Month: July 2009

Why We Love Whisper Tetra Filters

Posted by on July 28, 2009

Today, you will learn about an important aspect as a proud aquarium owner. Although your aquarium is sensational with the fishes and aquarium water plants, you should also have clean and clear water. Yes, that is right. You need to have at least some basic knowledge where aquarium care is concerned with products such as the Whisper Tetra Filter.

Aquarium filters such as the Whisper Tetra Filter is essential in helping you maintain clean and clear water. It can help rid the water of fish waste, food waste, algae, harmful bacteria and many more. Along with the water pump, it is widely regarded as the most important accessory. With that, let’s take a closer look at the Whisper Tetra Filter.

What attracted me to the Whisper Tetra Filter is the affordable price in addition to the option to easily replace any parts for the majority of its models. I have been a proud aquarium owner for over 10 years and my experience in this tells me that Tetra is definitely passionate when it comes to aquarium care products.

You are bound to be able to find the right filter for your aquarium. The Whisper Tetra Filter, along with other Tetra products are of high quality. I have had mine for over 3 years now with some minor replacement of parts such as the extension tubes and the filter strainer. I find myself spending less time to change the water and more time admiring my aquarium ( I enjoy sitting for hours in front of it! ).

I would recommend the Whisper Tetra Filter to anybody intending to buy a filter. However, having mentioned that, you must exercise caution when purchasing these items especially over the Internet. You can avoid being duped into buying products that are not genuine with research.You will also be amazed at the amount of difference in prices. If you look hard enough, you can certainly get good and quality purchases.

With my advice and tips, you can easily get a quality Whisper Tetra Filter at a competitive price. It will be one of the wisest investments you would have made!

Get more great pond articles on how to maintain a healthy pond at ezpondideas.com.

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Why Use a UV Pond Filter?

Posted by on July 26, 2009

As a proud owner of either koi or water ponds, it is vital for you to learn about pond care and maintenance.With the right pond products such as UV pond pumps, you can easily have a clean and healthy pond for your fishes to thrive in.

UV pond filters is one of the of main pond products used in pond maintenance. It will help give you water that is clean and clear. Other than the pond pump, it is the most important pond accessory you can have.

There are many different types of pond filters in general and UV pond filters specifically. Among the many different manufacturers of UV pond filters are Aqua, Savio, Pondmaster, Oase, Hozelcock, Tetra and a host of other well-known names in the pond accessories and equipment industry.With an avalanche of manufacturers to choose from, how do you know which ones are the best to suit you and your pond needs?

UV pond filters are constantly improved from time to time with new features and functions.It is not surprising that with so many of these UV pond filters, you can tend to get confused. Among them are UV filters that are submersible, UV filters that come with and without wipers, UV filters that come with the latest coated UV bulb technology, biological UV filters and many more. Each of these filters play a specific role to help maintain the cleanliness of your pond so choose wisely.

If you are new to UV pond filters and require some help, you can always surf the Internet to conduct your own personal research on these accessories. You can also get good articles in magazines and even through leisurely chats with friends or even the sales assistants of your favorite local store.

With the right UV pond filter, you will be able to continue enjoying a sensational pond!

For more pond articles about all sorts of great ways to maintain a healthy pond, visit ezpondideas.com.

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Is It Important For Your Aquarium To Fit Your Personality?

Posted by on July 26, 2009

Having trouble deciding on an aquarium that expresses who you are? Some experts claim that you can decorate your fish tank aquariums in a variety of ways so long as it doesn’t cause ill health to your fishes.

Hardworking,compassionate,optimistic,determined,compact and sharing attributed A kind of people similar to African Cichlid fish tank. Keep the aquarium uncluttered as it will be easier to clean. If you are a type A, authoritarian then you shoud exude the ambience. An authoritarian themed décor with many plants, colorful substrate, small to medium sized fishes fits the temperament of type A.

Type B people apt for dynamic,enthusiastic,fine costumed,convincing,regular attributes if they have goldfish tank. Goldfish should be healthy and of small to medium size, living in crystal clear glass fish tanks, with black or grey colored aquarium rocks. If you are looking for goldfish that contrast well with the colors of the substrate and decor try Lion heads or Rynukins. Live or artificial plants are acceptable for use. Type B people look to enhance with an artistic touch.

