A Hawaii Fishing Vacation

I really didn't need a cup of coffee. Yet I find myself here, at Starbucks, across the University of Seattle, with coffee in hand wondering if there's anything fun that can come out of today.

It seems ironic that we left the "high-eighties" in Hawaii thinking we were headed to the cooler, maybe even rainy, Pacific northwest! Instead we are greeted by temperatures that made what we left seem cool! With some time to kill while the students I accompanied here attend their workshops, it would seem a great opportunity to break away and enjoy the city. Seattle is a wonderful place and the quick drive into town from the airport last night reinforced my appreciation for the impressive architecture, the exciting waterfront, the greenery, and overall charm which I've admired on this and each of my two prior visits.

Today, I am in a different mood. It may be that the heat is intense enough to make any sightseeing pursuit more a feat of endurance than a pleasant pastime. Or perhaps I realize that anything that seems exciting...like the run out to Tillicum Village, or exploring the shores of Puget Sound or Lake Washington would only make we wish I had my fishing gear to really enjoy being here. But then, even if I did have my gear, I know neither where to go nor what to do to in these waters that are completely foreign to me!

So, I sit here in Starbucks, where the air-conditioned comfort seems more pleasant than anything else I can think of doing today. My thoughts drift back to my part of the world, Hawaii. I can't help but wonder how many visitors to the islands are feeling this same, "it's nice to be here but I'd really be just as happy fishing back at home!" I also wonder how many, like me, go through the tourist "must-dos" and bypass fishing altogether because Hawaii beaches, while great for tanning and swimming, seem just a bit too "foreign" to them!

For the fishing Mecca that Hawaii is, relatively few will do some serious fishing outside of the pricey options that grace the tourist publications that are literally everywhere you turn. Certainly, we'd all love to charter a sport fishing boat, but how many of us have the budget to do something like that more than once or twice? Most will agree that a day of fishing does not a vacation make. But a week or more spent doing our favorite activity in a new and promising environment could very well be the closest thing to heaven imaginable.

So how do you begin to prepare for a Hawaii fishing vacation? Read on, it might be simpler, more enjoyable, and less expensive than you think!

Get A Home Base

Looking at a condo or vacation rental home rather than a hotel room is a great start to setting yourself up for a serious island fishing. Aside from offering kitchen facilities and more space, condos or vacation rental homes come at a relatively lower cost than equivalent hotel rooms. And while the price of a rental might initially seem out of range, the actual number of people that can be accommodated in these units and the ability to prepare your own meals will result in an overall decrease in your daily expenses.

What's more, condos and vacation rentals will allow you the full impact of your fishing vacation for you'll find, in Hawaii, the fishing experience goes far beyond the catch. If you've ever enjoyed the many and varied ways that fish is prepared in the islands, you'll know that enjoying your catch at the table is as much a part of fishing as is the fight! The opportunity to experiment with different local recipes will enhance your vacation experience and the ability to wow your friends back home with some exotic (many quite simple, too!) dishes you've learned to prepare will probably be the most treasured souvenir of your entire vacation!

Try Some Local Fishing Techniques...

We could spend hours and not scratch the surface of fishing in Hawaii. But one or two days of purposeful (and genuinely interesting) investigation can get you ready for some serious fishing fun in Hawaii that is not only productive and exciting but quite inexpensive as well.

Pick up a book about Hawaii fishing and add to that a visit to the local fish markets and fishing supply stores to learn about the edible fish and which to expect in different types of waters.

Spearfishing

If you've developed some proficiency snorkeling or diving, visit any of a number of "mom & pop" fishing supply stores on the islands and ask them to show you a "Hawaiian sling," a simple inexpensive spear with a rubber tube that's probably the most popular piece of hardware for catching fish in Hawaii!

Many of us local enthusiasts started out with these simple spears and continue using them today!

Pole-fishing

If you prefer fishing from the shore, you'll find Hawaii's coastlines offer a range of different conditions for a variety of fishing techniques ranging from a simple hand-pole to the most sophisticated fly- and surf-casting! The small size of the islands make it possible to spend a day or two looking for possible fishing spots on one day, talking to fishing supply people and those you come across on the beaches... then going it on your own the next day! Before you realize it you've already enjoyed yourself touring the island... meeting island folks with whom you share a common love... and you haven't blown a load of money trying to entertain yourself!

If you're looking to cut the learning curve, there are a couple of shorefishing guides that can take you out for a day and provide you with a sufficient background in that time to enable you to go it on your own the rest of your vacation while feeling quite confident about what you're doing.

