Just For Fun...Jello Aquarium

I ran across this picture while looking for an interesting article or image to share with you today. It's a Jello Aquarium. I couldn't find the original instructions or ingredents, but it appears they used glass fish.

Needless to say, I thought this would be a cute idea to use for children's parties or other occasions. I found numerous recipes on Google. Some used a goldfish bowl like in our picture and some used individual clear plastic cups for individual servings. Overall, they all called for the same basic ingredients. :)

Jello Aquarium Recipe

Ingredients:
goldfish bowl -- new and clean
red hots or Jelly Belly gravel beans
blue Jello
ice cubes
cold water
purple endive
parsley sprigs
gummy fish

Directions:
Use a new or well cleaned goldfish bowl. In the bottom, the original recipe called for red-hots as the 'gravel', but I plan to use the Jelly Belly beans that look like rocks. Mix up as much blue Jello as your bowl will hold. Mix using ice cubes & cold water instead of the cold water called for on the box. Pour this into the bowl over a knife blade or something to keep from disturbing the gravel. If you want it to have 'seaweed', poke a couple of pieces of purple endive or something similar down into the gravel. When the whole thing starts to jell, use a wooden skewer to push gummy fish into different parts of the bowl.

How to Arrange Your Aquarium Decorations (The Basics)

By: Dan Galen

Create an environment mix in your aquarium decor for maximum flexibility in the types of fish species you may decide to keep. That means setup your rocks, plants, sand, or gravel, so that there are caves, nooks, and tunnels, that fish can explore, inhabit, and seek refuge in when feeling threatened, while still leaving lots of free swimming space for those fish that prefer wide open spaces.

Position the rocks, aquarium plants, etc., away from the sides of the fish tank so that you can clean off any algae that may grow there, without interference from rocks, plants, or decorations. Leave sufficient space between fish tank plants, and aquarium ornaments to permit vacuuming up any debris that will accumulate on the bottom.

Be sure to use only decorations, rocks, and plants, specifically made for fish aquariums as they are made of specific materials free from toxins that harm fish and corals. Using a uniquely shaped rock, or branch out of your garden, or roadside, desert, forest, or camping area, or the Ocean, or a nearby Lake, may introduce chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, gasoline, oil, detergents, or parasites, and fungus, that will wreck havoc in your aquarium, and could kill most fish species, after spending lots of time and money trying to find, and eliminate, the cause.

Don't use metals in your fish tanks. Don't use wire to secure aquarium decorations such as Live Rock or Driftwood. Use glues, or plastic ties designed for an aquarium environment to secure your rock walls, driftwood, or tank decorations, as metal is toxic to fish and will slowly kill them.

You should consider the habitats of the types of pet fish species that you will be keeping in your fish tank before beginning the aquarium design. These suggestions apply for saltwater fish tanks or freshwater fish tanks alike.

Dan Galen is an author and enthusiast on aquarium decorations, aquascaping, and all things aquatic and the owner of FishTankShop.com. To learn more about how to setup your fish tank's environment please visit the site.

Ten Tips for Caring for Your Betta Fish

By: Adam Short

Betta fish, also called Siamese fighting fish are one of the most popular types of fish found in homes across the world. Their vibrant color and active lifestyle seems to draw in fish fanatics as well as those who have never had fish before. Betta’s are relatively easy to care for and their low maintenance is particularly appealing to people who would like to have fish but don’t have a lot of time to care for them.

Once you bring your Betta’s home you should begin to familiarize yourself with their movements and typical behavior patterns. When you look at your fish after you’ve had them for awhile you’ll know if something is wrong, if they are not feeling well, or if the water in their bowl is not in the best condition simply by being observant.

1. Make sure the jar or bowl that you keep your Betta in is big enough so that he can swim around and not bump or tear his fins or scales. Also be sure there is plenty of surface area so that he can get enough oxygen.

2. Your Betta will thrive in the cleanest water that you can provide for him. He does not require a filtration system, but you should change out a third of his water every three days so it stays fresh and clean and keeps your finned friend from getting bacterial or fungal infections. Aged water (water that has set out for twenty four hours) is what should be used to replace the old water.

3. Do not put your Betta fish with other Betta’s. They are called Siamese fighting fish because they are, in fact, fighting fish. They will tear at one another, often causing the death of at least one fish before they stop. Betta’s can be coupled with algae eaters, guppies, or corydorus catfish safely.

4. Use a turkey baster to clean small particles of uneaten food or debris from the bottom of the bowl or jar. Allowing this debris to sit at the bottom of the jar will cause the water to become cloudy, unsanitary, and to smell awful.

5. The PH of your tank should be at exactly 7.0. You can get a PH testing kit at your pet store along with solutions to minimize or increase the PH of your water.

6. When you clean the plants, rocks, or decorations in the bowl you should never use soap on them. It’s very hard to completely rinse all soap from these items and the soap residue can harm or even kill your Betta. Instead, use warm water and an abrasive brush to clean his things.

