Your Pet Fish

Cold Water Fish

Tropical Fish Information – The Scientific Naming Convention

Article by Paul Curran

In this article on tropical fish information you will see information on why folk keep tropical fish, the background to it and the fish classifying scientific naming formula.

Nowadays there an increasing number involved in keeping tropical fish at home in an aquarium and the ages of these aquarists ranges from the more mature down to young kids. Tropical fish need more looking after than cold water fish such as the goldfish and it is this additional caring factor that I believe attracts folk to tropical fish.

Due to tropical fish being more colorful than their cold water compatriots, the aquarist has more to select from and because they are not as big you can accomodate more in your tank, and usually you will not have to import the fish from its original habitat due to being bred in captivity just for you.

Due to regular breeding over the years it is unlikely the fish in your aquarium will show the same shape, coloration and size of your authentic fish from, as an example, Venezuela, the country in which the checkered dwarf cichlid came from, but in cases where captive breeding has been not been successful then the genuine wild stock must be imported.

Species of aquarium fish are called by common names with many having many names used daily by pet shop owners and aquarists each and every days, which although helpful are not a replacement for the true identification description of the fish of the fish provided by the binomial nomenclature system.

The basis for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature, the accepted system of naming species, was constituted by a zoologist from Sweden called Carl Linnaeus who was also a botanist and physician and one of those who led the field in modern ecology.

This system has been used since 1758 and separates plants and animals into groups in a way that their relationship to each other is easily established. The science of discovering, describing and sorting organisms into categories is called Taxonomy and consists of 7 main groups, in this order, Kingdom/Phylum/Division/Class/Order/Family/Genus/Species.

However, as its name suggests, the binomial nomenclature process only uses the last two identifiers, the genus and the species names. Although each identification is stated in Latin it could be described as the ‘Latin name’ of the species but biologists like to call it the ‘scientific name’.

As Ichthyology (zoological term for studying fish) moves forward it has happened that now and again fish have been put in a different classification but because the new identification name is not used by everyone, you can sometimes end up with one fish having two scientific names.

For example, the Chanda lala and the Ambassis lala might be assumed to be different species, but they are not and you may have more than one genus with lots of species as in the Colisa labiosa and the Colisa fasciata. In cases where the fish has no specific description in a genus that is known then you would make a scientific name by adding the word species to the genus name.

Speaking of species, it appears that about two hundred and 50 new species are given scientific names every year and according to a thorough database of fish information by the beginning of January 2010 there were over thirty-one thousand species. Fish species outnumber all the remaining vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians).

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Cold water fish question by : Are there different types of cold water gold fish?
Hi

I’ve got a 100L fish tank and Its perfect for cold water fish are there any pretty cold water fish or is it just your standard gold fish ?

Thank you x

Cold water fish best answer:

Answer by Julie L
They are mostly that orange, black or white but there are different types. http://www.desktopgoldfish.com/goldfish-types.php

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Marine Fish

Fish care and aquarium information

Article by John Ugoshowa

How to

Over the internet and at local pet shops, you will find a wide assortment of helpful information related to freshwater fish and saltwater fish. Freshwater fish include the tropical and coldwater fish. Saltwater fish are also listed under Marine fish. Aquarium fish estimate at more than 22,000 species. The species include damsels, goldfish, reedfish, killifish, kingfish, catfish, loach, minnows, blind cavefish, long fin characin, and so on. Freshwater fish differ from the saltwater fish, in that the saltwater fish require different water conditions, feed, water temperatures, pH levels, and so on.

In addition to saltwater fish and freshwater fish are choice amphibians, and reptiles. Some people, especially expert aquarists tend to blend a selection of fish. In fact, experts might even add Cushion Stars or Wartlet Anemones to their tanks. The cushion star is classified as the Phylum Echinodermata. The fish is commonly found in the Adriatic areas and the Mediterranean. The starfish grows about one

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Betta Fish

Betta Fish Information that Will Change Your Life!

Article by Yanik White

One of the really cool things about betta fish, is that they have extremely well-developed eyesight. Because of this, the betta fish will learn to swim to the surface when it sees your hand over the bowl to feed it.

Betta Fish are also called Siamese Fighting Fish. The name Betta is pronounced as the Greek letter beta, and because of this, the name is often misspelled in American English, with one t instead of two. The name is however unrelated to the Greek letter, and is derived from the Thai ‘ikan bettah’. In Thailand, betta fish is known as pla-kad. Bettas live in freshwater. Betta fish are one of the most popular aquarium fish, mainly because of its appearance, since betta fish certainly are not one of the easiest fish to keep in an aquarium. Betta Fish originates from the Mekong basin in Southeast Asia.

Betta fish grows to about 6 cm, and its life-span is on average four years, but well-kept aquarium specimens can live longer than six years.