Kayak Fishing

Fast becoming a sport unto itself, kayak fishing has become a venue for those with limited budgets and/or the desire to pursue an exhilarating form of fishing. Hawaii kayak fishermen are regularly boating such sport fish as amberjacks, tuna, dolphin-fish, wahoo, and more as well as smaller reef game fish that are equally enjoyable cooked up!

Of course it'll take a bit more planning to set-up your equipment and plans for some serious kayak fishing but if it sounds appealing to you now, you might not want to do anything else during your entire stay. Everyone who's done it will attest that landing a decent-sized fish on a kayak is an experience to which one can easily become addicted!

A Permanent Trophy

In the very possible event you land a fish worthy of permanent display, look into some of the local gyotaku artists. Here is a process where an imprint of your fish is made by applying a non-toxic paint to your fish then using the "painted" fish to imprint its image onto a piece of cloth. It's an old Japanese method serving the same function as taxidermy which allows for the fish to be eaten. Yes, you can forever display your fish and eat it, too!

Just as it is fishing back at home, nothing can guarantee you'll catch what you're fishing for. But I'm confident that the time you spend planning for a Hawaii fishing vacation will be as enjoyable as any itinerary you've ever prepared and the subsequent trip might just be the paradise you were really looking for!

Yes... a Hawaii fishing vacation. Give it some thought because the possibilities are endless. I could go on forever but, perhaps, I can share more later. Right now, I think I'll head down to the waterfront and find out what folks are catching on Puget Sound!

Barbs Are Fun Exotic Fish For Your Tropical Fish Tank

Barbs for Aquariums

Barbs are fun to have zipping around your fish tank.  They usually average 2"- 3" in size.  Barbs need to be paired up with similar fish in the tropical community.  Can you see the trend?  Tropical fish are normally the fish for your aquarium.  Barbs are Omnivores.  They eat both plant and animals like prepared and live foods.  You can toss Fish Flakes or Pellets to feed your Barb.  Romaine Lettuce, zucchini and peas are also a good source of food for your Barb, don't be shy to mix it up a little with the food.  Freeze-Dried Blood worms, tubifex worms and other small worms, mosquito larvae and daphnia are the specialty foods for your Barb.  You don't want to clean a bunch of leftovers so be sure to provide enough food that your Barb will eat in 3 minutes or so.

Barbs are usually middle swimmers, meaning you find them in the middle of the fish tank moving about.  Barbs are most active and playful swimmer and like to tease and nip at the fins of slower moving fish.  The Barb is like the prankster at the school yard.  Only his domain is the aquarium.  Barbs move about with 2 or 3 other Barbs to keep the group tough.  When Barbs are alone they tend to seclude themselves from the rest of the aquarium fish.  So be sure to buy a few of their buddies so it can be more playful in the fish tank.

Other Common Barbs for your fish tank include Tiger Barbs, Cherry Barbs, Rosy Barbs and Tinfoil Barbs.

African Cichlids and Exotic Tropical Fish Tanks

African Cichlids are in the tropical semi-aggressive community and grow from 4? to 8? or more. These are a long lasting fish living up to 20 years! African Cichlids are versatile in the fish tank, they spend their time in the middle level in the water. You can find the African Cichlids scooting from top to bottom. African Cichlids are great for a community aquarium but they are semi-aggressive. Cichlids are territorial, and can eat smaller fish. You can put these fish with other fish but be sure they have similar temperaments and are similar in size or the Cichlid will begin to rule the roost.

African Cichlids are carnivores but they can als chow down on some plants. Prepared foods such as vegetables and live foods like worms suit the fish well for it's diet. You can feed African Cichlids fish flakes, frozen foods, live foodes from tubifex worms to daphnia. They even gorge down mosquito larvae, worms and brine shrimp. Remember to supplement your African Cichlids diet by tossing in some veggies. For some reason fish like zuccini. It's the universal veggie, but peas and romaine lettuce will work too. Feed what the cichlid will eat up to 3 minutes and alternate between meat and vegitation to keep your African Cichlids diet in sync.

Fish Tip: Place your fish tank in a low traffic area away from exposing sunlight and AC/Heat vents to keep your tanks water temperature controled.

Other African Cichlids include the Rock-dwelling Cichlid from Malawi and Tanganyika.

Here are more signs of a happy fish

    * They are eating like champs!
    * Your fish are swimming at the right water level
    * No skin lesions
    * Pure colors
    * Steady gills
    * They are darting around like nemo...

