Dos & Don’ts of Fish Keeping!

Happy Friday everyone!  We are sure you’re happy that the weekend is now here!

Some of you are probably excited to put some time into your aquarium and perhaps even add new fish into your tank.  We know many of you are well experienced aquarists but since many of you are beginner fish keepers as well, we decided to write a list of some Don’ts when it comes to fish keeping and maintaining your aquarium.

• Don’t add too many fish into your aquarium!

A rule of thumb is to have 1 inch of fish for every gallon.  Keep this in mind!

• Don’t add incompatible fish into the same tank!

Make sure you do your research first and ask for plenty of advice from the shop you’re buying from.  We know that it can be tempting to just buy every fish that looks beautiful but the last thing you want is a “war zone” in your tank.  Even worse, some of your fish might become “lunch” to the newly added carnivore fish you just bought!

• Don’t forget to acclimate your fish!

Not only will you put stress on your fish but there is a chance your fish will encounter death from the shock.  Read more tips on our posting on acclimation.

• Don’t overfeed!

Give you fish just enough food to where they can finish within a 5 minute timeframe.  Be sure to remove all uneaten food within minutes if they aren’t finishing it.

• Don’t tap on the glass!

Not only will this stress your fish out but will cause many of them to dart quickly across the tank and even bang their head very hard onto the aquarium wall.

• Don’t forget to change your filter media every 3 months

This is for the carbon in particular.  It loses its effectiveness after 3 months so be sure to change it!

• Don’t add water from the bag of newly purchased fish.

The water may contain contaminants that will only give you much headache.

• Don’t forget to snap pictures of your awesome fish and tank setup!

We love to see everyones’ progress when it comes to their fish tank projects!  Keep us posted by posting onto our Facebook page or on Instagram (@petzone)!

We are sure you have plenty more Dos and Don’ts to add to the list!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend folks!

Happy Fish Keeping,

Roger Ma
Pet Zone Tropical Fish

Goliath African Tiger Fish For Sale!

We just got in one of the ultimate “monster fish” in the fish hobby!  The Goliath African Tiger Fish (Hydrocynus goliath) is one of the most vicious predatory fish out there and will eat just about anything it can overpower (including fish close to its own size).  There have even been cases of these fish attacking humans that are swimming in their habitat (mistaken them for a very large fish).

Originating from the Congo River Basin and Lake Tanganyika, many anglers have labeled this fish as the “greatest freshwater game fish in the world.”

The temperature of the tank should be around 72-82 degrees Fahrenheit and the pH of between 6.5 – 7.5.  Good filtration is a must!  Put in some driftwood and plants as a way to mimic this fish’s natural habitat, along with providing some hiding space.

If you plan on keeping this fish, be prepared to house them as they are known to grow to very enormous sizes in the wild (more than 4 feet and over 100 lbs).  We’d recommend having a tank of at least 1000 gallons in the future if you are going to commit in keeping this fish.

We hope this helps you in deciding whether or not this fish is a good fit for your fish keeping needs!

Happy Fish Keeping,

Roger Ma
Pet Zone Tropical Fish

Caring For Redfin Cactus Pleco, Mango Pleco & Sunshine Pleco

Hey Fellow Fish Keepers!

We hope this past weekend went great for all of you.

A newly arrived batch of rare plecos that many of you have been asking for have finally arrived again over this past weekend.  The L24 Redfin Cactus Pleco, the L47 Mango Pleco and the L14 Sunshine Pleco.

The L024 Pleco is one gorgeous plecostomus with awesome coloration that range between yellow to light green.  These beautiful plecos are known to be a bit more shy and can be seen hiding in their caves or underneath driftwood.  But as each fish differs in personality, this can vary because we’ve kept a number of Redfins and some are more “extroverted” than usual.  As a cousin to the L25 Red Scarlet Pleco, they are just as beautiful but are usually just half the price in comparison to its counterpart.  As with most rare plecos, pH and water conditions need to be kept up very well.  pH of between 6.0-7.4 is required for the Redfin Pleco and good filtration as they are sensitive to ammonia and nitrite.

