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Posts Tagged ‘aquatic vertebrate’

Dropsy: It is not always possible to treat fish ailments successfully, and the illness known as dropsy is particularly hard to counter. It is often seen in goldfish, with infected individuals suffering from a swollen abdomen which causes them to have difficulty in swimming. Not all cases seem to have infectious origins, and, in the case of infectious appetites and, in the case of infectious dropsy, death will follow rapidly. Dropsy is often the result of a bacterial disease, although the illness does not seem to be highly infectious, and it rarely reaches epidemic proportions.

Piscine Tuberculosis: This is probably the most serious bacterial illness encountered in fish, and it can be spread to people. There are no clear-cut symptoms, but bulging eyes, loss of weight and widespread mortality in a tank can be indicative of an outbreak, which can only be confirmed by an autopsy. As a general precautionary measure, it is always sensible to wear rubber gloves when attending to the fish’s needs, and this will give effective protection against piscine TB as well. This disease causes an unpleasant skin infection in human beings, usually on the hands where they have been in the water, although it can be created.

It is vital that all equipment used in a marine aquarium is made of glass or plastic, rather than metal, which is likely to be corroded by the salt water in the tank.

Tank Décor: In contrast to freshwater set-ups, a marine tank looks rather bare. An undergravel filtration system is to be recommended, however, but with a thick layer of cockleshell serving as the filter bed, often with a covering of coral sand on top. Suitable décor to provide retreats for the fish will again be required, and these can support a range of invertebrates in tanks where they will not be harmed by the fish. It is often recommended to add “living rock” to a marine aquarium, consisting of rockwork which features, a range of established invertebrates. This, too, should only be put in place once the system is running properly. When planning the aquarium, ensure that you have a good view of the fish, with decoration being concentrated towards the back and around the sides of the tank. Aside from living rock, you can incorporate tufa rock which, with its loose structure, provides plenty of nooks and crannies where small invertebrates can establish them. Check that the rocks will not affect the pH reading of the water, which should be on the alkaline side of the scale, between 8.0 and 8.4.

Lighting: If you are including invertebrates such as corals and sea anemones, the lighting above the tank will be very important. These invertebrates often have living algae present in their bodies, and they will only thrive if there is adequate light in order to photosynthesize and produce their own nutrients. Special high intensity lights are available from aquatic stores for this purpose – try to locate a specialist fish supplier for the best selection – and these will need to be suspended over the water. Their light output, for maximum benefit to the invertebrates, should be towards the blue end of the light spectrum.

Sign of infection on fish depend not only on the part of the body affected, but also the type of fungus. There may be a halo-like effect in some cases, or the fungal growth may appear like strands of cotton wool (cotton balls). Treatment should be carried out in a separate tank, using a proprietary remedy. It is important to use a sponge filter rather than a box-type design, as any carbon here may inactive the remedy. It is also vital to take care when treating fish in tanks containing invertebrates, as copped based remedies may assist the fish but are likely to kill their companions. The cause of some parasitic illness can be easily seen, such as anchor worm which is affecting the goldfish. Always try to check new fish for such parasites.

A wide range of commercial diets are now produced for tropical fish, with specialist foods, such as catfish pellets, available for specific varieties. Pelleted foods sink to the bottom of the tank, whereas flake foods float on the surface, which makes them valuable for surface-feeding fish. Although these foods will keep the fish in excellent health, it does not help to vary their diet. The provision of livefoods will help to trigger breeding behavior.

Although aquatic livefoods such as tubifex worms can be provided, there is a risk that they will introduce disease. It is safer to feed livefoods such as tubifex in a freeze-dried state; food prepared in this way can also be stored for longer. You can purchase frozen fresh livefoods, which should be defrosted before being fed to the fish. Never overfed with this food because it will quickly decay in the aquarium if left uneaten.

Fish are found in a wide range of aquatic environments and they are known to live in both fresh and salt water. All fish generally require a stable environment if they are to thrive, although some species are more resourceful than others. As there are hundred kinds of fishes, each fish is attention-grabbing and it has made people to have them as pets.

It doesn’t matter that what kind of fish you are having as pets, but they depend on you for food and shelter and you have the responsibility to care for your fishes. Now-a-days, FISH TANKS comes in a wide variety of styles and sizes but you have to select a tank that meets your pet’s needs and suits your home décor. On the other hand, setting up a suitable AQUARIUM for your fish is very straightforward and the fish can remain healthy.

It will also be a good idea to include AQUARIUM SUPPLIES, LIGHTING PRODUCTS as it will help to maintain the water quality in your aquarium. Lots and lots of aquarium supplies have been stocked at FishTankMaintenances.com so go through their website and buy the products for lowest prices!

Once the décor is in place, you can fill the tank with water. Only use water from the cold supply to avoid the risk of copper being introduced to the aquarium, as this can be toxic, especially to invertebrates. Add a set volume of water to a plastic bucket before stirring in the recommended quantity of sea salt, bought from specialist suppliers, ad ensure that the salt dissolves completely before pouring the solution into the tank. Once the tank is full, switch on the air pump, to ensure that the salt has dissolved, because this will assist in circulating the water, as well as the heating system.

