Bird House--the Right One for Your Birds

Providing and inviting bird house has its rewards. The songs and antics of birds can be very entertaining and rewarding. Having birds as welcomed visitors, also, helps keep the pest population down. This can be very rewarding for the avid gardener. Below, are some tips for finding a bird house suitable to feathered visitors?

GENERAL TIPS:

* Generally speaking, bird houses should be made from wood. The best metal for bird houses is aluminum. But, if a bird house is constructed from metal, it should be hung in a shady place since metal absorbs sunlight, making the inhabitance too hot for birds.
* Bird houses with perches at the entrance should be avoided. Perches attract predators such as larger birds, cats and squirrels.
* The practical bird house should have holes for drainage in the bottom to keep rainwater from collecting. The top of the bird house should, also, have some small holes to aid in ventilation. An overhang over the entrance will help keep the entrance cool and inviting.
* A bird house should be, also, practical in the sense of cleanliness. Bird houses with roofs or fronts that flip down or can be removed give the cleaning crew easy access for cleaning the insides of the bird house. The bird house should be cleaned, thoroughly, on an annual basis to remove old nesting materials in preparation for inhabitants for the following year.
* Bird entrances should be near the top of the house and proportionate to the size of the species which is to inhabit it.
* Subdued colors are best for the bird house except for those placed in direct light. Those that are in direct light should be white in color.

The Basics You Need To Keep Tropical Fish By Taylor Jones

So you’ve decided to keep tropical fish! Welcome to this unique and fascinating hobby. But before we get ahead of ourselves, we need to realize that aquariums can be a lot of work. You have to keep the water in your aquarium clean and aerated, the fish have to have enough food, if you use live plants they will need light and nutrients, and you have to keep the algae under control.

It may take a lot of work sometimes, but this hobby is very rewarding as you’ll soon see.

Okay...enough talk, let’s get to the point:
If you’re just starting out, you need to know what you need to buy to get started. Here’s a list of the essentials that you need, no matter if you keep saltwater or freshwater fish:

An aquarium – To keep you fish in.

An aquarium stand – To support your new aquarium.

Filtration equipment – Filters can be chemical, mechanical and biological.

Lights – To help live plants grow, and to enhance the colors of your fish.

A tank hood – To reduce evaporation, and stop anything (such as a cat’s paw) from getting in.

Decorations – These can be anything you decide. There are a wide range of decorations available nowadays, so you can decorate your tank however you like. You’ll also want a background to hide the wires.

Substrate – This is basically the sand or gravel you use for the bottom of your aquarium.

Plants – There’s a wide range of plants you can choose for your aquarium nowadays, including live and plastic plants.

Heater – Tropical fish require a water temperature that is slightly higher than most people’s room temperature.

Chemicals – By chemicals, I mean chemical filtration, which gets rid of harmful gases that the water picks up as it passes through a carbon filter. It’s not always needed, but it is very easy to use and it’s better for your fish.

Thermometer – the plastic strip one with liquid crystals are best.

A net – For scooping things out of your aquarium.

Cleaning supplies (such as a scrubby on a stick, a small round brush
and a bucket reserved solely for aquarium use)

Fish food – to feed your fish, obviously.

And last, but not least… you’ll need the fish!

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=59080&ca=Pets

Dealing With Grief Over A Departed Pet By Anthony Galindez

The loss of a beloved pet can be as devastating as losing a family member. Afterall, pets can be more lovingly unconditional than people. If only the amount of love showered on our pets can be equal to the amount of years added to its life, our pets would live as long as we want them too. But as everything else that has a beginning, so too, do they have an ending. Indeed the paradox of loss is at constant play with life: we are certain that everything ends but we are uncertain when it ends; we are certain how it will make us feel, but uncertain at how to deal with what we may feel.

So how does a man say good-bye to a beloved pet, companion and best friend who has given him its full attention, unconditional love and loyalty and even aid in daily living (i.e. blind people with their guide dogs and policemen with their canine friends, among others)? And once good-byes have been said, how does man cope with the grief and loss after?

