fish – Sunny Aquarium Company

Company company, fish, hobbyists, sunny aquarium, tropical fish

Digital Fish Trading

sunnyaqm 30 Comments 02/12/2020

Fish Trading in the Digital Sphere

Since Sunny Aquarium’s humble beginnings in 1968, the business model of the fish farm has seen little changes. In view of digital transformation in the 21st century where more businesses are choosing to build their empire online, CEO Pek Leng Choon chats about his vision in expanding the fish trading industry in the digital sphere.

“Building a business in the past relied solely on word-of-mouth,” the 70-year old CEO recounts, before highlighting that consumers today prefer a more comprehensive buying experience, even in the fish industry. “Knowing your name is not enough, consumers need to know that they can put faith in your business practices and products. This is where the industry can benefit from the digital sphere.”

Being part of the digital sphere gives Sunny Aquarium the ability to have its own voice that can reach out to global consumers and foster closer bonds. Unlike in the past where consumers only hear of Sunny Aquarium through social sharing or by affiliation, corporate websites and social media accounts have been set up to facilitate easier and quicker communication with consumers.

Without leaving home, consumers can view fish and aquatic plants that are available from Sunny Aquarium. The internet also unlocks a variety of ways for consumers to get in touch with sales representatives to enquire further. In fact, Mr. Pek has put together a digital team to monitor the digital sphere for the business.

Other than generating awareness and handling enquiries, the fish farm also makes use of digital tools to track stock levels for fish, equipment, and other materials. Relying on these new tools enable staff to be able to focus on taking care of the fish instead of spending time trying to solve logistics issues. Ever since the implementation of these tools, staff have feedback that work is getting into a routine, and it is easier to prioritise tasks on hand.

“One thing that sets Sunny Aquarium apart from competitors who have also established presence online,” says Mr. Pek, “is our commitment to make use of technology on both front and back ends, to ensure that the benefits can be passed on to our consumers in terms of better quality, and lower costs.”

While there are limitations to what the digital world can provide, this is a learning journey that can potentially bring the fish trading industry to greater heights. Mr. Pek is confident that the digital transformation of Sunny Aquarium can bring about positive changes within and beyond the industry.

Aquarium Tips aquarium, fish, guide, guppy, hobbyists, tropical fish

Guppy Fish Tips

sunnyaqm 2 Comments 02/09/2020

Guppy Fish Tips

Guppies, also known as millionfish and rainbow fish, are one of the world’s most widely distributed tropical fish. These highly adaptable fish thrive in a wide spectrum of environment and ecological conditions, thus making them one of the most popular choices for freshwater aquariums and new aquarists. Guppies come in a myriad of colours, sizes and shapes. Variations of guppies continue to increase as breeders continue to breed guppies with brighter colours and more patterns on their bodies and tails. Generally, male guppies are smaller than females, averaging between 0.6 and 1.4 inches. Female guppies are around 1.2 to 2.4 inches in length.

Environment

Guppies can tolerate a wide range of waters and pH levels. The optimal pH level is between 7.0 and 7.2, but guppies can tolerate pH levels ranging from 5.5 to 8.5. Since their natural habitat is in the warm fresh waters of South America, it is recommended to use a heater to keep the water between 75 and 85 Fahrenheit. Provide your guppies with a comfortable environment by filling the show tank with plenty of live plants, rocks and substrate. Recommended plants include Hornwort and Amazon Sword plant. On the other hand, if the tank is designed for breeding, keep the tank bare bottomed so that uneaten food and waste materials can be removed easily. Include floating plants such as Java Moss for the fry to hide in.

Place your heater at one end of the tank, and the thermometer at the other end to ensure that the water temperature is consistent.

Food Sources

Similar to wild guppies, aquarium guppies may feed on a variety of food sources. It has been observed that guppies tend to favour food that are available in abundance, likely to avoid competition against other fish species in the same area. Guppies are omnivores and may be fed good quality fish flakes, frozen foods such as shrimps and bloodworms, and even vegetables such as lettuce and cucumber. These adventurous eaters also feed on mosquito larvae and algae. However, it is not recommended to purchase guppies as a natural measure against algae in aquariums, as the algae grow a lot faster than guppies can eat them. Feeding should take place once or twice a day, at small quantities. Providing a balanced diet for your guppies will ensure that they get sufficient nutrients.

As a general practice, feed them twice a day – flakes in the morning, and vegetables at night.