Sometimes, when betta fish are aggravated, they “puff-out”. When they are “puffing-out”, the fish puffs out the gill covers and fins to appear more impressive. They do it to either intimidate rival males, or as an act of courtship (to impress the female

In Asian countries, the betta fish are often used in fights similar to cockfighting. These fighting fishes usually have much shorter fins than the betta fish we are accustomed to see in the west. Betta fish in the wild usually have very short fins, but breeders have developed brilliantly-colored and longer-finned varieties.

Betta fish creates bubble nests, which are floating masses of bubbles. They are blown with saliva bubbles. These bubble nests are meant as a place for fertilized eggs to be deposited. The bubble nest is guarded by the male until the small betta fishes hatch. The bubble nests built by the male bettas are made from air bubbles coated with saliva to increase the strength. When the male betta makes the nest, it makes a louder noise then it does when breathing normally.

After the betta fish have spawned, the eggs floats into the bubble nest from below, or the male betta carries them there while holding the eggs in his mouth, as if he were to eat them. The male betta will then guard the bubble nest for the next 24-48 hours until the eggs hatch. He also keeps a close watch, and retrieves any eggs or fry that fall from the nest. He will also repair the nest by adding bubbles where needed. After the fry hatch in 24-48 hours, the father will tend the fish for the next couple of weeks.

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Culligan the Betta Fish Builds His First Bubble Nest

Today is exactly one week since Culligan was put into his 5 gallon tank. I’ve had him for almost two week total time. Click link to left to watch in HIGH QUALITY I never though I’d see him build a bubble nest because I have read that many people’s bettas build their nest after only a couple days in their new home. And his tank has a filter that creates a gentle current at the surface so I thought the bubbles wouldn’t stick. Well, Culligan was smart and built it in a corner behind the intake pump that is undisturbed by any current. The only thing I can think of that I did differently was that yesterday I fed him half a peeled, boiled pea. Sorry the video is kinda bad quality. I just woke up and have final exams like in 2 hours so I shot and uploaded this video very quickly, haha.
Betta Fish Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Cichlid

Peacock Cichlid Care and Information

Article by Dexter McClean

From Lake Malawi you will find the most beautiful Peacock Cichlids. It not hard to find information on over 28 different species and a variety of subspecies, vibrant blues brilliant red and yellow and a variety of combination of colors.

Normally a freshwater fish with new species still being discovered making the fish a very excited and remarkable fish to own. Why choose this one as a pet with so many species available? The Cichlid is a relatively one of easier fish to keep and bread.

Because of the easy care, breading and multiple application of the Cichlid fish some species like the Tilapia is farmed in Asia and now worldwide for supermarkets and restaurants. Because of it wonderful flavor and simple bone free flesh, Tilapia has become a popular fish for eating.

Where are Cichlids found?

In some cases you can find the Cichlid fish in salt or brackish bodies of water. Cichlids are found in almost every corner of the world. In lakes and rivers of North American like southern Texas and down in to parts Argentina in South America. Also commonly found throughout Africa and all over parts of the Middle East.

Some Cichlids make home on the Island of Madagascar, in bodies of water on the Island of Sri Lanka, and along the bordering southern coast of India. To date there are no Cichlids native to the Far East or Australia, nor are any being found naturally in the wild North America north of Texas.

However, as I stated before Cichlids, particularly the genus Tilapia, have been introduced either deliberately in fish farms or accidentally into many locations around the world where they were not found natively. Case and point for instance, there are many introduced Cichlids in the waterways, drainage systems and canals of southern Florida.

Cichlid Behavior

Normally a pretty aggressive fish is good to know ensure any type of fish you plan to co-habitat your fish tanks are compatible.

I recommend you

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Discus Fish

Discus Fish Care Information

Article by Kevin Hoffert

Discus Fish Care InformationDiscus Fish are one of the most popular amongst aquarium owners. They are very beautiful, intelligent fish. Discus fish will interact with you and are able to follow movement. It is said that discus fish will eat out of your hand, and they are always aware of what is going on around them. However, discus fish have very unique living conditions and do require knowledge on how to care for them. If discus aren’t cared for properly they can become aggressive, get sick, and even die.A little background information regarding the native habitat my help you better understand the care needed for these beautiful fish. Discus are originally from the Amazon, living in small lakes, creeks, and streams coming off the Amazon River. In the wild they can blend easily amongst the tree roots close to shore, as they have black markings on them which make them blend easily. The water is warm and mostly calm where the live with acidic PH ranges.

Before setting up your aquarium for discus there are a few things you should be aware of. You should try to find out the parameters of your local tap water. If the water has a very high PH you might want to get softened water to lower the PH level. Most cities in the U.S. add chloramines to the water to disinfect it. Chloramines are a mixture of ammonia and chlorine which are toxic to discus. You should also keep in mind the you should use a minimum of 5 gallons per discus fish.

