1. Good hygiene – regularly clean the bird cage and the appliances in it. The cleaning must be accomplished minimum twice a week.
2. We mustn’t let our birds have contact with wild or free – living birds, who are the main carriers of diseases and infections.
3. Do not put the bird cage exposed to draughts – the birds can catch a cold, and they should be exposed to the sun no more than 1 – 2 hours, because they can get overheated and can suffer from hypothermia.
4. If you have other pet animals – a dog, a cat, first make sure that they are not aggressive towards the birds and only then can you leave them in the same room together.
5. Examine the bird cage for protruding parts and objects that can hurt the birds.

6. A very important factor for the good health of the birds is the proper and balanced feeding. Except for grain mixture, they should get enough quantity of fruit and vegetables, from which they will supply themselves with necessary vitamins.
7. Also, with great importance for the health of birds is the proper supply with minerals. You can buy them from the pet shop in combined form.
8. It is also necessary that your birds get small stones and sand in a separate container, which contributes to the good digestion and food – assimilation.
9. Overfeeding the birds with proteins of animal origin is very dangerous for them and it can cause podagra and lead to abnormal appetite.

1. Birds need to eat a nutritionally sound diet in order to live a long life. Improper feeding can lead to malnutrition and disease resulting in a shorter lifespan. Start off by feeding your bird right from the beginning.

2. Parrots and birds of the parrot family can eat a variety of different kinds of foods. Seeds should not be a parrot’s only food. This is a mistake many new bird owners make. Seeds contain mostly fat and not enough protein and very few vitamins.

3. Birds can eat most table foods but it is best to stick to healthy items including items containing whole grains, pretzels, and whole wheat pastas and bread. Foods high in fat should be avoided. Never feed them avocados as they are toxic to birds.

4. Good sources of nutrition for your bird include beans and legumes as well as various vegetables and fruits. Some birds resist new foods at first while others are open to trying many new things. Although it may take some time keep trying to introduce your bird to a variety of healthy foods.

5. Changes to a bird’s diet should be done slowly and progressively over time. Provide fresh foods twice per day for approximately an hour each time. Be careful not to leave fresh food in the bird’s cage too long as it will develop bacteria which can make your bird sick.

6. Your bird should be fed two times per day. This will result in your bird getting hungry which will make it more active. Also, a good appetite can make it more likely that your bird will try new foods. Feeding at set times twice per day will also allow you to be able to monitor how much your bird is eating. If your bird is not eating well this can tell you that it is not feeling well or has a health problem.

7. If your bird is a picky eater and you cannot get it to eat a varied diet you can try warming or cooking the vegetables. Take away seeds except at meal time until your bird starts eating healthy foods on a regular basis.

8. Just as water is necessary for people it is also necessary for healthy birds. Keep your bird’s water dish filled with fresh, clean water at all times. Bird bowls can become very dirty and should therefore be cleaned each day with hot soapy water. Also make it a point to pick up some water soluble bird vitamins at the local pet store and add vitamins to your birds water daily.

Birds make wonderful pets for the whole family and they can live a long time if taken care of properly. Proper care of birds includes maintaining a healthy diet of seeds, vegetables and fruit.

Before buying a budgie think about the following questions:

One or two budgies?

Budgies in natural conditions live in flights and it will be boring for one budgie to live in a cage. His friend, who can replace the company of the other bird, could be a person, but only in the case that he spends lots of time with his feathery friend, speaks to it and lets it fly. If the bird is alone most of the time it becomes sad and very often gets sick. If you are unable to spare enough time for the budgie or if the family is absent for a long time, it is better to start breeding a couple of birds. Many people think that when living in a couple budgies do not become domestic because they do not need a human presence anymore. But if you are patient enough and if you have enough time you may breed budgies separately while they grow up until they become domestic and start perching on your arm and only then bring them together into one cage.

Will anybody help you?

It can happen that on some days you will be very busy and unable to care about the birds, it is very important some member of the family take care of them.

Will it be possible for the bird to move around your home?