Check on the concentration of salts in the water by measuring the specific gravity figure with a hydrometer. This needs to be set against the water temperature to give a reading; the temperature needs to rise to approximately 1.023, but it may take several days to stabilize when the tank is first set up. This is why it is important not to add fish to marine aquarium immediately, but to allow the system time to settle down for perhaps a week before head.

The anemone fish, also called clown fish because of their appearance, are one of the easier groups to care for in a marine aquarium, and they can also be bred successfully. The coloration of anemone fish can vary – there are a number of similar species which are mainly organ with white stripes, while others, such as chocolate or yellow – tailed anemone fish, are a darker shade. These fish have a close relationship with the radian thus group of sea anemones, and it is important to include one of these invertebrates alongside them. The fish will retreat within the stinging tentacles of the invertebrate for protection if danger threatens. The damsels are closely related to anemone fish.

They are predominately blue in color and relatively hardy and they are often recommended for introducing to a marine aquarium in the early stages. It is not easy to sex them and take care not to overcrowd them because males, especially, are territorial by nature. Setting up a marine aquarium is more complex and costly than most fresh water aquaria but, thanks to modern technology, it is quite straightforward to maintain fish in these surroundings. Most marine aquaria feature coral reef fish from the warmer parts of the world, such as the red sea and the Caribbean. These are often brightly colored and sometimes bizarrely shaped, which adds to their appeal but, again, it is important to ensure that they are compatible, because some can prove to be aggressive.

Variably in appearance is a feature of the fire salamander, which is found over a wide area of mainland Europe in the wild. Some populations display yellow spots, set against a black background, whereas others have yellow stripes and some even have fiery orange, rather than yellow markings. There is also some variability in size and individuals can range from 20-30 cm in length when adult. Fire salamanders are easy to house in a spacious vivarium, with plenty of retreats. An example of the fire salamander is found in the Cantabrian region of Spain. This is one of the populations where the discontinuous spots have merged to create stripes running down the sides of the body.

Perhaps surprisingly, fire salamanders cannot swim at all well, and the water container in their quarters must be not only shallow, but must allow easy access both in and out of the water. A cool environment is another important consideration, particularly during the summer months when the temperature indoors can rise rapidly; fire salamanders should be kept a t a maximum of 20⁰ C. It may, therefore, be necessary to move the salamanders outdoors to a vivarium in a shaded corner of the garden, out of direct sunlight.

In terms of a community aquarium, it is a good idea to group fish which come from the same part of the world, so that you will be able to match them in terms of water quality. Fish that originate from the freshwater rivers of the Amazon region are very popular in this respect.

Tetra: There are many different types of tetra suitable for the community aquarium but, undoubtedly, the most colorful is the cardinal tetra. It can be distinguished easily from the brightly colored neon tetra since the red stripe easily extends along the full length of the lower side of its body, rather than being confined to the rear. These fish should be kept in shoals, which should also mean that you have pairs for spawning purposes.

Guppy: Guppies and their relatives, such as platies and swordrails, are also popular fish for a community aquarium. They have been bred in a dazzling array of color varieties. The breeding habits of these fish are unusual, in that they are livebearers rather than egg-layers, which increase the chances of at least some offspring surviving in a densely planted aquarium. It may be better to keep them in a group on their own, however, as they often prefer slightly, brackish water conditions, particularly the black molly.

Many of the common diseases that affect fish can be traced back to poor water quality, which leaves them vulnerable to developing infections. Recently acquired fish are the most at risk, particularly if they have suffered any damage to their scales or fins during the moves, as this will make it easier for fungi and other harmful microbes to penetrate the body. Since it is possible to introduce diseases into the established aquarium when new fish are added, it is worthwhile using an isolation tank for a couple of weeks to check the new arrivals are in good health and feeding well. Many of the formulated fish foods now available contain Vitamin C, and this may help to boost the immune system of the fish at this stage. An isolation tank can be converted easily into a treatment tank, should a fish fall ill. A sick fish should be removed at the earliest opportunity from the main aquarium to avoid infecting the others and to improve its chances for recovery. Signs of illness will vary according to the specific condition but loss of color and appetite are typical, along with a difficulty in swimming.

In the case of many parasitic diseases there may be obvious signs. Fish leeches and anchor worms stick to the fish’s body, often causing irritation so that the fish rubs against rockwork. They should not be pulled off directly from the body because this increases the likelihood that the resulting wound will be infected by fungus. These particular parasites are especially common in coldwater fish.

The parasite commonly known as white spot or “ich” can strike any fish and spreads very rapidly within an aquarium, thanks to the fact that each individual white spot can contain thousands of the microscopic tomites which are released into the water of the aquarium or pond. These are the intermediate stage in the life-cycle, so removing a fish at this stage should lessen the likelihood of the infection spreading. Treatments can be used to kill off the free-swimming stage in the life-cycle before the tomites are able to bore into the fish’s body. A similar parasite encountered in marine fish is Oodinium, which causes velvet disease. Outbreaks are often precipitated in this case by a high level of nitrite in the aquarium. If left untreated, the fish will become weak and succumb to fungus, particularly in the case of freshwater species, with the fungal spores being ever-present in the water. Under normal circumstances, the fish will have sufficient resistance to fight the infection, but beware of those which may have suffered fin damage – for example, coldwater fish in ponds outdoors – for their immune system will not function as well during spells of cold water.