Here are the common indicators your fish is sick

    * They scrape their body on the rocks or rough surfaces
    * White stuff on or around the mouth
    * They may get Red Lines on their fins
    * Golden specks on skin and fins is known as a common problem
    * Parasites on the fish. Can you see them?
    * If your fish seems like it's having consistant gill spasms then you know it may be sick.

Learn How to Care For Betta Fish

Freshwater fish are probably the easiest fish to care for. However, if you plan to stock your aquarium with some of the exotic fish, you really need to learn how to care for Betta fish.

You will need the right size tank for the amount and type of fish you plan on purchasing, proper lighting, gravel, plants, an air pump etc. You cannot just put fish in a water tank and expect them to thrive.

Freshwater fish generally need to be fed about twice daily. You should only put enough food in the tank that can be consumed within the first two to five minutes. It is not uncommon for the novice to over feed the fish and that is not a good thing to do as it will quickly dirty the tank.

When you learn how to care for Betta fish, you will also have a good idea on what to do with the rest of the fish you stock in your tank. The exotic fish variety is not as hardy as a gold fish, need a bit more watching, and care from you.

You need to understand that not all fish are compatible with each other. The male Betta fish can get a little aggressive at times and go after some of the other fish in the tank. They are, after all, what is called a fighting fish.

When you learn how to care for your Betta fish you will acquire much more enjoyment when you sit and watch them in the tank. On reason is because you now know you are doing things right for them and are learning the correct ways to keep them safe.

I remember one day I found a real cool looking rock outside and decided I wanted to put it in the aquarium. I knew enough to realize I could not just drop it in the tank, I had to clean it first.

I boiled the rock for about an hour and then cooled it off in some cold water before inserting it in my fish tank. Everything was good for about two days and then all my fish died. I later found out that that particular rock should never be put into an aquarium, it did something very bad to the PH factor of the water and the exotic fish could not handle the change.

There is more to learn how to care for Betta fish than just putting them into the aquarium. If you overcrowd the fish tank it will cause the fish to suffer from stress. You will recognize that when you see slow moving and lethargic fish.

You will also want to change out the water every so often. Change out only about a third of the water at a time. Make sure you wash your hands first and try not to disturb the fish too much. Remember, you are in their world now and they do not like to be disturbed.

When you actually do learn how to care for Betta fish you will have hours of enjoyment watching them interact with each other in the fish tank. The more you understand their needs the happier they will be and the longer they will live.

Freshwater fish are a joy and a privilege to watch. When you learn how to care for Betta fish you will have hours of enjoyment observing them in their aquarium.

Do not let the care and feeding of your Betta fish, and your other exotic fish, go to chance from your possible ignorance as to what you should be doing to care for them.

Keeping Exotic Fish As Pets

Few things rival the majestic beauty of what Jacques Cousteau famously termed "The Silent World:" the mysterious world underneath the surface of the waves. Fish have a graceful poetry to their movements, and there is a certain pageantry to the Clownfish, the Angelfish, and the puffer. Many people find a tank full of swimming exotic fish to be a soothing, erudite addition to the house, and the collecting of such fish can be a great hobby.

However, keeping a plethora of fish living together in harmony can be a challenge. Many of the most attractively appointed fish tanks feature animals that aren't native to one another, and fish, unlike dogs, are never going to be truly domesticated. Fish tanks are always going to be a matter of Survival of the Fittest, and if you're not prepared for the eventuality of fish eating one another, an aquarium probably isn't right for you.

However, if you are interested in caring for the beauty of underwater life, there are a few questions you'll have to answer before you can (apologies for the pun) dive in:

    * Will your aquarium be freshwater or saltwater? Ocean-dwelling fish require sea water to live, whereas freshwater fish will die in such an environment. You'll have to decide what kind of aquarium you'll have, and what kind of fish you'll be able to keep there. This is perhaps the most important question you'll have to answer before you begin purchasing fish. You should talk to an expert or vet before you commit to a water type, as they will be able to give you more practical information about what this will require.
    * Understand the nitrogen cycle and how it affects your fish. Because many fish and other underwater organisms produce nitrogen waste (which can be dangerous to their health if the tank becomes too full of nitrogen), you will need to provide plants and nitrifiers (a type of bacteria) to reduce the presence of nitrogen in the water.
    * Know how many fish can be supported by your aquarium. The general rule of thumb is that a tank can support 3 cm of adult fish per every 4 litres of water (1 inch of adult fish per gallon), or 1 cm of adult fish per 30 square cm of surface area (1 inch of adult fish per 12 square inches of surface area).

