Frogs and turtles

Male Apistogramma cichlids will seldom grow larger than three inches, and the females are usually half the size of the males. This makes it possible to house dwarf

cichlids even in small aquariums. Dwarf cichlids are however more sensitive than their larger relatives and it can be hard to keep the water quality fine enough in a

very small aquarium. Due to their sensitivity, Apistogramma Dwarf cichlids are not recommended to aquarists without any previous aquarium experience. Apistogramma

dwarf cichlids are quite docile, but they will defend their territory during spawning. Just like many other cichlids, Apistogramma species will care for their

offspring. The male Apistogramma will claim a territory and protect it, and several females will care for the fry in small nests within this territory. The nests are

usually quite basic, e.g. holes in the sand or a little pile of leaf litter. Each female will defend her own spawning site against others. If you keep bottom dwelling

fish species, e.g. catfish, with your Apistogramma dwarf cichlids, it is advisable to remove them from the aquarium when the dwarf cichlids begin to spawn. Dwarf

cichlids are known to pick out the eyes of intruding fish species.

One of the most commonly kept dwarf cichlids from Africa is Pelvicachromis pulcher, the Kribensis cichlid. A male Kribensis can reach a size of 10 centimeters (4

inches), while the females stay even smaller. Unlike a lot of the commonly kept African cichlids, this cichlid does not originate from any of the Great Rift Valley

lakes. Kribensis is instead found in the Niger River delta in tropical West Africa, where it prefers rivers with shallow water. If you want to keep Kribensis cichlids,

you should house them in a well planted aquarium with plenty of hiding places since this resembles the natural environment for Kribensis cichlids. Drift wood and rocks

can also be used to create hiding places. Kribensis cichlids will work well with each other or in a community aquarium. They will claim territories, but these are so

small that territorial fights will be unusual. Unlike many larger African cichlids, Kribensis cichlids are not very found of digging. Kribensis cichlids will tolerate

temperatures between 25 and 28 degrees C (77 and 82 degrees F). They will adapt to soft as well as hard water, and tolerate a comparatively wide range of different

pH-values; 5 to 7.5.
Fish Diseases

In this category you will find articles that contain detailed information regarding the cause behind fish diseases and how to prevent, treat and cure them. The most

common fish diseases are White Spot Disease (Ichthyophthirius multifilis), Marine White Spot Disease (Cryptocaryon), Skin or gill flukes, Anchor Worms, Hole in the

Head disease (Hexamita), Velvet (Oodinium), Marine Velvet (Amylodinium), Fin Rot, Tuberculosis and Dropsy. White Spot Disease is caused by a parasite named

Ichthyophthirius multifilis, and the disease is therefore also commonly known as Ich or Ick.

It is easy for the aquarist to involuntary introduce fish diseases to the aquarium when purchasing new fishes, invertebrates, plants and aquarium decorations. Bringing

new living organisms into the aquarium is naturally more risky than inserting a new piece of equipment, since most malevolent organisms rapidly succumb without a

suitable host. It is however possible for some organisms to stay dormant and survive without a host, and you should therefore always be careful when you move aquarium

decoration and equipment from between aquariums.

White spot disease is caused by the Ichthyophthirius multifilis and the most distinguishing symptom is white spots that develop on the body and/or fins of your fish.

Heavy breathing can be another symptom, and an infected fish will often scrub it self against rough surfaces in the aquarium.

Marine White Spot Disease is caused by a parasite named Cryptocaryon, but was earlier believed to be the result of an infection with a saltwater form of

Ichthyophthirius. The symptoms are similar to freshwater Ich. It is possible for saltwater species become immune against Cryptocaryon and the immunity can stay for up

to 6 months.

Skin and gill flukes are caused by parasitic flatworms known as Trematodes. Trematodes are called “flukes” since they have the same flattened body shape as a flounder,

and the old Saxon name for flounder was fluke. A healthy fish will usually be able to withstand a small fluke attack, but a large fluke infestation can be lethal since

skin flukes and gill flukes can cause severe tissue damage and lesions. Skin and gill flukes can also be the reason behind hyperplasia of both skin and gill

epithelium. When the skin and gills are damaged by Trematodes, it will be even easier for new Trematodes to attack the fish.

Anchor Worms are thread-like worms that attach themselves to the head of the fish. You need to treat your fish with a remedy especially made in order to kill Anchor

worms, since common treatments such as marine salt will have little or no effect on the Anchor worms. Never pull out the worms using force, since the head of the worm

will stay attached to the head of the fish and grow a new body.

