Fish

Dropsy typically shows up for no apparent reason, and despite the best of care, claims the life of its victim. The term “dropsy” refers to a condition characterized by abdominal swelling that causes the scales in the affected area to stand on end, giving the tropical fish a pineconelike appearance, particularly when viewed from above. Dropsy is not a specific disease but rather a symptom of a deteriorated health condition. The visible swelling is the result of a tropical fish not being able to regulate the amount of fluid in a part of its body, typically the abdomen, and specifically, most often the visceral cavity that houses a number of organs such as the stomach, intestines, gall bladder and kidney. The failure to regulate fluids is a symptom — so there is usually some other disease involved that starts the process.

Aquatic plants balance beauty with function in your fish pond. Just like a wild ecosystem, plants help keep the water clean, support koi fish health, and provide shelter—and sometimes even food. When chosen carefully and kept appropriately, your pond plants will create a healthy habitat for the fish and other animals that will live there.,Outdoor fish ponds turn backyards into private oases with gorgeous greenery and beautiful fish. If you’re building a fish pond in your backyard, you may wonder which plants are the best for ponds—specifically your pond! The pond plants you choose depend on where you live and how deep your pond is, because some plants, like marsh marigolds, do better at the marshy edges, while others like water lilies need to be planted in the substrate with 1–2 feet of water on top. If you’re struggling to decide on pond plants, here is a short list for inspiration.

WRITTEN BYAdam Denish, DVM Veterinarian,By Adam Denish, DVM Perhaps you’ve wandered into the aquarium department of your local pet store and taken a good look at the faces of the fin-tailed. It’s easy to fall for the beautiful colors, the graceful movements and the soothing sounds of the water. If you feel like you’ve been hooked, read on to learn what decisions beginning fish hobbyists need to make when contemplating the details of adding a new aquarium to their home. Freshwater or Saltwater? Water covers about 75 percent of the Earth. In the assorted bodies of water, lifeforms have evolved to survive with varying amounts of dissolved salts and minerals, varying temperatures, oxygen levels and depths. When building an aquarium, you aim to recreate the conditions of the environment where the inhabitants have originated. The pet trade has broadly divided the aquarium habitats into freshwater (tropical) or saltwater (marine). A comparison of the components of these habitats will help new fish keepers make an informed decision about how to select an aquarium suitable for their lifestyle.

Most people who have aquariums don’t really spend too much contemplating what their pet fish can see, as long as they come up to get their fish food. But they should. It turns out fish vision is much more sophisticated than we think, says Jonathan Balcombe, a biologist and the author of What a Fish Knows. First off, some caveats. We can only make inferences about what fish can see based on their behavior. And there are roughly 30,000 species of fish, so it’s tough to generalize about the visual acuity of every one of them, Balcombe notes. Still, the makeup of a fish’s eye is similar to the human eye, and that includes muscle control, says Balcombe. In other words, fish can look around their environment in the same way we can. Plus, there have been studies done not only on what fish can see, but what and whom they can recognize. So prepare yourself to be amazed. Here is what you should know about fish vision—in the tank and in the wild.

Building a small water garden or mini pond is generally something you can do yourself, but it’s wise to consult an expert before building a large pond. Here are the materials you’ll need for a DIY pond build. Marking paint, garden hose, or heavy rope Shovel Pond skimmer Pond filtration system and pump Pond underlayment Pond liner Smooth gravel Assorted rocks Pond lighting Landscaping plants Pond plants Pond water conditioner,Jump to section Necessary Equipment How To Install a Pond Liner: Step by Step FAQs About Lining a Pond

