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GOLD FISH

The goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish.

A relatively small member of the carp family (which also includes the koi carp and the crucian carp), the goldfish is a domesticated version of a dark-gray/olive/brown carp (Carassius auratus) native to East Asia. It was first domesticated in China more than a thousand years ago, and several distinct breeds have since been developed. Goldfish breeds vary greatly in size, body shape, fin configuration and coloration (various combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black are known).

Goldfish may grow to a maximum length of 23 inches (58 cm) and a maximum weight of 9.9 pounds (4 kg) although this is rare; most individual goldfish grow to under half this size. In optimal conditions, goldfish may live more than 40 years;[2] however, most household goldfish generally live six to eight years.


History

In ancient China, various species of carp (collectively known as Asian carps) were domesticated and have been reared as food fish for thousands of years. Some of these normally gray or silver species have a tendency to produce red, orange or yellow color mutations; this was first recorded in the Jin Dynasty (265-420).

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), it was popular to raise carp in ornamental ponds and watergardens. A natural genetic mutation produced gold (actually yellowish orange) rather than silver coloration. People began to breed the gold variety instead of the silver variety, keeping them in ponds or other bodies of water. On special occasions at which guests were expected they would be moved to a much smaller container for display.

In 1162, the Empress of the Song Dynasty ordered the construction of a pond to collect the red and gold variety. By this time, people outside the imperial family were forbidden to keep goldfish of the gold (yellow) variety, yellow being the imperial color. This is probably the reason why there are more orange goldfish than yellow goldfish, even though the latter are genetically easier to breed.

The occurrence of other colors (apart from red and gold) was first recorded in 1276. The first occurrence of fancy tailed goldfish was recorded in the Ming dynasty. In 1502, goldfish were introduced to Japan, where the Ryukin and Tosakin varieties were developed. In 1611, goldfish were introduced to Portugal and from there to other parts of Europe.

During the 1620s, goldfish were highly regarded in Southern Europe because of their metallic scales, and symbolized good luck and fortune. It became tradition for married men to give their wives a goldfish on their one year anniversary, as a symbol for the prosperous years to come. This tradition quickly died, as goldfish became more available, losing their status. Goldfish were first introduced to North America around 1850 and quickly became popular in the United States.

Koi Care: How to Take Care of Your Aquatic Pet


When you decide to keep Koi fish as pets, you must learn a few very basic and vital things about Koi care. Proper nutrition and water quality are the two deciding factors that you have to look at while thinking about Koi care.

Koi fishes are hardy specimens of fish and they can live for long periods of time, sometimes for more than 200 years though the average life span is around 25 to 35 years. These Koi fishes are easy going hassle free kinds of pets and don’t give much trouble to their keepers and you will find it easy to take care of them.

Koi Care Pond Water Quality

One of the most critical conditions of Koi care is perhaps the quality of the water in the pond. You would be surprised to know that Koi needs fresh and good quality water for their habitat more than food. A Koi will not starve to death if it doesn’t receive food for several weeks, however, it can die in one night if the water quality turns out to be very poor.

You always have to pay attention to how you will sustain your pond water quality through proper filtration and supplies and you also have to chalk out or fix a budget for your pond water quality maintenance expenses.

Nutrition

Another thing to keep in mind is Koi nutrition and proper nutrition will ensure that the kois can protect themselves from diseases, they will grow up to the right proportion and size and you don’t have to worry about good body conformation.

Nursing

One more thing that you should remember about Koi care is that you need to react promptly and take necessary precautionary steps or measures of redressal to combat Koi health problems and accidents. That means if the need arises, you have to even apply first aid to a sick or injured Koi or administer the correct medication.

You also have to take into account the seasonal care pattern for Koi fish. For e.g. in the spring months, Koi fishes feel their worst while summer happens to be their best season for grow out. The Koi fish usually spends the fall months preparing for the harsh cold weather of winter by generating enzymes.

And during winter months, the Koi fishes go deep into sleep or hibernation. Thus it is clear that Koi fishes require separate types of care and maintenance during the various seasons of the year.

Predators

While on the topic of Koi care, I must inform you about potential predators that can feast on your pet Koi. You have to guard your fish from raccoons for these masked and dark circled bandits have been observed to be the most common predators, if you are really serious about Koi care.


