Using The Right Fish Tank Equipment

Are you new to the fine art of owning fish? Having your own fish aquarium is an exciting hobby that will teach you a lot about nature, but the key to proper fish care is using the right fish tank equipment. In order to keep fish alive and in their optimum health condition, you need to accommodate them by producing an environment that mimics what they are used to as closely as possible. This means that their water condition, temperature and surroundings must all match what they are used to. This also means that using the right fish tank equipment is absolutely vital if you want to keep your fish healthy and give them the quality of life that they deserve.

Using the right fish tank equipment means implementing all of the following pieces of equipment in your aquarium set up:

- A proper filtration system.
- A heater.
- A thermometer.
- Aquarium plants or Airstone.
- The right Décor.

Filtration- is a necessary part of keeping your aquarium properly equipped. Filtration pulls the water through, filtering out impurities, waste and other bits and releasing clean water back into the aquarium. Not only should you have the fight filter in your aquarium, but you have to make sure that you are using the right filter media as well. Most filters use charcoal to purify the water before releasing it back into the aquarium, sans waste and debris.

Heater - Most tropical and salt water fish prefer warmer waters. Goldfish are usually more than happy to be in colder waters, but if you want to keep your tropical fish happy, keep them warm. Most heaters for aquariums are set up so that they only click on when the water needs a boost of warmth. Make sure that you also have a thermometer installed inside your aquarium so that you can make sure that the right temperature is being reached at all times. Different fish species have different temperature requirements, so keep that in mind when setting your heater.

Aquarium Plants and Airstones - These two pieces of equipment are not necessarily vital to the health of your fish, but they are nice and helpful additions. Plants and airstones both introduce oxygen into the water and while fish do not need to breathe the air we breathe, they do need the oxygen in the water in order to survive. Airstones release oxygen into the water by way of bubbles, and plants naturally produce oxygen as part of their normal life cycle. So while not exactly necessary, these props are still worthwhile additions to your aquarium setting.

Décor - Some people would tell you that décor is not a vital part of any aquarium setting, but some fish do require it.

For example, African Cichlids are aggressive fish that take up territories in an aquarium. If you plan to house numerous Cichlids in the same aquarium, giving them different territories and boundaries is a good way to keep them from harming one another. Another less than vital aspect of the aquarium setting, but still worthwhile if you want to create a safe haven for your fish.

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How to Create An Awesome Aquarium

Fishes are cold blooded vertebrates. This means that they remain at approximately the same temperature as the water surrounding them, in contrast to the whale or the water rat, which like us maintain a much higher temperature. Aquarium fishes share with ourselves and other mammals, however, the possession of a backbone, or vertebral column, and are built on the same fundamental plan, having the same basic system of bones and organs as we do. 

Fishes breathe oxygen, but it is usually absorbed only from solution in water by the gills, which are leaf like organs, normally four on each side of the neck in a pouch covered by the operculum, or bony gill cover. The gills are richly supplied with blood vessels, and water is swallowed from the mouth and forced over the gills, leaving by a slit between the operculum and the body. The rate of fishes` respiratory movements is partly determined by the need for oxygen and its concentration in the surrounding water. 

Fins

There are two paired and (in all but fancy goldfish and a few other fishes) three unpaired fins. The paired pectoral and pelvic (ventral) fins correspond, respectively, to the arms and legs of human beings and connect with bony girdles in the body which correspond to our own pectoral and pelvic girdles. The unpaired fins are the dorsal, the anal, and the tail or caudal fins, as shown in the accompanying figure. These fins are supported by rays, sometimes bony and sometimes made of cartilage. In some families the dorsal fin is split entirely into two parts, the forepart with spiny rays and the hind part with soft rays. In the characins and some others, there is a small adipose fin, composed of fatty material with no fin rays.

Body

The fish body is composed mainly of a large lateral muscle on each side of the backbone, divided by sheets of connective tissue into segments corresponding to the vertebrae, which give rise to the typical flaking of the cooked fish. This is the main organ for swimming. The internal organs often occupy a very small volume, toward the front, so that much of the apparent trunk of the fish is really its tail (as distinct from the tail fin). This is indicated by the forward position of the beginning of the anal fin, which marks the end of the digestive tract. Fishes possess the usual organs familiar to students of human anatomy, with the exception of lungs and chest cavity; they have a stomach, intestines, a liver, a spleen, kidneys, and so forth.

Skin and Scales. The skin may be naked, or it may be covered by scales or by bony plates which in turn have an outer layer over them. The scales may be opaque or transparent; if they are transparent, the appearance and color of the fish may be due to skin pigments, not to scale color or formation, as in the calico goldfish. Bony plates may be seen in the Corridors, or South American armored catfishes.

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All The Secrets About The Ranchu Goldfish

The ranchu goldfish is one of the most precious goldfish on Earth and is a treasured household pet all across the world. So what makes the ranchu goldfish special from any other breed? Well one of the main things that sets a ranchu apart from any other goldfish is its bazaar appearance. It has an unusually large head that closely resembles the look and shape of a lionhead. In fact the only thing that makes a ranchu goldfish different from a lionhead is that it has a much more curved posterior dorsal contour. Basically first glimpse of a ranchu would have you believe they are the same as a lionhead, but once you take a closer look at the tail, you will be able to tell them apart easily.

The lionhead has a tail much like the fantail goldfish that is shaped like a butterfly. The tail of a ranchu goldfish looks more like that of a comet, much smaller and simpler. Most ranchu goldfish a colored gold and white, however they have been known to be black in some cases. They grow to about the same size of a lionhead, sometimes bigger however you won't be able to notice any different due to the fact a lionhead has a much larger tail.

It's common to hear people refer to ranchu goldfish as buffalo heads, especially in the Far East. In fact they first originated in China and were kept in outside ponds and treated with much respect. Later the Japanese imported ranchu's into their country and further developed there until they finally achieved the look we see today.

So How Much Do They Cost?

Ranchu goldfish are far more expensive then most other breeds of goldfish, some retailing for over $300 each! One of the cheapest ways to buy ranchu's is to go on the internet and purchase one online as they are much cheaper. You may be able to buy one for under $200 if you are lucky, the only problem is that you can't be sure what you are going to get, however 99 out of 100 times you are going to get what you paid for. Just to make sure, check first if the site you are buying from has a return policy, that way if there is a problem, you can just return the fish you just bought and get your money back.

Most of these sites also include photos of the fish you want to buy. In most cases you are going to have to drive to where they fish is to pick it up, however you should also be able to pay a fee that will enable the fish to be delivered to your doorstep if you don't want to travel out to pick it up. Try to make sure the place you are buying from isn't too far away as that will end up costing you more money that you can handle. If you are unsure where the shop is, give them a call, as their number should be on their website somewhere, and ask them for directions. I personally would take the time to drive out there in person, especially if you are spending $200 on a ranchu goldfish.

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