There are times in every parent’s life when his or her child, pet, or goldfish gets sick. Goldfish are prone to many ailments, and even the most common ones can be life threatening. Prevention and monitoring your fish are the best ways to keep your pet from contracting a disease.

Being the good parent that you are, you have probably studied and memorized the normal movements and behaviors of your goldfish. If Goldie happens to become ill, look for signs that differ for their normal swimming patterns.

If your fish is shaking, hiding in corners and isolated places, gasping for breath near the surface of the tank, has his fins pressed together in a clamped fashion or demonstrates any other strange behaviors, it might be a good indicator that he’s coming down with an illness. Once you’ve noticed these odd actions, take a closer look at your fish and see if there are discolorations or markings on his body.

Fish with certain parasites might have red and inflamed areas, sometimes around the gills, or might have swollen blood bumps on eir bodies. Check for damaged fins, cloudy eyes and bumps or blisters that appear on the scales.

There are many common goldfish ailments that can be identified by examining your pet’s physical appearance. Once you have identified that there is definitely something wrong with your goldfish, it is a good idea to isolate him from your other fish in a hospital tank.

The hospital tank is prepared in advance and made to match the current environment of your fish, so that he won’t go into shock. If the ailment turns out to be contagious, it’s not a bad idea to treat your other fish as well as the sick one.

Unfortunately, some fish, no matter how hard you try, do not overcome their illness and continue to suffer until they pass away. Many people do not like to see their fish in constant pain and fell that euthanasia is appropriate. There are many methods out there for ending the life of a goldfish, so be sure to choose one that does not cause your fish even more pain.

While there are plenty of goldfish illnesses, there are just as many ways to treat them. Prevention and care is the best medicine for keeping your goldfish buddy in tiptop shape.

Mark Sturge is webmaster of goldfish-answers.com. A site where you can learn all about goldfish-answers.com goldfish care and what to do when you are faced with goldfish-answers.com sick goldfish.

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Stingrays will eat a wide variety of foods. Maintaining a varied diet is extremely important in captive animals, as monocultural diets incur a risk of nutritional deficiencies. Stingrays are very active, and should be fed at least once a day, preferably twice or even three times daily. The daily diet can be varied in order to create some environmental enrichment as well as balanced nutrition for the rays.

First Foods
First foods for newly acquired rays should be blackworms or tubifex worms.
These foods seem to be the most readily accepted, and are small enough to be
inadvertently ingested either by mouth or through the spiracle, thereby giving
the ray an opportunity to taste these possibly unfamiliar foods by chance. Foods
that have been used for very small specimens, such as the teacup rays, are small
insect larvae such as mosquito larvae, small shrimp known as ghost shrimp or
glass shrimp, live adult brine shrimp, and blackworms. Chitinous foods such
as shrimp provide less nutritional value than do soft-bodied foods, and so should
not be used as sole food items.

The best way to be certain that your new stingray is feeding is to watch the
spiracles as the ray passes over food on the bottom of the tank. If it is eating,
you will see the spiracles opening and closing rapidly, or fluttering, as the
food is ingested and water is passed from the mouth and out the spiracles. Once
you observe a newly acquired ray readily feeding on black-worms or redworms
introduce finely chopped night crawlers in small quantities. Once stingrays
recognize these as food, most will readily eat them. Later, experiment with
other types of food.

Types of Food

Live Foods
Feed live foods, including blackworms or tubifex worms, in quantities adequate
to allow a small amount to be left in the tank so the rays can browse later.
However, when cleaning the substrate, note whether a significant amount of living
worms is present; blackworms and tubifex worms will colonize the substrate if
not eaten and add to the nitrogenous waste production in the aquarium.

Nonlive, Nonaquatic Foods
Chopped earthworms, redworms, or night crawlers and any nonlive, nonaquatic
foods should be fed in smaller quantities to prevent any overlooked food from
decomposing in the tank. Keep in mind that stingrays have relatively small mouths-a
10-inch (25-cm) ray may have a mouth that is 1/2 to 3/4 inch (13 to 19 mm) wide,
so chopped food items must be small enough to be eaten easily. If a ray ingests
a piece of food and repeatedly spits it out and ingests it again, this usually
indicates that the particle is too large. Some ray species, such as antenna
rays, have extremely small mouths relative to their size.

