Redtail Black Shark

Scientific Name:- Epalzeorhynchus (Labeo) bicolor 


Alternative Name:- Redtailed Black Shark, Fire Tail, Red Tailed Labeo

Basic Info

The Red Tail Shark has a dark black body, and bright red tail. There is a clear dividing line between the red and dark colors, which is quite striking. At maturity, these fish usually reach lengths between three and four inches (seven to ten centimeters). The lips of the Red Tail Shark are equipped with two barbs, which aid them in consuming algae. They are not true sharks; rather, they belong to a family of algae eating fish. Juvenile Red Tail Sharks tend to be paler in color than adults, who become very dark with age. Juveniles may have white dorsal spots or white edged fins, coloring they lose as they mature. 

Health

A lid is essential on an aquarium housing Red Tail Sharks. An aquarium of more than 50 gallons in volume is often used. Water temperature should be maintained between 72 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit (22and 26 degrees Celsius). A pH level of 7.5 and 10 degrees of hardness are recommended. Decorations should be provided for your Red Tail Shark to allow it territorial markers and hiding places, although it is preferred that these are placed about the sides of the enclosure, leaving the center for swimming activity. A smooth substrate, perhaps with a few smooth stones to harbor algal growth, is recommended. Cleanliness is of particular importance, as these fish are sensitive to nitrites. Red Tail Sharks will not tolerate conspecifics and may eat small fish. They should only be kept with fish of roughly equal size and temperament, and may become more intolerant of other fish as they age. The Red Tail Shark's diet should consist of much vegetative matter, since it is of the family of algae eaters. Juveniles lacking plant material in their diets are often stunted in growth or poorly colored. Zucchini, spinach, lettuce, and algae should all be staples. Live or frozen bloodworms, glassworms, earthworms, fruit flies, and brine shrimp should all be offered. Frozen plankton and vegetable diet or live tubifex worms can also be offered. Red Tail Sharks that are pale in color may be unhealthy or suffering from chronic stress. Breeding Male Red Tail Sharks have pointed dorsal fins, whereas the dorsal fins of females end at right angles. Although it is possible to breed Red Tail Sharks in captivity, it is rather difficult due to the level of intolerance these fish show for conspecifics. It is usually a bit easier to achieve breeding in large, heavily planted, outdoor ponds. Between 30 and 40 eggs will be deposited, usually in rocky crevices or cracks, where the male Red Tail Shark guards them. Normally, Red Tail Shark eggs hatch within two to three days, and by the time they are about two days old, the fry are able to swim freely. At one half inch in length, the fry will begin to acquire adult coloration, which develops more fully by the time they are about eight weeks old. 

 

Habitat

Fresh water fish - Their preferred habitats were those of overgrown waterways with rocky bottoms and strong currents. 

Behavior

 

Although most Red Tail Sharks are kept alone, some people have had success introducing these fish into communities where other more peaceful fish would not thrive. The strikingly beautiful Red Tail Shark is thus able to fill a niche in certain community tanks, but is also brilliant when given a tank to itself. The Red Tail Shark usually remains in the middle to bottom regions of its enclosure. In these areas, it stakes out a territory using decorations as landmarks. Often, several territories will be established and invading fish may be attacked. Red Tail Sharks do not tolerate other fish of their species in their enclosures. They may even go after fish larger than they are, stressing these tank mates. Fish with red markings are persecuted most frequently. For such reasons, most people keep Red Tail Sharks with large equally aggressive fish, or they keep solitary Red Tailed Sharks. These fish spend long periods of time in hiding, following these hiatuses with periods of frenetic activity, and have been known to repeatedly leap out of water into the air. 

Origin

 

Thailand 

History

 

Red Tail Sharks are native to Thailand, though they are thought to be extinct in the wild due to their heavy demand in the pet trade. 

Flower Horn

The Flowerhorn is a very interesting creature. It was the focus of a major craze in Singapore and other parts of Asia in 2003. Behind this fish therefore lies many interesting myths, facts, as well as the story of the large impact it made on the Singaporean society.

An artificial fish produced from the cross-breeding of two hybrids, this fish has a unique appearance, and serves well as an ornamental fish to decorate homes and offices. Also an aggresive, but easily tamed, hardy and active fish, it serves well as a pet and its rearing can be a fun hobby for both young and old.

There are also many myths and superstitions behind the fish, most of which probably originated from old people, aquarium shop owners, as well as Feng Shui masters. Some of the body parts of the Flowerhorn resemble that of ancient Chinese gods, and sometimes Chinese characters, gold, or other "prosperous" or "lucky" items and mythycal beings, and because of these resemblences, the Flowerhorn is believed to be able to bring prosperity, success, protection from evil etc to their owners.

