The trouble with keeping Koi is that it’s one of those hobbies where you need to know everything about it before you begin doing anything.

This is because the consequences of making a mistake, one that is fundamental, right in the beginning are considerably more onerous than with many other hobbies. If your pond for example, is badly built and develops a leak, say after a year, it will cost you substantial money and effort to resolve the problem. Not to mention the strain your Koi will take during the process!

Do not jump in and build your pond until you are intimately familiar with the following terms:

Mechanical filtration and why sand filters are bad
Biological filtration
The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrifying bacteria - what they are and what they do
Denitrifying bacteria - what they are and what they do
Heterotrophic and autotrophic bacteria
Organic and inorganic waste products - what they are and what happens to them

Notice that I said you! Not your dealer and not your pond builder. You and only you! You are the one who has to live with the results. Your dealer will sell you more kit, your pond builder will build you another pond but the success of your pond rests with you! References to other systems that the dealer has sold, or other ponds and filtration systems that the pond builder has built count for very little. Plenty of people before you have bought the wrong thing - that doesn’t mean that you should too! The Koi keeper in each of these ‘references’ is the ultimate determination of success or failure and this can only be measured in years or better, decades.

I will cover these issues in upcoming articles. Once you understand all this, you will be far better equipped to tackle Koi keeping. In the worst case scenario you may decide to settle for a small aquarium, but rather that than end up with a disaster and poorer in both spirit and pocket.

The principle of avoiding fundamental mistakes applies equally with filtration systems. As a Koi keeper you are bound to make mistakes but don’t make the expensive ones that are the toughest to cure. Seek advice and search for facts. Koi keeping is not about smoke, mirrors and snake oil. It is in fact a highly scientific hobby which means that it is in fact easy to establish whether you are being led by the nose or not. Facts are either scientifically provable or they’re not. Getting to the facts can sometimes be a challenge on its own! Try a sand filter salesman to see what I mean.

The real crunch in the hobby though is that Koi are tough fish. If Koi were as flimsy as say an exotic species like Discus, which require highly specific water conditions, it is doubtful that the hobby would ever have taken off. It takes a lot to kill off a Koi and a less than adequate filtration system may only strike in years to come, when something completely unrelated sets off a chain of events that culminates in weakened Koi that are then simply wiped out by the inadequate filtration system.

The poor Koi keeper is left wondering what happened. He then proceeds the way of many before him, with a shovel, lots of sand and a determination to fill in what was once a treasured feature of his garden, his Koi pond.

I am not a Koi pond builder or construction expert. I do however know what is needed in a Koi pond and would suggest that if you are serious about keeping Koi your pond has to be at least 10 000l. Smaller than that please consider keeping goldfish if you don’t want to regularly bury Koi. Koi grow too big to be kept confined in smaller environments than 10 000l.

As with all things Koi, bigger is better. Size counts for everything, even with the Koi themselves. Bear this in mind when it comes to selecting your filtration equipment. If you do your homework into the hobby and you do things properly the first time, your Koi will live and prosper and they will grow. This increase in growth places an increased demand on your filtration system. It sounds obvious, but a 40cm Koi 665 grams on average is very different from a 90cm Koi that can weigh 8448 grams on average. That’s twelve times the weight of Koi and twelve times more filtration load!

It still amazes me that people still buy bio filters that are ‘rated to treat XXX l of pond water’! Such a rating is completely and utterly meaningless. My biggest problem with it is that it is deliberately misleading to the detriment of the purchaser. What if there is only one single fish in this pond? What if there are a hundred? What if these fish are all 10 kg or heavier? What if they’re Koi and not goldfish?

The only meaningful rating is one which indicates how many kilograms of Koi fish weight the bio filter is capable of handling, and at what speed (rate) the bio filter is able to breakdown wastes. It’s no good if the bio filter takes three days to remove the wastes produced by Koi - no Koi would be very happy at only being fed once every three days! Remember too that Koi on a weight for weight basis produce about twice as much filtration load as goldfish do - Koi are not known as the ‘pigs of dams and rivers’ without good reason!

My advice is that any bio filter offering a rating based on pond volume is seriously flawed. Stay away. The designers of these so called bio filters have made a guess as to how many fish would be living in such and such a pond volume, and worse, they’ve guessed how big these fish are. Even worse, if they have made all these guesses, do they in fact know how many milligrams of ammonia the filter is capable of removing per hour at a specified flow rate and under what conditions? My guess is that they have no idea. In modern Koi keeping, this is nothing short of genocide. The one thing that I can promise you is that once your fish load exceeds these guesses, the only certainty is that your local Koi graveyard is going to be doing a lot more business!