Tropical fish- species review

Tropical fish- species review
Tropical fish- species review
Tropical fish- species review
Tropical fish- species review
Tropical fish- species review

Saltwater

Blue Hepatus Tang - (Paracanthurus hepatus) - (also known as the Hippo Tang) Next to the Yellow tang, probably one of the most recognized marine fish. They are now in season and small's will soon be mediums. This fish requires moderate care. Now is the time to add one to your existing marine aquarium. Don't know where to find one? Go to the Contact Page on our website and we will do our best to find you a retailer in your area.

Free Saltwater Fish Screensaver Preview

The bottom of the ocean holds enormous treasures but they are extremely hard to get to. This free screensaver gives you that rare chance. View enchanting underwater images of fish and other sea creatures. Dive into the depths and enjoy the beauty of marine life.

Aquarium Cleaning

Ok, so its not expected to go to these lengths to clean your fish tank but this is a good demonstration on the importance of cleaning a fish tank in your general maintenance. A nice aquarium can be a great decor to your room. However, you must keep your aquarium clean. This requires a basic knowledge about how to clean a fish tank and how to maintain it. The equipment you need to clean your fish tank are bucket, net, siphon hose, and sponge. The cleaning process should be fast; you must not take more than an hour, or less, to clean properly your tank.

Cleaning Steps

The first step you must do is to unplug the light and filter. Then, take the bucket and keep it nearby your aquarium; this is to pour the dirty water into the bucket. Then, take the siphon hose (it should be long enough) and put it into the water in the tank. Now, you must begin sucking on the small end of the siphon hose. When the dirty water enters the hose, you must immediately put it into the bucket kept next to you.

If it is a partial cleaning, do not take out more than half the water in from the tank. Remember to clean thoroughly the gravels and aquarium sand. Next, take a sponge or an algae magnet and wipe the inside of the aquarium glass. While you are at it, it is perpetually a smart idea to clean both the inside and outside of the aquarium lid. If the filter is dirty, you must clean it right away. You have to just disconnect the filter from the tank, take it to a sink, and dump the water. Then, thoroughly clean it with a sponge, replace the carbon filter, and supply some freshwater before you reconnect it to your aquarium.

Finally, fill the aquarium tank back up with freshwater, and make sure that you are setting the same temperature for the water in your tank. If the temperature of the water is too hot or too cold, you may give an opportunity to make your aquarium fish sick.

Tips for Fish Tank Maintenance

Even though, using live aquarium plants in your aquarium is not exactly a measure in how to keep your tank clean, it will extremely cut down on the time you take to clean your fish tank. Live plants help your aquarium by using up the waste deposited at the bottom of the fish tank, which improves the quality of your aquarium water. The best way to maintain your fish tank sparkling clean is to avoid mess to begin with. After learning how to clean a fish tank speedily, you will not have any self-justifications to maintain your aquarium for best health and beauty.

One of the easiest ways to keep your fish tank clean is using a power filter. The power filter is basic in the success of keeping your aquarium clean. It is easy to use and very simple to clean. However, you should clean your power filter often, which means you must change the disposable cartridges every three to four weeks.

Fish Aquariums Housed Inside a Fryer, Giant Cylinder

Fish Aquariums Housed Inside a Fryer, Giant Cylinder

Fish Aquariums Housed Inside a Fryer, Giant Cylinder

Fish Aquariums Housed Inside a Fryer, Giant Cylinder

101 Best Aquarium Plants And Fishes Makes Aquascaping

Turn your TV into an Aquarium! Filmed on broadcast-quality cameras, these Freshwater Aquariums are wonderful to watch and relax with. A fish aquarium is designed to offer domesticated marine life with a contained environment that mimics that of their natural habitat.

Fish aquariums are very important to housing domesticated marine life in the home. Adding live plants to an aquarium does more than just improve aesthetics – plants provide shelter, food for vegetarian fish, and prevent green water.

Plants will not only provide your fish with valuable shelters and make your aquarium look beautiful; they will also help you to keep the water quality up. Fish and plants coexist in the wild and will complement each other well in the aquarium. Lush and healthy plants are stunning to look at and will create a much more natural environment in the aquarium.