About The Author
Andy Fletcher
Learn everything you ever wanted to know about Koi Care
Visit the author's web site at: http://www.koicareandsupplies.com

Guppy

Robert John Lechmere Guppy discovered this tiny fish in Trinidad in 1866, and the fish was named Girardinus guppii in his honour by Albert C. L. G. Günther later that year. However, the fish had previously been described in America. Although Girardinus guppii is now considered a junior synonym of Poecilia reticulata, the common name "Guppy" still remains.

The guppy (Poecilia reticulata), also known as the millionfish, is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. It is a small member of the Poeciliidae family (females 4-6 centimeters (1.6-2.4 in) long, males 2.5-3.5 centimeters (1.0-1.4 in) long) and like all other members of the family, is live-bearing.

Origin
Guppies are native to Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Brazil, East Timor, Guyana, Mayotte, Netherlands Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
However, guppies have been introduced to many different countries on all continents, except Antarctica. Sometimes this has occurred accidentally, but most often as a means of mosquito control, the hope being that the guppies would eat the mosquito larvae slowing down the spread of malaria. In many cases, these guppies have had a negative impact on native fish faunas.

Behavior

Guppies exhibit sexual dimorphism. While wild-type females are grey in body color, males have splashes, spots, or stripes that can be any color imaginable.

Reproduction

Guppies are highly prolific livebearers. The gestation period of a guppy is 21-30 days, with an average of 28 days; this may vary according to water temperature. After the female guppy is inseminated, a dark area near the anus, known as the gravid spot, will enlarge and darken. Just before birth, the eyes of fry may be seen through the translucent skin in this area. Guppies prefer water temperatures of about 27 °C (81 °F) for reproduction. The female guppy has drops of between 2-100 fry, typically ranging between 5 and 30. From the moment of birth, each fry is fully capable of swimming, eating, and avoiding danger. After giving birth, the female is ready for conception again within only a few hours. Guppies have the ability to store sperm, so the females can give birth many times, after only once breeding with a male. If not kept separate, the older, mature guppies will eat the fry so the use of a breeder box, net breeder, or a separate 20-40 liters (4-9 imp gal; 5-11 US gal) tank is recommended. Live plants may be used as hiding places for the fry.

Young fry take roughly three or four months to reach maturity. In the aquarium, they are usually fed finely ground flake foods, baby brine shrimp or, unless they are put in a separate tank, uneaten food from the adults. In addition, they nibble on algae.


In The Aquarium

The guppy prefers a hard water aquarium and can withstand levels of salinity up to 150% that of normal sea water, which has led to them being occasionally included in marine tropical community tanks, as well as in freshwater tropical tanks. Guppies are generally peaceful, though nipping behavior is sometimes exhibited between male guppies or towards other top swimmers like platys and swordtails and occasionally other fish with prominent fins such as angelfish. Its most famous characteristic is its propensity for breeding, and it can breed in both fresh water and marine aquariums.

Guppies bred by aquarists produced variations in appearance ranging from color consistency to various tail forms.

Well-fed adults do not often eat their own young, although sometimes safe zones are required for the fry. Specially designed livebearer birthing tanks, which can be suspended inside the aquarium, are available from aquatic retailers. These also serve to shield the pregnant female from further attention from the males, which is important, because the males will sometimes attack the females while they are giving birth. It also provides a separate area for the newborn young as protection from being eaten by their mother. However, if a female is put in the breeder box too early, it may cause her to have a miscarriage. Well-planted tanks that offer a lot of barriers to adult guppies will shelter the young quite well. Java moss, duckweed (Lemna minor), and Water Wisteria are all excellent choices. A continuous supply of live food, such as Daphnia, will keep adult fish full and may spare the fry when they are born.

Angelfish

Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as "Angelfish".

All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon River, Orinoco River and Essequibo River basins in tropical South America.

The three species of Pterophyllum are unusually shaped for cichlids being greatly laterally compressed, with round bodies and elongated triangular dorsal and anal fins. This body shape allows them to hide among roots and plants, often on a vertical surface. Naturally occurring angelfish are frequently striped longitudinally, coloration which provides additional camouflage. Angelfish are ambush predators and prey on small fish and macro invertebrates. All Pterophyllum species form monogamous pairs. Eggs are generally laid on a submerged log or a flattened leaf. As is the case for other cichlids, brood care is highly developed.