Breeding

Guppies reach sexual maturity between three and five months. Male guppies tend to be smaller than females, but are much brighter and vivid in colours. Guppies breed actively. There may be multiple pregnancies from one fertilisation, so it is recommended to keep a lookout for the tank once your guppies are sexually mature. Pregnant guppies will notice that the area behind the anal fin becomes darker. After fertilisation, it takes approximately 30 days for the babies to be fully developed. Towards the end of the pregnancy, the eyes of the babies may be seen through the mother’s translucent skin. Guppies are ovoviviparous – adult females nurture their offspring inside an egg sac in their body. The baby fish gains nourish from the egg sac, and are born live once they have hatched inside the female. Once the fry are born, remove the adult fish to prevent her from feeding on them.

If you are looking to keep guppies for aesthetics purposes, it is recommended to only purchase male guppies.

Common Ailment

Guppies are very hardy fish, but their long tails can make them prone to fungal infections such as ich, and fin rot. Ich, also known as white spot disease is a disease where small white dots grow on the guppies’ skin. The disease damages the guppies’ gills and skin. Severe infections may even lead to death. You’ll notice that guppies infected with ich will tend to rub their bodies against objects more often. Another condition is fin rot, where the tail looks like it’s torn. This is usually a cause of incompatible tank mates, who tend to nip on the beautiful fins of guppies. While both conditions can be treated by medication available from the local pet shop, it is best to quarantine fish before adding them to the tank, and avoid overcrowding the tank.

Healthy guppies are active swimmers and their bright and vibrant appearance will be a nice addition to any tanks.

Explore Guppies

Aquarium Tips aquarium, discus, fish, hobbyists, tropical fish

Discus Fish Tips

sunnyaqm 27 Comments 12/03/2018

Discus Fish Tips

Originated in Amazon Basin, the discus fish are brilliantly colored and distinctively shaped. They are a popular addition to freshwater aquariums due to their beautiful and glamorous appearance. The sides of the fish are frequently patterned in shades of green, red, brown, and blue. Some of the more brightly marked variants are the result of selective breeding by aquarists and most likely do not exist in the wild. These colourful tank inhabitants require a higher level of care as compared to other aquarium fish, and are thus less suitable for beginners.

Discus are warm water fish and thrive in waters between 28°C and 31°C (82°F – 88°F). The ideal pH range should be between 6 and 7. Anything beyond the range might cause discus stress. There are, however, certain discus species that thrive in waters with pH values as high as 7.8. Relative water hardness should be between 1dH and 8dH so as to replicate relatively soft water conditions similar to the amazon. Singapore’s tap waters tend to be soft, but aquarists should always measure the water hardness before adding in the fish. Adding driftwood can help soften the water, but it will also stain the waters due to the presence of tannin.

Home Sweet Home

Homes for discus fish are usually laced with plants. Planted tanks with CO2 injection usually exhibit a lower pH value of around 6.8 which is ideal for discus fish. Suitable aquatic plants include Anacharis, Pygmy Chain Sword, Amazon Sword and Anubias nana. These plants are easy to care for and are adaptive to a wide range of water temperatures and hardness. A mixture of long stem plants and lower foreground plants help create an environment that is similar to the amazon. Driftwood is also an excellent compliment that will help these fish feel at home while enhancing the aesthetics of the aquarium.

Alternatively, discus fish can also be housed in a bare bottomed tank. While an empty tank is not as aesthetically pleasing, doing so will allow for easier removal of feaces and rotting debris from the tank, and more stable water quality for the fish. A bare bottomed tank is highly recommended for breeding discus fish as it provides a safe environment for the young and easy aquarium maintenance. Most fish farms practice housing discus fish in empty tanks so that it is more time and cost efficient to care for the fish.

Roomies

shoal-of-discus-fish — A Shoal Of discus Fish

Discus fish are highly social and prefer to live in shoals. They get their security from being part of a shoal. It is a bad idea to keep discus fish in groups of less than eight to ten as it might deprive these fish of social interaction and cause stress. To add variety to the aquarium, it is recommended to keep discus fish with smaller tetras such as neon, cardinal, ember, harlequin and rummynose tetras. These species are peaceful and prefer to move in large groups. Before mixing fish in the aquarium, it is recommended to be mindful of species who tend to be territorial or predatory in character. As with any fish, there is a risk of cross-contamination so checks must be done timely to avoid problems.

Diet

food-for-discus-fish — Dry Food For Discus Fish

Like most other species, discus fish will eat almost anything that can fit in their mouths. However, due to their carnivorous nature they do best with blood worms and beef heart. Pellets and flakes can help provide them with vitamins and minerals. Wild discus feed mainly on small fish and fry, alongside larvae and other aquatic insects and invertebrates. They tend to eat relatively slowly. As a guideline, the discus diet should be rich in protein. Frozen beef heart is an excellent treat for discus but the disadvantage is that it can pollute the aquarium so be sure to conduct regular maintenance and turn off the filters during feeding time.

The basic rules to keep your discus healthy are:

Keep them in groups, as they are a shoaling species
Maintain a consistent pH and hardness
Feed them well, discus eat a lot!