There is no substitute for homework when it comes to Koi keeping. It’s a lot of fun and tremendously rewarding to see the results in action. Don’t be put off, the processes are not that complicated to understand. All it takes is time. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get second opinions.

Do your homework and be rewarded. Fail to do it, and be condemned!

William Kelly

William Kelly is a Koi hobbyist dragged into the business kicking and screaming. He runs happykoi.co.za/article.htm happykoi.co.za/article.htm as a koi keeping information website hopefully that helps with a deeper understanding of what it takes to keep Koi happy and healthy.

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Bearded dragons are from the reptile family that may be excellent home pets. They are commonly docile although their appearance may appear otherwise. Sometimes they seem as if they even enjoy being handled and like to take baths or dips in the water. As they are awake during the day and asleep in the night, their owners can enjoy watching them. Many herpetologists recommend them as pets because of their tame disposition and size.

Bearded Dragon lizards make good pets for children, as long as they are supervised. They require lesser time and effort as compared to cats, dogs, and even fish. Their diet consists mostly of live bugs (you can get them at you local pet store) and vegetables. They usually favor small worms and grasshoppers. Green leafy vegetables are good for them and should be a main component of their daily diet. The leaves should be chopped or torn into relatively small pieces before being fed to the lizard.

Deciding that you want a lizard for a pet is only the first step. You have to consider many things before buying any breed. Two main categories may help streamline your planning and choosing process. Choose and buy a lizard according to its characteristics and to the amount of care you can provide.

As mentioned previously, the Bearded Dragon lizard is a recommended choice because they are friendlier than their other lizard cousins and their small size require a smaller space to live in.

After deciding to make the Bearded Dragon your house pet, check if the one you are purchasing is a healthy lizard. It is imperative that you check and approve the qualities of the one you are buying. Some guidelines can be:

1. Check the lizard’s eyes. They should be wide, alert, and obviously attentive to their surroundings.

2. The mouth, eyes, tail, and feet should be in good condition. There should be no sores or wounds of any kind.

3. There should be no scar or cut on the lizard’s skin.

4. Check for fat storages at the base of the tail. A healthy lizard has ample fat stores. Avoid those with jutting bones near or at the end of the tail.

5. There should be no patches where the scale has been shed.

After you have made sure that you are purchasing a healthy and legal Bearded Dragon, consider the amount of care you can provide. These pets have special and specific needs that you need to address to make sure that they remain happy and healthy.

First off, where are you going to put your Bearded Dragon? They are usually housed in glass aquariums with a screen as a roof to allow enough air to circulate. The minimum size of your aquarium should be 91 x 46 x 36 cm. This will ensure that your lizard has enough space to grow and exercise in. Make sure that you clean their homes at least once a week. Like any other pet, a clean environment is imperative for your lizard to continue being healthy.

Humidity is another requirement you must fulfill. Lizards need a humid environment. This means that the air in their aquarium should contain enough water. You can provide this by spraying water in their tank every few days.

A long fluorescent light should also be installed in their aquarium. This will mimic the light the sun gives off and will stimulate your Bearded Dragon’s appetite and digestion. Ultraviolet light is necessary for your lizard’s growth and development.

Michael Torresi is a freelancer and lizard expert. For more tips on raising Bearded Dragons Lizards and having them live 3 times longer, go to => beardeddragonsecrets.com/tips.html beardeddragonsecrets.com/tips.html

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Viper Boas are a wonderful species of snake to look at. They are very robust, with tough ‘keeled’ scales and an arrow like head. They are usually a fairly dull brown, although can be a wonderful bright red or orange. They do however, change colour with seasons, temperature and perhaps mood changes. I have had wonderful orangey specimens turn a dark brown with time. Nearly all Viper Boas are wild caught, in fact, I have not heard of any successful breeder who has bred and reared these. Gravid (pregnant) females are often imported and have their young in captivity. However, most of these die within 6 months for little or no apparent reason. In time, we can hopefully learn more about this species and successfully reproduce it in captivity. Viper Boas are fairly calm snakes, but when handled incorrectly can swipe from side to side with lighting speed. Although they are non-venomous, they have quite a nasty bite. Adult females can reach 80cm; males are less than half the size.

Housing

When keeping any snake as a pet, you generally want to be able to view the snake from the outside of its enclosure, in the most natural surroundings you can offer. This will be more aesthetically pleasing and also aid in the general condition of the snake. If the snake likes its surroundings, it will have a better feeding response and generally grow quicker. A larger vivarium also offers more interest to the snake’s life, and by adding branches and other natural products you will enhance the quality of life the snake has, and stop it from becoming lethargic and overweight. Also, being stronger it should have more of a resistance to any viral infections or any other problems that it may encounter later in life.