History

The freshwater angelfish was first talked about by Lichtenstein in 1824.
Being scientifically named Pterophyllum scalare (pronounced: Ter'-o-fill" lum ska-la're), the meaning of Pterophyllum is; "winged leaf".
It was not until the late 1920s to early 1930s that the angelfish was bred in captivity in the United States.
In 1963 another species of Pterophyllum were discovered, P. leopoldi, this species was described by Gosse.
In the beginning they were first described under another name, with P. leopoldi becoming the valid scientific name. Before that a species by the name of Pterophyllum Altum had already been discovered in 1906 by Pellegrin. There may still be undiscovered species in the Amazon River. New species of fish are discovered with increasing frequency, and, like P. scalare and leopoldi, the differences may be subtle. Scientific notations describe the P. leopoldi as having 29-35 scales in a lateral row and straight predorsal contour. On the other hand the P. scalare is described as having 35-45 scales in a lateral row and a notched predorsal contour. The leopoldi show the same coloration as scalare. Leopoldi can show a faint stripe between the eye stripe and the first complete body stripe and a third incomplete body stripe between the two main (complete) body stripes that extends three-forths the length of the body. Whereas, the scalare's body does not show the stripe between the eye stipe and first complete body stripe at all, and the third stripe between the two main body stripes rarely extends downward more than a half inch, if even present. The leopoldi fry develop three to eight body stripes, with all but one to five fading away as they mature, whereas scalare only have two in true wild form throughout life.

Angelfish were bred in captivity for some 30 years prior to leopoldi being described; possibly longer outside the United States.


Keeping Angelfish As A Hobby

Angelfish are one of the most commonly kept freshwater aquarium fish, as well as the most commonly kept cichlid. They are prized for their unique shape, color and behavior. Many hobbyists consider angelfish to be a relatively intelligent fish, able to recognize their owners.

Different Species

The most commonly kept species in the aquarium is Pterophyllum scalare. Most of the individuals the aquarium trade are captive-bred. Sometimes, Pterophyllum altum is available. Captive bred P. altum are usually not available. Pterophyllum leopoldi is the hardest to find in the trade.

Care

Angelfish are kept in a warm aquarium, ideally around 80 °F (27 °C). They will do best if fed a mixture of flake, frozen and live food. Care should be taken to not overfeed, they will continue to eat even what they do not need to. This will lead to a buildup of fats resulting in inactivity and early death. Angelfish will do best if kept in an acidic environment, pH should be below 7.5 (note: 7.5 is still slightly alkaline - acidic is defined as below 7.0). All angelfish will prefer water with a pH of at most 7.0. Angelfish in the (Pterophyllum scalare) family can thrive in a wide range of pH values. Even though angelfish are a member of the Cichlid family they are generally peaceful, however; the general rule "big fish eat little fish" applies. Aggressive fish should not be kept with angelfish because their flowing fins are vulnerable to fin nipping. Some smaller more aggressive fish may even nip at the fins of these fish.


Breeding

Angelfish are relatively easy to breed in the aquarium, although one of the results of generations of inbreeding is that many breeds have almost completely lost their rearing instincts resulting in the tendency of the parents to eat their young. In addition, it is very difficult to accurately identify the gender of any individual until they are nearly ready to breed.

Angelfish pairs form long-term relationships where each individual will protect the other from threats and potential suitors. Upon the death or removal of one of the mated pair, breeders have experienced both the total refusal of the remaining mate to pair up with any other angelfish and successful breeding with subsequent mates.

Depending upon aquarium conditions, P. scalare reaches sexual maturity at the age of six to twelve months or more. In situations where the eggs are removed from the aquarium immediately after spawning, the pair is capable of spawning every seven to ten days. Around the age of approximately three years, spawning frequency will decrease and eventually cease.

When the pair is ready to spawn, they will choose an appropriate medium upon which to lay the eggs and spend one to two days picking off detritus and algae from the surface. This medium may be a broad-leaf plant in the aquarium, a flat surface such as a piece of slate placed vertically in the aquarium, a length of pipe, or even the glass sides of the aquarium. The female will deposit a line of eggs on the spawning substrate, followed by the male who will fertilize the eggs. This process will repeat itself until there are a total of 100 to more than 1,200 eggs, depending on the size and health of the female fish. As both parents care for the offspring throughout development, the pair will take turns maintaining a high rate of water circulation around the eggs by swimming very close to the eggs and fanning the eggs with their pectoral fins. In a few days, the eggs hatch and the fry remain attached to the spawning substrate. During this period, the fry will not eat and will survive by consuming the remains of their yolk sacs. At one week, the fry will detach and become free-swimming. Successful parents will keep close watch on the eggs until they become free-swimming. At the free-swimming stage, the fry can be fed newly-hatched brine shrimp (Artemia spp.) or micro worms. It is generally accepted that brine shrimp are the superior choice for fast growth rates of fry.

