PENERAPAN FOOD SAFETY PRODUK PERIKANAN
Produk perikanan merupakan salah satu andalan Indonesia dalam perolehan devisa negara. Posisi nilai ekspor produk perikanan Indonesia di pasar dunia pada tahun 2006 menduduki peringkat 10 dengan pasar ekspor utama Indonesia adalah Amerika, Uni Eropa dan Jepang. Pertumbuhan ekspor produk perikanan Indonesia selama 5 (lima) tahun terakhir (2003 – 2007) menunjukkan tren naik, yaitu mencapai rata-rata sebesar 8,28 %. Sebagai contoh: Nilai ekspor perikanan Indonesia tahun 2006 sebesar USD 2,1 Miliar atau meningkat 9 % dibandingkan nilai ekspor tahun 2005 sebesar USD 1,9 Miliar. Tahun 2007 nilai ekspor produk perikanan Indonesia sebesar USD 2,3 Miliar atau meningkat sebesar 9,5 % dibandingkan tahun 2006.
Meskipun terdapat kecenderungan terjadi penurunan nilai dan volume ekspor produk perikanan Indonesia di pasar Jepang sebesar 7,3 %, tetapi pasar Uni Eropa mengalami peningkatan sebesar 2,13 % dan di pasar Amerika Serikat meningkat sebesar 12,7 %. Penurunan serupa juga terjadi pada pasar prospektif seperti Singapura dan Republik Rakyat China, namun peningkatan nilai dan volume ekspor perikanan Indonesia terjadi pada pasar prospektif Timur Tengah dan Eropa Timur. Tahun 2005 nilai ekspor produk perikanan sebesar USD 23,24 juta dan meningkat tahun 2006 menjadi USD 31,889 juta. Tahun 2007 nilai ekspor perikanan Indonesia ke Timur Tengah meningkat menjadi USD 68,656 juta. Meskipun masih relatif tetapi setiap tahunnya mengalami peningkatan signifikan, yakni sejak tahun 2005-2007 telah mencapai hampir 200 %.
Beberapa isu pemasaran produk perikanan di beberapa negara cenderung berbeda, seperti: (1) di Amerika Serikat, isu yang cenderung diangkat terhadap produk perikanan adalah CSI (Container Security Initiative), FAST (Free and Secure Trade), HACCP, COOL (Country Of Origin Labeling), dan Nutriton Labeling; (2) Uni Eropa lebih cenderung mengangkat isu SPS yang makin ketat (White Paper on Food Safety), Zero Tolerance Residu antibiotik, Tracebility and System Border Control (CD2006/236/EC, 21 Maret 2006), Isu Animal Welfare, dan Isu Lingkungan/ecolabeling, dan (3) Jepang lebih cenderung mengangkat isu COOL, Traceability untuk tuna, SPS yang ketat, Antibiotika (Vietnam 100% uji).
Permasalahan penanganan Food Safety perikanan di Indonesia lebih banyak terkait dengan masalah kualitas dan keamanan pangan. Permasalahan tersebut karena faktor internal dan eksternal. Faktor internal dimaksud meliputi: jaminan mutu dan kemanan hasil perikanan kita masih lemah; susut hasil produk perikanan masih tinggi (27,8%); utilitas industri masih rendah (<50%);>
Terkait dengan permasalahan tersebut, Departemen Kelautan dan Perikanan telah dan terus melakukan beberapa upaya untuk penanganan Food Safety produk perikanan, antara lain: (1) pengembangan sistem rantai dingin (cold chain system) di 5 lokasi sentra pengolahan, 6 lokasi sentra produksi dan 3 lokasi Pasar Ikan Higienis; (2) sosialisasi larangan penggunaan bahan kimia berbahaya, (3) penambahan dan penyempurnaan jabatan fungsional pengawas mutu hasil perikanan, (4) sosialisasi ketentuan internasional standar produk dan sistem jaminan mutu serta keamanan hasil perikanan, (5) penguatan kompentensi laboratorium penguji, dan (6) pelatihan program manajemen mutu terpadu/HACCP.