Home budgies do not need to look for food alone and to fly kilometers away but they also have to “exercise” their wings. These feathery ones will not be vital and healthy if they do not fly daily around the room at least for an hour. But it is very difficult to keep the cage in one room with a cat – it instinctively chases birds and there could be trouble catching the flying budgie. But an obedient dog very soon realizes that the bird is a member of the family and that it must not be disturbed.

Birds are one of the most favored pets in the world. The bird lovers irrespective of the bird species they choose, the place they keep them, would no doubt like to choose a sturdy and comfortable cage for their pets. There are plenty of bird cages available in the market in various sizes and shapes, the selection of a suitable cage for your pet is a challenge. One has to be aware about the uses and abuses of the house of their pets to make a wise decision.

Needless to say birds like more space to move around and as such one should not strictly be confined to the size prescribed for the pet. It is always advisable to go for the largest size available in the market to see that your pet has always the luxury of freedom of maximum space.

While considering the shape of the birdcage one needs to remember that most commonly found cylindrical cages are not the best suited for these small flying creatures. Lengthy cages facilitate horizontal flying often preferred by the small birds and as such are more important than the height. Birds seldom fly up and down. Large birds like parrots need to be provided with cages taller in size to suit their habit of climbing up as a routine exercise. The large birds always deserve spacious and bigger cages. Although the cage manufacturers are aware about the danger of incorrect wire spacing of cages, and take adequate care in this aspect one has to ensure that they are uniformly and adequately spaced so as to avoid any danger to the birds by getting caught by their heads, wings or beaks inside the wire or bar.

Some of the larger birds like parrots would be best housed in cages with horizontal bars enabling it to climb up with help of their beaks. No such specification need be considered for smaller birds like doves, finches and canaries.

Though price of the cage is always a factor to consider when buying a cage one should not go for the bird cages made of cheaper materials as it may turn to be hazardous for the pets. One has to ensure that the cages need be made of non toxic materials like stainless steel, or powder coated iron that are harmless for these species. Cages that are made of galvanized wires containing zinc have to be avoided. The design of the cage should be such that it allows easy cleaning and maintenance. Certain peculiar shaped cages, though gives a different look, causes problems for easy regular cleaning of the cages that is of paramount importance to keep the birds healthy and hygienic.

The spacing of the bars or the material used for the cage is not the only factors that matter. The doors, latches and similar parts of the cage should have a fine finish not to endanger these lovely pets.

In short, choosing a right birdcage takes time and it is worthy spending some time and thinking, that would lead to a healthy life, security and comfort for your dear pet bird.

What to start with?

First we have to consider the following:

What can I afford?

The price of on parrot varies in large bounds in dependence with the species. You can buy for example a budgie for less than $10. The price of the cockatiel varies between $25 and $35. An Amazonian parrot and grey parrot can be purchased for about $300 – $400, cockatoo for 1,000 …… and the price of some parrots reaches $15,000! This is one of the initial questions which you have to answer.

How much space will the bird need?

Larger birds and even some of the small ones are very active physically and need big cages and space in which to play.

Is there any free time for the bird?

Probably this is the most important question. Birds are intelligent, playful and mostly “social ” creatures. Will you have time to play with your bird? To care properly of it? Will it have the chance to be a part of your family? Consider the fact that birds live fairly long. A small parrot cockatiel lives for 20 years and more! Amazona or African grey parrot can live for 50, 60 and there are documented cases for birds that lived up to the respectable age of 100 years! Can you devote to this? It is not unusual to inherit birds for previous generations. Don’t buy a bird if you think that you will soon get bored of it.

How noisy is the bird? Will the neighbors murmur?

Budgies and cockatiel are comparatively quiet. They are suitable to look after in a flat. Moluxco cockatoo could live in flat only if you have neighbors around you and six floors above / below you that like listening to screams cracking their ear – drums. The African grey parrot tends to be one of the comparatively non-noisy parrots. Certainly, there are individual differences between birds. Somewhere there could be cockatoo, that does not make a lot of noise. If really there could be found such, an enterprising person could make a fortune out of it. Remember that noise is a subjective and relative sensation. A bird can be considered as “ non-noisy ” only at the background of another one, considered as noisy.