All of these and other social factors in turn led to the Flowerhorn Craze of 2003. The craze involved the sky-rocketing of the price of the fish, along with the sudden sprouting of aquarium shops and other phenomena. The ornamental fish trade boomed, after years of sluggish local business after the economic slumps.

The craze ended sometime in late 2003 to early 2004. Prices and production rates dropped together with the demand for the fish, and after the craze, many investors were left with many Flowerhorn fish that few people wanted. Because the fish was carnivorous had a voracious appetite, maintaining these fish deemed a pricey job, most of these fish were eiter exported, killed or thrown away and released into the wild. The Flowerhorn, being a hardy fish, many of them that were released into the wild managed to adapt to the wild environment all over again, and began to feed on other marine organisms, eventually wrecking ecological havoc. This problem was more significant in countries like Malaysia.

There are many lessons that can be drawn from the Flowerhorn Craze and the impacts the Flowerhorn made on the economy, the environment, as well as the society. Such lessons include, with regards to protecting the green earth, learning not to carelessly release artificial creatures into the wild to prevent harm to the environment, with regards to smart consumer habits, not blindly believing in superstitions or rumours, and with regards to smart investment, learning how to seize opportunities and ditch them as soon as they begin to fall. All in all, the Flowerhorn fish has a very interesting background, and also brought about a major impact not only in Singapore but other parts of Asia. It is a subject well worth researching and understanding, for there are many lessons we can learn through this.

Some Information about this Fish

• Usual maximum size in fish tanks (min-max):
  24 - 28 cm ( 9.45" - 11.02")
• Water pH for Flowerhorn should be maintained within the range:
  7 - 7.5
• Water hardness (dGH) should be between:
  6 - 25 °N
• Recommended water temperature for Flowerhorn:
  25 - 30 °C ( 77 - 86 °F )
• Place in the aquarium:
  Middle levels
• How this species reproduces:
  Spawning
• Fish' origin:
  Cultivated form

 Different Type of Flower Horn Fish

Fighting Fish

Introduction

The fighter fish (betta fish) is a popular species of freshwater aquarium fish. It is originally known as Siamese fighting fish and popular in US as ‘Betta’. This word is derived from Ikan Bettah – a local dialect of Thailand. In Thai, “Plakat Morh” or “Trey Krem” means Fighting Fish. This fish species is the native of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and parts of China.

Fighter Fish Tanks – How To Pick The Best Fighter Fish Tank

Fighter Fish  are pretty simple fish to take good care of as long as you know the basics of what keeps them healthy and strong. Right now you are going to learn exactly what kind of fish tanks are acceptable to use and which kinds of fish tanks will result in your Fighter Fish dying off.

So, first things first, there is much debate on which size of a tank you should actually keep your Betta Fish in. From my experience you should have no less than a 3 gallon tank to give them maximum amount of movement and space to grow and move around.

Remember, a happy Fighter Fish is one that has lots of space to move around and frolic in all its fish-like glee.

Fighter Fish Diet – The Secrets To Betta Fish Health

To fully understand what the perfect Fighter Fish Diet is you first have to understand where the Fighter Fish is originally from. These awesome fish have received the nick name “The Jewel Of The Orient”, their native home is originates from Thailand but they can also be found in their natural habitat in and around Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and parts of China.

They like to hang out around small, shallow ponds and even some slow moving streams. While there is some debate about which is actually the best possible habitat for your Fighter Fish, one thing that is often over looked is the actual water temperature. In their home countries the average water temperature is about 80ºF, so that is their ideally perfect water temp.

As the water starts to cool the Fighter Fish will get increasingly more agitated, which can really lead them to live up to their name. Fighter Fish have been known to fight to the death just because the other Betta Fish looked at them the wrong way. So be sure to keep their water temperature right at 80ºF and you’ll be fine. That’s why you shouldn’t keep them in a small bowl, because you cannot regulate the heat control very well. I highly recommend getting a top of the line Fighter Fish Aquarium.

The Secret Fighter Fish Diet

Back in Thailand, you would find the Betta Fish feeding on all kinds of cool fish food like insects and insect larva. In a perfect world that’s all they would eat. But if need be they will adapt to eating the dry flake foods found at your local pet store or even freeze dried food if that’s all ya got.

However, the BEST food you can ever feed your Betta Fish is live insects. They will love that stuff and will eat it all day. Their digestive system are geared towards primarily consuming meat so when you can, give them the good stuff.

The healthier, more live food you give your Fighter Fish the more their colors will pop and the happier they will be.

