Potamotrygon Henlei [Potamotrygonidae]

General Specifications

Latin Name: Potamotrygon henlei.

Geographic Origin: Rio Tocantins / Brazil

Living Area: They live in plenty flowing mud or sand-covered floor. 
Nutrition Format: Carnivorous. It is fed by small fish and invertebrates in nature. Can not accept dry feed in the aquarium. Krill, squid, live baits should not be missing from the diet, such as shrimp. Beef liver is objectionable granting of foods such as chicken.

Behavior: Peaceful.

Behavior to Their Type: Peaceful.

Swimming Level: Base.

Gender Discrimination: Men have more bright spots, even though the distinction for looking at the pelvic fins. Male sexual organ that is located in the tail and extending internal insemination as in sharks.

Reproduction

3-12 month gestation period in the natural environment is usually completed in 9-12 weeks in the aquarium environment. A few months offspring should be fed with the parents. Otherwise, they can compete fed by parents. Newborn cubs are born with brown spots.

Living Medium

Temperature: 23 ° C - 28 ° C

Maximum Sizes: 24 "/ can grow up to 60 cm (disc diameter).

Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 500 liters for a single fish

Water Hardness: Soft-Medium

pH: 5.8 to 7.2

General Comments:  This is one of the most visually beautiful of freshwater stingrays. Although the export of farm produce for arrest due to excessive periods in accordance with trade regulations IBAMA in Brazil it is illegal. Floor area of the aquarium to feed this type is very important. There is a tendency to flush sand itself under stress. So it must be selected fine-grained sand. Each floor in the living organisms in the water such as nitrite, nitrate and ammonia is sensitive to rates.

Caridina Cf. Cantonensis [SHRIMP] [King Kong]

General Specifications

Latin Name: Caridina cf. cantonensis "King Kong"

Geographic Origin: It is a species has been breeding the aquarium environment. The wild ancestors live in China.

Nutrition Format: Herbivores, well cleaned with specially manufactured feeds for shrimp and steamed vegetables can be given.

Behavior: Peaceful.

Behavior to Their Type: Peaceful.

Swimming Level: Floor and Decor.

Gender Discrimination: Females are larger than males and carry the eggs in the abdomen.

Reproduction

After 4 weekly transport, fry shrimp gradually become an independent individual separated from the female's abdomen. An average female lays 25 eggs. Females average 6 weeks after can start carry new eggs.

Living Medium

Temperature: 18 ° C - 25 ° C

Maximum Sizes: Men's 2 cm., 3 cm in females.

Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 30 liters.

Water Hardness: 8 ° dH

pH: 6.0 - 7.0

General Comments:  General Comments: This is a mutation of the Bee shrimp. Black brightness and increased density value increases. They are one of the most valuable breeding shrimps.

NOTHOBRANCHIUS RACHOVII [KILLIFISH]

General Specifications

Latin Name: Nothobranchius Rachovii.

Geographic Origin: Southern Mozambique.

Nutrition Format: Both carnivores and herbivores.

Behavior: Peaceful.

Behavior to Their Type: Even tough they are peaceful, they protect their area.

Swimming Level: Middle and Surface.

Gender Discrimination: Females are more swollen than men and have more dull colors.

Reproduction

There is no significant information about reproduction behavior of this type.

Living Medium

Temperature: 20 ° C - 24 ° C

Maximum Sizes: Men's 5 cm., 6 cm in females.

Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 60 liters.

Water Hardness: 4-6 ° dH

pH: 6.0 - 7.0

General Comments:  They live about 1 year. You can store eggs in wet peat about 6-8 weeks.

Astronotus Ocellatus [Oscar Fish] [ASTRONOTINAE]

General Specifications

Latin Name: Astronotus Ocellatus.

Geographic Origin: Colombia, Venezuela, France Guyana, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, has been very common in nature. It is collected from many river systems, Amazonas, Negro, solimãμes, Ucayali, Approuagu and Oyapock. Most often found in wooded areas of slow moving or still water in the shallows.

