Fish – Page 2

PetSmart Vs. Petco – Which Place Is Better To Buy Fish?

Not all fishkeepers have a mom-and-pop fish or pet store in their area, but they may have a Petco and/or PetSmart. Many don’t like big chain stores. But, sometimes that is the only place some fishkeepers can buy fish from other than online stores. But which pet store is better? Well, unfortunately all I can do is compare my two local stores.

Variety of Fish

For my store, Petco is the definite winner here. Not only do they sell a variety of freshwater fish, but they also sell a saltwater fish too! When it came to freshwater fish, they had Rainbow Sharks, Black Kuhli Loaches, Mollies, and Silver Dollars! And there were many more different species of fish as well.

My PetSmart had about the average fish you would find in just about any pet store, and they didn’t have any saltwater fish. They (obviously) had bettas, goldfish, as well as cories, dwarf gouramis and other popular fish. So, again, I would have to say that my local Petco had more variety of fish than my PetSmart.

Health of The Fish

Now, this is probably is the most important factor in finding out which pet store would be considered “better” than the other. I would have to say it was very close, but I would have to say my PetSmart had the healthier fish than my Petco. This may shock a few of you as I heard some of you guys saying how unhealthy the fish is in your PetSmart, but I would have to say my PetSmart had fairly healthy fish. Most of the fish seemed pretty colorful and active.

Now, Petco didn’t have unhealthy fish either, but their tanks had a good bit of algae in it which doesn’t always affect the fish, but it may mean that the water was dirty, which can. Again, it was close as Petco still had fairly healthy fish as well, but I do think my PetSmart had just slightly healthier fish than my Petco.

Health & Variety Of The Bettas

Now, I could have grouped the bettas with the other fish, but I think they deserve their own section just as they are so common and and a very popular fish. I would have to say it was a tie, but I can’t really say much as Petco didn’t have hardly any bettas during the time I was there.

PetSmart usually has more bettas, but not all of them looked the absolute best. One of the bettas at Petco didn’t even move, which means it probably wasn’t alive. But, I say it is a tie, but again, Petco didn’t have a lot of bettas for me to fairly say which pet store had the healthiest bettas.

Variety & Health of Their Aquarium Plants

Although they aren’t fish, I believe that aquarium plants play a big role when it comes to an aquarium. So, I am comparing the variety and the health of their aquarium plants. My Petsmart had the best variety of plants. They had tall plants, short plants, semi-aquatic plants, fully aquatic plants and very small plants like dwarf hairgrass. So, Petsmart had the most variety of aquarium plants.

My Petco just didn’t have a lot of plants. In fact, they only had about 5-7 different kinds of plants, while my Petsmart had more like 10 or 12! So again, I have to say my Petsmart had the best variety of plants. When it came to the health of the plants, I had to say Petco had slightly healthier plants, but it was pretty close.

Pricing

Ok, so this is also pretty important when you are buying fish and aquarium plants. You don’t want to buy a few plants and a fish or two and have your wallet explode in a million pieces, do you? It was kind of close, but my PetSmart had slightly cheaper items (at least when it came to plants).

Conclusion

I will add photos and more pictures as time as on, but I believe this should help give you an idea of which pet store is “better.” Unfortunately, your Petco or PetSmart may be totally different than mine and you may have a completely different experience that I had, but I hope you that you enjoyed this read!

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Why Surviving CAN Be Thriving

Ever heard of the phrase “surviving isn’t thriving”? It’s a popular saying in the fishkeeping community. This phrase can be true, but not always. You see, I believe surviving CAN be thriving. I believe fish who live for years probably were pretty healthy.

Sick And/Or Stressed Fish Don’t Live For Years

Unfortunately, fish do get sick and many times die. But, fish that live for years (even in bowls) probably aren’t sick. You see, sick fish usually can’t make it for years unless the disease isn’t even that dangerous (or very slow-killing). Majority of diseases (that I know of) kill fish within a few months or less.

Ich is one of the most slowest-killing parasites that I know of. But, some even say Ich can kill a fish within a week or so! Stress paired with a disease such as ich, and actually kill a fish. So, (for example) if your betta fish lived for 4-5 years, it probably didn’t have a disease and was pretty happy.

Thriving And Happy Fish CAN Live For Years

Thriving fish, on the other hand, CAN live for years. Fish that live for years probably didn’t have a disease and was probably pretty happy. A betta (for example) with Ich probably won’t survive for 5 years, but healthy and thriving one will!

Conclusion

Many fish keepers believe that surviving isn’t always thriving, but I believe that if a fish lives for as long as it expected, it probably was a pretty healthy fish! I think fish could even thrive in bows. But that does not mean we have to shove them in bowls? Always to keep the fish at the best of your ability, but fish can survive AND thrive in a small aquarium. I would not recommend putting them in one, but it depends on the water quality and the size of the fish.