For an adult Viper Boa, a vivarium 60cm Length x 45cm Width x 45cm Height is ample. This is a timid species; many specimens when bought into captivity can go for many months without feeding. It is important that this transitional period is as stress-free as possible. A small, confined enclosure with no added lighting, away from human ‘traffic’ may be needed. Once the boa is feeding on a regular basis, a larger vivarium with lighting may be offered.

Snake enclosures can be made from a number of materials. Most commonly used is a melamine coated wood which covers all sides except the front, which has glass sliding doors. Aquariums can also be used for Viper Boas, although a specialist lid should be bought or made rather than the original aquarium lid. It is essential when thinking about what type of enclosure you use, you think about these 6 ‘SSSHHH’ factors:

1) Safety – Can the snake or owner injure itself from the enclosure or any appliances held within?
2) Secure – Can the snake escape through any small hole or cavity?
3) Size – Will the enclosure be appropriately sized?
4) Heating – Is the enclosure able to regulate the temperature properly?
5) Humidity – Will the enclosure last well in humid conditions? Is there enough ventilation for the moisture to escape?
6) Hygienic – Will the enclosure build up a lot of bacteria in small cavities? Is it easy to clean?

By following the steps above, you can have a suitable enclosure made from a variety of materials.

Décor

Décor in your tank serves two purposes. First being extra cover for your snake and second, allowing for a more natural and pleasing appearance. When choosing décor, think about the safety of the snake. Make sure that whatever you decide to use, it is securely fixed and that no rocks, wood or anything heavy can fall and possibly injure, or even kill the snake. You must also make sure that everything used is parasite free. If anything has been picked up from outside, or has originally come from outside, such as cork bark, you should either boil it, or place the item in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 30 minutes. Freezing works for some parasites, however others have been known to survive months in freezing conditions. Some parasites found in English conditions last winters in minus temperatures, so it is not entirely effective.

Once all your décor is parasite free, it is then safe to place inside your enclosure. As a general rule, if you can put pressure on an item to knock it down, a Viper Boa is certainly capable of doing so. When positioning rocks or heavy objects, make sure they are completely secure. If it is still uneasy, screw them or use superglue to fix them securely. If it is not possible, the rule is simple: Do not place the item in the vivarium!

If you decide to go for a larger enclosure, you must provide plenty of cover and hiding areas. A hiding place can be anything from a tupperware box with a hole cut out to a naturalistic piece of cork bark. There are many brands of fake plants and décor you can use which is both safe for the animal and pleasing to the eye. Cork bark is available from almost any reptile pet shop in the UK, and can be ordered in if they do not have it in stock. This is excellent cover for any reptile and is 100% natural. One thing you must consider when thinking about the size of the vivarium, is the bigger you go, the more hiding areas you must provide. I recommend at least one hiding place per foot in length of the enclosure.

NOTE: Never use sticky tape in an enclosure; this is an accident waiting to happen. Believe me; removing sticky tape from any snake is no easy task!

Heating

Viper Boas are found on dense forest floors and are exposed to a fairly constant air temperature. They do not bask in the sun and so it is not as important to provide them with a dedicated hot spot. Instead, having a fairly constant air temperature of 85-90ºF during the day and 80-85ºF during the night is fine. A large water bowl should be offered for the snake to fully submerge if required. If your viper boa does this constantly, the vivarium is most probably too hot and should be cooled down slightly.

In my opinion, the ideal way of heating a Viper Boa’s enclosure is to use a power plate. This is a small thin square plate, about 25mm thick which is screwed into the top of the vivarium. It does not need to be protected, as there is no way a snake can grip onto it. It is almost invisible to the eye as it simply sits on the ceiling of the vivarium. The only brand available in the UK is HabiStat Reptile Radiator; it is 75 Watts and is sufficient for any vivarium up to 4ft long and possibly larger. It produces no light and therefore in a vivarium you will need a form of lighting as well. A power plate should be used in conjunction with a HabiStat Pulse Proportional Thermostat, which will stop the power reaching the power plate as soon as the temperature goes above the setting, and turn back on as soon as it is too cool. This is one of the most accurate thermostats on the market today.

Ceramic heaters, spot bulbs and heat mats are also ways of heating a vivarium. These all have their advantages and disadvantages, but in my opinion, none quite weigh out to be as good as a power plate.

Lighting

Viper Boas are primarily nocturnal, meaning they venture out in the dark of night. This is when their main predators are sleeping, and their prey is awake. Lighting for this species is not important. However, having artificial light in a vivarium is aesthetically pleasing to the owner, and is a good addition to a snake’s enclosure. They will use this as a photo-period, and their regular time clock will generally adjust to the settings on which you have your light set to.

