Sustaining Freshwater Fish - How To Keep Goldfish Healthy In Your Aquarium

Freshwater fish are hardy and will generally adapt to most conditions without too much of a fuss. This is why we recommend them to any enthusiast with his or her first aquarium. The Reed fish, the goldfish, the Banjo Catfish and the Bumblebee goby are a few examples of common freshwater fish. These fish can easily adapt themselves to peaceful and clean waters, but not to peaty water. Once you have selected the breed you will then need to work on how to make them the most comfortable. For example the reed tank is not a favorite where goldfish are concerned.

1. Goldfish
These fish love living in slowish and flowing areas. They can survive in a variety of temperatures, but make sure they have adequate plant life around them. Outdoor garden pools are a great place to keep your goldfish, since the plant life would grow there on its own, once you've put in a few. Pools receive enough sunlight and water for plant life to expand. The goldfish is a small colorful fish from Asian waters, and is a favorite breed for small aquariums, tanks and garden pools.

2. Planning the Aquarium
If you plan on installing a very large aquarium, remember water gets very heavy in these. Make sure that your flooring or stand is sturdy enough to take the weight. If you want to keep your aquarium free from bacteria, keep it away from direct sunlight - water and sunlight always do lead to some kind of life form taking root. Keep a stable room temperature.

3. Other Accessories
When you purchase an aquarium you will also need to invest in water filters, pipes, medications, food, heaters, air supply pumps and such. Gravel and plants keep the fish happy, and a few aquarium curios wouldn't hurt either. These could include underwater scuba diver models, ship wrecks and barrels. Filter systems prevent algae from contaminating the water. They cause your fish to get sick and sometimes even die. However they are not 100% foolproof, and you will still need to remove every trace of germs buy water treatment. Use both methods to get an algae and bacteria free aquarium.

Some breeds of fish such as the goldfish can adapt to most water conditions and temperatures, so you probably won't need a heater if you are housing this breed in your aquarium. But remember they need a lot of Oxygen - it is not uncommon to see the goldfish skimming the surface of water with their heads up, gulping in oxygen. Make sure you have adequate underwater plants that give these fish their oxygen supply, and also an artificial oxygen supply unit.

A few simple routine maintenance measures will not only keep your fish in the best of health, but will also keep your aquarium looking pretty.

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The Arowana Fish

So what is the Arowana fish? The Arowana fish back dates to the Jurassic age which makes the species one of the oldest still living. While the fish is endangered careful breeders are helping the fish make a comeback that many admirers are excited about.

In most cases the Arowana grows from 24 to 36 inches and in some cases some species can even get as long as four feet.

Owners and breeders report that as the fish grow they can become very feisty. They also tell us about how you can teach the fish to eat right out of your hand. However until you are sure of yourself you shouldn't let them eat out of your hands because you don't want to make your fingers part of their diet.

The Arowana fish are meat eaters which can eat a lot given the opportunity. Even though they are classed as carnivores the fish have been known to eat almost anything they are fed.

The young Arowana fish seem to have an appetite for small shrimp, worms and even some smaller fish. When they get older their favorite food seems to be other fish.

When raising the Arowana fish there is a routine that should be followed. Its not very difficult. The small fish should be fed 3 times a day, the medium fish should be fed twice a day and the larger fish should be fed once a day and in some cases even one every couple of days.

It is recommended that you do feed your Arowana fish prime food to give it the best diet possible and to do everything in your power to ensure a long healthy life.

Because the Arowana fish likes to eat so much it does result in a lot of waste building up in the aquarium. Lots of waste could be very dangerous to the fish so it is very important you keep the water clean.

The best way to keep the water clean is to change a third of the water at least once a week and something that is even better is changing 20% of the water twice a week.

Bad water conditions could quite easily put a damper on the life of your Arowana fish. It is important to stay educated to make sure your experience with the fish ends up being a great experience.

Many people report that the Arowana aren't the friendliest fish around. Actually its just that they are very feisty. Arowana fish love to jump so if you do not want to find your pet on the floor at the end of the day you will need to maintain a good heavy lid on your aquarium.

In many cases the Arowana has been known to live up to 20 years and older. So if you do all the things right you could have a pet you enjoy for a very long time.