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Can Fish Drown? – If So, How?

“They breath oxygen in water! How can fish drown?” you ask. Well, in this article, we answer that very question. Many actually ask this very question, but most of us probably think of it as a silly question. You may think that the answer is obvious. But, is it obvious?

So, Can Fish Drown?

The Answer is a tad bit more complicated that you probably expect. You see, some fish have gills only, while others also have an organ called a labyrinth. They use this organ to breathe oxygen out of the air. A common fish that has a labyrinth are bettas. Betta fish can actually breathe oxygen out of the air if they have it. So, can fish drown? Technically no, but they can suffocate.

What Causes A Fish To Suffocate?

There are a number of different ways a fish can suffocate. Let’s look at some of the ways that a fish can.

Overcrowding

If you are overcrowding a tank, theoretically (unless all the fish have a labyrinth), the fish can suffocate.. This is because the other fish are using all the oxygen in the tank, while some fish have very little.

Hot Water

Warm or hot water usually has low oxygen levels. These leaves the fish with not a lot of oxygen. Theoretically, the fish could actually suffocate if there were to be too much fish in the tank, an algae bloom, or if the tank was simply very hot.

Too Many Plants (In The Wrong Conditions)

Although this may seem shocking, having too many plants with a dark tank setup, can actually suffocate fish! “Why?” you ask? Let me explain. Aquatic plants, when they are not getting enough light, will take in oxygen in the water to try to survive. This alone can slightly reduce the oxygen levels, but if you have a lot of plants taking up oxygen, then you could see a big drop in oxygen levels.

Algae Bloom

This could also make a fish suffocate, Algae uses oxygen and when there is ton of algae in your water, it will definitely make the oxygen levels drop. To avoid an algae bloom, try adding some floating plants.

Conclusion

Although fish can’t technically drown, they can suffocate. Knowing what causes them to will help you how to prevent that from ever happening. Make sure that the water isn’t too hot. If your fish needs warmer water, consider getting a air pump so that there is enough oxygen in the tank. Try getting live plants to prevent an algae bloom, always have a light on a planted tank and try not to overcrowd your tank.

Check Out These Articles!

Resources:

Aquarium Source

Can Fish Drown? The Surprisingly Complicated Answer

Tankarium

Can Fish Drown In Water? Truth Or Myth?

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Emperor Tetra Care – Tank Size, Diet, Price & More!

The Emperor Tetra has a distinct black stripe that runs from the head to tail. They are a small to medium-sized tetra. They are great from the beginner and a great fish to keep in your aquarium if you’re looking for a fish to liven up your aquarium. The Emperor Tetra is a peaceful fish, so it usually does best with most non-aggressive aquarium fish.

Appearance

These fish have a small caudal (tail) fin. As you can also see, they have a thick, black stripe that runs down from their head to their tail. The rest of their body is pinkish in color.

Usual Behavior

With their peaceful nature, these fish are a great fish for any small community tank. However, males may fight. These fights usually aren’t very harmful, but if they do get too aggressive, always separate him from the rest of the fish.

Emperor Tetras are a schooling fish, just like all tetras. A school of 6 or more is recommended. They usually hang around in the top to middle part of the aquarium, but they may occasionally go down to bottom of the tank as well.

Lifespan

The Emperor Tetra lives for around 3-5 years. Always make sure to keep these fish in the right environment so that they won’t die from disease or stress. If you’re fish died before it was this age, it could of died from stress or a disease of some kind.

Size

These fish are smaller fish, only getting no longer than 2 inches in length, which means they don’t need a massive around. But, as they are schooling fish, they can’t just live in a tiny tank.

Emperor Tetra Care

The Emperor Tetra, although a good fish for beginners, need a comfortable environment. Like all fish, Emperor tetras need their own water parameters and tank size. Always try to keep these fish at the best of your ability to keep them healthy,

Tank Size

Because of their smaller size, these fish only need around 10 gallons of water. Always make sure keep them a large enough tank. Also, if you’re thinking about getting more than 6 (or want a community tank), consider getting a larger tank.

Tank Mates

These fish do best with a school of 6 or more with one alpha male. If you’re thinking about other tank mates. You can consider …

Ember Tetras
Cory Catfish
Platies
Guppies
Dwarf Gourami
Serpae Tetras

Diet

Emperor Tetras can have both pellet and flake food, but a good supplement for them would be freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex worms, and brine shrimp.

