Search Results for: blog fish food basics

Eight More Hardy Fish for Your Saltwater Aquarium

Although there are hundreds of fish available for saltwater aquarium keepers, some are easier to keep than others. If you are just starting out in the saltwater aquarium hobby, you might want to consider some hardy breeds that have a better chance of surviving tank mistakes. Here are a few more choices that may work well in a beginner tank: Hawkfishes — these saltwater fish are VERY hardy. Larger species of hawkfish may prey on smaller fish. Smaller hawkfish can do well in a community tank if introduced after peaceful species have already settled in. Comets — these fish are … Continue reading →

Betta Fish and Tank Size

You may have heard that betta fish should be kept alone. That’s a simple solution to a more complicated question! Male betta fish will fight each other if they are too close together in an aquarium. So if you’ve got a small tank (like twenty gallons and under), it’s probably best to have just one male betta fish. Females are somewhat more tolerant of each other, and can share if there is adequate room in the tank. In nature, there will be more than one male betta fish in a body of water — but that body of water can … Continue reading →

Betta Fish Basics

If you’re interested in a colorful aquarium pet, betta fish are a popular choice. Maybe you’ve seen rows of little glass jars at the pet store, each one with a bright, flowing-finned fish inside? Those were probably betta fish. The betta fish (otherwise known as Betta Splendens or the Siamese Fighting Fish) comes from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and parts of China. In the wild, the betta fish is found in rice paddies, swampy areas, shallow ponds, and some slow moving streams. The waters here are warm — between 75 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit (24-30 degrees Celsius). In waters … Continue reading →

Reef Coral Basics

If you’re looking for something beyond fish for your aquarium, take a look at reef coral. They can be colorful and intricate and add visual appeal to your fish tank. Here are some reef coral care basics! Coral require the following water conditions: Calcium should be between 400 and 450 parts per million (ppm). Ammonia and nitrite levels should be at or near zero. Nitrate levels should be below 10 parts per million — as close to zero as possible. Phosphate levels should be below 0.3 ppm. pH level should be between 8.2 and 8.4. Alkalinity should be between 3.2 … Continue reading →

Gathering Your Own Fish Food

Really, I’m almost done with fish for a while. For an animal so small, there’s a whole lot to say on the subject! If you want to feed your fish live foods, you have several options. You can buy live food from your local pet store (this can be very expensive). You can raise your own live food. You can also go out and find live food to feed your fish! Collecting fish food can be fun. What you’ll need to collect your own fish food: A fine-mesh net with a long handle. Wading boots if you don’t want your … Continue reading →

Making Your Own Fish Food

Making your own fish food can be fun — if you like to make a mess in the kitchen. Homemade fish food can also be a less expensive alternative to flake foods. There are lots of recipes out there for homemade fish foods; most of them have similar ingredients in different proportions. Expect to mix up whole fish, vegetable matter, beef heart, and unflavored gelatin. This is an adaptation of a recipe I found at FishLore. Ingredients: Multivitamins (non coated) with vitamin C Unflavored gelatin Beef heart Spinach leaves without stems One small zucchini Several carrots Bait minnows or other … Continue reading →

Raising Your Own Fish Food

You don’t have to run to the pet store if you want to feed your fish live food — you can raise your own at home! Some fish are predators that mainly eat other fish. So what can you feed them? Goldfish are a traditional feeder fish, but they are bony and have tough scales. Only very large predators can actually eat them! Guppies are smaller and softer, so more predators can enjoy the feast. However, guppies only have an average of thirty babies per month, so your predators may not get enough to eat or your bearing females may … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Oct 15-21

October’s speeding along at a frightfully fast pace. Before you know it Halloween will be here. If you’re having a heck of a time keeping up on everything, including the Pets Blog, let me be of some assistance with this week’s Week in Review. Here’s what Aimee and I covered on: Monday, October 15 Aimee’s been doing a good job covering all things fish this month. Today’s installment was More Common Freshwater Diseases. I reported on the dog days festival that Murph, Wayne, and I went to. Tuesday, October 16 Aimee explained that cloudy aquarium water is not normal and … Continue reading →

Different Types of Fish Food

We’ve looked at the basics — flake fish food, frozen fish food, live fish food, and freeze dried fish food. But there are a lot of different types of fish food that fall under those main headings. Algae wafers were developed specifically for bottom feeders like cory cats and silver dollars. Other herbivorous fish will also enjoy the occasional algae wafer. Wait to add algae wafers to your tank until your daily tank lights go off — that way your bottom feeders won’t have to compete with your top dwelling fish. Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that makes … Continue reading →

Fish Food Basics

Flake fish food is easy to use. The flakes will float on the surface while the fish eat; for bottom dwelling fish, you’ll want offer food that sinks like algae wafers or pellets. Flake fish food is a good primary food source not only for the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients — flake food is easy on the digestive system. Flake food does go bad after six months or so, so those jumbo containers aren’t always a good deal. Stick to smaller containers if you can. Some of the top brands of flake foods include Aquarian, Tetra, and Wardley. Live fish … Continue reading →