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Raising Clownfish

Family: Pomacentridae The spawning of clownfish nearly always takes place in the late afternoon and is a delightful scene to observe. A common precursor to this and a good indication of imminent egg laying is the ritual cleaning of the chosen spawning site. Both male and female clean the site vigorously with their mouths until…
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Keeping the Clown Tang | Acanthurus lineatus

The Clown Tang (Acanthurus lineatus) is one of the most striking members of the Tangs / Surgeons family (Acanthuridae), being one of the most aggressive and can be challenging to keep and care for. It is also known in the trade as the Lined Surgeon and Pyjama Tang. Sooner or later as a reef tank…
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Electric Blue Hap | Sciaenochromis ahli

This is another beautiful Cichlid Electric Blue Hap (Sciaenochromis ahli) from Lake Malawi. The above specimen is an exquisite male. Females and juveniles are gray drab in comparison. Electric Blue Haps in general are more peaceful than their mbuna counterparts and should not be mixed. (more…)
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Cyphotilapia frontosa

A pair of Cyphotilapia frontosa from the authors aquarium. One of the most beautiful and distinctive Cichlids of Lake Tanganyika has to be C. frontosa. There are two colour morphs of this species, a Berundi morph, which has six vertical bars and a Tanzanian morph, which has seven or even eight bars when they are…
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Harlequin Tuskfish | Choerodon fasciatus

The harlequin tusk (Choerodon fasciatus) belongs to the family of wrasses. It has orange mottled bands. Each band is etched by delicate blue-violet ribbons. Anteriorly, between the orange bands is silvery-white, turning to dark grey-black posteriorly. With big protruding tiger-like fangs, the tusk looks very menacing indeed, capable of doing harm to other tank mates.…
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Lyretail Grouper | Variola louti

With the opening of marine collection in the Red Sea, many organisms have become readily available which were previously too expensive for the average aquarist. It was just a few years back that a purple tang (Zebrasoma xanthurus), golden butterfly (Chaetodon semilarvatus), asfur angel (Arusetta asfur), or blue moon angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosas) would cost a…
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Majestic/Bluegirdled Angelfish | Euxiphipops navarchus

Like most other marine angelfish this species is another true beauty. One could say that it runs in the family. Adult and juvenile Majestic Angels (Euxiphipops navarchus) also known as the Bluegirdled Angel differ greatly in coloration. This above pictured specimen has begun its transformation into the adult color pattern. A complete juvenile has no…
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The Big Marine Tank

Just what constitutes a big tank?  Obviously, if you've been used to keeping an 18"x12"x12" aquarium (not recommended for marines by the way) then obviously a three foot tank is going to seem relatively big.  However, I would say that the realm of the truly big tank begins in the region 5'x18"x18".  This represents 70…
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Boxer / Coral Banded Shrimp | Stenopus hispidus

The Boxer Shrimp, also known as the Coral Banded Shrimp, is very popular amongst marine aquarists. The contrast of the red and white bands is beautiful, making this one of the most striking of shrimps. It has large pincers compared to some other shrimps of its size. It is quite aggressive in terms of not…
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Arowana | Osteoglossum bicirrhosum

The Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) is a long, sleek and extremely streamlined fish of great beauty. They're silver in colour and their large scales have a bright reflective sheen. There are two barbels attached to the lower lip (used for smell) of the cavernous mouth which opens like a trap door. Thus, it is capable of…
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Goldfish Care & Breeding

Goldfish have been around for longer than any one person can remember, in fact they were the first fish species to be kept in captivity by the Chinese and were raised to display the best colouration and shape possible by very proud owners at the time. Sadly in more modern times goldfish are considered to…
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Neon Tetra | Paracheirodon innesi

Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon innesi) have to be one of the most easily recognisable fish species that inhabit the tropical aquariums, they are cheap to purchase and make a fantastic display in their shoals flashing their colouration as they swim about underneath the aquarium lights, at the right angle their colours seem to bounce out of…
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Caring for Your Fishpond in Winter Months

Winter is often a season where weather keeps us indoors, nature seems to slow down and trees go dormant through the cold months of the season making us think that dealing with the fishpond can be relaxed until the warmer weather arrives in the spring. This is not the case when owning and caring for…
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Keeping Betta patoti

Many Betta keepers tend to veer towards keeping tank bred Bettas rather than wild specimens due to their higher tolerance to a broader range of water parameters but having said this there some wild specimens that deserve the extra effort and in my view the Betta patoti should be included in this list. (more…)
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Raising Betta picta

Betta picta get their Latin name from their distinct colouration and markings, the word “picta” depicting painted. Their markings comprise of three horizontal bars which are not solid but are made of from a series of dark dots. Their main body colouration is a greyish/brown with the males displaying coloured margins on their fins. (more…)
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Raising Betta splendens in Fish Tanks

Betta splendens has to be one of the most recognized species of fish that are available in the aquarium trade. Most specimens that are sold nowadays are tank bred rather than wild specimens and through the generations beautiful colouration and tail finnage is displayed, the only drawback is that the extended tail finnage on the…
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How to Select Compatible Freshwater Fish for Aquariums

For peace and harmony to prevail inside your aquarium tank, make sure you put in fish species that are compatible. Like other animals, some species of fish are more aggressive and predatory, while some possess a naturally calm temperament. If you are in the process of selecting compatible fish species for your community tank, here…
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Cloudy Aquarium Water: Causes and Solutions

Having cloudy water aquarium has surely been experienced by hobbyists at one time or another. This phenomenon can take place in both an established or a new aquarium. The earliest sign that there is something wrong in your tank can be detected by looking at the water. In a well-balanced aquatic ecosystem, the water should…
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Water Changes and Its Effect to Fishes

Water changes are important aspects of routine tank maintenance. Most aquarists know regular water changes should be undertaken, but not everyone does or knows how to do it correctly. (more…)
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All Pumped Up

Ranting about pond pumps has been one of my favourite preoccupations during my time as editor of Practical Fishkeeping. So a visit to the largest UK Garden trade show - GLEE - which features many fishkeeping and pond manufacturers (as well as halls full of lawnmowers, tractors, seeds, plants - you name it - for…
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Freshwater Plenums

At PFK we've been tossing around the idea of a freshwater plenum tank - that is a set-up relying on the "plenum" - a gap under a substrate - to filter the tank. In the marine world these are generally (though not always) combined with "living" sand - a substrate turned over by the living…
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Surging Into The Millennium?

There's an unwritten rule in this office that we don't mention celebrities who indulge in or make their living from dangerous sports or activities. This stems from an unfortunate simile about a famous racing driver who was deceased before the magazine hit the shelves. (more…)
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Two Nations Divided by a Common Language?

Despite the internationalisation of the world, via the Internet, we still cling to different methods and traditions in our various countries. I've just been working on a tiny book - intended to be very basic - on tropical fishkeeping. I've recommended certain filter systems, and the American company who are joint-publishing the book have totally…
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