Water Parameters

These fish have fairly wide water parameters. So, water parameters shouldn’t be something that you have to worry about a lot.

pH: 5.0-7.8
Water Temperature: 73-81 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 23.8-27.2 Celsius)
Hardness: 3-8 dGH

Tank Setup

Emperor Tetras do best with plenty of vegetation in the tank with dim lighting. They also need plenty of places to hind. So, try to have plenty of plants throughout the aquarium. Live plants will not only help replicate their natural environment, but it will also serve as a place to hide. You could also add driftwood and rocks as well.

Possible Diseases

Emperor Tetras can get Ich & gill Flukes. Ich is a common disease that all fish can get. It is a external parasite that eats away at the host and creates a white capsule around it. This will make the fish look like salt had been sprinkled on it.

Typical Price

From the online stores I went to, they were usually around 5-6 dollars. This unfortunately might be slightly expensive. If you don’t believe you can afford these fish, you may also like Black Skirt Tetras which are much cheaper and look similar too. You should also know that the price will vary depending on where you go to.

Breeding

To breed Emperor Tetras, you will need a breeding pair. Separate the pair to a bare-bottom breeding tank as the male will be aggressive when spawning. Feed the pair life foods before you attempt to spawn them. Make sure the water temperature stays at 80-82 degrees Fahrenheit, there is neutral (7.0) pH, and that the water is very soft.

Keep the lights subdue. These fish breed during dawn. The female will lay anywhere from 50-100 eggs! After the female is finished laying her eggs, remove the pair as they will eat the eggs. Now, add a sponge filter & perform weekly water changes. The fry will hatch within 1-2 days!

Are Emperor Tetras For Me?

If you want a tetra that’s easy to care for, but a little different from most tetras, than perhaps Emperor Tetras are for you. They are a peaceful schooling fish and are great fish for a community tank with other peaceful fish.

Emperor Tetras are great tetras. They are a great fish for beginners who want a neat beginner, schooling fish for their small tank.

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Resources:

Aquarium Source

Emperor Tetra 101: The Complete Care Guide

The Spruce Pets

Emperor Tetra Fish Species Profile

Pet Fish For Sale

Emperor Tetra

World Wide Fish & Pets

Black Emperor Tetra

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How To Care For Black Skirt Tetras

The Black Skirt Tetra is a larger tetra that is personally one of my favorite tetra species. They are an exotic color and just is a beautiful fish. They originate in the rivers of South America and a tropical fish. If you’re looking for a cheap, medium-sized, beautiful tetra, then maybe the Black Skirt Tetra is for you!

Appearance

Black Skirt Tetras are a medium-sized tetra. They have an almost abnormally large anal fin. Unfortunately, as they age, their colors begin to fade. You can help keep their colors longer as long as you give them a healthy environment. There are two varieties for these fish; one with long fins and another variety shorter fins.

Usual Behavior

The Black Skirt Tetra is a schooling fish and it’s recommended to keep at least 6 of these fish in order to keep them less stressed. They are fairly peaceful fish, but avoid fish with long fins as they are fin nippers. If you are keeping the long fin variety of these fish, this can’t really be avoided. But try to avoid keeping any more long-finned fish such as betta fish.

Lifespan

Expect for these fish to live for around 3-5 years. These fish aren’t the longest living fish, so don’t expect to have them for too long. But, they aren’t the shortest living fish either, so if they die the next day after you bought them, they probably didn’t die of old age (unless you bought an old fish).

Size

These fish are a medium-sized tetra, getting around 2-3 inches at max. There are tetras that are much larger than even Black Skirts, but they are still a little larger than most common tetras.

Black Skirt Tetra Care

Black Skirts aren’t extremely hard to care for, but they still need a clean tank and should be in the right conditions just like any fish would.

Tank Size

Because of their size, the recommended tank size is 15 gallons. Personally, I would recommend getting a 20 gallon if you can so you can get a larger school and even have enough room to house something else as well. But, a 15 gallon would also work.

Tank Mates

Black Skirt Tetras as I stated earlier are fairly peaceful fish, but try to avoid getting long-finned fish in the tank such as bettas as they are fin nippers. Try to keep other peaceful fish to keep the fish less stressed. Here are some fish you can keep.

Cory Catfish
Harlequin Rasboras
Neon Tetras
Cardinal Tetras
Celestial Pearl Danios

Diet

Black Skirt Tetras don’t need anything special, but live foods are recommended just like other aquarium fish. You can feed these fish foods like …

Flake food
Pellet food
frozen & live bloodworms, brine shrimp, tubifex worms and blackworms

Water Parameters

All fish have their own water parameters. These fish need the following water parameters.

pH: 6.0 to 7.5
Water temperature: 75-82 Fahrenheit (or around 23.9 to 33.3 Celsius)
Hardness: 4-8 dKH

Tank Setup

Preferably, there should be a darker substrate along with plenty of plants around the perimeter of the tank so that they still have plenty of room to swim around. You could also add rocks and driftwood in the tank.

