Parrot's Speech

Talking birds are an endless source of entertainment, and every parrot owner wants their bird to learn how to speak. Getting started is easy, and most parrots pick up their first words rather quickly. You'll try to get your bird to say something new, and he'll stubbornly refuse, instead spouting off previously learned words. In the beginning stages of speech training, it's important to give rewards each time your parrot attempts a word or sound. For example, if your bird responds with "pretty bird" when you're repeating "good boy", no treat should be given. Continue giving rewards for all speech, but only outside of your daily training sessions. During the sessions, limit treats to those times when your parrot is obviously trying to make the new sounds. 

Pet parrots are very common today in family households. Are parrots clean animals? Unfortunately parrots don't have the ability to clean up after themselves, otherwise they would make a great investment. It is important to make sure that the parrot cage is kept clean most of the time as when left unclean your parrot may become subject to infectious diseases.

Also it's better to start your parrots training while they are still young as parrots like humans learn faster during their younger years.

Parrots are very intelligent and social animals. Remember if you're attempting to train your parrot, behavioral problems are the last thing you want to have to deal with.

How long do parrots live for? Remember a parrot is an animal and therefore should be treated like an animal.

Parrot Bite

Parrots are intelligent, beautiful and entertaining birds. Parrots bite when they play

Out of curiosity, a parrot must investigate the surrounding objects and environment. Aggression for territory delimitation

It is a parrot's instinct to protect its territory from intruders. In the wild, parrots associate in pairs and protect their nesting territories. Parrots bite when they fear

Biting is also used as a defense mechanism by the birds. In the wild, a bird that fears something can always fly away but in captivity, the birds are usually denied the ability to fly so they remain with their biting ability alone.

Biting as a way of communication

If the parrot gets the desired effect from the bite, it will most likely repeat it.

In a relationship between a parrot and his owner, things may be a little more complicated than any other relationships between humans and pets because of the instincts of the parrot.

Stop Your Parrot From Biting
"Why is my parrot biting me?"

This is a question asked every day by parrot owners who thought they would never own a bird that bites.

Common Causes For Biting

Could the parrot be jealous of someone or something at the time? Most of the time, the bird will warn you by giving you clues with their body language. Fear

You must consider the environment from the parrot's perspective. There are many obvious reasons your parrot could be afraid. We have to do the same with our parrots. Many parrots bite because they are frustrated. Make sure you allow your parrot time out of its cage and give the bird quality attention daily, just like you would want if you were the one locked up in a cage all day. This is even more important if your parrot only has human friends.

You owe it to the parrot that you forced into your home. Some people have more personality difficulties during those times than others. Molting

Let's give these guys a little break if they are grumpy.

Young parrots will often go through a stage where they beak everything. Don't allow your parrot to nibble when it is young and you will deter biting when they are old. Now if your little buddy likes the "earthquake" routine, he will bite just to get the ride. Make sure you aren't teaching the bird that if he bites you he gets a toy or food! We are talking about a bird that is exploring their environment, not biting you for attention.

Some parrots are more stubborn than others. Selfishness

In parrots however, it is just what they are. If you entertain the bird with your response, he might selfishly choose this entertainment more often. Some people cover the cage too. Don't talk to the bird, don't look at the bird, act as if the bird doesn't exist. NEVER EVER hit your parrot or sling your parrot when it bites! It can harm your parrot both physically and emotionally. The bird may never trust you or like you again. He may have a hard time trusting any human again.

If your parrot likes you but bites others, you can help the parrot accept the other person. When your parrot attempts to bite or in fact does bite the other person, you be the one that disciplines them. Take the time to study your parrot and learn the nature of its personality. Be sensitive to when they need attention and when they need time alone. Take the time to expose your parrot, slowly, to new people, places, objects, sounds and environments. Help your beloved parrot now to prepare for the unexpected changes later.

Choosing Best Parrot

The cage is your beloved parrot's home. Also if you choose the parrot cage wisely than you will avoid some parrot care problems that can appear in the future.

The parrot cage should be the largest expense after practically buying the parrot. There are three parrot care issues that you should take in consideration when you are decided to buy a parrot cage. The most important parrot care issue is you bird's safety. You can find metal parrot cages at a medium prices on the market. This parrot cages are built in a variety of metals shapes and colors.