Whether you are a new or intermediate hobbyist, The 101 Best Aquarium Plants and fishes is the perfect pocket-sized guide for navigating the booming planted aquarium market. The 101 Best Aquarium Plants makes aquascaping and keeping healthy aquatic plants simple by providing clear, expert advice and recommendations that greatly improve the hobbyist.

All this stuff is placed in DVD where filmed to give a feeling of looking at real aquariums with realistically-sized fish. Choose an Aquarium and it will play for approximately 25 minutes before repeating automatically, or use the Play All function to play each of the aquaria in turn for continuously changing images and relaxation.

Regulate with an Aquarium Chiller

Most Expensive Aquarium Fish

Some consider fish to be the perfect pets. They don’t make a mess, don’t smell bad, don’t make noise, don’t need to be walked and you can put a bunch of them in the same room without worrying about your house getting torn up. You don’t even need to pet them. Of course, you may want to pay just a bit more attention to your fish tank if one of its inhabitants happens to be the most expensive aquarium fish in the world.

This particular aquatic vertebrate is a 15” platinum arowana owned by Aro Dynasty, a Dragon fish breeder based out of Singapore. Its white coloration is an exceedingly rare mutation of the rather common arowana. It is, however, not entirely perfect; its right eye has turned downward. This is a common problem with arowanas—so common, in fact, that many keepers are paying for cosmetic surgery for their prized arowanas.

Aro Dynasty has been offered $80,000 for the platinum arowana. A UK importer even offered the fish for £200,000 (nearly US $400,000). Unfortunately, the fish is not for sale. While we can’t entertain any hopes of ever owning it, those who attended Aquarama 2007 can still say that they have seen the world’s most expensive aquarium fish.

Ugly Large Aquarium Fish

Ugly Large Aquarium Fish

somewhat ugly fish at the Vancouver Aquarium. Not sure what type it is, - some sort of Catfish??

Created by: Alandrapal.

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Free Fish Aquarium Screensaver

This is a wonderful screensaver for all diving fans and for those who always wanted to explore the depths of the ocean. Little exotic fish will show you all the nooks of this enchanting world. Enjoy the beauty of marine life with this fascinating aqua screensaver.. Download Free Screensaver - Free, 3D Screensavers.

Fishing Holidays in Thailand

FishSiam offer professional fishing holidays and guided packages in Thailand for Giant freshwater stingrays (GFS), Arapaima, Giant Mekong Catfish , Barramundi , Giant Siamese Carp , Giant Snakehead plus many more of the worlds largest freshwater fish in Thailand.

Become one of a growing number of anglers who have captured some of the largest freshwater fish ever caught on rod and line whilst participating in our specialist fishing holidays and angling vacations in Thailand.
Recently we have been working in co-operation with the National Geographic Society and the Mega Fishes Project in the study of what is possibly the largest freshwater fish on the planet the Giant Freshwater stingray.

Fishsiam is a conservation minded company which is also involved in the research of Giant Freshwater Stingray throughout the rivers in Thailand with scientists from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

The capture of Monster Fish by Fishsiam anglers and clients in recent years has been well documented in the International media.

This year has seen us appearing in several television productions such as Hooked, Monster Fish of Thailand, Wild Chronicles, Top Ten Monster Fish and Monsters of the Deep in addition to several other shows soon to be released in the coming months.

Moving to domestication of largest fish in Amazon

The Amazon and its tributaries are home to almost one tenth of the world’s freshwater fish biodiversity, 2500 species being recorded. The giant fish Arapaima gigas is one of the most emblematic of these.

Catches in the wild have been declining substantially and fish farming is gradually being developed in the Brazilian and Colombian Amazon to alleviate this. Captive reproduction is one of the main problems hampering aquaculture of Arapaima notably because it is almost impossible to distinguish the sex of the reproductive adults. A new, practically non-invasive, method based on testing of a straightforward blood sample, enabled an IRD team and its Peruvian partner to determine accurately the sex of 100% of nearly 30 specimens. The technique should help improve breeding programmes of this species and at the same time facilitate study and monitoring of wild populations to improve conservation and management strategies.

Arapaima gigas is a giant air-breathing fish, emblematic in the rivers of South America. Known to Brazilians as pirarucu, it inhabits natural lagoons and low-current reaches of Amazonian rivers and is the largest freshwater fish of the South American continent. At adult stage, some specimens can reach several hundred kilograms for a length that sometimes exceeds four metres. This fish with tasty bone-free meat has been the target of intensive fishing since the early XVIIIth Century. One century ago, over 1 200 tonnes of Arapaima was landed each year in the Brazilian port of Belém alone. In 2006, declared catches for the whole of the Amazon Basin reached only 380 tonnes.

