Are you looking for a high-calcium diet for your snails or shrimps to grow healthy solid shells? Look no further than cuttlebone. These bones are high in calcium and a must-have in any aquarium.

What is the cuttlebone?

Cuttlebone is not actually bone, and it is the internal shell of a cuttlefish that has no use in its life after it hatches. Cuttlebones are usually mined from rock quarries or extracted directly out of cuttlefish while still alive.

The most common use of cuttlebone is as a bird toy. However, It’s not just for birds! Hobbyists found that the aquarium creatures will eat or rasp at the bone as they see fit to get the calcium their growing shells need. Cuttlebone is highly recommended for snail species that have a hard time getting enough calcium from other food such as Nerites and Mystery snails. 

Origin.  Plecostomids hail from South America where the weather never gets cold.  This means they need a heater when we keep them in our tanks.  In our outdoor ponds, they can handle only the warmer months.

Heavy Armor.  Their heavily armored body protects them from all but the fiercest aggressors.  African cichlids will eat their eyeballs.  Piranhas learn to flip them over and eat their soft underbellies.  Big oscars can whip them back and forth and “snap them.”  But in general, not too many fishes can hurt a plecostomus.  

Aquarium heaters are compulsory equipment for your fishes to be taken care of. No tropical fish should live in a fish tank without a proper heater, to ensure the best favorable environment and avoid the unexpected problems that may harm your adorable “little kids”. Today, I am happy to share with you the top five of the best fish tank heaters, which seem to be a bit redundant in the era of technological advancement, when all of you surely have access to constantly updated sources of information. 

However, I bet you will eventually find out what you cannot see anywhere else. Get started!

Size of Fish Tank

Most “experts” will agree that you are better off purchasing the biggest and best aquarium that you can afford…..at the beginning. From a decorator’s perspective, you probably will not want something that will dominate your room, but to have healthy fish, you will need a fish tank that provides a large space to swim and a good air to water surface ratio. Purchasing a large tank will also prevent you from having to spend as much time on cleaning and other tank maintenance. The reason is that it is easier to maintain stable water quality in a larger tank than in a smaller one.

Keep in mind that ‘unwanted visitors’ (disease) don’t knock on the tank door–they are introduced with new fish, plants etc. You can limit the odds of introduction by using a quarantine tank.

It is a good idea to quarantine all fish for four to six weeks before introducing them to an existing tank

Keep the tank in good shape and perform maintenance routinely.  In quarantine, a fish can be treated for specific, known possible pathogens such as parasites quite easily, without subjecting your other, ‘clean’ fish to the treatment. Any stress is minimized, and confined.  

Many people believe that going out and buying distilled water, or Reverse Osmosis, will be good for betta fish.  Think about the natural environment.  (This is what you should always be thinking about when trying to create a home for your creatures).  You don’t often see fish swimming around in distilled water.  Often the water is something you would never swim in yourself, much less drink.

The Betta fish is one of the most beautiful aquatic creatures you can use to decorate your fish tank. It is not just beautiful, but also quite intelligent. People love this fish because of its inquisitive nature. You would love to interact and play with this fish when you are at home.

This fish looks entertaining when it is active in the tank. You won’t find it too pleasing when the fish stops responding. Being an intelligent creature, it always searches for new things. The same kind of surrounding and same objects can bore your fish. Therefore, you should bring some Betta fish toys to keep it entertained.

Here’s my list of things to do that will help make you a more responsible hobbyist. By following these guidelines, you’ll also be doing your part to force all sectors of the aquarium industry to engage in more responsible and environmentally-sound practices.

Educate Thyself!
This is the number one reason for failure! If keeping an aquarium was as easy as filling a container with water and throwing in some fish, everyone would be successful. The truth is, eight out of ten new hobbyists give up within a year. Most of those unfortunates never bothered to read even one book! The most important thing you can do is to educate yourself about the hobby you have chosen.