Sebagai ilustrasi, saat ini jumlah UPI (unit Pengolahan Ikan) yang melakukan ekspor perikanan adalah sebanyak 407 unit dengan status UPI grade A berjumlah 136 unit, UPI dengan grade B berjumlah 182 unit, dan UPI dengan grade C berjumlah 89 unit. Selain itu jumlah tenaga kerja yang bisa diserap pada tahun 2005 sebesar 152.596 orang pada bidang pengolahan ikan UPI skala besar. Sedangkan untuk melaksanakan pengujian terhadap produk-produk yang akan diekspor, saat ini Indonesia memiliki 1 BBP2HP sebagai laboratorium acuan dan 39 Laboratorium Pengendalian dan Pengujian Mutu Hasil Perikanan (LPPMHP) diseluruh Indonesia dengan status sudah terakreditasi24 LPPMHP dan belum terakreditasi sebanyak 15 LPPMHP.
Jakarta, Juli 2008
Kepala Pusat Data, Statistik dan Informasi
Dr. Soen’an H. Poernomo, M.Ed.
Narasumber:
Ir. Saut P. Hutagalung MSc (Direktur Pemasaran Luar Negeri, Ditjen P2HP DKP) HP.0811840360
sumber : http://mukhtar-api.blogspot.com
Selasa, 23 Februari 2010
pemberian pakan ikan mas
pemberian pakan ikan maspakan yang diberikan pada ikan mas adalah berupa pakan pellet. pellet diberikan sebanyak 3 kali sehari. ikan yang dipelihara ini berumur 1,5 bulan dari hasil pemijahan induk betina yang berbobot 5 kg.
ikan mas ini dipelihara pada kolam dengan konstruksi tembok tapi dasar kolamnya berupa tanah. Pemeliharaan ikan mas dikolam akan lebih cepat pertumbuhannya bila diberi pakan yang berkualitas, mengandung 3 unsur pakan yang cukup yaitu protein, lemak dan karbrohidrat.
pakan alami juga perlu diberikan pada ikan. pakan alami biasanya diberikan pada ikan yang masih berukuran benih. jenis pakan alami yaitu berupa plankton (fithoplankton dan zooplankton)
What You Should Know Before You Buy A Glass Aquarium
What You Should Know Before You Buy A Glass Aquarium
by: Jim F. Johnson
Buying your first aquarium is an exciting adventure. But should you select a glass aquarium or an acrylic one? Here are some tips on glass aquariums that may help you to make up your mind.
There are two main features that determine the quality of a glass fish tank - the kind of sealant that was used and the type and thickness of the glass. But, in addition, there are two kinds of glass aquariums. Some tanks are built to house water based creatures such as fish. And those that are meant to hold non-water based entities such as plants, turtles, lizards, and so on. If your intent is to house fish in your aquarium, you need to be sure that your aquarium of interest had it's sides bonded with sealant especially meant to hold water. If not, you could find that your fish tank is subject to leaks.
The typical glass aquarium is made of one of two types of glass - plate glass or tempered glass. Plate glass is a very heavy glass, it's over two times the weight of plexiglass (or acrylic) which is used in many fish tanks. Contrary to plexiglass, however, plate glass is extremely scratch resistant. It's also resistant to stains. Tempered glass is a bit less smooth than plate glass. Each type of glass breaks different also. When plate glass breaks, it tends to break into large pieces. When tempered glass breaks, however, it shatters into a lot of pieces. Practically, what this means is that if your plate glass aquarium breaks, you'll only have a crack or hole at the point of the break, and your fish will probably still be safe. Conversely, if your tempered glass aquarium breaks, it is likely that the entire aquarium side will be shattered and you'll lose all your fish.
Glass aquariums are not as good at retaining heat as acrylic tanks. So, dependent on the weather conditions where you live, you will probably be more reliant on your tank thermostat and heater to keep the water in the aquarium at the appropriate temperatures. If you live in a warm weather climate such as Florida or Nevada, heat loss will most likely not be an issue.
Since glass tanks are heavier than acrylic tanks, you'll want to be extra careful when choosing an appropriate aquarium stand. It's true that most of the aquarium weight will come from the water itself. But, when determining if the flooring supports are strong enough to safely hold your fish tank, you have to include all weight variables - the weight of the tank, the water, and the stand.
