Coral Beauty Angelfish or Centropyge bispinosus are members of the family Pomacanthidae. This species is indigenous to the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to the Philippine Islands. Most of the coral beauties made available for the aquarium industry originate from Fiji.
This fish lives up to its name. Their heads, upper body region and dorsal fin are bright blue or purple. This primary coloration fades into yellow or orange transitioning into shade of pink at mid-body. Thin vertical banding of the primary body color breaks up this transition. Pectoral fins are typically orange or yellow. Anal and caudal fins are blue or purple. All but the pectoral fins are frequently outlined in neon blue. This species is also sold under the trade names Twospined Angel or Dusky Angelfish.
This is an excellent choice for amateur aquarists who want to own their first angelfish. They have all the exotic beauty one expects in a marine angelfish. They only grow to an adult length of 4 inches. So you don’t need an enormous aquarium to house them. They can be raised in a tank as small as 30 gallons. Most angels carry a moderate to expert care level (depending on the informational source). Coral beauties are one of the hardiest angelfish. These fish have an easy care level so they are perfect for novice saltwater aquarium owners. Regardless of size, most angelfish are labeled as semi-aggressive. This species is among the most peace loving of all angelfish. They may pick on smaller fish or fight with similar looking species as they mature but the do not demonstrate near the instinctive territorial behavior of most angels. More experienced aquarists will enjoy the fact that this species is rated reef safe if it is introduced to a marine reef environment as juvenile and is well fed as an adult. All of these factors make the coral beauty one of the most popular and commonly kept angelfish in home aquariums.
This is an omnivorous species. Juveniles are primarily planktonic feeders. An adult’s diet consists largely of algae. You will need to supply your aquarium with plenty of cured live rock to insure the general health of any marine angelfish. Coral, crustaceans, mollusks and worms comprise the remainder of an adult’s dietary intake. This is why you want to introduce this species to a reef set up when they are still juveniles. The trick is to get them accustomed to aquarium food and algae as their total dietary intake before they develop their adult taste buds. Feeding should take place 2-3 times a day.
Like most angelfish, this is a hermaphroditic species. They are born of indeterminate sexuality. They will then develop into females. In a population consisting exclusively of females the largest, most dominant fish will undergo a hormonal change until it transforms into a male.
Coral beauties are one of the few marine species that have been known to breed in home aquariums. Breeding is induced by the release of a gamete, or sex cell, into the water. The gamete’s presence will make this species feel the need to spawn. Spawning occurs shortly before dusk in their natural environment. In an aquarium spawning is just as cyclic. Spawning will take place precisely one hour before the lights turn off in an aquarium with a timer. The fact that breeding habits make the transition into captivity is truly phenomenal.
Courtship begins with the male dashing around erratically in a pre-mating dance. Once the female is attracted, the perspective mates will then begin swimming side by side. The two will then seek out the most turbulent area in the aquarium. This is generally found next to the power head. The male will rub his nose against the female’s side. The female will respond by expanding her fins in a seductive manner and then dashing off so as not to be thought of as an easy target for the male’s affection.
Once the courtship rituals are completed, the female will release a small clutch of eggs (usually 12-20) one at a time for fertilization. The eggs are left to float away. Juveniles are platonic feeders. Fry must be fed newly hatched brine shrimp in order to increase their likelihood of survival.
Posted in Pets tagged Angelfish Care, Informational Source, Pectoral Fins by Stephen with No comments
The red phantom tetra or Megalamphodus sweglesi is of the family Characidae more commonly known as characids. They are endemic to South America. There is also a commercially available black phantom tetra native to South America.
Red phantoms are docile creatures well suited for community tanks. They only grow to about 1.5 inches as adults so you’ll want to house them with other smaller variety fish. These top to mid-tank dwellers are right at home in a well planted aquarium.
If you are considering purchasing one of any other species of tetra, you should be aware that all tetras are shoaling fish. Shoaling fish are extremely social creatures. They are genetically programmed to function in a group comprised of other members of their own species. They do not adapt well to a life of isolation. It is advisable to purchase a minimum of four. Six to eight is considered ideal. Between their red body color and nearly transparent bodies a group of them looks absolutely amazing in any aquarium.
You should also realize that even though they are a peaceful fish, they do have a tendency to be fin nippers. This behavior becomes more prominent in larger groups. I don’t recommend mixing them with species that have long, flowing fins such as angelfish, bettas, and fancy guppies.
Amazon River water is slightly acidic. Phantom Tetras are accustomed to a pH level of 6.8 with a water temperature range between 72-77 ?F. Under optimum environmental conditions you can expect your tetras to live up to 5 years.
Red phantoms are omnivores. They can live off a diet comprised totally of common variety tropical fish flakes. A protein supplement diet, however, will help them maintain their vibrant colors. They are not picky eaters. Brine shrimp, tubifex, bloodworms, freeze dried or frozen protein supplements will work fine.