How “destructive” could a bird be?

Do you possess peerless old furniture? Rare books? Remember that these birds have strong beaks. Some of them are less inclined to “nibbling” than others, but nibbling is completely natural behavior for them.

Does the parrot need special food?

Lory parrots, for example, need a specialized diet. Do you have an opportunity and means to provide it? Once you have made a preliminary investigation and have decided what kind of parrot you want, you can go looking for it and buy it. NEVER, NEVER BUY A PARROT IMPULSIVELY!

Fish are sensitive creatures. It is hard to tell if something is wrong since fish aren’t able to talk and then it just dies. One way to check on the health of those living in the aquarium is by using a test kit.

There are quite a few on the market and some fish experts recommend using a combination to check the water.

The first is called the ammonia test kit. This should be done regularly because ammonia is harmful to the fish. You will get some water out of the aquarium and let the machine do the rest. The level of ammonium must be at a low level or zero. Should it be too high, the water should be replaced even if there isn’t that much dirt yet on the glass.

Next is called the KH & GH test kit. This stands for calcium and magnesium and the level of normalcy depends on the species of fish. Goldfish which are frequently purchased by pet owners should stay between 100 to 200 KH & GH.

Another thing to watch out for is the pH level. There are two types available namely the pH high and the low range. The pet owner only has to buy one and then look at the indicator if the levels are normal. Again this depends on the type of fish kept in the aquarium.

There is also the Nitrate Test Kit. This is considered to be the best one around next to the Ammonia version which can tell when it is time to change the water in the aquarium. For freshwater fish like the goldfish, it should stay under 40 ppm.

If you have live plants inside the aquarium with the fish, it will be a good idea to buy a phosphate test kit. This will alert you if there is an overgrowth of algae that could be harmful for those living there. After changing the water, results should report that the phosphate content is close to zero.

No one can say that there is one kit out there over the others. This is because each one is designed to watch over something and unless someone is able to invent an all around version, fish owners will have to buy and use a combination to ensure the welfare of those living in the aquarium.

When you are an avid aquarium keeper, you should be able to relate when it is said that algae is a major nuisance in keeping the fish tank ‘pleasant’ to view. Once a small patch is seen, it only takes a day or two before you can see that it is starting to overwhelm the delicate balance of your aquarium. Although algae are usually considered an eyesore, we can’t prevent the fact that they will grow in your fish tank whether you like it or not.

It’s important to know the types of algae that can grow in your aquarium. It is important for you to know that there is a certain type of algae that can be left alone. This is the green type of algae. It will start as a small, slimy patch then when left alone, it will grow into something like hair (green hair, that is!). Be appeased when you have green algae in your aquarium. This means that you have established a healthy environment for your pets. Now the problem is how to control it and prevent it from overwhelming all the other species in the tank.

If your new aquarium is plagued by the brown or red algae, then it is most probable that you have a problem in your fish tank’s water quality. The red or brown algae normally appears in new, saltwater aquariums only. They are seen often on the corals.

Another type of algae-like organism is the diatom (and these are the hardest to clean!). These ones appear like dots. These diatoms have hard shells and they cling to the tank. When not cleaned, green algae would start to grow on it.

You should be highly alarmed when your aquarium becomes a habitat for cyanobacteria. This slimy stuff grows much faster than the common algae. Although it is easy to clean, cyanobacteria can grow back just as easy. Once there is an infestation of cyanobacteria in your aquarium, it is best to control them right away. The best way to do so is to clean the corals in your fish tank thoroughly.

There are ways of controlling algae in your aquarium. Aside from cleaning regularly, it is also important to place the aquarium as far away from the window as you possibly can. Having a direct sunlight hit your aquarium will mean faster growth to the unsightly algae. If you have to place your aquarium near a window, make sure to put blinds or thick curtains that would protect the water from a direct hit of light. You can open these drapes or blinds during the evening.

Another way of controlling algae is to limit the amount of lighting that your fish receive in a day. Of course, lighting is necessary for them to develop Vitamin D in their bodies but too much lighting will surely hasten algae growth. To avoid this risk, make sure that you turn on the ‘fish lights’ to no more than ten hours in a day. Make sure to turn them on or off during the same hours each day.

