What are the Ideal Conditions for Snorkeling?

The best time to go snorkeling is when the waves are small, the sun is shining and the weather is mild.

Large Waves don't only make snorkeling challenging, but the big waves disturb the peace of the ocean floor by churning up sand. This makes the water murky and decreases visibility. As a guideline, if surfers are in the area, the waves are probably too large for an ideal snorkeling experience.

Before you go out for the day check the surf report to make sure of conditions. A great resource is http://www.surfline.com/ for the latest info.

Many avid snorkelers prefer bays for their adventures. A bay provides an alcove-like shelter for smooth waters. The waves, currents and crosswinds will be minimal. Additionally, the water is also usually shallower, allowing for the viewing of sea life on the ocean floor.

It is also best to hit the beach when it is sunny out. Not only does the warm weather create a pleasant snorkeling experience, but sunlight increases visibility and brings out the true colors of the fish and coral.

Snorkeling can be the ultimate adventure! Dive in...you'll never know what beauty you will find!

For more information on snorkeling and snorkeling gear, check out http://www.destinationwater.com/. Have a snorkeling adventure that you would like to share? Email mailto:info@destinationwater.com and we may post your pictures on our blog!


http://www.destinationwater.com/
- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

What to Take with You on a Snorkeling Adventure

Post by Kim Popp of CWIC

It's almost spring! The weather is beautiful and the ocean is getting warmer. What better day trip can you think of than packing up your gear and heading to the beach? It can be a great excursion for everyone from kids to adults. While loading up your picnic, swimsuits, towels and sunscreen don't forget the snorkel gear for the great adventure under the sea. Snorkeling is a great way to experience the ocean in a whole new light. Only a limited amount of equipment is necessary and most gear is both affordable and durable!

Besides what you have already packed for your beach excursion you will only need a mask, snorkel, and fins to get started.

Some items you may want to bring along are a kick board, hydrosling, and arm bands to help your child float. As well as, a rash guard or float shirt (for kids) with UV protection to prevent sunburn.

Some Great Features to Look For
Finding snorkeling equipment is easy and fun. You can either purchase a set or separates to make your snorkel adventure complete.

Here is what I would suggest to look for in snorkeling gear for your adventures:
Mask

• Make sure your mask meets the rigorous ANSI standards for safety
• A silicone face skirt for a comfortable fit with a snug seal
• Tempered glass for the best view underwater and to avoid breakage
• Anti-fog mask to allow for maximum visibility
• UV protection
• A Quick Adjusting Strap for extremely easy fitting
• A purge valve to clear water from your mask with ease
  

Snorkel

• 100% submersible or dry top snorkel to prevent water from leaking into your water tube
• A purge valve for easy clearing of the snorkel
• Safety whistle to alert fellow snorkelers of an emergency
• Bright safety cap for your child's snorkel so that you never lose track of them

Fins

• A lighter fin with maximum propulsion to reduce fatigue
• An adjustable heel strap to fit a variety of sizes or growing foot
• For travel an ultra short design is a great idea

Product Suggestions
Check out Body Glove snorkeling gear at Sam's Club and Sports Authority. Body Glove products are affordable and durable.


http://www.destinationwater.com/
- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

The Tiger Barb Fish

Sumatra Barb or tiger Barb including Ordo Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae familia.this Fish be found in Malaysia, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Cambodia and also in some places in the Asian Continent. Tiger barb can be reached 7 cm long and 3 cm wide. This fish can be found in the tropical waters, with pH between 6-8, and temperature 77 - 82 ° F.

This fish has a body-colored ribbon colors with 4 color portrait, including one through the eyes and one on the base of tail fin; side line not only has a perfect 8-9 scale; body width approximately half the length of the standard; stem head 12 surrounded by shell. Fish is a basic but often reside on the surface to search for food. There are many children in the river and the lake in size small (2-3 cm) are groups. Parent-parent caught in the river in the size of 3-4 cm long. Distribution in the watershed Musi, River in Lempuing, LEMATANG and Musi Banyuasin.

main food of tiger barb is detritus and zoo-bentos, while additional food form of worms and crustace low level. Fish are very active in the surface waters to steal food. Tiger barb reach sexual mature at the length of 2 to 3 cm (0.8 - 1.2 inches) or approximately the age of 6 -7 sunday.

