Jason Wilson asked:


 

Caring for catfish in the aquarium can be a very rewarding experience. Catfish have special water and environment requirements they need fulfilled to thrive. Catfish come in many different varieties but they are mostly a very peaceful type of fish to care for.

 

The most common catfish variety in the home aquarium is the Armored Catfish. Catfish have a great reputation for being a very comical and playful fish to own. In this article I will be going through the various things to consider when you are thinking about getting your very own catfish.

 

Catfish are naturally scavengers in the wild. You should make sure to pick a soft bottom material for your aquarium, as catfish love to dig and root around at the base of the aquarium. You should feed your catfish sinking pellets, as catfish naturally are the bottom feeders in the aquarium.

 

You should vary the diet for your catfish between flakes, bloodworms, and sinking pellets. Catfish can also eat smaller feeder fish, but it is not recommended to feed them that often with feeder fish. There have been reports of certain catfish being smart enough to perform certain little tricks to get rewarded with treats for their tricks.

 

Catfish have a reputation for being a relatively goofy and comical fish. This of course will vary depending on the species of catfish you choose. But it is a generally safe to assume that the catfish will be an entertaining addition to the aquarium. Some types of catfish enjoy being schooling fish while others can be quite the loner.

 

Catfish are great additions to community aquariums as they normally keep to themselves at the bottom of the aquarium. Catfish will mostly get along will all types of fish, but they can run into a bit of conflict with an over territorial cichlid. You should try your best to avoid such confrontations by not including species of over-aggressive cichlids in the aquarium with the catfish.

 

Some other things to consider before attempting to add a catfish to your aquarium is the fact that they are predators. It is not a good idea to keep fish small enough to fit into the catfishes mouth as it will generally eat them.

 

Catfish are also nocturnal so it is a good idea to provide a hiding spot large enough for this fish to rest in during the day. Also you will need to feed the catfish at night and adjust the normal feeding schedule of the aquarium. The problems caused by the catfish being nocturnal are easily outweighed by this fishes delightful attitude.

 

These are just a few of the things to consider when you are purchasing your aquarium catfish. You should always research in depth the types of catfish you are going to be placing in your home aquarium. I hope I have been able to tell you a little about the things you will need to consider when raising catfish.

 

Just remember to always do your research before you go out and purchase a new catfish for your aquarium. Make sure that you can accommodate your new pets size and needs in your aquarium.

 



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Carl Strohmeyer asked:


This depends on the fish, for many this can be very difficult.

Also several factors go into any fish developing into a breeding condition, where sexing the fish is more likely; water temperature, water quality, and a very important aspect is proper nutrition.

Here are a few basics;

Livebearers:

In Livebearers such as platties the male has a short tube called gonopodium in place of the anal fin, while the female has a normal triangular anal fin.

Cichlids:

In Cichlids some species, males and females are readily distinguishable by color, size or shape. For others it is difficult or even impossible to tell the sexes apart in non breeding individuals.

• Body shape: The male form a pair of cichlids in the wild is generally larger than female. Some females are larger than some males especially if not found in a breeding pair, so size alone is not a reliable indicator. Males may have a hump on the forehead. The size and shape of this hump differs by among species. This again is not foolproof as females in aquariums have also grown humps, so the presence of a hump does not in itself identify a male. Females may also rounder.

• Fin length: Males Cichlids will often have longer, more flowing and pointed anal and dorsal fins. This method has many exceptions too (such as female Convict Cichlids).

• Coloration: This is a species specific check for the sex of the fish. A couple examples: (1) female convict cichlids have orange on the belly, particularly when they are ready to breed, while males lack the orange. (2) In Auratus African cichlids from Lake Malawi, the young fish have female coloring of a yellow-golden base with three black bands, aligned with white stripes running parallel to these black bands. As the fish mature the males reverse to a black base body color with yellow or turquoise bands.

Goldfish:

Sexing Goldfish is very difficult before they reach sexual maturity.

One way to tell is by looking at the shape of the vent. Females may have rounder convex vents while males have thinner concave vents. The pectoral fins of males may be rather thick and stiff (compared to those of female goldfish) and with a more pronounced outer ray.

