Category: My Life

I think there are many hobbyists who like aquariums like me. But there are many people who find it difficult to take care of their fish. To keep aquarium fish healthy, we must provide them with a suitable environment, great diet and a healthy lifestyle. It is easy to achieve if you know the following.

1. Fish need enough swimming space

An ideal size aquarium is really necessary. According to the experience of many aquarists, an aquarium should have a minimum length of 7 times the size of the fish. For example, if you have a 2’’ long fish, you need a 14” long fish tank as the bottom line. However, the bigger the fish tank, the more comfortable it will be.

When an aquarium is too small, not only will the fish not have enough room to swim, but water parameters may also be unstable. As a general rule, we need a minimum of a 5 gallon aquarium for stable water conditions. The detailed requirement is up to the size of the fish.  Under the condition of the minimum gallon and minimum length are both met, the bigger tank is always better.

2. A great location for an aquarium

The location of the aquarium is essential for the health of the fish. It must avoid high light, high noise places to avoid stress for the fish. It should also keep a distance from air conditioners, radiators, heaters, or anything that can significantly affect water temperature.

3. High water quality

Since fish lives in the water, we must keep the water quality high.  First, we need a good aquarium water conditioner to keep chlorine and chloramine at bay.  The aquarium must be fully cycled.  It must have a filtration system doing 24/7 aquarium nitrogen cycle.  There must be absolutely 0ppm of both ammonia and nitrite.  While nitrate is fine at 40ppm, it is the lower, the better.  You need a water test kit to make sure all readings are accurate.  A liquid test kit is a lot more accurate than a paper strip test kit.

Other things like water PH and hardness are less critical, as long as you give the fish time to adapt when first introduced to the tank

4. Ideal water temperature

Every fish has a comfort zone when it comes to water temperature. Study well the individual fishes you plan to have. Make sure you have a good heater for your small aquarium if you have tropical fish. An independent thermometer is needed to get a more accurate reading of the water temperature. Adjust the heater appropriately to give the fish the temperature it feels most comfortable with.

5. Stable water parameters

Water temperature, PH, hardness, and other chemical makeups must not fluctuate. Fish don’t like big, sudden changes because they can shock and even kill them. As mentioned above – an aquarium large enough will be less likely to have a sudden change in the parameters of the water.

You must also change part of your water regularly to keep it stable. The rate of water you replace each time should not be greater than 70%. Ideally 30 ~ 50% per week.

If you haven’t done a partial water change for weeks or even months, it’s likely to cause a sudden drastic change in water chemistry when you finally have to do it. Therefore, it is important to change the water only a small part in the tank but often. Also, a good filter for aquarium is needed.

6. Hiden places

Some fish species are relatively shy.  They need some hiding places for them retreat to in the case of danger. It might seem to be pointless since there is no predator in a fish tank.  Without hiding places, they might become stressed.  It is just their natural behavior.  Stressed fish won’t be healthy fish.

To provide them with ideal hiding places, you may place some decorations in the aquarium.  It can be some artificial caves, tree logs, fake or live plants, a castle, or anything the fish can hide inside or behind.  The hiding places will just make them feel safer.

7. A balanced diet

Like us, fish need proper nutrition to stay healthy. It is more than just to get a premium fish food.  A proper diet for fish should include at least one high-quality staple food for every day feeding.  It can be a premium pellets or flakes from a reputable fish food manufacturer. With occasional nutrition treats such as bloodworm, brine shrimp, krill, no more than once or twice a week.  Some supplement such as VitaChem and Garlic Guard can also be beneficial for pre-soaking the dry food before the feeding.

More ideally, you may rotate more than just one type of premium staple food for a more balanced nutrition intake.  Different brand of fish food uses different ingredients

8. Do not overfeed fish.

Overfeeding fish is the cause of many issues in the fish aquariums.  Overeating can directly kill the fish with digestive problems.  It may also cause water pollution which can be unhealthy and deadly to the fish.

In the art of feeding fish, the less, the better.  While there is no proof of health benefit to the aquarium fish, skip a day or two of feeding once a week is totally fine.