Nutrition Format: Carnivorous.

Behavior: Moderate aggressive.

Behavior to Their Type: Moderate aggressive.

Swimming Level: Bottom-middle-Surface.

Gender Discrimination: Gender discrimination is very difficult. However, referring to the distinction made in the reproductive period tube tubes releasing fish. The female reproductive wide and oval-tipped tube, boy 'is in the narrow and pointed. Men grow faster than females.

Reproduction

The surface like a flat rock, they spawn. Generating possible in large aquariums. Because male and female co-discrimination had taken a group of 8-10 have kept fish production can be separated.

Living Medium

Temperature: 22 ° C - 25 ° C

Maximum Sizes: 35 cm.

Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 300 liters (for one fish).

Water Hardness: 5-19 ° dH

pH: 6.0 - 8.0

General Comments:  Astronauts which have access to large size, are sleek, predatory fish. Especially young, they are very active. Another feature of the astronaut that they are very intelligent, accustomed to jump over the water can get your bait by hand. It is the biggest mistake that can be made for them to feed in small aquarium. They are dangerous against to the size of fish that they can swallow. There are several color variations. They grow at a rate of 2.5-3cm each month until reach the size 25 cm.

BETTA SPLENDENS [OSPHRONEMIDAE]

General Specifications

Latin Name: Betta Splendens.

Geographic Origin: Thailand.

Nutrition Format: Carnivorous.

Behavior: Moderate aggressive.

Behavior to Their Type: Over aggressive.

Swimming Level: Surface

Gender Discrimination: Males are more colorful and have longer fins.

Reproduction

Men make their nest on top of the water from the foam. While female spawn father would guard the eggs and carry them into this foam.

Living Medium

Temperature: 24 ° C - 30 ° C  

Maximum Sizes: 7 cm.

Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 30 liters.

Water Hardness: 5-19 ° dH

pH: 6.0 - 8.0

General Comments: Often sold in glass bell jar. This fish could not find the right place in terms of ethics of survival because of the way the commercial concerns. And also because of their behavior two men can not live in the same environment. They do not behave selective for nutrition.

Nimbochromis Venustus [MALAWI CICHLIDS]

General Specifications

Latin Name: Nimbochromis Venustus

Geographic Origin: Malawi Lake

Living Area: Deep sandy areas.

Nutrition Format: Carnivorous

Behavior: Aggressive

Behavior to Their Type: Aggressive

Swimming Level: Bottom

Gender Discrimination: Men are having more bright and vibrant colors also greater than females.

Reproduction

Females keep between 60 - 120 in their mount. If the condition is good they can be productive when they reach to 1,5 old. 

Living Medium

Temperature: 25 ° C - 26 ° C

Maximum Sizes: 25 cm.

Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 350 liters.

Water Hardness: 10-18 ° dH

pH: 7.2 - 8.8

General Comments: They are predator fish in their nature. They hunt other cichlids. It will be healty, feeding as a colony which consist of 6 - 8 member with in the 400 liters or more capacity aquarium.

Cyphotilapia Frontosa [TANGANYIKA CICHLIDS]

General Specifications

Latin Name: Cyphotilapia Frontosa

Geographic Origin: North of Tanganyika Lake

Living Area: Deep reef areas.

Nutrition Format: Omnivorous. Their diet consist of small fish, various invertebrates, phytoplankton and moss in nature. In the aquarium, quality dry feed and frozen baits should be given.

Behavior: Peaceful against the fish that can not swallow.

Behavior to Their Type: Moderate Aggressive

Swimming Level: Base

Gender Discrimination: Both male and female develops hump but it is more pronounced in men. Alpha is the largest fish in the men's group and a darker color.

