About Leopard Danios

Feb 10, 2024

The Leopard Danio is a tropical fish belonging to the minnow family Cyprinidae. Originating in Sumatra, Myanmar, and Thailand. In the wild, the danio's are found in along the surface of small, clear rivers and hill streams. Leopard Danio's are a very hardy fish that like to shoal together which makes them great for beginners. They are suitable for indoor cold/temperate water tanks also.

Where do Leopard Danio fish originate from?
Where do Leopard Danios come from? Well, Danios, fishes belonging to the family Cyprinidae, originate from south and southeast Asia. You will find the Leopard Danio in Sumatra, Myanmar, and Thailand across southern Asia. Over the years Danios have been traditionally one of the most popular tropical fish kept by hobbyists.

Are Leopard Danios fin-nippers, will they nip the fins of other fish?
Danios may have small bouts of fin-nipping with any long-finned tank mates but this should not be too serious. It is generally recommended that you avoid keeping with slower-swimming varieties of long-finned fish however. Leopard Danios have a very small mouth, so any damage will be fairly limited and is unlikely to persist. The the size of the food should reflect this, so feed fine granules, such as Betta or Fry food granules.

Features
Approx. size: 2-4cm / 1-2"
Maximum size: 5cm / 2"
Origin: Asia
Family: Cyprinidae
Temperament: Peaceful
Lighting requirement: low
Ideal number kept together: 6+ schooling

Water conditions
Our conditions: pH 7.5, temp 20°C
Ideal pH: 6.0–8.0
Ideal temperature: 18–25°C
Waterflow: low to moderate

Ease of care
Easy. They can adapt very well to changes in water temperature and conditions. Slight fin-nipping tendencies.

Diet
The main food we recommend would be flake or pellets. They can occasionally have live or frozen foods.

Compatibility
Community of similar size. They feel most comfortable when in a shoal of other Danios.

Breeding/ Sex
Moderate as they are egg layers with minimal parental care.

Life Span
Danios have a lifespan of anything from 2-3 years in perfect conditions.

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About Swordtail Fish

Feb 10, 2024

Origin and Distribution

Swordtail fish have been a vibrant component of the aquarium hobbyists community for many years. Originating from Mexico and Central America, the Swordtail has been bred in captivity for countless generations. There are many varieties widely available to the aquarium community, including the naturally colored green swordtail, as well as neon, pineapple, painted, marigold wag, red wag and hi fin lyretail.

Features

Approx. size: 2-5cm
Maximum size: 8cm
Origin: Mexico/Central America
Ideal number kept together: 3+
Family: Poeciliidae
Social: Peaceful
Tank Level: Top, mid-dweller
Care Level: Easy
Breeding: Live-bearer
Diet: Omnivore
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Xiphophorus helleri

Water conditions

pH: 6.0–8.0
Hardness: 90–447 ppm
Temp: 23-28°C
Minimum tank size: 20 Gallons

Ease of care
Easy. The sexes will need to either be kept separately or 2 females to every 1 male. They will harass the females otherwise.

Over several generations, you may note an increase in your fry deaths, or your fish may not live as long. If you continue to breed the same populations, you can expect to have health issues resulting from inbreeding . The best fix for this is adding a little genetic diversity through the purchase of new fish or trading with another hobbyist. Unless you know your new fishes' health history, before adding them to your aquarium it is always recommended to quarantine your new fish yourself.

Diet

Swordtails are omnivores that enjoyed a varied diet. Depending on the water temperature, you may need to feed your fish 2-3 times per day. Many tropical fish like to forage throughout the day, so fewer feedings are not ideal for swordtails. Swordtails do well on most community micropelleted diets or tropical flake, and also enjoy occasional frozen and freeze-dried treats.

Compatibility
A community aquarium with no fin nipping fish.

Swordtails do best living in a group, so plan on at least 4-5 individuals per aquarium. You are welcome to mix different varieties together, but be ready for a swarm of baby swordtails if you mix males and females. Being live-bearing fish, swordtails can reproduce very quickly, reaching sexual maturity as early as three months of age. Some potential tankmates include Neon Tetras, Coolie Loach or Corydoras.

Swordtails do well in many different aquarium setups. These easy going fish are good for beginners and a colorful addition to any community tank. They are active fish, so make sure there are not too many decorative items in their way. The best combination for swordtails is to keep your décor and plants to the lower half to 2/3 of your tank and leave the top of the tank open for active swimming.

Male swordtails may take up territory and become aggressive towards other fish. Be sure to have plenty of room for all your swordtails, despite their small size! It may help to add fake or live plants to give your fish more hiding areas.

Breeding/ Sex
Easy.

