Honey Gourami

Honey Gourami
Alternative Name(s):
Scientific Name(s): Trichogaster chuna, Colisa chuna
Category: Tropical
Difficulty:
Maximum Size: 5cms
Minimum Tank Volume: 60 litres
Minimum Tank Size: 24" x 12" x12"
Water Temperature Range: 22-27°C
Water pH Range: 6.0-7.5
Water Hardness Range: 5-15 dGH

General Information:	The Honey Gourami, the smallest Gourami is a member of the Belontiidae family originating in India and Bangladesh. It is a somewhat timid fish, less aggressive and territorial than the similar Dwarf Gourami and will spend much of its time in the mid and top water areas among floating plants, occasionally taking air from the surface. Honey Gourami come in an array of colours, standard colour is a gold/honey colour. Photo is of the Red Robin variety.
Tank Requirements:	The tank should be well-planted and floating plants are greatly appreciated. Minimal water movement. A gap between the water surface and any condensation tray is necessary to allow the Honey Gourami to surface and breathe air occasionally
Diet Requirements:	Honey Gourami aren't fussy eaters and will take good quality flake foods and algae wafers as well as small live and frozen foods which they are very fond of and occasional green vegetables.
Compatibility:	Honey Gourami combine well with other small, peaceful community fish, but should not be mixed with other Gourami, Betta Splendens or too many additional top-dwelling fish.
Recommendations:	Keep as a pair or as a small group with one male and two or three females. Not advisable to keep more than one male per tank unless large due to aggression between males when breeding.
Common Problems:	Fortunately does not seem to suffer from Iridovirus which affects Dwarf Gourami, but there have been issues with dyed Honey Gourami from the Far East and associated health problems.
Similar Species:	Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia)
Sexing:	Males smaller & more colourful, turning vibrant orange with the front of the body deep blue/black in breeding condition. Females have a brown horizontal stripe which darkens when ready to breed.
Breeding:	Relatively easy. Bubble nest breeder. Place pair in a small tank with shallow water, sponge filter and floating plants. Remove female after spawning and male after he has placed eggs in nest.

credits to: http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk

Black Neon Tetra

The Black Neon Tetras are happiest in a school. How many fish make a school?... the standard answer is 7. This fish has a similar appearance to the Neon Tetra with its horizontal stripe that seems to glow. But even though they are called the 'Black Neon Tetra', they are a distinctly different fish than the Neon Tetra. They can readily be identified, as they have an enamel-white to greenish neon stripe contrasted with a rich velvety black color below it.
   Being a very peaceful fish, the Black Neon Tetra makes a very good addition to a community aquarium. They appreciate subdued lighting and will readily form schools.

Distribution:    The Black Neon Tetra was described by Géry in 1961. They are found in South America, the Paraguay River basin; Rio Taquari, Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul, and Brazil. Black Neon Tetras are now generally all captive-bred.
Status:    The species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.
Description:    The Black Neon Tetra is a small more slim-bodied species of tetra. It is similar in appearance to the Neon Tetra with its horizontal stripe that seems to glow, but is a distinctly different fish. They can readily be identified, as they have an enamel-white to greenish neon stripe contrasted with a rich velvety black color below it.
Size - Weight:    These fish get up to 1.5 inches (4 cm).
Care and feeding:    Since they are omnivorous the Black Neon Tetra will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food everyday. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen) or blood worms as a treat.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom: These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.
Acceptable Water Conditions:    Black Neon Tetras are somewhat more demanding than the Neon Tetra and should have soft, peat-filtered water. These fish prefer some plant cover and a darker gravel.
   Hardness: 6-15° dGH
   Ph: 5.5 to 7.5
   Temp: 73-81° F (23-27° C)
Social Behaviors:    The Black Neon Tetra is ideal for a community aquarium with other peaceful fish.
Sexual Differences: The female has a more rounded stomach (not much to go on!).
Breeding/Reproduction:    Suggested breeding conditions: pH 6.0, 4° dGH, 80° F. The Black Neon Tetras are egg layers. They freely spawn in schools or in pairs. See the description of how to breed these fish in Breeding Freshwater Fish.
Availability:    The Black Neon Tetra is readily available and inexpensive.

credits to:animal-world.com

Neon Tetra

Neon Tetra
Alternative Name(s):
Scientific Name(s): Paracheirodon innesi
Category: Tropical
Difficulty:
Maximum Size: 4cms
Minimum Tank Volume: 65 litres
Minimum Tank Size: 24"
Water Temperature Range: 21-29°C
Water pH Range: 5.0-7.0
Water Hardness Range: 1-7 dGH

