone less than a week, the fish need not be fed unless young fish or fry are kept. If the aquarist is gone for longer than a week or does not feel comfortable not feeding their fish, then an automatic feeder can be purchased. But a well-known brand that will not likely breakdown during the vacation. Be sure to test the feeder for a least a week prior to vacationing and remember not to allow the feeder distribute too much food. An alternative is to have a friend or neighbor feed the fish and look after the tank. Leave previously measured daily feeding portions and a check list of things (Water temperature, filters, dead fish, etc.) for the friend to look after. A less popular alternative is to leave the fish at a reliable aquarium store with feeding instructions. Usually the fee for this service is not too high.

Cichlids

Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. The family Cichlidae, a major family of perciform fish, is both large and diverse. Estimates of the number of cichlid species range from 1,900 to 2,200, making it one of the three largest vertebrate families. Cichlids span a wide range of body sizes, from species as small as 2.5 centimetres (1.0 in) in length (e.g. Neolamprologus multifasciatus ) to much larger species approaching 1 metre (3 ft) in length (e.g. Boulengerochromis and Cichla). As a group, cichlids exhibit a similarly wide diversity of body shapes, ranging from strongly laterally compressed species (such as Altolamprologus, Pterophyllum, and Symphysodon) through to species that are cylindrical and highly elongate (such as Julidochromis, Teleogramma, Teleocichla, Crenicichla, and Gobiocichla). Generally, however, cichlids tend to be of medium size, ovate in shape and slightly laterally compressed, and generally very similar to the North American sunfishes in terms of morphology, behaviour, and ecology.

Many cichlids, particularly the tilapias, are important food fishes, while others are valued game fish (eg. Cichla species). Many species, including the angelfish, oscars, and discus, are also highly valued in the aquarium trade. Cichlids are also the family of vertebrates with the largest number of endangered species, most of these found in the haplochromine group. Cichlids are particularly well known for having evolved rapidly into a large number of closely related but morphologically diverse species within large lakes, particularly Tanganyika, Victoria, Malawi, and Edward. The diversity of cichlids in the African Great Lakes is important for the study of speciation in evolution. Many cichlids that have been accidentally or deliberately released into freshwaters outside of their natural range have become nuisance species, for example tilapia in the southern United States. 

Goldfish/Coldwater fish

The goldfish, Carassius auratus, was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is still one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish and water garden fish. A relatively small member of the carp family, the goldfish is a domesticated version of a dark-gray/brown carp native to East Asia. It was first domesticated in China and introduced to Europe in the late 17th century.
Goldfish may grow to a maximum length of 23 inches (59 cm) and a maximum weight of 9.9 pounds (4.5 kg), although this is rare; few goldfish reach even half this size. The oldest recorded goldfish lived to 49 years, but most household goldfish generally live only six to eight years, due to being kept in bowls. A group of goldfish is known as a troubling.

Importance of oxygen in your water.

Every living organism that has a positive contribution to your aquariums needs, use oxygen to survive. This includes the obvious fish and plants, but also the not so obvious organisms like micro-organisms, decaying matter and bacteria.

Contrary to general believe, fish and plants use only a small portion of the total amount of oxygen used in your aquarium. The biggest users of oxygen in your aquarium are bacteria and decaying matter.

Another general miss conception is the believe that air bubbles ad air to the aquarium water. This is a misdirected conception, the air bubbles move the water to the surface and then the gas exchange take place on the surface. This basically mean the interaction of the air bubble with the water is to short for gas exchange to actually happen.

What is happening and how important is it for my fish?
When a water molecule reaches the surface of your aquarium it releases other gasses back into the atmosphere and take up oxygen. When the water molecule moves back into the water column it release the oxygen to the organisms using oxygen and take up other gasses again.

If this water movement is hampered or insufficient in any way your oxygen loving organisms would suffer severely. Insufficient oxygen leads to the death of oxygen needing organisms. Dead organisms use more oxygen leading to even lower oxygen levels, this vicious circle only end when all organisms die and you start with new water.

What should I do to prevent this happening to me?

Oxygen is the life line for your fish to survive, so by ensuring the following, you guarantee your success:

Circulation, circulation and again circulation break this cycle. Always ensure that you move your water so you move the water from the bottom to the surface as much as possible, this ensure the maximum gas exchange.

Remembering that bacteria use a lot of oxygen, it is better to use filters that ad their own oxygen before they filter the water.

Remove dead leafs and fish as soon as possible.

Siphoning the bottom regularly go a long way towards good oxygen management since you are removing decaying matter from the aquarium.

Use good quality filtration, more than one filter combination optimize bacterial action and water movement even more.

Oxygen is the backbone of your aquarium environment, maximize it and enjoy a healthy, stable and clean aquarium.

Next time, more on micro-organisms in your aquarium.