Today, it is estimated that the natural population of Arapaima gigas ranges between 50 000 and 100 000 individuals. The species has been put on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, and fishing is now strictly regulated. Yet commercial demand is constantly on the increase and, in order to meet this, aquaculture stations for the species are starting up in the Peruvian and the Brazilian Amazon.

Saving El Dorado's freshwater giants

(LIP-jl) -- Aiming to save the paiche, the biggest freshwater fish in the world, a small group of local fishermen from Loreto decided to work for their conservation. The result was a successful example of how resource management is beginning to bear fruit.

If Brazil has the Pantanal and Botswana the Okavango Delta, then Peru should feel proud to count Pacaya-Samiria among its protected natural areas.

More than two million hectares of lakes, swamps and wetlands form this corner of the Amazon forest, creating a true magnet for wildlife.

It is, without doubt, the kingdom of aquatic species, among which the gigantic paiche stands out. Weighing in at up to 300 kilos and measuring some 3 meters, it is the biggest freshwater fish in the world.

In the heart of Pacaya-Samiria lies El Dorado Lake, a remote place of incomparable beauty. Here, among the ancient forests and rivers that resemble mirrors, nature seems to have been protected since the beginning of time.

But it wasn’t always like this. Even out here, many days from Iquitos, the hand of man was about to end the existence of one of the forest’s most valuable resources.

Attracted by the abundance of different species, fishermen came to El Dorado in even greater numbers. The fishing was good, and the boats returned with full cargos to the markets of Iquitos and Belén.

The bonanza lasted for a few years, and then the paiche became scarcer. Each time the fishermen went out they had to go further into the network of rivers and lakes to find fish of a reasonable size.

The forest fell silent. The loud cries of the giant of the jungle were no longer heard. The paiche was on the verge of extinction.
Alarmed by the situation, the fishermen from the riverside community of Manco Cápac decided to do something about it. In coordination with the environmental organization ProNaturaleza and the Reserve’s managers, they initiated a pilot project to preserve the paiche and the region’s other resources.

A company called YacuTayta (in Quechua, literally “the father of the water" was formed. YacuTayta was the first ever communal fishing company whose stated aim was the sustainable development of the resources of the Pacaya-Samiria.

El Dorado now came under the protection of constant patrols and severe sanctions for offenders. Fishing was banned to allow the lakes to recover.

The results were quick in coming. From just four sightings of paiche in 1994, numbers have risen to an estimated 400 in the dark waters of El Dorado. The years of hard work have begun to make sense and the possibilities for short term management are now discernible.


Today, after two years of a self-imposed ban on fishing, the people of Manco Cápac have begun to harvest the lake’s most precious gift once more. The paiche, dry and salty, will be taken to market and the profits from its sale will be shared among all the community’s fishermen.

Thanks to the project’s success, the model developed by YacuTayta has begun to be adopted by neighboring communities. Currently, as many as five communal companies dedicated to the conservation and management of paiche and araguana are working together to protect the rivers and lakes of this part of the Amazon.

The old men smile and the children see a more hopeful future. "There will be paiche for everyone", says Don Manuel, the fishermen’s mayor, while he rolls a cigarette with black tobacco.

Giant Stingrays Found Near Thai City

Recreational fishers and biologist Zeb Hogan (wearing cap) hold a live, 14-foot-long (4.3-meter-long) giant freshwater stingray the fishers caught in the Bang Pakong River in Chachoengsao, Thailand, on March 31, 2008.

After weeks of combing remote Southeast Asian rivers for giant freshwater stingrays—possibly the largest freshwater fish in the world—Hogan finally found the creature near a Thai city. To his surprise, she gave birth soon after capture.

There are accounts of freshwater stingrays growing as large as 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms), which could make them the largest freshwater fish in the world, Hogan said.

The giant river rays are extremely difficult to catch, as they bury themselves in mud when hooked. They routinely break fishers’ lines and bend finger-size hooks straight to escape capture.

The ray’s deadly barb, located at the base of its whiplike tail—and wrapped in a cloth in this picture—can easily puncture skin and bone.

