Tying a Diamond Hair Minnow

Insanely productive minnow pattern… Big Browns and Bass love them.

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Tying the simiseal leech

This has got to be the most effective fly in my arsenal. It has caught everything I have fished for under all conditions.

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Euthanizing aquarium fish

It’s a sad fact of fishkeeping that sometimes, fish take a long time to let go of life. Watching a beloved fish struggle to breathe is tragic and helps no one, including the fish. In some cases, a fish may be carrying a contagious disease that needs to be ended as quickly as possible. Often, putting the poor thing out of its misery is the only humane thing to do. There are several ways to euthanize a fish, some more humane than others. Continue reading

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Quarantine Tank: Why You Need One and How to Set It Up

 

Quarantine tanks should be used by all aquarium owners when introducing new fish to a tank but, unfortunately, less than 5% use them. Every time we bring a new inhabitant into our aquarium we run the risk of introducing disease and parasites. At the same time, new fish will be very stressed from transport and relocation and will be very susceptible to any diseases or parasites present in the new environment. A quarantine tank protects your existing investment while allowing new fish to regain optimum health before their final stressful transition. In our opinion, a quarantine tank is a vital piece of equipment that should be used by all aquarists. Continue reading

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Filters: Compare and Choose the Right Canister Filter for Your Aquarium

 

Quiet, convenient canister filters are inconspicuously located under your aquarium (typically in the stand). Most canister filters are customizable, and can hold a large amount of media (mechanical, chemical, and biological) in varying combinations. Some examples are included in the table below. Because they are customizable, you have maximum flexibility in choosing the predominant type, and amount of media to achieve your desired end result.

  • If your fish produce excessive amounts of waste, incorporate a large amount of mechanical media (filter pads of varying coarseness) to effectively remove waste from the water.
  • If your fish require sparkling water with stable, consistent parameters, use larger amounts of chemical media (carbons and resins).
  • If your fish consistently produce very high levels of ammonia, which require daily control, make biological media (such as ceramic rings and sponges) your predominant media. Continue reading
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Filter Functions and types: How to Choose the Right Kind of Aquarium Filtration

 

Choosing the correct filtration system for your aquarium is an important decision that will impact not only the type and quantity of livestock that you wish to keep, but also the amount of maintenance that the system will require. The filtration system is responsible for keeping the water clear and free of particulate matter (tiny fragments of plant material, leftover food, feces, waste products from the fish, etc.) and toxic compounds that are dangerous to the inhabitants. In this article, I will explain the strengths and weaknesses of the commonly available types of filtration, so you can make the right decision in choosing the filtration for your aquarium. Continue reading

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Keeping mudskippers.

Common Name: Mudskipper
Latin Name: Periophthalmus barbarus
Origin: India, West Africa, Australia, and other areas with mangrove swamps
Temperature: 80 °F (27°C)
Ease Of Keeping: If needs are met quite hardy
Aggressivness: Agressive, best kept in a species tank
Adult Size: 4.5 inches (11cm) to nearly 12 inches (30cm)
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Feeding: Frozen food, or live crickets.
Spawning Method: Mudskippers have yet to be bred in captivity Continue reading

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Breeding RCS -Red Cherry Shrimp

I’ve seen a lot of people asking questions about cherry shrimp and breeding requirements, tank setup, water parameters, etc.

I thought I’d take a little time to talk about what has worked for me. I got into the hobby a little over a year ago and found this site and a few others and quickly became interested in freshwater shrimp. I bought my first batch of 10 cherry shrimp and 10 amano shrimp and rest is history. Continue reading

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Boraras brigittae is a stunning little fish.

boraras-brigttae

boraras-brigttae

The rasbora genus Boraras is a small group of very small fish. None of them are over 1 1/4 inches in length at maximum size; and the redfin dwarf rasbora (Boraras brigittae) is one of the smallest members of the gigantic family Cyprinidae (the carps and minnows). They all are colorful, and each species is interesting in its own right. They make excellent members of either a dedicated species tank or a tiny fish community tank, and are perfect residents for one of the desktop aquaria that are so popular now. None of them will do well in community tanks with large or boisterous fish. In such situations, they spend all of their time hiding and trying to avoid being eaten.
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Pressurized C02 Injection Systems

Carbon Dioxide (C02) is a indispensible component for effective photosynthesis and plant growth.  C02 is necessary when your lighting is above the standard 2.0 watts per gallon threshold.  In lower lighting setups, supplementing C02 can only help plant growth and keep algae away.
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