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Aquarium Plants - Artificial Vs Real

Nothing makes an aquarium look better then aquarium plants. The big question is should you use artificial or real aquarium plants. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Real aquarium plants absorb fish wastes, making the tank easier to keep clean. They also add extra oxygen to the water as well as cutting down on algae. However fish are likely to either eat or uproot them. This of course gives you more work in maintaining your fish tank. Remember you want to enjoy your tank not work on it. The most important consideration with live aquarium plants is the lighting. Most experts recommend fluorescent lighting A good rule is to multiple your tanks capacity by 1.5 and thus getting the amount of artificial lighting needed giving your proper wattage. For example 10 gallon tank times 1.5 means you need a fifteen watt system. Do not overlook the advantage of indirect lighting from the outside. It is best not to use an under gravel filter with live aquarium plants as these filters can affect plant growth.

Artificial plants on the other hand are handy when your fish would eat your real plants. The fish may still uproot the plants, but this can be helped by buying your artificial plants in mats. These mats look natural and give a very nice look for your aquarium. There are two types of artificial aquarium plants, plastic, which have improved over the years or silk. In my mind the best choice is silk they look more natural in the way they move in the water and many times you can not tell if the plants are real or not. To avoid having to clean off your artificial plants I recommend getting a few algae eating fish such as red tailed black sharks. It is always good to cut down the work that you must do for your tanks, after all you wants to enjoy your fish tanks not to constantly work on them.

Which ever type of plants you choose remember that you want to able to view the tank as a whole as well as seeing the fish clearly. So be sure to put your taller plants at the back medium plants in the middle and your short plants in front.

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Advice on Changing the Aquarium Salt Water

The aquarium salt water will sooner or later have to be changed by you. Unfortunately the filters in any filtration system will be unable to fully extract every piece of waste material that is going to accumulate in your tank.

If left in the tank the waste materials will turn the water cloudy, or even yellow and can cause a buildup of algae on the aquarium's sides. Plus it can also prevent the fish and corals (if you have any in yours) from growing in the way that they should, along with causing them stress, and this in turn could lead to them becoming ill. So the question you should be asking yourself is not should I change the salt water in the aquarium, but when should it be changed?

When Is The Right Time To Change Aquarium Salt Water?

Ideally you shouldn't be leaving the tank until such a time (maybe several months) before you change the aquarium salt water and provide all the tropical fish and invertebrates within it, a new clean environment. The big problem is that many people choose to remove the tropical aquarium fish and invertebrates from the tank, and then clean out the water completely. Unfortunately this could do your tropical fish, invertebrates and the reef inside more harm than good.

Rather what one should be doing is change a small amount of the salt water on a regular basis, and keep the fish and invertebrates in the tank as you do it. Ideally the best ratio when it comes to changing the salt water is to remove about 1/3 of the water from the tank and replace with the same amount of water.

Simple Steps To Take When Changing Aquarium Salt Water

First off you need to unplug every piece of electrical equipment, other than the light which is connected to the aquarium. The pumps and filters if left on, can actually overheat if they discover there is insufficient water in the tank. Also heater systems if left on when new water is added to the tank, may well cause the glass to crack (remember how much that tank initially cost and the price you will have to pay to replace it).







Take an aquarium scrubber or scraper accessories and use this in order to clean the inside of the glass of the aquarium to help remove any buildup of algae or waste deposits that have come from the fish food on them. You need to do this very slowly and gently in order to prevent the fish species from becoming panicked.







After scraping the glass you need to take out any plants within the tank and remove any dead or dying parts on them. Also stir up the gravel in the base (be careful as some fish like to bury themselves in it). As you do, bank some of it high towards the back corners of the aquarium and leave the levels lower in the middle and the front. Give the gravel time to settle and you will see waste deposits accumulate on top of the lower lying gravel.







Now you are ready to siphon off some of the aquarium salt water (remember only to take away around a third of the tank's water and no more). As you siphon off the salt water using one of the specialist aquarium products that allows you to drain water from the tank at the same time as removing the water, try to remove as much of the debris that has accumulated as possible.