Another way to tell is by male goldfish will developing breeding stars on their gill covers and along the first ray of their pectoral fins when they are ready to breed.

Bettas;

Male Bettas in the wild are short finned in the wild, so fins are not as reliable a way to tell the sex in bettas and is common belief. Here are a few ways to improve the accuracy of sexing your betta: (1) While looking at the male betta head on, there is an extra flap of skin under his body. The extra skin is an extended flap of skin from the gills. (2) Again look head on, the males will have a much bolder head and fin structure. (3) While a little less accurate, a male will generally not have a white dot under his body, in between his ventricles. Females will have this white dot.

Taken together you can give a much more accurate assessment of your Bettas sex.

For my full article including pictures:

SEXING FISH; The differences between males and females (if any)



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Carl Strohmeyer asked:


It is always best to have as many different test kits as you can afford (as they apply to either freshwater or saltwater

I prefer to purchase my test kits separately as most master test kits duplicate test I do not need (high range and low range ph) and leave out ones I need such as kH and GH, or possibly Phosphate, Calcium, or Redox

Here is a list of FRESHWATER Test Kits, what they are for and in order of importance:

[1] Ammonia Test Kit ; Ammonia is very toxic even at low levels, should be kept at or near 0. Ammonia test kits cannot discern between highly toxic ammonia (NH4) and only slightly toxic ammonium (NH3). Products such as Prime , Ammolock, and Amquel will convert NH4 to NH3, so your toxic ammonia level will not test accurately after using one of these products. Ammonium (NH3) will convert to NH4 at higher pH levels, which why high ammonia levels as per test are much more toxic at higher pH.

[2] kH & GH Test Kit; you will notice I placed this above a pH test Kit, this due to the fact that a poor kH will make keeping a stable pH nearly impossible. Also Calcium (as tested in GH) is more important to fish health than many aquarists give credit (see my article: CALCIUM, KH, AND MAGNESIUM IN AQUARIUMS; How to maintain a Proper KH, why calcium and electrolytes are important).

*You want to maintain a KH & GH of around 60 ppm (around 2-3 dKH & dGH) for Discus, Rams, Cardinals, and other Amazon fish.

*A KH & GH of 80 -100 for most tropical fish including Gouramis, Bettas, Angelfish, ECT.

*A KH & GH of 100-200 for Goldfish, mollies, Platties, Guppies, ECT.

*A KH & GH of over 200 for Rift Lakes African Cichlids and Brackish fish such as Monos and Scats.

[3] pH High Range OR Low Range Test Kit; you should only need one or the other based on the type of aquarium you keep.

Does not stress over being exact about pH, as too of many aquarists go WAY overboard here! For example Discus generally do best around 6.5, however I know breeders of Discus using water with a pH well over 7.0

I recommend a High Range Test Kit for Goldfish and livebearers which should have a targeted pH of about 7.5-7.8. Rift Lake African cichlids should have a pH of over 8.0

I recommend a Low Range Test Kit for general community freshwater fish (6.8- 7.4) or Amazon River fish (under 6.8)

[4] Nitrate Test Kit; this test is important to know when to change your water (along with KH), as well as how well your general long term tank health is going. Nitrates will also show you how well your plants are consuming nitrogenous nutrients, and if you are vacuuming the aquarium properly such as removing all the mulm. Some filters such as Under Gravel in particular, and Wet Dry and Canister filters can become nitrate factories if not taken care of properly.

For most freshwater fish a nitrate level under 40 ppm is correct or above 15 ppm for planted aquariums.

[4] Nitrite Test Kit; you will notice I put it last, not because it is not important, only that if budget is a concern or time for testing is a factor, this parameter mirrors ammonia often within hours or days. Nitrite should be at or near 0.

[5] Phosphate Test Kit; generally only necessary in planted aquariums where large amounts of ‘ferts’ (fertilizer) are added or if you have uncontrollable algae growth. This test kit is often more important for ponds where rain water can wash debris with high phosphate content into the pond.

Your aquarium (or pond) should have phosphate levels as close to 0 as possible.

