Ursula is a 2-year-old common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) that resides at the Living Coasts aquarium in Torquay, England. Like other 2-year-olds, she’s a handful—and her keepers are having a hard time keeping her entertained. Ursula, you see, is very curious and active, and has a knack for puzzles. Her meals are regularly served to her tucked inside plastic pipe mazes or houses made of LEGO bricks, and she’s able to pluck the food out in just a few seconds. Her usual enrichment toys—water guns, floating balls, food containers, a Mr. Potato Head—aren’t entertaining her like they used to, so the aquarium is asking for help. They’re seeking ideas for games or puzzles that will give Ursula a challenge and keep her occupied. Living Coast’s Operations Manager Clare Rugg says that the ideal toy would be complicated and not have any metal parts, sharp/pointed edges or toxic materials that could harm Ursula. She gave some ideas to the local newspaper to get aspiring octo-puzzle inventors started, including complex plastic mazes, floating food containers and locked box systems.

Whoever comes up with the puzzle that challenges Ursula the most will get a chance to meet her and her keepers—though Rugg says that she thinks the octopus can handle anything that’s thrown at her. Ideas can be submitted to Living Coasts through their contact page.A swimming fish is just too attractive for your cat to pass up. Most cats hate getting wet, but the sight of moving fish can prove to be too much for them to resist. When your fish see paws dropping into the water from the heavens and trying to swat them, the fish can become stressed or even injured. Stopping your cat's plans requires blocking his access to the water. Add a hood to your aquarium. Hoods not only keep little paws out of the water, they also keep your snails, frogs and other aquatic life inside their habitat. Avoid using glass hoods that are not made for your specific tank. The glass can crack if it does not properly fit and your cat decides to make it his new perch. Thwart your cat's access to the tank by blocking his path.

If your cat prefers jumping to a lower fixture and then onto the fish tank, place a few stuffed animals, books or other objects in his way so he can't make or even attempt the jump. Place masking tape sticky-side-up on both the hood and the fixture that serves as his jumping pad. Cats don't enjoy having tape stuck to their paws and will make a move to vacate the platform when they encounter the stickiness. The downsides to this method are that it's not aesthetically pleasing and that stubborn cats will ignore the tape. Cover the back holes with plastic, tape or aluminum foil. Even with a hood, the back of the tank is partially open to allow room for accessories such as heater cords and filter parts. The holes are large enough that the placement of these accessories does not cover them completely. Your cat can stick his paws in the opening on the days he wants to go fishing, so cover them. Throw a towel or sheet over the tank at night. During the day, you can usually catch your cat in the act fast enough that he doesn't cause harm to your fish.

At night, he has free reign of the house. Covering the tank with a sheet or towel kills his interest, because there's nothing moving to look at. Plus, your fish will appreciate the darkness. Close off the room that has the aquarium, if possible. cheap fish tanks penrithAs a last resort, you can block off your cat's access to the room if the room allows it. cheap fish tanks sgTry all other remedies first, as opening and closing the door will be a chore for you if you're in and out of the room several times a day. 5ft fish tank cabinetItems you will need Tip Warning References Purdue University: Aquatic ScienceThe Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine: The Indoor Cat Initiative Photo Credits Home cat and a gold fish. fish tank for free manchester

MORE MUST-CLICKS: How to Prepare Well Water for a Betta Aquarium What Is the Meaning of the pH Balance in Aquariums? Does Tuna in Water Give Cats Diarrhea? How to Make an Aquarium Bubble Filter What Happens if the Alkalinity Rises Too High in an Aquarium? biorb fish tank petcoPrecautions When Adding Plant Life to Aquariumsnew fish tank cloudy and smellsLow oxygen levels are rarely a problem if an aquarium is well maintained and not overstocked. However, if your fish are gasping at the surface of the water, it should set off a red flag prompting further investigation. Here is what to look for, and how to fix it.There is no flashing light or blaring alarm that goes off when oxygen levels drop too low in an aquarium. Aside from actually testing the water for dissolved oxygen, the only indication of trouble will be the behavior of your fish.

