Keeping Predatory Fish

Keeping predatory fish in an aquarium can be very entertaining! Predator fish are fish that naturally  survive on hunting for meals, fish with carnivorous attitudes!  Keeping fish that live in such a way can be amusing to watch how fish naturally survive, however, you need to make sure that their appetite  is controlled. Predatory fish tend to be more aggressive due to their want to eat, so care for them is very important!

Most people when its come to housing predatory fish, prefer to feed their fish pellets foods that contain meatier ingredients. This tends to be the most recommended way because its more healthier and it can ease aggression!

Another option when feeding predatory fish is live food. Mostly all predatory fish will love to devourer live foods like worms, crickets, and other insects!  There also are feeder fish available to feed predatory fish; live smaller fish (commonly goldfish and minnows). When feeding your fish live food, it can cause more aggression in your tank. Also feeding your fish live fish may cause your fish to turn on each other! So live food will be accepted by your fish, but may have some negative results.

To top it all off, predatory fish can be great fish to keep. I wouldn't recommend them for beginners due to attitudes and appetites, but they  would make a great pet for experienced fish keepers.

How To Prevent Aquarium Fin Nipping

Devario Aequipinnatus

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 Common Name: Giant Danio

Type: Cyprinidae, Minnow

Origin: India

Size:4 inches

Color: Giant Danio display a green to blue color on the sides of their body over a silver base with yellow markings going across the green! 

Description: Giant Danio are some of the most active aquarium available! These fish are always on the move and overall very entertaining! To add these fish are some of the best schooling fish to keep because they trust one another for comfort and safety!

Fish Stress

Fish Stress is the Number 1 cause of problems in fish keeping!

The same way humans stress over different situations in life, is the same way fish stress over situations in their life, and I think that that have a lot more reasons to stress than we have; being that they are held captive in glass boxes for our entertainment instead of  living free in the rivers and lakes where they belong! However, there are many ways to relieve stress for your fish and to make your fish enjoy being with you!

Red Tail Giant Gourami

Cause of Stress

Fish Stress is caused by a number of reasons. Below are some of the most common reasons:

Improper Water Quality: Having water that don't match your fish's requirement's in regards to pH, temperature, and others conditions that are found in fishes natural home!

Poor diet: Feeding fish food that is not supposed to be fed to it!

Tank Design: If you tank design is not comfortable for your fish providing hiding spots and safety retreats it can surely cause stress! My suggestion when choosing a tank design that is least stressful for your fish is to try to imitate your fishes natural habitat!

Over Crowding Tank: Too many fish in your tank!

Bullying: If your fish is being bullied by other fish stress is sure to come!

Poor filtration: If your tank is not being filtered and cleaned properly it can stress your fish out!

External Stress: People tapping glass, putting hands in tank, chasing fish with net, etc.!

Signs Of Stress 

When your fish are stressed, they will not keep it a secret from your, they always show signs of stress! However, some signs are easier to  notice than others.

• Hiding: Often times fish hide when stressed!
• Not Eating
• Diseased or sick
• Torn fins
• Lack of color
• Lack of activity

Prevention Of Stress

There are many things to do to prevent stress:

• Make sure you have good water quality, meeting all needs and requirement of your fish!
• Make you fish comfortable, provide hiding spots and many things than imitate fish's natural environment like rocks and plants:
• Prevent bulling, removed all bullying, or bullied fish!
• Feed You Fish the appropriate diet for your fish!
• Be sure to have Perfect Filtration!
• Keeping Children from tapping on glass and bothering the tank!

• 

Papiliochromis ramirezi

 

Common Name: German Blue Ram, ram cichlid, German ram

Type: Cichlid

Origin: South America

Size: 3 inches

Color: Males display a combination of bright yellow, red, black and a blue sheen over body side! Females show similar color not as bright but still beautiful. Females can be distinguished by red to pink color on stomach!   

Description: German blue rams are very beautiful dwarf cichlids that can bring tons of activity to a peaceful tank. While they may quarrel one with another, I find that they are generally peaceful towards other tank mates!

 

Beautiful Dominate Male



Males Will Fight Each Other for Dominance

 

Male & Female

Male

Female

Hypselecara Temporalis

 Common Name: Chocolate Cichlid

Type: Cichlid

Origin: South America

Size:10 inches

Color:The chocalte cichlid starts off brown as a juvenile, but as it matures it produce more reds and greens in the body

Description:  Chocolate Cichlids are very personal fish that show distinct personal traits and habits that separate them from many other fish!