Category: General Aquaria

It’s always bad news when fish injure or kill each other in our tanks, or in our customers’ tanks.  Understanding what’s going on may help prevent these incidents.  The five motives for piscicide are predation, reproduction, territory, dominance and pathology.

Predation is feeding behavior, and usually involves a large fish swallowing or biting a much smaller fish.  Almost any fish can be a predator if presented with the right size victim.  A few fish also feed on parts of other fish, such as eyes, scales or fins.  Thankfully, most of these species have never become common in the aquarium trade.

Reproductive violence includes spouse abuse, fry-eating and fry-defending.  Mating behavior in fish often includes contests of strength, with jaw-locking and wrestling.  In the wild, a fish that’s tiring in such a contest can break off and swim away for a while; in an aquarium there is no “away.”  A fish that is weaker may be rejected and driven away by the winner, who will then await a stronger suitor.  Again, in a fish tank the rejected fish can’t leave, and the winner will keep trying to drive it out until it is killed.  Fry-eating is, oddly enough, an evolutionary survival trait.  Laying eggs is a huge expenditure of calories, and a fish in an unsafe or unhealthy environment may retrieve those calories to help it survive to try again when conditions are better.  Conversely, a fish defending eggs or fry may become quite fierce, killing or injuring even much larger fish if they don’t back away.  In species that don’t normally care for their young, fry-eating is just hunger.

Some fish require a certain space that is “theirs”.  Most territorial fish focus their aggression on similar species; a blue gourami might attack a dwarf or kissing gourami but ignore a platy or tetra in its territory.  The size of a territory varies by species and terrain.  A tank with lots of wood, rock or plants offers more visual barriers and therefore more territories than a mostly bare tank.  Crowding can suppress territorialism; at a certain point most fish (except bettas!) decide that defending a territory is hopeless and quit trying.  That’s why you see a lot more fighting in a tank with 3 cichlids than in one with 20.

In some species there is a dominant fish in the school, who must assert his/her status by nipping and harassing the rest.  In a large school this is harmless.  Where there are only 2 or 3, the weakest fish is picked on relentlessly because there aren’t enough others to distract the alpha fish.  If these species are kept singly, they often try to herd and control other species with damaging results.  Many barbs, danios and some tetras fit this description; to prevent problems keep them in schools of 5 or more.

Understanding the roots of fish aggression can help us figure out steps to reduce it, but we can never be entirely sure.  Despite their tiny brains, fish are individuals.  Instincts evolved for lakes and rivers may not work as expected in a rectangular glass box.  Living creatures are unpredictable; that’s why aquariums are more interesting than fish screen-savers. Whether influenced by a brain tumor, low blood sugar or too many video games, sometimes a fish is just plain mean.

There are many challenges in fishkeeping. One of them is to successfully maintain fishes that grow reasonably large or are so active or territorial that they need a spacious aquarium tank in which to thrive. Like any other animal, fish need adequate accommodation, regular feeding, clean conditions, and appropriate exercise. In fact, you should always give as much consideration to owning a fish as you would to owning any other pet.

So…you find yourself standing in front of a display tank, contemplating bringing home that really special looking fish, little realizing (unless you buy your fish from Fintastic because we’d tell you) that that tiny little fish will outgrow your aquarium in a very short time.

It is always difficult to know where to start when planning a new aquarium. The temptation is to buy your pet first and then consider the problems of housing it. Misjudging the long-term implications is easy, especially if the fish you have chosen is a juvenile. After all, it shouldn’t grow that fast, you hope! Most fish sold are juveniles, some will get just a little larger, but others may get huge. Oscars are a good example, growing as large as 15 inches. A large aquarium, measuring at least 48″x18″x18″ is essential. Other species, like many of the aggressive cichlids, are highly territorial and will need a lot of room to thrive.

The best way to go about things is to build your tank around the fish you want to keep. Having decided on a fish that interests you, the first task is to determine the minimum tank size it will need at maturity, not what it needs now when it’s as small as a guppy! Next investigate the ideal filtration system to maintain the required water conditions. A filter system can never be too large for the aquarium. However big the tank you provide is, it will never be anywhere near the size of the lake or river (or ocean!) in which the fish lives in the wild! And most importantly, before you buy any fish you’re not familiar with, become familiar with it. Compatibility with other species is only one issue, size and personality are important too.

The intestinal lining of all fish is very sensitive and does not tolerate cold food very well. To serve frozen food properly, we suggest you thaw it first before feeding it to your fish. The following is our procedure for feeding frozen food here at Fintastic.

