Choosing the right fish for your aquarium

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,


Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

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LiveAquaria.com

Most beginning aquarium owners are soon overwhelmed with the large number and variety of decisions required when setting up a new aquarium. The owner must decide on the type, size and location of the tank; whether it will be fresh water or saltwater; live or plastic plants; types of filters, heaters, lights, and food; and a hundred other technical questions that must be answered for designing a properly operating tank. Unfortunately the last decision that is often made concerns the type and number of fish that are going to live in the tank. When the owner does decide on buying fish it is often done based on color and appearance. As a result, many new tanks fail to thrive and many fish perish as a result.
Questions to ask when choosing fish
The correct way to set up a new tank (after you are sure a fish tank is right for you) is to first research and decide what type of fish you would like to have in the tank. There are over 25,000 identified species of fish and over 2,000 of these are available to the aquarist. To help narrow down your list of desirable fish you need to consider all of the following questions about the potential candidates:

• How big is the fish going to get?
• If the fish gets large will it prey on or frighten smaller fish in the tank?
• Is the fish too small to fit in with the other fish in the tank?
• Is the fish territorial and will it require a large space of its own?
• Does the fish eat other fish? Many tropical fish do.
• Does it nip the fins of other fish?
• Is it aggressive or is it too shy and nervous to live with certain other species?
• Does it eat live plants?
• Does it dig in the bottom of the tank?
• What kind of water does it require (PH, hardness, temperature, etc.)?
• Is it available where you live?
• What does it cost?
• Is it raised domestically or taken out of the wild?
• Does this particular fish need to live in groups or prefer to live alone?

Once you have decided what fish you would like to have in your tank, then the rest of the decisions will fall into place much easier. One of the most important steps to take is to build the aquarium around the chosen fish species not the other way around. You will be much more successful and have healthier fish if you build your aquarium around the needs of the fish rather than around your desire to have an attractive tank. If you create an aquarium where the needs of the individual fish in the tank are placed first it will be both healthy and beautiful.
The type, size and location of the tank will be tailored to best suit the species of fish you choose. The filtering and heating choices will be based on the type of fish you choose. The plants, lighting, food source, substrate choice will all be tailored to provide the healthiest and most natural environment for your fish species.
Seven Categories of Aquarium Fish
To repeat what I mentioned earlier, there are over 2000 species of fish available. To help make your search for the right fish easier, I have divided the most commonly available tropical fish into 7 main categories. Each one of these categories contains fish that are similar in many of their traits, however it should be emphasized that this listing is just an outline and there are often many unique differences between fish in the same family and individual research into each specific species should be done before making your final decision.
Catfish: There are over 2,000 species of catfish each with their own unique characteristics but as a group none of these fish have scales. They are covered with skin or an armor like plating. Many catfish are used as scavengers in tanks and while many species are well adapted to this, some have very different eating habits. There is probably a species of catfish that would work well in just about any type of aquarium set up. The important thing is to find the catfish that will work best in your tank. Some things to consider when choosing a catfish are:

• Some catfish can get very large (over seven feet)
• Some catfish are nocturnal and need to be fed after dark
• Some catfish are specialized feeders and are not scavengers
• Coarse, sharp substrate (gravel) can damage or irritate some of the bottom feeding catfish
• Some catfish need to live in groups