The L047 Pleco is one fish that isn’t hard to miss when you walk past an aquarium (if it isn’t hiding at least)!  Having a particular lime green body and yellow tipped caudal and dorsal fins makes this plecostomus unique.  Also known as the Magnum Pleco, they can grow up to about 11 inches or so.  They can do well within community fish tanks but ensure that good filtration like with other plecos.  They require good aeration along with natural accents (this fish is wild-caught) such as live plants and driftwood.  pH of 6.5-7.5 will suffice for the Mango Pleco.

The L14 Pleco is easily distinguished by its brightly colored body.  Typically having olive to brown coloration and fins that range from a yellow to orange, it is covered with yellow spots around the dark colored areas of its body.  The Sunshine Pleco (or Goldie/Goldy if you prefer that name) is known to prefer a carnivorous diet.  We typically feed them a variety of foods but they simply love to chow down on live or frozen bloodworms from what we notice.  Algae wafers can also be accepted as long as you don’t spoil it too much on one particular food.  The Sunshine Pleco is known to grow to a large size of up to 16 inches so they are a definite “monster pleco” in comparison to other rare plecos in the hobby (we have 2 large sized ones ourselves).  A pH of 5.0-7.5 will suffice and good filtration is a must!

We hope you find this to be helpful towards your decision in finding the right pleco for your tank.  Whether you’re a beginner to fish keeping or an extreme plecostomus enthusiasts, these beautiful fish are a pleasure to keep and will bring you joy, as the satisfaction of having them outweights the cons of the extra upkeep.

Stay tuned with us on ​Facebook or ​Instagram (or ​Google Plus) for more updates to our fish stock and other fish keeping tips and advice!

Happy Fish Keeping,

Roger Ma
​​Pet Zone Tropical Fish

Osphronemus goramy – True Giant Gourami

When one thinks about a pet, dogs or cats often come to mind!  But if you’ve had a chance to encounter or known someone who has raised a Giant Gourami for many years, then you will realize that these fish are the ultimate “pet fish” as it can live past 20+ years and has a personality and intelligence that many say resemble a dog.

Scientifically named Osphronemus goramy (or Osphronemus gourami, depending on how you want to spell it), the True Giant Gourami grows to a size bigger than that of many fish, along with a very long lifespan.  They have been seen to grow over 2 feet in the wild, though in captivity they rarely reach past 16 inches (which is good for many fish keepers).  Two variations of this Gourami are seen in the fish keeping hobby.  One is the Red Tail Giant Gourami and the other is the Albino Giant Gourami (also known as Pink Lady Gourami).

As they continue to grow and reach full adulthood size, its appearance will begin to change.  The face changes quite a lot from its juvenile stage to adulthood.  When younger, they have a pointer face and mouth and transitioning into adulthood, it will form a “beak” (thicker lips and chin) and have a swollen forehead.

They are known to be very hardy fish and aren’t too fussy with their water conditions (be sure to do regular maintenance and upkeep though) or diet.  A temperature of around 68 – 86 degrees will suffice and a pH of 6.5 – 8.0 will do.  As a omnivore, they will readily accept anything you throw into the tank.  But ensure that you give your Gourami a varied diet, as you don’t want them to get too spoiled off one particular food.  Flakes and pellets work great and other meaty or vegetable foods can be incorporated into its diet.

The Giant Gourami is known to be aggressive as it grows large and should be kept with tank mates of similar size.  It can be kept within a community aquarium or with monster sized fish.  Known to be peaceful among other fish it was raised with, it can dominate newer additions to the tank.  Keep a close eye whenever you decide to put in new fish, as each fish has a different level of aggression.

Be sure you have the ability and commitment to keep this long-lived pet fish!  We’ve personally had friends that has a couple around 25 years old and they are definitely more intelligent than you’d expect from a fish!

Happy Fish Keeping,

Roger Ma
Pet Zone Tropical Fish

 

Indo Pacific Tarpon Fish – Megalops Cyprinoides

We are sure many of you had a blast during the long Memorial Day weekend.  The weather here in SoCal is definitely getting much warmer and we are getting a lot more sunlight hours too (summer is nearly here)!

A new batch of ​Indo Pacific Tarpons have arrived to our store again this past weekend.  Known as the ​megalops cyprinoides species, this is one widespread monster fish that can be found in both fresh and saltwater environments.  Not only can they thrive in both freshwater or saltwater but can live out their entire lives and get fully grown in both!  Their biology allows them to thrive and it isn’t uncommon to find them within landlocked bodies of water (they’ve been found deep in the waters in the African continent).

