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Visiting a Planetarium can be an educational and an enjoyable experience.  As an amateur astronomer, getting to know the motion of the stars and planets will help you track the celestial objects over a time period.

A Planetarium can also help the amateur astronomer understand the location of the stars and planet with respect to other objects in the night sky.

The International Planetarium Society
http://www.ips-planetarium.org



Chlorine is a element with the Chemical Symbol Cl.  It is added to water at your water supply utility to purify the water.  It can harm your fish.

Chlorine can be removed by dechlorinators which are available in the market.  Get a good dechlorinator. The dechlorinators convert the chlorine into harmless chloride ions.

Chlorine is volatile so leaving your water in a bucket overnight can also remove it.   Put the water in a bucket or container with a large water-to-air surface.
Some water utilities have switched from to Chloramine.   Chloramine is a compound containing chlorine and ammonia.  Chloramine stays in the water for longer periods.  It cannot be removed naturally  by keeping water overnight.  Hence, ensure that your dechlorinator can also remove chloramine.





Fish become sick due to a variety of reasons.  The reasons for fish becoming sick can be poor water quality, fungal and bacterial infections of the skin, disease of the internal organs such as tuberculosis, kidney failure,etc

Fish that are sick will exhibit a number of symptoms.  Some of these symptoms are change in behaviour such as rubbing against rocks, unnatural swimming movements, loss of balance.

Other diseases such as parasite infestation can cause the parasites such as lice and worms to get attached to fish skin.

It is easy to identify the disease based on the symptoms.  There are several online charts and tools which will help you narrow down on the disease based on the symptoms.  

Sick fish need to be separated from the other healthy fish in the tank.  This gives the sick fish a safe place to rest and recuperate.  It also helps quarantine the sick fish and prevents the disease from spreading.

A hospital tank is a small tank in which sick fish can be kept.  It is easy to provide medication to fish.  The water in the tank should have the same temperature as that of the main tank.  

Put in some plants in the hospital tank so that the fish gets some privacy and feels secure.  Once the fish is completely cured, it can be reintroduced into the main tank.

The water, filter and other accessories should be thoroughly cleaned before reuse.

If there is a general infestation in the tank, medication can be administered directly into the tank.  If activated carbon filters are used in the tank, they will have  to be removed as the activated carbon can remove the medication from the water making the treatment ineffective.  




Having a garden can be a very rewarding experience.

A garden brings a piece of nature right into your home.Gardens come in a variety of types and sizes.  Large botanical Gardens are several acres in size while small kitchen gardens can be contained in a small shelf.  Studies have revealed that the green color of plants has a soothing effect on the eyes.  Working on the garden can be an effective stress buster after a hectic day.

So start your garden matter how small your home is. You will be amazed at the color and life a garden can bring to your home .

Anyone can have a garden.  Whether you are in an apartment or in a big house.  You can have a garden which suits you.




Feeder Fish are fish which are raised a food for other fish.  Some Aquarists feed live food to the fish.  Fish such as guppies, platies and gold fish which reproduce quickly and can be kept in small areas are generally used as live food. Tadpoles are also used as live food. Other fish which are not considered desirable such as female bettas are also used as live feed.

Many people consider the use of feeder fish as cruel.  Besides, they point out that fish which are raised for food are usually kept in crowded conditions and underfed.

With compromised immune systems, these fish can be carriers of disease and parasites.  They also say that almost all kinds of live food can be matched with processed food available at petstores.

Proponents of live food feel that live food brings out the natural hunting instincts in fish.  This is countered by those who say that dropping a live fish into a tank from which it has no chance of escape does not simulate the natural environment where every prey has a means of escape.

The use of live feed is thus hotly debated in hobby circles.



Flaked Food is fish food which has been made into flakes.  The food is mixed and then extruded or heated which produces the layers known as flakes.  Flakes are very popular among hobbyists.  Virtually all types of fish food can be made into flakes.


The flakes are small in size and usually float in the water.  This gives time for the fish to eat them.  Flake foods are usually fortified with minerals.

The size of the flake should be suitable for the fish.  Small fish may not be able to eat large flakes.

Flake Foods usually come in sealed containers.  They usually have a best-before date.

Store Flake foods in a cool dry place.  Moisture and light should not be allowed to reach the flake foods.



Color Enhancers are natural compounds which are added to fish food so that fish can develop their natural colors.  Color Enhancers are not artificial agents.  They are substances which the fish get when they are in their natural ecosystem.

Red Algae Pigment, predigested Plankton and Krill are examples of color enhancers.  Carotenoid is another color enhancer.

Some people believe that color enhancers are artificial and are harmful.  They are not.  Fish get these color enhancers in the natural environment.

Related Links

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/color_control.php

http://www.sonnysfishroom.com/?page_id=252