In years past it was hard to get custom shaped glass aquariums. If you wanted a unique shape, you were pretty much forced to purchase an acrylic aquarium. The reason for this is that glass tanks were made from planes of glass, which limited them to rectangular shapes. Acrylic tanks, on the other hand, were molded, letting them take the shape of the mold, however irregular it might be. Recently, however, new technologies have been introduced that lets companies produce glass aquariums with curvy and other unique shapes, rounded corners, and seamless edges. Acrylic tanks still hold the edge in the number of unique shapes that can be created but aquarium glass technology is light years away from where it was just a few years ago.
About The Author
Jim F. Johnson is webmaster and owner of http://www.aquariumtropicalfishsite.com. find more information on all glass aquariums / fish tanks at his web site.
by: Jim F. Johnson
Buying your first aquarium is an exciting adventure. But should you select a glass aquarium or an acrylic one? Here are some tips on glass aquariums that may help you to make up your mind.
There are two main features that determine the quality of a glass fish tank - the kind of sealant that was used and the type and thickness of the glass. But, in addition, there are two kinds of glass aquariums. Some tanks are built to house water based creatures such as fish. And those that are meant to hold non-water based entities such as plants, turtles, lizards, and so on. If your intent is to house fish in your aquarium, you need to be sure that your aquarium of interest had it's sides bonded with sealant especially meant to hold water. If not, you could find that your fish tank is subject to leaks.
The typical glass aquarium is made of one of two types of glass - plate glass or tempered glass. Plate glass is a very heavy glass, it's over two times the weight of plexiglass (or acrylic) which is used in many fish tanks. Contrary to plexiglass, however, plate glass is extremely scratch resistant. It's also resistant to stains. Tempered glass is a bit less smooth than plate glass. Each type of glass breaks different also. When plate glass breaks, it tends to break into large pieces. When tempered glass breaks, however, it shatters into a lot of pieces. Practically, what this means is that if your plate glass aquarium breaks, you'll only have a crack or hole at the point of the break, and your fish will probably still be safe. Conversely, if your tempered glass aquarium breaks, it is likely that the entire aquarium side will be shattered and you'll lose all your fish.
Glass aquariums are not as good at retaining heat as acrylic tanks. So, dependent on the weather conditions where you live, you will probably be more reliant on your tank thermostat and heater to keep the water in the aquarium at the appropriate temperatures. If you live in a warm weather climate such as Florida or Nevada, heat loss will most likely not be an issue.
Since glass tanks are heavier than acrylic tanks, you'll want to be extra careful when choosing an appropriate aquarium stand. It's true that most of the aquarium weight will come from the water itself. But, when determining if the flooring supports are strong enough to safely hold your fish tank, you have to include all weight variables - the weight of the tank, the water, and the stand.
In years past it was hard to get custom shaped glass aquariums. If you wanted a unique shape, you were pretty much forced to purchase an acrylic aquarium. The reason for this is that glass tanks were made from planes of glass, which limited them to rectangular shapes. Acrylic tanks, on the other hand, were molded, letting them take the shape of the mold, however irregular it might be. Recently, however, new technologies have been introduced that lets companies produce glass aquariums with curvy and other unique shapes, rounded corners, and seamless edges. Acrylic tanks still hold the edge in the number of unique shapes that can be created but aquarium glass technology is light years away from where it was just a few years ago.
About The Author
Jim F. Johnson is webmaster and owner of http://www.aquariumtropicalfishsite.com. find more information on all glass aquariums / fish tanks at his web site.
Minggu, 21 Februari 2010
Is Your Fat Being Threatened
Is Your Fat Being Threatened
by: Gary Matthews
What if I told you that fat is a major contributor to the increasing problem of obesity in the world today. It's stored in the fat cells of the body. The number of fat cells is estimated to be around 50 billion for the average person. It can be up to 100 billion for the obese person.
Fat cells are like storage tanks of energy to be used for later use. It has been shown that obese people who binge eat may stimulate baby fat cells to sprout to increase the number of fat cells they have.
Fats are found in foods such as butter, margarine, oils, fats, dripping, nuts and oil seeds.