Once acclimated, rays often develop techniques for eating larger pieces of
food; for example, newly imported rays may have difficulty consuming even small
chopped pieces of night crawlers. Eventually, however, they learn to eat an
entire worm by sucking it into their oral cavity without chewing. Newly acquired
rays also often ignore feeder goldfish but they quickly learn to chase down
and consume feeders, even learning where they hide in the tank.

Commercially Prepared Foods
Stingrays may learn to eat other unfamiliar foods such as brine shrimp, pellet
foods, or other commercially prepared foods. While there is probably no harm
in offering these foods to rays, it is best to use fresh, live, or frozen foods
as the dietary staple. Although stingrays often do not initially accept frozen
or other nonliving foods, they may soon learn to eat these foods after they
have been acclimated. A benefit of frozen foods is that they are less likely
than live foods to introduce diseases or parasites.

Hand-feeding

Occasionally, a well-acclimated specimen will fail to gain weight, even though
you are offering enough food. Several things may cause this problem; the most
likely possibility is that it is not competing efficiently for food against
other fish in the aquarium, or it may have a parasitic infestation. Stingrays
occasionally do not seem to learn where foods can be found during feeding times,
and are always in the wrong part of the tank during those times. In these cases,
it is helpful to hand-feed such specimens. By this I do not mean feeding with
your hands. Although some aquarists do this with stingrays, I do not recommend
it because of the possibility of being accidentally stung. Remember that stingrays
are wild animals, and no matter how accustomed your specimens become to your
presence, it is impossible to always accurately predict their response to humans.
Instead, you should always perform the hand-feeding of specimens with long forceps
or a similar instrument. Stingrays generally avoid metal objects and appear
to be frightened by metal; however, because they can sense metal, they will
quickly learn that when there is a metal object in the aquarium, food is being
offered. In this way, you can teach your stingray to feed directly from forceps,
and selectively feed it more food.

Simply hold a night crawler (or a piece of night crawler) in the forceps, and
hold the worm in the aquarium so that the ray can touch it with its fin. It
should eat the worm immediately. After a few feedings in this manner, allow
the forceps to touch the ray while it is eating the worm. It will quickly learn
to associate the forceps with feeding and soon you will find that the ray will
pounce on the forceps as soon as it touches it, eagerly looking for a treat!

How Much and How Often

The key to having well-fed stingrays in your aquarium is providing plenty of
food. Unlike most fish that swim quietly between feedings, stingrays search
constantly for food, looking under and around tank ornaments, moving driftwood,
rocks, filters, and even other fish! This high activity level translates to
a high metabolic rate, which means that while searching for food rays continue
to burn energy. If they use up energy looking for food, but do not find any,
they will lose weight. To compensate for this loss of energy, it is essential
to provide adequate food. I cannot stress this enough. Hobbyists sometimes tell
me that they feed their rays three times weekly, thinking that this is adequate.
Stingrays should be fed at least twice, and usually three times, daily. In spite
of these frequent feedings, rays will still constantly look for food between
feedings!

When feeding significant quantities of live feeder goldfish, it is wise to
add vitamin B1 to the feeder supply. Goldfish contain the enzyme thiaminase,
which destroys thiamin, or vitamin B1, and this vitamin must be replenished.
It should be your practice to add one 50-mg tablet to each 500 gallons (1893
L) of water every two weeks. You can add the tablets directly to the sump of
the wet-dry filter; or as an alternative, the tablets can be added directly
to the tank.

Brendon Turner maintains The Animal Gazette - a weekly edition of helpful articles for pet owners. Visit AnimalGazette.com for information about cats, animalgazette.com dog breeds and tropical fish.

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The history of breeding, raising and nurturing fish for their ornamental value and also for consumption is a long one. More than 4,000 years ago, people were cultivating fish, in ponds at first, but later in man-made tanks. Today, keeping fish in your home is easier than ever.

Early examples of fish in captivity can be found among the Egyptians and Romans as well. The Egyptians would selectively breed fish for certain characteristics and for the beauty of the fish itself. In Egyptian tombs, often one can find examples of fish, often associated with sacred objects. Later there are examples of Romans keeping and selling freshwater fish as food. In Greece, Aristotle was the first to formally study fish and classify them in groups. He found 115 species of fish, while today scientists have classified over 20,000 species.