Hole in the Head disease is caused by Hexamita, a flagellated protozoan that is found in the gastrointestinal tracts of many fish species. Even healthy fish can carry

Hexamita. If the water quality drops or if your fish is weakened by some other problem, Hexamita can spread from the intestines via feces in the water and attack the

outside of the fish. A small sore will form above the eyes of the fish and eventually grow in to a large hole. Large fish species are more prone to hole in the head

disease; especially large cichlids such as Oscars and Jurupari Earth Eaters.
Frogs and Turtles

Frogs and turtles are popular pets, but since they are amphibians their requirements differ from that of the common aquarium inhabitants. Some turtles and frogs spend

most of their time in water, while others a mostly land dwellers. Always investigate the natural habitat and living conditions for your frog or turtle before your

bring it home. It is also important to remember that many species will grow quite large and might outgrow their first home.

Most turtles can be comfortably housed in a 25 or 50 gallon turtle aquarium. A turtle aquarium must contain water as well as dry land. (Keep in mind that tortoises are

land creatures that should not be kept in a turtle aquarium.) Arrange the substrate in a sloping manner or pile up stones in order to make it possible for the turtle

to stand on solid ground with its body fully submerged in water and its head above the surface. The water dept must be deeper than the length of your turtle, which

means that you might have to adjust the water dept as the turtle grows. Compared to fish, turtles require plenty of strong light and the turtle aquarium should

therefore be equipped with a fluorescent light. Turtles are cold blooded and need a good heater in the turtle aquarium to stay warm.

The African Dwarf Frog, the Oriental Firebellied Toad and White's Tree Frog are three suitable beginner species if you are interested in keeping a frog. The African

Dwarf Frog (Hymenochirus boettgeri) lives its entire life under water, but must surface once in a while to breath oxygen from the air. African Dwarf Frogs can be kept

in the same aquarium as fish, as long as the aquarium is large enough and the fish compatible with frogs. African Dwarf Frogs are active and fun to watch. If a pet

shop offers you a docile Africa Dwarf Frog, it might very well be extremely stressed or ill.

The Oriental Firebellied Toad is another option for beginners. Just like the African Dwarf Frog, the Oriental Firebellied Toad is active and energetic. If you keep it

on a strict cricket diet it will require vitamin supplements to ensure optimal health. It will do fine in room temperature as long as you avoid the extremes and keep

it out of draft.

White's Tree Frog is also easy to keep for beginners, but it is less active than African Dwarf Frog and Oriental Firebellied Toad. This species need a humid

environment and should be kept in a damp tank. Since tree frog live in trees, the tank where you keep your White\'s Tree Frog should be a so called Arboreal Tank. Your

frog will need at least one tree branch to climb on; preferably one with several smaller braches. Live plants are also recommended since they will help to keep the

environment humid. Placing a bowl of water at the bottom of the tank is not enough; your frog will not go for a swim when it begins to suffer from dehydration.

Frequently spraying the tank with water is therefore necessary and sturdy live plants are advisable.
Goby Fish

Goby fish are found in the family Gobiidae, a very large family that contains more than 2000 different fish species. In the family Gobiidae, you will find a lot of

very small fish species that do not grow larger than 10 centimetres (4 inches), but there exists several large goby species as well. A few of the smallest vertebrates

in the world are Goby fish, e.g. the species found in the genera Pandaka, Tyson and Trimmaton. The goby species in these genera are smaller than 1 centimetre (3/8

inches) as adults. As mentioned above, you can find large Goby fish as well, such as several species in the genera Gobioides and Periophthalmodon. These large Goby

fish can grow up to 30 centimetres (1 foot) long.

The typical habitat for a goby is shallow marine environments, such as coral reefs and seagrass meadows. They are also common in regions where rivers empty into the

sea and in mangrove swamps. A few goby species are found in freshwater, such as the Australian desert goby (Chlamydogobius eremius),the Asian river goby(Rhinogobius

spp.) and the European freshwater goby (Padogobius bonelli).

A common characteristic for the various goby species are a pelvic fin that has developed into a disc-shaped sucker. When you keep Goby fish in your aquarium, you will

often see them attached to the glass or to rocks and wood. This sucker is similar to the suckers found on many other fishes, e.g. the lumpfish, but the Goby fish are

not closely related to the rest of the sucking fishes. The fact that many different fish groups have suckers is an example of convergent evolution.