[6] Redox Meter; generally this water parameter will take of itself provided you perform proper aquarium husbandry including, regular water changes with properly ionized water, you maintain a GH and KH level of at least 50 ppm (I find 80 ppm better). This said, this is a good parameter to check if you are having problems with Cyanobacteria (Blue Green Algae) or if you are having unexplained problems and every other test is correct (providing you do not have an unknown disease). I recommend every aquarist be at least familiar with the Redox Potential, here is an in depth article about aquarium Redox: “The Redox Potential in Aquariums (& Ponds) and how it relates to proper aquatic health” . You can use Methylene Blue according to standard dosage to your aquarium water (remove the water for this test), and it stays a brilliant blue, you probably have a positive Redox. If the color dissipates at all (even the slightest) you probably have a reducing number. This test in no way replaces the accuracy of Redox meter, but it is a simple way to get a handle on your aquariums Redox health.

Your aquarium Redox should be around -300 mV.

SALTWATER;

The list remains similar and I will bypass descriptions that are in common with freshwater test kits.

[1] Ammonia Test Kit; this should be 0 as in FW

[2] KH Test Kit; you do not need a GH Test Kit for saltwater. KH (or alkalinity as is called in marine aquariums) should be over 240 ppm (13 dKH)

[3] PH High Range Test Kit; your pH should be between 8.2 – 8.4

[4] Hydrometer; this instrument tests the specific gravity of aquarium water (in simple terms the amount of salts). There are two types; the floating glass hydrometers which are more fragile, but also more accurate or the simple needle hydrometer that you fill with water. It is important with both types of hydrometers to clean these with white vinegar (then rinse thoroughly) to prevent hard water buildup which will then cause inaccurate readings.

[4] Nitrate Test Kit; Nitrates are best under 40 for marine fish aquariums and under 20 (even less if possible) for reef aquariums

[5] Calcium Test Kit; this takes the place of the GH Test Kit in freshwater.

Calcium is important to ALL marine life (this includes freshwater too as it is often sadly overlooked), however it is absolutely essential for proper coral growth in marine aquariums. Bio-availability is also essential, Sea Chem Reef Calcium Polygluconate is probably one of the best, most bio-available calcium supplements available for marine aquariums.

Your marine Calcium levels should be between 400-450 ppm

[6] Nitrite Test Kit; this should be 0 as in FW

[7] Magnesium Test Kit; Magnesium is an essential part of chlorophyll, which is necessary for photosynthesis, plants, including algae and the corals. Maintaining a correct magnesium concentration is very important, and is indirectly responsible for fast coral and calcareous algae growth by virtue of making the maintenance of correct calcium and alkalinity figures possible. Magnesium is depleted by algae and by the use of excessive Kalkwasser. Magnesium is what binds Calcium Carbonate in solution, if levels are low useable calcium levels will also drop. Poor choices of Marine Buffers can further exasperate this problem, this why I STRONGLY recommend Sea Chem Marine Buffer for adjusting alkalinity in marine aquariums (and EVEN freshwater aquariums) as this product has Magnesium, Calcium, and sodium bicarbonate in the proper ratios.

Magnesium levels in marine aquariums should be between 1200 and 1400 ppm.

[8] Redox Meter; as in freshwater, I recommend -300 mV, except Redox is more important in marine aquariums.

[9] Phosphate Test Kit; as in freshwater this should near 0. High phosphate levels in marine aquariums can play havoc with the health and growth of live coral (Phosphates can block the absorption of important minerals)

For the Full Article, icluding pictures and more links, please visit the site in the resource box below.



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thegendoikari asked:


Cichlid Breeding

 

Cichlid breeding systems and Cichlid care it is time to pick a Cichlid to breed if you haven’t already. Which to choose really comes down to preference and limitations. Cichlid breeding can be quite costly for some Cichlids, requiring much more than others, such as tank size, water conditions and other equipment, but most of all skill and effort.

For your first attempt at Cichlid breeding I would suggest starting with something that can be kept and bred easily. A fish as delicate as the Discus fish, for example, isn’t a great choice to start out with as it can be quite overwhelming to someone inexperienced. Convict Cichlids are a great fish to start with, as they are very easy to breed, hardy and only grow to be around four inches, so tank requirements are not too demanding. German Blue Rams, Kribensis and even freshwater Angelfish are also not too difficult to breed for someone already experienced in keeping fish.