General Information:	The Neon Tetra has a dark olive-green back over a silver-white abdomen. The fish is characterized by an iridescent blue horizontal stripe along each side of the fish from its nose to the base of the adipose fin, and an iridescent red stripe that begins at the middle of the body and extends posteriorly to the base of the caudal fin. During the night, the colour disappears as the fish rests, it reactivates once it becomes active in the morning.
Tank Requirements:	See Minimum Tank Volume and Minimum Tank Size above
Diet Requirements:	Neon tetras are omnivores and will accept most flake foods, but should also have some small foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, and micro pellet food to supplement their diet. A tropical sinking pellet is ideal as most brands of these include natural color enhancers that really bring out the colour in neon tetras.
Compatibility:	Fish that mix well in an aquarium are other types of tetras, such as the rummy-nose tetra, cardinal tetra, and glowlight tetra, and other community fish that live well in an ideal Tetra water condition. Mid-level feeders, they are best kept in schools of six to eight min or more if possible, for the "shoaling" effect when they move around the tank. They shoal naturally in the wild and are thus happier, more brightly colored, and more active when kept as a shoal as opposed to singly.
Recommendations:	Neons are best kept in a densely planted tank with subdued light and an ideal temperature of 24-26°C to resemble their native Amazon environment.
Common Problems:	Unfortunately, neon tetras are occasionally afflicted by the so-called "Neon Tetra Disease" (NTD) or Pleistophora which is usually fatal to the fish, and currently without a cure. This sporozoan disease is caused by Pleistophora hyphessobryconis.Note that there is a so-called "false neon disease", which is bacterial, and shows very similar symptoms. It is impossible for the home aquarist to determine for certain the difference between NTD and false NTD on the basis of visible symptoms alone, without laboratory backup. This disease has also been confused with Columnaris (mouth rot, mouth fungus, 'flex').
Similar Species:	Green neon tetra, Black neon tetra, Cardinal tetra
Sexing:	The male is slender, and the blue line is straighter. The female is rounder, producing a bent blue line. Some say that the females look plumper when viewed from above but this is disputed. However, the 'straightness' of the line and the plumpness of the female might occasionally be due to the eggs she is carrying.
Breeding:	To breed Neon Tetras, place a pair of the species in a breeding tank without any light, and gradually increase the lighting until spawning occurs. Other inducers include mosquito larvae and a hardness of less than 4 degrees.

credits to: http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk

Red Cherry Shrimps Caresheet

Scientific Name:
Neocaridina heteropoda
Other Scientific Names:
Neocaridina denticulata sinensis
Common Name:
Red Cherry Shrimp
Other Common Names:
Cherry Shrimp, Cherry Red Shrimp, RCS
Origin:
Taiwan

PH Range: 6.2 - 8.0 Temperature Range: 65 - 85 Hardness Range:3 - 15 dkh Life Span: 1 - 2 years Gestation Period: 30 days

Ideal pH: 7.2 Ideal Temperature: 75 Ideal Hardness: 8 dkh Size: 0.5" - 1" Diet: Omnivore

Red Cherry Shrimp History

The Red Cherry Shrimp is the red color variation of the wild Neocaridina heteropoda. This color variation was originally bred in Germany and started to appear in The United States in the late 1990's

Red Cherry Shrimp Care

The Cherry Red Shrimp is an undemanding shrimp in its care requirements. They should be kept in a well established aquarium with no predators. The most important factor for water parameter is stability and as long as none of the water parameters are in the extremes Red Cherry Shrimp should be happy and healthy. Want to know how to get even redder red shrimps?

Red Cherry Shrimp Diet

The Red Cherry Shrimp is an Omnivore. They are decent algae eaters and if sufficient algae is not present foods intended for aquarium fish and invertebrates can be used to supplement their diet. Another great supplement is blanched (boiled until soft) vegetables

Red Cherry Shrimp Breeding

If a male and a female are present in a well cared for aquarium, the Cherry Shrimp will breed. Females are larger and much more colorful, males are smaller and display a clear coloration with red spots. When the female is mature she will often times display a saddle (as seen in the insert). The saddle is the eggs developing in the females ovaries.

Red Cherry Shrimp Behavior

Red Cherry Shrimp a very non-aggressive. They spend most of the day grazing on plants, gravel and any other tank decorations for algae and other types of foods. Red Cherry Shrimp will get along very will with any other type of dwarf shrimp that is non-aggressive. When the Red Cherry Shrimp is kept in an aquarium that has no predators they are very active and only hide after molting (shedding exoskeleton to enable growth).

