Choosing The Right Fish Habitat For Your Aquarium By C Swarens

If you have decided to bring pet fish into your home, one of the first things you will need to determine is the type of habitat you will create. You may be surprised to learn that there are actually many different types of habitats for you to select from. In addition, the type of habitat you choose to create will determine the type of fish you can put into your tank.

A community tank is a tank that may contain a variety of different fish, but all of the fish species in a community tank need to be non-aggressive against each other. This way, the fish can live in the same tank without hurting one another. This does not mean, however, that you cannot have aggressive fish in your tank. Rather, you need to choose the fish in your community carefully. This way, one species will not dominate and harm the other species. Some types of community tanks you might want to create include:

• Cichlid tanks

• Tetra and Liverbearer tanks

• Fast moving tanks

By combining the right types of fish together, they will be able to live together peacefully.

Cichlid Tanks

Cichlid tanks come in two major forms: African and South American. When it comes to cichlids, you can mix a variety of African cichlids together or you can mix a variety of South American cichlids together. You cannot, however, mix African cichlids with South American cichlids. If you do, disaster may strike as the two different types of cichlids fight over the territory.

With African cichlids, you need to make certain your fish have plenty of places to hide. These fish tend to enjoy having rock formations, caves, and plants in which they can hide. Ideally, you should maintain a pH balance of 8.0 for African cichlids. South American cichlids, on the other hand, need to have plenty of space to move because they tend to get quite large. Some fish that fall in this category include severums and Oscars. Since they tend to get so large, you should have a tank that is at least 50 gallons big in order to keep them happy.

Tetra and Livebearer Tanks

Tetra and livebearers can be kept in smaller tanks than what you would use for cichlids. In fact, a tank that is only ten to twenty-nine gallons big is large enough. The pH should be in the mid 7s for most livebearers, though tetras prefer the pH to be somewhere in between 6.5 and 7. Either way, it is best to keep plenty of plants and decorations in the tank, as these fish tend to enjoy playing with their decorations.

Fast Moving Tanks

Fast moving fish include fish such as tiger barbs, zebra danios, and sharks. For these fish, you will want to obtain a high tank that provides them with plenty of space to roam. Although these fish don't really have anywhere to go, they like to get their fast. The temperature in these tanks should be kept somewhere around 70 to 80 degrees.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=260724&ca=Pets

Choosing The Perfect Pet Snake By C Swarens

Are you thinking about keeping a pet snake in your home? While pet snakes can be a great addition to your home, there are several things that you need to keep in mind in order to guarantee the best possible experience for both you and your slithery friend.

Think About Size

Before purchasing a pet snake, you need to consider the size of your reptilian friend. Don't be fooled by the size of the snake that you see at the pet store. Often, pet stores sell snakes that are not fully grown. So, while the snake may seem like a manageable five feet of slithering scales, it may grow to be much larger and much thicker than it currently is.

Before you purchase a pet snake, be sure to do your research about that particular breed. That way, you will know how large you can expect the snake to grow and you can choose one that will be manageable for years to come. Not only will this help you have a much more pleasant snake-raising experience, it will also ensure your snake's habitat is the proper size and that your snake remains happy and healthy.

Consider Breeding

Ideally, the pet snake that you bring home should have been captive bred. If you snag a snake from the wild, it has two distinct drawbacks. First, the snake will be decidedly unhappy because it is used to running free and wild. Second, the snake is more likely to be aggressive because it is not used to human handling. Obviously, this will result in a poor experience for both you and your snake.

In order to create the best possible solution for you and your snake, you should purchase one that was bred by a reputable breeder. This way, you can be certain the proper methods were used for the breeding process. You can also be more certain the snake will not be diseased or contain parasites.

Choose a Good 'Starter' Snake

When purchasing your first pet snake, you should start out with one that is generally considered good for beginning snake owners. These include king snakes, corn snakes, and ball pythons. Each of these breeds tend to be gentle, which means you should have a good experience when handling them. These snakes are also relatively easy to care for when it comes to meeting habitat requirements and feeding.

Just as there are some snakes that are good for beginners, there are others that are decidedly bad for beginners. These include red-tailed boas, Burmese pythons, water snakes, tree boas or pythons, and any snake that has been caught in the wild.

Regardless of the breed of snake, it is best to avoid any snake that is overly large or that has a poor temperament. Be certain to handle the snake before making a purchase and observe how well the snake takes to being handled. If the snake makes a sudden movement at you or bites you, move on to another one that will be easier for you to handle

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=260728&ca=Pets