They do not require any form of special lighting, such as a D3 Ultra-Violet light commonly used for diurnal species. An Arcadia Natural Sunlight Fluorescent Lamp is a good form of lighting. This comes in lengths of 12” up to 48” and I suggest you use the largest size able to fit inside your vivarium.

Humidity

Viper Boas occur over much of New Guinea and surrounding Islands and therefore are exposed to a high humidity. This should be replicated in captivity to aid to the general health and well-being of your snake. A 80-90% humidity range will allow to snake to slough it’s skin properly and become less prone to any problems such as respiratory infections.

Feeding

Juveniles or males should be offered fuzzy or small mice, and as they grow the mice or rats should become larger. An adult female viper boa should be fed on weaner rats. One of these every 2 weeks is ample. An adult male may take fuzzy rats or large mice. Juveniles should be fed on a regular basis, every 7 days is ideal. Their metabolic rate is higher than adults and as they are growing, they need a lot more food to keep them going. Viper Boas have a low metabolism compared to many snakes, they move very little and do not require the same quantity of food that many other species do. Snakes have the capability of building up a huge fat reserve, and become obese very easily. Taking the weight off however, is a much more difficult task. Obese snakes will not live nearly the length as a healthy snake would due to liver and kidney problems. If you are unsure about your snake’s weight, check with a reptile veterinarian.

By Chris Jones
Director of Pet Club UK Ltd.
petclubuk.com petclubuk.com

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Tags: aquarium, parasites

A filter, along with a heater, is probably the most important part of any fish tank set up. Without it the water in your fish tank will become much like a stagnant pond and little will be able to live in it except for a nice film of green algae scum.

There are two main types of fish tank filters; external and internal. Both of these types of filters can be used in either fresh water or salt water aquariums.

When it comes to internal filters there are two basic types. The first is the under gravel filter seen primarily in fresh water tanks. This consists of a raised plastic grate that sits on the bottom of the tank. The gravel or base material is placed over the top and clear vertical tubes attach to holes in the filter. These tubes have either a power head sitting on top or a bubbler inserted into them. The water is forced to flow through the gravel and back up the tube into the tank. The gravel itself is the filter, collecting the extra food and fish waste that is pulled down into it.

The second internal type filter is more along the lines of a sump tank just below the main tank and is used mainly for salt water tanks. There is an internal tube that that allows water to flow down into the sump where it is pumped through a series of filters that catch all the waste and bad bacteria. The filtered water is then pumped back to the top of the main tank keeping a continuous flow going. This is a good filter choice but it is on the pricey side and does create quite a bit of background noise.

An external filter is the best choice for any fish tank, if you can afford to use it. All the filtering is done outside the tank, keeping the filtered water separate from the unfiltered water until it is returned to the tank. A couple of long hoses connect the filter to the tank, one that supplies the filter and the other that returns the filtered water to the tank. This type of filter is the most effective but also the most expensive.

You can purchase any of these types of filters at your local fish shop, but may have a harder time finding the more expensive external type at a general pet store. The sump type filter will require a tank that is either altered or custom made. If you are going to spend the extra money on this type of set up it makes better sense to spend the money on a good quality external filter instead. An external fish tank filter will cost more up front but in the long run you will save on maintenance costs and fish costs because you will be providing the best habitat they need to live long and healthy lives.

For more valuable information about choosing a fish-tank.home-choices-net.com/Fish-Tank-Filters.html fish tank filter, and setting up and maintaining a new fish tank visit the website fish-tank.home-choices-net.com/Fish-Tank-Filters.html Fish Tank Care & Supplies by Clicking Here.

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Family: Cyprinidae

Species: Osteochilus hasselti

Size: 30cm (12 inch)

Diet: Omnivorous

Tank levels: Middle and lower

Habitat: Streams and rivers of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Sunda Islands

Remarks: This fish is very attractive when young, but like the Black Shark it grows large quickly and requires a great deal of space.

Comments: The scales of this juvenile are dotted with reddish brown marks, giving a striped appearance, and a dark spot occurs on the caudal peduncle. Adult fish are plain grey-green. The mouth has lips fringed with pimple-like growths and the lower jaw forms a scraper for algae. All fins carry yellow and red. Quite a large fish to keep at 12 inches.

—————————————-

This fish comes from the "Tropical Fish" family species of fish. I hope you enjoyed this fish profile that I put together to help people to choose the right fish for the right aquarium tank setup you may own, or be thinking of buying in the future. If you require more information about keeping fish in general and what are the right fish to choose for your tank setups, you can always visit my site called "GB Aquarium" and see what’s posted new there and also join in the discussion taking place.

garybolton.co.uk garybolton.co.uk

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