Special Notes

As with all aquatic invertebrates it is important to make sure copper does not get into the aquarium. Copper is toxic to all Dwarf Shrimp. Many medications contain elevated levels of copper, so it is recommended not to medicate an aquarium with Dwarf Shrimp in it.

credits to: http://www.theshrimpfarm.com/shrimp/red-cherry-shrimp.php

Crystal Red Shrimp Caresheet

Common name: Crystal Red Shrimp, Red bee shrimp

Scientific name: Caridina cf. cantonensi "Crystal Red"

Size: 1 – 1.5 inch / 2.5-3.5cm

Temperature: 70°F-78°F / 21- 26°C

General info
The crystal red shrimp does not appear in the wild. It is a line bred version of the bumble bee shrimp. Mr. Hisayasu Suzuki of Japan discovered a red version of bumble bee shrimps among the offspring of black bumble bee shrimps. Only a few shrimps displayed this red color and he line bred them to create the shrimp we know today. He then trademarked the name crystal red shrimp to be used for this mutation. The shrimp quickly became popular worldwide.

The strain has since been further refined by different breeders and there are different qualities/classes of crystal red shrimp. These are SS, S, A, B, and C. SS shrimps have very defined red stripes on a pure white body while C class shrimps have random red stripes/blotches on a transparent body. The classes in between are different stages between SS and C. S is for example are red on an almost pure white body that has some transparent areas and not very defined stripes.

Crystal red shrimps are more sensitive than most other shrimps. This is believed to be due to very small genetic variation present in these shrimps (due to having originated from only a few shrimps). Special care must be taken when transporting and moving these sensitive shrimps and this is one of the reasons behind their high price.

A healthy crystal red shrimp is active. If your shrimps are less active than usually you should check your water values/quality.

Aquarium and Care
Crystal red shrimp are best kept in a planted aquarium In a planted aquarium, the shrimp can find places to hide and will have the opportunity to always find something to eat. The shrimps will usually leave healthy plants alone and eat only debris and algae, because most plants are not soft enough for them to eat even if they tried. They do however sometimes snack on moss and riccia. Open areas in the aquarium are ok but not necessary. Avoid strong filtration.

Crystal red shrimp can be kept with most types of small and friendly fish that have the same water preferences as the crystal red shrimp. This shrimp needs the aquarium (or at least a part of it) to be dark for at least a few hours per night. Do not use water preparation chemicals or parasite killers in a tank containing crystal red shrimp since it may kill them. Change water in your tank at least once a week. Changing 25-35% of the water each week is ideal and you should only use dechlorinated water. Examples of dechlorinators are Amquel+ and Novaqua.

The water temperature is best kept between 70°F-78°F / 21- 26°C and the pH between 6.2 - 7.2. The shrimps show better color in the lower part of that temperature span. It is important to make sure that the pH-value does not drop too low. Too acidic water is dangerous for shrimps as it weakens their alkaline shells. Too acidic water can create micro pits in the shell of the shrimp and this makes the shrimp more susceptible to disease. This is the reason why shrimps kept in alkaline water have shinier shells than shrimps kept in acidic water. Make sure to maintain nitrite, nitrate and ammonia levels as close to zero as possible.

Feeding crystal red shrimp
They need a varied diet containing a lot of vegetable matter but some meaty food is also good. They can for instance be fed sinking algae wafers and flake food that sinks to the bottom. It is important to frequently feed these shrimp as they don't do well if they have to go part of the day hungry. It is also a good idea to have some moss and riccia in the tank. The shrimps are able to eat these plants and that gives them a permanent food source and makes sure they never have to go hungry.

Always leave the moulted shells of your shrimps in the tank so they can eat them and get the calcium back.

Crystal red shrimp sexing
They are hard to sex and crystal red shrimp sexing is never 100% sure. The males are thinner the tail section is larger on fully grown females than on males.

Breeding crystal red shrimp
Crystal red shrimp can be bred in much the same way as cherry shrimp and common bumble bee shrimp but are more sensitive and pickier in regards to water quality. Breeding this shrimp species requires a larger aquarium than many other small shrimp species. I recommend at least 20 gallon since they are hard to trigger to breed in tanks smaller than that. The temperature is best kept between 70°F-74°F / 21- 23°C. They can be bred at higher temperatures as well but they breed more frequently and the spawnings result in more surviving fry at lower temperatures. Avoid using too hard or too soft water when you breed crystal red shrimp. The pH-value is not very important as long as extremes are avoided. A pH of 7 usually gives a good result. Keep near perfect water quality if you want to breed Crystal red shrimp.

Plants are not needed to breed crystal red shrimp but are still recommended since they make these shrimps easier to breed and provide the shrimp with a more stable access to food. I have talked about this earlier. Keep the light on in the tank 10-12 hours a day. Too much light stresses them and too little isn't good either.

It is very important to feed a good varied diet if you want to breed Crystal red shrimp.
If you meet these needs your Crystal red shrimps will most likely breed. The eggs hatch into fully developed tiny shrimp. The eggs take longer than most shrimp eggs to hatch. The young grows slow and have a higher mortality rate than most other small freshwater shrimps.

Credits to: aquaticcommunity.com