Next you need to replace the water that has been removed and it is best to use aged rather than freshwater. This you can do by either letting it stand for some time or by adding certain salt mix products to it. You should only ever add aquarium salt to your water and never just sea salt. Also make sure that the temperature of the water you are putting into the tank is within 2 degrees Fahrenheit of the temperature of the water already in the tank. Then add some aquarium salt if you want.

Finally, all one now needs to do after changing the water in your tank is to plug back in and turn on the pieces of equipment that you originally turned off at the start. Also why not at this stage give the cover of your tank a cleaning and the light along with the outsides of your tank.

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Aquatic Plants - Java Moss

Many fish species from all over the world likes to spawn among Java moss plants in the aquarium even when Java moss can not be found in their native habitat. Java moss will also provide fry with an ideal hiding place where they can avoid being eaten by adult fish. Since infusoria appreciate the moss as a home, really small fry will have access to tiny food that they can feed on until they are large enough to eat bigger food types. Java moss does not have to be planted in the substrate; you can simply tie it to a piece of aquarium decoration or leave it floating around in the aquarium. A free-floating piece of Java moss can however be sucked into the filter, so most aquarists prefer to attach the Java moss to something or plant it in the substrate. It can actually do well even above surface as long as the air is moist. It is therefore a great plant for open aquariums and paludariums.

When you attach the Java moss to rock, wood or any other type of aquarium decoration you can for instance use fishing wire. Be careful not to use materials that can pollute the water, e.g. cupper wire. The moss will instantly start growing small roots (so called rhizoids) and try to attach it self to the surface. After a while, the fishing wire is no longer needed since the plant will be secured by the rhizoids.

The moss is a very fast growing plant, and when you have purchased one plant you can easily use it to create new plants for other parts of the aquarium. It can be propagated by simply splitting the plant and moving one of the parts to another place. The moss will often propagate itself in the aquarium since small pieces will fall of the main plant and drift around in the water until they find a new place where they can attach themselves. The moss will also form red-brown sporocarps.

The moss will endure a wide range of different water conditions and temperatures. It is native to warm waters and the preferred temperature range is therefore 64°-86° F (18°-30° C). It will also appreciate a pH between 5.8 and 8.0 but can sometimes adapt to more acidic conditions. Unlike many other tropical plants, this moss does not require strong light and it will actually do best in low or medium strong light. Algae can be a problem for the moss since excessive algae growth on the leaves can harm and even kill the plant.

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Aquarium Lighting - How Much is Just Right?

Lighting is one of the most often-neglected aspects of maintaining an aquarium. Many inexperienced aquarium owners make the mistake of using too much or too little light, and some even disregard lighting altogether. Aquarium lighting is always important -- aside from the fact that it makes your aquarium more attractive, it also helps keep your fish healthy in a number of ways. Here are some tips to keep in mind.  

#1 - The right amount of aquarium lighting replicates the lighting in the fish's natural habitat. In most cases, 12 hours of lighting a day is a good balance, since there's roughly 12 hours of good sunlight in most parts of the world. The closer you get to the way nature designed fish to react to light, the healthier and happier your fish will be.  

On the other hand, when you use too much lighting (such as by not turning off the light at all), you might induce some unnecessary stress in your fish. Some aquariums come with lighting hoods with timers, so you can set exactly when you want the light to turn on and off. This can be pretty helpful for aquariums that are in the middle of the house, where it's hard to get any natural lighting.  

#2 - Be careful with natural lighting. Some aquarium owners place their aquariums near windows, where natural light takes care of most of their lighting needs. The problem with natural light is that it can promote algae growth, and direct sunlight can harm fish and raise the water's temperature to dangerous levels.  

#3 - Fluorescent lighting works better than incandescent or halogen lighting. Fluorescent lamps are closest to natural lighting, and fish are generally more comfortable with the hue. Lamps with a slightly blue hue are especially good for coral reef aquariums, because it replicates the colour of the water under 20-30 feet of water.  

#4 - Using live plants in your aquarium will tell you whether or not the aquarium is getting enough light. Look at the leaves of any live plants you may have -- if they are losing their colour, then you might need to light up the aquarium a little longer. If algae is growing a little too quickly, then you may be leaving the light on a little too long. Trial-and-error is often the best way to see just how much lighting your own aquarium needs.  