They actually have a upward turned mouth made specifically for eating any unlucky bugs that happen to fall in the water. What you wanna try to do as a Fighter Fish owner is replicate their natural habitat as much as possible. By feeding them live bugs, you can do this and they’ll love you for it.

Some of the best things you can feed these little guys are Brine shrimp, Daphnia, plankton, tubifex, glassworms, and beef heart. Those are all great things to feed your Fighter Fish, you can find them either frozen or freeze dried. Either one will do nicely. But if you have flake food, you’ll need to suppletment with either freeze dried, frozen or preferably live food.

Some of my favorites are the freeze dried blood worms. Betta Fish go bonkers for these nasty little worms and will be sure to really brighten up their colors too.

Fighter Fish Breeding – The Best Breeding Technique

Fighter Fish have a fairly short life span, living on average between 2 to 5 years, so if you are planning on breeding them its best to do it while they are under a year old so you will yield the best offspring. Most of the Betta Fish that you will find in pet shops are typically about 6 months old.
Most breeders feel that a 10 gallon tank or bigger works great, just make sure its bare bottom so the Fighter Fish can make their little bubble nests with ease. You definitively want to avoid using any kind of pebbles in the tank when breeding as the eggs may end up falling through them and dying.
If you really wanna get some great offspring then you’ll need to precondition your Betta Fish for breeding by feeding them a ton of live food. The water should have a PH of exactly 7 and have a temperature no colder than 80ºF, you can got a few degrees hotter if you would live too.
Whats going to happen next is the male will blow an elaborate bubble nest, they look really cool. At this point you’ll need to create a little hiding place for the female as the males can get kinda aggressive when its time to mate. It’s actually not that uncommon for the female to loose a few scales or have a few nips taken out of her tail.

Just make sure that after the breeding session is over that you remove the female from the tank because the male Fighter Fish have been known to kill the female Betta while he is tending to the bubble nest.
When the pair is ready to spawn their colors will become extremely vibrant and the male Betta Fish will start to circle the female under the bubble nest. Then the male will wrap himself around the female after she has been flipped to her back. As she excretes the eggs they will become fertilized by the male and will begin to float to the bottom on the tank.
Next the male will gently scoop up the eggs and spit them into the bubble nest where they can finally hatch over the course of the next few days. From this point on the male Betta Fish will tend to the young and the female most definitively needs to be removed from the tank because this is when the male is most aggressive.
In the next few days the male Fighter Fish will continue to watch over the nest making sure to spit back in any eggs that fall out of the bubble nest, but in the next 2 or 3 days the eggs will hatch and the young fry will be swimming around the tank with Daddy. At this point, you’ve gotta remove the male fish because he might eat the young, and there goes your whole spawn.
Now that you’ve got an open tank, the fry should be fed a few times daily preferably with baby brine shrimp as they contain the best nutrients for the young broods. For the nest you should use some kind of Tetra mix as it does great for the bubble nests and resembles the Fighter Fish’s natural habitat. And take care about not over feeding the fry because if you do it will pollute the water.

Fighter Fish Types By Color

Green:

Green is the least fixed single color and varies in shade from fish to fish and line to line.  Most Green Betta Splendens have a bluish green hue but less so than a Turquoise variant.  It is often difficult to distinguish these two hues because they really do look quite similar and also depends on the angle you look at them.

Make sure you go after the dark green Fighter Fish, they a prime choices.  This and the turquoise hues derive from the same alleles (BlBl). But the much sought after, dark, forest green is very rare. If you happen to come by one then I highly recommend you pick it up right away.

Reds:

Solid red Betta Fish have non iridescent color and must have that color spread over the entire body, evenly for it to count. What you really want to get is a clean read, without iridescent colors and absolutely no fading.

However reds can come in many different hues ranging from a bright and beautiful fire engine red to shades of deep crimson and even reddish brown colors. yet, color will always vary between breeds, usually most red Betta Fish end up showing some iridescence or show a little bit of other colors creeping in.

If there is any opaque overlay is will distract from the bright red and will tend to show more pinks and muted reds.s.

Of all the red Fighter Fish out there, a brilliant cherry red is by far the most desired, with no iridescence or opaque color to take away from the solid red. Usually the red loss occurs as they age, being bright red as fries but as they grow, it gradually lessens, getting more dull with time.

Royal Blue & Corn Flower Blue:

The consistent, solid royal blue is the choice form: the genotype Blbl or blBl gives adeep, rich royal blue in the green/steel blue/royal blue complex.  The most common form has a dark head and royal blue body and fins.  The ideal color lacks reds and greens.

Corn-flower blues are the same genotype as royal blues but with a dark head and corn-flower blue body.

