Five Important Things To Keep In Mind While Choosing Your Fish
Here are five important points to keep in mind when you are choosing your fish:-
1. Check out the health conditions of the fish carefully. If you are observant enough, you can check out both visible and intrinsic health conditions of the fish. First, you must observe the body of the fish. Pay attention to the scales and the fins. The scales should be shiny and smooth, while the fins should not have any cuts or nicks. If there is some fuzzy growth on the body of the fish, it is better left alone. Also check the areas under the eyes for any telltale health signs. Some fish would not ‘look’ ill, but they might have internal conditions. You can tell that if a fish is either too sluggish and spends most time at the bottom of the tank, or if it is hyperactive and keeps darting everywhere in the tank in a sort of frenzy.
2. You must next check the nature of the fish and its compatibility with the other fish in the tank. Do not select fish that fight a lot with other fish in the tank. They will be a pain to maintain as they will injure themselves often, and you will not be able to place other fish in the tank with them. Also, check out if the fish becomes more docile with another fish of its own species in the tank, preferably of the other gender.
3. Ask the stocker about the size the fish can grow to. You must consider the size of your aquarium here. The equation to maintain is one inch of fish size per gallon of aquarium space. You must not only consider the present size of the fish, but you must see what size it will attain when it becomes an adult.
4. Fish are temperamental little creatures, and most of their temperament depends on the temperature of water they are kept in. You must ask the stocker about the natural living conditions of the fish, as to whether it is tropical water or temperate water fish. That will give you an idea what kind of temperature you will have to maintain in your tank.
5. Finally, you must choose fish according to the food they eat. Different fish have different food habits and some of them are very finicky when it comes to eating. You must make sure that the food your fish wants is readily available, and that it is not going to be very expensive. You will also need to keep food for your fish always stocked.
These are the five factors on which you can base your shopping for fish. By adopting these factors, there are very less chances that you can go wrong in your selection of fish.
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Apr 15, 2010 | | Fish
Just as the name implies, a bird feeder is a device that is placed outdoors for the purpose of dispensing food to birds. The ultimate success of a bird feeder is determined by its placement, the types of seeds provided and the design of the feeder itself.
To begin with, a bird feeder must be large enough to accommodate the nearby species. Birds need to be able to get to the seeds easily if they are to continue to use the bird feeder. In addition, the feeder should be placed somewhere convenient and easily accessible. Most bird feeders are located in a tree that birds are known to frequent.
The type of bird that you wish to attract will ultimately determine the type of food that you supply in the bird feeder. For example, while most food is made in the form of seeds, hummingbirds prefer liquid nourishment. This is a very important distinction as bird feeders are created for birdwatching and, without the proper food, there may not be any birds to watch.
Many people around the world enjoy birdwatching and some even record their experiences on video. Some individuals use webcams, while others use a regular camcorder to capture their birds on film. Dont be surprised, however, if you happen to capture a squirrel on video. These little creatures are famous for helping themselves to the contents of a bird feeder and not even so much to eat the food, but rather to carry it away and store it elsewhere. There are, however, a number of bird feeder manufacturers that create their products with the hope of deterring squirrels from swiping all of the seeds. This may include a collapsible bird feeder if anything heavier than a bird should begin to feed or one that provides a slight shock or spins to throw the squirrel a short distance away.
A bird feeder is easy to find at any retail or online store, but the many choices available may make the decision a difficult one. Ultimately, the size of the feeder and its design will be the most important consideration.
Often, the most effective way of keeping a squirrel away from a bird feeder is to set out a squirrel feeder. Corn and berries are among the foods that may interest a squirrel and may keep him/her occupied so as to not disturb the bird feeder. These creatures, themselves, can add quite a lot of amusement and birds may find themselves sharing the spotlight as many birdwatchers turn toward watching squirrels, as well.
Tags:
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Feb 06, 2010 | | Birds
When summer comes around, so do fleas — those little creatures that can make your dog’s life (and yours) miserable. There are things you can do to minimize the chances of flea infestation and other measures you can take if they have already invaded your home.
First lets look at the steps necessary to keep the fleas away; without using chemicals. This natural flea prevention will work best to prevent fleas from taking hold and can also be used if you have a very light flea infestation.