Possible Diseases

These fish can get Ich, Flukes, Protozoa, Dropsy & Red Pest. Red Pest is a disease that causes blood streaks on the fins and body of the fish. Unfortunately, this disease is internal, so external medicine usually doesn’t help. Flukes, a parasite, can cause a lot of damage to it’s host and should always be treated as soon as possible like all diseases should.

Typical Price

Black Skirt Tetras are usually around $2-$4 USD an individual. But, it really depends on the seller. If you’re going to buy 6, expect it to cost anywhere from $12-$24 USD.

Breeding Black Skirt Tetras

Black Skirts will need another tank during breeding as they aren’t the best parents. In fact, they may even eat their own eggs! The breeding tank will need to be a 10 gallon aquarium and the water parameters should be the same as the main tank. A bonded pair should be added into the breeding tank. Feed them high-protein foods for around 7-10 days, before breeding, 3 times a day.

Once the female is filled with eggs, the male will chase her. If they successfully breed, the female can lay around 1,000 eggs! The eggs should hatch within a 36 days. Make sure that the pair won’t eat the eggs.

Sexing

Females will be slightly larger than the males. Males will have a large anal fin and will have white dots around the caudal fin. Males will be longer & skinnier, while females will be large and more plump.

Are Black Skirt Tetras For Me?

If you’re looking for medium-sized tetra to brighten up your aquarium, then perhaps Black Skirt Tetras are for you! Black Skirt Tetras don’t need a massive tank and should be easier to care for. Just make sure that the tank is clean and that the fish aren’t stressed. Make sure that the water parameters are where they’re supposed to be so that the fish will be less likely to get a disease. Black Skirt Tetras are beautiful fish and a great touch for any medium-sized, peaceful community tank.

Black Skirt Tetras are beautiful fish. If you have a medium-sized tank and looking for a good fish to add in it, Black Skirt Tetras are a great choice!

Check Out These Articles!

Resources

Fish Tank Advisor

The Brief Beauty of Black Skirt Tetras

It’s A Fish Thing

Black Skirt Tetra

How to Treat Goldfish Flukes in 5 Steps (Disease Control) (For Information About Flukes)

Fish Keeping World

The Complete Guide to Black Skirt Tetra Care

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How To Care For Silver Arowanas – Tank Size, Price, Diet & More

Silver Arowanas look a lot like a fish that you might catch when you go fishing. But it’s actually an aquarium fish that you can keep. These fish are quite large, so expect to get a large aquarium for these fish. These Arowanas are not for beginners, so if you are a beginner fishkeeper, consider getting another fish.

Unfortunately, Arowanas are very aggressive, which is another reason why they they are not for the beginner fishkeeper. But although they are aggressive, they are sought after among fishkeepers, but for a reason. These fish are beautiful and quite fascinating to watch!

Appearance

As you can see, Silver Arowanas look a lot like a fish that you might end up catching if you went fishing. But believe it or not, they are actually fish that people keep in their tank. These fish are large fish, and have silver scales. Their body is long and slender and their tail fin is surprising small..

Usual Behavior

Silver Arowanas are very aggressive and make sure that you remember that. These fish are notorious for eating other fish that fits in their mouth, so be cautious when you’re picking tank mates for these fish.

Lifespan

These fish can live for about 10-15 years! Make sure that the fish are in good conditions though. Make sure that pH, hardness, and the temperature are all in the ideal range to ensure that the fish are healthy.

Other things that can kill a fish include over or under-feeding a fish or not cleaning the tank enough. Fish are real animals and need a clean tank as they do live in it for the rest of their lives.

Size

These fish can get up to 3 feet when they’re full grown! That’s the length of 3 full-grown common goldfish! In the wild, specimens could even get larger!

Silver Arowana Care

Try to always take care of any fish at the best of your ability. Silver Arowanas need to be cared for well and are not for beginners. Make sure to keep these fish in the conditions that they were made for.

Tank Size

Saying that they’re so large, it’s recommended to keep these fish in about a 250 gallon aquarium. As these fish can get 3 feet in length, so they need a large aquarium to be comfortable.

Tank Mates

Saying that these fish are quite aggressive, finding good tank mates can be pretty hard. Make sure that the fish you want to keep with the Arowanas are slightly aggressive and not too small. Some fish you could consider keeping include …

Silver Dollar Fish
Jaguar Cichlid
Bichirs
Parrotfish

Diet

These fish are mainly Carnivorous, but will also enjoy some veggies as well. Try to give them primarily protein filled foods so that they’re healthy. You can feed these fish foods such as …

Crickets
Flake food
shrimp
feeder fish such as minnows

Some great additions to their diet include bloodworms and brine shrimp. Make sure that these fish are on a high quality diet so that these fish can thrive.

