Aquarium Maintenance Service and Sales
Saltwater
Why do My Fish Hide all the Time?
14 years
Answer: The answer to that is rather simple – the fish is scared or uncomfortable with the surroundings. The more important question is what is making the fish scared in the first place?
New Surroundings
If the fish was recently added to the tank, the most likely cause is that its simply feeling nervous about its new surroundings. Given a few days, the fish should become comfortable with its new home and spend more time out and about.
In the event your fish continues to hide for more than a day or two, there is another problem afoot. Until you correct the problem, the fish will remain hidden.
Schooling Fish
Fish that normally school with a others of its own kind will hide if kept alone, or if kept in a group that is too small. Always keep schooling fish in groups of at least four or five. If they are kept in smaller groups, they may stay hidden most of the time.
Hiding Places
Many fish do not feel comfortable unless they have a place of their own where they can hide when they feel threatened. Odd as it may seem, providing more hiding places will usually cause fish to stay out most of the time.
Stack rocks to form caves, place pieces of clay pots on the bottom, add pieces of driftwood with arches or holes, or use any structures that allow fish to hide. If each fish knows it has its own personal hiding place, it will feel safe and stay out in the open more often.
Aquarium Fish Nutrition
14 years
Most of the times, fishes are not able to get the nutrition
they need in captivity. This is because what they eat is directly dependent
on the fish keeper. If the fish keeper always feed a certain kind of food,
then it is highly possible that the fish gets a deficiently in some nutritions.
Vitamin A Poor growth, loss of appetite, eye problems, dropsy, gill problems, hemorrhage at fin base.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Poor appetite, muscular wasting, convulsions, loss of equilibrium, edema, poor growth
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Cloudy eyes, blood shot eyes, poor vision, avoidance reaction to light (photophobia), dark coloration, poor appetite, poor growth, anemia.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) Nervous disorders, loss of appetite, anemia, edema, gasping, flaring of gill covers.
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamine) Poor appetite, anemia, poor growth.
Biotin Loss of appetite, poor growth, muscular wasting, convulsions, skin and gut lesions.
Choline Poor growth, visceral hemorrhages.
Folic acid Poor growth, lethargy, fin damage, dark coloration, anemia.
Inositol Poor growth, dropsy, skin lesions.
Pantothenic acid Gill and skin problems, loss of appetite, poor growth, lethargy.
Vitamin C Dark coloration, skin problems, eye diseases, spinal deformities.
TREATMENT: Supplement the missing vitamin.
PREVENTION: Feed a variety of foods or commercially available brand foods of good quality
Can I Purchase Live Aquarium Fish on the Internet?
14 years
Answer: Not long ago few people considered purchasing fish anywhere but at their local fish shop. In recent years selling fish online and shipping them directly to the customer has become fairly common. Although there are risks when purchasing online, keeping these recommendations in mind will increase your chance of success.
The Risks
Purchasing online presents risks that aren’t encountered at a local fish shop. Not being able to select the fish ahead of time or observe the condition of the shop itself are enough to keep many people from purchasing online. An even bigger concern is stress the fish experience when shipped. Will the fish arrive alive and healthy? What happens if they are lost, or arrive dead or dying? All of these concerns are quite valid.
Reasons for Online Purchases
Before considering an online purchase think about your reasons for buying online versus a local fish shop. Price should not be the issue, as lower online prices will be offset by the addition of shipping fees. Ordering online because you are can’t find a specific species of fish locally, isn’t always necessary. Most good pet shops will order fish upon request, and if the fish dies during shipping, the cost is generally not passed on to you.
Lastly, if you order online because you live far away from a fish shop, odds are you probably just as far from a major airport. The fish may be subjected to a lengthy transit time, which is very stressful. It may be in your best interest to drive to a fish shop even if it is a few hours away, rather than ordering online and risk losing the fish during shipping. At least you can control the temperature in your car, and assure that the fish arrive at your home as quickly as possible.
Precautions to Take
If you still want to order live fish online, you can be increase your chances for success by taking a few precautionary steps. Keep the following things in mind before placing your order:
* Find an expert – Companies that specialize in shipping live fish directly to customers do a better job of packing the fish, and expediting the shipment.
* Ask about guarantees – A number of online suppliers offer ‘arrive alive’ provisions. If they make no guarantees at all, you are taking a big risk.
* Get a firm price with shipping – Don’t settle for undefined shipping costs when placing your order. Often the shipping can be far more than the cost of the fish itself.
* Go to the airport – If you live near a major airport, consider opting to pick up the package there. The cost will often be less, and there will be no risk of the fish sitting in a delivery truck for a long period of time.
* Consider the weather – If there are temperature extremes consider placing your order at another time. Keep in mind that although your weather may be good, the plane may travel through areas of not so pleasant temperatures. Fish are usually shipped in a cargo bay that is neither heated or cooled.
* Order with others – See if anyone else in your area is interested in ordering fish online. By combining your order you can save on shipping costs.
* Order Securely – Treat the order like any online purchase – very carefully. Personally I’d call my credit card or bank information in to the company if I had a choice. That way there is less chance of your information falling into the wrong hands. If you do fill out an online form, make sure it is a secure one.
I’ve personally ordered fish and plants online, and had both good and bad experiences. If you do your homework, you are less likely to have a bad outcome.
By Shirlie Sharpe, About.com Guide