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In the world of the tropical fish hobby, it is safe to assume that most aquarists have kept the common angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) in one form or another. Since the introduction of angels to the American public in the early 1900s, numerous color forms have been made available to the wholesaler, retailer and consumer due to the hard work and painstaking care of breeders around the world. Combining the many available color and pattern strains with the traits of standard, veiltail or long veiltail finnage has added to the many lovely variations of the common angel. Over the years, as breeders became increasingly efficient at breeding and raising angels, P. scalare became, well, almost commonplace. With so much emphasis paid to P. scalare, the remaining two members of the genus Pterophyllum have not received the same attention as their well-known cousin. The long-nosed angel, Pterophyllum dumerilli, is definitely the least seen of the three angel species. These cichlid fish are rarely imported and, unfortunately, very little information has been gathered on their care and breeding habits or water chemistry requirements. The fish is characterized by silver and black bands, typical of all the wild examples of the genus, but sports a dark spot found at the base of the dorsal fin and a longer nose than the other two species. P. dumerilli has not been spawned in captivity. Still considered a rarity, Pterophyllum altum, known as either the deep angel or altum angel, is imported somewhat more frequently than P. dumerilli. To the true angel fancier, this greater availability is very fortunate, because the altum is easily the most beautiful of the three species. Admittedly, the altum will be hard to find in your local pet shop. Should you happen to come across some and decide that you would like to set up an aquarium for them, it is important that you learn about the fish and its requirements (as you should all fish). The conditions needed for the altum angel to thrive are much different than for any aquarium-raised or wild P. scalare. If you are willing to meet the requirements of the altum, however, the challenge can be very rewarding. In 1903, Pellegrin first described P. altum as a distinct species, and to date it has been found only in the waters of the Rio Orinoco in Venezuela. P. altum differs physiologically from P. scalare in a number of ways — most obiously, the higher count of soft dorsal and anal fin rays. In addition, its long dorsal and anal fins, more vertical form and strongly concaved forehead area give it an unmistakably regal appearance. P. altum has very rarely been spawned in captivity. As a result, all specimens that you chance to see in retailers’ aquariums have been imported. Although wild P. altum and P. scalare sometimes share the trait of having their dorsums flecked with reddish-black dots, only the altum will have a second dark head bar slightly indicated, running down between the dark bar passing though the eye and the bar starting at the base of the first dorsal spines. The unpaired fins of the altum do not have the light markings that P. scalare exhibits on its unpaired fins. The mouth parts of P. altum are notably extended away from the front of the head, much more than P. scalare. You will also notice that altums have a curious habit of “yawning.” If you have a chance to watch this happen, you will see that when fully opened, their mouths are much larger than they actually appear when closed. When selecting your altums, you may notice that the specimens in the shop’s aquariums look a little ragged. Torn or split fins and missing scales — due to the rigors of shipping, in-fighting or predators in the wild — are the most typical problems you may encounter. Some specimens may be found with what is known as “black spot” disease. The infected fish will look as if someone had sprinkled pepper onto its body. The spots are actually encysted parasites that have embedded themselves into the skin of the fish. In the wild, fish serve as intermediate hosts for the parasites, which can only multiply and cause harm to the insides of fish-eating birds that consume fish infested with these parasites. The parasites usually do not cause any harm to the fish and are not readily passed on to other fish. They can be eradicated by using Black Spot Control from Aquatronics at the recommended dosages. Because wild fish, in particular, almost always have parasites of one type or another, it is best to maintain a quarantine aquarium for all new specimens before introducing them to established community aquariums. My quarantine aquarium setup consists of a 20-gallon aquarium with a hood and a sponge filter to provide biological filtration that is operated by a reliable air pump. I make sure that the water is dechlorinated. Keep in mind that altums are extremely sensitive to elevated levels of ammonia and nitrite in their water. Efficient biological filtration is very important. The altums are fed a diet of live and frozen brine shrimp for the full quarantine period, which generally lasts 14 to 21 days. Wild-caught fish are used to eating natural foods, not commercial fish foods. I find that they usually take to brine shrimp readily, and after I can get them to eat, I will alternate these feedings with a high-quality granular fish food and/or frozen blood worms to build up their strength and weight. Occasionally, a specimen will have a slight case of fin rot. A one-week diet consisting exclusively of commercially prepared flake food impregnated with furazone and tetracycline is very effective in treating this problem. Because of the altum’s obvious vertical orientation, and the possibility of it reaching its maximum size of 13 to 15 inches, or more, they must be housed in a deep, spacious aquarium. I have obtained good results by housing my altums in 55-gallon aquariums, heavily planted with large-sized varieties of aquatic plants from the Echinodorus, Vallisneria and Hygrophila groups. Not only do these types of plants, with their long and sometimes broad leaves, enhance the beauty of the altums, but they also provide excellent hiding areas for the fish and help them to establish territories among themselves. In addition, the fish like to pick at the vegetation. Indeed, you’ll find that some hungry altums may leave their marks on the leaves of your aquatic plants. Although these cichlids are very peaceful, some altums do exhibit the typical cichlid trait of being quite protective of their territories toward other aquarium members. For this reason, I make sure that each aquarium offers a large amount of swimming space for the curious ones who get a little too close to another’s territory and need to get out of there in a hurry! Altums also like to pick at the substrate for food, and because of their extended and delicate mouth parts, they can become injured easily by sharp stones. It’s best to use coarse gravel that has rounded edges to minimize the risk of injury. Altums do best in water that is very soft (1 to 6 DH) and somewhat acidic (pH 5.8 to 6.6). Obtaining these water conditions can be achieved rather easily with the use of peat. Placing peat in an outside power filter or canister filter does an excellent job of getting the pH and hardness down to levels at which the altums thrive. When using peat filtration, you will find that it has a distinct tendency to impart a yellowish or brownish coloration to the aquarium water. One of the side benefits of this coloration is that it blocks out the wavelengths of light that algae is dependent on for growth, significantly reducing unwanted algae growth on the glass of the aquarium. When doing water changes, it’s wise use replacement water that matches the parameters of the aquarium water. I keep a 45-gallon plastic can filled with dechlorinated water, filtered by a canister filter containing peat and granular activated carbon. I keep the water at the desired temperature (see below) with a submersible heater. Changing at least 20 percent of the water once a week keeps the altums active and in good health. I have noticed that if I extend the period between water changes to more than a week, the altums have a habit of going on hunger strikes. Changing 50 percent of the water and raising the temperature to 88 degrees Fahrenheit for three days helps break the strike. Altums thrive when kept at temperatures ranging between 82 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep in mind that altums are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, and do not share the adaptability to such changes of their cousin, P. scalare. If in good health, altums are not particularly picky eaters. They do extremely well on live brine shrimp, blood worms, Daphnia and mosquito larvae. The frozen forms of these fish foods are also eaten eagerly. It is beneficial to allow one day out of each week to be a fast day. This allows the fish to clear their digestive systems. After the fast day, I start their feeding again with brine shrimp. Brine shrimp have a layer of chitin around their bodies that serves as a source of fiber, which I find aids the fish in their digestion and seems to cut down on the occurrences of constipation. I strongly recommend that altums be given an aquarium pretty much to themselves. Because of their care and maintenance requirements, altums do not make the best community fish. The one exception would be catfish of the genus Corydoras, which make good aquarium companions for altums. Having kept altums for many years, I find them to be fairly resistant to disease as long as the water quality is maintained. On the other hand, altums do show a marked sensitivity to some aquarium medications used to treat disease when it occurs. In particular, avoid copper sulfate, trichlorofon and oxytetracycline whenever possible. As already noted, altum angels are not easy to find. There is a need for commercial breeders and hobbyists to work toward successfully spawning P. altum, for two reasons. First, the demand for altums is increasing. Second, collecting wild specimens to meet this increased demand could jeopardize the very existence of altums in their natural habitat. Should you happen to come across these beautiful, delicate and intelligent cichlids on your next visit to a favorite aquarium store, consider setting up a large aquarium for them. I am sure you will find, as I have, that the altum angel is one of the most challenging and rewarding fish you will ever have the privileged of keeping. Posted By: Chewy Editorial Featured Image: Via Jeff Kubina/Flickr