Fish will initially react to lower oxygen levels by simply moving around less. They will swim less, and even eat less. As oxygen levels drop further, the fish begin to show labored breathing, and more rapid gill movement as they desperately attempt to get enough oxygen from the water by passing more water through their gills.Eventually, the fish will begin gasping at the surface of the water. This surface breathing should not be confused with fish feeding at the surface, or fish that can normally take some air at the surface, such as labyrinth fish. Certain species of fish, such as Bettas and Gouramis, will periodically take a leisurely gulp of air from the surface. That is perfectly normal behavior, and the fish will not remain at the surface taking breath after breath. When fish go to the surface of the water for oxygen, they will gasp repeatedly, often with a widely open mouth.If all of the fish are gasping at the top, the problem is critical, and swift action should be taken. Action should also be taken in cases where only some of the fish are gasping at the surface because eventually, the problem will get worse.

Those that aren’t gasping for air are probably stronger fish or those that require less oxygen. If left unattended eventually they too will be affected by low oxygen levels. The initial action to take is to perform a large water change of as much as 50%. At the same time, increase the water movement by adding a power head, airstones, or even an additional filter on a temporary basis. The newly added water will introduce more oxygen to the tank, while the increased water movement will improve the oxygen exchange, buying some time to address the underlying cause. After that, additional corrective steps will depend on the root cause, which should be determined to assure the problem is permanently corrected.Overcrowding is the number one reason for low oxygen in an aquarium. In fact, other factors rarely cause fatalities by themselves if the aquarium is not also overstocked. That’s not to say the other factors should be ignored, but if the tank remains overstocked, correcting the other factors will not permanently resolve the issue.

Causes for low oxygen include:Warm water cannot hold as much oxygen as cooler water can. In warm times of the year, this can cause oxygen depletion in the water. Performing a water change with cooler water will help by lowering the temperature and introducing fresh oxygen. Heaters should be turned off, as well as lights. Remove the aquarium cover and blowing air across the surface from a fan will also help cool the water. It is wise to place a piece of screen over the top to keep fish from jumping out. A few ice cubes placed in a zip-close bag can be placed in the tank to help keep the water cooler.Water that is stagnant will have lower oxygen levels. This is particularly true lower in the water column, where no oxygen exchange is occurring. Water at the surface will have more oxygen, but because it’s not moving, that oxygen doesn’t reach the lower portion of the tank. Filters go a long way towards increasing oxygen in the water, as they cause water movement at the surface where oxygen exchange occurs.

Filters also move water from the top to the bottom of the tank, thus distributing oxygen throughout the aquarium.Increasing water movement will increase oxygenation of the water. This can be done by adding an additional filter or replacing the existing filter with a higher capacity one. Before you do that, though, make sure your current filter is operating at full capacity. Often, the underlying problem is simply a badly clogged filter that is no longer moving much, if any, water through it. All that is needed in such cases is a good cleaning.Adding a power head, putting a spray bar on the outlet of the filter, or using airstones will also help. In a pond, a fountain will do wonders for aerating the water. Anything that moves the water at the surface, or through the air, will increase oxygenation.This is another common root cause of low oxygen, often in conjunction with overstocking. Excess waste, clogged filters and algae overgrowth all can cause decreased dissolved oxygen as well as lowered oxygen carrying capacity in the aquarium.

A thorough tank cleaning will turn that around, and good ongoing maintenance will help prevent the problem from reoccurring.Although it is not a common occurrence, live plants can be a root cause of low oxygen in an aquarium. Plants use CO2 and give off oxygen when exposed to light. When the tank is dark the process reverses and the plants use oxygen. If the aquarium has reduced no light for a lengthy period of time, the plants could deplete enough of the oxygen to cause the fish to be affected.The obvious solution is to increase the lighting. Keep in mind that algae does the same thing as your live plants, so even if you don’t have live plants, this problem can occur in a tank that is heavily overgrown with algae.Some chemicals used to treat disease or modify water parameters can also impact the oxygen carrying capacity of the water. Whenever using chemical additives, always read product literature to ensure it doesn’t have a negative effect on oxygen capacity. When troubleshooting an oxygen problem, discontinue the use of any chemicals that are not absolutely needed.