The right type and amount of lighting is always affected by the size and shape of your aquarium, the kinds and number of your fish, and whether or not you'll be using live plants in it. As with everything else, it's always best to do your share of the homework before setting up your first aquarium.  

Aquarium Lighting

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What is Ulcer Disease and How to Prevent Them on Goldfish

For many of us ulcer disease on goldfish is probably the worst thing you will come across in your new hobby. The first thing you need to know is what is ulcers. Ulcers are red sores that appear on the body of goldfish, koi and other types of fish. They are usually circular red sores that appear usually due to poor water quality. What happens when the water quality turns for the worse there ends up being an abundance of aeromonas and pseudomonas present in the water which are known to result in ulcer disease found on fish. If left untreated these red sores will eventually eat away right inside the goldfish till it reaches it's internal organs until the fish dies. That's why it is very important to make sure water quality and proper maintenance is kept up to date to prevent ulcer disease from happening or other types of goldfish diseases as well.

What people can do to prevent ulcer disease from happening in the first place is to perform regular water changes to keep water safe and healthy for fish. People should also clean there aquarium filters regularly as well. One of the biggest things is not to overcrowd your goldfish bowl, aquarium or fish pond. Follow proper stocking requirements to prevent goldfish diseases and ulcers from happening. Another thing people should do as well is observe your fish, make sure no fish has died in the tank. When a fish dies it causes bad bacteria, fungus and parasites to happen which then cause the water quality to foul. This is when ulcers may appear due to a fish that has died that you were unaware of.

Something I always hear is people overfeeding their fish. Overfeeding causes so many problems, diseases and illness. What happens is that people end up feeding their fish but end up polluting their water at the same time. When you overfeed your fish it causes more ammonia to happen due to fish waste. Then your nitrite level can go up as well and if you don't test your water quality regularly your fish go into stress due to poor water quality. When this happens ulcers can happen and all kinds of other fish diseases as well. You can tell when a fish is stresses as one of the easiest ways to recognize signs of a potential problem is clamped fins. That's why it is very important not to overfeed your fish and perform regular maintenance.

These are simple things that people can do to help prevent ulcer disease from happening. If they do appear it is highly recommended to begin treatment right away as it's much easier to treat at the early stages and you will have better luck with treatment. Ulcer disease is treatable but the best way to keep it away is from preventive measures and maintenance.

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Why Saltwater Aquarium Algae Blooms Happen - How You Can Control Algae in a Saltwater Tank

Most saltwater aquariums start out crystal clear and beautiful. As time goes by they can sometimes have problems that detract from their looks. In the saltwater aquarium algae blooms are the most frequent and frustrating problem.

Why Algae Blooms Happen In Saltwater Aquariums

Algae is a naturally occurring part of any natural aquatic ecosystem. It s job is to grow to offset a build up in nutrients that could, if left unchecked be fatal to other parts of the environment. Algae grows in fish tanks for the same reason.

What You Can Do To Control Algae In Your tank

Most times these nutrients can be traced to two major problems that many aquarium keepers are guilty of but are easy to fix.

Overfeeding- Overfeeding your fish is one of the quickest ways to turn your once beautiful saltwater fish tank into a green algae mess. To avoid overfeeding be sure and turn off all your pumps when you add the food and be sure to only add enough that the fish consume all of it and none is left over.


Over Stocking- To many fish in saltwater fish tank is another very common cause of algae blooms. T many fish in your tank can cause a build up of fish waste that will be broken down into nitrates and phosphates and fuel algae growth. Overstocking can also cause the carbon dioxide levels to increase in a tank and drive the PH down. When this happens you will more then likely experience a saltwater aquarium algae bloom because the system needs the oxygenating actions of the algae to compensate for the low PH and high carbon dioxide.

To get around this problem make sure to keep your saltwater fish tank stocked at appropriate levels and keep the water motion in the tank at adequate levels to ensure proper gas exchange in the system.

