STORY TO BE TOLD

How to Change Water in a Fish Tank -- powered by eHow.com

source taken from: http://www.ehow.com/

source of photo: http://www.squidoo.com/guppyrainbow

Do click here for more news on The Rainbow World of Guppies:
http://www.squidoo.com/guppyrainbow


Video clips on How Guppies Are Born


Credits to & sources taken from: http://www.squidoo.com/guppyrainbow
& superdataman Channel

Guppy Fish
It does not matter if you are planning to bring a guppy fish home, or if you simply wish to know more about this aquatic beauty, consider reading this article on the guppy fish facts and its care and get all the information you need.

Guppy Fish
The binomial nomenclature of the guppy fish is Poecilia reticulata and its popularity as freshwater aquarium fish is well known across the world. This fish is considered as one of the ideal ones to start off with for beginners and is especially, recommended for children. You may come across several variations of the guppy fish which can be bred and kept in captivity, with ease. There are although, no special requirements of this fish, proper care and attention ensure better health and longevity. The guppy fish is known to be prone to many diseases and this is where you have to watch out for taking its proper care.

How to Take Care of a Guppy Fish

The first aspect in guppies care is about deciding on a proper shelter. These fish are social fish and prefer living in groups, rather than being solitary. You can put more than 10 - 15 guppies in a fish tank that can hold about 40 liters of water. The temperature preferred by the fish ranges from 23 - 24 °C to 19.0 - 29.0 °C. The water, if vegetated, then there is nothing like it. Get a submerged aquatic plant such as a Vallisneria Spiralis. This plant grows all the way from the bottom and reaches up to the surface, thus, providing your fish with a good place to hide, play, etc. These fish tend to be annoying to other species of fish when kept together in the same tank. Some fish may bite the guppies and some may take them as their meal. So, be careful about the breed of fish you are going to keep along with your guppies. Read more on types of freshwater fish.

Guppy fish food consists of a wide variety of choices. These include bloodworms, micro worms, fruit flies, brine shrimp, earthworms, mosquito larvae, flakes, lettuce and freeze dried foods. Feed your guppy three times a day and in small amounts. They have small stomachs and are not capable of consuming large amounts of food at one feeding. Take care not to overfeed your guppy fish. After having provided them with food, wait for a few minutes and observe if all the food has been consumed. If not, then you are probably giving too much food than required. A flake food diet suits well for these fish, however, more nourishing, is a live-food diet. So maintain a balanced diet, by supplementing flake food with live food, from time to time.

You need not arrange for an extra setup for breeding your guppy fish. All you have to do is to put the males and females together and let Nature run its course. To attract a female, a male often displays a courtship dance by spreading its fins and curving its body. You can identify a pregnant guppy fish by observing its physical characteristics. A pregnant guppy will be plump and often bear a black spot on its belly. One important point to take a note of, is that adult guppy fish are known to eat their own young ones. In order to prevent this, you can move the fries to another aquarium. However, always use water from the old aquarium. This is due to the fact that a change in the water parameter may cause a threat to the survival of the fries.

Perhaps the most vital aspect to be kept in mind is about the guppy fish diseases. Like all other fishes, even this species is prone to suffer from various kinds of ailments. To prevent the occurrence of a situation where your fish may fall ill, maintain the quality of the aquarium water. The water must be free of ammonia and must have a pH of 7. The hardness and carbonate hardness of the water has to be maintained and so should be the temperature. Keeping all such points in mind will avoid almost all kinds of diseases.

Know more on:

* Guppy Fish Diseases
* Guppy Fish Care

Before I conclude, guppy fish are available in colors of red, green and blue and the variations which you can chose your favorite from, include:

* Bottom and Double swordtail guppy fish
* Fancy guppy fish
* Fantail guppy fish
* Flagtail guppy fish
* Glass guppy fish
* Grass guppy fish
* King Cobra guppy fish
* Lacetail guppy fish
* Long fin guppy fish
* Lyretail guppy fish
* Mosaic guppy fish
* Peacock guppy fish
* Red tail guppy fish
* Rounded guppy fish
* Snakeskin guppy fish
* Triangle tail guppy fish
* Tuxedo guppy fish
* Veiltail guppy fish

Once you have a look at all these different variations of guppy fish, you would have the sheer feeling of bringing each one of them home.

By Rajib Singha
Published: 5/19/2010

source taken from: http://www.buzzle.com/

Guppy Fish Diseases

There are various guppy fish diseases like fin or tail rot, fungus in the mouth, disorders in the swim bladder etc, that can affect guppies. This article aims to give you a detailed information about guppy fish diseases.