• Decide how much food you’re going to use and place it in a plastic dish and leave it out to thaw for 30 minutes or so. Never leave it out any longer or it will spoil. Thawed food can be left in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days; any food left out longer than that should be thrown away.

• To supercharge your food with extra nutrition, dose your frozen food with a liquid multivitamin such as Sera Fishtamin or Kent Marine Zoe. Pour the liquid vitamin over the food and let it soak in as the food thaws. By doing this the food will soak up the vitamin like a sponge. In addition to getting all the food they need, the fish will be getting all the vitamins and minerals of a balanced diet.

• When completely thawed the food should have a soft, spongy feel. You can now feed your fish with it by squeezing it between your fingers just under the water’s surface. Let it drop away in pieces as the fish come up to eat it. For your own safety when feeding predatory fish such as eels, lionfish, triggerfish and groupers, and to eliminate fights over food, use feeding tongs to directly feed each fish.

• Never use hot water to thaw frozen food! This cooks the food and removes all the vitamins and minerals your fish so desperately need. It also breaks down the food into a nasty soup that your fish won’t eat and only serves to pollute your tank.

In conclusion, we recommend alternating between the various formulas of frozen food to ensure your fish a healthy balanced diet. A varied diet is the key to keeping your fish healthy and happy. After all, you want your fish not just to merely survive, but to thrive! Consult a Fintastic aquarium installation and maintenance specialist for more recommendations.

Thinking of putting in a new aquarium and can’t decide between going with a saltwater aquarium or a freshwater aquarium? There are a few things that you should consider to help you make your choice: commitment, cost and personal choice.

How Much Time do You Have to Commit?
Keeping any pet requires a certain amount of time and effort, and although fish are easier than many animals, keeping them happy and healthy is still a serious responsibility. Both salt and fresh water aquariums require daily feedings, frequent observation, and regular partial water changes and filter cleaning.

Marine tanks require a bit more attention at each of these steps. Feeding may be more complex, with different fish or corals requiring different foods, some of which may be frozen or live. Observation will include using test kits or devices to measure salinity, calcium, alkalinity, magnesium and other parameters. Water changes require pre-mixing salt water or purchasing and carrying pre-mixed salt water. Filter maintenance also includes emptying and adjusting your protein skimmer and may include maintaining reactors, refugia and other peripherals. Even changing light bulbs is more time consuming, as marine lighting fixtures are tightly sealed to protect the circuitry from salt and moisture.

Not all marine tanks will have all of these features, but leaving some of them out may limit the types of animals you can keep.

If you want a beautiful aquarium without all of this work, Fintastic offers an in-home maintenance program for marine and freshwater tanks.

What are the Costs Involved?
Most of the filtration and lighting choices for freshwater tanks are inadequate for marine use. Marine equipment is considerably more expensive, as are the fish and corals.

In both fresh and salt water, there is a trade-off of time vs. money. Better and more complete equipment will allow you to spend less time on maintenance; using barely adequate equipment will mean that you spend more time making up for the deficiencies in the hardware. Because of the many choices involved, a precise figure is impossible, but on average a marine aquarium will cost 3 to 5 times as much to set up as a freshwater tank of the same size.

What is Your Personal Choice?
Each side has something to offer that the other side cannot. In addition to affordability and ease, fresh water offers the possibility of breeding and raising fish, which is extremely rare in marine tanks. Marine tanks offer an unbelievable variety of creatures, from fish to corals, clams, crabs and feather dusters. The colors found in reef fish simply don’t exist in fresh water.

Ultimately, the final decision of whether a saltwater or a freshwater tank is best will depend on how much time and money you want to invest in your aquarium, and your personal taste in aquatic life.

Algae are normal, and often necessary components of any aquatic ecosystem – they are far from being harmful. Algae growth only becomes a problem when it interferes with the aquariums aesthetic appearance or it begins to overtake delicate organisms.

The most effective way to control problem algae is to control its food sources: nitrate, phosphate, carbon dioxide and dissolved organic matter. These nutrients are in short supply in natural environments such as tropical lakes, rivers and coral reefs. However, due to the aquarium’s closed system and density of organisms, nutrients can accumulate rapidly, forming a constant food source. Therefore understanding where these nutrients come from will help you control them.

Nitrate, phosphate and dissolved organics come from tap water, feeding the biological process. Some salt additive mixes also include these nutrients. Our goal is to manage the introduction of these food sources into the aquarium.