Research conducted indicates that good fats such as fish oils especially deep sea fish, olive oil, canola oil, avocado and nuts contain important fatty acids which if taken by people aged 65 plus reduced the risk of a fatal heart attack by 44%.
Other names for fats include... Lard, animal shortening, coconut oil, palm oil, vegetable oil, butterfat, whole milk solids, copra, tallow, chocolate chips, shortening, margarine, cocoa butter.
Lets have a look at the different types of fat. There are three types of fat to found in the diet:
Saturated fats - are found mainly in animal products and do the most damage and are the most related to the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries.
Research has indicated that saturated fats in the diet can increase LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, which is the unwanted cholesterol and should be avoided. The following foods contain this type of fat:
* Meat
* Dairy
* Eggs
* Cakes, biscuits and pastries
Monounsaturated fats - Monounsaturated fats help to decrease the cholesterol and LDL levels in the blood. The following foods contain this type of fat:
* Olive Oil
* Canola Oil
* Peanut Oil
Polyunsaturated fats - Polyunsaturated fats in small quantities can help to decrease total cholesterol. Examples of polyunsaturated Fats - would be vegetable oil and palm oil.
We also know that eating too much fat leads to health problems and weight-gain, but we do need some healthy fats in our diet. Fats are a source of soluble vitamins A, D and E.
As pointed out before, consuming fats is the major culprit that leads to fat being on the human body mainly because fats are high in calories. I recommended that people eat less than 20% of total their total calories from fat.
Fats provide hormone production and skin health and protection of vital organs and insulation Too much fat in the diet however, can increase the risk of a number of lifestyle diseases that are common in the western world
So Please remember...
* Limit the saturated fats in your diet - which includes butter, cream, full-fat dairy products, fatty meats, cakes, pastries and fried foods.
* Choose lean meats where possible and trim visible fat and skin before cooking
* Select low fat dairy products where possible
* Be aware of the hidden fats in processed foods and foods high in salt
* Choose liquid fats over solid fats e.g. olive and canola oil over butter
* Include amounts of unsaturated or 'good fats' in your diet. Sources include fish, olive and canola oil, nuts and avocado
* Also try to include the good omega-3 fats daily - fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines are good sources and try to eat three fish meals a week if you can.
Now that you are armed with this information, start checking what you are eating, firstly by checking the labels on all the foods that you consume. Remember anything that has 5grams of fat or below is good and anything above this figure eat sparingly.
About The Author
Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weight loss or muscle building e-courses.
by: Gary Matthews
What if I told you that fat is a major contributor to the increasing problem of obesity in the world today. It's stored in the fat cells of the body. The number of fat cells is estimated to be around 50 billion for the average person. It can be up to 100 billion for the obese person.
Fat cells are like storage tanks of energy to be used for later use. It has been shown that obese people who binge eat may stimulate baby fat cells to sprout to increase the number of fat cells they have.
Fats are found in foods such as butter, margarine, oils, fats, dripping, nuts and oil seeds.
Research conducted indicates that good fats such as fish oils especially deep sea fish, olive oil, canola oil, avocado and nuts contain important fatty acids which if taken by people aged 65 plus reduced the risk of a fatal heart attack by 44%.
Other names for fats include... Lard, animal shortening, coconut oil, palm oil, vegetable oil, butterfat, whole milk solids, copra, tallow, chocolate chips, shortening, margarine, cocoa butter.
Lets have a look at the different types of fat. There are three types of fat to found in the diet:
Saturated fats - are found mainly in animal products and do the most damage and are the most related to the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries.
Research has indicated that saturated fats in the diet can increase LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, which is the unwanted cholesterol and should be avoided. The following foods contain this type of fat:
* Meat
* Dairy
* Eggs
* Cakes, biscuits and pastries
Monounsaturated fats - Monounsaturated fats help to decrease the cholesterol and LDL levels in the blood. The following foods contain this type of fat:
* Olive Oil
* Canola Oil
* Peanut Oil
Polyunsaturated fats - Polyunsaturated fats in small quantities can help to decrease total cholesterol. Examples of polyunsaturated Fats - would be vegetable oil and palm oil.
