That Fish Blog – Aquarium Advice and Information

Last year, a nice Christmas gift was delivered to That Fish Place from Red Sea. In early December, their brand new Red Sea Max 250 made its grand entrance. After running the smaller version of their aquarium kit, the Red Sea Max 130D, for nearly a year and a half, I was running out of room. So the upgrade started. Now, a little over a year later, I thought I’d share the tank’s progress! Read More »

I don’t think that there is any great debate over what makes an ideal “starter fish”. For decades, bettas have been recommended and successfully kept by budding aquarists of all ages. These little fish can lure just about anyone with their brilliant colors and impressive fin displays. They make great starter fish because they are low maintenance and not very demanding. A few bits of food and a weekly partial water change is about all they need. For just a few dollars and with a little creativity, anyone can have a beautiful betta habitat in their home or office. Read More »

There are a few things every aquarist should have on hand, especially for saltwater and reef aquariums. Algae scrubbers, food for their fish, extra filter media…and first aid supplies. Even the most cautious of us gets scraped, stung, poked, cut, irritated and altogether abused sometimes when we work on our tanks. The supplies you may want to have depends on what you have in your aquarium (freshwater aquarists may not need many of these items) and your own medical history (if you know you are allergic to something like bee stings or salt creep or fake SCUBA diver ornaments, you may need some extra items like an Epi-pen or special medications).  Keep these items in a clean, waterproof container in your aquarium stand or nearby for easy access. Read More »

Victorian Cichlids have to be some of the best looking cichlids, right behind those gorgeous fish from Lake Malawi.  The majority of the vics that are found in the local pet shops tend to be very easy to breed, some which may rival the prolific habits of the convict cichlid. Creating a set-up that will facilitate successful spawning is not difficult, and you’ll be rewarded with beautifully colored fish and lots of babies to raise, sell, or swap.

The first thing to consider is the tank size. If you’re creating a community cichlid tank, a 55 gallon is the minimum that I would recommend. This should be enough space to house 6 to 10 four inch fish (though large tanks will give them more space to create territories). Chances are you’ll see both males and females in a group that size as well. If you’re looking specifically to breed your fish, a 29 or 30 gallon tank will work for a group of 1 male and 2 or 3 females. Read More »

Back in January, I posted a blog on personalizing your aquarium by creating your own aquarium ornaments and décor. As a gift for a friend, I recently used some of these techniques to create a one-of-a-kind toothbrush betta bowl ornament for his dental office and decided to share the results.

Supplies:

• Aquarium Sealant
• Hot Glue Gun
• 8 Acrylic Toothbrushes (soft bristle)
• Glass candle plate
• Dremel Saw

Read More »