Livebearer fish, such as swordtails, can easily over populate an aquarium. Many beginners are not aware of the swordtail's livebearing abilities and are suddenly surprised by a swarm of baby swordtails. Many swordtail owners start with just a few swordtails, not realizing that the females may be pregnant when acquired. Even one pregnant swordtail may surprise a novice fish owner with a sudden population explosion.

Swordtails have specific characteristics to easily differentiate male and female fish. Males have the characteristic "sword" on the ventral aspect of their tails. Females have a rounded tail edge and tend to have thicker bodies. This comes from carrying all their live baby fry. The anal fin is also pointed in males and fan-shaped in females. This can be used to determine gender in young fish before the males develop their long sword tail.

Swordtail male and female — Swordtail male (top) and female (bottom)

Swordtails can become mature as early as 3 months old and birth up to 50 fry per spawning. If you don't want more baby swordtails, it is critical that you separate males from females before they reach reproductive maturity. As previously noted, males have the distinctive "sword" on the ventral aspect of their tail fin, and an elongated anal fin, making the identification easy.

Life Span
They can live to anything from 1-5 years in perfect conditions.

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About Assorted Molly Fish

Feb 10, 2024

Assorted Mollies

The Molly is a very popular community aquarium fish. This lively species loves to swim around in groups which makes them stand out in a freshwater aquarium. This listing is for a mix of assorted molly species, and will include different patterns and colours drawn from our available stock. The photo is for illustration only - the colours and patterns supplied will be completely random, and may differ from those pictured.

Assorted male and females supplied. We can segregate on request subject to availability - please contact us prior to ordering.

Can you keep Molly fish in salt water aquaria?
Although typically sold as a freshwater fish, yes, mollies can be adapted to live in saltwater. Mollies originate from brackish water lakes in Central and South America, where rivers and oceans meet. Sailfin, Lyretail and normal Mollies can easily transition from freshwater to brackish aquariums using basic acclimating methods, and can even be added to full marine saltwater setups using a longer and gradual slow drip method (ideally for at least 3-4 hours).

Features
Approx. size: 1-2" / 2-5cm
Maximum size: 7cm
Origin: Southern and Central America
Ideal number kept together: 3+

Water conditions
Our conditions: temp 22 °C, pH 7.5
Ideal pH: 7.0 – 8.5
Hardness: 15 – 35°H
Ideal temperature: 21 – 29 °C

Ease of care
Easy. Mollies are hardy fish and prolific breeders, very few specific requirements.

Diet
The food we recommend is tropical fish flake. They can occasionally have frozen or live food like daphnia.

Compatibility
A community aquarium with similar size non-aggressive species (avoid long-finned fish or fin nippers) is ideal.

Breeding
Mollies are live bearers so will spawn extremely quickly and while relatively young. Female molly fish must be monitored to ensure they are not harassed by breeding males (including their own juveniles!)

Life Span
Assorted molly fish have an average lifespan live of 2-5 years in perfect conditions.

See Below for other fish which can go with your fish

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Aquatics - Swim Bladder

Nov 16, 2022

Treating swimbladder infections

You look into your beloved aquarium and – boom – one of your fish is swimming on its side at the top of the tank but it’s not dead. It doesn’t seem to be able to balance or regulate its buoyancy and is struggling to get to the food. This sounds like a swimbladder infection.

How should I treat swimbladder infections?

Swimbladder disorders are stressful for your fish so it’s important to treat them as soon as possible. Delaying treatment may mean their weakened immune system contracts other diseases or that your fish becomes thin and malnourished as they’re unable to feed.

Use a swimbladder treatment such as Swimbladder Treatment Plus, that is designed to attack the bacterial infection that causes the problem. Work out how much treatment you need for your aquarium using the dosage calculator and follow guidelines carefully; taking note of any instructions or repeat dose measures.

This treatment should be used in partnership with Aquilibrium First Aid Salt which will help your fish with successful osmoregulation. Osmoregulation is the way in which the salinity of your fish’s body harmonises with the salinity of the surrounding water, which speeds up recovery. The swimbladder is a crucial organ in successful osmoregulation, so supporting it gives your fish the best chance of recovery. Learn why tonic salts help fish in a freshwater aquarium.

Knowing your fish and their ‘normal’ behaviour will help you spot problems early and enable you to deal with them promptly.

Other causes of buoyancy issues

Swimbladder problems can also be hereditary. ‘Fancy’ goldfish like moors; veiltails and orandas often have misshapen swimbladders and are particularly prone to the problem. Tropical fish such as; Betta (Siamese Fighters), Platys and Angels are also more susceptible to swimbladder disorders, so keep an eye on their behaviour.