Keep your carpets vacuumed! Vacuum daily and get some wide tape to seal up the vacuum bags as soon as you remove them from the vacuum cleaner. If you DON’T have small children around, use pennyroyal leaves either fresh (if available) or dried and spread them around your carpet to repel fleas.
Keep your dog’s bedding clean by washing it in warm water and soap. When it is dry apply some cedar oil to the bedding to help repel the fleas. Keep the area around your dog’s bed free of dust and dirt.
Give your dog a bath once a week with cedar shampoo (bathing more frequently may dry out its skin). If your dog does get dry skin it will attract fleas — just what you don’t want. Give a dog with dry skin some Linatone oil mixed with its food. Something else you can mix, in very small doses, with your dogs food to repel fleas is a mixture of garlic and brewer’s yeast. With this mixture in the dog’s system, it will give off a scent that you won’t be able to notice but fleas will notice it and they hate it.
If you mix lavender oil (60 ml) with rock salt (2.8 liters) you will have a great flea repellent that can be spread around the places where your dog goes and can also be used as a dog shampoo.
Fill your outside flower beds with marigolds — they have natural flea repellent properties and also repel other bugs.
Try boiling either lemon peels or orange peels in water to create a solution that can be used as a dog dip and can be used on the dogs bedding before washing it.
Another effective dog dip, if you are experiencing a light infestation, is warm water, shampoo and laundry detergent; immerse the dogs body in this for ten or fifteen minutes and then rinse thoroughly.
If you have a heavy flea infestation you may have to resort to chemicals — all these products can be used safely if you follow the directions that come with the products.
Advantage. Advantage is a flea poison made by Bayer. Apply the Advantage (liquid) to the dog’s coat as directed. Advantage should work for about one month, Advantage’s active ingredient, imidacloprid, upsets the nervous system of any flea that comes in contact with it. Advantage kills flea’s fast and should kill all the fleas on the dog in about two days; but it is not absorbed into the dog’s bloodstream or internal organs. The active ingredient, imidacloprid is a chloronicotinyl nitroguanidine, integrated from the nitromethylene class of a compound. The imidacloprid affects the nicotinyl receptor sites of insects and upsets the flea’s normal nerve transmission, resulting in death. Advantage costs $15 to $20 for a set of two vials.
Frontline. Frontline is very similar to Advantage but it is not water soluble; this means alcohol is required to wash it off the dog. Frontline is safe for use on puppies as well as adult dogs, kittens and adult cats and it will work for approximately four months.
The active ingredients in Frontline include: Fipronil 5-amino -1- (2, 6-dichloro-4 [trifluoromethyl]phenyl) -4- (1,R,S)- (trifluoromethyl0sulfinyl) -1H-pryazole-3-carbonitrile 0.29% inert ingredients 99.71%. Fipronil, from the new phenylpyrazole class, is very effective at killing fleas by attacking their nervous systems. Fipronil is safe for use on dogs and cats that are not allergic to it. Tests have shown that Fipronil will kill up to 95% of a pet’s fleas within two hours and all the fleas within the first 24 hours — ticks are killed instantly on contact.
Knockout. Knockout is as effective as Frontline and works in the same way but Knockout can not be used on cats.
Knockout’s active ingredients are: Pyriproxyfen: 21[1-methyl-2-(phenoxyphenoxy)ethyoxy] pyridine….0.05% cyclopropanecarboxylate 2.00% inert ingredients 97.95% Knockout also contains NYLAR, a flea-growth regulator.
Biospot. Biospot is used topically, like the other products and, in tests, killed up to three quarters of the fleas, ticks and their eggs; like Knockout, Biospot can NOT be safely used on cats. Biospot works for about one month and can also be used as a mosquito repellant. Biospot has been known to temporarily turn the white hair on a dogs coat to yellow.
Biospot contains permethrins and IGR.
Proban and Prospot. The Proban (cythioate) and Prospot (Fenthion) products are also for use on dogs only and they are very popular. Proban and Prospot are actually absorbed in the dogs bloodstream, poisoning any fleas that bite the dog. The fact that these products are poisonous to fleas combined with the fact that you are actually allowing this poison to be absorbed in the dog’s blood stream, may be cause for concern. There are no published (or known?) side effects. Another factor to consider about these last two products is that they do not repel fleas, they will only work if a flea bites the dog — if the dog has a flea allergy this would not be the product of choice.