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Four Tips to Increase PH Levels in a Reef Aquarium Quickly and Easily

Maintaining good PH in a reef aquarium is one of the more common challenges. A low PH can negatively affect coral growth and lead to problem algae. There are however a few easy ways to make sure your PH stays at or above 8.0

Good Water Circulation

Maintaining good water movement in your reef tank is critical to keeping your PH high in your reef aquarium. A tank circulation level of 15 to 20 times the tank volume is a great starting point. This means that if you have a 55 gallon tank you want to have a circulation amount of 825 1100 GPH.

You also want to make sure that this flow causes surface agitation. Increased surface agitation will transfer the carbon dioxide out of the water and bring fresh oxygen into the tank.

Proper Stocking Levels

Low PH in a reef aquarium can also be a sign of ow oxygen levels. If increase the surface agitation and water flow levels fail to help you may have to look at your tanks bio load. Fish are one of the biggest users of oxygen in your tank and having to many will have negative effects.

The standard rules of one inch of fish per gallon for stocking freshwater tanks do not apply to marine aquariums for a variety of reasons, this is especially true for reef aquariums. As a good rule of thumb keep your tanks fish load to one fish for every ten gallons of tank water.

The Right Substrate

One easy way to increase your reef tanks PH and hold it steady is to use aragonite sand or gravel in your tank. Aragonite will dissolve at lower PH levels and during this dissolving process it will release minerals and elements back into the tank that will in turn raise the PH. This is why it is critical you only use gravel or sand that is meant for reef tanks and not freshwater based material.

Chemical Additives

If for whatever reason you just cannot raise PH in a reef tank or hold it steady you may have to turn to chemical additives designed to help you out. There are many two part additives on the market that will raise calcium and alkalinity and at the same time increase your tanks PH levels.

A cheap alternative is kalkwasser set up to drip into your tank every few seconds. While it is a pain to mix up and apply it will do a great job at maintaining calcium, alkalinity and PH. But like any chemical you add to your tan start slow and work your way up, and always test the results!

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Always Look For Captive Grown Zoanthids For Sale For Your Reef Aquarium

Zoanthid polyps are among some of the most colorful and sought after reef aquarium corals in the hobby. They are generally hardy, colorful and fast growing corals. Colors for this species range from light green to bright red and every color in between. However when shopping around at your local fish store or online for zoanthids for sale you should always look for captive grown live stock for various reasons. There are many different reasons to only purchase captive propagated zoanthids that often go overlook by new and even seasoned reef keepers.

Why Choose captive Grown Corals

Hardiness: Captive grown zoanthids are more durable then wild collected specimens and the chances of captive grown ones carrying any type of disease or coral eating flatworms are greatly reduced.

Faster Growth: Zoanthids that were grown in captivity will grow faster then wild collected polyps. This is because they are already adapted to aquarium life and lighting conditions.

Better For The Natural Reefs: ones for sale that are not harvested from the wild reefs help to preserve the limited natural resource that are in the worlds oceans.

Disease Resistance: the major problem that many keepers face is that their polyps one day just melt away. The reason for this is still up for debate amongst reef enthusiasts but it does appear that the condition is more common in wild collected specimens.

High Demand: Not only can you buy zoanthids you can also resell them for a profit. As your captive grown corals spread you can frag them off and sell or trade them to other reef keepers or fish stores. Many hobbiests are able to financially support their reef hobby this way.

As a reef aquarist your choice to support and buy zoanthids for sale from coral farmers and fellow hobbiests alike will guarantee the future success and supply of corals to the hobby.

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Common Goldfish Diseases - Symptoms and Treatment

Early diagnosis of disease is an important part of the overall goldfish care. If you can't readily diagnose a goldfish disease see your local vet, or pet store.

Fish live by absorbing oxygen and they give off carbon dioxide as a waste product. Plants under the influence of daylight do the opposite so that what is poison to one gives life to the other. So adding plants to your aquarium will assist in keeping your goldfish healthy and disease free.

Prevention is always easier than cure, so by keeping your aquarium clean, feeding your fish properly, avoiding wide temperature fluctuations and performing partial water changes as necessary you will go a long way to keeping your fish healthy. However, no matter how well you maintain your tank, from time to time one or more of your goldfish may become stressed or ill.

