Fish

Recently, a member posted on the Potomac Valley Aquarium Society’s page about “Strawberry Tetras.” She had purchased some of these lovely red fish at the local aquarium store, only to later learn that they were dyed. Undoubtedly, a few people are reading that sentence with a “huh?”, so let me explain what this means. A number of varieties of fish are sold that have been artificially colored. This is done in one of four main methods. The original method of artificially coloring fish is by injecting a paint under their skin. This was done with transparent fish, and gave rise to the painted glassfish. Recently, I’ve begun seeing glass catfish similarly “painted.” If you ever are able to handle a dead one (and if you buy one, you likely will be able to), you can lightly squeeze the paint stripes and see them move: they remain fluid, under the fish’s skin. Second, fish may be simply soaked in dye. This gave rise to the Strawberry Tetra mentioned above, as well as other color varieties of the same (Blueberry, Lime, Chocolate Pina Colada, okay, I made that last one up). These are simply the white form of the Black Widow Tetra, often sold as the White Tetra, which have been soaked in dye. This is commonly used to add color to a number of albino fishes, such as Albino Cory Cats and Oscars . Additionally, it may be used to deepen the color of other fishes: the Blue Botia is sometimes soaked in blue dye to make it more blue. Sometimes, it is dyed with red or yellow to make it purple or green (respectively). Recently, a new practice has been to tattoo the fish. This is different from the injection of paint in that a tattoo gun is used, rather than a hypodermic, and the dye is located in layers of the fish’s skin, rather than completely underneath it. This has been responsible for the hearts, flags, and other patterns found on mollies, gouramies, blood parrot cichlids, and essentially anything else that will hold still. The so-called “Lipstick Parrots” have bright red dye tattooed around their lips: this practice is sometimes seen for gouramies and other fish as well. And finally, fish may be “juiced” with hormones. Fish are kept in water containing large amounts of artificial hormones, which causes them to display fantastic colorations. In some cases, such as in many Peacock Cichlids (Aulonocara), it can actually cause the usually drab females to display male characteristics. Many aquarists have told me that it results in sterile fish, though I have never seen any actual research to back this up (though it certainly makes sense). The practice of dyeing or juicing fish is problematic for a number of reasons. First, it greatly damages the fish, and many of them simply perish. This point is well made by other authors, so I’ll be brief (for once). The mortality rate of painted glassfish is among the highest of any freshwater fish in an aquarium store. These fish are, in the Far East, injected with dye using a syringe. This syringe is not sterile, and the conditions the fish are kept in is not sterile. The dye will eventually fade and leak out of the fish’s system, and the – I guess manufacturer would be the best word – manufacturers know this. As such, they want them in the shipping containers as soon as possible after injection. So, after being jabbed with a needle, the fish are thrown into overcrowded bags, stressed, and shipped across the world. Its no surprise that disease runs rampant among the fish. Dye soaking seems to be relatively harmless to the fish: it eventually fades, and the fish resume their natural color. There may be subtle problems associated with it – dyeing all of your own skin blue would pose some health problems, after all – but these aren’t documented. Tattooing seems to have a much lower mortality rate than injection, but it is still elevated above the unmodified fish rates, as is the frequency of disease. As well as potentially spreading disease, this practice creates problems with the customer. Many people buy these fish without knowing any better. In the cases of fish with elevated mortality rates, aquarists may just become frustrated with fish keeping and assume that fish are hard to keep alive, not that they’re buying fish that have been injected with dye. Should the fish survive, the aquarist is left with a fish that is not what they expected or wanted, which can also be a source of major frustration. When buying hormone juiced fish, aquarists can quickly become frustrated as they try to figure out what they’re not doing for their fish that is causing their color to fade: “am I giving it nutritious enough food, am I changing enough water, why do my fish fade?” If we view the fish aquarium as an important tool for conservation, creating a love of fish and, through that, a desire to protect their natural habitat, then frustrating aquarists with artificially colored fish is a big detriment. Beyond this, though, it can make for a big educational problem. Many aquarists, when learning how common this practice is, begun to assume that it is even more common than it is. I once nearly came to blows with someone in an aquarium store over this: he was explaining to his wife how they injected neon tetras with red and blue dye. I tried to explain to him that neon tetras really are that color. For whatever reason, he took this personally and called me a liar, and some other choice names. The idea that neon tetras and other colorful fish, even a lot of marine fish, are artificially colored is one that a lot of people mistakenly hold. I’ve asked employees at several Local Fish Stores about this, and none were surprised that someone had thought so. Most had heard it themselves before – either one guy really gets around, or its a pretty common belief. Ultimately, what can we do about the practice of dying fish? Asking stores to stop selling them is not feasible, for a very, very simple reason. If a store stops selling them, someone else will sell them, and customers will go there. There is demand for these fish, even if people do not realise they are dyed. A store which doesn’t carry them will get a reputation for not having the same variety as a store that does. While we may not like the practice, it makes business sense to sell them as long as people buy them. In these economic times, with Local Fish Stores folding left, right, and centre, I would never ask a store to do something that might be detrimental to its business. Education of the customers is the most important thing. A good fish store should either label fish as dyed or at least tell customers who are purchasing fish that they are dyed: when I worked in retail, I always informed customers that the fish they were purchasing were dyed (many turned them down at this point, some didn’t). Eventually, international legislation should be passed that outlaws the practice of dyeing fish. This practice is animal cruelty at its best, and simply because it is done outside of our borders does not make it right. The importation of dyed, injected, or tattooed fish should be illegal. I would recommend that we write our members of congress or senators, but I’m reasonably sure that none of them can read.