We also know that eating too much fat leads to health problems and weight-gain, but we do need some healthy fats in our diet. Fats are a source of soluble vitamins A, D and E.
As pointed out before, consuming fats is the major culprit that leads to fat being on the human body mainly because fats are high in calories. I recommended that people eat less than 20% of total their total calories from fat.
Fats provide hormone production and skin health and protection of vital organs and insulation Too much fat in the diet however, can increase the risk of a number of lifestyle diseases that are common in the western world
So Please remember...
* Limit the saturated fats in your diet - which includes butter, cream, full-fat dairy products, fatty meats, cakes, pastries and fried foods.
* Choose lean meats where possible and trim visible fat and skin before cooking
* Select low fat dairy products where possible
* Be aware of the hidden fats in processed foods and foods high in salt
* Choose liquid fats over solid fats e.g. olive and canola oil over butter
* Include amounts of unsaturated or 'good fats' in your diet. Sources include fish, olive and canola oil, nuts and avocado
* Also try to include the good omega-3 fats daily - fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines are good sources and try to eat three fish meals a week if you can.
Now that you are armed with this information, start checking what you are eating, firstly by checking the labels on all the foods that you consume. Remember anything that has 5grams of fat or below is good and anything above this figure eat sparingly.
About The Author
Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weight loss or muscle building e-courses.
Aquarium Aeration Basics
Aquarium Aeration Basics
by: Nathan Miller
As we all know rivers and lakes are the natural habits for fish and other marine life. Rivers and lakes have large surface area which makes maximum provision of oxygen for fish survival possible. On the other hand an aquarium is not like river or lake, it has a smaller surface area and there is limited movement of habitats.
This makes the provision of alternative means of oxygen for fish to breathe important. This artificial process of providing oxygen is called aeration. It's a simple process of re-oxygenating the water in aquarium tank.
The Aquarium Aerating System:
An aquarium aerating aystem made up of a series of materials that increases the supply of air (thereby increasing oxygen concentration) they are:
* the air pump
* t-pieces
* rubber tubing
* clamp or regulator
* diffusers or airstone
Air pumps come in different shapes and sizes but the most popular ones are tecax air pump from Taiwan together with 'dyna free, and the dragon' another popular one is super 555 from India though cheaper, but not as rugged. Occasionally available are the more expensive whisper and rens air pumps from Uk and rance respectively. Always place air pumps above the water level hooked to a non-vibrating material.
You can accomplish aeration in your aquarium tank by using the above listed aeration materials.
For small tanks all you need is to attach a simple aquarium air pump to airstone by means of a rubber air tube. The system will be blowing air into the water which causes motion in aquarium tank and thus provide the necessary oxygen your fish needs to breathe in the aquarium.
Sometimes people complain that the airpumps are too loud. A tricks to keep the air pump quiet is to insulate it's vibrations by placing the air pump on a large sponge.
I have even heard of some people who have buried the pump in cat litter with a air tube running to the surface from the air inlet... but you don't have to go to that extent. A large sponge should do the trick.
About The Author
Nathan Miller
For more great aquarium related articles and resources check out http://www.aquariumspot.com.
by: Nathan Miller
As we all know rivers and lakes are the natural habits for fish and other marine life. Rivers and lakes have large surface area which makes maximum provision of oxygen for fish survival possible. On the other hand an aquarium is not like river or lake, it has a smaller surface area and there is limited movement of habitats.
This makes the provision of alternative means of oxygen for fish to breathe important. This artificial process of providing oxygen is called aeration. It's a simple process of re-oxygenating the water in aquarium tank.
The Aquarium Aerating System:
An aquarium aerating aystem made up of a series of materials that increases the supply of air (thereby increasing oxygen concentration) they are:
* the air pump
* t-pieces
* rubber tubing
* clamp or regulator
* diffusers or airstone
Air pumps come in different shapes and sizes but the most popular ones are tecax air pump from Taiwan together with 'dyna free, and the dragon' another popular one is super 555 from India though cheaper, but not as rugged. Occasionally available are the more expensive whisper and rens air pumps from Uk and rance respectively. Always place air pumps above the water level hooked to a non-vibrating material.