Buoyancy problems can also be caused by a fish swallowing too much air. This can happen if they gulp air when eating from the water’s surface. It may be beneficial to hold the food further into the water as you feed (with clean hands), to force the fish to swim down to eat. Alternatively, purchase a tablet-type food that you can stick on the inside of the glass, part way down.

How to be sure

Swimbladder infections make it tough for your fish to swim properly and keep balance in the water. This may make them look like they’re swimming a bit lopsided, sinking down to the bottom or floating to the top of your aquarium. It’s also likely that they have a swollen and uncomfortable abdomen and so are not eating their food.

Step 1 – Treat your fish

Remove the carbon filter out of your filtration – but don’t forget to return it 7 days after the last dose.
Use Swimbladder treatment treatment, you can check the correct dosage for your aquarium size
Also dose with Aqualibrium First Aid Salt – it helps boost your fish’s ability to fight the illness.
Give your fish some time-out to recover – avoid excessive cleaning, re-decorating or adding new fishy friends.
To re-treat, or treat another problem, follow the on pack guidelines for using more treatment.

Watch Out! – Treatments can sometimes reduce oxygen levels in the water. If you see fish gasping at the surface, you can increase oxygen by adding an air pump.

Step 2 – Treat your aquarium

When fish are sick, always test your aquarium water for excessive ammonia, nitrite, nitrate or pH imbalance.
Treat any unhealthy results to rebalance your water quality and give your fish the best chance of getting fighting fit again.
Check all your equipment is working properly – especially filters and heaters (check your aquarium temperature with your thermometer). Carry out any maintenance needed, or replace faulty or broken parts.

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Aquatics - Fungal and bacterial infections

Nov 16, 2022

Fungal and bacterial infections

Bacterial infections tend to occur in bad water conditions. Low levels of disease-causing bacteria are always around in the aquarium.

The bacteria and fungus that cause fish diseases are always present in aquariums (although specific species may be introduced with new fish) but will rarely cause a problem if you have good water quality and healthy fish.

Avoiding stress and keeping healthy water conditions are key to avoiding fish disease. Regularly test your water for abnormalities in ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH – and correct any problems, if necessary.

Poor aquarium hygiene and poor water quality are the key factors in most disease outbreaks.

Cotton wool disease / mouth disease

Mouth Fungus – otherwise known as mouth rot – is caused by Flavobacterium bacteria and is especially common in newly imported fish.

In the early stages of infection, you’ll probably notice off-white marks around the mouth, fins and body. As the infection spreads, white, fluffy cotton wool-like growths will appear around the mouth and, if left unchecked, the lips start to ulcerate and rot

Other symptoms include reddened ulcers on the body and frayed fins (Flavobacterium can also cause fin rot). Affected fish will start to ‘shimmy’ as the infection agitates them. They may also go off their food, making them look thin or emaciated. They will usually also show typical signs of stress by clamping their fins to their body going pale and lethargic.

Fin Rot

Fin rot can be caused by various bacteria including: Aeromonas, Pseudomonas and Flavobacterium. The obvious symptoms of fin rot are split, raggedy or stumpy fins and tail, often with a white edge and red veining. Your fish may suffer from fin rot and cotton-wool disease at the same time; they can be caused by the same bacteria and are encouraged by similar poor water conditions.

Fungal infections tend to appear when a fish has broken skin. There are several reasons that a fish may have skin damage – as shown in the blue panel above.

If fighting is causing problems, consider re-homing fish that are being aggressive with your existing fish.

Treatment

You can treat mouth fungus and fin rot with Anti Fungus and Finrot to attack the bacteria. You can also support the health of your fish by using Aquilibrium First Aid Salt with the treatment.

Treatment and Salt

Key features

Treats affected fish

Prevents the disease spreading for a healthier aquarium

Product overview

They might be common diseases, but it doesnt make finrrot, mouthrot and cotton wool disease any less harmful. Minimise the problem with Anti Fungus and Finrot. This antibacterial and antifungal treatment will treat affected fish and prevent the disease from spreading in your aquarium. Use for treating against mouth rot (Columnaris sp.), fin rot (Psuedomonas sp) and cotton wool (Saprolegnia sp.) fungus. *Shake well before use*

Key features

Reduces physiological stress for healthier fish
Stablises water quality to support your aquarium's balance

Product overview

This must be one of the most helpful treatments for any aquarium-keeper to have on-hand.
A healthy salt/fluid balance is crucial to a fish's wellbeing. When stressed or sick, the salt/fluid balance can be disturbed which further threatens the fish's health.
Aqualibrium First Aid Salt is a unique physiological salt formula which helps freshwater fish maintain a constant internal salt-fluid balance.
Aqualibrium First Aid Salt additive is an incredibly versatile water treatment and can be used in a number of ways:

As a general aquarium tonic

As a mild pH buffer

To help minimise the physiological effects of stress on your fish

As a supportive measure when treating diseases

To reduce the toxicity of Nitrite
Use to support your aquarium community's immune system to minimise the effcts of fish stress and when using medical treatments.