Tags:
Cedar Oil,
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Flower Beds,
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Little Creatures,
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Pennyroyal,
Rock Salt,
S System,
Salt 2,
Vacuum Bags,
Warm Water
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Jan 24, 2010 | | Dogs
Attract Birds And Accent Your Patio Or Yard With A Bird Bath
Birds, especially wild ones, are a good source of entertainment and peace. Who has ever hated hearing the amusing chirps of the birds in the evening? What’s even better is to see them hopping around your yard while you are in your pation, sipping your coffee and gearing yourself for a new day. The absolute charm of birds never fails to entice many homeowners to keep on placing items to attract them to visit their backyards every so often. If you are one of those who enjoy observing the beauty and amusement these little creatures give, one logical step is to put a bird bath in your yard. Birds can put up one fun show while they are bathing and drying off in various manners. Some can do the bathing timidly, while some can be really gregarious.
1. The Depth of the Bathing Basin
Less than 3 inches; that should be the depth of the bathing basin. It should allow you ti fill it with only 2 inches or 5 centimeters of water. Any deeper than that or you risk not having too many birds to enjoy and frequent your bird bath. Most songbirds prefer to hunker down in a depth that does not reach the bottom of their bellies.
2. The Surface of the Bottom of the Bathing Basin
It is advisable that you get a bird bath with a bottom that has a rough surface. This is because several bird bath bottoms are usually too slick that they don’t provide secure footing for birds. This could be aggravated when a coat of algae forms on submerged surfaces. If you can’t find one that has a rough bottom surface, you can either use a sandpaper or hammer claws to rough it up before putting water on it. This is applicable to plastic basins only, though. Or you can put some textured materials such as sand, pebbles, stones, and concrete to provide sure footing.
3. Buying Tips:
- Place your bath somewhere sunny, away from shrubs and trees, so birds can keep an eye out for the neighborhood cat or other predators
- Make sure that you place the bird bath somewhere it is visible and convenient for you. Your indoors views should be given consideration too
- Keep the bird bath close to a faucet for cleaning and refilling. Every 2-3 days in the summer, empty and scrub it to prevent the formation of algae and bacteria
- To keep the birds coming even during the winter, use birdbath heaters
- To attract more birds, provide something that will produce the sound of gently moving water. A simple dripping hose or an artificial water fall can be very good sources of that little water music
- Ensure constant supply of water or refill the bird bath consistently. When birds ran out of water source, they might go to dangerous places such as aircon units and even a pet water dish
- Don’t place bird baths under perchers or feeders. Droppings may fall into them that can cause the fouling of the water
4. The Fit of the Bird Bath on the Pedestal
If the basin does not fit securely on the pedestal, it will be subject to tipping by thirsty animals, i.e., raccoons, dogs, deer, or even bears. It would be a great hassle to keep on picking up an overturned bird bath every morning. It could even get broken.
5. Your Budget
You don’t have to break the bank in getting a bird bath. It should provide you cheap entertainment, not a pile of bills unpaid. Many furniture stores have bird baths that don’t pinch your wallet that much. Just shop around. It would be good to get a one-piece bird bath, or attach the basin to the pedestal with a waterproof adhesive. You can also use weight to secure the base or simply sink it in the ground to avoid its getting tipped over.
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Wild Ones,
Yard Birds
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Jan 15, 2010 | | Birds
Saltwater aquarium fish are amongst the most beautiful of animals to be found anywhere in the world. A variety of saltwater aquarium fish can be housed in your marine tank provided you know what they need in terms of care, such as feeding, environment, competitors and space to grow.
Any marine enthusiast will tell you that setting up a marine tank is tricky and so is choosing the right saltwater aquarium fish! This is because its easy to make mistakes with the kinds of fish you choose. Its usually best to start your marine tank with a few hardy and affordable fish. The majority of saltwater aquarium fish are collected from nature rather than captive raised so dont waste that gift by making mistakes that result in the death of your fish.
Damsels are a great saltwater aquarium fish to start off with. Damsels are hardy little creatures and can survive in poorer water conditions than many other marine species. They are not fussy about their food and wont cost you the earth. Unfortunately damsels are also quite aggressive. You can easily keep one or two of these tough saltwater aquarium fish in a tank but dont try any more than that.