Royal blues with red factors may appear violet or purple when young and will lose it if the red-loss factor is present and so produce royal blues.  Red loss occurs also occurs in Steel Blue, Turquoise, and Green.

Black:

A true black Fighter Fish has a deep, dark and mysterious shade of black to it, all the way around. However, it is often times more of a smokey black and you will even see black Betta Fish with transparent, smokey looking fins.

Black is one of the most difficult colours to achieve, as the melano gene produces infertile Black females. Several crosses with other colours have tried to alleviate this problem, e.g. Melano x Celophane or yellows.

Getting a true black Fighter Fish can prove to be very difficult though, because the black or Melano gene products infertile black female Betta Fish. And even attempting several crosses with other species has not really solved the problem.

Steel Blue:

Steel Blue Betta Fish are created by crossing the allele combination blbl, this creates a metallic iridescent glow when compared to the Royal Blue Betta Fish.

Steel Blue, Green, Royal Blue, Green and Turquoise Betta’s have an interesting genetic inheritance pattern based on the Bl / bl alleles that show incomplete dominance and determine iridescence.

Many Fighter Fish, such as the Royal Blue, Turquoise, Steel Blue, Royal Blue and Green all show and interesting incomplete dominance and determined iridescence based on the genetic inheritance pattern Bl /bl.

Examples Of Betta Fish Genetic Crossings:
Steel Blue x Steel Blue gives 100% Steel Blue off-spring;
Green x Green gives 100% Green;
Green x Steel Blue gives all Royal Blue;
Royal Blue x Royal Blue gives 50% Royal, 25% Steel, 25% Green;
Green x Royal Blue gives 50% Royal, 50% Green.
Steel Blue x Royal Blue gives 50% Royal, 50% Steel Blue
Turquoise is a variation of the “green” coloring (BlBl alleles).

Turquoise:

A variant of the green, with a distinct blue hue.  Consistent color across the fish is rare. The choice color contains tones of blue rather than any Green or Yellow shades, to distinguish them from the common green.

Fish with colors close to turquoise are often found in Royal Blue and Steel Blue spawns.

The ideal is a dark shade of turquoise.

Opaques aka Pastels

You’ll know a Opaque or Pastel Fighter Fish when you see once because it will have this sort of milky white overlay that seems to dilute any of the underlying colors to more of a pastel type of shade, this usually includes the eyes in most cases.

What’s really cool to know is that there is an opaque or pastel from of each of the main color types. All that the breeder needs to do in order to trigger this type of color is make sure the Op allele is present and you’ll have yourself an awesome looking pastel Betta Fish.

Pastels can be almost any pastel color.

Yellow

Brilliant lemon yellows or even a butter yellow are the best yellow colors produced so far, although some breeders claim to have produced a golden yellow.  Colors that tend to be either a very pale yellow or a yellow-brown tinted are inferior colors.

Yellow results from a gene that transforms red so sometimes the presence of red is also visible.

Golden yellow Fighter Fish, with golden iridescence, are rare. In some Betta Fish, like the yellow/apricot strain, only the operculum is iridescent gold.

A lutino form exists, in which the eyes are yellow, too.

Apricot And Peach:

These are yellow pastels of varying intensities.

Apricot yellows have a distinct pale orange tint to the yellow.

Some yellow Bettas show a faint orange tint to the fins and are called Apricot.

To continue the fruity colours, “Pineapple” Bettas are yellows with a
distinct black outline to the scales, giving a net-like or pineapple
appearance.  Pineapple Bettas are pattern form, not a colour type.

Albino:

Rare.  A characteristic of any true Albino fish is that the body lacks all pigmentation, including the eyes which appear red.

Like Cellophane, these are completely colourless fish and may appear pinkish white or solid white if the opaque factor is present. True albino Bettas have red eyes, with no pigmentation and may show a little bit of color if they are very translucent due to their organs wand what not.

If you ever have the chance to come up on an Albino then I highly recommend you do because they are VERY hard to find and even harder to breed. Take a big time advantage and jump at the opportunity to get one.

White:

Some White Fighter Fish may be completely solid in color and are a true beautiful dense white because of the opaque factor in their pigments. You’ll be able to tell the sure fire difference between a white and an albino every time because albinos will always have red eyes and true whites will always have black ones.

The image to the right shows a truly perfect white Betta Fish, yet it may still have some weird coloration with blues and black due to the way the light is hitting the Fighter Fish in the photo.

Just always remember that whites of this type have black eyes and true albinos have red eyes. Don’t be fooled.

Chocolate:

Chocolate Betta splendens look brown to the eye, but are actually a black and yellow mix and are one of my favorite colors you’ll find on the Fighter Fish.