9. Avoid having fish who are aggressive toward each other

Some fish species are naturally aggressive toward each other.  For example, two betta fish can’t be in the same fish tank.  They will most likely attack each other to cause stress, injuries, and even deaths.  Most Gouramis are in the same situation.  Avoid any aggression in a fish tank can prevent many problems  Research well on fish compatibility before decide on what fish to get.

10. Do not overstock your fish tank

Do not overstock the fish tank with too many inhabitants.  Too many fish can mean less swimming room.  As a result, it can also create stress for the fish even if your filtration system is sufficient for the aquarium nitrogen cycle.  More often, too many fish might result in ammonia and nitrite spike.

The state of fish health is not from any single factor

It is an easy task to keep the aquarium fish healthy if you know what to do.  However, no single solution can achieve the goal on its own.  Meet all their basic needs is crucial. The rest are bonuses. They will thank you for it by showing their best colors and natural behaviors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When talking about knife sharpeners, you might have already known that there are a lot of them on the market right now. Their prices, types, and designs differ from product to product. And in order to bring home the best knife sharpeners that can really help you with your daily kitchen tasks, you need to understand the functionality of each type of sharpener, and how it can help with a particular type of knife.

And one of the most popular types of sharpener is a whetstone. With this specialty stone, you can swipe your knife a few times back and forth and it will regain back its sharpness in no time. The main advantage of a whetstone is that it doesn’t cost you much, to begin with. In fact, you can spend only a few bucks and have a good sharpening stone like that. But the biggest disadvantage here is that you will need to spend some time learning how to use it.

The next type of popular sharpening tool is sharpening steel. Yes, the stainless steel rod you often see in a meat shop. The butchers often use it to sharpen their knives before slicing and chopping meat. A sharpening rod is easier to use compared to a whetstone. And it’s around the same level in cost as well. But keep in mind, you will also need to learn how to use them as well.

A good point to remember that I already mentioned above is that you need to know which type of sharpener goes with which type of knife. If you want to sharpen up a serrated knife, use a serrated sharpener. If you want to sharpen up a fillet knife, for example, then use something like an electric knife sharpener if you don’t know how to operate other types.

For more information, I highly recommend you take a look at the following resources:

• Best fillet knife: https://www.knives-sensei.com/best-fillet-knife-reviews/
• Best ceramic knife sharpener: https://www.knives-sensei.com/best-ceramic-knife-sharpeners-reviews/
• Best serrated knife sharpener: https://www.knives-sensei.com/best-serrated-knife-sharpener-reviews/
• Best electric knife sharpener: https://www.knives-sensei.com/best-electric-knife-sharpener-reviews/

Buying a new sharp knife is not enough. You know why? It’s because, in time, your once sharp knives will be dull. They won’t cut it anymore. And the reasons is that they constantly are being exposed to moist, foods, and other harmful environments during their lifetime. And all those things make the knives get out of shape quickly.

That’s why the solution is to always buy a new knife sharpener whenever you buy a new set of kitchen knives. That tool alone will save you a lot of money, time and help keep you away from the frustration of using dull knives. But what are the main criteria of a good knife sharpener that you should buy?

The first thing you need to know before buying is to make a clear budget of how much you would spend to bring home a decent sharpener. There are many products on the market right now. And whenever you go shopping, you will see products with a varying price range from just about $30 to over $200. But if you don’t want to burn a hole in your pocket, I suggest you should put away something around $50 to be safe.

Another important note to keep in mind is that you should try something like an electronic knife sharpener if the traditional way of sharpening with whetstone doesn’t suit you. An electric sharpener is much more expensive comparing to just a tradition whetstone. But it will give you complete peace of mind when sharpening your knives since most of the work and settings are preset.

And if you really want to know my suggestions on this subject, take a look at the following resource links:

• Best pocket knife sharpeners: https://www.knives-sensei.com/best-pocket-knife-sharpener-reviews/
• Best hunting knife sharpeners: https://www.knives-sensei.com/best-hunting-knife-sharpener-reviews/
• Best sharpening stones: https://www.knives-sensei.com/best-sharpening-stone-for-kitchen-knives-reviews/
• Best sharpening steels: https://www.knives-sensei.com/best-sharpening-steel-reviews/

When using a chef knife, both hands play supporting roles to each other.

This is because while one hand is gripping the knife, the other hand holds and stabilizes the food being cut, thereby enhancing safety and efficiency. There are two key grips when holding the kitchen cutter; the blade grip and the handle grip.

