The Tricolor, or Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse has beautiful yellow coloration toward the front seperated by a black slash running from snout to tail. The slash is outlined with purple and blue towards the rear. Cleaner wrasses make great natural skin parasite killers. They will rid your fish of parasites, as they are its primary diet. They may also eat frozen meaty foods such as brine shrimp or chopped clams. They get along with other fish except for other cleaner wrasses. This is a Restricted item and is not covered by our Arrive Alive 5 Day Guarantee.
Filed under Saltwater Fish by on Dec 21st, 2009. Comment. 
Platies are one of the most common freshwater aquarium fish and come in a variety of colors and forms. They do well on most flake or small pellet foods and get along with other community fish and livebearers like tetras, guppies, swordtails, and mollies. A small amount of salt in the aquarium will help to avoid parasites and assist in the gill function and health of the fish. Platies are livebearers and very easy to breed. Males have a modified pointed anal fin known as a “gonopodium” while this fin is held fanned out in females. A harem ratio (one male to two or more females) will produce the most successful broods. The pregnant female should be removed to a breeding container or tank and the fry raised separately.
Filed under Freshwater Fish by on Dec 1st, 2009. Comment.
Just like any other type of yard maintenance, pond maintenance varies with each season. These tips on maintaining your pond will help you keep it running well from season to season.
Each spring, you’ll need to clean your pond thoroughly. If the pond is extremely dirty, you may need to actually catch the fish and keep them in a holding tank so that you can drain the pond. Otherwise, you should only need to remove about half the water.
Remove any debris and fallen leaves from the pond. You should clean the filter and change the media or material it uses to work, as well. This gets rid of bacteria that will be harmful to fish. Then, refill the pond with fresh water. You should treat the pond for parasites to keep your fish healthy.
The plants in your pond will usually bloom again as the season progresses. You’ll need to cut off any dead parts and you should use a pond safe fertilizer to feed any potted or deep water plants.
Don’t feed your fish until the temperature stays above 55°F (10°C). Otherwise, the fish will not be able to digest the food. You may want to consider starting them off with wheat-germ based food. As the weather warms, you may also want to give your fish specially formulated food with antibiotics in it for two weeks to prevent illness.
During the summer months, pond maintenance is fairly simple. Switch your fish to a high protein food. Test the water for ammonia, nitrates and pH. If the water quality is bad, the fish may not have enough oxygen to survive. You should change fifty percent of the water if it is unbalanced. It may also be a good idea to add a few additional oxygenating plants to the pond to stabilize the oxygen level and keep algae from taking over the pond. Fertilize the deep water plants and marginal plants in the pond with a pond safe fertilizer. You should also clean the filter and pump.
During the fall, you will be spending most of your time preparing your fish for the winter months. Fish can’t easily digest foods in lower temperatures so you’ll need to reduce the amount you feed them as temperature goes below 70°F (21°C). When the temperature is under 50°F (10°C) stop feeding the fish until the weather warms up again in the spring.
You should trim all the plants in the pond and remove dying parts to prevent them from rotting under water during the winter. When leaves begin to fall you should cover the pond with mesh so that the leaves don’t drop into the water. If the leaves are left in the pond they will decompose and become harmful to your fish.
Winter maintenance involves keeping the pond from freezing solid so that toxic gases do not build up under the ice. As the temperature of the pond water gets below 40°F (4°C), remove the pump from the bottom of the pond. When it is at the bottom, it circulates the water of the entire pond, making it too cold for the fish.
You should put a re-circulating pump at the top of the pond to provide oxygen and to keep the pond from freezing completely during the winter months. You’ll also need to install a heater or pond deicer, which will release toxic gases and provide more oxygen for the fish.
Remove filter mats from the skimmer and filter because they’ll freeze and will be difficult to thaw out. You may want to cover the pond with netting to avoid predators, as fish are most vulnerable during winter and early spring months.
Filed under Ponds & Water Gardens by on Oct 31st, 2009. Comment.
Summer is the best and liveliest season for your Koi pond. In this season, temperatures are great, letting you enjoy your pond even more. But you should always keep on maintaining your outdoor pond during this season. Keeping in mind those few necessary things during the summertime will keep the beauty and liveliness of your outdoor pond.
Higher level of temperatures can cause lesser amounts of oxygen:
During the summer, the oxygen level or your outdoor pond will drop down. Therefore, necessary measures should be taken, especially if you live in places where warm temperatures occur mostly. A good indicator that your outdoor pond don't have high enough concentration of oxygen is when you see your fish hanging out towards the top of the surface of the pond, seemingly gasping for air. You can always put extra features for your pond like waterfalls and fountains in order to keep the oxygen moving.
Remember that if there's more motion coming from your water, then there's more available oxygen for your fish. If you don't have any of these features, you can change the water frequently in order to give your fish the right amount of oxygen they'll be needing.
Always watch out for evaporation:
Higher amounts of heat cause the water to evaporate at a faster rate. Pay close attention to your pond's water levels, and do the necessary adjustments afterwards. It is important to remove all of the chlorine from the water that you're going to add.