The Type C person is bright, meticulous, reasonable, unique in his thinking, cautious and ingenious, but may be turned inward and not seem, at first, to be expressive. Community aquariums are perfect for this style. Community aquariums consist with a mix of fish and plants coming from different geographical area.

A planted rectangular aquarium that features the beauty of underwater plants matches type C personality. This individual is likely to be an expert on the fish and plants that are compatible. If you are a type C you can chose from hydrophilia, Valisnerian, Rotala or Limnophilia to be planted in the background, the echidorus species at the middle and cryptocornes in the foreground. he Type C, creative and confident in his own taste, will do just fine on his own and make a gorgeous, perfectly composed aquarium with perfectly matched fish and plants. Artificial decor wouldn’t have any space after the chic plants are in place when the flora and fauna will be its own décor. The fishes would not be much but a small group.

If you are a type D personalitywith easy pace in life and job seeking security then goldfish might match you the best. They really enjoy doing a task over and over again and becoming experts at them. Coordinated in a impregnable, unchanging enviroment, they fear change. Determined to function even while others have ceased, they look for respect and reassurance. This personality type suits the goldfish aquarium just as much as the type B for different reasons. There would only one species and/or variety of goldfishes that stocks the aquarium with their languorous slow paced movement such as what type D lives life.

Fish tank having different varieties of fish breeds will create unnecessary complication for Type D kind of people home aquarium. The aquarium would differ from type B’s. Where type B might have easily changed or added décor type D’s would be the same as when it was installed by the pet shop. The décor colors would be muted or normal and would be genuine with the hues of the goldfishes. It is not the monotony but the changes that scares Type D personality.
Almost any type of aquarium will suit you if you are a mixture of any two ore even three types; A, B, C, or D personalities. The manner how you tailor it to accommodate your personality depends upon you as long as the fishes are euphoric and healthy.

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Sohal Tang : Care and requirements of the Zebra Tang

Posted by on July 13, 2009

The big boss and its domain.

The Sohal Tang (Acanthurus Sohal) is one of the more beautiful tangs in the family. It has black lines stretching across its white/cream body while its pectoral and tail fins are yellow.

It is also known as the majestic tang, arabian tang and the zebra tang.

They are collected from the Red Sea and near Sri Lanka. Among hobbyists the sohal tang is highly prized, it is a pricey fish. Adult sohal tangs retail for about $200+ while smaller specimens can be had for about $110 to $120. Very large show quality sohal tangs can fetch up to $350.

Like their cousins they are susceptible to lateral line erosion and marine ich so exercise care when buying one.

Not the most peaceful tangs on the market, sohal tangs are reputed to be highly aggressive. Nothing really frightens this tang. They have been known to become aggressive even with scuba divers in the wild.

This fish can get along with other species of fish, provided everyone knows their place. However, it is aggressive towards other tangs. Members of the genus acanthurus (Achilles Tang, Powder Blue Tang) are particularly susceptible to aggression. Lastly, putting two sohals into a small tank is sure to produce a dead or severely injured fish.

Sohal tangs are commonly seen living alone in the wild, unlike most of their cousins. Perhaps this has something to do with their heightened levels of aggression.

They are very hardy but like most tangs they are prone to parasite attacks (ich) and lateral line erosion.

Topping out at 18 inches, the sohal tang isn’t just bad to the bone, its huge. Thankfully, such lengths in captivity are unlikely, expect a maximum length of 10 to 11 inches. These beasts require tanks at least as big as 100 gallons. Larger tanks are recommended as they require ample swimming room.

They are reef safe, making them great choices for large reef aquariums. As they are grazers in the wild, a large part of their diet should be algae based foods.

Once acclimated, they accept a variety of foods other than algae. They’ll take pellets, krill, and mysis shrimp, no problem.

We should ensure that a large part of their diet is algae based, since they eat so much of it in the wild.

Algae sheets like nori are a great algae to feed all herbivorous fish. Price will vary depending on the brand you choose. Julian Sprungs Sea Veggies may be a little too pricey for some. Good quality stuff though. They come in flake form too, making feedings very convenient.

Thankfully there are many other brands that produce nori primarily for human consumption. Some are cheap while the really high quality sheets can be very expensive.