Some of the more common goldfish diseases are discussed here.

Anchor worms appear as a 1/4 to 3/8 inch piece of string with a forked tail. Large anchor worms can be easily seen. They appear as clear, brownish-red, or greenish-white strings. After the anchor worms have buried themselves into the flesh of the fish open sores may appear on the skin. The anchor worms may be visible in the sores. Frequently this parasite is introduced into the fish tank from aquarium plants - especially those taken from creeks or rivers, or from adding live food to the tank. Anchor worms attach themselves beneath the scales of the fish where they bury their anchor-shaped head under the skin causing ulceration and distress.

Anchor worms are highly contagious and should be treated immediately. Your local pet store can supply an appropriate treatment for anchor worm, usually in the form of a gyrase inhibitor that can be added to the tank water. This should be effective in killing the parasites within three to four days.

Swimbladder disease should be suspected when a fish has difficulty stabilizing itself in the tank. It is not uncommon in goldfish although fancy varieties appear more susceptible to this disease. It can be genetic in origin or caused by a variety of other factors including inadequate or improper diet, bacterial infection or even poor quality aquarium water.

Apart from improving the water condition if that is necessary, some fish keepers suggest feeding your goldfish thawed out frozen peas. It is also worth feeding the fish with sinking food instead of floating food to minimize the intake of air. It may also be worthwhile moving your sick goldfish to a shallow tank while you treat it. This may lessen the stress on the fish. Swimbladder disease often occurs quite suddenly in previously healthy fish.

Dropsy is not a specific goldfish disease, but appears as a condition where the fish's abdomen becomes swollen due to a concentration of fluids in the body tissues or cavities. The abdominal swelling can create a pinecone effect where the fish's scales protrude from the body. The cause of the swelling could be any of several conditions including cancer, internal parasites or bacterial infection, cancer, internal parasites. Depending on the source of the condition dropsy may be contagious. There are no known successful treatments for dropsy and the condition usually proves fatal.

Torn or frayed fins are usually indications of fin or tail rot if the fish has not been fighting. This is a bacterial infection that first appears as a whitish edge on the fins, before the fins begin to rot away. It is easily treated with antibiotics available from your local pet store. Ensure the medication states that it treats fin or tail rot. In some cases a secondary fungal infection may occur. If this is the case, treat the fin rot before dealing with the fungal problem.

Fungus is usually a secondary infection. A fish with an open wound or sore caused from injury or disease may suffer from a lack of mucous around the area of the wound. This open wound can often attract a secondary fungus infection. Look for patches of grey or white fuzzy puffs attached to the skin. There are several treatments available for fungal infections from the pet store. Fungus responds well to quick treatment.

Perhaps the most common parasitic disease in goldfish is ick. It is frequently present in freshwater fish tanks and will infect fish that have suffered recent infection or those in poor general health. Ick is characterized by small white dots that look like sprinkled salt on the body. The fish may try to scratch the infected areas on the wall of the tank which can cause further damage. Cloudy eyes and rapid breathing can also be signs of ick. See you pet store for ick treatment. Badly infected fish should be moved to a quarantine tank for treatment but it is important to treat the main aquarium as well to ensure that the parasite has been removed.

Goldfish are actually hardy fish but there are many diseases that can cause them stress and discomfort. If you want your goldfish to live a long and healthy life you need to make sure that you treat the aquarium properly.

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Guide to Betta Fish Food

Bettas are carnivorous. In the wild, they live off of insects and their larvae. Their mouth is designed to snatch prey on the surface of the water, and their digestive tract is too short to metabolize most plants. This means they are best suited for live food, but they can adapt to flakes and frozen or freeze dried foods.

If flake food is used, it should be supplemented by frozen, freeze dried or live food.

Brine shrimp, Daphnia, plankton, tubifex, glassworms, and beef heart are all good choices to feed Bettas, and are commonly available frozen or freeze dried. Note that Bettas can take up to a week to recognize a new food type, so you should keep the staple food constant and supplement with treats and other types of food occasionally. Most appear to prefer a mix of brine shrimp and bloodworms for their Bettas.