Needless to say, conditioning of the human mind even before a bond has been created between man and beast is essential and must be established. Man, the rational one in the friendship, and usually the bereaved survivor of the two friends, must keep in mind always that nothing survives forever, not even the ideal friendship of a man and an animal. Once the proper conditioning of the mind has been set, it is easier for man to face the reality of a future separation with his beloved pet.

However, mental conditioning can only do so much when no emotional bonds have been created yet: once man begins to establish an emotional bond with his pet, no amount of conditioning can ever fully guarantee an easy way in dealing with a possible separation or loss.

Man deals with loss in his own unique way. There is no definite formula for dealing with the grief over the loss of a pet. Otherwise, if there is, indeed, a formula, it would come out something as absurd as asking a doctor to compose a music for his dead pet, or asking a painter to write a book dedicated to his pet. In a word, what works for some may not necessarily work for others. What is constant with any variable, however, is the importance of facing the pain. Running away from the reality and pain of loss never helps. Though running away may momentarily desensitize the first few pangs of pain, the next few ones that will eventually turn up at times when it is least expected will only become twice or thrice as painful than the first. Acknowledging the pain, however, helps develop an eventual acceptance over the loss of your pet, and in the long run, even peace knowing that your beloved pet may be in a place far happier than the one you can ever offer it. By acknowledging your pain, you are allowing yourself to grieve over lost times with your pet. In grieving there is remembrance. What better way to give tribute to your beloved pet and what better way to keep your pet alive in your heart forever than remembering all the times spent together? Eventually, you will find that healthy remembrance and acceptance of the pain is not only therapeutic but offers a way that will lead you to acceptance over the loss itself as well.

The next step of dealing with grief over the loss of a pet is through creative expression. A healthy way of dealing with the death of a pet, or any other loss for that matter, is to discover your own potential for self-release and catharsis. Try to experiment, through hobbies, sports and interest, on activities that will keep your mind focused on being productive and creative. In all activities, always be conscious that you are channeling your grief and loss positively through the activities you are engaged in. Eventually, you will only realize that your pain has lessened and diminished.

The perils of not consciously keeping to mind the motivation for the activity (which is the pain of loss) may only be equivalent to not accepting and acknowledging your pain and once you find yourself unguardedly remembering your dead friend, your pet, the pain may only become twice as hurtful.

However, if you keep in mind the purpose for your constructive activity, you are actually, creatively and productively living with your pain and loss. For artists, it would even help you include, as your creations’ theme, your departed pet. Talk about your pet. Share photos of your pet. Remember your pet. Walk to where you often have your walks. The possibilities of calling to mind the joy that your pet has given you is endless.

Indeed, there is no easy way to forgetting the pain of losing a beloved pet. But perhaps, the paradox there is not to forget the pain, but instead, to live with the pain. Once this pain is channeled creatively and productively, you will find out that your beloved and precious pet has done more for you than you ever thought of in its life and even in its death.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=56515&ca=Pets

How To Care For Your Saltwater Aquarium By Sam Weston

Saltwater Aquarium Care – How to Maintain the Health of Your Saltwater Aquarium Plants

Good saltwater aquarium care means taking care of the fish and water quality in your tank but it also means taking care of your aquarium plants. Not only do your aquarium plants create an interesting home and shelter for your fish, they are also essential for the health of your fish, water quality and the tank as a whole. Proper, saltwater aquarium care, therefore, must always take into account the health of your marine plants.

Some marine plants are hardy and easy to care for while others need quite a bit of practice and experience. If you are a novice aquarist it is a good idea to start with hardy plants, as these are easier to care for. Once you have a bit more practice in correct saltwater aquarium care you can move on to fussier varieties.

The first thing to do is to decide what you want to achieve with your marine plants. You should do this even before you buy your tank. If you want big, healthy plants make sure you know what equipment you need, what sort of saltwater aquarium care is required and how much time it will take you to achieve these results.

