Why Your Pet Fish Keep Dying

Do your pet fish keep dying? Many novice aquarists will continue purchasing new fish without determining the cause of the repeated loss. If you keep losing every fish you buy for your fish tank, it is almost certainly because you are doing something wrong.
Here are some of the possible reasons that your pet fish keep dying.
Nitrate Poisoning
I believe that nitrate poisoning is the primary cause of death in pet fish. Nitrate levels rise when there is too much decaying food, fish poop or plant matter in your aquarium; it is produced as a natural by-product of decomposition. Nitrate is a silent killer; you may have no signs of high nitrate poisoning until the levels of this compound reach a deadly high.
To prevent this problem, use test strips in between water changes to determine levels of this compound. Aim to keep the levels below 20 parts per million (ppm). If levels are higher than 40 ppm, do an immediate water change.
Ammonia Poisoning
Does your fish tank have an odor? This is a very ominous sign, and indicates that there is ammonia in your aquarium. Even remote, trace amounts of ammonia are extremely toxic to fish. Ammonia poisoning is most likely to occur if you have a messy carnivorous fish such as a puffer or oscar. It can destroy a fish after only a few hours of exposure.
If you notice that your water is malodorous, get to work immediately on remedying the problem. Change your filter cartridge and at least 75% of your water. Consider using test strips to conifrm that levels are now safe, or undetectable.
Improper Diet
It is very rare for a pet fish to starve to death. Most aquarists actually massively overfeed their fishy friends-- which can lead to poisoning from nitrate or ammonia. However, if your fish keep dying, it is likely because you are feeding them the wrong foods. Are you trying to feed flakes to your puffer? Goldfish food to your betta? Betta food to your pleco? These will all lead to improper nutrition, which will cause the fish to die.
Prevent this problem by researching every species before you purchase it. Know its dietary needs and choose foods that provide balanced nutrition. If you do this, your fish stand a much better chance of survival.
There are many other potential reasons that your fish keep dying, including chlorine poisoning, infectious disease and improper pH. However, these are less common causes of repeated fish loss in aquariums.

Tiger Barbs: Stop the Nipping Now!


Tiger barbs are among the most beautiful freshwater tropical fish for the home aquarium. Because of their tendency to become aggressive with other fish if not properly cared for, they are often rejected by new aquarists. Contrary to their reputation, tiger barbs are actually an ideal choice for a new aquarium hobbyist: when properly cared for, they are lively exciting, and visually stunning additions to any fish tank.
One of the tiger barb's most annoying habits is its tendency to nip at the fins of other fish. For this reason, it is sometimes recommended that they not be kept in tanks with any long-finned tankmates or any fish that are unable to adequately defend themselves. However, tiger barbs actually quite capable of living peacefully with other fish, as long as they are kept in schools of more than eight individuals.
The secret to raising peaceful, non-nipping tiger barbs lies in understanding their social structure. Like more advanced animals, such as lions and wolves, wild tiger barbs hunt in groups that are kept in check by a natural hierarchy. In the wild, large schools of tiger barbs band together socially and establish a pecking order to determine who eats first when food is obtained.
In small groups, such as those seen in home aquariums, tiger barbs will attempt to establish their dominance over their tankmates, regardless of species, by nipping at their fins. This is a tiger barb's casual way of letting a tankmate know that he is stronger. Unfortunately, with the exception of a few species, the tankmates usually don't understand this communication, and do not learn to honor the pecking order that the barb is trying to establish. The tiger barb will usually continue to nip at his tank-mate's fins, often until the other fish dies.
In groups of eight or more individuals, tiger barbs are given sufficient rivalry from tankmates of the same species. Instead of trying to establish dominance over other tankmates who may not understand, the barbs will gladly harass each other, and will more or less leave other species alone.
Tiger barbs also feel less of a need to compete if given sufficient space. In a small aquarium, tiger barbs become more aggressive with each other and with other species, because there is less space to go around. This, in turn, leads the barb to assume that there is little food or few resources to share, leading to hyper-aggressive behaviors. In a large tank, ideally twenty gallons or more, the tiger barb will feel less of a need to compete with its tankmates.
Enjoying the beauty and personality of tiger barbs doesn't have to mean surrendering your angelfish and gouramis. With adequate space, sufficient food, and plenty of same-species tankmates, it can actually be an ideal and enjoyable addition to the home aquarium.