First thing in setting up your discus fish aquarium, like any other aquarium you need to cycle the water. Discus like clean water and don’t thrive well with high levels of nitrate. Water changes should be done often. A sign that the aquarium might need a water change is there are low levels of PH or high nitrate levels. If you forget to do water changes often, don’t take out a large amount of water when doing your next water change. This can be dangerous to the discus fish, that is why it is important to remember to do water changes pretty often. Also over feeding can increase the nitrate levels, which the water should pretty much have zero nitrate levels. When adding plants to your aquarium make sure to wash them thoroughly to remove the bacteria before placing them into your tank. They sell safe plant disinfectant at local pet supply stores.

Discus like to be kept with other discus mainly, you should not have one discus fish by itself in a tank full of other fish. The younger discus will consume their food very fast as the older ones will take their time eating. In a group full of discus fish one will usually stand out to be the most dominant one. The dominant discus will be the first one to eat during feeding time, usually making it the largest of the group. Overfeeding can be a big problem with discus. Besides harming the levels of nitrate and making the water cloudy, discus have very small stomachs making them only able to consume a little amount of food. Discus are better off when not fed dry foods. This can cause the stomach to hydrate and can cause serious problems. Hikari brand frozen foods and frozen brine shrimp are the recommended diets for Discus fish. Omega one is also a good for Discus as you will see changes in their color, making them more vibrant and looking healthier.

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Keeping Ram Cichlid Fish
Discus Fish
In addition, they seem to prefer higher temperatures than most typical tropical fish about 84 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. This is why they are often recommended as tankmates for discus. Rams are such a beautiful fish that fish farmers all over the …

Discus Fish question by Dr_VIP: Discus Fish, how to keep them in your tank happily?
I have been posting several things about fish lately, and discovered the Discus Fish. They’re indeed a beautiful fish – and in order I do things right without rushing into it I’d like to know more about how to keep a Discus fish, how big they grow if they come in dwarf or just large and how many to a tank or in my case – I’d only like to have two – is it best to have them in pair? Single or groupped?

Many Thanks, all your answers I’m sure will be great.
Sara x

Discus Fish best answer:

Answer by 8 in the corner
Discus are not the easiest fish to keep. They need a large tank because they will grow to be large fish. They can grow to 10″ and will put quite a bio-load on the aquarium. Requent water changes are a must, at least 30-40% every 3-4 days without fail. They need absolutely clean pure water.

Some people try to keep them in water that is close to their natural habitat’s pH of about 6.0-6.5. This is not necessary if they have been raised in water that is higher. A friend of mine is a breeder (he has hundreds) and he just uses the water that is coming out of his tap (after dechlorinating and treating with stress reducing liquid). It is about 7.2 pH. He has, at last count, breeding pairs of at least 8 different color varieties.

Two fish will not be a good thing, unless you are very, very lucky and they turn out to be a male and female who are compatible, one will become dominant and bully the other unmercifully until it stops eating and eventually dies. They are like angelfish in this respect. You should have “at least” three fish and more is better.

Also, do not keep any fish with them that are fast swimmers or even a little bit agressive. Discus are very shy fish and will hide a lot if there are other fish in the tank. Do not place the discus tank in an area that has a lot of motion around it (no foot traffic or pets running around) they are very excitable and will crash into the glass and injure themselves if startled constantly.

They are quite pricey fish too. Most of the stores in my area of NE Ohio charge at least $ 24.95 each. If you are lucky enough to have a breeder in your area, you will pay around $ 10 per inch of body length.

Another tip, don’t try to keep angels with discus. Angels can carry a disease that does not affect the angel, but is deadly to the discus. Once they begin to show the symptoms, there is no cure.

Good luck if you decide to try them. They are not a beginners fish.

Discus fish tank / Diskus @ Klner Zoo [22/52]

TAKE A LOOK AT MY OTHER VIDEOS www.fischbottich.de +++ This is atank of the Zoo Aquarium of the Cologne Zoo called “Klner Zoo”. It’s the footage of the 3rd Zoo Trip for fischbottich.de. +++ We have a video of each tank in this Zoo. 27th of March 2009 (27.03.2009) For scale: The front glass panel is 1,2 meter (3.93 feet) high. +++ The population of this tank: Discus / Diskusfisch (Symphysodon aequifasciata) Chessboard Cichlid / Gabelschwanz-Schachbrettbarsch (Dicrossus filamentosus) Dwarf Suckermouth / Orgitter-Harnischwels (Otocinculus sp.) Threestripe Cory / Dreibinden-Panzerwels (Corydoras trilineatus) +++ Verffentlichung mit der freundlichen Genehmigung des Klner Zoos. Weitere Informationen unter www.koelnerzoo.de
Discus Fish Video Rating: 4 / 5

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