7. Keep your Betta tank, jar, or bowl covered! Your Beta will jump and you don’t want him to end up flopping on the tabletop! Keeping the water level at least two inches from the top of the tank should also cut down on this problem.

8. Your Betta is a meat eater and likes live foods, such as brine shrimp the best. Frozen bloodworms are also a good choice for your meat eater. Most Betta fish will happily eat the Betta pellets sold at most pet stores. For a special treat every now and again you should offer some live food! You’ll have fun watching him eat it up!

9. Do not decorate your Betta bowl with rocks or marbles that may cause your Betta to get stuck between or under them. Be sure that they are a flat smooth surface that provides no risk to the health of your fish.

10. Remember that your fish is a living, breathing responsibility. You need to feed, clean, and care for your Betta just like you would any other pet. If he’s sick take him to the vet, if he’s hungry feed him, if his home is dirty, clean it.

That’s it! These ten tips for caring for your Betta fish will have you well on your way to keeping a healthy fish. Internet Betta Groups or library books can be a great source of information should you want to learn more about your finned friend!

Adam Short is the owner of Betta Fish Center and co-wrote the above article with Amanda Fenton. Amanda has been caring for Betta fish for over 25 years. She is a contributing writer to http://www.bettafishcenter.com/ - site providing information and tips on betta fish care.

Basic Hermit Crab Care

Reprinted from: http://hedgehogvalley.com/hermiescare.html

This hermit crab care page is meant to cover the basics and are geared toward the purple pincher crabs, which are the most common ones. Please see our links page for a variety of places where there are links to plenty more pages with care sheets- the more you read, the better off you and your crabs will be!

Housing: There are many kinds of housing that are offered for hermit crabs, but the most suitable are glass aquariums or plastic critter keepers. The important thing to remember is that hermit crabs need about 70% humidity to breathe, so wire cages are not appropriate.

Substrate: Sand is a very suitable substrate, so that the crabs can burrow. Ideally, it should be about 2 inches deep. Mixing crushed shells or crushed coral sand with your sand ensures that the substrate will provide enough calcium and other micronutrients for your crabs.

Heat: Land hermit crabs come from warm environments and will die if kept at temperatures that are too cool. 72 to 82 degrees is considered ideal. Do not place your crab's cage in direct sunlight as this can lead to overheating. Likewise, don't place it too close to an air conditioning vent or it may experience temperatures that are much colder than the rest of the room. Low wattage light bulbs or reptile heat pads can be used to provide a heat source if your home tends to be cool.

Food/Water: Hermit crabs are scavengers in the wild. This means that they take the opportunity to eat whatever they can find. In captivity, your best bet is to provide a varied diet. A commercial crab diet makes a good primary food. At least once a week, you should offer your crab a little of each of the following food groups: raw fruits, raw leaf vegetables, cooked vegetables, and protein. Remove and discard all uneaten food daily to avoid spoilage. Water should be provided in a shallow container with a sponge. Hermit crabs need water to survive, but can drown if they are submerged in too much water. The sponge allows them to get the moisture that they need without too much depth of water. Be sure to use natural sea sponges and NEVER use the colorful, commercially made sponges because they are fixed with chemicals that can kill your crabs. Be sure to rinse your sponge and allow it to dry out thoroughly at least a couple of times a week (it helps if you have more than one to switch out) to avoid bacterial growth. Fresh water should be provided daily and you should mist your crabs at least once per day to ensure that they stay moist.

Cage Furnishings: Your crab will want something to hide in and something to climb on. Hermit crabs are excellent climbers and escape artists, so be sure not to place anything too close to the edge or high enough that your hermit crab can use it to get out. Coco huts, cholla sticks, and driftwood make great naturalistic cage furnishings.

Extra Shells: Hermit crabs use their shells for protection, to store water to keep the tail moistened, and occasionally to store extra food. They need to switch shells periodically, so provide several options per crab that are one size up from the current shell.

Molting: In order to grow, hermit crabs have to shed the old exoskeleton (the hard reddish to purple covering over their limbs). This is kind of like a snake shedding its skin. Typically, the crab will bury itself in the sand prior to molting. Don't be alarmed if you see the exoskeleton outside the opening of the crab's shell. It will eat the old skeleton to obtain calcium for growth, so do not remove it. Place your water dish as near the molting crab you can, as it will need extra moisture during this time. In about 10 days to a month, it will resume its normal activity. Hermit crabs regenerate lost limbs and eyes during molting. When a crab is molting, it should not have a fishy odor and you will likely see a very pink, soft hermit crab in the shell if you look in.

Crab behavior: Despite the name, hermit crabs are social creatures by nature, so you should house two or more together. It is good to vary the size so that there isn't competition for extra shells. By human standards, hermit crabs do not show affection, but they do learn to be relaxed in your presence with repeated handling. Hermit crabs generally will not pinch unless they are afraid of falling. Treat your crab with calmness and respect and you will find that your crab will become tame and comfortable with you.

Lifespan: Hermit crabs are reported to live up to 35 years and have been documented to live up to 25 years of captivity.