Shirlie's Freshwater Aquariums Blog May 2008 Archive

Here's a new take on the age old fish bowl. Instead of sitting on the counter, this fish bowl hangs on the wall. Sounds nifty, but is it? Here ... Read More

Your aquarium is set up and you're ready to add fish. Excitement is at a fever pitch. You can't wait to get fish in there! What if I ... Read More

Few things are more eye-catching than large a shimmering Silver Dollar. The only thing better is having more than one. Dave Donatelli showed off his atttractive pair of Silver ... Read More

The aquarium is set up, but where should you put your aquairum heater? It's a simple enough question, but one that often is not published in setup instructions. Here's ... Read More

How long will your fish live? It's hard to know since they don't have hair to turn grey. To top it off most fish lie about their age. Although I ... Read More

Is it a boy or girl? Determining fish gender isn't always easy, in fact some are all but impossible to tell apart. One species that is relatively simple to sex ... Read More

Very few people can resist a puffer fish once they've seen them. Their expressive faces and propeller like fins make them an interesting fish for your freshwater aquarium. Puffers ... Read More

Do you really need to test your aquarium water? In a word - yes! What should be tested, and how often, is not as short an answer. Here are ... Read More

Like it or not, aquarium lights don't come with a tag saying when to turn them on and off. How long you should you leave the lights on? You'll ... Read More

The following reader comment gave rise to the question of owner accountability. What do you think, should fish owners be trained? "I have seen too many cases where people ... Read More

Sometimes the real McCoy is better than fake. Is that the case with live plants? The answer truly depends on the preference of the fish keeper. Before you ... Read More

Like people, fish need vitamins to stay healthy and active. What do you know about the nutritional needs of your fish? Make sure you are giving them the vitamins, ... Read More

It's a sad, but true, fact of life that artificially colored fish are common in the aquarium industry. Many people don't realize that fish, such as the ones shown ... Read More

The rule of thumb is to keep male Bettas alone, but some owners keep them in community tanks. Have you ever tried a community Betta? "I recently purchased a male ... Read More

Lively and brightly colored, with a sassy personality to match, the Tiger Barb is a universally popular aquarium fish. Warnings are in order, though. They like to nip ... Read More

Ever have this problem with a Barb? If so, perhaps you can help this forum member solve his fish woes. "I have a 45 gal. tank with twelve fish. All ... Read More

Only one male Betta can be kept in a tank (unless it's fairly large), yet virtually anyone who owns a Betta would like to keep more of them. A small ... Read More

Overly hot water can be dangerous, or even lethal, to fish if it remains high for a period of time. During summer months, high water temps can happen at any ... Read More

Several years have passed since the controversy over glow in the dark fish surfaced. In spite of the fact that some states considered banning them before they even hit ... Read More

Learning scientific names can be daunting, but it can be invaluable when trying to research information on a fish. Here are the basics about scientific fish names, and how to ... Read More

If you want attractive, peaceful and easy to care fish, Tetras are hard to beat. This Tetra photo gallery shows why. Want more information about a particular fish in the ... Read More

Cycling a new tank can be frustrating. Sometimes it seems as if it will never end. This forum member got answers from the forum community about elevated nitrite ... Read More

One day you gaze at your aquarium and notice a small snail on the glass. It looks harmless enough. A week later the snail has half a dozen companions. Before ... Read More

Phosphates (PO4) are present in every aquarium, even though many aquarium owners aren't aware of it. If the aquarium is not properly maintained, the phosphate levels will rise and ... Read More

Until recently, the Black-Banded Leporinus was rarely seen in pet shops. Now many shops carry them, but they are usually young and fairly small. Don't be fooled, that cute little ... Read More

Fin rot is one of the most common, and most preventable, diseases in aquarium fish. If left untreated, it can kill the sick fish and infect others in the ... Read More

Not all fish need heated water. In fact, many fish enjoy cooler water temps. If you've ever fought over the thermostat in your house you can understnd why ... Read More