The most expensive parrot cage that you can find in your search is the Stainless steel cage. When you buy a parrot cage make sure that the bar spacing is smaller than you parrot's head. Size - another important aspect for a parrot cage is it's size. A big parrot cage gives more freedom to your parrot and it will have a happier life. Mostly, your parrot will fly from side to side.

The components of the parrot cage is the last but not least of the important aspects when buying parrot cages. You can also buy food dishes for you parrot cage. Also try to look for a parrot cage with removable litter trays.

Have you been thinking about buying a parrot of your own? Life Span

While a dog may average 10 to 15 years and a cat slightly longer, some species of parrots live up to 65 or 75 years! Parrots Are Messy

Yes, birds are messy - no matter what species. Parrots Are Destructive

Parrots that are allowed to roam freely can also cause extensive damage to furniture and other items. Parrots Make Noise

Responsibility

Owning a parrot is a privilege and with that comes responsibility. Parrots are very intelligent and, therefore, can get bored easily. Never leave other pets alone with your parrot.

Many parrots will also develop strong attachments for a certain individual in the family. As mentioned, a parrot is a social and intelligent animal which will become easily bored. A busy home or single owner with plenty of time to spend with their parrot is best. Unfortunately, many parrots find themselves in new homes every few years. Parrots undergo a good deal of stress when they must go to a new home. Parrots are not domesticated like dogs and cats. Parrots bring great joy to the lives of individuals who appreciate them despite the work involved.

Asian Arowana

Others simply cannot afford the prices Asian Arowanas command. Introducing the Silver Arowana

Silver Arowanas are an excellent alternative to Asian Arowanas that are nearly always available and affordable. When considered independently without comparison to Asian Arowanas, Silver Arowanas are quite impressive and captivating. Physical Attributes of the Silver Arowana

Like Asian Arowanas, Silver Arowanas are true bony-tongues. In addition to their bony tongues, Silver Arowanas also possess the chin barbels characteristic of Asian Arowanas. The dorsal and anal fins of Silver Arowanas appear nearly connected with their caudal fins. Silver Arowanas are very large fish typically reaching 24 - 30 inches in captivity, although they can grow up to36 inches. In the wild, Silver Arowanas may grow as big as 4 feet long!

Those unfamiliar with Silver Arowanas often consider their coloration to be "silver" without much variation. The coloration of Silver Arowanas is so pronounced, many hobbyists boost their color through special diets just as Asian Arowana enthusiasts do!

Silver Arowanas may have a silvery, light grey, or strikingly white body coloration. Silver Arowana Temperament

Silver Arowanas are predators with similar temperaments to Asian Arowanas. Tank mates suitable for Asian Arowanas will likely do well with Silver Arowanas. Many experienced hobbyists claim Silver Arowanas are slightly more skittish than Asian Arowanas. Silver Arowanas are often trained to take food directly from fingers, while Asian Arowanas are rarely so docile!

Care of the Silver Arowana

Silver and Asian Arowanas require nearly identical habitats and care. One consideration applies to Silver Arowanas that is no longer a concern when acquiring an Asian Arowana.

Like all aquarium fish, the natural habitat of Arowanas dictates how they may be best cared for in captivity. Most Arowana fans know that the asian varieties are native to black water river areas of Southeast Asia. Water Attributes

Water temperature would vary little in an Arowana's natural environment, and they do not tolerate fluctuations in aquarium temperature, either.

Black water: Arowanas natively inhabit black water rivers and wetland areas. Black water is acidic, soft water fed by black water streams originating from ancient tropical forest soils that are low in nutrients. The brownish-yellow color of black water is believed to contribute to the bright, iridescent colors typical of many black water fish species, including Arowanas. Peat and decayed driftwood are two other black water additives used in Arowana tanks. Commercially prepared "black water extract" is another option. Feeding

In captivity, farm-raised prawn, worms and feeder fish allow Arowanas to exercise their natural hunting instincts.

Their natural diet also makes it challenging to find suitable tank mates for an Arowana. Feeding Schedule: Many experts doubt Arowanas feed every day in their natural environments. Tank Cover: Another direct result of its natural feeding habits is the Arowana's tendency to leap from its tank. Although Arowanas are typically found among shallow waters littered with reeds, wood, rocks and water plants, most hobbyists prefer to keep Arowana tanks sparsely decorated.

