One reason many people find fish so captivating is the astounding variety of colors they come in. have you ever wondered how they get their beautiful coloring? Why are fish red, blue, shiny or black? And how do you keep your fish looking their best? Where Do The Colors In Fish Come From? The colors displayed by fish are the result of a combination of factors. Colored pigments are held in special cells called chromatophores in the skin. The most important pigments are carotenoids, which are responsiblel for red and yellow hues, and melanins, for the black and brown hues. The distribution of chromatophores is genetically determined, but the pigments themselves are derived from the fishes’ diet. In addition to the colored pigments, chromatophores can contain reflective crystals that make the fish shiny. The concentration of reflective crystals determines how shiny a fish is; the crystals are obviously much more concentrated in the silver-colored species. Other structures, such as proteins, work in conjunction with the chromatophors to produce the wide range of colors. For example, the blue hues of neon tetra result from a combination of chromatophores and proteins. A good illustration of this, although not directly related to fish, is provided by lobsters. The natural coloration of lobsters and shrimp is blue—the result of a red carotenoid (astazanthin) being combined with a protein to produce blue “crustacyanin.” When these crustaceans are cooked, the protein is separated from the carotenoid, leaving only the red coloration behind—we thus tend to think of lobsters as red! How To Keep Fish Looking Their Best Because fish get carotenoids and other important constituents of coloration from their diet, it is up to us to provide them with the means to look their best. Most foods contain a reasonable source of carotenoids, but you can also buy special color-enhancing ones to really boost your fishes’ appearance. Color-enhancing foods contain additional sources of carotenoids such as paprika, astazanthin, shrimp meal, and Spirulina. For example, TetraColor and Spectrum Cichlid Formula contain a concentrated source of carotenoids in a crisp format which ensures that the fish receive a complete and highly digestible diet while enhancing their colors
Q: The plants in my tank, event the moss, are not thriving, even though they get plenty of light. Their leaves rot and float to the surface. What is wrong? You have not described your tank setup, which makes it very difficult to pinpoint the possible deficiency that’s affecting your plants. For plants to flourish, light, and the right amount of nutrients are crucial. Carbon is a basic building block in photosynthesis, and this is provided best by the dissolved carbon dioxide in the water column. Many hobbyist enhance the CO 2 concentration by diffusing the gas into the water through a CO 2 gas cylinder and diffuser. Besides light and CO 2 , other nutrients such as potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium must be present as well, mostly through regularly does of fertilizer. Your fish will also contribute other essential macronutrients such as nitrogen (in the form of ammonia and nitrate) and phosphate. How To Setup An Aquascape Aquarium Nourish Your Aquarium Plants with Proper Supplements or Face Death Create Your Own Outdoor Koi Pond How To Choose Suitable Plants for Your Aquascape Aquarium Plants Survival How Much Do You Know About Aquarium Plant? Aquarium Plants: Are Your Plants Doing Your Aquarium Justice? The Roles Of Aquatic Plants How to Get Rid of Snails from an Aquarium?
How do you produce a photo like the gorgeous queen angel Holacanthus ciliaris gracing this month’s cover? The right equipment is important, of course, but so are knowledge, skill, and experience—knowing how to set up a photo to maximize the chances of getting that perfect shot. Accomplished fish photographer Radek Bednarczuk shares some of his secret this month on p. 78. Photograph by Ed Wong Feature Articles Rhinopias Scorpionfish Author: Jeremy Gosnell Striking coloration and atypical looks make these predatory fish a Holy Grail for marine aquarists. Aquarium Science: Breeding a Sex-Changing Shrimp Author: Valerio Zupo Learn step by step how to breed the fascinating green Mediterranean shrimp Hippolyte inermis. Finding Furu in Tanzania: Lake Victorian Cichlids in the Mwanza Region Author: Lawrence Kent Our international traveler visits Lake Victoria to collect local cichlids and other interesting fish. Fish Photography Secrets Author: Radek Bednarczuk Wondering how all those amazing fish photos are taken? An accomplished aquatic photographer shares some tricks of the trade. Hobbyist Profile: Raising Clownfish Fry with Ram Pall Author: Iggy Tavares A hobbyist with a gorgeous reef tank decides to help his clownfish pair raise their larvae. Mastering the Use of Low-Light Aquatic Plants Author: Takashi Amano Growing in the dimly lit sections of the aquascape, low-light plants add a sense of depth and tranquility to the Nature Aquarium. Rasboras Author: Joshua Wiegert A favorite for beginners through advanced aquarists, there is a rasbora perfectly suited to almost any hobbyist. The TFH Breeder’s Challenge Part 8 Author: Ted Judy and Mike Hellweg Mike has caught up to Ted and the race is now neck-and-neck with only a few months to go. Who will be the TFH Master Breeder? The Wine Betta Betta burdigala Author: Tony Pinto This unique wild betta will add a splash of color to any small aquarium. Those Beautiful Basslets Author: Bob Goemans Ever popular in the hobby, royal grammas and blackcap basslets provide beauty and interesting behaviors to any reef tank. If you are interested to read more, you may subscribe for the digital version by clicking this LINK .
fresh ‘n’ marine aQuarium now expands to India! Aquarium hobbyists from India can now access to an even wider range of aquarium products from the new online store at www.freshnmarine.in . FnM aQuarium India is an initiative by fresh ‘n’ marine aQuarium Singapore and Indiapetstore , bringing the World even closer.
Besides the kaleidoscope of colors that fighting fish come in, one of the most attractive reasons for keeping them is the little space they require. Many people keep fighting fish in little glass containers at the office or home. As such, it is easy to make the mistake of thinking that fighting fish need little care or maintenance. Only make fighting fish fight aggressively against one other, while female ones can be kept together in a large tank, where occasional squabbles ensue without fatalities. They can also be kept with other fishes in a community tank. Feeding Your Bettas Siamese fighting fish are bettas, and are carnivorous by nature, thriving on mosquito larvae and daphnia in the wild. With mosquito larvae out of the question here, and live daphnia hard to come by, alternative live foods are tubifex worms and bloodworms, both of which are easily available. Through nutritious, these worms often live in unsanitary and contaminated waters. If you feed them to your fighting fish, wash them first under running water for a couple of minutes until the water is clear and debris-free. This prevents your fish from getting sick through contamination or infection. Good food sources like frozen blood worms and daphnia are also available. With progress made in processed fish food, you can train your fish to accept flake or pellet food. Feed your fish a variety of food for a balanced diet. A general rule of thumb is to feed more frequently, but in small quantities. Also, do not throw handfuls of food in, as uneaten food decomposes and fouls the water quickly. Instead, place just a pinch of food in the water and water your fish eat
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