Freshwater Aquarium - Understanding PH

Introduction

When you install a freshwater aquarium in your home or office you need to become a part-time chemist. There are several parameters you need to watch, one being pH.

Having been a nuclear chemist in the Navy, I became quite familiar with what pH was and how to measure it. It was important to protect the piping in the nuclear plant and the steam generator. In a freshwater aquarium it is important to prevent stressing your fish

What Is It

PH is a measure of how alkaline (basic) or acidic a substance is. In this case we will be measuring the pH of water in your freshwater aquarium.

First of all pH has no units. It is just a number that goes from 0 to 14. If your water is measured as having a pH of 7, it is said to be neutral. That is it is neither basic nor acidic.

If your water has a pH less than 7.0 it is considered acidic and greater than 7.0 your water is considered basic.

How To Measure It

When you measure for pH you are actually measuring the concentration of the hydrogen ion (H

Understanding New Tank Syndrome When Setting Up An Aquarium

If you are a new aquarium enthusiast and are thinking of setting up an aquarium then you need to understand the dangers of new tank syndrome.

Many new aquarium owners become very excited about their new hobby and dive into it "boots and all" without a proper understanding of the science involved in their tanks. The result is some dead fish, money spent and time wasted without much reward having been received.

A freshwater aquarium setup is more about looking after the quality of the water in your fish tank setup, than the keeping of the fish! This is because the health of the fish is directly related to the state of the water in which they live.

To understand the new tank syndrome you need to be aware of the chemistry of your tank water and how the nitrogen cycle works in it. Fish eat their food and excrete ammonia as a by product of their waste and from their gills. As the tank is a confined environment, unlike the wild, the levels of ammonia build up and are toxic to fish as it affects their ability to breath and burns their delicate skin.

Present in the water are nitrifying bacteria which are beneficial because they convert the ammonia into nitrites which are less toxic to fish. The nitrites are further decomposed by another group of bacteria to nitrates which are even less toxic to fish. The nitrates are used by plants as a form of fertilizer and so they can reduce the levels in the water. The filtration system you install in your tank will take care of some nitrates but you will still need to make regular water changes to keep them at acceptable levels for your fish.

New tank syndrome comes in because a new tank does not have enough of the beneficial bacteria to keep the ammonia concentrations down. This means that if you introduce fish to your new tank before it is sufficiently cycled they may die.

There is a method by which you can get the water in the tank prepared for the fish. This technique is called fishless cycling. You can do this by adding small amounts of ammonia to the tank either with the bottled ammonia that you use at home or by using small amounts of fish food. You will need to allow four to six weeks in order for your tank to be correctly cycled.

Preparing the water correctly by following a fishless cycling method as part of your freshwater aquarium setup is well worth the investment of time that it will take.

Discover the freshwater aquarium setup secrets that will help you to achieve a stunningly beautiful aquarium by visiting Fish Tank Setup Guide

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Koi Fish Meaning - Understanding Their Symbolic Values

ByAdam Boyle

What do symbols mean? Basically they mean whatever the owner wants them to mean. Symbols are given power by the people who have them. From the swastika to the Koi fish meaning, the symbolism will vary from owner to owner. There are those that truly believe that symbols hold power. If you take the time to study history, it will become obvious that runes had unknown magical meanings but no power. Runes gave power because they had the impression of meanings that were magical.

Symbols get power from the person. They will mean anything you want them to mean. Different animal symbols have different meanings. The meaning of Koi fish may seem unknown to many, but there are significant meanings. If you have ever met someone who has a tattoo of a Koi or is a keeper of Koi, they will be eager to tell you the Koi fish meaning.

In Japan the Koi fish meaning is that of luck and good fortune. Add that to strength of purpose and perseverance in adversity and you have the symbol of courage.

There are several Japanese legends associated with the Koi fish. One states that if the Koi could succeed in climbing the Dragon Gate falls on the yellow river it would become a dragon. This legend leads to the symbol becoming that of advancement and worldly aspiration. Another states that if they are caught, they would face death bravely on the cutting board, much like a samurai. The Koi meaning is symbolic in the culture because that regardless of conditions, the fish would swim upstream.

When referring to the status in a family, the black Koi is the father, red is mother, pink and red for a girl and blue and white for the boys.

The platinum colored Koi, Ogon Koi, indicates the fulfillment of business success.

The gold Koi, Yamabuki Koi, is wealth, prosperity and gold.

Originally bred in China, they were later bred in Japan and Korea where they are a symbol of friendship and love.

One of the oldest of the Koi is the Asagi. It has been useful in helping the creation of many varieties. Although they are a blue/gray color, there are those who have a red belly. The red is sometimes extended along the sides and cheeks of the Koi. The scales on the back give highlight to each scale with a darker gray edging. In contrast to the gray on the back scales, the tail fin, gill plates and the base of the pectoral fin are a red color or a deep orange. The back is enhanced by a reticulated pattern of navy, indigo and pale blue. The shusui version of the Asagi is scaleless and has large mirrored scales along the sides or on the sides of the dorsal fin.

Tancho is the Koi that you may see with a red head patch. Although they are not a form within themselves, they can be bred from the Kohauk, Taisho Sankshoku or Showa Sanshoku.