Reproduction

Females 25-70 eggs will hatch in the mouth for 28 days. It is not difficult to produce. A man with 4-5 female is recommended. Double fish are separated from the group and prepare the area where they breed. Man keeps chasing other fish from the region. Frontosa they leave their eggs in a cavity or pots. When ovulation starts, the female lays eggs and then gets her mouth and eggs are fertilized by the male. Spawning repeated this process several times before completion. It is recommended that to seperate female fish to an other aquarium to increase the living chance after coupling. Frontosa puppies are quite large and comfortably accommodates live bait such as brine shrimp. It can also be supplied with small grain forage. Water quality is directly related with grow rate of offspring.

Living Medium

Temperature: 24 ° C - 26 ° C

Maximum Sizes: 35 cm.

Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 560 liters for a small group.

Water Hardness: 10-20 ° dH

pH: 8.5 - 9.1

General Comments: There are some differences between the gibberos and this type. This species was found in the northern part of the lake, gibberos is located in southern.  There are some differences in their size, scales and fins. There are fewer teeth on the upper jaw and the body heights are different. They are the fish that reach large sizes and used as food by people from the local area. They live in the deeper parts of the lake where aren't easily imitated in the aquarium. However, feeding will be quite easy if sufficient space provided. A group which consisting of 6 fish is recommended. 80-100 liters of water per a frontosa must be set. Men can beat the female, so it is useful to keep the maximum number of female. Generally peaceful to tank mates unless they are very small. With similar sized other Tanganyika cichlids or Synodontis catfish can be fed together. There are several varieties of frontosa, which vary depending on the region they are caught in Lake Tanganyika.

7 COMMON GOLDFISH MISCONCEPTION

7 Wrong Known About Goldfish

Goldfish are the popular pet fish species. But there are lots of wrong known / misconceptions about goldfish. Here 7 most common misconceptions.

1. They have three second memory.

Everybody thinks that fishes have very limited memory. And when we say that fish, everybody imagines a gold fish in a small fish glass. But it is not true. Goldfishes remember lots of things like feeding time, feeding person, other fishes and their living environment more than 3 months.

2. They can live just 1 or 2 years.

Every parents buy a goldfish for their child and one morning they faced with emerged goldfish. Because of that, everybody thinks that goldfish lives just 1-2 years. But it is not true. If you provide a good living medium to goldfish they can live up to 40 years or more.

3. They are vegetarian.

One an other common misconception is that goldfish just eat plants. But goldfishes are omnivore, they eat both plant and meat in natural. Especially in reproduction term they need to take more protein.

4. They can live in fish glass. 

Lots of goldfish jailed to small fish glass (glass bowl). And the owners think that this small bowl is enough for goldfish. But it is a big mistake. For goldfish, vantilation of water, regular water change and filtration is vital.

5. They are peaceful and they can live with other fishes.

OK. They are peaceful but the other fishes must be choosen carefully. In addition, fishes in the tank must be in proper size because goldfish can try to eat them.

6. They can live in a group.

A group of goldfish can be look good but If you place them a small tank water easily go bad and fishes become sick. For each goldfish 35 liters place is advised.

7. They do not become sick easily.

Yes, they are strong pet but if you do not provide good living environment, they get infection often.

CARASSIUS AURATUS [GOLDFISH] [CYPRINIFORMES]

General Specifications

Latin Name: Carassius Auratus

Geographic Origin: Asia.

Living Area: They can live in all kinds of habitat.

Nutrition Format: Both carnivores and herbivores.

Behavior: Peaceful.

Behavior to Their Type: Peaceful

Swimming Level: In general base and the middle

Gender Discrimination: In reproductive period occurs bubble-like structures in the gills of men.

Reproduction

They shed a large number of their eggs. Depending on water conditions, eggs were opened with a time varying within 4-6 day.

Living Medium

Temperature: For artificial selection type 18 ° C - 24 ° C / For the wild close type 4 ° C - 30 ° C 

Maximum Sizes: 35 cm.

Minimum Aquarium Capacity: For each fish 40 liters.

Water Hardness: 5-19 ° dH

pH: 6.0 - 8.0

General Comments: If you take care them good they can live average 25 years. Goldfishes do not have satiety feeling. Because of that if you feed them too much, they suffer from constipation. Size of the fishes which share the aquarium with goldfishes is important, their sizes must be large enough. To avoid swallow of these fishes by goldfishes. 

