Gardening, Pets & Aquatics Articles

Have you ever noticed how many new aquarists get started these days? They go down to the local fish store or chain store and purchase the typical 5 or 10-gallon tank kits that come with a heater, filter and lights. They then read on the box, which has a picture of twenty goldfish swimming happily in the tank, that everything is included except the gravel, decorations, and the fish…and, I would hesitate to say, some KNOWLEDGE!!!

In the days that follow, the person then proceeds to purchase the flashiest, coolest looking fish in the store, in mass quantities no less; never bothering to consider that a fish is not a fish is not a fish, or that the little tank that they just bought definitely has a limit on how many and what kind of fish can be put in there. Simply put, fish, like dogs, grow to be different sizes and have very different requirements. It’s only after a problem arises in the tank that they come one of the many forums on the internet for help, but, by then, it’s usually too late. The remedy to this problem is simple…do your research before making any purchases.

Many experienced aquarists attempt to blame the people that work at the fish store or chain store that sells fish, but, in reality, shouldn’t it behoove the person that ultimately wants to be a pet owner to do a little independent research into the requirements of the pets that they want to own?

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The Importance of Fish Research

The movie Finding Nemo has had people going crazy over Clown Fish and more Clown Fish facts have thus come into the open. The articles below will help you learn more about clown fish. The Clown Fish is found in the sea and comprises of about 30 different species. These fish are very colorful with coloring that ranges from yellow and maroon to shades of orange. The most common coloration found is a bright orange intermingled with white stripes.

Clown Fish are commonly found in the warm waters. The Pacific Ocean, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean are some places where Clown Fish abound. The peculiar name of the fish comes from its cheerful coloring and its active disposition. Many people mistakenly believe that the Clown Fish is really fooling around with all his antics. But, in reality the Clown Fish is an aggressive fish and they are very territorial. They go to great lengths to protect their territory.

The most common home for the Clown Fish is among the tentacles of the Sea Anemone. It’s a curious quirk of nature that the tiny Clown fish is able to live without getting stung by the tentacles of the Anemone. The fish actually uses the Anemone to save it from predators. The fish continuously loops through the waving tentacles of the Anemone and is moving around all the time. It is believed that the Clown Fish develops a kind of slimy covering around its body that helps it to withstand the Anemone’s stings.

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All About Clownfish and Finding Nemo

Algae (Plural: Algae / Singular: Algae or Alga) is the bane of every aquarium owner. Algae grows in every healthy aquarium, no matter how well, or how often the tank is cleaned. There is absolutely no safe way to completely prevent or stop the growth of algae. Once it starts to grow in an aquarium, it does so very rapidly. A small patch of algae can triple in size in a few days. When one of our clients calls and informs us that their aquarium is “dirty”, we know they’re referring to algae growth on the tank, or on the gravel or decorations.

Algae and “That Other Slimy Stuff”
There are many types of algae. There are also a few organisms that look like algae but are not algae at all. In a healthy aquarium, the algae will be green, and if left alone, will grow hair-like in appearance. Algae that is red or brown may indicate a water quality problem, such as high dissolved nitrate or phosphate levels in the water. Red and brown algae are also common in new tanks, when the aquarium is not yet ecologically balanced. These types of algae are also quite common in saltwater fish-only tanks when the coral decorations are cleaned on a regular basis. The small round green “dots” that form on the sides of a tank are not algae. These are actually populations of Diatoms, microscopic animals that secrete a hard calcium shell on which green algae grows. This type of “algae” is the most difficult to remove.

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Nuisance Algae