Facts About the Arabian Angelfish

The Arabian Angelfish is considered one of the most brightly coloured fish in the world. They are very sought after, they are quite expensive and because of that they are a rare sight in a tank. So, therefore, they are truly a visual delight in any aquarium.

Description
Also known as the Asfur Angelfish or Crescent Angelfish, the Arabian Angelfish as a juvenile is colored blue with light blue and white stripes. As an adult fish it is blue/purple in it's body, with a black head, and yellow markings on its dorsal and caudal fin. They have streamer-like extensions of the soft dorsal and anal fins.They have small mouths. The adults can grow to 40cm (16 inches) in length. Their genus is Pomacanthus.

Origins
These angelfish are found on protected reefs in the Western Indian Ocean from the Red Sea to Zanzibar. Like most Red sea fish it is hardy and has a long life expectancy under ideal conditions in a tank. They live at a depth of 3-30 meters. Because of the shallowness that they can be viewed, they are a glorious site for divers.

Breeding
Arabian Angelfish are very difficult to breed in aquariums. They are hermaphrodites, so it's very hard to distinguish between the male and female. This is why they are left to breed in the wild. This is the reason why they are so expensive to buy.

Temperament
They are shy fish and like all large angelfish they have a tendency to be aggressive towards other large fish their size. The Arabian Angelfish should not be kept with other Asfur Angelfish as they will not tolerate them. They can be mixed with other smaller Angelfish successfully.

Aquarium Requirements
Smaller Angelfish require a tank of a minimum of 55 gallons. With larger Angelfish the tank should be a minimum size of 100 gallons. There should also be lots of hiding places for this fish because it is shy. They also require live grazing. The water temperature needs to be between 75 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit for them. They are not reef safe which means corals are not safe in the same tank with them.They nip at soft and stony corals (sessile invertebrates) so it would be best to keep them with small polyped stony corals. This is generally why they are found in fish only tanks.

Food
The Arabian Angelfish are omnivores (eat both plants and animals). They require a varied reef diet. Chunks of meat, vegetables, prepared angelfish sponge products, mussels, clams, krill and shrimp. In the wild they graze on algae, polyps and smaller crustaceans. Your local pet fish and aquarium supplier will have sponge products for purchase.

If you're lucky enough to find an Arabian Angelfish for your tank and you adhere to a few simple guidelines pointed out in this article, you will have many hours of viewing pleasure.

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5 Tips For Buying A Betta Fish Tank And Accessories

You would think that buying a betta fish tank, should be as easy as walking into a pet store, grabbing one off the shelf and heading back home.

It can almost be that easy if you take into consideration how many fish you are going to have, the size of the tank, where you are going to place it, what type of fish toys you are going to have and will you be traveling with your fish.

Tip 1 Size

If you are going to have just one fish in your tank, I would suggest getting a 2 gallon tank. You can expect this type of tank to be about 10 inches long, 7 inches wide and 9 inches tall. Of course you could get a 2 gallon betta fish bowl, a 2 gallon wine glass shaped aquarium or some other shaped tank.

If you are going to have many fish, such as 5 female bettas, in your tank, you will need to consider a 25 to 30 gallon tank (5 gallons per fish). The size of that aquarium would be around 15 inches long x 12 inches wide x 10 inches tall.

Once again, there are many types of tanks available in many different sizes, but this will give you some idea of a 5 gallon tank size.

A good rule of thumb for numerous fish in a tank is get 5 gallons per fish.

Tip 2 Placement of the Aquarium

Bettas are tropical fish and the area of the world they come from is sunny and hot.

But, bettas do not do well when their tank is placed in an area that will have direct sunlight all day.

Sunshine all day could raise the temperature of their water to a point where it would be unhealthy for the fish. The constant movement of the water and the sun glare seems to make bettas disoriented and they either stop swimming or swim in crazy patterns.

The best place for your betta tank would be on an inside wall, where there would be plenty of indirect sunlight.

Don't place your tank on a wall with mirrors. A male betta will think he has another male in the tank and will spend most of his time trying to kill the other male betta.

This will cause him to constanly be in motion to the point that he will die of exhaustion; or he will be attacking the sides of the tank, which could easily cause him harm.

Tape a magazine picture of flowers or trees on the back of the aquarium to give him a colorful background to look at.

Tip 3 Tanks For Traveling

If you are going to be traveling with your betta, in a car, truck or RV, a smaller, plastic aquarium is what I would suggest.

When we traveled with our betta, we used a small portable tank that measured 7 inches long X 5 inches wide X 6 inches tall. This was not the ideal size for him, but he traveled for 3 years in it and survived all the trips. I would not recommend traveling with more than one fish in a tank that size.