Water Parameters

These fish are sensitive to changes in water conditions, so try to test the water more often. Try to keep the water with these water parameters.

pH: 5.0-7.5
Temperature: 75-82 degrees Fahrenheit (around 23.9-27.8 Celsius)
Hardness: 1-8 dKH

Tank Setup

These fish need to have a tank with plenty of lush plants throughout the tank. The substrate could be lined with a fine gravel and driftwood can also be throughout the tank. As you may know, Silver Arowanas are very large fish, so they will need a large area to live in.

Possible Diseases

Silver Arowanas generally get the more common freshwater diseases such as Ich, Fin Rot, Dropsy a so on. Ich is a parasite that eats away at the fles of the host and create a white capsule around themselves. If you’re fish is covered in white dots and looks like salt was sprinkled on them, then they most likely have Ich.

Typical Price

Silver Arowanas are typically anywhere from $60 to over $500 US! Always have a large budget before you start trying to care for these fish. Not only are they expensive, but they will also need a large tank, live plants, driftwood and so on.

Breeding Silver Arowanas

Arowanas, in the wild, breed during December to January. Arowana eggs are fairly large and red or orange in color. The male will carry the eggs for about 50 days. After 5 weeks after they hatch, the male will release the fry. There are not a lot of cases who breed these fish successfully, and those who did kept them in tanks that are larger tank 500 gallons!

Is The Silver Arowana for Me?

Unfortunately, these fish aren’t for beginners. So if you are one, consider getting another fish. But if you’re an experienced fishkeeper, have a large aquarium, and willing to work to keep your fish healthy, then consider the Silver Arowana. Silver Arowanas are great fish, but do require a bit of work. They are also aggressive, so always be cautious when you’re choosing tank mates for these fish.

Silver Arowanas are great fish. They are beautiful and great for the experienced fishkeeper who wants a neat fish for their large aquarium.

Check Out These Articles!

Resources:

Aquarium Source

https://www.aquariumsource.com/silver-arowana/

Fish Keeping World

https://www.fishkeepingworld.com/silver-arowana/

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The Best Fish For A 10 Gallon Tank

Image by basuka from Pixabay

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5 Reasons To Get Your Child A Goldfish

Are you a parent and looking for a pet for your child? Are you struggling to find a pet that won’t be too hard to care for, but you’re child will actually like? You probably heard about goldfish. They’re extremely popular in the fish hobby. So much so that almost everyone knows about them and have most likely kept them at least once their life. If you somehow need to be convinced that the goldfish is one of the best options for your child’s first-ever pet, you’ve come to the right place.

Goldfish live for years

.Although it sounds like I am kidding, I’m not. Goldfish actually live for decades (yes, I said DECADES)! Not all goldfish will though as some will die because they weren’t cared for properly, or simply because they were a specific species of goldfish that doesn’t live as long. Even the goldfish who don’t live as long though still live for 5-15 years. If you care for it properly, your child’s goldfish could live their entire childhood or perhaps even into their adulthood!

Goldfish are interactive

No fish will ever be as interactive as a dog, but goldfish are one of the more interactive fish in the hobby. Goldfish will actually swim to you if they see you and probably beg for food (which is something all goldfish will do). Goldfish will also move the substrate around as well!

Goldfish can be extremely cheap

Goldfish can be extremely cheap. Simply go to the pet store and see for yourself. More popular and common goldfish such as comets can be very cheap, especially compared to other fish. If you want a comet, you could get them for less than a dollar (where I am at)! Fancy goldfish go for about 8 dollars where I am at. This is a bit more, but still is fairly cheap saying that goldfish can a long-term pet.

Goldfish are beautiful

Goldfish aren’t just some shiny, orange fish. Goldfish are beautiful. There are a number of varieties of goldfish. Some are simply orange, some are also partially white, or even black! Goldfish come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Some goldfish have long fins, while others have short ones. Some goldfish have round bodies, while others are slim. There are so many variations of goldfish that if you’ll most-likely find one you like!

Goldfish are easy to care for

Goldfish are easy to care for. They can handle many beginner mistakes, so don’t worry if you were a day or two late when cleaning their aquarium. Goldfish can even survive getting sucked up in a gravel vacuum (yes, my goldfish get to say they have)!