Monster Leviathans: The Planet’s Largest Freshwater Fish That You Probably Didn’t Know About

Obviously the world’s oceans are known to support the majority of the planet’s fish species, but did you know that there are monsters patrolling the world’s fresh waters that are as big as the cars that we drive or can swallow a person whole if they were hungry enough?

hen considering day fishing at our favorite fishing holes, generally we catch fish not bigger than 60 to 75 pounds on a rod and reel. Larger fish are always possible using a trotline or net in deeper water or along river channels. Usually, the majority of us catch hand size bluegill bream, slab crappie, largemouth bass, carp, or catfish (best chance to catch a large fish).

In the United States of America, there are some pretty large freshwater fish lurking the deeps of thousands of miles of rivers, deep lakes, ghostly swamps and the endless tributaries that are the life support of healthy rivers. There are bigger and more formidable freshwater fish prowling the freshwater basins in the more remote parts of the world. Monstrous fish, so huge that some of them are as big as the cars that we drive and others so aggressive that they could possibility swallow a man whole, if they were hungry enough.

Let’s take a look together at the Monster Leviathans: “The Planet’s Largest Freshwater Fish That You Probably Didn’t Know About” and thank our lucky stars that we haven’t come face-to-face with one of these monsters at our favorite fishing or swimming
hole.

The Arapaima (as known as the “Paiche”) is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world reaching lengths up to 14 ¾ feet and weighing as much as 440 lbs. A native fish to the Amazon, these fish are commonly raised in commercial farm ponds, because of its delicious meat and protein many poor rural regions of the Amazon can easily obtain.

Angler breaks 85-year record for biggest ever freshwater fish caught by a woman

For 85 years, the record set by legendary angler Georgina Ballantine had seemed untouchable.

Few who have seen the delightful photograph of the slight Miss Ballantine immaculately dressed in tweed hat and coat standing next to her giant catch believed another woman would ever land a freshwater fish bigger than the 64lb salmon she hooked.

But today it was confirmed her record has fallen after housewife Bev Street dramatically landed a monster catfish which tipped the scales at 66lb.

Angler Bev Street, 45, hooked the monster catfish which tipped the scales at 66lb, making it the biggest freshwater fish caught by a woman in Britain

Her success on a week's fishing trip to Bluebell Lakes in Oundle, Cambridgeshire, earlier this month smashed Miss Ballantine's long-standing record for the biggest freshwater fish caught by a woman in Britain.

Angling experts hope that Mrs Street's feat will inspire more women to take up the sport, which is commonly thought of as a male preserve.

Mrs Street, 45, had just gone to bed in her tent on the bank when her electronic rod alarm sounded, heralding the start of her record-breaking catch.

Mother-of-one Mrs Street, who was wearing the camouflage apparel favoured by today's high-tech anglers, said: "There was a terrific bend in my rod, about 90 degrees, and as I picked it up it nearly pulled me in, it was so heavy.

"It took about 30 minutes to reel it in and at one point it got snagged in a weedbed. I was just thinking about putting my rod down when it came free and came towards us.

"It wasn't until it was about 15 yards away when it was lit up by my head-torch that I saw it in all its glory."

Her husband Chris, 38, and another angler had to wade into the water to heave the fish out.

Bev's catch beats the 85-year-old record set by Georgina Ballantine in 1922 when she caught the 64lb salmon (above)

The lake's bailiff was called out to verify the weighing, and it took the three men to lift the fish up and put it in Mrs Street's arms for a photograph.

Mrs Street, of Skegness, Lincolnshire, said: "I knew it was going to be big but it didn't cross my mind that it was going to be a record.

"Even now I can't believe I have broken the Ballantine record. It's taken a long time but at last somebody has done it.

"I'm over the moon and I couldn't sleep for two days afterwards because I was so excited."

Mrs Street took up angling three years ago after being encouraged by her husband, and the couple regularly go on fishing holidays together.

Up until now, her previous biggest catch was a 29lb carp while Mr Street has caught a 44lb specimen before.

It is thought there are only eight catfish weighing more than 60lb in Britain, making her achievement even more remarkable.

Mr Street, a driver, said: "I'm so proud of her, it's just brilliant. It's bigger than anything I have ever caught." Miss Ballantine, part of the Ballantine Whisky family, set the previous record on October 7 in 1922 when she landed the 64lb salmon from a boat on the Glendelvine stretch of the River Tay in Perthshire, Scotland.

Such was its size and strength that she said her arms remained swollen for two weeks afterwards.

Michael Heylin, of the British Record (rod caught) Fish Committee, said: "The Ballantine catch is a very famous record because it was caught when there were hardly any ladies angling. Her record has stood the test of time.

