Pet Tips

Managing Your Flowerhorn Aquarium
Managing Your Flowerhorn AquariumIf you’re thinking about purchasing a beautiful Flowerhorn fish, you’re not alone. The beautiful Flowerhorn fish is one of the more popular additions to your aquarium. However, if you have chosen a Flowerhorn, proper tank management is essential. It is, indeed, more important to practice a good tank management than it is to purchase the suitable type of fish for your tank.Proper fish tank management and beautiful Flowerhorn fish complement each other perfectly. It is, therefore, crucial for all hobbyists to have proper knowledge of good fish tank management. While it is not as simple as dumping clean water in every few weeks, it isn’t as terribly complicated as you may imagine.The TankAs the Flowerhorn’s ancestry originated from the Central and South American cichlids, it is essential to set up your tank to a closely simulated natural habitat for the fish, which at the same time, is incredibly pleasing to the eye.Various sizes and designs of fish tanks are available at your local fish store. Choose one that will complement your house, and always assume that your Flowerhorns will grow to be about 500 mm in length. It is advisable to get at least a 3 feet tank to start comfortably. Acrylic aquariums are recommended as these tanks are leak proof, lightweight and the wall materials provide exceptional clarity. The SeaClear 26 gallon flat back hexagonal tank is one good example of an acrylic tank that is great for keeping Flowerhorns.Tank AccessoriesOnce you’ve gotten the tank, you may want to think about backgrounds. Various attractive background designs for aquariums are easily available. Choose one that will fit the natural environment of the fish. Added pebbles, stones and gravels is a good idea as well. They can be used as substrate for biological filtration as well as a tool to help smooth and polish the teeth of Flowerhorns as they dig, shove and carry these pebbles. Keep in mind that in captivity, the teeth of the Flowerhorn tends to be quite sharp, and if you can help to take the edges off a bit with pebbles or gravel, less damage will be caused during mating or fighting sessions. Once you’ve added that gravel, expect to see it migrate around the tank a bit. Flowerhorns tend to build their ‘nest’ by moving the pebbles and stones from one place to another. This behavior normally indicates that the fish has matured, and it is ready for mating purposes.Even though you may think that sunken pirate ship looks neat, other unnatural tank ornaments are discouraged. These do not serve any purpose at all in the tank, and they may even be hazardous because they can cause accidental cuts and injuries on your Flowerhorns. These fish possess fierce territorial behaviors, and fights among fishes are common. Keeping objects like these in the tank only causes problems during fights.LightingSuitable aquarium lighting will enhance the coloration and the overall physical development of your Flowerhorn. It is recommended that you place your tank where is it able to get at least an hour of indirect sunlight a day. While you may worry that algae will infest your tank because of the sunlight, with proper water quality management, your tank should not go green with algae with that minute amount of sunlight. If sunlight isn’t possible in your living space, getting a full spectrum light is advisable. Be sure to leave it on for four to eight hours a day to maintain the color development of your Flowerhorn.Water qualityFlowerhorns are ‘hardy’, which means these fish are highly adaptable to different water conditions, including bad water ones. However, just because they’re ‘hardy’ fish doesn’t mean that you should keep poor water conditions in your tank. Adequate feedings and frequent water changes promote better growth, and, as a result, can even change the whole body morphology of the fish.Water pH level and Mineral ContentWater pH levels indicate the acidity and alkalinity of the water. Dissolved minerals in the water are often termed the “hardness” of the water. These two water parameters are interrelated. The water is considered ‘hard’ when there is a high content of dissolved minerals in it (like calcium), and normally the pH of ‘hard’ water is above 7, which is more alkaline. When there’s a lack of dissolved minerals in the water, it is considered ’soft,’ and thus the pH will be lower than neutral making it acidic.Local breeders have indicated that higher pH levels (7.5 to 7.8) will favor the growth of the nuchal hump, and lower pH levels (6.1 to 6.5) will favor color development in Flowerhorn fish. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Proper pH powder is widely used to maintain water quality. As a bonus, with its aloe vera and electrolytes contents, it also works to eliminate chlorine and heavy metals from the water while reducing fish stress. Depending on which traits you desire in your Flowerhorn, it is possible to adjust your water pH level accordingly.TemperatureFlowerhorns are tropical fish. They can survive in water with various temperature ranges, but they grow well in water temperature of 28 C. During transportation, the water temperature is usually maintained at about 22 C, and the temperature is raised to about 30 C when the fish is sick. This, though, doesn’t mean that all illnesses are curable this way. Check out the “Common Illnesses” section for more information. A simple thermometer may be purchased to monitor water temperature changes in your tank.DechlorinationTap water is commonly used by hobbyist, but most tap water contains high levels of chlorine, which poses a danger to your Flowerhorn. High chlorine toxicity may lead to fatalities. Dechlorination of tap water is crucial prior to usage. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Tap Water Conditioner instantly removes and detoxifies heavy metals from tap water. Add one teaspoon to your water to treat up to ten gallons.Filtration systemsIn an artificial aquatic environment, a good filtration system is extremely important. Flowerhorns feed on huge amounts of food, and as a by product, they secrete large amounts of ammonia. A good filtration system eliminates solid wastes from the fish, leftover food, ammonia and even dusts from the atmosphere. There are various types of filters available in the market. The efficiency of these filters depends on usage, stocking density and other factors.Mechanical filters work mainly to sieve out wastes, but they do not break it down. It makes the water clear, but this doesn’t mean it is ‘clean,’ as the ammonia produced by fish is still in the tank. The misconception of ‘clear water’ being ‘clean water’ often contributes to a lot of fish deaths. A mechanical filter normally uses filter wools and filter sponges as sieve materials. Mechanical filters work best coupled with biological filters.Biological filters are more efficient as they provide bio-media surfaces for beneficial bacteria to grow on. Bacteria colonize these surfaces and ‘work’ on the ammonia waste left by fish to break it down into fish friendly water components. You can read more about this in the “Ammonia and Nitrogen Cycle” article.Flowerhorn fish are quite beautiful, and they’ll make a lovely addition to your home aquarium display, but ensuring successful aquarium management is essential to keep your fish healthy and happy.Copyright 2000-2007 Flowerfish.com. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way and give the author name credit. About The Author: FlowerFish.com is the complete Flower Horn Fish Resource center. We are also one of the world's biggest and most recognised Flower Horn breeder, exporter and wholesaler.Please visit us at http://www.FlowerFish.com for more articles and Flower Horn fish picture galleries.