Once you have chosen your Cichlid you will need to actually get the fish. You can get them at your local pet store, through a fish breeder or order them online. Personally I was quite skeptical of buying fish online myself, but over the last few years I have ordered plants and fish from several sites and other breeders with nothing but great results. Recently I bought a large school of Gold Tetras for my 20 gallon planted tank from LiveAquaria.com, all came in great condition. Buying online is a great option when you can’t find the fish locally or if you are like me and live around sub-par pet stores that don’t care for their fish.

While it varies for each species, in general when buying the fish it is helpful to get several females for each male, as this way the male’s bullying does not get restricted to just one female. Otherwise, this could cause stress among the weaker fish and for Cichlid breeding it is essential that your Cichlids are not stressed.

 

Sexing Fish:

Determining the sex of a fish is quite an important step in Cichlid breeding. Most fish can be classified as either sexually dimorphic or isomorphic. In sexually dimorphic species, the sex can be easily distinguished by primary (shape of sex organs) and secondary differences (size, color, shape, finnage). Males are usually larger and have more elaborate color and finnage. While in sexually isomorphic species there are little, if any, apparent sexual differences. Often, the only way to distinguish between the sexes is the shape of the genital papilla, which is only visible around spawning times. In some isomorphic species, the males are slightly larger and the females are slightly rounder in the belly.

While it is difficult to sex isomorphic Cichlids, it can be done with experience. This pays off quite well as it will limit the amount of fish needed. One can buy as many males and females as needed instead of buying a group large in hopes of getting a good ratio. Obviously in dimorphic species this is much easier, though it still may take a bit of experience with the fish to know what to look for.

Once males and females have been distinguished, a suitable pair or spawning group will either develop or can be chosen, depending on the species. There are several important traits to seek in choosing the parent fish, one being to choose fish that display the most vibrant colors and markings, thus producing the most attractive young. Also, only use healthy and mature fish for Cichlid breeding as unhealthy fish, if they will spawn, may produce unhealthy or deformed young

Be sure that the pair is compatible, many species cannot simply just be put together in a Cichlid breeding tank and be expected to produce young. In fact with many Cichlids, pairs form only after a group has been raised together for months, if not years. In certain species, one partner will bully the other to death if they do not develop a “bond”. Some species can be bred to produce hybrids, though most are sterile and some even have health complications, which will be discussed shortly.

 

Raising the Fry:

When the eggs hatch, the fry that emerge look nothing like the parent fish. Usually they have a large yellow yolk sac and are barely able to move, let alone swim. The fry will feed off the egg sac until all the yolk is gone, then they will begin to look for food. Several Cichlids including Discus fish and Uaru species are noted to feed their young with a skin secretion from mucous glands.

At first fry can be fed very small foods like Frozen Daphnia, Hikari First Bites, liquid fry food and Baby Brine Shrimp. Baby Brine Shrimp play an important role in Cichlid breeding, as they are the main food used to feed fry of most Cichlids. There is frozen Baby Brine Shrimp, instant Baby Brine Shrimp and of course hatching your own, which I am a huge advocate of. You can buy a hatchery kit or build your own (which we’ll show you in a future article) using a 2 liter bottle, an air pump, airline tubing, aquarium salt, Brine Shrimp eggs, Brine Shrimp net and Brine Shrimp food. Once the fish grow larger they can eat chopped Tubifex Worms, mini Bloodworms, Brine Shrimp and small flakes. The fry should be fed several times a day.

Around 25-50% of the water in the Cichlid breeding tank should be changed daily according to the species. Be sure that the “new” water added has characteristics like the water taken out, because fry are quite sensitive to sudden changes in the water chemistry. Many species need periodic sorting by size, so that larger fish do not cannibalize smaller fish. The fry will grow rapidly with good water conditions and frequent feeding with a good diet. It is best to cull unhealthy and deformed fish.

