Aquarium Supplies Part 1 — My First Experience With Bettas
Aquarium Supplies Part 1 -- My First Experience With Bettas
Keeping fish as pets takes more than just feeding them and changing the water every once in a while. Sadly, many people aren't aware of that and they just buy aquarium fish because they're attractive. After a short while the fish start to get sick and die one after the other, and the newbie would lose interest in the hobby and give it up all together.Basic knowledge of fish keeping, together with the right aquarium supplies, is crucial to the livelihood and longevity of your fish. It's important to maintain the optimum living conditions for your fish and other living things you may have in your aquarium if you are to enjoy them for a long time.To illustrate this, I shall share with you my own experiences when I got started with this hobby for the very first time as a child. The first experience was with bettas and the second with goldfish; two different kinds of fish with different requirements.My first pet fish were a pair of bettas (a male and a female) which my mom bought me because she knew that I liked fish and felt sorry for me because a toy fish was all I had.We put the bettas in a small plastic jar with a floating live plant. The male was aggressive. He continuously chased after the female and attacked her until she was full of bruises. One night, running out of place to hide, the female desperately jumped out of the water onto the floor. Fortunately I was nearby and was able to save her.My mom then suggested that we separate the fish. So we put the female in a different jar. However, I felt that the female was lonely. So one day I asked my mom if I could buy another fish. There was a beautiful green male betta that I decided to buy.At that time I didn't know that bettas were fighting fish and that the males would fight with each other. So at first I decided to put the new male in the same container as the first male. I knew the first male was aggressive and I just wondered how he would react toward another male.To my amazement the two males fought with each other and there was no sign that they would stop. After a while I got worried. I didn't want any of them to die so I finally separated them and put the new male together with the female, and to my pleasant surprise they got along pretty well.However, that little jar was kind of small for a pair of fish although they got along. So, we decided to move the fish to a much larger plastic container. Later I added a couple more females so that it became sort of a betta community tank.Being fascinated by the beauty of the male bettas, I bought a couple more and put each in individual jars. I fed them dried food and occasionally bread. However, I fed them too much. The water would become cloudy fast from fish waste and uneaten food. So, I completely changed the water every other day. I would fill up the jar with new water right from the tap.As you might guess, the fish didn't last very long. After only a few months they started to get sick and eventually one after the other died.Dirty water, untreated new water, fluctuating water temperatures, and trauma from being moved frequently during water changes were some of the factors that contributed to the fish's low resistance to diseases.Although it's acceptable to keep bettas in relatively small containers without aeration, it would be much better to put them in a tank of at least 2 gallons, and you would still need to observe certain basic things such as not feeding them too much and setting aside new water to equilibrate the temperature and remove chorine prior to water changes.I was only about 10 years old at the time and didn't know anything about fish keeping. Neither did my mom. Also, back then there were very few books about aquarium fish and the aquarium supplies were not as sophisticated as they are today.Today, there are plenty of good books and magazines as well as web sites about fish aquariums. So, if you're serious about taking up this hobby, you should start by reading a few of them and gain the basic knowledge before you even buy your aquarium and fish.In the next article you will learn what happened when I tried to keep some goldfish, also with very little knowledge. In the mean time I invite you to visit my web site (see below) to learn more about aquarium fish keeping.About the author:Jonathan Wangsa is the webmaster of All About Aquarium Supplies. There you can find resources and information about aquarium supplies and other aquarium related topics. Whether you're an expert or a newbie, you can also share your own experiences.Get a Free Special Report when you sign up for a Free Monthly Newsletter.
Dog Supplies: Whats Needed Versus What Might Be Fun to Have
Dog Supplies: Whats Needed Versus What Might Be Fun to Have
Buying a new dog is more than simply finding the cutest puppy in the store and buying a bag of dog food. Acquiring a new canine is nearly as important as adopting a child. They need constant attention and love and buying the proper supplies can be as confusing as deciding what kind of dog to get in the first place. So I'm here to help you.When you first walk into a pet store you will be bombarded by everything from designer clothes to dog food, and the salesmen are rarely any help. They're goal is to sell you everything you lay your eyes on. But in reality there are really only a few basic things you need to make your new family member comfortable and you a happy dog owner.First and foremost, buy a book about your breed. All breeds are very different and have different needs and personality quirks. But at the same time, don't think of the book as the end all and be all of how your dog is supposed to behave. Like people, dogs each have their own personalities. The book is there simply to give you guidance.Second, get a good collar. Make sure you can stick at least two fingers between the dog's skin and the collar. Also make sure you get a collar that allows plenty of room for growth. Some breeds grow very fast and you don't want to be replacing the collar every two weeks during your puppy's first year. Also, get a good training collar. These come in many, many sizes and types. The two most popular types are called the choke chain and the German pinch collar. But don't let the names scare you. These two training collars are the best for teaching your dog to heal and to walk on the end of a leash without jerking your arm out of the socket.Both collars have their pros and cons. The choke chain is easy to use and doesn't "look" cruel. But you have to replace it as the dog gets bigger and depending on the breed, this can get very expensive. The German choke chain "looks" evil but as the dog grows bigger you can simply add additional links. But the biggest thing to remember with both collars is to "never" use the collar as your dog's everyday collar. Dog owner's can grow very lazy when using these collars and forget to check them. It's not uncommon for an owner to forget to check the collar and end up having to cut the collar off because the dog grew so big the collar would no longer fit over its head. Choke chains and German pinch collars are to be used for training purposes only.The other supplies needed for happy dogs are simple:* A weighted food and water bowl. Dogs, especially puppies, seem to have a fondness for playing in their dinner as much as eating it.* A well made crate or dog house, depending on whether or not the dog will be an inside or outside dog; at least three leashes of varying lengths, used for training and walking purposes. The book you get will explain how the different sized leashes are used in training.* Chew toys, chew toys, chew toys. Dogs, especially puppies, need to exercise their gums regularly and unless you plan on replacing your furniture, your expensive crown molding and your slippers on a regular basis, get your new friend a wide selection of chew toys.* And finally, DOG FOOD! Despite what some animal rights groups would have you believe, dogs are carnivores. They eat meat. So check the ingredients. If corn and other types of vegetables is the first ingredient listed, your new four-legged friend is not getting what he needs. Look for chicken or beef to be listed as the first ingredient.A few more supplies you will need as the dog gets older, but aren't necessarily mandatory when you first get your puppy include; a good brush, ID tag and dog treats. Treats are better utilized as just that ? treats. Instead of using treats as a training aid, substitute your dog's favorite toy. Trust me, after about a month you will discover what his favorite toy is.And now for the supplies that might be fun to have. Squeaky toys are very cute in the store and your dog will love them. But they will get very old very quickly. Imagine this scenario. You've just walked in the front door from a long day at work. You sit down to watch TV and decompress and from the other side of the room you hear, "Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak." That will get old very quickly.And even though they're cute, please save your dog's dignity and avoid buying any clothes, designer or otherwise, for Fido. Have you ever really looked at a dog's face when he's wearing clothes? He's embarrassed. A good rule of thumb to use is this ? if you wouldn't be seen in public wearing it, don't make your dog wear it. Have fun with your new family member.You may republish this article with full credit to the author and the 2 URL's hyperlinked.Allen Shaw is a successful author who provides pet tips and information for dog supplies and pet supplies. "I am the news director at USA News Network and have been working as freelance writer for 2 years. I've been published in a few magazines, newspapers and websites and my specialty up to this point has been movie and music reviews."