Its best to start with damsels and then add more aggressive fish later, If you want to house saltwater aquarium fish that are more shy, you need to take your damsels out before adding more timid varieties of saltwater aquarium fish. Blue and yellow damsels are two species that are less aggressive than others.
Mollies are an alternative starter saltwater aquarium fish. Mollies that are used to salt water allow you to start with cheaper fish while you learn how to make sure the salinity of your tank is correct for more sensitive creatures. On the other hand mollies are raised and bred in captivity so you wont get much real experience in keeping them. Get them used to the tank by allowing saltwater to drip into the bag for about 6-8 hours. When the bag becomes full remove some water. After the tank cycles you can keep the fish in the tank.
Clownfish are cousins to damsel fish and are a fairly hardy saltwater aquarium fish. They are not that easy to acclimate to a marine tank, though. They are also quite territorial but arent likely to be aggressive to other species. They dont have to have an anemone to survive. If you do get one bear in mind that they need water that is very clean and high quality lighting.
Blennies or gobies are fairly hardy and small and shouldnt be a problem for the other saltwater aquarium fish in the tank. They are character fish but they are small and so might get lost in very big tanks with bigger saltwater aquarium fish. They are a good choice to help control algae but if you have a fish only tank they may not be easy to keep fed.
Tangs are a hardy saltwater aquarium fish which are a little sensitive and tend to contract marine ich (also know as “White Spot”). They eat algae so as soon as you grow some you might try to introduce some tangs.
Triggerfish or lionfish are an ideal saltwater aquarium fish for a tank which will eventually contain large aggressive fish. However they can be costly if you make mistakes. It might be a good idea to practice on fish that are both cheaper and easier. You will need to feed them lots of shell fish and other sea creatures to keep them healthy.
Angels and butterflies are very sensitive and difficult saltwater aquarium fish to keep. They need special diets most of the time so they are not that easy to care for in a tank. The same goes for batfish.
Once you gain more experience in keeping conditions in your tank stable you can add a few other varieties of fish. Choose from hawkfishes, grammas, dottybacks, basslets and wrasses. But make sure to find out about how to take care of them properly because some are not as easy as others. However they are a much easier bet that angels and butterflies.
So which saltwater aquarium fish should beginners avoid? You should not attempt angelfish, butterfly fish, pipefish, seahorses, long-nosed filefish, blue ribbon eels, stonefish, and Moorish Idols as well as mandarin fish until you really know what you are doing.
What about invertebrates? Contrary to popular belief invertebrates are well suited for mini or micro-reef tanks. Many invertebrates do well in non-reef tanks. For the novice aquarist the hardy species are best. These include shrimps like the cleaner shrimp, blood shrimp or peppermint shrimp and coral banded shrimp. As is the case with saltwater aquarium fish, stick to the hardier shrimps to begin with.
Anemone crabs are another option you might try along with your saltwater aquarium fish. And why not add some sea urchins and starfish which are quite well suited to beginners with a couple of months experience? They differ in size, shape and color and some are poisonous so be careful! Sea urchins and starfish eat detritus and algae and other small bits of food so they will help to keep your tank clean and your saltwater aquarium fish healthy.
Anemones are not really suited for beginners. They need special lighting and top-notch water conditions so if you cant foot the bill for the lights stay away or youll live to regret it. Invertebrates you should avoid include tridacna clams, flame scallops, Octopi, Nudibranchs, or any hard or soft coral and sea squirts. Like the saltwater aquarium fish listed previously these invertebrates have special feeding and living requirements.
When you choose saltwater aquarium fish, you need to bear in mind that they are a bit more expensive then the freshwater varieties. For this reason you should take care with them and try to keep them alive. When fish are captured and moved from the store to your home they are liable to get stressed, especially since most of them have been taken from the ocean mere days ago. So make sure you can properly care for your new friends before you bring them home!
Tags:
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Damsels,
Drip,
Fish Aquarium,
Fish Mollies,
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Kinds Of Fish,
Little Creatures,
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Sensitive Creatures,
Setting Up A Marine Tank,
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Nov 26, 2009 | | Fish