As a fish that can grow nearly 5 feet long, one would need a immense tank to house this beautiful fish!  A pH level of 6.5 – 7.5 is required.  Be sure to keep the water well maintained, along with regular water changes to as this fish needs pristine water.

Though it is not necessary to keep this fish in saltwater nor add salt to give it brackish conditions, it can also be housed with brackish water fish with no issues.  The only problem here is that eventually this fish can end up eating its tank mates after it grows past 1 meter in size.  Be wary of fish you plan on keeping in the tank with this fish!

A variety of foods such as live feeders, shrimp (frozen or dried) and bloodworms (live, frozen or dried) are what Tarpons enjoy eating.  Pellets can also be fed if they are “trained” to eat them.

This is one gorgeous fish that many monster fish keepers love but as with all other big fish, they have the ability to jump very high and are quite strong, so ensure that is a tightly secured lid is used to prevent this fish from jumping out.

We hope you find this to be helpful!  Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments for any fish keeping tips or pointers!

Happy Fish Keeping,

Roger
​​Pet Zone Tropical Fish

African Arowana (Heterotis niloticus)

The weekend is finally here!  And summer just around the corner.  We are sure you have got many plans for the warmer weather coming (especially with fish keeping).

We finally got in a huge batch of African Arowanas.  These are rare to see in the fish hobby and are always sought after by many arowana and monster fish keeping hobbyist alike.  Originating from Africa, you can find them in the waters of Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi and other rivers in that region.

Though it has the name “arowana,” it is actually more closely related to the Arapaima as they are both in the Heterotidinae.  In the wild, they are known to grow up to around 3.25 feet and over 20 pounds (definitely a monster fish).  A good size tank is required for these African Arowanas.  Juveniles need a good 50 gallons or so and when they reach adulthood, a good 250 gallon and up is needed.

They are known to scavenge around all day looking for food.  They are quite a hardy fish, taking in live or frozen foods and can be tamed to take arowana pellets if trained early on.  Beware of keeping them with smaller sized fish and as a rule of thumb, keep it with fish that you’d normally keep other arowanas with.

Water conditions would need to be pristine to keep this fish in good health.  Weekly water changes are required (just partial like the usual tank cleanings you do).  Like other arowanas, they are sensitive to bad water, so provide good filtration.  pH will need to be around 6.8-7.5 and the temperature would need to be in the high 70s to mid 80s F (mid 20s to high 20s C).

As a monster fish keeper, we are sure you’ll find much joy in this rare fish!  Do not hesitate to contact us with any pointers you might need.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend folks.

Happy Fish Keeping,

Roger Ma
Pet Zone Tropical Fish

 

ElephantNose Fish (Gnathonemus petersii)

​The ​Elephantnose (or ​Elephant Nose, however you’d like to spell it) fish is one awesome oddball fish that originates from Africa.  Commonly known as the Peters’ elephantnose fish, this fish has a nose shaped mouth that looks similar to an elephant, hence the name (though some fish hobbyist compare it to the shape of a dolphin).

Though they are known to have bad eye sight and use electroreceptors to find its way around for food, navigating, etc.  Originating from the rivers of West and Central Africa, the elephantnose prefers to be in slow moving water.  Water conditions should be as follows: ph of 6.8 – 7.2 and temperature of around high 70s to low 80s.

Can be kept with larger fish of peaceful nature.  It can get territorial amongst its own kind so a big enough tank is required if more than one elephantnose is kept together.

In the wild, this fish is a carnivore but in captivity, it can be tamed to eat a number of foods ranging from flakes to live or frozen foods such as bloodworms, etc.  Keep the diet varied is best!

This is the perfect oddball fish that many fish keeping hobbyist love, so it is the perfect gift!

Happy Fish Keeping,

Roger
​​Pet Zone Tropical Fish

Silver Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum)

The Silver Arowana is one of the most popular tropical fish that we sell at our store!  Whether you’re an arowana enthusiasts or just a beginner fish keeper, the Silver Arowana is the hardiest of all the arowanas in the fish hobby and aren’t prone to stress like the Jardini or Black/Blue Arowana.