Guppy Fish Diseases

One of the most popular aquarium fish, the guppies are scientifically named as Poecilia Libestes Reticulata. The guppy owe their origin to parts of Trinidad and Guyana, however, now they are found in many countries. Guppies are a very peace-loving fish and they like to live in their own communities as other species hurt them with their long fins. Guppies are found in various colors and shades. Lack of proper fish care can lead to various guppy fish diseases. Some common guppy fish diseases have been discussed below.

Tail or Fin Rot

Fin rot or tail rot is a diseased condition among the guppy fish that is primarily due to bacterial infection. Often, the aggressive behavior of few guppy fish in the aquarium leads to damage and hurt in the fins and tails, that indirectly favors the growth of fungus. Bacterial infection is marked by disintegration and shredding of the fins, that is usually accompanied by light colored red marks/spots at the ends of the tail and on the fins. Poor quality water in the fish tank is a common reason of tail or fin rot. Treatment of tail rot or fin rot is administered by removing the guppy fish from the aquarium tank and putting in some other water tank with better water quality. Antibiotics can also be given to treat fish rot.

Haemorrhagic Septicaemia

One of the dangerous guppy fish diseases, haemorrhagic septicaemia occurs due to a particular class of bacteria that grow in the blood. This guppy disease manifests itself as deep sores, ulcers and lesions on the body of the fish especially the tails and fins. This condition may be due to the poor fish care like rough handling while transporting and overcrowded aquarium. If a guppy fish is affected by this disease, then it is necessary to isolate it from the rest, so that the bacteria is not able to infect other fish in the aquarium tank of fish tank.

Sores and Wounds

Sores and wounds generally occur due to aggressive behavior of the fish in the aquarium. The fish may be injured due to improper handling and care during netting and shipping. It is necessary that extreme care is taken during shipping of the live fish. Fish hobbyists are generally aware of the careful methods that are required in transporting fish from one part of the country to the other. For instance, the guppy fish must be placed in the plastic bags that are 1.5 to 2 millimeter in size and the plastic bag must be labeled with an adhesive tag.

Mouth Fungus

Fungus problems are common guppy fish diseases. Basically, weak guppy fish or the injured ones are more susceptible to fungal diseases wherein one can see whitish patches on the body of the fin. Any damage of the skin/gills or keeping the guppy fish in a fish tank that is very cold can lead to development of fungus on the fish body. Besides the body, guppy fish can show fungus symptoms on the edges of mouth. A white layer near the edges of mouth are the indication of fungus infection. A bacterial disease, though not exactly like fungal diseases also effects the guppy fish.

Swim Bladder Problems
A quite rarely observed problem in guppy fish is the disorders related to swim bladders. For example, a guppy fish may show unusual fish behavior by swimming very faster and in a particular angle in the aquarium. Though the cause of this guppy disease is not known it is believed that crowded fish tanks make them feel uncomfortable and so that behavior. Another swim bladder infection that is more dangerous than the former one is a severe viral infection of the swim bladder. The guppy fish stops eating or eats very less than the normal and may develop cysts at the bottom of the swim/air bladders.

These are some of the guppy fish diseases that can be harmful to the health of your guppy fish. It is absolutely essential that proper methods of guppy fish care are adopted so that you can easily treat the fish for the various diseases.

By Kundan Pandey

source taken from: http://www.buzzle.com/

Aquarium Fish Types

Many first time fish owners are confused about the various types of aquarium fishes. There are many aquarium fish species like salt water and freshwater fishes. The following article will cover some aquarium fish types.

Aquariums have always been a part of my house. It has become kind of a family tradition to keep and maintain a beautiful aquarium. My grandmother was the one who was crazy about fishes, and I suppose she passed on a little craziness about fishes to her daughters, who too have aquariums at their homes and they passed on the gene of 'fish craze' over to us third generation kids. We cannot imagine our houses without our fish tank; whether we have the smallest size or the largest at our homes, we have to have one compulsorily. I enjoy watching my fishes swim around the aquarium. My hungry goldfishes always asking for food, or my majestic Siamese fighter who displays his finery in great grandeur. There are many types of aquarium fish species. Many of these types of fish for an aquarium have found a dwelling at our homes. If you are a first time fish owner and have become overwhelmed with the many aquarium fish types, do not worry. This article will cover some information on aquarium fish types and help you distinguish between the various types of aquarium fish species.