If you would like to resort to algae-eating creatures, then there are certain snails and fishes that you can purchase which would ‘clean up’ the tank for you. Just make sure that they do not overpopulate. Remember that the more fishes you have in a small tank, the higher the chances that the ammonia would reach toxic levels.

There are some apparatus that can be installed to control the growth of algae. These include ultraviolet sterilizers and algae scrubbers, also equipment that do ozonization, resin exchange, or reverse osmosis. If you are willing to do so, you can use distilled water in your fish tank.

There are so many ways of controlling algae but bear in mind that preventing them from recurring would be futile. Algae are a normal part of an aquatic habitat. It is, after all, not dirt but just an unsightly growth in your tank. All you have to do is to learn to control it and manage a habitat that is healthier for your pet fish.

Keeping Goldfish can be a fun and rewarding hobby. As with any new hobby, especially one that involves living creatures, always consider the maintenance that will be involved. If you care for your aquarium properly, you will be sure to have happy and healthy Goldfish for many years. Goldfish have a life expectancy of five to ten years. If you do a good job maintaining their fish tank, you should have fun, beautiful fish for a long time. Make sure to feed them correctly and keep their water fresh and clear.

When starting any new aquarium, you should get everything in place before buying the fish. If you are going to put gravel on the bottom, you may want to put only a thin layer. This will make it easier to keep clean, as Goldfish tend to be messy. Make sure that you rinse the gravel thoroughly before placing it in the bottom of the tank. If you have some decorations, you should add them now. Make sure that you rinse them well before putting them into the tank. Also be sure that the goldfish have plenty of room to swim, as they as active fish. Give them a place or two to hide, and that should do nicely.

Now that you have everything in place, you can add in the water. You will need to use a dechlorinator, as the chlorine in tap water is poisonous to fish. Once the fish tank is filled up, you can turn on the filter. Change it as often as recommended to keep your fish healthy. Goldfish live at room temperature, so you will not need a heater. They are quite comfortable in temperatures from 68 to 80 degrees. However, they should not be exposed to rapid temperature changes. You might want to let the filter run in the new goldfish tank for a day or so to filter out any chemicals or dyes that might have been left on the gravel and decorations that you just added. Waiting to buy new fish can be one of the hardest things about fish keeping!

You need to add fish gradually. Fish excrete ammonia. If you add too many fish at once to a new fish tank, the water will not be seasoned enough to dissipate it. As the water in your Goldfish tank ages, it builds up beneficial bacteria that turn harmful chemicals excreted by the fish into harmless ones. However, this will take some time. Start out with only one fish. The nitrogen cycle will not begin until you add the fish, so running an empty tank for several days will not help. Since your fish tank is brand new, you might want to consider making partial water changes of about 25 per cent of the total water volume every few days for the first week or so.

You can find Goldfish food at almost any pet shop. Make sure to purchase some when you buy your first fish. Feed only a small amount. Especially at first. Any uneaten food will sink to the bottom and rot. Keep this to a minimum. Watch your fish the first few times that you feed them. Feed only as much as they will eat in two to three minutes twice a day, or as recommended on the Goldfish food label. Be especially careful not to overfeed when the Goldfish tank is new. This will cause excess build up of toxic chemicals and can kill your fish quickly.

As the water in your fish tank cycles through the nitrogen cycle, you may notice that is becomes very cloudy. This is a normal process and should clear up in a few days. Do not add any new fish until the water is crystal clear again. Clear water will signify that the nitrogen cycle is working and that the toxic chemicals are being converted to good ones. Remember that Goldfish will grow large and they need a big space. Don’t overcrowd the tank if you want to keep healthy fish. If you follow this little guideline, you will be sure to have a healthy goldfish aquarium.

Foods are almost always unbalanced. In many cases, the vitamin content will gradually decline at room temperature and since majority of the dry food for tropical fish commonly used will only keep for about three months, it is always advisable to buy fish-feeds in many small packs rather than in one large pack.