Characiforms (characins, tetras, hatchetfish, pencilfish, splash tetras): This category includes a very large number of fish that are commonly found in Africa and the Americas. Some of the smaller species are very popular in community tanks. Some of the larger ones (piranhas) are more difficult and better suited to experts. Many of these species are wild caught.
Cichlids: This category consists of a large very diverse number of fish that are commonly found in Africa, the tropical Americas and Asia. The bright colors and diversity of habitat common to these species make them popular in many aquariums. The Cichlids all practice parental care which makes them more territorial. When they are guarding their young or eggs they can be very aggressive towards any other fish in the area and may even guard their nest areas when they aren't actively hatching young. This aggression makes most of them better suited to living in tanks where other species or fish aren't present. However some species (dwarf cichlids and angelfish) will live together well in a community tank if the right conditions are provided.
Cypriniforms (barbs, danios, rasboras, 'sharks', loaches, goldfish, koi): These fish are found in many locations throughout the world and the species include both tropical varieties and coldwater species such as the goldfish. Many of these species are popular in the aquarium because of their hardiness, ease of maintenance and willingness to breed. Many species are sociable and do well in a community tank.
Cyprinodonts (toothcarps, killifish): These fish are usually small and live and feed near the surface. The toothcarps consist of the egg layers that can be rare and difficult for beginners and the live bearers that are popular aquarium species such as guppies, mollies, swordtails, and platys.
Labyrinth Fish (gouramis, fighting fish, combtails, paradise fish): This group of fish is very popular with the aquarist. They are generally small, hardy, peaceful fish that are well suited to community aquariums with the exception of some of the aggressive males of the fighting fish, paradise fish, and both sexes of the adult combtails.
Rainbowfish (rainbowfish, silversides): The fish from this family come from a variety of different habitats and the individual needs of each species should be researched. These fish tend to have an iridescent quality to their skin that makes them change colors as they move through the light. Most species are small, peaceful, and colorful, and make good additions to a community tank.
Conclusion
The beginning aquarium owners will be faced with a variety of decisions. If they start with researching the individual fish and their requirements and then build their tank around the needs of the fish, they will be rewarded with a healthy, beautiful aquarium that will provide countless hours of enjoyment.
References
Bailey, M; Burgess, P. Tropical Fishlopedia. Howell Book. New York; 2000.
Burgess, P; Bailey, M; and Exell, A. A-Z of Tropical Fish. Howell. New York; 1998.
Burgess, WE; Axelrod, HR; Hunziker III, RE. Dr. Burgess’s Mini Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes. TFH. Neptune City, NJ; 1997.

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition

Another look at activities for those with dementia

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

Alzheimer's&Dementia Weekly

People with Alzheimer’s disease need to be active and do things they enjoy. However, it’s not easy for them to plan their days and do different tasks. They may have trouble deciding what to do each day or getting started with a task or activity. Caregivers can help.

Activity Planning

Plan activities that the person with Alzheimer’s enjoys in your daily routine, and try to do them at a similar time each day. He or she can be a part of the activity or just watch. Here are things you can do to help the person enjoy the activity:

• Match the activity with what the person with Alzheimer’s can do.
• Choose activities that can be fun for everyone.
• Help the person get started.
• Decide if he or she can do the activity alone or needs help.
• Watch to see if the person gets frustrated.
• Make sure he or she feels successful and has fun.
• Let him or her watch if that is more enjoyable.

Try These Activities

The person with Alzheimer’s disease can do different activities each day. This keeps the day interesting and fun. Here are some daily activities people with Alzheimer’s may enjoy:

• Household chores: Wash dishes, set the table, prepare food, sweep the floor, dust, sort mail and clip coupons, sort socks and fold laundry, sort recycling materials or other things.
• Cooking and baking: Decide what is needed to prepare the dish; measure, mix, and pour; tell someone else how to prepare a recipe; watch others prepare food.
• • Exercise: Take a walk together, watch exercise videos/DVDs or TV programs made for older people, use a stationary bike, use stretching bands, throw a soft ball or balloon back and forth, lift weights or household items such as soup cans.
  • Music and dancing:Play music; talk about the music and the singer, ask what the person with Alzheimer’s what he or she was doing when the song was popular, sing or dance to well-known songs, attend a concert or musical program.
  • Pets: Feed, groom, walk, sit and hold a pet.
  • Gardening: Take care of indoor or outdoor plants, plant flowers and vegetables, water the plants when needed, go to school events, talk about how much the plants are growing.
  • Visiting with children: Play a simple board game, read stories or books, visit family members who have small children, walk in the park or around schoolyards, go to school events, talk about fond memories from childhood.
  • Going out: Remember to plan outings for the time of day when the person is at his or her best, and keep outings from becoming too long. Go to a favorite restaurant, park, shopping mall, or museum.

Why have a garden for people with dementia

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Designing Gardens for People with Dementia
About.com
 
Having access to a nice garden can meet so many needs for people with dementia and their caregivers. Good garden design can be part of a treatment plan for people with Alzheimer's who are very restless or agitated and who like or need to walk a lot.

Aims of Garden Design for Alzheimer's

Provides exercise, opportunities to relieve tension, frustration and aggression.