Types of Fishes for an Aquarium

Before bringing home an aquarium fish, there are many things you need to consider about the behavior of the fish. You may bring home fishes based on their color and shape, but do you know many fishes are not compatible with each other and are found to be aggressive with each other. Therefore, you need to consider bringing home fishes that are peaceful, friendly and create a happy environment within the aquarium. There are basically three types of fish for an aquarium. These three types of aquarium fish species are community fish, semi-aggressive fish and non-community fish. Let us know more about these aquarium fish types in detail. Know more on how to set up a fish tank.

Community Aquarium Fish Types
Community fishes are the best types of fishes that can be brought home by a first time fish owner. These are peaceful fishes and have no problems sharing the fish tank with other types of aquarium fish species. These are shoaling fishes and enjoy being with many other fishes of their own type. The most common community fishes that are kept by beginners are:

* Molly
* Platy
* Guppy
* Neon Tetra
* Banjo Catsifh
* Barbs
* Bronze Corydoras
* Blue Eyed Plecostomos
* Lemon Tetra
* Harlequin Rasbora
* Honey Gourami
* Leopard Corycat
* Swordtail
* Leopard Danio
* Masked Cory
* X-ray Tetra
* Zebra Loach

These are just a few names of community aquarium fish types. You have a choice of hundreds of types of aquarium fish species. These type of fishes co-exist peacefully in the tank and exhibit a beautiful display of colors and shapes.

Semi-Aggressive Aquarium Fish Types
Semi-aggressive aquarium fish types are a little naughty ones. They can live in a community tank, but end up nibbing and troubling the little and calmer fishes. The Red Tailed Shark and Rainbow shark are types of aquarium fish species that can live in a community tank with only members of their own kind. Tiger barbs can survive with other fishes, but are semi-aggressive. They tend to have a little fin nipping crave that becomes bothersome to other fishes. The following types of aquarium fish species are semi-aggressive:

* Angelfish
* Black Acara
* Aurora Cichlid
* Blue Gourmani
* Dragon Fish
* Fire Eel
* Spotted Puffer
* Red-Tailed Black Shark
* Rainbow Shark
* Paradise Fish
* Leopard Bluefish
* Keyhome Cichlid
* Firemouth Cichli
* Black Gost Knife Fish
* Three Spot Gourami
* Krib
* Electric Yellow Cichlid

These are a few semi-aggressive aquarium fish types. If you get any of these fishes along with your cool and peaceful community fishes, you will surely see some action in your fish tank.

Non-Community Aquarium Fish Types

Just as the name suggest, non-community aquarium fish types should never be kept with any other fish, other than their own type. These fishes need a supply of live fish in their diet and other fishes swimming in the same tank become a live prey! Put in a few goldfishes and neon tetras with your Tiger Oscars and within 15 minutes you will only find the Tiger Oscars, swimming around, with a satisfied look. These fishes also tend to grow quite large and obviously find little ones as meal. The other types of aquarium fish species that fall in the non-community group are:

* Asian Arowana
* Auratus Cichlid
* Graceful catfish
* Spoyyed Pirhana
* Indian Algae Eater
* Chinese Algae Eater
* Clown Knife Fish
* Cuvier's Bichir
* Electric Blue Johanni
* Florida Gar
* Needle Nose Gar
* Green Terror
* Kenyi Cichlid
* Oscar fish
* Silver Arowana

These are a few non-community aquarium fish types that surely are not to be kept with community or even semi-aggressive type of aquarium fish species.

You also have other types of fishes for an aquarium that can be categorized further in the above three groups. These aquarium fish types are divided according to the type of water, they are found in.

Types of Salt Water Aquarium Fishes
These salt water aquarium fishes are found in marine or saltwater and the following are a few types of salt water fishes species:

* Betta Fish
* Gouramis
* Anglefishes
* Archerfishes
* Butterfly Fish
* Arowana
* Blennies
* Catfish
* Cardinal Fish
* Tetras
* Damselfish
* Mormyride
* Puffer Fish
* Hatchet Fish

These are just a few names of the many types of salt water fish species. You have a wide range of fishes and their subtypes to choose for your saltwater fish tank setup.

Types of Tropical Aquarium Fishes
These types of fishes are found in tropical waters around the world. The following are just a few names from the wide range of types of tropical fishes:

* Anabantids
* Catfish
* Characins
* Cichlids
* Cypriniformes
* Livebeares
* Rainbow fish
* Tropical Arowanas
* Tropical Puffers
* Brackish Fish

These are a few names, from the hundreds of tropical aquarium fish types. There may be few names common to the saltwater and freshwater types of aquarium fish species, but the subspecies that are found in different waters differentiate them.