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Aquatics - White Spot

Nov 06, 2022

How to be sure

White Spot gives your fish a speckling of salt-like grains or white spots on its body, fins and tail, sometimes appearing in clusters. Your fish may also start to shimmy in the water, or flick against objects in the aquarium – like it’s trying to have a really good itch.

Step 1 – Treat your fish

Remove the carbon filter out of your filtration – but don’t forget to return it 7 days after the last dose.
Use Anti White Spot treatment, you can check the correct dosage for your aquarium size here.
Also dose with Aqualibrium First Aid Salt – it helps boost your fish’s ability to fight the illness. See below for help on using aquarium salt
Finally, give your fish some time-out to recover – avoid excessive cleaning, re-decorating or adding new fishy friends
To re-treat, or treat another problem, follow the on pack guidelines for using more treatment.

Watch Out! – Treatments can sometimes reduce oxygen levels in the water. If you see fish gasping at the surface, you can increase oxygen by adding an air pump.

Step 2 – Treat your aquarium

When fish are sick, always test your aquarium water for excessive ammonia, nitrite, nitrate or pH imbalance.
Treat any unhealthy results to rebalance your water quality and give your fish the best chance of getting fighting fit again.
Check all your equipment is working properly – especially filters and heaters (check your aquarium temperature with your thermometer). Carry out any maintenance needed, or replace faulty or broken parts.

Using Tonic Salts when treating sick fish

Fish stress is a major causes of disease outbreaks. If you understand how fish become stressed, you can help prevent it; and help keep your aquarium happy and healthy.

You can reduce the impact of stress on your fish by adding a specific freshwater aquarium salt additive such as Aqualibrium First Aid Salt. You can use it regularly as a preventative treatment, or when you know your fish are likely to be stressed such as in a new aquarium, when adding new fish or when treating diseases.

Freshwater fish invest a lot of energy in balancing their internal fluid salt concentration. Increasing salt levels in the aquarium reduces their need to balance their body fluids. This means they can use their energy elsewhere, and deal with stress and fight disease more effectively.

Using Aqualibrium at the same time as other Interpet First Aid Treatment helps support the fish’s immune system for a speedy and successful recovery. Use the dosage calculator for the correct amount of salt for your size aquarium. Never use table salt or salt designed for a marine aquarium.

Watch the video below to understand how to use Aqualibrium salt effectively in your aquarium:

Testing your aquarium water

Aquariums offer a fantastic home for fish and can become a huge part of your life as either a casual fish keeper, or a full-blown hobbyist. However, aquariums offer some unique challenges and unknown abnormalities that can throw the balance off and cause health issues for your aquatic life.

Processes such as the Nitrogren Cycle will affect your fish and their environment. The balance of chemicals in your water will be constantly changing, and because they are invisible, you won’t know what is going on.The only way you will ever know something is wrong is if you test your water regularly and keep a record of previous results to identify changes (or your fish get sick!).Two of the primary causes of these chemical fluctuations are; overstocking (keeping too many fish), as well as waste build-up/pollutants (typically over-feeding or dead, rotting livestock or plants).Our testing kits allow you to test the water for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, water hardness (dip test only) and pH. See our how-to-use videos below for our Complete Aquarium Dip Test Kit.

Using the Complete Dip Test Kit:

It is handy to keep a diary record of your test results to refer to, or compare, when completing maintenance or future tests.

Any unsafe results will need to be treated to prevent health issues for your fish.

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Getting a Cold water fish

Aug 19, 2021

Keeping fish is a great hobby. A well maintained aquarium not only looks attractive, but watching your fish in their environment can be a good stress reliever too.

First of all you need to decide what type of fish you want to keep. If you’re considering keeping fish and you’ve never done so before, you might want to think about coldwater fish as a start. Goldfish are one of the easiest fish to keep and there are many different varieties to choose from, from comets, fantails and orandas to lionheads and shubunkins.

Alternatively, you might like to consider keeping tropical fish, which require water to be maintained at a constant temperature between 20 and 27 degrees C. There is a wide variety of tropical fish to choose from, however while many can be mixed together in the same aquarium, you need to be careful about considering compatibility between varieties of fish.