While the Chocolates are not are rare as the dark forest green Betta or the Albino Fighter Fish, it’s still a pretty tough one to come by sometimes, usually because most people just don’t have the chocolate color ones around.

If you want to help improve the color of the Chocolate Fighter Fish you can actually breed it with a yellow one to try and increase the vibrancy of both the yellow and the chocolate fry.

Orange:

Orange Fighter Fish are actually a new strain of Betta Splendens, and for some reason each breeder seems to think about the shade of orange a little bit differently. I have never really seen a true orange Betta Fish, except in pictures. Most of the ones I see are more like a light reddish orange or more of a deep Halloween type orange color that tends to be more yellowish red and orange.

But none the less, all forms of the Orange Fighter Fish still look really really cool and I would most definitively keep one of them in my fish tank without question. They are yet another hard strain to come by, so if you find a true orange one, make sure you do everything you can to get it.

But the real question is… How “orange” is orange?

In my opinion, true orange is the spectrum right in between red and yellow. I always think of Halloween and pumpkins when talking about orange so maybe my view is a little slanted, but then again, maybe it’s right on target, what do you think?

Lavender:

A lavender Betta is genetically a Cambodian Betta Splendens with extended Red and a layer of light iridescent blue-green.

Truly Purple Betta Splendens are also very new and rare and it appears that the color results from blending red and blue, just like you would get from blending some water colors together. Nature always works the same way.

The Royal Blue strain throws purple or violet fry that appear violet at their first show of color and darken to royal blues within a few months, as the red fades (due to the red-loss factor, L) as the fish mature .

Truly violet colored Betta Fish are rare. So again, if you find one for sale or a breeder with one. Do what you can to get some off spring. It will be WELL worth it.

So there you have it, those are virtually all the different color combination you will find. Keep in mind these are the basic main color combos out there, many breeders will cross black with yellow for example to make really cool looking Fighter Fish that are totally unique. They are always coming out with new strains and new colors.

Discus Fish

Introduction

Discus fish from the genus Symphysodon, which currently includes three species: The common discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus), the Heckel discus (Symphysodon discus), and Symphysodon tarzoo.^[6] However, a further investigation published in August 2007^[7] suggested that the genus held the three species: S. aequifasciatus (the green discus), S. haraldi (the blue/brown/common discus) and S. discus (the Heckel discus).

Other (sub)species have been proposed times and again, but morphometric data is (unlike in Pterophyllum, the freshwater angelfish) varies as much between individuals from one location as it is across the whole range of all discus fish species. S. tarzoo was described in 1959 and applies to the red-spotted western population. S. aequifasciatus and S. discus, meanwhile, seem to hybridise frequently in the wild or have diverged recently, as they lack mitochondrial DNA lineage sorting but differ in color pattern and have dissimilar chromosomal translocation patterns. S. discus occurs mainly in the Rio Negro. Whether S. haraldi is indeed distinct from S. aequifasciatus remains to be determined; if valid it is widespread but it might just be a color

 

 

Location and habitat

Symphysodon species inhabit the margins of floodplain lakes and rivers in the Amazon Basin of lowland Amazonia,^[8] where it is part of the highly diverse Neotropical fish fauna.

The three species of Symphysodon have different geographic distributions. S. aequifasciatus occurs in the Rio Solimões, Rio Amazonas and the Río Putumayo-Içá in Brazil, Colombia and Peru. In contrast the distribution of S. discus appears to be limited to the lower reaches of the Abacaxis, Rio Negro and Trombetas rivers. S. tarzoo occurs upstream of Manaus in the western Amazon.^{[citation needed]}

Apperaance

Like cichlids from the genus Pterophyllum, all Symphysodon species have a laterally compressed body shape. In contrast to Pterophyllum, however, extended finnage is absent giving Symphysodon a more rounded shape. It is this body shape from which their common name, "discus", is derived. The sides of the fish are frequently patterned in shades of green, red, brown, and blue. The height and length of the grown fish are both about 20–25 cm (8–10 in).^{[citation needed]}

Reproduction And Sextual Dimorphism

Another characteristic of Symphysodon species is their care for the larvae. As 

for most cichlids, brood care is highly developed with both the parents caring for the young. Additionally, adult discus produce a secretion through their skin, which the larvae live off during their first few days. This behaviour has also been observed for Uaru species. However when bred in captivity the larvae will tend to live off their parents secretion for up to 2 weeks.^[9]

Gold Fish

HISTORY 

The popular image of a goldfish in a bowl has been depicted the world over - from ancient pottery created during the Ming Dynasty in China to modern popular comic strips. There are actually over 125 varieties of goldfish. All these varieties are thought to have originated from the Crucian carp, which can reach a length of around 40-50 cm. The goldfish is considered the oldest domesticated fish; its story began long before hobbyists began keeping pet fish in aquariums.