Types of Fresh Water Aquarium Fish
These types of freshwater aquarium fish inhabit the fresh water bodies. There are thousands of freshwater fishes and a few of them are mentioned below:

* Neon Tetras
* Swordfish
* Platies
* Guppies
* Mollies
* Danios
* Loaches
* Catfish

These are a few aquarium fish types that will help you understand about the different types of aquarium fish species. Just narrow down your choices and do some research about the fishes of your choice over the Internet. You may even ask your friends who have been keeping fishes as pets for help. Fishes are by far one of the best pets in the world. They just stay at one corner of your house, you need to feed them twice a day, change water once a few weeks and never have to hear them cry or howl, dirty your home or fear 'run away' fishes. As a first time owner, I would advice, get some small and sturdy fishes to help you get started and gradually move up to more exotic ones. I can guarantee you, aquarium fish types will surely help you calm your nerves and provide a peaceful, serene environment to your home.

By Batul Nafisa Baxamusa

source taken from: http://www.buzzle.com/

Guppy Fish Care

Appropriate guppy fish care is essential to maintain these aquarium fish for long. It is relatively easy to care for them and inexpensive too. Read on for more information on guppy fish care and some guppy care tips.

Guppy fish are popular freshwater aquarium fish and their pretty, colorful looks attract a lot of people who eventually have breed in their aquariums. The guppy fish belong to the family of fish known as Poeciliidae, and are commonly found in northern Brazil, Guyana, and Trinidad. Male guppies are comparatively more attractive than the female guppies. They have fancy patterns and come in a variety of colors. Caring, breeding and looking after guppy fish is easy and not much is required to be done. They are quite a hardy lot and adjust well to changing conditions, but regular guppy fish care is very important for them. So, if you are planning to get some guppies for your aquarium, here's what you should do for guppy care tips. Read more on types of freshwater aquarium fish.

Guppy Fish Care

Guppy fish care is not only about their survival, but also about them living healthy and comfortably. In order to care for guppies appropriately, you will need to arrange for a suitable tank and their food. Follow the guidelines below to setup an atmosphere suitable for guppies.

Guppy Fish Tank

Arranging for a suitable fish tank or aquarium is the most important aspect of guppy fish care. Guppy aquarium fish have very specific tank and water requirements necessary for their survival as well as their health. They need at least a ten gallon tank or a ten gallon aquarium, even if you bring in baby guppies. When they grow up fully, they will require that kind of space. If you intend on purchasing another tank and shifting the guppies once they have grown older, then a five gallon tank would suffice. Also consider the number of guppies that you will keep in the tank before you purchase one. If you intend on not breeding male and female guppies but still want to have them, you will need to maintain them in separate tanks.

Tank Maintenance

Maintaining and cleaning the guppy fish tank regularly is of utmost importance for their health. The aquarium water temperature should be maintained at around 75°F to 84°F, depending on the temperature conditions outside. A light source will be required inside the tank and it should be kept on for at least 12 hours a day. The water should be cleaned on a weekly basis by replacing 20% of the aquarium water with fresh, clean water. Also, you will need to draw out the water from the bottom of the tank to get rid of the accumulated debris. Install a siphon in the aquarium for this purpose. You will need to maintain the pH level of the tank water as well. It should be around 7.0 to 7.2 and you can make use of tools available at pet stores foe this purpose.

Guppy Fish Food

Guppies need to be fed stuff that are high in proteins along with baby brine shrimps, which are one of their favorites. They should be fed small amounts of food thrice a day, but be careful not to overfeed them. You can feed them flake food, white worms, brine eggs, mosquito larvae and frozen dried plankton. These will also promote the healthy growth of guppies and will make sure the food in the tank has been consumed before you feed them again.

Guppy Fry Care

Guppy fry care is essential if you breed your guppies. Firstly, you will need to arrange for a separate tank where the fry can grow out. Immediately after the fry is out, move them to the fry tank and add some of the aquarium water and debris to it. Remember to clean the tank regularly so that they can grow healthily. You can feed the fry baby brine shrimp or dry food, but do not overfeed them. Move them to the larger aquarium once they are 8 to 10 weeks old.

So this was all about guppy fish care. Looking after them appropriately will ensure the survival and health of these fish for long and it will surely be a pleasure having them around.

By Dhanya Joy

source taken from: http://www.buzzle.com/