Goldfish can also live in a wide range of pH as well and they usually do best without a heater (unless they’re like fantails which do best in tropical temperatures). The only downside to these fish is that when they’re full-grown , they need very large aquariums. Comets for example need preferably should be in a 55-75 gallon aquarium as they can get very large. Other than that however, they’re pretty easy to care for. This is why goldfish and bettas are usually the best fish to go with if you’re a beginner fishkeeper.

So, what do you think? Goldfish (in my opinion) are pretty easy to care for. Although goldfish do have their cons, everything will. Goldfish are quite dirty, so consider getting a larger tank to make sure that you won’t have to clean the tank as often.

Goldfish make amazing pets for both children and beginner fish keepers. Again, they can handle many beginner mistakes and can live in a variety of conditions which in my opinion makes them a pretty great fish for a beginner!

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5 Best Fish For A 5 Gallon Tank

These fish are not the only best fish for a 5 gallon tank. There are more, but these are some possible fish for a 5 gallon tank. A five gallon tank is a small tank, but it can still hold a small handful of fish. Don’t be fooled, a 5 gallon isn’t an extremely tiny tank that can’t hold anything other than a betta fish.

Now, a 5 gallon isn’t massive either. A 5 gallon can’t hold some of the larger types of fish such as a oscar or full-grown goldfish, but you can expect to keep smaller fish though.

These freshwater fish for a 5 gallon tank are small and some are schooling fish, while others aren’t. Surprisingly, most of these fish can actually live for years, despite their size. Hopefully, you’ll find out what fish you’re going to buy for your 5 gallon tank in this article!

Best fish for a 5 gallon tank (in my opinion)

Dwarf Rasbora

The Dwarf Rasbora is a nano fish that only gets about 1 inch or smaller. They do best in heavily planted tanks and a low lighting setup. They can live up to 5 years if they’re cared for properly. Dwarf Rasboras need 72-78 degrees (Fahrenheit) water and need a pH of 5.0-6.5. Because of their size, they need small sized fish food such as smaller live foods.

Pea Puffer

The Pea Puffer or Dwarf Pea Puffer only gets about an 1-1.5 inches in length. They can live up to 5 years and need a pH of 6.5-7.8. They are small fish and only need about a 5 gallon aquarium. Some foods for pea puffers are brine shrimp and small snails.

Chili Rasbora

The Chili Rasbora is a small fish that can easily live in a 5 gallon aquarium. These fish get less than an inch long, which means that you could keep up to 10 Chili Rasboras in a 5 gallon tank.

These fish are egg-layers and live for up to 8 years! The recommended hardness is 1-10 dKH. The recommended pH for these fish is 4.0-7.0 and their recommended water temperature is 68-83 Fahrenheit. These fish would probably be the best fish for a 5 gallon tank (in my opinion) when it comes to size. These fish are very small and should be able to have plenty of room for a 5 gallon tank.

Neon Green Tetras

Neon Green Tetras only get about 1 inch in length. The Neon Green Tetra is a peaceful fish that can live for about 3 years. Neon Green Tetras need to be in water with a temperature of 75-85 Fahrenheit. Pellets, flake food and live foods are some possible food options for these fish. The recommended pH for these fish is 5.0-6.5.

Sparkling Gourami

The Sparkling Gourami gets about as large as a Betta fish (2 inches). Tankmates for these fish include guppies, rainbowfish, rasboras, tetras, cory catfish and danios. The recommended hardness for these fish is 5-16 dKH and and should live in water with a temperature of 70-80 Fahrenheit.

These fish are all pretty small, so they should be able to live in a 5 gallon. Some think Neon Green Tetras should live in a 10 gallon. A 10 gallon is fine for these fish, but because of their size, they should be able to live in a 5 gallon as well. Aquarium-Co-Op also recommends these fish. Feel free to check out his video.

How many fish can I have in a 5 gallon?

It really depends. If you’re getting a betta, you should only have one. This is mainly because bettas will attack each other, at least if they’re males. If you’re getting Chili Rasboras, you should be able to get 10 for a 5 gallon saying how small they are. If you’re getting schooling fish for your 5 gallon (such as Chili Rasboras), always get a school and never just one. If you’re getting a fish like the Pea Puffer, only get one for your 5 gallon.

Conclusion

These were some of the best fish for a small tank, or more specifically, a 5 gallon (in my opinion). Although it may be harder to keep fish in a 5 gallon, it can be done and fish keeping can still be enjoyable even if you just have a small tank. These fish have some similar recommended parameters, but always still do more research.

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How To Make Your Own MELAFIX® at Home

The author has not currently tested this product on any fish that has any health condition that manufacturers of melafix claim that melafix can heal. This alway only makes freshwater melafix for aquariums.

