Gray Angelfish

The gray angelfish is a very large member of the family Pomacathidae that hails from the waters of the Caribbean and South America and can be found as far up as Florida. It is very closely related to the French angelfish which also comes from the same habitats. Its scientific name is pomacanthus arcuatus.

In the wild they have been known to reach lengths of up to 24 inches. That is a massive size for an angelfish. As such, only the largest aquariums should be used to house this species. Nothing less than a 150 gallon is needed. But they really do better with something like a 250 gallon or even a 300 gallon aquarium.

Because they are very similar in appearance to the french angelfish, there may be some confusion to the casual onlooker when it comes to differentiating the two species. As juveniles, it is very hard to tell them apart. The one area you should look at is their tail. French angelfish have rounded tails while gray angels have a much straighter tail. As adults, the differences are evident as only the french angelfish has golden flecks across its main body.

They have hearty appetites and need to be well feed in captivity. Feed them a variety to ensure they are given a varied diet. Frozen meaty foods along with seaweed sheets should be offered. Some great pellets brands to offer are those by Ocean Nutrition and New Life Spectrum. There are a variety of pellet formulas so choose something with a good mix of foods.

Overall, this fish can be a hardy addition to the aquarium once acclimated. Also, they are not reef safe and will go to town on your corals.

Get Rid of Those Bad Snails in Your Fish Tank

It may be nice to put in a snail or two in your tank. Problem is, they can easily multiply overtime and take over your tank. Just one snail is capable of producing an army.

The best and safest way to remove snails in your tank is to remove them manually. Many aquarist have tried (and have been successful) in baiting snails with food such as lettuce, zucchini or cucumber. The lettuce can be pinned at the side of the aquarium, near the top. Zucchini or cucumber is best placed inside a clean bottle. Place it there during the night, and you will find a swarm of snails you have not seen in the morning. You can also spend some time maintaining your tank daily. Carefully look for any movement in the leaves or the gravel surface. Sure enough, you will find snails that are just hiding or munching away. Another way of removing snails is by introducing fish types that eat them. Loaches and Cichlids are perfect for eating away snails and snail eggs. Some loach types are ravenous eaters of snails and can even suck them from their shells even if they are beneath the substrate.

Introduction of chemicals such as copper can be used, but it is highly risky. Although it can eradicate much of the snail population in a short amount of time, this method must be done carefully and with extreme caution. Not only will it eradicate your snails, it will also produce some damage in your plants and fish.

Carefully consider each method of clearing up snails in your tank. If all else fails, you can totally clean your tank, flush out the substrate, and treat your plants. It is best to always treat new plants and remove the water in which your fish came in with to prevent any other unwanted snails from getting into your tank.

The Best Birdhouses For Attracting Purple Martins

North American purple martins are fascinating little birds that can be a challenge to attract, but with a little research you can establish your own purple martin colony that will visit your backyard every year. Investing in a purple martin birdhouse is a fun project that with a little effort can reap great rewards.

Purple martins differentiate from other birds in that they need to roost in man-made birdhouses to produce off-spring. In addition, they are very particular in where they nest and have several deadly predators such as sparrows and starlings. These issues make starting and maintaining a martin colony pretty challenging. However, if you take a few extra steps in placing your birdhouse, your efforts can be greeted with success.

Martins migrate during the year, so the first step is to have a birdhouse available as soon as martins enter your particular climate zone. Do a little research to find out when martins generally enter your area. Adult martins typically nest in the same place every year, so if you are trying to start a new colony, it is last year's hatchlings that you will want to attract. Newly adult martins usually arrive a few weeks after their adult counterparts migrate to your area.

Birdhouse location is important when attracting and maintaining a purple martin colony. Martins prefer their birdhouse in a wide open space, away from your home, trees, or power lines that can aid natural predators from preying on your martins. However, be sure to keep your birdhouse in a visible location so you can enjoy watching your martins from your home.

Once you have found the perfect location, you can concentrate on finding the perfect birdhouse. Martin houses should have multiple compartments for nesting. Martins prefer birdhouses light in color and well ventilated. You can even go the extra mile and put clean straw in each compartment. Once you're martin house is up, you can provide nesting material such as pine needles, straw, and twigs to aid your martins in building their nests. A platform feeder in a nearby area will also help make for an inviting purple martin home.

Racing Pigeon Nesting

I have experimented over the years with different types of nesting material and I have finally settled on simple twigs which can be purchased from local pigeon racing suppliers.

I like to put the twigs in a clean area in the loft or outside as long as it's dry, and to let the birds collect their own and build their own nests. This way the birds make a full contribution and feel happier that they have built their nest in their way.

Some people simply place the twigs into the nest bowl but I don't think the birds are entirely happy unless they have worked and achieved the results they want. If you don't buy the twigs and put them in the loft, you will find that the pigeons will try to gather and collect their own nesting material from outside.

That's great except you will find that both the young and old pigeons will end up with lice which is easily treatable but not really what you want, plus you don't know what other insects/parasites are being brought in with this outside debris, so play it safe, buy it yourself and then you know it is clean material and the young will be reared in a healthy environment.

There are other nesting materials which you can use but it's best not to use anything that may be absorbent and therefore may introduce dampness into your loft.

Don't clean the nest bowls until the young have been weaned because the build up of twigs and droppings makes for excellent insulation providing warmth and comfort for the young squabs.

Pigeon Tea

What ingredients do I need for pigeon tea?

Many pigeon fanciers add a tea recipe to the birds drinking water. Generally the view is that it improves the look and feel of the birds and promotes good health.

Personally I have experimented with a couple of recipes including elderberries and other fruit but I think that probably the best is to use nettles. Chop the tops of the nettles off and heat gently in hot, not boiling water. Boiling it kills certain vitamins, so allow it to heat up for a while to the point where the water discolours. Allow it to cool and add it to the drinking water.

I don't tend to give this daily, maybe 3 times per week, but you will find that the pigeons don't like the bitter taste so persevere and a good tip is to remove all water after the morning feed, so that when they come to the evening feed they are thirsty and they will take the nettle tea mix.

Nettles are a natural ingredient and are packed with vitamins and nutrients so whilst it's not scientifically proven to improve performance it can't do any harm. If you buy additives and vitamins for the water, they are expensive and most of it gets chucked down the drain because you should be changing the water at least once per day.

Whether or not giving your racing pigeons tea increases your chances of winning that all important pigeon race is debatable but it is all about small degrees and it's certainly worth experimenting with.