Image via iStock.com/GOLFX By Kenneth Wingerter As many of us progress as fishkeepers, we are attracted to weirder and weirder species. A few of us may have even liked the oddballs from the get-go. However, one big impediment for beginners when it comes to keeping “unusual” aquarium species is the relatively specialized, advanced care that they typically require. Luckily for novices and experts alike, there are a few incredibly weird fish species that are widely available in the aquarium trade and, most importantly, are relatively simple and straightforward to keep. One such species is the blind cave tetra fish (Astyanax mexicanus). Living in the Dark Also referred to as the Mexican tetra, this very unique species naturally occurs in variant forms: eyed and blind cave form (no eyes). For sure, the most popular Mexican tetra fish type amongst aquarists is the blind cave form. While the eyes of newly hatched blind cave tetras are fully developed, they degenerate and are reabsorbed within a few weeks of life. When a fish is in “full” cave form, they are blind and also completely lack pigmentation. Some researchers have proposed that the blind variant be recognized as a separate species. However, genetic evidence (as well as the fact that these variants can easily produce non-blind offspring when crossed) suggests otherwise. In fact, all of the populations across its natural range are very closely related. Interestingly, the blindness trait appears to have arisen independently in at least a couple of instances during the species’ evolutionary history. These cave-adapted (also known as troglomorphic) traits have become more prevalent in farmed specimens through selective breeding. Some of the most pronounced adaptations of the cave-dwelling forms relate to feeding and nutrition. These include a more sensitive sense of taste and smell, as well as the ability to cope with inconsistent food availability. The blind cave tetra can reserve up to four times more energy in the form of fat and will accept nearly any kind of community aquarium fish food.

Automatic fish feeders dispense predetermined amounts of food to your fish. These gadgets have many benefits and are great to use when going on vacation or when you’re traveling.   Fish hobbyists can thoroughly research the four styles of automatic fish tank feeders and select which type works best for their tank. 

WRITTEN BYSean Perry, DVM Veterinarian Dr. Sean Perry completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Santa Cruz, earning a Bachelor of Science in…,Betta fish (Betta splendens), also called Siamese fighting fish, are one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish in the world due to their beautiful colorations, various fin shapes, and their relative ease of care. If you are looking into keeping ornamental fish, bettas can be a great option. There are over 70 different types of bettas that have been selectively bred for specific traits, including fin appearance, pattern, and coloration. Learn more about these cool fish with these interesting betta fish facts.

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Turn on your TV, and click around the various nature, history and science channels, and it will soon become evident that we have an appetite for the bizarre. We take in shows about ghoulish parasites that eat us from the inside out. We watch people consume freakish foods that make us squeamish. We are transfixed by “reality” programs that enter eclectic shops selling shrunken skulls, torture devices and mummified pets. Maybe it is this same attraction to the atypical that draws a guild of marine aquarists to members of the family Muraenidae — the morays. Although not for everyone, many of the morays make outstanding aquarium pets. In fact, there are a number of species that are a great choice for the beginning marine aquarists. But because this group of eels is quite diverse, care should be taken to get a moray that is right for your aquarium. In this article, I will discuss how to set up a moray tank and detail their general care requirements.

Many fish are prone to constipation when fed a flake- or pellet-based diet, including goldfish, cichlids and surgeonfish. Left untreated, constipation can lead to a variety of serious problems, including swim bladder disease and loss of appetite.

From a feature in The Cat in the Hat to carnival prizes, a small yellow fish in a round bowl seems like the staple starter pet. And yet, surprisingly, much of what we think we know about Goldfish care barely scratches the surface! “Goldfish are often unfairly considered to be simple pets to look after, which often leads to neglect and pet owners not giving them the attention required,” says Sam Williamson, a former marine biologist and fish expert of more than 20 years. Yet, administering proper goldfish care and feeding goldfish isn’t all that difficult. Here are three common mistakes that new fish parents make—and how to avoid them.

Certain fish could be considered icons of the marine aquarium hobby. A short list of saltwater “celebrities” would vary at least a little among experienced aquarists, but one species that would no doubt be near the top of this list is the volitans or common lionfish. When I worked at a retail fish store, I sold many of these fish and encountered many people who set up saltwater tanks because they fell in love with this ornate creature. The volitans lionfish is not the only amazing member of the subfamily Pteroinae, a group of fish known collectively as lionfish (or less often as turkeyfish, firefish or butterfly cod). There are a number of lionfish species that enter the fish aquarium trade. Although most are considered to be relatively durable aquarium fish, some are more demanding than others, and all require some special care if they are going to thrive in captivity. In this article, I’ll use a question and answer format to share information on this remarkable group of fish. These are questions that hobbyists have asked me over the years.

In fresh water, the inside of a fish’s body has a higher concentration of salt than the external environment. Consequently, there is a tendency to lose salt and absorb water.,To combat this, freshwater fish have very efficient kidneys that excrete water quickly. They also reabsorb salt from their urine before it is ejected to minimize losses and actively take salt from their environment using special cells in the gills.,How Fish Maintain an Internal Balance of Salt and Water Osmoregulation is the process of maintaining an internal balance of salt and water in a fish’s body. A fish is, after all, a collection of fluids floating in a fluid environment, with only a thin skin to separate the two.