This arowana is native to the Amazon River Basin in South America, in the waters between Brazil and Columbia.  Known to grow to a very large size in the wild, a good sized tank is needed for this gorgeous “dragonfish,” as it can still get quite big in captivity.  250 gallons is preferable.

In comparison to the Jardini or Asian Arowanas, they can be kept together and not territorial toward other arowanas like the Scleropages arowana species.  Be aware of tank mates, as they can (and will) fit smaller sized fishes into their mouth with ease.

Water requirements aren’t particularly tough but it is a good rule of thumb to keep the water conditions in pristine condition for the arowana.  Mid 70s to low 80s (Fahrenheit) is the required temperature, along with the pH being around 6.0 – 7.0.

Make sure you use a good lid that is sturdy.  These fish are known to jump very high (in the wild, it jumps out of the water to catch prey) and can knock off a tank lid that isn’t secure.

They are easy to “tame” in comparison to the other arowanas and will readily accept fish pellets.  Just make sure to feed it a varied diet so it will not “get spoiled” on one particular food.  Hai Feng Fast Color is one fish food pellet staple that the Silver Arowana loves.  Supplement it with live mealworms, live or frozen bloodworms and live feeders.

As a fish from the Jurassic period, the arowana definitely has that ancient look and has survived throughout these millions of years!

For more tips and advice, do not hesitate to contact us!  And continue to follow us on social media and here on our blog!

 

Happy Fish Keeping,

Roger Ma
​​Pet Zone Tropical Fish – San Diego, CA​

L014 Sunshine Pleco (Scobinancistrus aureatus)

We can’t believe this year is flying back quick!  It is already April and summer is just around the corner.

We got in some L14 Goldie Plecos (Sunshine Pleco) again, which are some of the rarest plecos out there.  Perfect for you pleco collectors and rare fish enthusiasts.

This gorgeous plecostomus is brown in color (can be olive in color as well), with yellow spots that cover the body.  As they are smaller in size, the fins are more orange and fades away as it grows larger.    Coming from Brazil, it requires a particular pH level (6.0-7.4) and is prone to stress from changes in it’s environment.  An efficient filtration system is required to keep this pleco in good health and happy!

Like other plecos, it is an omnivore but the Goldie loves a carnivorous diet.  Provide live or frozen foods.  Soft wood is also great to have in the tank.

The Goldie does well in a tank with Discus or Angelfish as they all require pristine water conditions.  It’ll add some variation to your aquarium and makes an excellent show fish that many of your fellow fish keepers will envy!

 

Continue to follow us on Instagram and FaceBook for updates on our fish stock and specials!

Happy Fish Keeping,

Roger Ma
Pet Zone Tropical Fish

 

 

Tiger Datnoid – Siamese Tigerfish

Happy Hump Day everyone!

Now that the weather is getting warmer (it’s been in the 90s Fahrenheit here in San Diego), it will be much safer for us to ship fish nationwide as the risk of a weather delay is smaller now.

We’ve gotten in many fish these last couple months and the Tiger Datnoid (some of you know them as the Thin Bar Dat) has been one that many “monster fish keepers” love, which we’ve been selling extremely fast each time a batch arrives to our store.

Also known as the Siamese Tigerfish (Datnioides pulcher), this is one of the rarer Datnoids imported in from Thailand.  Many fish keepers house this fish with many other monster fish, such as arowanas, bichirs, etc.

Though the Tiger Datnoid can tolerate light brackish water conditions, its best if you keep it in freshwater if you’re housing it with many other monster fish that are strictly freshwater.  pH level should be around 6.5 – 7.5 or so.  And be sure the temperature is around 76 – 82 degrees F.  Though they are known to grow up to 24 inches in the wild, a larger sized tank would is required as it can still grow up to 16 inches in captivity.

It feeds on a variety of foods, especially live or frozen foods.  We supplement our Datnoids mainly with live or frozen bloodworms and feeders.  They can be trained to eat pellets as well, though this take a bit more time and patience.

This is definitely one of those rare fish that may be difficult to raise at first, but after a while, this smart fish becomes accustomed to its new home and owner and will stop being skittish and shy!

We hope you find this info to be helpful!  Do not hesitate to contact us as we are always happy to assist you with any of your fish keeping needs!

Happy Fish Keeping,

Roger Ma
Pet Zone San Diego