You can accomplish aeration in your aquarium tank by using the above listed aeration materials.
For small tanks all you need is to attach a simple aquarium air pump to airstone by means of a rubber air tube. The system will be blowing air into the water which causes motion in aquarium tank and thus provide the necessary oxygen your fish needs to breathe in the aquarium.
Sometimes people complain that the airpumps are too loud. A tricks to keep the air pump quiet is to insulate it's vibrations by placing the air pump on a large sponge.
I have even heard of some people who have buried the pump in cat litter with a air tube running to the surface from the air inlet... but you don't have to go to that extent. A large sponge should do the trick.
About The Author
Nathan Miller
For more great aquarium related articles and resources check out http://www.aquariumspot.com.
syarat lingkungan bagi kehidupan ikan koi
syarat lingkungan bagi kehidupan ikan koi
beberapa hal yang menjadi syarat lingkungan bagi kehidupan ikan koi yaitu,
1. air
ikan koi akan hidup lebih baik pada air yang mengandung oksigen yang banyak / cukup, maka oleh sebab itu jika ikan koi dipelihara pada kolam yang kurang sirkulasi airnya lebih baik dipasang aerator untuk mensuplai oksigen ke dalam kolam.
ikan koi sebagai ikan hias akan lebih baik dibudidayakan pada air yang jernih jangan dibudidayakan pada air yang keruh, karena selain mengganggu kehidupan ikan, juga keindahan ikan tidak akan terlihat.
2. kolam
konstruksi kolam bagi kehidupan ikan koi dapat berupa kolam tembok atau kolam tanah yang telah dimodifikasi. untuk jenis kolam tembok bisa dibuat sesuai dengan keinginan kita, bisa berbentuk persegi, bulat, atau bentuk lainnya kadang bentuk kolam ini disesuaikan dengan kondisi lahan di lapangan. Pada kolam tanah sebaiknya dipinggir pinggir kolam dipasang batu-batu kali. Dasar kolam tidak berlumpur banyak,
beberapa hal yang menjadi syarat lingkungan bagi kehidupan ikan koi yaitu,
1. air
ikan koi akan hidup lebih baik pada air yang mengandung oksigen yang banyak / cukup, maka oleh sebab itu jika ikan koi dipelihara pada kolam yang kurang sirkulasi airnya lebih baik dipasang aerator untuk mensuplai oksigen ke dalam kolam.
ikan koi sebagai ikan hias akan lebih baik dibudidayakan pada air yang jernih jangan dibudidayakan pada air yang keruh, karena selain mengganggu kehidupan ikan, juga keindahan ikan tidak akan terlihat.
2. kolam
konstruksi kolam bagi kehidupan ikan koi dapat berupa kolam tembok atau kolam tanah yang telah dimodifikasi. untuk jenis kolam tembok bisa dibuat sesuai dengan keinginan kita, bisa berbentuk persegi, bulat, atau bentuk lainnya kadang bentuk kolam ini disesuaikan dengan kondisi lahan di lapangan. Pada kolam tanah sebaiknya dipinggir pinggir kolam dipasang batu-batu kali. Dasar kolam tidak berlumpur banyak,
How to Buy The Right Aquarium
How to Buy The Right Aquarium
by: Kathy Strander
Buying Your First Aquarium, What To Look For
If you are interested in buying an aquarium and keeping several varieties of fish as pets, there are several things you should know before you start looking. Some factors to keep in mind are type of fish, number of fish, and what type of decor would you like. Buying an aquarium can end up costing a great deal of money but if you shop smart you can get a nice aquarium for a good price.
If you haven't owned an aquarium before, you might think it would be best to start off small. In truth you are establishing an ecosystem, so buying a small tank and only a few fish, is actually harder than going a bit bigger. In order for your aquarium to survive, you need the correct pH balance and also some live plants. Think in terms of twenty gallons as a starting size. This will give your fish room to swim and not feel trapped in a tiny space. It will give you more to look at and enjoy as well.
Don't purchase too many fish in the beginning. Four or five is a good number. You'll be able to add more later on if you want to. Another consideration is deciding if you want fresh water fish or salt water fish. You can't have both in the same aquarium. Most of the tropicals live in salt water.