Goldfish are a very popular aquarium fish today. They were actually originally bred in China over 1,000 years ago and kept for their ornamental value. By the late 17th century, goldfish had made their way to England and by the mid 19th century had found their way to America. Both in England and America, they could be seen in ornamental lakes and ponds all over the country. In 1853, the world’s first public aquarium was opened to the public in Regents Park in London. Soon the idea of public aquariums spread across Europe and France and Germany opened aquariums as well. However, due to a lack of knowledge of filtration, adding air to the water and controlling water temperature, most of the fish died. Soon, however, those at the aquariums had learned from their mistakes and with new technology, successfully managed large aquariums. In 1856, P.T. Barnum of Barnum & Bailey fame, opened the first public aquarium in the United States. Over the next 50 years interest in aquariums increased and the popularity of aquariums increased as well.

Today with the advances in filtrations systems, pumps, tanks and fish food, it is fairly easy to keep an aquarium of your own at home. You can choose either a saltwater aquarium or a freshwater aquarium. Generally speaking, saltwater aquariums require more care, simply because there are more factors involved in keeping the environment stable. The upside to saltwater aquariums is that you can have a much wider variety of fish, although they usually cost quite a bit more than freshwater fish. How large you want your aquarium to be mostly depends on how much money you have to spend. If you love the look of aquariums, but can’t or don’t want to keep the aquarium clean yourself, there are many services today that will actually come to your home, clean your aquarium and perform whatever maintenance is needed. This is especially helpful with saltwater tanks.

Humans have had a long fascination with fish. Whether fish were kept in ponds or in aquariums, people have raised fish for food, pleasure or both. With the advances in technology, it is much easier to keep fish today than it was even 20 years ago. If you’ve ever thought about having an aquarium, do some research and see just how easy it is to have your own watery wonderland in your living room.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to

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Stress is a big thing in our lives today. Whether it’s at home from the family, bill worries or at the office with deadlines and office frictions. How can we help combat these stresses and live happier stress free lives?

An aquarium offers a calming distraction with some mental stimulation that can help to calm the mind, not to mention add a splash of colour along with calming sights and sounds. An aquarium in your home or office can have positive effects on many levels.

According to Feng shui experts water is a basic element, a beneficial and needed one in the home or office. In combination with fish which symbolise prosperity in many life areas. The word for fish in chinese “yu” also means success, indicating in feng shui that keeping fish attracts success to ones self.
These fish to attain ones wish of success and act as a stress buster must be kept in a clean and clear environment. The internal balance of life in the aquarium will affect the surrounding space and bring balance to it. An aquarium with life, beauty and flow will bring these properties into your outer world.
Goldfish are very important fish in feng shui. These fish in chinese mythology are descended from water dragons which makes them creators of good luck and attract positive outcomes in any enterprises you may wish to start.

As an example, a round (which symbolises wholeness) shaped water container with goldfish in it would be ideal to place at the entrance of any business premises or new house. Another good feng shui fish is the arrowana (for large tanks only) that are known as dragon fish. These fish are available in gold, silver, red, green and black these fish are endangered in the wild and can only certified, captive bred individuals are available these are expensive, but a excellent status symbol and bringer of luck, if you can afford the high price.

Numbers and colours of fish are also relevant to bringing different properties according to feng shui experts.The number nine symbolises the centre or heart and brings health, so nine fish for example is a good number for bringing prosperity and health into your home or business, if more space is available in the tank then multiples of 9 are good. Three is another good number symbolising creativity, so three fish will maximise the creativity of those around them. Gold coloured fish symbolise energy and good fortune while black fish symbolise protection and will absorb bad energy. A ratio of one black fish and two gold would be the most ideal combination.

As well as fish tanks, ponds are also relevant when taking into consideration number and colour of fish.
Also wood compliments the elements of water greatly as water symbolises old age and wood, birth and this combination can be very beneficial so a wooden cabinet or wooden ornament for your tank, or decking for your pond is an excellent way to incorporate both wood and water together.