• Tap Water

Tap water in our area has measurable levels of nitrate, phosphate, silicate and heavy metals, all of which can promote algae growth and stunt the growth of desirable living plants, corals and invertebrates. Use of Reverse Osmosis (RO) water is the most efficient step in reducing the addition of these toxins. Just switching from tap water to RO water has resulted in cleaner aquariums with less maintenance for many aquarists. At Fintastic, we use RO water exclusively in all our saltwater systems and freshwater displays.

• Feeding

Ninety percent of the nitrogen in foods added to the aquarium ends up as nitrate in the water. Feeding also contributes to phosphate buildup. Overfeeding is typically the largest and most common source of algae nutrients. Feeding very small amounts twice a day (all food should be eaten within one minute) with no excess food laying on the bottom of the tank is your goal.

• The Biological Process

Mother Nature’s bacteria will reduce ammonia, nitrite and dissolved organics to nitrate. This process cannot be eliminated or altered as biological filtration is the most important type of filtration keeping your aquarium alive! Your goal is to keep organics levels as low as possible through proper feeding and husbandry of the aquarium. In saltwater, one of the newer methods is to eliminate the biological area in your trickle filter and follow the Berlin method. This process includes using plenty of live rock (2 pounds/gallon), live sand (3-4 inches deep), massive water flow, and strong protein skimming for filtration. Maintaining a calcium level of 400-450 ppm will promote the calcareous algae rather than the undesirable microalgae.

• Additions to the Aquarium

Additives for freshwater plant tanks (i.e. plant foods/fertilizers) should be done with test kits in hand to ensure the proper levels are maintained. Too little or too much will cause problems. Saltwater hobbyists should ensure their salt mix is nitrate/phosphate free and low in silicate. All other nutrient additives should be used very sparingly while other elements (calcium, strontium, molybdenum, iodine) should be consistently added.

• Lighting

Lighting problems can cause outbreaks of diatoms, red slime algae and blue-green slime algae. As lamps age, the light spectrum deteriorates, triggering the growth of undesirable algae. Fluorescent lamps (standard output) should be changed at least once a year, VHO lamps every four to six months, and metal halide and super compact lamps every year.

• Other Ways to Control Undesirable Algae

Once the introduction of nutrients is controlled, water changes incorporating vacuuming the detritus out of the gravel is the fastest way to remove the built-up impurities. Maintaining low levels can further be achieved by using nitrate and phosphate removing filter media. The addition of algae eating fish and snails is another natural way to keep the algae in check. Protein skimming is now considered a mandatory saltwater filtration component to reduce desolved organics. Ultraviolet (UV) sterilization will also kill free-floating algae spores. UV sterilization works effectively with freshwater and saltwater aquariums and ponds.

Aquatic plants are a very important step in achieving a truly balanced ecosystem pond. Regardless of why you got into the water gardening hobby, adding aquatic plants to the pond is an important part of the water garden. They provide beauty and naturalization with a huge array of plant choices.

Most importantly, they help balance the pond’s ecosystem and provide valuable biological filtration that removes nitrogen, ammonia, nitrates and other minerals from pond water. These excess nutrients are often the cause of unsightly water conditions. The end result helps to minimize pond maintenance, leaving more time to enjoy your pond. Without aquatic plants, your pond would not be able to function as a complete ecosystem.

Aquatic plants can be classified into a few main categories: water lilies, marginal plants, floaters and submerged (also known as oxygenators). Plants can also be put into two basic types known as “tropical” and “hardy.” Hardy plants will over-winter in colder climates and tropical plants are more suited to warmer climates, although tropical plants are often used as annuals in colder climate zones.

Water Lilies
Water lilies are among the most popular of aquatic plants and are often the centerpiece of the water garden. A water garden never seems complete without a few beautiful water lilies. Not only are water lilies breathtaking but they provide valuable shade, which helps to keep the pond cool while providing refuge for pond fish. Ideally, thirty to sixty percent of the water surface should be covered with aquatic plants. There are also day and night blooming water lilies in many colors.

Marginals
The marginal plant group is the largest aquatic plant group by far, containing both hardy and tropical plants. Most of them are true perennials and come back year after year, like your favorite Daylily or Black-Eyed Susan. Marginal plants serve many functions such as adding beauty and providing valuable filtration. They are called “marginals” because they typically grow around the edges or “margins” of a pond or lake. Marginal plants thrive in wet soil or standing water that covers the crown or base of the plant by as little as two inches and up to as much as six inches. Some examples of marginals include sweet flag, marsh marigold, taro, canna, water iris and creeping jenny.