Males have leaner bodies than females. But the best way to distinguish between sexes is their dorsal fins. The male dorsal fin is longer and more sharply pointed than the females. Male fins are generally solid red. Female fins typically have a dark spot with a white tip.
Breeding Red Phantom Tetras
Red phantoms, like most tetras, are accomplished breeders in captivity. They have been given to breeding in community tanks with no encouragement from their keepers. In the wild it is not uncommon for a tetra population to double in a little over a year.
A breeding tank should be prepared with soft, slightly acidic water. You will also want subdued lighting and plenty of foliage. Subdued lighting is a key element. Not only will it help induce your tetras to breed, but it will insure healthy eggs. Tetra eggs are vulnerable to fungal growth. Fungus flourishes in well lit water.
All tetras are egg layers and will eat their own eggs. Their eggs sink naturally. A layer of marbles on the substrate will provide adequate shelter for the eggs. Adults should be removed from the breeding tank after spawning. Fry will hatch in about 24 hours. They will not need to be fed until they are free swimming. Young fry can be fed newly hatched shrimp brine, or liquid fry food formulated for egg laying fish.
Posted in Pets tagged Picky Eaters, Protein Supplement, Red Phantom Tetra by Stephen with No comments
As you probably know Twitter was created for individuals to interact with each other and for Stephen Fry to tell everyone he is trapped in a lift – but did you know that it also has the capacity to help you market and expand your business. In this short article I will be running through a few tips on how to unleash the power of Twitter for the benefit of your company. The two main methods that companies have been using to utilise the power of Twitter are Direct and Indirect.
o Direct – This is the most obvious route to take and is the one that most businesses opt for when they start tweeting. Essentially what you will be doing is using Twitter as a marketing tool. You can use Twitter to talk about any promotions your company may be having, or you can celebrate company achievements. It can be a quick channel to release information on any new products that you may be putting into the marketplace in the near future. All these sorts of marketing on Twitter can be accompanied by a link to the relevant page on your website. However it is important to point out that when using this strategy you are best not go into overkill or your potential customers will just tune out and your voice can be lost.
o Indirect – A more subtle approach to take when trying to use Twitter to promote your company or service is that of the indirect method. Either by chance or design you get your employees to use Twitter and as they (hopefully) Tweet great things about your company then you become more popular by proxy. If your company offers a great service or interesting products that your employees talk about in can only have a positive effect on your company.
What benefits can I get from using Twitter for my business?
o As with many forms of online marketing you have to be aware that you are not going to be in control of what people say in response to your company. However you can give this a positive spin because it will give you instant access to your customers’ opinions (good or bad) and thus your ability to fix any problems can be much quicker. It will give you a better understanding of your customers needs and help build stronger customer relations
o Twitter is fast breaking; therefore you can get news to your customers at a much faster rate than ever before.
o As well as Tweeting to promote your own company Twitter can provide with an opportunity to keep an eye on the competition. You can see what they are Tweeting about and the response they get from the public and adjust your marketing strategies accordingly.
In conclusion Twitter should be part of your online marketing strategy, helping you promote your company – whilst always keeping an eye on your competitors. Hopefully this has given a brief outline of why your business should be thinking of using Twitter as a promotional tool, now you need to investigate further and start building a strategy.
Posted in Internet And Businesses Online tagged Benefit, Interesting Products, Proxy by Stephen with No comments
In the dawn of the 21st century & still currently amongst us at this very moment in time, Mankind has witnessed the surgence in digital technology which has transformed & shaped the lives of people as we know it. One such feature that has radically become a world wide phenomena is the dramatic rise of Social networking sites.
August 2003. The year where it all began & notably changed the way people communicate with each other forever. The very year where social networking was born. This my people I am talking about MySpace, the founding fathers of social networking. The very site that previously became no 1 in USA for social interaction amongst the younger generations.
February 2004. A year where a successor will rise. A social network thats power has surpassed MySpace & continues to thrive to this very day. A network that has approximately 350 million users & still growing! Well, I’m sure it comes to no surprise that the social network I am talking about is Facebook! yes its popular chat forums have radically influenced the younger community & has taken the world by storm.
The year 2009. The rise of yet another social network. A strong contender that has entered the ring to compete against the reigning champions of social networking Facebook. Many celebrity guest appearances such as Stephen fry has dramatically increased traffic to there web page. I am talking but no other than twitter. The ingenious concept that allows users to send emails known as “tweets” to other users has become a instant hit amongst users thus creating a huge online phenomena.
and now… as we step into a new decade, there is a time for change. Its time for a new social network to rise for the new up & coming decade. The new social network for 2010 is IChatrr. IChatrr is a growing community based website which allows users to communicate through messages, audio or video chat widgets. More so, a new exciting group chat widget has been installed to provide a more enjoyable experience for all members. Like most social networks, members can upload pictures, music & video & can also customise their account as freely as they like.
Does IChatrr have what is takes to play with the top dogs? Only time can tell.
Posted in Internet And Businesses Online tagged 21st Century, Phenomenon, Social Networking by Stephen with No comments