Before you randomly choose some fish, do some Internet research or talk to the pet store employees. Some fish species don't interact well and may actually eat one another for lunch.
Now that you know the tank and the fish you want, it's time to think about decorations. There are a lot of choices at the pet store, and the right ones depend only on what you like. That doesn't mean however, that you can just put anything in the water. Gravel especially must come from a pet store, since it won't have an adverse affect on your aquarium system, like beach gravel would. You don't want to upset the balance you've worked so hard to establish.
After having your fish and decided upon the aquarium you would like, next you will have to bring in the water. The chlorine in the normal tap water is harmful for the plants and the fish. This is the most important factor. You will have to treat the tap water to remove the chlorine content. Use a chlorine remover before adding the water to the aquarium.
Maintaining the correct water temperature is another important consideration for your aquarium. It needs to be between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so be sure to purchase a thermometer. If the temperature isn't just right, your fish could die.
The next thing to be considered is the food for the fish. Most fish are not fussy about the food they are given, fish flakes and pellets are both fine with the fish. Recommendation for any special food can be ascertained from the pet store.
Some people are of the opinion that just placing a few gold fish in a bowl and hoping that the fish will be fine. However it takes much more effort. Starting an aquarium and then maintaining it can be very enjoyable and satisfying.
About The Author
Kathy Strander runs a very interesting website at Rock Aquarium, visit there today for the latest Aquarium advice, and while you're there sign up for the free newsletter. Read many more interesting articles on Aquarium at: http://www.rockaquarium.com/articles
http://www.rockaquarium.com
by: Kathy Strander
Buying Your First Aquarium, What To Look For
If you are interested in buying an aquarium and keeping several varieties of fish as pets, there are several things you should know before you start looking. Some factors to keep in mind are type of fish, number of fish, and what type of decor would you like. Buying an aquarium can end up costing a great deal of money but if you shop smart you can get a nice aquarium for a good price.
If you haven't owned an aquarium before, you might think it would be best to start off small. In truth you are establishing an ecosystem, so buying a small tank and only a few fish, is actually harder than going a bit bigger. In order for your aquarium to survive, you need the correct pH balance and also some live plants. Think in terms of twenty gallons as a starting size. This will give your fish room to swim and not feel trapped in a tiny space. It will give you more to look at and enjoy as well.
Don't purchase too many fish in the beginning. Four or five is a good number. You'll be able to add more later on if you want to. Another consideration is deciding if you want fresh water fish or salt water fish. You can't have both in the same aquarium. Most of the tropicals live in salt water.
Before you randomly choose some fish, do some Internet research or talk to the pet store employees. Some fish species don't interact well and may actually eat one another for lunch.
Now that you know the tank and the fish you want, it's time to think about decorations. There are a lot of choices at the pet store, and the right ones depend only on what you like. That doesn't mean however, that you can just put anything in the water. Gravel especially must come from a pet store, since it won't have an adverse affect on your aquarium system, like beach gravel would. You don't want to upset the balance you've worked so hard to establish.
After having your fish and decided upon the aquarium you would like, next you will have to bring in the water. The chlorine in the normal tap water is harmful for the plants and the fish. This is the most important factor. You will have to treat the tap water to remove the chlorine content. Use a chlorine remover before adding the water to the aquarium.
Maintaining the correct water temperature is another important consideration for your aquarium. It needs to be between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so be sure to purchase a thermometer. If the temperature isn't just right, your fish could die.
The next thing to be considered is the food for the fish. Most fish are not fussy about the food they are given, fish flakes and pellets are both fine with the fish. Recommendation for any special food can be ascertained from the pet store.
Some people are of the opinion that just placing a few gold fish in a bowl and hoping that the fish will be fine. However it takes much more effort. Starting an aquarium and then maintaining it can be very enjoyable and satisfying.
About The Author
Kathy Strander runs a very interesting website at Rock Aquarium, visit there today for the latest Aquarium advice, and while you're there sign up for the free newsletter. Read many more interesting articles on Aquarium at: http://www.rockaquarium.com/articles
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