Compatibility With Other Breeds Of Fish

Typically in pet stores the Freshwater Angelfish is placed in the Semi-Aggressive category.
But that proves false with some fish. For example, Platies, Tetras and Plecos all are compatible with Angelfish. Although, tetras tend to usually nip at the Angelfish's long fins.

1-800-PetMeds Veterinarian Directory

Tetras

Tetras are a species of small freshwater fish from Africa, Central America and South America belonging to the biological family Characidae and to its former subfamilies Alestiidae (the "African tetras") and Lebiasinidae. The Characidae are distinguished from other fish by the presence of a small adipose fin between the dorsal fin and caudal fin. Many of these breeds such as the neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi), are brightly colored and easy to keep in captivity. Consequently, they are extremely popular for the home aquarium.

The term "tetra" is not actually a taxonomic, phylogenetic term. Because of the popularity of tetras in the fish keeping hobby, many unrelated fish are commonly known as tetras, including species from differing families. Even fish that are vastly different may be called tetras. For example, payara (Hydrolycus scomberoides) is occasionally known as the "saber-toothed" or "vampire tetra".

Tetras generally have compressed (sometimes deep), fusiform bodies and are typically identifiable by their fins. They ordinarily possess a homocercal caudal fin (a twin-lobbed, or forked, tail fin whose upper and lower lobes are of equal size) and a tall dorsal fin characterized by a short connection to the fish's body.

Additionally, tetras possess a long anal fin stretching from a position just posterior of the dorsal fin and ending on the ventral caudal peduncle, and a small, fleshy adipose fin located dorsally between the dorsal and caudal fin. This adipose fin represents the fourth unpaired fin on the fish (the four unpaired fins include the caudal fin, dorsal fin, anal fin, and adipose fin), lending to the name tetra, which is Greek for four.

While this adipose fin is generally considered the distinguishing feature, tetras (such as the emperor tetras, Nematobrycon palmeri) lack this appendage. Ichthyologists debate the function of the adipose fin, doubting its role in swimming due to its small size and lack of stiffening rays or spines. Although the list below is sorted by common name, in a number of cases the common name is applied to different species. Since the aquarium trade may use a different name for the same species, advanced aquarists tend to use scientific names for the less-common tetras.


Aquarium Maintenance

Tetras fare best in a planted aquarium, where they should be kept as schooling fishes, allowing them to replicate their wild behavior as closely as possible. A minimum of six individuals should be kept in an aquarium, though if space allows, a larger number is preferable, as the species exhibits a marked preference for grouping together in large shoals of its own kind where possible. In a planted aquarium, the Lemon Tetra displays more vivid coloration - juvenile specimens in bare dealer aquaria usually appear 'washed out' in appearance and do not show the full splendor of which this species is capable. The aquarium for this species should be furnished with plant thickets interspered with open swimming areas where the fishes can display to each other. Suitable companions in an aquarium include other tetra species, small barbs, small danios, small rasboras, Corydoras and Otocinclus catfishes, and in aquaria where space allows, certain species of dwarf cichlid such as the smaller Apistogramma species. Tankmates should be chosen to be peaceful, not too large, and a more natural display results if the companion fishes chosen are other South American species.

While the preference of the tetra with respect to water chemistry lies within the realm of soft (hardness less than 8° pH) and acidic (pH around 6.6) parameters, the species is notably hardy, and will accommodate itself to a wide range of conditions, the pH range for the fish being from 6.0 to 7.4. Temperature range for the species is 21°C to 28°C, though the species is capable of withstanding water temperatures up to 32°C for considerable periods of time if the water is well oxygenated. Aeration and good quality filtration should be provided for this fish (and indeed for all aquarium fishes) though the fish is sufficiently hardy to cope with aquarium equipment failures provided these are attended to upon discovery.

Extremes of high pH (8.0 or higher) and hardness should be avoided, as these will subject the Tetra to potentially life-threatening stress.

Feeding the tetra poses few problems for the aquarist, as the fish readily and eagerly devours all fish foods offered to it. For prime conditioning (especially if captive reproduction is to be attempted) live foods such as Daphnia should be offered. Tetras are particularly fond of live bloodworms (these are the aquatic larvae of Chironomus midges) and will attack this particular food item with a relish that has to be witnessed to be fully appreciated! Prepared foods such as flakes, freeze dried Tubifex worms and similar fare are also devoured avidly.

The lifespan of the tetra in the aquarium can be as much as 8 years, though 6 years is a more typical figure.

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