Summer makes way for parasites:
Heat makes way for illnesses and parasites, and because most of them are invisible, it is important for you to watch your fish for those signs of illness. Symptoms like, rubbing against objects, scratching, shivering or shaking is an indicator of different types of illnesses.
Pay attention to your pets if they start to develop visible spots or changes on their body (they may also knock off their fins!). If you obeserve any of these changes, you can contact your Koi dealer, vet and local pet store as soon as possible. Some parasites may cause only minimal damage, but illnesses like the KHV (or Koi herpes virus) can cause real serious problems to your fish, that's why it should be treated immediately.
Feeding Your Pet With Food:
To keep your fish healthy throughout the summer, feed them with food filled with nutrients. Give them food which are low in protein at least 1 or 3 times daily. If your pets still look hungry after feeding them, you can always increase the feeding amount a little bit. Take note that feeding your fish with only small amounts of food will serve as a prevention for the spoiling of food. Feeding them with larger amounts will give way to uneaten foods that will spoil quickly (which could cause water quality issues).
Your pets will only eat what they need to survive, and will leave those extra ones. Feeding your fish will also cause less oxygen content in the pond's water, which can be a problem during the summer, as oxygen gets depleted in high levels of temperatures. This can be solved by feeding your pets in colder times of the day.
Summer is the best time to feed your Koi using your hand. By doing this, you'll be able to get to know yoiur pets a little better, and they in turn will familiarize you as someone who takes good care of them. You can also let kids join this activity, which would surely be unforgettable for them!
Filed under Fish and Aquarium Care by on May 11th, 2009. Comment.
1st Season: The Spring
Spring is the season when your pond comes to life. The plants and animals in your pond has been in hibernation during the past winter, and now your pond is ready to spring to life at the first signs of warm weather. This make it the perfect time to take care and maintain your pond before your fish, plants, and others come back to live from their winter break. Your outdoor pond will start changing significantly as days get warmer and warmer.
Never miss this opportunity to do the necessary maintenance. Watch for temperatures that falls around 50 degrees, as this will be the perfect time.
This time is a very weak time for your pets, as they have not eaten for months, putting them on a low energy level. For this, your pets are prone to attacks from different organisms like fungi, parasites, viruses and bacteria…. and this makes it the best time to take all of the possible preventative measures. To significantly reduce the amount of pests and materials that could cause diseases, you can add a wide array of treatment solutions.
Once the temperature gets warmer, you can give your pond another dosage of this treatment to get your fish well-protected as they are again developing their own immune systems (which is going to be effective enough to protect them from diseases).
2nd Season: The Fall
The fall will bring a significant change to your pond, because this is the time when most of the plant life will begin to change. During this season, you have to move all of your plants that has the inability to withstand lower levels of temperatures indoors (or you can put them in a place like a green house). Another thing you need to focus on are the leaves, which has to be cleared. Doing this will give you a clearer, healthier pond. You can also buy a pond cover too as an alternative for this.
3rd Season: The Winter
Let’s say for example that this will be the first winter season for your pond. Now, this is the time when your pond will undergo a down period, as lesser events are happening in this time compared to any of the other seasons. There are important steps you need to take before winter comes, in order to ensure the survival of your fish and pond. Feed your pets lesser during this time (for tips, visit your local pet store).
Summertime is the best season wherein you can invest for the things you’re going to need to prepare for the coming winter. Your pets can withstand constant temperatures that fall as low as 39 degrees (plus those that are slightly lower than 39 degrees) for only a short period of time.
In buying a heater for your pond, just make sure to make a research first on what size you’re going to need to sufficiently heat your pond during the winter time, or ice will still continue to form, causing a very dangerous amounts of gas in the water as it is being trapped under the ice. You can choose to have an emergency tank for your pond to prepare it from extreme events.
4th Season: The Summer
Summer is one of the best times for your pond. During this season, the temperatures are beautiful, making it the perfect time for you to enjoy your pond more. But as beautiful as things are during this season, never forget to keep up your maintenance, so as to keep your pond staying lively and beautiful as well.
This is the season when there is a decrease in your pond’s oxygen level, that’s whey there’s a need for you to take the necessary precautions (especially if you live in places where temperatures stay high for most of the year). A good indication that your pond needs oxygen is when you observe your fish hanging out towards the surface of the water, like they’re gasping for air.
The heat of summer paves way for potential parasites and illness into your pond. You must observe your fish for signs of illnesses, as most parasites are not visible to the naked eye. Symptoms like your pets scratching, shivering, rubbing against objects and shaking could indicate different types of illnesses, so it is of utmost importance to watch your fish closely.
Watch our for diseases such as the KHV, which can promotes high mortality rate, and this needs immediate care and treatment. If you notice some changes with your pets, contact your pet store, Koi dealer and local vet for help.
Filed under Fish and Aquarium Care by on May 3rd, 2009. Comment.