Selling the offspring is a normal part of the hobby, usually so many Cichlids are bred that you have to just to make room for the next few spawns. There are many ways you can sell your Cichlids, you can sell or trade them to other Cichlid breeders, sell them to pet stores, or sell directly to hobbyists both online and offline. However, don’t expect to get rich off of this, usually it is just enough to cover cost of keeping the fish, if even that. For example, one of the easiest Cichlids to start with is the Convict Cichlid as I mentioned earlier, but since they are indeed so easy to raise they are quite common, thus you won’t make much money off of them and it may even be hard to find buyers in some areas.

 

Hybrid Cichlids and Selective Cichlid Breeding

Some Cichlids have been found to hybridize with closely related species quite readily, both in the wild and under selective Cichlid breeding. Perhaps the most ubiquitous aquarium hybrid is the Blood Parrot Cichlid, which is a cross of several American Cichlid species. With a beak-shaped mouth, an abnormal spine and an occasionally missing caudal fin, the fish has caused controversy among aquarium enthusiasts with some even calling the Blood Parrot the “Frankenstein” of Cichlid breeding.

Another notable hybrid, the Flower Horn Cichlid, was very popular in some parts of Asia from 2001 until late 2003 and is believed to bring good luck to its owner. The popularity of the Flower Horn Cichlid declined in 2004, resulting in many Flower Horn Cichlids being released into the rivers and canals of Malaysia and Singapore where they pose a threat to native animal communities.

Numerous Cichlid species have also been the subject of selective Cichlid breeding to develop new ornamental strains for the aquarium trade. The most intensive selective Cichlid breeding programs have involved freshwater Angelfish and Discus fish and many mutations that effect both coloration and finnage are known, one of my favorite examples is the Smokey Leopard Angelfish. Many other Cichlids have been selectively bred for albino mutations, resulting in fish like Albino Oscar fish, Albino Angelfish, Albino Kribensis, Albino Peacock Cichlid, Albino Brichardi and Pink Convict Cichlid.

However, these efforts at selective Cichlid breeding may have unintended consequences. For example, some selectively bred strains of German Blue Rams known as German Gold Rams have health and fertility problems. Similarly, the inbreeding involved in selective Cichlid breeding programs can cause severe physical abnormalities such as the notched phenotype in freshwater Angelfish. Which is why it is common in Cichlid breeding for breeders to trade fish to keep the gene pool fresh.

 

For more information visit this Cichlid breeding guide.



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Jared Helm asked:


Keeping the freshwater fish cichlids have been one of my favorite things. They are such interesting little creatures and I love watching them. I have a 50 gallon fish tank and 7 cichlids in there. I have had them for almost a year now. They are African cichlids and they breed like crazy. I have had a number of batches of fry. It is very fun to watch.

I never thought that keeping fish could be so cool. They just swim around in a small tank and come up and eat food when you feed them. But there is something about them that just makes you want to stop and stare at them for long periods of time. I have watched less TV in the last year because of my cichlid fish.

I do not know what my individual cichlids are called, but I have 2 yellow cichlids, 2 blue cichlid, 1 orange cichlid and two with multiple colors. I keep the fish tank really clean so they have a nice place to live.

My favorite thing is to watch the cichlid babies in the tank. I know that you can get a separate tank or a net to keep the little fish alive, but I do not do that. I let nature take its course inside the tank. I have had a few cichlids survive all the way up to where they can swim in the normal tank. I have given those away to friends that also have fish tanks.

Cichlids come from all over the world. I have cichlids from Africa, but they also come from South America. There are tons of different kinds of cichlids, but African Cichlids are really popular and not that expensive. That is why I chose to go with them. You have to be careful because they can be aggressive, but I read that if you change up your tank and move things around then that can help keep them calm. I do that every time I do a water change in my tank. It seems to keep them pretty calm. They can still get aggressive and chase each other around the tank, but I have never lost a fish to aggression.

If you have never kept fish before then it is something that you need to try. A lot of my friends called me a nerd, but that is okay because it is worth it. Fish are so peaceful and help you relax. At least that is what they do for me. I plan on keeping cichlids for a long time, maybe I will eventually try something else, but for now I have found what I am really interested in. In the past I thought I always wanted to keep saltwater. I think everyone thinks saltwater is the coolest, but after keeping these cichlids I think these fish are just as cool. I heard salt water is a lot more difficult then fresh water, I do not know for sure, but maybe one day I will try it. Until then, it is all cichlids.



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