It was common for people to keep private carp ponds in China during the Tang dynasty. Other sites for these ponds were in the grounds of monasteries and temples , where monks would watch over them as guardians. It was during this period that various genetic mutations caused some of these carps to exhibit a golden coloration instead of their natural dull colors. These golden carps were selected and bred over many generations.

The fish continued to be popular during the reign of the Song Dynasty. The emperor Chao Kou, who was something of a goldfish enthusiast, even ordered the collection of these golden fish to help restock his ponds. Imperial favour could well have been a very potent influence in fostering the popularity of the goldfish.

GOLDFISH TYPES

Goldfish may also lose their golden color , or rather any goldfish color, by varying the spectrum of light under which they are kept, thus causing the scales to change color over a period of time.

There are mainly two types of goldfish. They are the egg-shaped body goldfish and the flat body type. The flat body types generally are the hardiest, most competitive , and easiest to care for - thus they are most suited for beginners. Flat body type goldfish include the common, comet, wakin, jikin, and shubunkin goldfish. Some of the more popular round or egg-shaped goldfish include the fantail, ryukin, veiltail, oranda, pearlscale, telescope-eyed, black moor, ranchu, bubble-eye , and many others. It is important to note that most egg-shaped goldfish, with the exception of the fantail, ryukin, and black moor, are not suited to be kept in an outdoor environment such as a pond. 

Goldfish are available in many sizes, shapes , and colors. It took breeders many centuries of selective breeding to create the countless different varieties of goldfish that we see today.

IN AQUARIUMS

Goldfish and koi are sometimes referred to as coldwater fish, which just means they can survive in an unheated aquarium. Eventhough they are coldwater fish, this does not imply that they can tolerate very rapid fluctuations in water temperatures. Temperatures below 10 'C or 50 'F are dangerous to fancy goldfish varieties and can increase their chances of becoming sick and ill, though comet and common varieties can be exposed to these low temperatures without any serious problems.

Although goldfish bowls are very popular, they are not an ideal environment to keep goldfish. Goldfish are very easy to care for but they still require cleaned and well-aerated water, which is hard to maintain in a goldfish bowl. Housing a goldfish in a bowl can increase the risk of nitrate/ammonia poisoning and stunting the goldfish.

Goldfish will consume almost anything. The kind of food goldfish will eat includes flakes, cooked peas, and insect larvae. Flake food often is preferred over pellet food due to the fact that they are easier for the goldfish to see and to clean after.

In general the lifespan of goldfish and koi is over 10 years.

BEHAVIOR AND HABITS 

Goldfish behavior and habits can differ greatly both because goldfish are housed in many type of environments, and because their behavior can be conditioned by those who own them.

Goldfish can also show a range of social behaviors. When new fish are introduced to an aquarium, aggressive "bully-like" social behaviors may sometimes become evident, such as chasing the new fish, or fin nipping. These behaviors, though, usually cease within a couple of days. 

BREEDING GOLDFISH

Goldfish breeding started over 2000 years ago in ancient China. Goldfish like all cyprinids, lay eggs. They produce adhesive eggs that attach to aquatic vegetation. The eggs usually hatch in three to five days when temperatures are kept around 66-75'F.

CARING FOR GOLDFISH

Goldfish should be kept in conditions corresponding to their natural habitat. The aquarium should allow enough room for the fish to swim freely. Ideally , the water in the aquarium should also be filtered. The use of a heater is not an absolute requirement as with tropical fish species. 

Angel Fish

Introduction and short history

Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) are popular tropical freshwater aquarium fish, it’s a pleasure to take care of them, and additionally they are considered one of the most beautiful specie of tropical freshwater aquarium fish. Angels often look outside their tank, they may react to various stimuli such as hands in an aquarium, persons standing nearby, and each specimen has its own personality. This specie is one of the first fish which were transported from South America to the rest of the world, they were brought to Europe around 1820 and they were bred in captivity for the first time in 1930 in the United States. Angelfish are highly demanded and are for sale in almost every pet store, however there are many misunderstandings and mistakes made by aquarists including lack of knowledge, compatibility issues or ignorance, so let’s explain how to look after these fish properly.