Aquarium Care

Avoid Disease In Your Aquarium

There are many diseases that can affect your aquarium fish and once your tank is infected, there's a good change that all your fish can get sick. Luckily, keeping a disease free tank is not that hard. Most aquarium disease can be avoided by making sure your aquarium water is healthy. Neglecting the appropriate tank maintenance and partial water changes will allow toxins to build up in the water, basically polluting your fish's environment. As the water becomes more toxic your fish become more "stressed", the more stressed your fish becomes the easier it is for the micro organisms present in your aquarium water to infect your fish with various diseases.

Don't overcrowd your fish tank. The larger the tank, the more fish you can have.

Acclimate new fish to the tank properly. Make sure to have great water quality. Since poor water quality is the greatest case of fish disease and death you'll want to be diligent about your tank maintenance and partial water changes. 

Raise White Worms For The Aquarium

Live foods are overall high in protein. Live foods enhance the natural tendencies of fish to forage for their food as they would in their natural environment.

White worms (Enchytraeus albidus) are a great source of food for the aquarium. The white worm in size is approximately 3/4" to 1 1/2", somewhere between Tubifex and Grindal worms. Nick Lockhart, breeder for King Discus [http://www.kingdiscus.com] feeds white worms twice weekly to our breeding discus and juveniles. White worms are easy to raise. Fill the container about 3/4 full with peat moss as the medium. Add your starter culture of worms. Place a piece of wet crustless white bread on top of the medium for compost. Allow the worms a week to establish before feeding them. One of the best foods for white worms is Gerber's Baby Oatmeal. White worm cultures will "crash" if the population becomes too large. You can then feed the worms to your fishes.

The biggest thing to remember about growing white worms is to never let the medium dry out. Keep an eye out for mold, feed the worms appropriately, and you will have happy, vigorous fish!

Starting Aquarium Plan

Saltwater Aquarium

Starting a saltwater aquarium is a task that can be fun and rewarding, or devastating. When setting up a saltwater aquarium you need to make a decision regarding how large aquarium tank you are going to get. Many experienced aquarists suggest 55 gallons / 200L or larger for a beginner when it comes to saltwater aquariums.

You will also have to choice between Glass and Acrylic aquarium tanks when preparing Setting up a saltwater aquarium. Glass aquariums are usually the cheaper choice.

When setting up a saltwater aquarium you want to consider that the tank might not be easy to move once the aquarium is full. Make sure the aquarium tank, aquarium stand, and other above aquarium equipment fit in the space you have chosen. Leave a gap behind for access to clean behind the aquarium and maintain the aquarium equipment. Setting up a saltwater aquarium is after all only the beginning. Fish only might be the easiest alternative if this is your first saltwater aquarium. Setting up a saltwater aquarium offers many options.

Choosing an aquarium filter.

There are more then one type of filtration needed in a saltwater aquarium. Biological filtration removes ammonia, ammonium, nitrite, and nitrates (some) created by fish's biological processes and other activity in the aquarium. Chemical Filtration is another important aspect of Setting up saltwater aquarium. Mixing saltwater

Remember; do not add salt when replacing evaporated water.

Let the filtration system run a week or longer before adding fish and there after introduce a few hardy fish. Introduce new fish to your aquarium very carefully to avoid causing the fish unnecessary stress.

Tropical Aquarium Plants

Most fish species feel safer and less stressed when they have plants to hide among, and many species will never thrive in an unplanted aquarium. If your fish are vigorous plant eaters, artificial plants can be used instead of live plants. If your fish only nibble on the plants, you can choose strong and fast growing live plants that can tolerate some snacking.

Fish and plants coexist in the wild and will complement each other well in the aquarium. Plants are also capable of inhibiting ugly algae growth since plants and algae compete over the same nutrients.

Many fish species will never spawn in an unplanted aquarium. A densely planted aquarium will also increase the fry survival growth if you wish to raise fry in the same aquarium as adult fish, since the fry will hide among the plants. A fish only aquarium requires little light, but if you wish to keep a densely planted aquarium you might be forced to install new lights. Fluorescent light is better than the standard incandescent light in planted aquarium. Unlike many other aquatic plants, Java Fern should not be planted in the substrate in the aquarium. New plants will develop on the old plants, and eventually break off.