Betta Color Pattern Types

In addition to coming in a variety of tail typesfin varieties and color strains, the Siamese fighting fish, or betta splendens, can display a number of dazzlingly beautiful and exotic patterns. People whobreed, show and sell bettas often refer to the color patterns of bettas in specific terms, which may be confusing to those who are new or unfamiliar to the hobby.
The common terms that refer to betta patterns are as follows:
Solid Betta Pattern
Show-quality bettas that display only a single color should have no iridescence, irregularities, or discoloration. It can be difficult to breed fish that perfectly match this description, and bettas are disqualified from this category if they have sheens, iridescence, or color breaks that differ from the stated solid color.
Classic Bi-Color Betta Pattern
Bi-colored bettas can display many different types of color patterns, but a so-called classic bicolor fish shows a distinct and clear pattern. Its body is of one color, while its fins-- anal, dorsal, and caudal-- are all a completely different shade. The fins and body can be any of the standard, accepted betta colors. The coloration should be clearly delineated; fin colors should not overlap into the body or vice-versa.
Cambodian Betta Pattern
One very common sub-type of the classic bi-color betta is the Cambodian, which is a very popular addition at betta shows and is seen as a desirable trait among breeders. Cambodian bettas have a pinkish-white or salmon-colored body, with highly pigmented fins (usually red). It is also called "pla kat khmer" among betta fanciers.
Mustard Gas Betta Pattern
Another sub-type of the classic bicolor, mustard gas bettas generally have steel-blue bodies with gold or yellow fins. Some betta breeders expand the definition to include bettas with royal blue bodies or turquoise bodies, but the classic definition is often inclusive of blue-and-gold bettas only. The mustard gas color type is also sometimes applies to butterfly bettas exhibiting the defining colors (see below).
Butterfly Betta Pattern
Another very popular feature at betta shows, the butterfly pattern is quite beautiful and may be difficult to breed. Butterfly bettas have body colors that partially blend into the color of the fins, which is ideally a transparent or cellophane color. Additionally, the betta has distinct, dark, oval-shaped markings on the tail and fins, separated from the body dramatically by the pale zone.
Tricolor Butterfly Pattern
Created by crossing choice Cambodian bettas with classic butterflies, tricolor butterfly bettas have three, rather than two, colors, and can present with a variety of stunning patterns and shapes. One form of the tricolor butterfly betta, called the Tutweiler crowntail, is seen as a Holy Grail among betta enthusiasts, but it is very hard to breed.
Classic Marble Pattern
A classic marble betta, also known as a piebald, has a dark body with a pinkish, white, or salmon-colored head. Classic piebalds have no red, green, blue, or steel blue genes that express themselves in the fish's color; they are deliberately bred to eliminate sheen and coloration. They are beautiful in their own right, but may "look sick" the the eye of someone unfamiliar with the strain.
Colored Marble Pattern
Colored marble bettas have the same pattern as classic marble bettas, but with the addition of colors and sheen, including and of the colorations accepted within betta shows. The fins and body should show a very sharp, highly delineated combination of dark and light colors, and its head should be the same salmon-white color as in the classic marble betta.
Irregular Multicolor Bettas
Bettas with no predictable, obvious pattern are considered to be generically multicolored. Often, pet-store varieties of betta display these traits, which may result in blue bettas with red sheens and purplish spots. Wild-type bettas and king bettas which may show a mixture of almost every color imaginable, fall into this category. While many amateur betta enthusiasts find these beautiful, they are deeply frowned-upon in betta shows.
Some tricolor and multicolored bettas, such as those seen in some marble and tricolor butterfly patterns, are still considered to be okay, and even desirable, to breeders. However, many that show no noticable or predictable pattern are considered to be "mutts", bred without any specific goals or selection.