You can also read 7 common misconception about golfish.

Poecilia Reticulata [GUPPY] [POECILIIDAE]

General Specifications

Latin Name: Poecilia reticulata

Geographic Origin: Venezuela, Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana and northern Brazil as well as many Caribbean Island.

Living Area: They can live in all kinds of habitat. Some populations will survive in brackish water.

Nutrition Format: Both carnivores and herbivores. Their primarily nutrition is insect in nature but accepts all kinds of feed those in the aquarium environment.

Behavior: Peaceful.

Behavior to Their Type: Peaceful

Swimming Level: Intermediate - Surface

Gender Discrimination: Females are larger. Rear fins of males are much larger and flashy. There is no gonopod of female.

Reproduction

They are livebearer, it is easy breeding and rearing of offspring. Pregnancy understanded from the gravid spot behind the anal fin, its color turn dark.They can breed around 5-100 and pregnancy can last between 4-6 weeks. The female can store sperm in the fallopian tube for a long time so the female can generate offspring without men ever period of 6 months.

Living Medium

Temperature: 17 ° C - 28 ° C

Maximum Sizes: Men 4cm, females 6 cm.

Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 40 liters

Water Hardness: 7-19 ° dH (soft - very hard)

pH: 7.0 - 8.5

General Comments: With the peacefull nature of guppies and easy reproduction this fish come in to mind when some one said aquarium. By the natural selection a lot of different colored and shaped guppies are produced. The fish reach sexual maturity when they are 3 months old. They like planted tanks where the water over the plants. They live in a peace with other livebearers like rasbora, corydoras, small loricariid and tetra. To control mosquito larvae they are produced and released in most of third world country.

Altolamprologus Calvus [TANGANYIKA CICHLIDS]

General Specifications

Latin Name: Altolamprologus Calvus

Geographic Origin: Lake Tanganyika

Living Area: Reef

Nutrition Format: Carnivorous

Behavior: Aggressive in their region.

Behavior to Their Type: Moderate in aggressive

Swimming Level: Base

Gender Discrimination: Men will be longer and bigger fins.

Reproduction

They leave 25-150 eggs to holes.

Living Medium

Temperature: 24 ° C - 27 ° C

Maximum Sizes: 15 cm.

Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 100 liters

Water Hardness: Medium - Very Hard

pH: 7.5 - 9.0

General Comments: Their type is divided into three basic colors forms including black, white and yellow. Yellow is the rarest form of the hobby. They are aggressive in the repruction time. About 1.5 years old they become reproductive. After leaving spawning leave female fish in the tank and remove all of the other fish or remove female and eggs to an other tank. Aquarium with rocks can provide a nature living area for calvus.

Barbus Ablabes [CYPRINIFORMES]

General Specifications

Latin Name: Barbus Ablabes

Geographic Origin: Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, Chad.

Living Area: Flowing rivers in forest area

Nutrition Format: Omnivores

Behavior: Peaceful

Behavior to Their Type: Peaceful

Swimming Level: Middle and surface

Gender Discrimination: Men made smaller and thinner, especially during the breeding season is more swollen bellies of the females.

Reproduction

Egg-layer. Produced in pairs or groups. During the breeding they do not need to too high aquarium 50*50* floor sized aquarium is enough. If a grizzly is placed to floor eggs protected from the parents. After spawning broodstock should be taken, methylene blue should be dropped into the aquarium where the eggs. Artemia can be given to puppies. The neglect of water changes and well fed the offspring will develop very fast.

Living Medium

Temperature: 23 ° C - 25 ° C

Maximum Sizes: Men 9 cm., females 10 cm.

Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 150 liters

Water Hardness: 2 - 12 ° dH production at 10 ° dH

pH: 5.5 - 6.7 in production 6

General Comments: They like group with their own species. And planted aquariums especially planted with reeds like plants will be good environment for Barbus Ablabes.