Can’t find a pet store near you that sells Melafix®? No problem! You can MAKE your own Melafix®! Melafix® is used for sores, open wounds, etc. It’s a common fish medicine you’ll generally always see, but sometimes it’s a bit expensive. Instead, you might be able to actually save money and make your own! We’ll talk more about that in just a minute.

What is Melafix® made of?

This is a great question. If you want to make something yourself, you obviously need to know what it’s made of! Melafix® is a simple mixture of water and melaleuca, which is cajeput oil (OR you could also use tea tree oil as it does the same thing). Melafix® is only 1% cajeput oil, so you don’t need a ton to make some Melafix®.

What is cajeput oil?

Cajeput oil is a volatile oil from the leaves of the myrtaceous tree, Melaleuca leucadendra, Melaleuca cajuputi and probably other species of Melaleuca as well. Tea tree oil has the same effect on fish just as cajeput oil does. They are both very similar.

What do I need to make Melafix?

These are the only things you need to make it.

2 ml of cajeput or tea tree oil
200 ml of conditioned water

That’s literally all you need in order to get about 7 ounces of Melafix®. Feel free to make more, only remember to do 1:100 ratio as there should be only 1% cajeput/tea tree oil in the solution.

Directions

Now that you have all the ingredients you obviously need to know how to make it! Here’s the directions. It’s again, very simple.

1. Add about 2 ml of cajeput or tea tree oil in a container that holds at least 200 ml of water.
2. Pour in 200 ml of conditioned water

IF IMMEDIATELY USING: Make sure to add the solution into a water tight container with a water tight lid. Make sure to shake the solution until the solution well (solution may turn foggy, this shouldn’t hurt the fish) before using.

Dosing

Now that you made it, you now just have to use it! Feel free to add the solution to an old bottle of store-bought Melafix® if you want, as it’s basically the same stuff. I recommend to find out the dosing by looking at a bottle of regular Melafix®.

Now you know how to make your own Melafix® and you should be able to use it just like you would regular Melafix®! If you want, go ahead and start dosing your fish if you need to. Just remember to shake the solution before you start dosing.

Resources:

Youtube

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3 Ways To Completely Flush Your Fish Tank

Flushing a fish tank isn’t as bad as it sounds. In fact, it can be very beneficial for your fish and may be done when ammonia levels are very high, or even just when there isn’t an emergency just to get all the old water out and put in the new water. This doesn’t actually take out all the beneficial bacteria though (if your tank is cycled) as most of the beneficial bacteria is in the filter. Flushing can be a good tool in helping your fish, especially if they’re is suffering from ammonia poisoning.

What do you mean by “flushing a fish tank?”

Flushing a fish tank is basically taking out all the water in your fish tank, without taking out the fish. You could always scoop out the fish and completely take out all the water, but this isn’t really fun for the fish, and for you especially if you have multiple fish in your tank. Instead, you can perform multiple water changes, but there’s even more than just that when flushing an aquarium, and we’ll be going into that later in this article.

Why would I flush my tank?

One of the big reasons why is to take away ammonia as I stated earlier. You could also do this if your fish has a disease to see if that could help.

How can I?

If you believe your fish will benefit from a complete flush or you think it would be time for one, you can follow these steps.

Step 1. Do a 50% water change, however when you add water conditioner, use the same amount of conditioner that you should use for your ENTIRE tank when it is full (for an example, if you are flushing a 10 gallon, use the same amount of water conditioner to treat 10 gallons of water) and only add back in half of the conditioned water and wait 15-30 minutes and then add the remaining into the tank.

Step 2. After you did the 50% water change, do another 50% water change again, but don’t do it in two steps (do it how you would normally do a water change).

Step 3. You can now wait an hour and do 2 or 3 more 50% water changes.

Step 4. Test for ammonia, if over .0 ppm, do more 50% water changes as necessary.

WARNING!: PLEASE READ! If your tank is CYCLED, DO NOT TOUCH the FILTER MEDIA through this process! Not touching will help keep the good bacteria intact in the filter.

Unfortunately, the only problem with flushing an fish tank is that it takes time and takes a lot of water conditioner in total. But luckily if you don’t like how that method was, here are two other ways.

A second method

Here is another way to flush an aquarium.

Step 1. Do as you would with step 1 for the first method.

Step 2. Follow that with another 50 water change.

Step 3. Wait 30 minutes and perform another 75% water change, repeat with 50% water change to make sure the water is completely gone.

Step 4. Test the water for ammonia. If higher than .0 ppm, follow with another 25-50% water change, repeat as necessary.

So, there’s yet another way to flush a tank. Again, as long as the old water gets completely taken out of the tank and the fish are stress free as possible, that should be fine. If you don’t like that method either, here is one more.

WARNING!: PLEASE READ! If your tank is CYCLED, DO NOT TOUCH the FILTER MEDIA through this process! Not touching will help keep the good bacteria in the filter.

