Category Archives: Fish Facts

If you plan to add shrimp in a fish tank, prepare to have some fun.

admin    February 20, 2019   CATEGORY: Fish Facts

What You Should Know About Including Shrimp in a Fish Tank

Various types of shrimp make awesome cleaners. They clean up the tank of algae, skin, and plant waste, as well as provide it with something different for you to watch. As long as you know the best ways to care for shrimp in a fish tank, you should have a good cleaner in there for about a year.

With shrimp, the trick is to think of them as pets in their own right rather than bottom dwellers. Some hobbyists even create aquariums consisting of only shrimp, which truly is a sight to see.

Ghost shrimp are among the most popular bottom dwellers and least expensive shrimp for a fish tank.

Ghost Shrimp

Shrimp for business and home aquariums are very inexpensive. In fact, you can buy a ghost shrimp for as little as 39 cents. Most breeds are about $3 to $5.

Following are some of the most popular shrimp:

  • Freshwater Tank: Red Cherry Shrimp, Amano Shrimp, Bumblebee Shrimp, Blue Bolt Shrimp, Crystal Red Shrimp, Ghost Shrimp, Blue Tiger Shrimp, Panda Shrimp
  • Reef Tank: Pacific Cleaner Shrimp, Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp, Coral Banded Shrimp, Clown Shrimp, Peppermint Shrimp

Different types of shrimp have some varying care and feeding requirements. Generally, however, most aquarium shrimp prefer eating dead plants, small insects, and algae. You may feed them fish flakes, shrimp pellets, fish pellets, and algae wafers.

Crystal red shrimp are among the most popular bottom dwellers in a fish tank.

Crystal Red Shrimp

Although they don’t look like it, shrimp are fairly tough. The popular cherry shrimp, for example, can live in water that is 72 to 78 degrees and a pH level of 7.0 to 7.8.

Within reason, any type of lighting that is appropriate for the other tank inhabitants should be fine for them.

If you do have shrimp in a fish tank, be sure to include live plants. Live plants provide shrimp with places to hide and help ensure that there’s always something for them to eat. If you plan to have several shrimp, use a tank that is large enough for them to roam.

While many enthusiasts have tanks only for shrimp, adding shrimp in a fish tank can enhance its appearance and keep the tank clean. If you do plan to have an aquarium with shrimp and fish, make sure the fish are not aggressive or predatory.

Because shrimp vary widely, ask our aquarium maintenance technician for recommendations and care tips for your specific species.

Contact Seatech Aquariums for fish tank maintenance in the greater Phoenix area.

TAGS: Fish Tank Bottom Dwellers, Pet Shrimp, Shrimp Aquarium,

Some interesting killifish facts include the fact that there are more than 1,000 species of killifish, as well as the fact that annual killifish only live for up to 9 months.

admin    January 29, 2019   CATEGORY: Fish Facts

Freshwater Life: Killifish Facts

Despite its deceptive name, the killifish is one of the most peaceful freshwater fish. In addition to its calm demeanor, the killifish also is less fussy than some other aquarium fish. As if that’s not enough to make it popular among hobbyists, it also adds brilliant color to a fish tank. The main problem with them is that they probably won’t live as long as some other fish. If you’re considering obtaining one for your home aquarium, following are some basic killifish facts that will help you.

12 Killifish Facts You Should Know

1. Although they’re very peaceful, like many other fish, they can be competitive with other fish of the same gender and breed during mating season.

2. There are more than 1,000 species of killifish.

Killifish are peaceful, beautiful, and easy to maintain in a freshwater aquarium. One of the killifish facts you should know, however, is that they have a short lifespan, no matter how well you maintain your fish tank.3. Annual classes of killifish live up to only 9 months. Semi-annuals can live up to three years, and non-annuals can live up to five years.

4. The largest is about six inches, while the average size is about 3 inches.

5. You should feed them live fruit flies, brine shrimp, mosquito larva, and worms. They can be fed frozen foods as well.

6. The male killifish has an interesting social life. He usually lives with several female fish. He has to chase them to spawn, but the females find places to hide.

7. Male fish are brighter than female fish – in appearance, that is. It’s not clear which sex is smarter, but we’re betting on the female based on point number 6.

8. They have one of the most peculiar mating habits of any fish. Some lay fish with hard shells inside the mud of swamps and other shallow bodies of water, but only at about two inches underground. Once the pond dries up, the eggs hatch after it rains. The parents, however, will usually have already died, so they won’t meet their babies.

9. Because they prefer cooler temperatures, hobbyists are more likely to have success with them if they are placed in their own tank. The temperature of the tank for killifish should be about 68 degrees, while the ideal temperature ranges from about 74 to 80 degrees for other types of freshwater fish. However, killifish tend to have a short lifespan regardless of how well you take care of them.

10. The largest family of killifish is Rivulidae, which consists of more than 300 species. Other families include Aplocheilidae, Cyprinodontidae, Fundulidae, Profundulidae, and Valenciidae.

11. They can help control algae growth in a fish tank.

12. They live everywhere in the world except Australia, northern Europe, and Australia.

Contact Us for More Information

The above are only some of the killifish facts you would need to know if you’re interested in owning one or more. Contact us for more information about how to create and maintain the best environment for them.

Contact Seatech Aquariums for fish tank maintenance in the greater Phoenix area.

 

TAGS: Fish Facts, Freshwater Aquarium, Killifish Facts,