When fish can’t swim normally, many aquarists assume their fish has something called swim bladder disease. In fact the swim bladder is rarely at fault, and problems with swimming are more often to do with other, less obvious reasons.

Jump to section What Is Swim Bladder Disease in Fish? What Causes Swim Bladder Disease in Fish? What Are the Symptoms of Swim Bladder Disease? How Do Vets Diagnose Swim Bladder Disease in Fish? How Do Vets Treat Swim Bladder Disease in Fish? How Can I Prevent Swim Bladder Disease in My Fish?

Your question would be easier to answer if you had specified exactly which African cichlid fish you are keeping. Because you have expressed concern over whether your pH is sufficiently high to keep your fish healthy, I assume you are keeping either Lake Malawi or Lake Tanganyika cichlid fish. Published pH values for Lake Malawi range from 7.7 to 8.6, and for Lake Tanganyika from 7.3 to 8.0. Reported hardness values for Malawi range from 6 to 10 degrees of hardness (DH) (125.0 to 170.5 parts per million total dissolved solids — ppm TDS), and for Lake Tanganyika from 10 to 12 DH (170.5 to 205.0 ppm TDS). Experience has shown that both Tanganyikan and Malawian cichlid fish will prosper and breed at pH values as low as 7.2 and hardness values to 3 DH. What seems critical is the stability of these values rather than their absolute magnitude. Your use of coral gravel as a filter bed provides all the stability your fish require given the relatively hard, alkaline character of the tap water where you live (Southern California). What is far more critical to successful husbandry of rift lake cichlid fish is proper nitrogen cycle management. These cichlid fish are extremely intolerant of ammonia and nitrite. The program of regular partial water changes you presently practice may depress the pH in your aquarium somewhat, but its contribution to the well being of your fish far exceeds any imaginable benefits from a higher pH. Your management practices are exactly those I would recommend to a prospective rift lake cichlid fish aquarist. Just keep up the good work and don’t lose any sleep over those pH values.  ,Q.