In feng shui colours can also have great effect so decorating your aquarium in the your chosen colour to bring the results you want.
Blue; is a calming colour and can accentuate an area for contemplation or meditation like a library or study area.
Green; symbolises hope, vitality and a long life. Also lush growth vegetation and annual rebirth are great for family areas.
Red; means truth and virtue and also wards off evil and is life affirming bringing luck live glory power happiness. Good for the on show areas of ones home.
Purple; similar to red, and in combination with red and gold will bring wealth. Has an association with royalty
White; purity in a moral and spiritual sense and will maximise the childrens area and creativity zones
Black; is a great colour for protection and will absorb any negative energy around.
Pink; as a combination of red and white it’s good for relationships and romance.
Yellow; symbolises authority and rank meaning tolerance and acceptance, honesty and trust will bring out the best in the centre or heart of your home.
Gold is great for attracting wealth and prosperity into your life so another good colour for the heart of your home.

An office aquarium needs to be in a prominent position for best results in busting free of those stress levels, along with a multitude of other additional benefits depending on how you set your tank up and where you choose to put it. Having an aquarium in your home or office space can bring all kinds of benefits into your lives, wealth, happiness and prosperity are just a few of them.

Any questions on this article or any other aspect of pond life, fish, aquariums or reptiles/amphibians. visit The pro-fish-ional website at freewebs.com/pro-fish-ional freewebs.com/pro-fish-ional .

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Have you ever dreamed of living with a bobcat or having a pet tiger? You’re not alone, and many people share their lives responsibly and safely with such animals. My beloved companion is a African Serval, a very affectionate 33-pound spotted feline. However, this dream come true brings with it some very real challenges and responsibilities far beyond those facing the average pet owner.

A huge number of visitors to my exotic feline site are trying to make very important decisions. Should I get a exotic cat? Is this species the right fit for my family? Can I provide for one properly?

There are a number of things to take into consideration when deciding if exotic cat ownership is for you, and if the answer is yes, which species of exotic cat is suitable for your situation. They include:

Your ability to make a lifetime committment to an animal who may cause you considerable headaches
Your ability to be a responsible owner
Local and Federal Laws
Your financial ability to provide proper care and housing for the cat
Your level of experience in working with animals
Size of the cat
Disposition of the cat
Endangered Species Status

Owning an exotic cat requires a lifetime committment to a cat who may live to be 20 years old. If your circumstances change, the cat develops behaviors that are unacceptable to you, or you simply grow tired of caring for it, an exotic cat cannot simply be given over to your local humane society. Being placed in a new home is much more traumatic to an exotic cat than to most domestic animals and can cause a major change in their personality. In some cases, they may never accept a new owner. Qualified people willing to take in an adult exotic cat are hard to find, and no, the local zoo will not accept your cat. Large cats such as cougars and tigers are especially hard to place.

Everyone gets an animal with a certain dream in their minds about how that animal will behave, and some people cannot handle it if things turn out differently. For instance, if you want to own a tiger, you probably imagine being able to play with it and cuddle with it. That may happen; but if you undertake this responsibility you have to be prepared for the fact that you might not be able to so much as enter the cat’s enclosure safely, even if you raise him from a cub.

If you are interested in getting a small cat like a bobcat or a serval, you probably imagine sharing your household with it, as many people do. But what if that cat grows up to spray everything in sight?

If you’ve been researching the idea of owning an exotic cat, you’ve probably discovered how much conflicting information there is. Some sources seem to indicate that living with an exotic cat is no more challenging than feeding your pet goldfish. At the other end of the extreme spectrum, many sanctuaries and animal rights activists paint them as unmanageable creatures that no ordinary mortal could hope to deal with successfully. As is usually the case, the truth lies in a rational world between the two extremes. This site exists to provide realistic and balanced information.

Like all creatures, exotic cats are all individuals, and nobody can tell you exactly how your future cat will act. Generalizations can be made about the behavior of different species, but individual personalities and behavior traits vary widely. As a dog trainer, I have seen puppies with the perfect upbringing turn out dangerously aggressive, and severely abused dogs who were stable and friendly. I have met dangerous Golden Retrievers and unprovokable Pit Bulls. It’s the same with cats; you can generalize to a certain extent, but never count on those generalizations.