It is worth noting that holding the knife wrongly can pose a serious safety hazard to you as you can end up cutting yourself.

There are several ways of holding a kitchen blade depending on the food you are cutting as well as the handling option that is perfect for you.

Here are some of the top ways of holding a kitchen knife:

Holding the knife by the handle

This is the basic knife holding option that is preferred by most people; particularly beginners and those who are less experienced in using kitchen blades such as paring knives, or cleavers.

In this option, you should place the thumb beneath the handle’s bolster and curl the fingers along the length of the handle. This grip is ideal for cooks with small hands as well as those who are not fond of using the blade grip.

In addition to this, the grip enables cooks to have good control over the knife thus allowing easy handling when preparing food.

When holding the kitchen cutter using the handle grip, it is necessary that you keep the hand firm.

This provides for good control and consequently allows you to apply reasonable force and pressure when using the blade.

Avoid extending your index finger over the blade as it can cause swelling on the finger especially when using special blades such as carving knives for long periods.

See more:

• visit knives-sensei.com website for the best deals on kitchen knives

Blade/pinch grip

This grip is ideal for professional and experienced cooks. In the pinch grip, the blade should be held between the thumb and the index finger.

The fingers should remain positioned at the base of the blade; where the blade is connected to the handle. There are cooks who prefer using thumb, index & middle fingers during the pinch grip.

This option provides the cooks with better stability and enhanced control when gripping the handle.

Overall, this blade grip is beneficial as it offers great accuracy when cutting especially for hard food items.

When making the pinch grip, the rest of the fingers should rest on the handle. Use the fingers to wrap the handle lightly for enhanced flexibility around the fingers.

The main reason for wrapping the fingers around the handle is for support and channeling strength to the fingers gripping the blade.

You will find this way helpful when practicing with bread knives or having meals with your favorite steak knives.

Avoid gripping the blade with excessive firmness as this leads to tension build up thereby increasing your likelihood of getting tired fast.

Irrespective of the grip you are using to hold the kitchen cutter, it is important that you use your dominant hand to hold the knife.

Use your free hand to guide the blade towards the food item you want to cut or chop.

The freehand helps in making even increments especially if you want to cut or slice food in even slices or pieces.

The food item that you are cutting should be maintained in a stable position for even cutting as well as for your finger’s safety.

In general, badminton racquets have the main function to knock the shuttle towards the opponent. It is an indispensable device in badminton. If you look closely you can see badminton rackets are divided into different types, each one has its own advantages. Thanks to that, people can find the racquet that best suits them. The factors used to classify racquets are as follows:

The frame of the racket

The racket is a knitted net used to hit the shuttle. It is classified in shape, which is oval and square. Squares with square frames will improve the accuracy of the player. It is, therefore, suitable for beginners. Badminton racquets do not have the advantage, but they have the advantage of being easy to handle. These racquets are better suited to players who are as skilled as intermediate players or better.

Balanced point

The badminton racket equilibrium is the point on the racket and is in the center of the racket. The equilibrium is measured from the handle to the point where the racquet is balanced. Based on equilibrium racquets are divided into three categories: light head, head weight, and balance.

– Light head or defensive: The racket is balanced against the racket. The higher the flexibility and the higher the demand, the more limited the attack is, the better. push the shuttle, cut the shuttle.

– Even balance: the racket has a balance in the middle. These racquets achieve the harmony of grid control with the creation of power shots,

– Heavy head or offensive: This is typical for powerful attacking racquets, suited for strikes, strong hits, deep passes to the back of the court. The better the attack, the better the racquet’s stiffness. Conversely, it gives less flexibility.

Size of grip

The size of the handle is denoted G. The handle has five sizes ranging from small to large G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5, which are suspected on the racquet. This is also a factor to pay attention when choosing to buy. For people with large hands should not choose a racket size is too small and small hands should not choose a racket size too large. As such it will make you uncomfortable, easy to slip from the hand. You should know what size is right for you before buying a racquet.

Conclusion

Here is my share to help you better understand the types of badminton rackets on the market. If you are a fan of badminton, I would like to share with you my brief summary of what kind of racquet you would like. Good luck!