discussion boards or
join our weekly chats on Friday nights from 9 to 11 PM Eastern Time in the Fish and Marine Life Chat Room. We'd also like to remind you that books make great gifts, so if you have a fish lover or hobbyist on your list, be sure to visit the AquariumHobbyist Bookstore!
On behalf of PHAqua and all the staff of AquariumHobbyist.com, we look forward to seeing you online, and wish all our subscribers and members a very happy holiday season!
PH Splendens
Ass. Site Coordinator
Aquarium Hobbyist.com
AquariumHobbyist Chat Week 2002!
As part of PetHobbyist.com's Fourth Annual Chat Week, AquariumHobbyist.com is please to announce the following special guests. For a complete lineup of chat guests and more information, please visit the PetHobbyist.com Chat Week 2002 Center!
Scott Johnson
Saltwater Aquariums
Friday, December 13, at 9 PM Eastern in Fish and Marine Chat
Interested in keeping saltwater fish, but not sure where to begin? Scott Johnson has been involved in the aquarium business for over twenty years, and will be our special guest in Fish Tales chat, sharing his expertise!
Sylvia Spalding
Marine Aquarium Council
Friday, December 13, at 10 PM Eastern in Fish and Marine Chat
While everyone involved in the marine industry may have different problems and face different issues, they all agree that consumer demand for environmentally sound products can motivate the industry to adopt and adhere to standards that ensure resources are sustainable, responsibly managed and supported by good husbandry and handling practices. More than 3,000 aquarists, industry operators, conservationists and researchers in 60 countries belong to the Marine Aquarium Council network. Sylvia Spalding is communications coordinator for MAC, and has experience spanning 20 years combining fisheries/marine conservation and journalism. While working for the Fisheries Training Project in the South Pacific Commission (now, Secretariat of the Pacific Community), Sylvia produced the Fisheries Newsletter and coauthored a manual on fisheries training opportunities for South Pacific islanders. She has served as media and publication specialist for the Pacific Business Center Program and editor for the Pelagic Fisheries Research Program and Hawaii Fishing News.
Holiday Contest
Ho Ho Ho, somebody is going to have a very merry Christmas!
Continuing kingsnake.com's holiday tradition of having a most excellent Christmas contest, PetHobbyist.com is having its biggest contest ever. This is a chance for pet lovers all over the continental United States to get their stocking stuffed with a NEW Gateway™ 42-inch plasma TV, thin enough to hang on the wall! Now you can watch TV or plug it into your computer and surf the web with the latest in flat screen plasma technology.
Visit our Holiday Contest Page for details!
Meet the PHs: PH Aqua
AquariumHobbyist.com Site Coordinator Tom Lang began keeping fish in aquariums in the fifth grade when a teacher sold him a complete 10 gallon tank. From there, after completing his education, he worked for several aquarium fish retailers and went on to establish Aquarius Aquarium in 1980 with his wife, Aletha. Their company provides aquatic system design and consultation services and maintains aquariums for clients throughout Central California. As a future source of aquarium-bred fish, corals and other aquatic organisms, Tom and Aletha have also founded the nonprofit 501(c)(3) Aquarius Aquarium Institute, which seeks to expand captive aquarium propagation to relieve the pressures of taking organisms from imperiled natural ecosystems and to educate the public about important issues in the aquarium industry.
PH Aqua is the Site Coordinator for AquariumHobbyist.com and you will find him most often on the Saltwater Forums!
Betta Splendens:
Caring for your little fighter
By PH Splendens
Betta Splendens, the Siamese fighting fish, more commonly known simply as a "Betta," originated in Thailand. They were first domesticated in 1893 for combat where wagers were made on the outcome of the fight. It wasn't until the 1920s before aquarists began keeping them in home aquariums.
Today bettas come in a multitude of colors with long flowing fins, the more common colors being red, blue, and turquoise. Their wild relatives tend to be more greenish brown in color with red fins, which are shorter to allow for quicker escapes from their rivals. Females on the other hand are a bit drab in color with much shorter fins than their male counterparts. Besides their coloring and finage, males are slightly larger than females, and can grow up to 3 inches. Even for the untrained eye, when viewing the two it is quite simple to tell them apart. When face-to-face, two male bettas will extend their fins and open their gills (this is called flaring) to try and intimidate the other. If neither backs down then a fight will occur until one retreats or is dead. They often do this over territory or to protect their fry. Males will also flare when courting females.
An organ called a labyrinth allows bettas to breathe air from the water surface, thus permitting them to live in water with low oxygen levels. Because of this ability aquarists often keep bettas in small containers, but ideally a 2-gallon filtered tank or more is better and allows the bettas to stretch their fins. Tank temperatures for the betta should range between 76 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Don't allow temperatures to quickly fluctuate more than a degree or two, as this will cause undue stress to the betta.
Often the question arises whether or not bettas will get along with other fish, and the fact is they can make good community fish in some circumstances. Bear in mind that they don't get along very well with angelfish, gouramis, fancy guppies (especially the males), and other male bettas. When deciding what fish to keep bettas with it is also a good idea to try and avoid fin nippers such as tetras and barbs. There is an exception to this when it comes to females, though. Several females will get along well in the same tank as long as there is plenty of room for escape in case the dominant female decides she needs more territory. Also, since females don't have the tempting fins that the males have, keeping them with fish such as tetras and barbs shouldn't be as big a problem.
If one were to observe the feeding habits of the betta in his natural habitat, they would notice that he eats a large variety of small insects that land on the water surface. This makes the betta splendens a carnivore, so when feeding your betta it is wise to give them a variety of different foods. A staple food such as betta bites, betta bio-gold, or betta min should be fed on a daily basis once or twice a day and only 5 or 6 pellets at a time. However, some bettas love variety, and can be fed freeze dried or frozen bloodworms, baby brine shrimp, or live foods such as mosquito larvae 2 or 3 times a week.
Remember that bettas are not big eaters and it is very easy to overfeed. Since fish have to eat and produce waste as a result of eating, water changes are a must, and there is no exception when it comes to bettas. In fact, since a lot of bettas are kept in small containers that don't have some sort of filtration, water changes are even more important and need to be done every 2 or 3 days to prevent toxic build up.
When doing water changes it is very important to remove any uneaten food or waste that may have settled to the bottom, and to replace about 80 percent of the water. While adding fresh water one can't forget to add a good tap water conditioner that removes chlorine, breaks the chloramine bond, and one that detoxifies heavy metals. Not adding a tap water conditioner could result in disaster.
Disease is a natural occurrence in fish, and bettas will contract their share of it. Some of the more common diseases found in bettas are fin rot, fungus, and ick, however, they are susceptible to other diseases as well. There are measures that you can take to prevent disease, such as doing regular water changes, feeding the proper foods, and keeping the stress levels at a minimum. This does not mean that disease won't strike, and even some of the more seasoned aquarists will encounter disease.
One of the first things a new betta owner notices is the betta's large personality, making it very easy to fall in love with this beautiful fish. After a short while they will associate you with food, and will eagerly greet you at feeding times and at other times will beg for a morsel or tidbit. Don't let this show of behavior sucker you to giving into them; they're not as hungry as they make out to be. Although bettas are not one of the longest-lived fish, they can live between 3 and 5 years with proper care and maintenance, and will become a wonderful friend that leaves a lasting impression.
Betta Resources
Betta Forum
Betta Talk
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