A third method

This is third and last method we will talk about in this article.

Step 1. Perform a 25% water change, use water conditioner for the entire volume of the tank. For example, if you have a 10 gallon aquarium, but only taking out 5 gallons, add 10 gallons worth of conditioner to the new water. Add 50% of the water and wait 15-30 minutes, and add the rest in.

Step 2. Follow the two water changes with another 50% water change. Wait 30 minutes and perform one last 50% water change.

Step 3. Test the water for ammonia, if over .0 ppm (parts per million), continue with another 50% water change, repeat as necessary.

WARNING!: PLEASE READ! If your tank is CYCLED, DO NOT TOUCH the FILTER MEDIA through this process! Not touching will help keep the good bacteria in the filter.

Flushing a tank is a great way to deal with ammonia, you could also flush your tank if your fish has a parasite such as ich. It will help to take out some of the ich parasites in the aquarium. Some fishkeepers do flushes as frequently as every month in order to keep the water clean and take out all the old water.

Check out these articles!

Resources:

My Aquarium Club:

https://www.myaquariumclub.com/another-way-to-flush-a-tank-7015.html

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Top 5 Best Smart & Interactive Fish

I do not have studies backing up these statements, I go by online research and personal experience.

Do you want an interactive fish? Maybe a fish that even acknowledges you? It’s not everyday that you will find one, as fish are just not as interactive as a dog or cat could be, but there are a handful. Today we will be going over 5 freshwater fish that are usually pretty smart and even interactive. Again, fish just aren’t the most interactive pets out there, but there still are some!

Here’s some smartest and most interactive fish

Here’s some smart fish that you may like!

Goldfish

Don’t be fooled, the goldfish is not as dumb as you think! In fact, they are actually some pretty smart and interactive fish out there! Goldfish are hardy, interactive, cheap and just fun to watch! Goldfish can actually be small or big due to a hormone they create, which almost means you can choose how small or big you want them to be.

As awful as it sounds, it isn’t a bad thing and your not doing your goldfish any harm if you choose to keep it small! Less water changes will help slow a goldfish’s growing. They should be preferably in at least a 10 gallon, but they could work in a 5 gallon, as long as it stays clean! Here’s an article about goldfish growth and tank size.

Betta fish

Betta fish are smart, beautiful and pretty interactive fish. They are only about 2 inches in length so they can thrive in a 10 gallon, or as small as a 2.5 gallon if you can’t afford a 5 or 10 gallon tank. Using their instinct, you can actually train a betta to follow a toothpick. A healthy betta may be seen resting or exploring their environment. Betta fish are tropical fish so they do best in water with a temperature of 78-80F and pH should be at 6.5-7.5.

Oscars

Oscar fish are part of the cichlid family and are pretty smart and interactive fish. It isn’t rare to find your oscar feeding out of your hand or even rearranging decorations in their fish tank.

Oscar fish need a 55 gallon or larger saying that they get to a foot or more in length. Oscars can also live around the same age of a medium-large sized dog! The three main types of oscars are Red Oscars, Tiger Oscars, and Albino Oscars. Oscar fish can be quite aggressive and may end up eating fish that fit in their mouth, so be extra careful when thinking about tank mates! If you want to learn how on caring for oscars, feel free to check out this article!

Managuense cichlids

These Managuense Cichlids are very large. In fact, they’re bigger than even common and comets when they become full-grown. Their lifespan can be as long as 15 years and can survive in temperatures as much as 97 degrees fahrenheit, however the recommended water temperature is 73-82 fahrenheit.

Because of their size, these cichlids do best in a 70-100 gallon aquarium! The pH levels should be 7.0-8.7 amd hardness should be 10-15 dGH. Foods for these cichlids consist of large blood worms, earthworms, prawns, large insects, small reptiles, frogs, big flakes of dry feed.

Elephant nose fish

By billycorgan84 - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6730581

Elephant nose fish are not your typical fish. They are actually one of your smartest aquarium fish, at least for it’s size. However they are a smart fish. They can live for up to 10 years or maybe even longer if they are kept in the most ideal conditions. These fish are fairly large and can get up to 9 inches in length so tank size should be about 50 gallons for one.

There should be plenty of plants and a little driftwood as well. The substrate should be sand. Water temperature should be 73-82 fahrenheit, pH should be 6.5-7.2 and hardness should be 0-10 dGH. Bloodworms and brine shrimp are good options. Also chopped up earthworms and tubifex worms are good as well.

So, which ones would you say were the smartest fish?

These fish should all be smart and interactive. A fish can never be a like a dog or human, but these were a small handful that are a little more interactive than the average fish!

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