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How to Deal With a Death of a Pet
The death of a pet can be very sad It’s made more difficult with young children because they have a hard time understanding death Explaining can it can be tough If you tell your five-year-old their cat has passed on they might be clueless as to what “passed on” means “Lucky, passed on where, Mom? Did she go across the street?” Even if you use the word death, young children have a hard time grasping how long death is If you explain to your child that death means a long period of time you still might get, “Does that mean Spot will come back in three weeks?” Three weeks is a long time to a five-year-old . .At age six I still couldn’t understand how long summer was My older brother showed me a calendar and flipped up three pages saying that’s how long it was That helped, some At least I knew it was for a long time You actually have to tell your child their beloved pet will not be coming back You can’t pussy foot around death Death is final You do not want your child to think an animal is coming back if it’s not Please do not tell your child that Pickles went to live on a big farm in Idaho if Pickles died This is a lie and serves no purpose And your lie can be exposed However, if your family’s belief system is that there is an afterlife you can tell your child you believe Fluffy is in Heaven This is a belief It differs from “Pickles went to live in Idaho ” This statement is a lie because you’re purposely being deceptive It’s a deliberate falsehood You know Pickles did not go there . .Children grieve in different ways One of your children might sob, another could pester you with questions, and your last child might get real quiet and refuse to talk Each child has their own personality And because of that each had a different relationship with the deceased pet Moreover, one child could have been closer to the family pet than another Did the animal sleep in bed with them? It won’t anymore And that’s sad Be kind Don’t brush away your child’s feeling and tell them to buck up If you offer to take them for ice cream to cheer them up, do NOT renege on it if they say no They might be feeling so heartsick they can’t eat right now Take your child in a week . .Some children like to have a small memorial service for their pet I’ve been to many grave site pet services in backyards Fish Hamster Rat Turtle Lizard Depending on where you live, bigger pets, such as dogs, cats, etc , that have died have to be taken to your local animal services agency to be taken care of You should check You can have your pet cremated and have a small memorial service The memorial can be just sharing good memories “Remember how Rover would lay down low and sneak over to the counter and steal pizza?” Then it was a pain, now it could be a funny memory Maybe one child will draw a picture of good times with Rover A memorial service provides closure Which is important That’s why saying Pickles went to live in Idaho when he didn’t is wrong There is no closure .
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How to give your dog home-made enema
Sometimes, you may need to do more than just giving solid or liquid medication to your sick dog. Depending on his condition and symptoms, you may also have to provide other kinds of nursing care, such as giving enemas. Below is an effective way to use this procedure: The use of enemas can be beneficial for dogs that has the following conditions; constipation, during fasting, dehydration, excessive vomiting, bowel irritation caused by bone fragments or the presence of spoiled food or garbage in the digestive tract. Before administering this procedure, make sure that you only use pure water that is warm but not hot (test it on your wrist to make sure). Use about two tablespoons for a small dog and up to a pint for a large dog. Add a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the water and administer the mixture with a plastic or rubber syringe for about 2 to 3 minutes. For large dogs, you can use and enema bag and a nozzle. Here is how to do it: You must lubricate the end of the syringe with vegetable oil. Have someone help you hold the dog gently while he stands in a tub or on the ground. Insert the nozzle carefully into the rectum. Using gentle and consistent pressure against the anus (to prevent the fluid from leaking out), slowly fill the colon. If the solution does not flow in easily, pull back on the nozzle or syringe and slightly adjust the angle. Expect a bowel movement to begin within a few minutes. You may administer the enema once or twice a day for a couple of days. In many cases, dogs that are dehydrated are simply retaining the fluid. This occurs when the colon absorbs the fluid which the body needs. Therefore, enemas are an excellent way to administer fluid therapy. Under these circumstances, administer the enema about every four hours or until fluid is no longer retained. If a dog is having difficulty keeping water in his stomach due to heavy vomiting, an enema can help introduce the fluid and salts that are needed to replace those lost through vomiting. Using the solution as described earlier, add a pinch of sea salt plus a pinch of potassium chloride. The same solution can also be used to help a dog suffering from prolonged diarrhea. In this case, administer the enema every four hours or until fluid is no longer retained. author name: Linda Kajda Email: pebbles26@comcast.net I was speaking with Ron Capps on the phone the other day.He told me to have you develop an authority site in dog breeds, monetize with physical and digital products and structured in SEO friendly terms. <a href="http://www.americaneskimosecrets.com">dogs</a>
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