Giant Clam – Derasa

Derasa Clam ~ Tridacna derasa
"The Derasa Clam gets big! Yes, it can grow just under 2 feet in length. It’s a very hardy giant clam in the aquarium with a subtle and intriguing beauty… But yes! It is also used as a food source!"

   The Derasa Clam is one of the hardiest, most widely available giant clam for the aquarium!

   The Derasa Clam Tridacna derasa, along with its cousin the Gigas Clam Tridacna gigas, was one of the of the first aquacultured species of Tridacna clams. A popular food item, these clams have been hunted extensively throughout their natural
habitats. Today both of these giant clams are cultivated in captivity. They are supplied as a food source, but are also readily available to the aquarist.

   The Derasa Clam has proven to be one of the hardiest giant clams for the aquarium. T. derasa’s are also quite attractive. They usually have a mantle with a striped pattern of wavy lines or a spotted pattern. They sport various
color combinations of orange, yellow, black, blue, and white, some can even
have brilliant blue or green accents. (Read More Here)

Aquarium Care for Freshwater Fish

Aquarists Keep All Types of Freshwater Fish!
  Seeing a beautiful fish at a pet store or winning a goldfish at the fair can be the beginning of a very exciting journeying… becoming an aquarist!

Keeping tropical fish is fun and very rewarding. The adventure begins with getting an aquarium for your new aquatic pet. Then learning how to feed and care for it. Freshwater fish care is not difficult but there are a few basics.

This article will introduce you to some of the basics for keeping and caring for freshwater fish. Then as you become comfortable, you may want to begin keeping the unusual or more difficult types of tropical fish. Enjoy the journey!

   “Aquarium Care for Freshwater Fish” – Author: Vlad Gorgan

Have you ever wondered what the difference between freshwater fish and saltwater fish is? Here is one general thought. Freshwater fish are hardier, which makes them so much more lovable than saltwater ones. In order to be able to keep any freshwater fish, you need to set up a basic aquarium, comprising of the fish tank, rocks or substrate on the bottom, a water filter and a lighting system. As far as the fish are concerned, you cannot have incompatible fish in the same tank. They have to be a match from the point of view of the temperature and the water pH. Also, it is recommended to have approximately same-sized fish, for the risk of eating each other not to exist after a shorter or longer period of time.

When it comes to freshwater fish, they should receive fish food twice a day and only small quantities of food, approximately how much they can eat in two up to five minutes. What if you do not know how much food t give them and you give them too much? Well, in that case, the extra food will become debris, dirtying the fish tank. Generally, you should clean a fish tank every week and also you should check the water pH and the water temperature, so that it does not come to fish being affected in any way. If the conditions in the tank are not appropriate, then most of the times, your fish will get ill. Fortunately, you can easily observe that, but you then have to take care of them and treat as soon as possible, because usually, fish are not very resistant and they just as easily die.

When your fish get sick, you can buy them stress coats from shops and treat any sign of distress and another thing you should do is to never put too many fish in the same fish tank, as this is another reason for fish getting sick.

Coming back to the aquarium water, when you change it, you should only change a third of the total volume once, in order not to harm the fish in that water. Remember to change the water once every 2-3 weeks, using a siphon or a bucket. Also, you should never let any debris or extra algae in the water and you should check the temperature to remain constant at about two degrees. The filter should also be changed very carefully and at the right time. No matter what operation you perform, you should do it with your hands clean.

Keeping freshwater fish is a very pleasant hobby, barbs, live bearers, danios or other such fish being extremely resistant to large amounts of nitrates. What is always very important is to know how to assure them the best living conditions and never to introduce more than four fish in a fish tank in one week. This related to how many small fish you should add up every week. Be fresh by keeping freshwater fish!

Here is some additional information on Aquarium Care for Freshwater Fish:

• Freshwater Aquarium Setup and Maintenance – How to set up an aquarium for the best results
• Fish Care – Maintenance Schedule – A few quick basics about caring for tropical fish
• Cycling Your Aquarium – Starting the aquarium cycle for a healthy aquarium

Aquatic Passion Photo of the Month Winner – September 2009

Congratulations to Chad for this cool photo of a Trumpet Coral – Caulastrea echinulata

A very similar species to the Candycane coral C. furcata. The trumpet coral is usually less colorful than the candycane and has trumpet shaped polyps which are more closely packed. See pictures illustrating the Candycane and Trumpet Coral differences.

Truly a Giant Clam – Tridacna gigas

Giant Clam or Gigas Clam – Tridacna gigas
"How would you like to have a 4 foot, 400 pound Clam sitting in your living room aquarium? Now THAT would be an attraction. It’s one big fellow and peaceful too!"

   The Giant Clam, Tridacna Gigas, is the largest bivalve (mollusc) in the world!