Female fish larger dorsal fin and has a more dark, while male fish more colorful light.the season of reproduction in the flood area eggs and egg-hatch, flyblow living in the flood area until measuring 1 cm and ± move to lakes and creek. Fekunditas ranged from 300-500 eggs and can achieve the highest fekunditas 1000 eggs

Stress on the Fish

some of the causes of stress in fish:

- High degree ammonia, nitrate or nitrit

- Too many fish in the aquarium

- type of fish that are not suited to one another

- Lack of oxygen contents

- less plants and timber

- how to enter the fish that are less accurate at the time to buy a new fish

- ph and temperature changes that dramatically each day

White Spot in The Freshwater Ornamental Fish

white spot caused by a parasite ichtyoptirius multifilis.White spot or ich infected and can damage the skin, fin and gill of the fish into the fresh water.ich including fillum protozoa, sub fillum ciliophora, class ciliata, family ophryoglenidae, and this genus ichthyophtirus.parasit has oval shape with a diameter of 50 micro-meter and 1 mm have clilia who have always bergetar.ich macro nucleus shaped like a horseshoe transparent.

prevent and treat white spot

the easiest way to prevent the occurrence of white spot disease is to maintain water quality so that in optimal condition for the maintenance of water.routine change of water can reduce this parasite's infektivitas.The increase of temperature up to 32 C also able to eliminate this infektivitas parasite.
treatment with chemicals is done to eradicate common parasites ini.Treatment done externally, and made during the free swim.

generally attacked the first time is a fin and tail of fish, only some of the white spot is visiable.When fin and body weight of infected fish have been marked with many a white spot, indicating the fish are really sick and need serious treatment.
many drug options that can be used, among others, with the use of Quinine hydrochloride dose 30mg/liter for 12 hours.
antibiotics can also be used to treat white spot disease, such as penicillin, and tetracyclin.but excessive use of antibiotics can cause water to become muddy and become resistant parasites.

chemicals that may be used is malachite green oxalate with doses between 0,05-0,1 ppm and formalin with dose ranging between 10-25 ppm.

Selecting Aquarium Shop

The characteristics of a good aquarium store:

- The store is clean.When shop's floor is dirty and many goods is not regular,
almost ensure that the content of aquarium does not clean.

- in every aquarium store certainly there is dead fish , but a good shop will remove
them quickly.

- when a fish is sick, The Seller will be explain it and will not sell the fish that
is not healthy

- Seller can answer buyer's questions and can give advice

- aquarium shops that only sell good equipment and aquarium fish are not selling the
other pets

- seller has a good knowledge of the goods sold and will not recommend the buyer to
purchase the goods that the buyer is not required

- aquarium-shop the most cost not necessarily the best stores, for goods to get a
quality, healthy fish, or after-sales service is good, we often have to pay more
expensive

Oxygen Importance For Fish

One of the most interesting hobbies and one that attracts young and old alike is Aquarium keeping

The Way Fishes Breathe

Though fishes are submerged they require oxygen for breathing and this they get by means of passing the water through a special organ called gill. The gills absorb the dissolved oxygen in the water and pass it to the blood vessels. The Gills are the lungs of the fish. The Gills also excrete carbon-di-oxide produced by the fish body. In nature where the water either is available in a large volume or is flowing continuously there is no problem. Oxygen in water depends on the surface area available for the water to adsorb the oxygen available in the air. If the movement of water surface is more, then there is more adsorption of oxygen into the water, as the moving water surface always takes the oxygen rich water to the bottom and less oxygen rich water to the top. Also the movement upward enables the gases such as dissolved carbon-di-oxide to escape into the air thus paving way for more oxygen adsorption. One should remember this simple water chemistry. This is the reason the flowing waters of nature are always fresh and rich in oxygen than the stagnant waters.

Functions of Water Plants

Water plants also produce carbon dioxide. They consume oxygen too. Fortunately they consume carbon dioxide when light is available and release oxygen as a result of photosynthesis. The process is reversed at night. Plants also absorb nitrogen rich matter released by fishes from water to generate necessary energy. This means the presence of plants releases additional oxygen into the water which is very essential for aquatic life forms and also absorbs the wastes created by fish and other forms of aquatic life. There are also microscopic organisms in water which also consume oxygen. But their presence is always limited by other factors. If there is an upset to the factors that limit the presence of microscopic organisms called bacteria then there is an outbreak of bacterial growth, resulting in excess oxygen consumption and cloudiness of water. There are good bacteria and bad bacteria. The good bacteria helps in breaking down the nitrogenous waste into more acceptable nitrates which can then be absorbed by the plants. The absence of good bacteria would result in nitrite build up and also encourage an outbreak of bad bacteria. Remember Nitrate and Nitrite are different.