If you decide that you are serious about getting an exotic feline, one of the first things you need to do is learn the federal, state, county, and city laws regulating the ownership of the species you are considering in your area. Contarary to popular myth, exotic animal ownership is pretty heavily regulated. Laws and permit requirements vary widely from area to area, and owning exotic cats is banned altogether in many places.

The legal issues will become vastly more complicated if you are interested in owning a cat that is endangered. While it is not impossible, the additional laws and permits that you have to contend with makes owning an endangered cat an unrealistic goal for most people.

Owning an exotic cat means having to remain constantly aware of changing laws and of proposed legislation, and being prepared to fight for the continued right to own your beloved pet.

Owning an exotic cat can be quite expensive. You will need to take into consideration the cost of building a secure and spacious enclosure, feeding costs, veterinary costs, the initial purchase of the kitten, and incidental expenses which seem to crop up on a continual basis. The cost of owning a smaller cat such as a serval or bobcat is more likely to be affordable than that of owning a tiger or other large cat. When you get into the large cats you will find that your feeding and enclosure costs escalate dramatically.

A major consideration is the size of the cat. Some species are smaller than a domestic cat, while others reach 500 pounds. The most common species to find in a pet household is the serval, which ranges fron roughly 18-40 pounds.

Owning a small cat is a more realistic goal for most people than a large cat such as a tiger. Large cats are very expensive to feed and house, heavily regulated by the federal government, and of course much more dangerous. Often keepers are unable to safely enter the enclosures of big cats once they mature. This does not mean that these animals are malicious, but a tiger or other big cat can easily injure you even in play. If you see yourself with a “pet” cat, start thinking small.

Cougars are an interesting compromise in size and temperament. They are actually classified as “small cats” even though most people think of them as a big cat. They are large cats and come with all of the duties, responsibilities, and cost of owning a big cat. However, they often have very gentle and affectionate natures; of all the large felines, they are probably the species that you are most likely to be able to have a “pet-like” relationship with after they mature. For those determined to own a big cat, I would reccommend a cougar over any other species, especially over a tiger.

Owning an exotic feline is not for someone who spends their time in fantasyland. If you are one of those pet owners who think their dog is soooo sweet that he could never, ever harm anyone, that all animals love you because you have a “special touch” with them, or that no animal will be dangerous as an adult if you “love it enough” or “raise it right,” you have no business owning an exotic cat.

You have to be able to objectively assess the safety of any decision you make, whether it involves handling your own cat, letting a family member or member of the public have contact with the cat, etc. You have to be able to say “I love Tigger with all of my heart and he loves me back, but I can tell from the playful look in his eye that if I walk into his enclosure now he might hurt me, so I choose not to.”

It is important to locate a good veterinarian who is willing to treat your exotic cat before you get one. It can sometimes be difficult to find a good, experienced vet who will be willing to treat exotics. Often, vets are uncomfortable around them or dissaprove of keeping them as pets and will therefore refuse to treat them. Many clinics also lack large enough equipment to handle larger felines like cougars or tigers. Veterinary costs for an exotic cat can be higher than those for a domestic animal, especially if your cat develops a serious problem and you are referred to a specialty clinic or university.

If you choose to own an exotic cat, you owe it to your cat and everyone else who owns exotics to be a responsible owner. What constitutes responsible ownership? Some of the criteria, in no particular order:

Provides a ample, nutritious diet suitable to the species
Provides ample housing for the cat to live in happily
Provides shelter and protection from the elements
Provides veterinary care as needed
Purchases animals from an ethical and responsible breeder
Does not neglect or abuse the animal
Provides generally pleasant living conditions and has the cat’s feelings and best interests in mind
Makes a good-faith effort to comply with all applicable laws
Takes stringent precautions to prevent the escape of the cat
Protects the cat from unauthorized contact or harrassment from members of the public
Protects the safety of the public and visitors
Makes a lifetime committment to caring for the cat

This article is written and copyrighted by Jessi Clark-White of exoticcatz.com www.exoticcatz.com. This article may be reproduced in its entirety only; permission is NOT granted to display editied versions. This article may not be used to support the ending of private ownership of exotic pets.

For more comprehensive information on exotic pets and their ownership, visit my website, exoticcatz.com exoticcatz.com. You can ask the author and other exotic pet owners questions at our exoticcatz.com/forum online forum.

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