The feed could preferably be kept absolutely dry in a refrigerator. However, all fish appreciate a change of diet and will thank you for your consideration with more interesting behavior, better colors, and greater readiness to breed and better general well -being. This change of diet should be supplemented with live food; majority of which now come in irradiated freeze dried forms to make sure that they are disease free.

I will mention a few that could be found handy in some major aquarium shops and I will group them into two. And they are flake foods and freeze-dried foods

Flake foods

Most popular and highly recommended brands are Aquarian®, Tetra®, and Wardley®. They are varying in cost and quality. Wardley is the least expensive among the three. However, the Aquarian and Tetra are richer in specialty flakes compare to Wardley.

Freeze-dried foods

You will also find freeze-dried foods available in aquarium stores. They are favorite foods for aquarium fish. They have single animal-ingredient like mosquito larvae, blood worms and Tubifex worm each. Aquarist should note that freeze-foods are not in themselves complete diet but they can be combined to flake food or other type of freeze-dried foods. We shall discuss more about Tubifex as a popular freeze-dried food.

TUBIFEX – This is a traditional favorite food relished by most fishes. They are small red worms that live at the bottom of streams and rivers particularly where large amounts of organic matter are present. Therefore, it is difficult for the aquarist to collect them life from their habitat. It is therefore preferable to buy Tubifex from pet shops where they are already clean, freeze-dried and concentrated into cube forms.

From personal experience, Tubifex tubes could probably be the most exciting feed to use for fishes. The cube can be stuck to the front inside wall of the aquarium. The fishes in the tank will immediately come forward and bit off pieces of worms excitedly until satisfied.

You need not bother to remove the rest worms since they seldom pollute and in most case fishes return to the feed for further fill.

There are two areas of introducing new fish into an aquarium that you must be aware of:

1. Fish Quarantine

Fish quarantine is one big, singular factor that must be observed strictly before you can be sure that your new fish is of good health and not an apostle of doom for the other inmates. Most new fishkeepers don’t consider this a very important factor.

For the benefit of intending aquarists, quarantine in the fish world refers to the physical and chemical treatment of new fishes (either imported or caught from the wild) to rid them of disease and restlessness before introduction into a new environment,

A small quarantine tank (30x20x25cm) is advisable for any serious aquarist. The alternative is to be sure that your pet shop has a functional quarantine section to cater for bacterial, fungal and viral diseases.

This is a sure guarantee against fish deaths. The unfortunate thing with most shops in the country is the lack of space and inadequate expertise to build and administer the prophylaxis procedure on new fish, as the procedure is sure to last at least three days! To the average aqua-investor, this is an unnecessary tie down of capital and you know what that means.

Admittedly, the expense incurred on quarantine by way of chemical purchase e.g. copper sulphate, wescodyne, malachite green, teremycin etc is high. This is more or less reflected on the final sales price of the fish, which is slightly higher in the shop. But, this would pay you off in the long run, as it is unlikely that you will complain of fish deaths any longer.

I am quite sure, some fish farmers reading this column would be more concerned about the application of this procedure to solve their farm problems especially those with hatcheries or those who stock with post fry and fingerlings.

2. Feeding New Fish

When you just introduce a new fish to aquarium tank it’s necessary to feed the fish. Though this will not be instant because no matter how carefully you add the fish to your aquarium tank they will look very unhappy for a while.

Thus it’s necessary that you turn the flights out, and leave them overnight to get used to their new home first before thinking of feeding them. Then feed fish with aquarium fish food with fish flakes the next day, this will make the fish feel at home.

If you already have an established tank, it is advisable to quarantine new fish before adding them to an existing populated, and the cheapest way to do this is to purchase a plastic tank which will need no gravel or plants.

This can be used solely for quarantine and as a hospital tank.

Leave the fish in this tank for about three days during which any disease harbored by the fish would be evident for which it can be treated using available chemicals from your dealer. The fish can then be introduced into the tank in the same way as before.

When you add new fish to an established community, there will probably be a certain amount of harassment of the new arrivals by the original fish. Try to divert their attention by giving them a good feed when the fish are introduced.