   The Tridacna gigas clam is commonly called the Giant Clam or Gigas Clam. This impressive Tridacna clam species is popular as both a food source and a novelty. Its numbers in the
wild have been greatly reduced because of over collection and hunting. The Giant Clam, along with its cousin the Derasa Clam Tridacna derasa, is one of the first aquacultured species of Tridacna clams. Today both of these giant clams are cultivated in captivity. They are supplied as a food source, but are also readily available to the aquarist.

   The Giant Clam, or Gigas Clam, has proven to be one of the hardiest giant clams for the aquarium. They are relatively easy to care for and can grow very
rapidly when provided with adequate light and calcium levels. Giant Clams will need ample room in the aquarium, as true to their name they can can become very large, reaching over 3′ in length…

Giant Clam – Hippopus

Hippopus Clam
"Hip Hip Hurrah for Hippopus hippopus!… I’m the clam of the day! I many not throw my weight around like that oversized Gigas Clam, or flaunt my colors like that vain Maxima, but I have class!"

Rosette Plants for Freshwater Aquariums

Rosette Plants
"Lattice and lace are the order of the day! The Rosette Plants are the ornamental plants of the planted aquarium. They do need some special care but the rewards are awesome!"

   Rosette plants are those that have a shortened stem axis

and tend to be more ornamental!

   Rosette Plants are the ornamental plants of the aquarium. These plant structure of the rosettes are described as having a ’shortened stem axis’ which creates very beautiful leafy plant. They can be used in groups or can be used individually as a stand alone plant. A single rosette plant can be the stunning focal point in your aquarium design.

   Most of the Rosette plants are lattice plants and require
more specialized plant care than the other groups for good plant growth. They reproduce asexually by runners
and most will grow emersed under water and produce flowers. Environmental requirements include: soft, slightly
acidic water ( pH of 5.5-6.5 and 2-3° CH), abundantly available
fertilization, and cooler temperatures (60-72° F).

Aquatic Passion Photo of the Month Winner – August 2009

Aquatic Passion – Photo of the Month

August 2009. Its time again to check out our photo submissions in the Aquatic Passion forum. Simply visit this thread and cast your vote: Photo of the Month

For next months contest you can visit this page “Photo Contest” and upload-link to one of your photos! You just might win something too!

Oh yeah!

Moorish Idol Video – A Most Excellently Beautiful Fish

Here is another short video of a beautiful fish that is almost impossible to keep in an aquarium. The moorish idol played a main role in the film ‘Finding Nemo’. The film character was named ‘Gill’ and was sort of a father figure and protector to Nemo in the movie.

The Moorish Idol is one of the most beautiful aqarium fish. Unfortunately, they are extremely difficult to keep in captivity and should not be purchased for your aquarium. Best leave this one where it can survive, in the ocean! Another fish that looks similar to the Moorish Idol, but can be kept successfully in an aquarium is the Longfin Bannerfish, Heniochus acuminatus. Other species of Heniochus can also be easy to keep in an aquarium.

The Moorish Idol, Zanclus cornutus or “Crowned Scythe”, is the only member of the family Zanclidae. It eats sponges, tunicates and other benthic invertebrates in the wild, which explains why aquarists have an impossible time getting them to eat in captivity. This is a beautiful fish that should be left in the ocean.

Damselfish – Garibaldi Video

I have been working on short videos for many of the fish at animal-world. See the example below of the Garibaldi, a damselfish found in coastal waters of the eastern Pacific, like California. The first time I went under the water as a training scuba diver, one of these swam up to my face and looked me directly in the eye. Needless to say, I was hooked on scuba diving from then on!

The Garibaldi Damselfish is a ‘cheeky fish’!

The Garibaldi Damselfish is found in coastal waters of the Eastern Central Pacific Ocean where the water is cooler than tropical locations. We have see this fish in the kelp forests off the California coast in conjunction with the cooler water Catalina Goby, named for an island off the California coast. They are known to divers as ‘cheeky fish’ since they are curious and unafraid of divers. The Garibaldi is one of the largest fish in the damselfish family, it is a striking orange color, and as a juvenile, is marked with many blue spots. The fins of the juvenile are also outlined in blue adding to its beauty.

The Garibaldi Damselfish is a very long-lived fish, it can live up to 25 years. This damselfish should be housed in an aquarium of at least 100 gallons with plenty of live rock to accomodate their territorial nature. They are extremely aggressive towards their own kind, and only one Garibaldi should be kept in a single aquarium. The diet should include various meaty foods, herbivore preparations, and flaked foods.

The Garibaldi is sexually dimorphic; the male is larger than the female and also has a lobe on the front of the head.
These fish have not been successfully bred in captivity.

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