If you are more concerned with the fish in your tank than plant life then it might be a good idea to invest in one or two plastic plants instead. Responsible saltwater aquarium care means knowing what you want and getting the balance right.

While most marine plants do grow into lush, healthy plants they all need good lighting. This is so that they have enough energy for making their own food by means of photosynthesis. Without sufficient light for photosynthetic activity your plants will remain stunted or die. So part of correct saltwater aquarium care involves making sure that your aquarium provides sufficient lighting for plant growth.

To make sure that your plants are getting enough light keep the following rule of thumb in mind: For each gallon of water in a tank you will require 3 to 5 watts of light. Most aquarium lighting systems are below that level, however so you may need to shop around to find adequate lighting to make sure you are providing the proper saltwater aquarium care for your plants.

In the natural aquarium the fish and plant populations are perfectly balanced and compliment each other. Marine plants create shelter, shade, and even food for your fish! Plants that are well lit will give off oxygen and this creates a good environment for your fish. So proper saltwater aquarium care makes your tank healthy and provides optimum conditions for plants and fish alike.

The fish will, in turn, feed off the carbon dioxide released by the fish. Plants also feed off the waste that fish produce. This helps to absorb some of the waste that might become toxic to your fish. So as you can see proper saltwater aquarium care means maintaining a healthy balance for all the life in your tank.

To provide proper saltwater aquarium care for your plants and fish you need to make sure that conditions in your tank are optimal. Plant growth needs water which is at the correct ph levels. It also needs the water to be at the correct temperature for growth and survival.

Unfortunately this might not fit in with the temperature requirements of the fish species you want to keep. So you might have to decide between plants and fish in some cases. Again, good saltwater aquarium care is always about finding the happy medium.

Fish also eat or tear away sections of plants and this might actually ruin the aesthetic appeal of your tank. Plants may be uprooted by the foraging activity of your fish. So plant care can be a bit tricky and does require some patience. One of the most frustrating aspects of saltwater aquarium care is the occurrence of marine algae.

Algae can really be a problem for the marine aquarist. Sometimes despite the best saltwater aquarium care – lights, substrate additives, fertilizers and CO2 systems – instead of lush plant growth you are confronted with algal growth. Algae can be very difficult to get rid of once it has taken root and it can really limit the growth of other plants.

Usually the aquarist employs various methods of saltwater aquarium care for combating this scourge. These might include using algicides, bleach dips, antibiotics (for cyanobacteria), manual removal or fish or invertebrates that feed on algae.

During an algal attack the amount of food and light is decreased and different amounts of fertilizer are tried – sometimes with success. Correct saltwater aquarium care results in some sort of balance being reached.

The best form of saltwater aquarium care and algae treatment is to provide the tank with a water change. In fact if you could change the tank water daily it would be ideal but this is obviously not very practical. You should change 25% of the water at least twice weekly, however. If you can stick to this schedule the amount of algae in the tank will be reduced and your fish and plants will be healthier. A water change should form a part of routine saltwater aquarium care whether you have an algal problem or not.

So what kinds of plants can you grow in a saltwater aquarium? A variety of plants are suitable for a saltwater aquarium. Choose from grape algae (Caulerpa racemosa), Halimeda Halimeda sp, shaving brush algae (Penicillus capitus), fan algae (Udotea flabellum), corralline bush algae (Galaxaura sp.), sea grass, red gracilaria (which your fish can eat) and many others. Proper saltwater aquarium care means making sure that your plants and fish co-exist in perfect harmony.

Proper saltwater aquarium care means really getting to know your marine tank. Do as much research as possible to ensure that your marine plants and fish have everything they need to grow, stay healthy and be happy. If you get it right, your aquarium will provide you with many hours of entertainment, fun and pleasure. Good luck and enjoy your aquarium!

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=59473&ca=Pets