The resurging popularity of tattoos has created a resurgence of Koi tattoos as well. There are specific tattoos designed for men and others for women. Often the men's will be much brighter in color signifying the strength and perseverance that exemplify the Koi fish meaning. The women's tend to be daintier in design.

The Koi fish meaning are those most often taken from the symbolism of Japan. The Japanese culture is well known for giving meaning to different animals. They base the Koi fish meaning on the fish behavior. They consider the Koi to be the most energetic of all fish. The Koi are constantly in motion and will churn the water in which they are living. There are countries that are trying to limit the Koi population. This is due to the stirring up of substrate due to the motion.

There are two ways that this can be interpreted. One is that the Koi means you are a non-conformist. The Koi swims upstream and is symbolic of being a non-conformist. It signifies independence and the person may or may not perform tasks in the manner they are expected. It can also mean the that person marches to the tune of their own drummer and is not easily influenced by the actions or suggestions of others.

The Koi fish meaning also symbolizes strength in adversity. Simply stated, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going" would identify the attitude of the Koi.

Adam Boyle is a Koi Fish enthusiast and enjoys helping others taking care of these wonderful fish. For more great information on Koi Fish Meaning, visit http://www.koifishinformation.org.

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Understanding Cichlid Mating

ByKevin Jacobs

Introduction

Cichlids are either monogamous or polygamous fish with mating habits that have been shown to strongly influence many aspects of breeding behavior, including courtship and brooding.

However, cichlid mating habits and the effects they have on other aspects of breeding behavior can vary from species to species...

For example, although most monogamous cichlid species are not mouthbrooders, Chromidotilapia, Gymnogeophagus, Spathodus and Tanganicodus are all monogamous mouthbrooders.

On the other hand, several open or cave spawning cichlids are polygamous; examples of these are Apistogramma, Lamprologus, Nannacara and Pelvicachromis.

Like most animals, mating can occur only between the same species. For this reason, when setting up a cichlid aquarium, it is important to keep the number of species as small as possible.

Moreover, since older individuals tend to be more dominant and aggressive than younger individuals, all individuals in the tank should be of approximately the same age.

First signs that the mating season is approaching

As soon as the mating season comes, males that are ready to mate become paler in color (becoming highly attractive for receptive females).

Moreover, you will notice an overall increase in aggressive behavior in your cichlid society. Male individuals will commnunicate their emotional state to other males, flaring their gills and fully spreading their fins (in order to look bigger and scare competitors for the same females).

Most times, this is enough to establish dominance. However, when two individuals with comparable social rank meet, fights can occur. Some of the most common aggressive behaviors during cichlid mating season include:
Tail beating (pushing water against the competitor)BitingIncreased swiming speed in the tank

How do Cichlids mate?

Cichlid mating is usually a highly aggressive behavior. During the so-called "cichlid mating dance", scales are lost, decorations are toppled and death can occur.

Cichlids are egg layers. This means that, unlike mammals, in cichlid fish, mating (or spawning) takes place outside of the body, with no copulation between the male and the female.

The female lays the eggs and then the male releases his sperm over the eggs. From then on, both the female and the male will take care of the fertilized eggs, until the baby fish (fry) is approximately 1 inch long and can fend for itself.

Selecting a Mate

Cichlids are quite picky... they spend a lot of time choosing their sexual mates. Once a male finds a female of his liking, it starts engaging in courtship. Courtship in cichlids involves chasing, slapping the sides of their bodies together and mouth locking. Importantly, all these behaviors must be performed correctly to trigger egg laying in the female.

Examples of mating behavior in cichlids

In most cichlids, mouthbrooding starts as soon as the male attracts a sexually ripe female to his 'nest' (a little hole he has just dug for the occasion). Then the female lays the eggs which are then fertilized by the male. The female then picks the fertilized eggs and holds them in her mouth.

In other other mouthbrooders, like Cyprichromis leptosoma, a similar mating behavior has been described.

However, in this cichlid species, mating occurs in in open water. The female picks the eggs first and then the male fertilizes them.

In other cichlid species, females lay their eggs on top of flat rocks (open brooding). Only then they will be receptive to male courtship rituals. Examples include Pterophyllum, Symphysodon spp, and Anomalochromis thomasi.

In these cichlid species, male and female parents usually have separate brooding tasks. Typically, the male keeps intruders as far as possible from the eggs and females carefully fan water over the eggs, removing the infertile ones and and swimming by their fry after they have hatched.

In other species, cichlids lay their eggs in caves, crevices, holes or shells. These cichlids are called "cave spawing". Examples cave spawining cichlids are Pelvicachromis spp., Archocentrus spp, and Apistogramma spp.

Finally, in other species, females lay eggs in the open water or in a cave and take the hatched larvae into the mouth. Examples are some variants of Geophagus altifrons, and some Aequidens, Gymnogeophagus, and Satanoperca.

It takes about 21 days for the eggs to hatch. You can expect up to approximately 35 fry/couple.

During mating and, more importantly, during breeding, your tank conditions should be kept at their best. Make sure that the new parents have enough food and privacy!

For more information on cichlids and how to to set up a cichlid aquarium and ccichlid mating, visit http://www.cichlidscare.net and get instant access to my "Cichlid Care Mini Course".

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