Habitat

Native environment for these fish is the Amazon River in South America, Angels are to be found in bulrushes where they can find shelter. They grow and live in large shoals but this fact doesn’t mean that they can’t swim free especially if kept in an aquarium, ideal number of Angels in a single fish tank is 6-7. However not all aquarists own a 400 liter tank (105 US gallons, 88 Imperial gallons), thus raising 2 or 3 specimens in a community or dedicated tank is acceptable. The Amazon River is known to be a home of vegetation which these fish use for hiding purposes, so it’s wise to grow live plants such as Alternanthera rosaefolia, Echinodorus amazonicus, Echinodorus grandiflorus, Echinodorus schlueteri, Ludwigia helminthorrhiza, Ludwigia inclinata, Vallisneria spiralis, Vallisneria gigantea in your aquarium. Naturally Angels must not be kept in the same tank with predators which could hunt, kill or injure them (more to be found in the “Tank mates” paragraph). Actually in the wild Angelfish’ flat bodies allow them to hide in plants quickly in case there’s a predator hunting them.

Fish tank setup and care

Basics: The ideal pH for these fish is between 6.0 and 7.0, temperature should be around 25°C (77°F), the general water hardness of 4-12° dGH is the best range. Not only these values are ideal, they should be also constant – pH must not vary, changes in general water hardness shouldn’t exceed 1° dGH per week, and high temperatures may result in premature death of the fish.
                                                                   As mentioned already, Angelfish need a large tank, preferably 40 liters (10.5 US gallons, 8.8 Imperial gallons) per specimen which is natural as these fish grow quite big and tall. Less space per specimen isn’t recommended as adult males may be territorial towards each other especially if females are present in a tank. In addition this specie will swim vertically and their fins would degenerate in case height of the tank doesn’t exceed 40 cm (15.74 inch), there are known cases when Angels even stopped growing in small aquariums. The minimum height for an Angelfish tank should be 50 cm (19.68 inch) as some space is required for substrate, moreover there’s a gap at the top between surface and lid. After all a tank that’s 50 cm (19.68 inch) tall offers approximately 40 cm (15.74 inch) for vertical swimming, this must be taken into consideration when planning such an aquarium! Lid (tank cover) is a necessity as these fish can jump out of the tank although they don’t tend to jump too often. A small gap of 2.5 cm (1 inch) is sufficient for them to jump out. Bear in mind that Angelfish can be very territorial towards each other, they use to get along much better if kept in a group rather than if kept in a small pack, say of 3 specimens.

As written above, plants are crucial to keep your Angelfish happy. Not only they improve water quality and aerate water, plants are used for laying eggs – especially plants with large leaves. Plants will decompose various debris including excrements, they also hinder growth of algae, and plants serve as hiding spots for newly hatched fish. Newborns are easy targets without having opportunity to hide themselves in shelters! Amazon sword plants (Echinodorus) should be grown in an Angelfish tank.

Even though we recommend 40 liters (10.5 US gallons, 8.8 Imperial gallons) per specimen if raising Angels in ordinary community tanks, breeding tanks must be larger because newborns produce excrements, there’s usually more uneaten food, and filtration isn’t that effective since the recommended filtration system for a breeding tank is a sponge filter. Sponge filters can be highly effective, but external canister or HOB filters are definitely better in terms of water quality.

A short summary: An Angelfish tank shouldn't be smaller than 100 liters (26 US gallons, 22 Imperial gallons), a group of 6 of these fish should be given preferably 400 liter tank (105 US gallons, 88 UK gallons).

Food and feeding

Angelfish prefer flakes over granules or pellets, however diet of your fish must not be monotonous, therefore offer them a wide variety of foods including frozen larvae, worms or insects (live should be preferred, frozen food must be defrost before offered to the fish). Brine shrimp or Daphnia are too loved by these cichlids as much as fry of Guppies, Swordtails or Mollies will be eaten if left with Angels. Additionally offer your fish dried foods, however don’t base the diet on dried foods as these may contain lower amounts of proteins and other important substances. It’s a widely known fact that the dried food contains less proteins than raw or frozen worms/larvae, so make sure that especially juvenile specimens are fed on high-protein diet. High-protein diet is crucial when breeding these fish as they’re known for producing more eggs if fed properly (the number of laid eggs and frequency of reproduction also depends on temperature, more to be found below in the paragraph named Breeding).

Angelfish aren’t messy eaters, they usually eat only a little and should be fed once or twice a day. As they’re not the smallest fish available, their stomachs are big enough to store enough food – Adult Angelfish can survive even 2 weeks without food, however you shouldn’t let them starve for over a week. Juvenile specimens should be fed two or three times a day, naturally young fish shouldn’t starve as it could negatively affect their growth rate and their health.

Amount that can be eaten in 4-5 minutes will keep them full for a day.