"This new record is brilliant news, it is a massive achievement. Hopefully it will encourage more women to take up the sport, just like Ballantine did."

Of the estimated three million sea and freshwater anglers in Britain, around 300,000 are thought to be women.

Fish Tank Sink

Aquarium Fish Tank Photos

Tropical Fish - Discus

China is the native place of goldfish and has a goldfish cultivation history of nearly one thousand years, which could be traced back to South Song Period. More than 300 categories of goldfish have been produced after long-term cultivation, which are admired by people for their colorful appearance, graceful gesture and dancing charm.

The goldfishes from China have been loved by people all over the world. The history of goldfish cultivation in our country is traced back to the ancient Suzhou and Hangzhou dubbed"heaven on the earth", where the first generation of goldfish is born. At present the goldfish from Suzhou and Hangzhou have become "Miracles out of Nature's Engineering" and fly to every corner of the world as peace envoy.

Our goldfish ground, located at the bank of Taihu Lake of Suzhou, the heaven on the earth, rests in the arm of hill and water, and has cultivated numerous pet fishes with the clean water of Taihu Lake. Now the headquarter of the enterprise has a cultivation area of 350,00 square meters, and the cultivation base covers 150,000 square meters, with an annual supply of 5,000,000 goldfish and 2,000,000 carps. Our product has won the unanimous appraisal of customers from all countries and all regions with high-rank quality and most favorable price.

Tropical fish swimming north because of global warming

Scientists looked at the likely impact of a warming climate on the distribution of more than 1,000 species of fish around the globe.

They found fish will shift their distribution by an average of more than 40km each decade. While some fishing grounds will become richer, many species in cooler climates will go extinct.

Tropical Fish

DPSM - Tropical Fish ScreenSaver Screenshots

Setting Up a Tropical Fish Tank

Setting Up a Tropical Fish Tank

A tropical fish tank is much lower maintenance than a marine fish tank and consequently is more suited to people who don’t have as much experience in caring for tropical fish. A tropical fish tank provides home for a lot of different coloured fish, this guide outlines how to set up a tropical fish tank.

Tropical Fish Aquarium

Tropical Fish Aquarium

What is a fish

First of all, fishes are amazing animals, they can vary in size and shape, have different coloring, scales and behavior. A lot of words were told about them, different people treat fishes in different ways: some buy them and make aquariums, some eat them, some capture them and go fishing, some create special aqua parks in order to prevent their dying.

When I was asked to give the definition of a word “fish”, I even didn’t know what to answer and then after a couple of minutes, I gave such an interpretation. A fish is an animal with scales and fins, they live in water, have no lungs, they breathe with a help gills. But such a definition is not correct from the scientific point of view – because, for example, eels – have no fins. There are a lot of species of fish and a lot of classes of fishes. I like exotic fishes very much. They are very beautiful and even can smile.

“Fish” theme is a commonly-used theme. Let’s remember mermaids – girls half-fishes or the “great fish”, that swallowed up Prophet Jonah. The were Saint people that were able to take fish-like appearance: Ika-Roa, Matsya. There is an astrological sign – called Pisces and in the sky we can see a constellation with this title. A lot of cartoons made fishes their main heroes: Finding Nemo, The Mermaid, Shark Tale.
Have you ever heard something about deep sea fishes? They are very interesting creatures, while looking at them, you can think that they are not from this planet. Actually, it is truth (to some extent). Such fishes swim below the photic zone of the ocean, sometimes there is no natural illumination there, so in order to see the prey and to be able to survive in these severe conditions, these fishes got very strange body and extremely large eyes. Unfortunately, scientist can’t study them thoroughly because these fishes are not able of living in unnatural conditions.

And now tell me, please, how do fishes move? With a help of fins! Yeah? But there are some fishes, they are called “walking fishes” , which can travel over sea floor or land for rather long periods of time. The best representative in this category is a mud-skipper. Such fishes have a special respiratory system that allows them to live without water for a couple of days! Also, there are some fishes, which are still called walking, but their walking is limited to sea floor travelling.

Don’t forget, that Marine is not only a popular name but a first word of Marine Biology, a science that deals with fishes, their preservation. As you know, fishes and water is two inseparable parts – and the total amount of water on the Earth is nearly 1.4 billion km3 and only 3 percent is occupied with fresh (I mean not salt) water. And more than 70 percent of the Planet Earth is in water.

If you don’t have your own aquarium, visit any big aquarium at your city – you won’t be disappointed!

Exotic fish screensaver Screenshots