Tip 4 Tank Toys For Your Betta

A betta in a tank that has only water in it, is a very sad thing to see. Can you imagine being in a bowl all day with nothing to hide under, nothing colorful to see for stimulation and nothing else moving.

Your betta tank should include some things that will make life more enjoyable for your fish. A few river rocks placed on top of each other will provide a nice hidy-hole, where he can get away from it all. Colored gravel on the bottom will provide more stimulation and a few betta plants will add interest for your fish.

Tip 5 Water Conditioner

In most areas, water that comes from your tap, will not be suitable for your betta to live in. There are usually chemicals like chlorine and ammonia that need to be taken out or neutralized before it is safe for a fish.

A good first step is to fill a water container and leave it overnight to get rid of the chlorine, then a good quality water conditioner should go into the water before adding it to your tank.

Most of the stress of buying a betta fish tank can be eliminated if you just give consideration to a few things, how many fish you are going to have, the size of the tank, where you are going to place it, what type of fish toys you are going to have and if you will be traveling with your fish. You will enjoy your lovely new betta for years to come, in the perfect aquarium you have selected, if you just give it a little thought ahead of time.

If you are a betta fish lover, who wants to purchase the correct betta tank for your fish and want to keep it in perfect condition, then Robert D Schroeder, would like to invite you to join him at http://myhealthybetta.info Learn how to improve tank conditions, how to make the water safe for your betta and how this will extend your bettas life to its full potential of 5 years.

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Aquarium Filtration for Beginners: Keeping Your Fish Tank Clean

ByCarly K McGregor

Different filtration systems for freshwater aquariums

There are many types of filtration systems out there available to help you maintain a cleaner fish tank. They can be categorized into three main types. Bio-filters, Mechanical filters, and Chemical filters. Although there are many more out there, we will focus on some of our favorites that fall under these categories

Types of Filtration

Sponge filtration: sponge filtration uses a pump that draws air from outside the tank to push the tank water through a sponge which cleans the water of unwanted waste and debris by trapping it in the sponge. It is an excellent choice as the sponge allows for a healthy amount of bacteria growth that is essential for the break down of fish waste. It is an optimal type of filtration for tanks that are being used as quarantine for sick fish as they do not usually contain charcoal that can break down any medication that your fish may need. Sponge filters are also a great choice if you are breeding, as the sponge poses no danger of small fry being sucked into the filter. At the same time, the micro-organisms that grow on the sponge provide excellent nourishment for your fry. They are also easy to maintain and very inexpensive.

Under Gravel Filtration: Under gravel filtration is an excellent bio-filtration system that uses two tubes on each side of the tank. These tubes are attached to power heads or something similar to suck the water the water from the bottom of the tank up and then push it back down to bottom again causing the water to circulate in the tank from top to bottom then back to the top again. At the bottom of the tank lies a plate, grate or sponge. Gravel or similar substrate is then placed over the grate or sponge. When the water is pushed through the substrate, it filters the water trapping the debris in the gravel. Then you will vacuum the gravel to get rid of the unwanted waste. These filters are highly efficient and very inexpensive. However, they are not always the best choice alone for larger tanks but can be paired up with a hang on back filter.

Canister Filtration: a canister filter is a closed filtration system that typically sits beside or beneath your fish tank. Water is pushed through the canister leaving the solid waste and debris in the canister. Canister filters are your best option if you are dealing with larger debris. However this type of filtration requires more frequent cleaning. Typically every 2-4 weeks. You can significantly improve your filtration by placing a wet dry wheel at the outflow of the canister filter.

Power Filters: These are available as internal or external filtration systems. This means that the internal is in the tank and the external hangs on the outside of the tank. Because power filters use motorized pumps, the water flows at a much faster rate. Faster flow rates will dramatically improve the filtration of your tank. Internal power filters can be unsightly and hard to clean as you have to take them out of the tank where as the external power filters are easily accessed as they hang on the outside of the tank.

Activated Carbon: Activated carbon is a type of chemical filtration that you will want to use if you use if you are looking to get rid of foul odors or unwanted color in your tank water. Activated carbon is used to combat pollutants that biological and mechanical filtering can not as the pollutants are too small and easily slip through filters. These tank pollutants often come from fish medication, pollutants in the air as well waste produced by different biological processes. Activated carbon effectively absorbs unwanted chemicals and waste as well as detoxifying harmful gases. Use caution when using this type of filtration system as it will also absorb nutrients needed to sustain plant and invertebrate life.

As there are many options for your tank filtration, it is important that you do your research and choose the system that will be best for your tanks inhabitants.

My name is Carly McGregor and my goal is to provide helpful tips and information on how to easily maintain beautiful freshwater aquariums that will bring you years of enjoyment and relaxation. If you want to learn more about setting up and maintaining a beautiful freshwater aquarium visit us at http://www.completefreshwateraquariums.com

Happy Fishin'

Carly McGregor

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