Suitable tankmate

Angelfish are good tank mates for many tetras, some of the most suitable ones are as follows:

• Black skirt tetra - Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
• Silver tipped tetra - Hasemania nana
• Blue tetra - Boehlkea fredcochui
• Red eyed characin - Arnoldichthys spilopterus
• Splashing tetra - Copella arnoldi
• Bloodfin tetra - Aphyocharax alburnus
• False rummynose tetra - Petitella georgiae
• Glass bloodfish - Prionobrama filigera
• Green fire tetra - Aphyocharax rathbuni

However there are other species that get along with Angelfish, feel free to consider any of these:

• Corydoras Paleatus
• Corydoras Nanus
• Corydoras Panda
• Corydoras Elegans and other Corydoras
• Discus
• Bushynose pleco - Ancistrus temminckii
• Butterfly pleco - Dekeyseria brachyuran
• Bristlenose pleco - Ancistrus triradiatus
• Bristlenose catfish

Guppies and Neon tetras should be avoided because Angelfish will hunt them. Neon tetras are part of Angels’ diet in the wild, and Guppies are notorious fin nippers – Angels won’t tolerate this and will strike back. Any peaceful fish that originates from South America rivers is a suitable tank mate as long as it doesn’t fit Angel’s mouth.

If you're adding new Angelfish into an aquarium with at least 1 Angel that's there already, introduce the new one after feeding time, preferably when lights are turned off.

Diseases

The most common diseases that freshwater Angels suffer from are as follows:

• Exophthalmia or Pop-Eye. Symptoms that characterize this disease include bloody spots, body sores, black spots on the body, loss of fins, fish may even look like suffering from tumors. Causes of this disease include lack of maintenance, infections caused by internal parasites, bacterial infections. Pop-eye can be caused by worm cataracts – the disease is characterized by cloudy eyes.
• Ichthyophthirius or Ich - White spot disease. It is caused by parasites, however background of this disease is again lack of maintenance, high levels of ammonia, stress, poor acclimatization, even newly introduced “non-quarantined” fish may spread this disease.
• Hunger strike; Loss of appetite.

Body & Varieties

There are a several varieties of Angelfish as follows:

• Golden – Bodies of these fish are yellowish, it’s a light tone of yellow.
• Silver – These fish have silver bodies which are crossed with black vertical markings. This type of Angelfish can be dark, light, or solid.
• Koi – This type is characterized by red-white body with black and gold markings. Young Koi Angels are known for having red markings under their eyes.
• Smoky – A shade of silver on one half of the body, and a dark grey or ebony on the other half.
• Pearly gold – A dazzling shade of gold is the primary colour of this variety.
• Black – These fish look like solid ebony.
• Black lace – Black, but sporting wide light to dark stripes.
• Zebra – This variety has black body with white stripes.
• Marble – Marble-like swirls of silver and black appear on their bodies, there are black markings on fins of this variety, some have golden patterns on their heads.
• Blushing – Heads of this variety display golden markings, are a shade of white. Juvenile specimens may have red markings under their eyes.
• Blue blushing – These fish are grey in colour with outlines in black. Yound fish may have red markings under their eyes. This variety has ability to become dark or light according to their current feelings.
• Veiltail – Such Angels have elongated fins, they’re actually available in many colour variants.

Additional information about Angelfish

This part is a summary which is a “must know” for every owner of Angelfish:

• Lifespan of Angelfish depends on conditions in their tank, most Angels are capable of living even 8-9 years. However fish which aren’t looked after properly may live less than 4 years.
• Growth rate of Angels depends on diet, however most of them grow approximately 0.5-1 cm (0.2-0.4 inch) per month until they’re 6-8 months old, then their growth rate slows down. Adult Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) can reach 12-15 cm (4.7 – 5.9 inch) in length, males tend to be bigger than females. Full size is reached at 12 and 18 months of age.
• Since Angels don’t produce lots of excrements, they don’t pollute water and therefore their tank doesn’t need heavy maintenance. However if they’re kept in a community aquarium with fish which are known for producing a lot of waste (Guppies, Swordtails, Mollies), maintenance will have to be more regular. Testing water for pH, ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and carbonate hardness should be ideally performed once a week. The process of cleaning isn’t difficult, you actually have to use gravel vacuum cleaner only, add chlorine-free water into the tank once vacuuming is finished.
• Once again, Angelfish should be kept in large tanks, here’s a quick guide on recommended volumes:

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           |   Liters/                   |    50/  |100/  |  150/ |  200/  |  250/  |  300/  |  350/ |   400+  |

           |   US Gallons/          |    13/  | 26/   |   39/  |    53/   |   66/   |   79/   |   92/  |   105+  |

           |  Imperial Gallons   |    11    | 22    |   33   |    44    |   55    |   66     |   77   |    88+   |

           |  Number of Angel  |     1     |  2     |   3-4  |   4-5   |  4-6    |  4-7   |   5-8  |      6+    |

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