Provides personal space for reflection and privacy.

Provides a different social environment.

Provides stimulation with color, smells and sounds of wildlife.

Good Design for Alzheimer's Garden
First you need to think about the garden's design. One of the best is a figure-of-eight looped path, or similar, simple returning-path system. You can plan a garden that allows access outside but always leads the wandering person back to their house or building.
Think about visibility and observation so caregivers can relax if they use the time for separate pursuits. Good dementia garden design should cater for the able bodied as well as those who have problems with mobility.
In your garden design you will need to include places to sit and shelter from the sun and the wind. Bushes and trees provide structure and direct movement. Maximize perennial plantings, annuals do take up more time. Fill the garden with bright flowers. Place herbs, lavender and other plants so that when brushed they will release their fragrance.

Providing a Safe Garden for Alzheimer's
Safety issues are central to good garden design for people with Alzheimer's or dementia. The design should include;

Pathways that are smooth, and low in glare.

Steep gradients are not a good idea, neither are steps or low planters.

Appropriate proportion and path width is very important if you are catering for wheel chair users. As people with Alzheimer's and dementia do tend to lose physical skills and ability over time it may be a good idea to cater for mobility aids at the outset.

Use upward bevel edges on concrete walkways. This can keep wheelchairs from rolling into lawns or landscape beds.

Handrails can be used along the pathways to help those who have difficulty in walking.

In gardens you need protection from the sun and the wind throughout the four seasons of the year. Protection from the sun is very important as certain medications, such as largactil, (thorazine) or mellaril (thioridazine), can make the skin more prone to sunburn.

Use of nonpoisonous and nontoxic plants. Plants can harm people if they eat parts of the plant. Others can cause skin rashes and irritation.

Avoid dark, shadowy areas. People with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia can mistake it for negative events.

Too much light reflection or dark areas are not helpful to older people who can have problems with their sight. A number of degenerative eye conditions are common in old age.

People with Alzheimer's Love Gardening Too!
Include people with dementia in planning and designing the garden. Many people with dementia will have built up a lot of knowledge and experience about gardening. They can contribute in varying ways, from active involvement to picking their favorite flowers.

Sensational ideas for those with dementia and other nursing home residents(part3)

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

USA Today

The truth is, when it comes to our senses, we have no sense. We bolt our food, blast our iPods, freeze our feet, have to be reminded to breathe, and generally can't see the forest for the trees. Add environmental and age-related factors, and it's no wonder that "differentiating and distinguishing sounds, sights, flavors, tastes, and touches becomes more challenging every day," says Robert Butler, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of the International Longevity Center-USA. It's time to change all that with our sense-stimulating tricks and treats. Here's how to celebrate your senses -- and be healthier for it.
Sound
A friend laughing. Water lapping against the shore. The mellifluous harp notes in perfect sync with your sister's steps down the aisle. You can hear all those lovely sounds (and the less-pleasant -- but helpful -- screech of a car tire or rumble of thunder) thanks to a bunch of little hair cells in your inner ear. Each ear has about 15,000 of them, and they're responsible for transmitting sounds to your brain to be processed. But thanks to age and exposure to loud noise (yes, we're talking to you, the person whose iPod is so loud we can hear it from here), you're losing your (ear) hair. And that could be the precursor to hearing loss.
"As we get older, those disappearing hair cells affect our ability to distinguish high-pitched sounds, including consonants such as s, t, and f," says Marjorie R. Leek, Ph.D., of the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research in Portland, Oregon. In fact, about 30 percent of baby boomers have already suffered hearing loss. But you don't have to be one of them. Here's how.
Train your ears. You can exercise and stimulate your hearing by listening to different kinds of music. Add jazz or blues to your classical repertoire. Concentrate on what you're hearing and try to identify the different melodies or single out the different instruments.
Turn it down. Normal conversation is about 60 decibels. A portable music player with the volume at one-quarter is 85 decibels; at full volume it's 120 decibels. Enough said.
Muffle it. When you can't avoid noise exceeding 85 decibels (a subway train is 90 decibels, for example), wear earplugs or earmuffs (which can cut 15 to 30 decibels). In a pinch, donning a hat or sticking your fingers in your ears is better than nothing.

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