Category Archive for "Freshwater Topics"

Caring for Your Fishpond in Winter Months

Winter is often a season where weather keeps us indoors, nature seems to slow down and trees go dormant through the cold months of the season making us think that dealing with the fishpond can be relaxed until the warmer weather arrives in the spring. This is not the case when owning and caring for…

How to Select Compatible Freshwater Fish for Aquariums

For peace and harmony to prevail inside your aquarium tank, make sure you put in fish species that are compatible. Like other animals, some species of fish are more aggressive and predatory, while some possess a naturally calm temperament. If you are in the process of selecting compatible fish species for your community tank, here…

Cloudy Aquarium Water: Causes and Solutions

Having cloudy water aquarium has surely been experienced by hobbyists at one time or another. This phenomenon can take place in both an established or a new aquarium. The earliest sign that there is something wrong in your tank can be detected by looking at the water. In a well-balanced aquatic ecosystem, the water should…

Water Changes and Its Effect to Fishes

Water changes are important aspects of routine tank maintenance. Most aquarists know regular water changes should be undertaken, but not everyone does or knows how to do it correctly. (more…)

All Pumped Up

Ranting about pond pumps has been one of my favourite preoccupations during my time as editor of Practical Fishkeeping. So a visit to the largest UK Garden trade show - GLEE - which features many fishkeeping and pond manufacturers (as well as halls full of lawnmowers, tractors, seeds, plants - you name it - for…

Freshwater Plenums

At PFK we've been tossing around the idea of a freshwater plenum tank - that is a set-up relying on the "plenum" - a gap under a substrate - to filter the tank. In the marine world these are generally (though not always) combined with "living" sand - a substrate turned over by the living…

Surging Into The Millennium?

There's an unwritten rule in this office that we don't mention celebrities who indulge in or make their living from dangerous sports or activities. This stems from an unfortunate simile about a famous racing driver who was deceased before the magazine hit the shelves. (more…)

Two Nations Divided by a Common Language?

Despite the internationalisation of the world, via the Internet, we still cling to different methods and traditions in our various countries. I've just been working on a tiny book - intended to be very basic - on tropical fishkeeping. I've recommended certain filter systems, and the American company who are joint-publishing the book have totally…

Messing About

A long time ago in this very office (or one quite like it the other side of town) a pair of fishkeeping hacks first discussed the concept of benign neglect and fishkeeping. The hacks were myself and Karen Youngs, my deputy, lately returned to PFK. What we were thinking about was the tendency of all…

Myth and Magic or Hard Facts?

One of my correspondents has aroused the rage of one or two fishkeeping web surfers by remarking that no-one edits the information on the WWW. Of course it's not altogether true - the inestimable Mark keeps everything together on this site, and there are controllers of one type or another on most of the commercial…

Ossie Vs Mr Plec

Those of us blessed with children would recognise the situation perfectly. Take two semi-adolescent children - brothers, sisters, one of each and put them on the sofa. One way or another a squabble begins and always ends in tears. Sometimes it's nice to come to work and leave all that behind... (more…)

Revolutionary or Reactionary?

It's easy to condemn old ideas in fishkeeping as old-fashioned and out-dated. Sometimes they're still sound, and with the benefit of new technology, can be spectacularly successful in a way they never previously were. One current debate in PFK concerns the effectiveness of "modern" and "traditional" marine filtration systems. The pace of progress is so…

Feeding Malawi Cichlids

If you've never been eaten out of house and home by a few fishes before - be prepared - as these little guys will do just that. They are greedy and will never miss a meal when offered. Most Malawi Cichlids are good feeders - so starvation with these creatures is rarely an issue -…

Fish Care and Feeding While on Vacation

If you are worried about leaving your fish behind when you go on vacation, there’s no need to, as long as you plan ahead of time. You should find time to get things in order so you can have a stress-free and relaxing vacation. Fish Feeding Fish can survive for several weeks without food. Some…

6 Healthiest Live Food Choices for Betta Fish

Bettas feed on a wide variety of fresh or frozen foods. However, they can also be notoriously picky. Luckily, there are many dietary options for betta fish that you can choose from. Bettas are carnivorous and thrive well on live tasty treats such as worms, crustaceans, and small insects. (more…)

Starting Fishkeeping

Another is to adopt the tactics I've followed in creating an equally-short beginner's guide in PFK this month (March 2000 issue). This contains a large variety of equipment and ideas with just short notes about them. The idea is not supply all the information the beginner needs, but to give them a really good idea…

Buying The Right Fish, Getting The Right Advice

A good aquatic shop is a joy to find. In my August editorial I talk a little about the changes we've noticed in our travels (by "our" I mean the editorial and advertising teams, not just me). The UK aquatic customer is enjoying a time when lots of high quality shops are either appearing or…

Rotating Biological Filter

As we took a long hard look at the range of external canister filters available in the UK it occurred to me that despite the huge improvements in old favourites like the Fluval and the excellent design of Interpet's prime series, little had really changed in the world of externals since their inception. (more…)

How to Combat Hydra Infestation

Hydras belong to Phylum Coelenterata, a group of aquatic organisms where jellyfish and corals also belong to. Hydra doesn’t just mysteriously appear in your tank. They are often introduced to the aquarium from an external source. Once inside the tank, the abundance of food sources will promote its growth and multiplication. (more…)

Category Archives: Freshwater Topics