Floaters
Floating plants do just as their name indicates: they float on the water’s surface. Their roots dangle beneath the plant absorbing all their nutrients from the water. Most floating plants do a great job of filtering ponds by removing nutrients directly from the water as opposed to the soil where most other aquatic plants are situated or planted. The two most popular are water hyacinth and water lettuce.

Submerged
Like the name implies, this group of plants lives below the water surface. They are commonly referred to as oxygenators. Submerged aquatics do produce oxygen during most of the day. Submerged aquatic plants live entirely under water, almost. Some oxygenators bloom and the flowers often rise to the surface. They include plants such as parrots feather, hornwort, foxtail, cabomba and vallisneria. For the most part, submerged plants absorb their nutrients directly from the water. This means they compete with algae for nutrients, thereby helping to balance the ecosystem.

Putting it All Together
Just like their soil counterparts, a good mix of aquatic plants lends the best visual impact for your water garden. Marginals help to blend the pond into the surrounding landscape, while water lilies provide pops of color at the water’s surface. Take some time to familiarize yourself with all the wonderful options out there and you’ll soon find what most appeals to you.

The lure and draw of having fish in one’s home is something that many people enjoy. It is part hobby, part passion and part decoration. This is because larger fish tanks and aquariums truly become a focal point inside of a home almost as soon as they are unveiled. Though many standard tanks are readily available, one may want to look in to custom aquariums so that they truly can have the right tank for their fish, their home and their personal sense of style. This is because such tanks can be designed in various shapes, sizes and even colors. The options are vast when it comes to creating and having crafted a truly unique and stylish aquarium.

Custom aquariums allow the fish lover to pick and choose exactly what they want; based on need and not have to be bound by commercially available options that are more simplistic in design and appeal. This then allows the person to have made an aquarium that really does become an integral part of their home and their overall decor. The fact that various heights, shapes and enclosures can be chosen further allow for even greater customization of the aquariums. Imagination plays a key role in the process, and the fish owner and the designer can work together to find the best solution.

Not everyone has the exact same space available to house a tank, and this is where using custom aquariums really can be most beneficial. This allows the designer or design team to work around and with the space available. This is why some such tanks turn out to be tall, yet thin, tanks that rest atop ornate pillars. Additionally, one can choose to have aquariums that are built in to walls, turned in to tables or even connect from one room to another. The ideas and design options are truly amazing; with many turning out to be works of art. The addition of the fish once the tank is built and installed just adds to the overall look of the final display and this is why many people choose this route when they really want something unique, eye catching and ideal for fish and other aquatic life.

Here are some important advice that will make your whole aquarium experience quite simple and successful.

 

Question: How Much Should I Feed My Fish?

Answer: In answer to the reader question:
“The last few cans of fish food I bought said Do Not Overfeed. Why is that a problem, and how much should I feed my fish?”

Overfeeding is the most common mistake fish owners make. Overfeeding clogs the filter, and breaks down into toxins that are harmful to fish. Hence the warnings on the packages.

In nature fish eat whenever they are hungry and food is available. If food sources are plentiful, they will eat several times a day. On the other hand, if food sources are scarce, they might go for days between meals. For this reason, fish are very opportunistic and will eat whenever they have a chance. That means that if you offer them food, they will usually gobble it up even if they aren’t starving. Keep that in mind the next time your fish ‘beg’ for food. Fish quickly learn who brings the food to the tank and will jump at the chance to be fed, even if they are not in dire need of food.

How Often
So how often, and how much should fish be fed? Frequency will vary based on the type of fish. In general most fish do quite well on one feeding per day. However, some owners prefer to feed their fish twice a day. Regardless of one or two feedings, the key is to keep the feedings very small. The timing is not critical, with the exception of nocturnal feeders, such as certain catfish. If you have nocturnal fish in your tank, be sure to feed them just before turning the lights out at night.

There are some exceptions to the once per day feeding rule. Herbivores (vegetarians) need to eat frequently because they do not have large stomachs to hold a lot of food. In nature they would graze all day long on plants. They should be given several small feedings a day, or provided with live plants they can nibble. Newly hatched fry and young fish not fully grown, require more frequent feedings of special foods designed for fry.

How Much
As for how much food to feed, a good rule of thumb is to feed no more than the fish will consume completely in less than five minutes. When in doubt, underfeed! You can always give them another small feeding if necessary. However, if you overfeed the uneaten food will produce by-products which can be harmful to the fish. In the event you do overfeed, promptly remove the uneaten food using a siphon or net.

As a final note, keep in mind that not only the amount but the type of food is important. Below is a link to a handy table that shows the proper type of diet for most popular aquarium fish.