There are dedicated Betta foods on the market. These are usually pellets and should float on the surface for easy consumption. Hikari Betta Bio-Gold is well regarded, as are HBH Betta Bites and San Francisco Bay Brand Betta Food, which is essentially freeze dried bloodworms. Other brands have complaints about Bettas refusing to eat, inadequate nutrition and sinking pellets that Bettas can't consume fast enough.

With the Hikari Betta Bio-Gold, there are complaints about the packaging, but the larger sizes are easier to use. Remember that each Betta only needs about three pellets, and overfeeding will result in contamination of the tank. This is both because of food that rots and excess defecation from the overfed fish.

Some Bettas won't eat bloodworms, while others adore them. However, bloodworms are not a complete diet, and should be used as a treat or supplement for those fish that appreciate them. Most say their Bettas prefer live food, but some believe that too much live food can be bad for a Betta.

Let the Betta see the food coming. Drop the food right in front of the fish, so he doesn't have to hunt for it. If the food isn't eaten immediately, you should wait for the fish, but if it isn't consumed in 15 minutes, remove it and try again later. Start small, perhaps 6 brine shrimp, and if the Betta eats them all and there is no sign of belly distention, and the fish still acts hungry, you may feed it a little more, but the second feeding should be smaller.

There are products marketed at Betta vacation foods, but results are mixed. Some appear to swear by them, while others complain of the overfeeding issues listed above.

Additionally, many fish foods claim to be color enhancers. It appears the actual importance is proper nutrition and good conditions, so any good source of nutrients would be about as effective in color enhancement as any other.

Adult Bettas can be happy with feedings once or twice a day, provided care is taken to present a balanced diet and the correct amount of food is provided.

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The advanced plant aquarium, Tropica Aquarium Plants

Establishing an advanced planted aquarium step for step using more demanding plants in terms of light, CO2 and subsequent maintenance. Produced by Tropica Aquarium Plants in collaboration with aquadesigner Oliver Knott.

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Local Aquarium Stores for Information and Advice

I have read many blogs, forum posts (including Yahoo answers), and infomercial articles that trash local fish (pet) stores as a source of Aquarium information and help. This in my opinion is unfair as there are many dedicated stores and employees who love the hobby and really want to see the best for your aquarium (or pond).
Even stores such as PetsMart or PetsCo which are often noted for poor quality advice often will have an employee who really knows his or hers 'stuff' (although these good employees will often not stay long). This said, if you have recieved good service and advice, your local aquarium store is worth supporting over the large chains (especially Walmart)

One should ask around when seeking a good store, get to know the owners and/or the employees. Also keep in mind that everyone makes mistakes and just because you may have gotten one bad fish or some bad advice does not mean you should right off that particular store.

You want to look for a store that is open minded and not dogmatic on everything they say, always open to new ideas. Also be careful of stores that may push only one manufacturer's line of product rather than carrying the best of all manufacturers. This of coarse does not prove a bad store either as they may have purchasing restrictions or other factors that go into this. However I have personally tried to resist purchasing an entire manufacturers line just to get better discounts (many companies from Hagen to Tetra offer these discounts either direct or through distributors such as Central Garden and Pet). I mentioned Hagen and Tetra as two expamples of companies that make some good products (more so Hagen), but also some 'dogs' too.

I personally have never tried to be everything to everyone in my previous LFS and Aquarium Maintenance company or my current Online Aquarium Products store, I have always tried to sell what I personally use and believe in and have often suggested DIY filters, lighting and similar. In my Aquarium & pond resource article I often make many suggestions such as for marine applications of products or methods of I have nothing to sell. There are many good LFS that are just the same and will honestly tell you when they cannot help your and send you in the right direction to those who can.

Many larger metropolitan areas have many good stores to choose from, while unfortunately many smaller communities (such as Grants Pass where I now live) often may have just one or two stores and in my community they are both very poor Aquarium stores with poor advice and out of date low quality supplies.
Back in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County (where I was in business for 28 years) there are more choices (such as Pasadena Tropical Fish). I am sure many other larger communities are the same and maybe some smaller ones where the 'old boy network' is not quite so strong have excellent Aquarium Stores as well.

For my full article and more, please visit this link:
Fish as Pets

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