Relax with your tropical fish

THE nights are beginning to draw in. There is much less work to do in the garden. You have settled down after a hard day's work. What could be more relaxing than to sit back and watch a tank full of brightly coloured tropical fish? It certainly makes a welcome change from watching some of the violence we have to endure on television these days.

The mysterious, underwater world of these exotic creatures is as intriguing as it is fascinating. In your living room you can witness, at first hand, the different habits of your fish as they weave in and out of the plants and rocks.

Many of our customers have asked me to write about tropical fish and so for the next few weeks I will be discussing a few points about this increasingly popular hobby. It is not as complicated as it would at first appear to be. The very mention of heater-stats, thermometers, filter systems and p.h. values can sound very formidable. In reality, once these terms are explained and the tank is set up properly, keeping tropical fish is very simple and very little time is taken up by feeding or general maintenance.

Compared to cold-water fish the majority of tropical fish are generally smaller and more brilliantly coloured. They need less oxygen than their cold water counterparts and are usually more active. Many more tropical fish can be kept in a tank of comparable size, than can cold-water fish.

Setting up a tank is an individual thing and no two tanks are ever alike. There is plenty of scope to show off your artistic skills by the way you arrange the plants and rocks. Some people like to keep only one variety of fish while others prefer to have a more varied display. Which ever way you choose to set up your tank it will undoubtedly become the focal and talking point of the room.

Studying the breeding habits of tropical fish is extremely interesting. Some fish give birth to live young and others produce eggs. Tropical fish breed quite frequently and if you have a few live-bearers in your tank, it won't be too long before you see the fish mating and then giving birth to their young fry. Egg layers can be studied by providing a small breeding tank, which will make it easy to watch the spawning, hatching and their development.

Many people who live in flats are prevented, by the terms of their lease, from keeping pets, on the grounds that they can be noisy and a nuisance to other residents. No such restrictions apply to tropical fish. There won't be any angry neighbours knocking on the wall because your fish are barking or caterwauling all night. Another advantage for the flat dweller or anyone else, for that matter, is the small amount of space needed to keep around thirty or forty fish. This is particularly useful where a larger pet is out of the question and yet you still feel your children can gain by having the responsibility of pet ownership. It may seem strange but fish can quickly learn to recognize their owners and are easily taught to take food out of your hand. The initial expense is in setting up your tank. Together with its heater, lights, hood, filter system and fish, gravel and ornaments etc., an average tank could cost up to £150. After that the cost is negligible. A few pence a week will cover feeding expenses.

Many fish keepers get really carried away with their hobby and many join their local aquarist club. St Helens has such a thriving club and is always looking for new members. They meet once a month to hear talks on various aspects of fish keeping and organize shows.

Next week we will look at the problems of setting up an aquarium.

Wally Ashcroft, Owner of The Pets Emporium, 2-6 College Street, St Helens and Sutton Corn Store, 69 Junction Lane, Sutton, St Helens.

LAST year we co-operated with Rutland House Veterinary Hospital in collecting tins of dog and cat food to help some strays to enjoy a Christmas dinner.

Your response was overwhelming and almost 1,000 tins and bags of dried food were collected and distributed to the following organisations:- The RSPCA, Cats Protection League, Labrador Rescue, Whippet Rescue, Warrington Animal Welfare, St Helens Animal Aid, Southport Cat Rescue, Newton Police Station Stray Kennels, Leigh Animal Sanctuary and Freshfield Animal Sanctuary.

We will be repeating our 'Give A Stray A Christmas Dinner' appeal again this year, and look forward to your continued support.

If you feel you can help with this appeal the collection points will be the same as last year; i.e. reception Area at Rutland House Veterinary Hospital and The Pets Emporium or Sutton Corn Stores.

The collection points will be open during November until January.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.