You’ll need to secure the nori to a clip. Commercial clips are cheap, but you could probably DIY one yourself with some household items. Some people fold the sheets before clipping while others just clip it as is. Secure the nori to your algae clip and attach it to the side of the aquarium.

Formula Two is a good quality algae based mix for herbivores. It has an extra amount of algae in it along with a good mix of seafood, trace minerals, vitamins and more. It is available as a flake food, pellet or frozen cube.

The best flake food for the yellow tang would be Sea Veggie mixed flakes followed by formula two flakes. It you’re looking a great all rounder with balanced ingredients then you can’t go wrong with New Life Spectrum pellets.

Do not feed your tangs lettuce of any kind (romaine or iceberg). I see this happening mainly in pet stores, probably trying to save a buck or two. Lettuce doesn’t have a place in this hobby as nutritionally its rubbish.

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Achilles Tang : A guide on keeping this rare and beautiful surgeonfish in the home aquaria

Posted by on July 13, 2009

An Adult Achilles Tang

This beauty known as the Achilles tang (Acanthurus Achilles) pops up in the trade from time to time. Its body is a very dark chocolate accentuated by a single orange teardrop on its spine. White, orange and chocolate lines its tail. It is commonly known as the Achilles surgeonfish and the red-tailed surgeonfish.

Hailing from Hawaii and its surrounding waters, the achilles tang is highly prized in the hobby. A quick seller, finding one in the market may prove frustrating.

A very expensive fish, juveniles sell for $100 or slightly more while adults can fetch up $300. Extra large show quality specimens go for even more, $400 and upwards.

Sadly, this fish doesn’t do so well outside of its natural habitat. Unlike some other species like the blue tang (paracanthurus hepatus) or the yellow tang (zebrasoma flavescens), they seem to be a bit more delicate. And that’s only half of the story, these tangs don’t seem to feed prepared foods.

Like its brethren they are also prone to lateral line erosion, hole in the head disease and marine parasites.

In the wild, achilles tangs are known to interbreed with the goldrim tang (acanthurus nigricans). This rarely seen hybrid is a rare and expensive fish.

Achilles tangs are considered aggressive, they’ve been known to harass other large tank mates. They usually leave smaller fishes like clownfish, damsels and gobies alone. They do not enjoy sharing their domain with other tangs and are relentlessly hostile towards other achilles tangs. As always, if you insist on keeping multiple tangs always introduce them at the same time and make sure your aquarium is large enough for them.

The Achilles tang reaches 9 inches in the wild, which translates into 7 inches in a aquarium. The minimum size tank for them should be a 100 gallons. Larger tanks are recommended as they require ample swimming room.

One of the factors as to why they achilles tang does so poorly in captivity is its lack of interest in prepared foods. Nevertheless, we should try our best.

They do not eat corals, making them reef safe. They are algae eaters in the wild so ensure a large part of their diet in captivity has enough algae.

Despite the fact that they’re primarily herbivores in the wild, they are open to just about anything offered once acclimated. They’ll take pellets, krill, and mysis shrimp, no problem.

We should ensure that a large part of their diet is algae based, since they eat so much of it in the wild.

Nori is a good form of algae to feed tangs.Prices vary greatly depending on the brand. Julian Sprungs Sea Veggies may be a little too pricey for some. Good quality stuff though. They’re also available as flakes, which is very convenient since there’s very little work involved during feeding.

Thankfully there are many other brands that produce nori primarily for human consumption. Some are cheap while the really high quality sheets can be very expensive.

A clip is normally used to secure the nori for feeding. Commercial clips are cheap, but you could probably DIY one yourself with some household items. The sheets are fed as is or they’re folded and cut beforehand. Use the suction cup to attach it to your aquarium and you’re done, you can enjoy the show.

Ocean Nutrition produces another good quality food, Formula Two. Along with mixed sea food, vitamins and whatnot, there is an extra amount of algae added to the mix. Available in three forms, pellet, flake or frozen cube.

While Formula Two is a good flake, it surpassed by Sea Veggie mixed flakes by Two Little Fishies. It you’re looking a great all rounder with balanced ingredients then you can’t go wrong with New Life Spectrum pellets.

Lettuce, romaine or iceberg varieties should never be fed to your tangs. I see this happening mainly in pet stores, probably trying to save a buck or two. Nutritionally, lettuce offers very little and should not have a place in this hobby.

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