Here at PAWS we will be happy to advise you on a suitable selection of fish for your tank.

How Many?

The temptation is to fill an aquarium with numerous fish of all sorts of different varieties and colour in order to make it look as attractive and interesting as possible. In reality, there are certain rules that need to be followed to ensure that you don’t overcrowd your aquarium. As tanks come in different shapes and sizes, there is no hard and fast rule, but considering size versus volume is a good guide. For coldwater fish, allow 0.5cm of fish per litre of water. For tropical fish, allow 1cm of fish per water.

Remember stocking level guidelines work on the basis of fully grown adult fish, so you should keep fish growth in mind.

Housing

Your aquarium is a complete mini ecosystem housing fish that will be totally dependent on you for their welfare. As such, choosing the right tank or aquarium is vital, and there are a great deal available to choose from. Size is also important as this will determine the size and number of fish you will be able to keep, as is the positioning of your tank. Once your tank is full, it will be extremely heavy, so try to decide on where to position your tank before filling it up! As a general rule of thumb, it is a good idea to go for a slightly larger aquarium, as there is a greater margin for error in comparison to a smaller one. Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind what will suit your home as well as what you can afford.

It is also very important to remember that when setting up a tank for the first time, it needs to be well established before you begin to stock it with fish. Once it is ready, the tank will need to be stocked gradually and slowly. We recommend that you come and visit us in store or contact us for further advice about stocking and the most suitable type of aquarium for your fish.

Equipment

Keeping fish is not as simple as buying a tank, filling it with water and adding fish to it. There are a few things you will need to purchase to ensure that your tank is able to effectively house your fish and maintain a stable environment for them. You will need to purchase gravel, a filtration system and a pump, as well as a water conditioner to make your tap water safe to use in the tank. Plants and ornaments will help you create an interesting and attractive environment. The equipment you will need for your aquarium will depend very much on the type of fish you plan to keep. Come and speak to us about your specific needs and we will be happy to guide you.

Feeding

Fish food comes in flake, pellet or frozen form. These foods provide a perfectly balanced diet containing all the nutrients necessary to keep your fish healthy. Some fish feed from the surface, while others feed from the middle or from the bottom of the tank and you should keep this in mind when purchasing food for them. Surface feeders like flakes and floating pellets while mid-water feeders prefer granular or slow sinking food. Bottom feeders should be offered quick sinking foods or tablets.

Feed your fish once a day and start with a small amount which you can adjust accordingly.

Maintenance

Water quality is the most important factor in keeping fish healthy. As such, regular water changes are vital. You should siphon off 25% of water from the tank and replace it with fresh, conditioned water every two weeks. However, as all tanks are different and house different fish, it is a good idea to invest in a water quality testing kit which will enable you to keep an eye on the levels of nitrite and ammonia in the water so you’ll know when to carry out a water change.

Your Essential Fishy Shopping List

Filter
Air pump
Lighting
Gravel
Plants
Ornaments
Water Conditioner
Water Test Kit
Fish Net
Cleaning Pad
Siphon

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Getting a Tropical Fish

Aug 19, 2021

Keeping fish is a great hobby. A well maintained aquarium not only looks attractive, but watching your fish in their environment can be a good stress reliever too.

First of all you need to decide what type of fish you want to keep. If you’re considering keeping fish and you’ve never done so before, you might want to think about coldwater fish as a start. Goldfish are one of the easiest fish to keep and there are many different varieties to choose from, from comets, fantails and orandas to lionheads and shubunkins.

Alternatively, you might like to consider keeping tropical fish, which require water to be maintained at a constant temperature between 20 and 27 degrees C. There is a wide variety of tropical fish to choose from, however while many can be mixed together in the same aquarium, you need to be careful about considering compatibility between varieties of fish.

Aquariums are basically a complete mini-ecosystem. There is a wide choice available and your pet shop will be pleased to advise. Remember fish kept in an aquarium are totally dependent on you for their welfare. There is a wide variety of fish to choose from: your pet shop will be pleased to advise you on a suitable selection of fish.

.

How Many?

Here at PAWS we will be happy to advise you on a suitable selection of fish for your tank. The temptation is to fill an aquarium with numerous fish of all sorts of different varieties and colour in order to make it look as attractive and interesting as possible. In reality, there are certain rules that need to be followed to ensure that you don’t overcrowd your aquarium. As tanks come in different shapes and sizes, there is no hard and fast rule, but considering size versus volume is a good guide. For coldwater fish, allow 0.5cm of fish per litre of water. For tropical fish, allow 1cm of fish per water. Remember stocking level guidelines work on the basis of fully grown adult fish, so you should keep fish growth in min