Things fishkeepers should not do

New to fishkeeping? Here are some things new fishkeepers shouldn't do...Copyright © Practical FishkeepingThe most important consideration when keeping fish is the fish themselves. These live animals are totally dependant on you to keep them alive and healthy. They demand the right care and respect, and it is your duty to offer them the best conditions that you can.Don’t stock too quicklyA common no-no. If you stock your tank too quickly, there will...

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Small fish for reef tanks

Small fish for reef tanksWhen it comes to choosing fish for the reeftank, a shoal of small fish can be truly stunning, explains Les Holliday.If you are one of the many marine enthusiasts who make regular visits to ogle at the new additions to a dealer's tank, you�ll probably find the strange, unusual and difficult-to-identify fishes most intriguing. It's compelling to want to own a colourful little fish that none of your reeftank-owning mates have...

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Small fish for reef tanks

Small fish for reef tanksWhen it comes to choosing fish for the reeftank, a shoal of small fish can be truly stunning, explains Les Holliday.If you are one of the many marine enthusiasts who make regular visits to ogle at the new additions to a dealer's tank, you�ll probably find the strange, unusual and difficult-to-identify fishes most intriguing. It's compelling to want to own a colourful little fish that none of your reeftank-owning mates have...

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Photo in the News: Robot Fish Debut in London

October 7, 2005—This week the London Aquarium unveiled the newest "species" to join its collection: robo-carp. Computer scientists at the University of Essex in the U.K. developed the self-guided robot fish, seen here swimming in the aquarium. The designers say it is the smartest such robot yet created—the fish uses artificial intelligence and built-in sensors...

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Whale Shark Rhincodon typus

Whale Shark Profile As the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 40 feet (12 meters) or more, whale sharks have an enormous menu from which to choose. Fortunately for most sea-dwellers—and us!—their favorite meal is plankton. They scoop these tiny plants and animals up, along with any small fish that happen to be around, with their colossal gaping mouths...

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Whale Shark Rhincodon typus

Whale Shark Profile As the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 40 feet (12 meters) or more, whale sharks have an enormous menu from which to choose. Fortunately for most sea-dwellers—and us!—their favorite meal is plankton. They scoop these tiny plants and animals up, along with any small fish that happen to be around, with their colossal gaping mouths...

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Parrot Fish

Parrot Fish Profile It's hard to decide which of the colorful parrot fish's many unique characteristics is most remarkable.There’s its diet, which consists primarily of algae extracted from chunks of coral ripped from a reef. The coral is pulverized with grinding teeth in the fishes’ throats in order to get to the algae-filled polyps inside. Much of the sand...

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Manta Rays

Feeding FrenzyWhen tide and current turn a tiny bay into a bowl of plankton, manta rays in the Maldives gather for a roiling, whirling feast. Four hundred forty miles off the southern coast of India, in the archipelago nation of the Maldives, there is an uninhabited island named Hanifaru. It's not much to see from the air: a spray of tropical shrubs on what appears to be a truckload of sand. Hanifaru is so small a child...

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Coral Reef Color

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, Why Are Coral Reefs so Colorful?Startling greens, blues, yellows, and reds paint the creatures of the reefs. Scientists are learning to decipher the messages these colors convey and to see them the way fish do.By Les Kaufman Photograph by Tim Laman Gaze at the vivid yellows, blues, and psychedelic swirls of a single emperor angelfish and you'll sense the whimsy of evolution....

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Flying Fish Exocoetidae

A streamlined torpedo shape helps flying fish generate enough speed to break the water’s surface, and large, wing-like pectoral fins help get them airborne. Photograph by Peter Parks/Animals Animals-Earth Scenes Flying Fish Profile Flying fish can be seen jumping out of warm ocean waters worldwide. Their streamlined torpedo shape helps them gather enough...

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White Cloud Mountain Minnow

The white cloud mountain minnow is an extremely hardy fish that can withstand a wide range of temperatures. They can be kept in an aquarium without a heater as long as the temperature does not drop below 45°F (7°C). They are peaceful and are suitable tank mates for a community tank as long as the aquarium temperature doesn't get too high. Many keep them in small desktop tanks. The White Cloud Mountain Minnow will eat flakes, frozen, freeze dried...

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White Skirt Tetra

The White Skirt Tetra is a genetic morph of the Black Skirt Tetra. As far as care requirements go, they are virtually identical to those of the Black Skirt Tetra. The White Skirt is sometimes the victim of fish dyeing. Sometimes you'll come across a fish called a "Blueberry Tetra" or "Strawberry Tetra" and it may be a White Skirt Tetra that has been dyed. Please do not buy these fish! Fish dyeing is a harmful practice and should not be supported....

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Zebra Danio

The Zebra Danio is one of the most popular tropical fish for many reasons. They are very hardy, attractive to look at and they usually do well in groups of 6 or more. They are a good first fish for beginners to the tropical fish hobby because of their tolerance of a wide range of water parameters. Because of their hardiness, many will use zebra danios to cycle their new tanks. This is not a recommended practice because it can be very traumatic and...

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Yellow Tang - My Experiences

The Zebrasoma flavescens, or more commonly known as the Yellow Tang has been a favorite fish of mine (one of many) since the beginning of my saltwater hobby. The bold yellow color along with the white scalpel like blade on the caudal peduncle (base of the tail) that can be used as a weapon for defending itself or its territory is one of the many great aspects of keeping these tangs. They can be quite hardy once they get used to the environment and...

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Arowana Fish

(sometimes called dragon fish) can be a great choice for those that think big. Some varieties can grow up to Four feet long (120cm). They can be feisty, though become tamer with age to the point of eating from your fingers, and not the fingers themselves. The Arowana Fish comes from somewhat primitive origins (Jurassic Age), and some varieties are nicknamed “Bony Tongued Fish”. Arowana fish are carnivores, though will generally eat nearly anything....

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Flower Horn Fisha

Flower Horn Fish is basically from the Cichlid family, which is classified under the genus of Cichlasoma, which is commonly found in South America. This beautiful hybrid is thought to be the end product of cross breeding between the Cichlasoma Trimaculatus, Cichlasoma Festae, Jingang Blood Parrot. To date, many of the better quality Flower Horn have been produced due to the intensified eagerness of breeders to produce the best show quality fish...

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