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Archive for July, 2007

Many burglaries occur while the homeowners and family are away from the house since it’s often extremely easy for a thief to spot a house that has been unoccupied for a day or more and that likely to be so longer. Read the rest of this entry »

Your first aquarium should probably be a freshwater aquarium for several reasons. Saltwater fish may be extremely colorful and interesting but setting up and maintaining a saltwater tank can be quite challenging. Read the rest of this entry »

Setting up a freshwater aquarium takes more effort than just putting water in a tank and adding fish. You’ll need to make the proper purchases in three basic areas: tank, fish, accessories. Read the rest of this entry »

Your first freshwater aquarium can be fun and challenging at the same time. Choosing fish that are difficult to maintain is probably one of the most common mistakes of new aquarium owners, and something that can turn the fun into a challenge. Read the rest of this entry »

While a saltwater aquarium full of colorful and vibrant fish can be a peaceful and enjoyable addition to your home, these tanks are more challenging to set up and maintain than freshwater tanks. Read the rest of this entry »

Setting up your first saltwater tank will be an exciting time and you will finally be able to sit and enjoy the soothing beauty of your aquarium. It can also be frustrating and a bit overwhelming. Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve set up your aquarium and tested the water to be sure it is safe. What else is there to do except go buy a dozen or so colorful fish? If you want to have a happy, healthy environment for your fish, there’s a bit more to it than that. Read the rest of this entry »

Goldfish are hardy fish and probably one of the easiest fish to care for of all freshwater species. They can live for up to 50 years if they are well taken care of. There are, however, minimum requirements for their proper care. Read the rest of this entry »

Bettas, or Japanese fighting fish, may be the most beautiful of all freshwater fish, the males being much more so than the females. Read the rest of this entry »

Investing in a good filter may be the most important decision you when equiping your aquarium. Because aquarium filters usually provide biological, chemical or mechanical filtration, you might want to get a filter that provides all three kinds of filtration in one, to make your tank easier to maintain. Read the rest of this entry »

Live plants in an aquarium are aesthetically pleasing and provide a healthier environment for fish, since they aid in creating an ecosystem within the aquarium. Read the rest of this entry »

Some of the most useful inhabitants in your aquarium may be the scavengers that will feed on algae and on uneaten food at the bottom of the aquarium. Some scavengers can dwell in community tanks without causing harm to the fish; others may eat or attack smaller fish. Before placing scavengers in your tank, be sure that they’re community friendly. Read the rest of this entry »

Algae has its uses in your aquarium but if the walls of your aquarium are so covered in green gunk that you can’t see your fish, it may be time to remove the algae from your tank. Read the rest of this entry »

Just as bad air is dangerous for us, bad water is dangerous for your aquarium’s inhabitants. Water that is too hot or cold, too acidic or alkaline, or unbalanced in any other way, can cause your fish to become diseased or die. Read the rest of this entry »

If you notice that your previously crystal clear fish tank is cloudy, or perhaps the water isn’t clear enough for you to even see the fish, it’s time to thoroughly clean the tank so that the fish and other inhabitants don’t become ill. Read the rest of this entry »

While most fish are fairly hardy overall, especially if they have the proper living conditions, sometimes, despite your best efforts, one or more of your fish will become ill, probably with one of the more common fish diseases. Read the rest of this entry »

It would seem to be a no-brainer that fish that routinely live outdoors would easily adapt to life in your garden fish pond. If only it were that easy! If you’re considering setting up a fish pond, let’s look at the requirements of one of the most popular pond fish, the Koi. Read the rest of this entry »

A pond can be a relaxing and soothing area within your garden but it will take some hard work if you choose to install it yourself instead of paying someone to do it for you. Once you’re done, you’ll be glad you took the time to add a pond to your garden. Read the rest of this entry »

Pond maintenance is no difference than any other type of yard maintenance, it varies with each season. The following are tips on maintaining your pond to help keep it running well from season to season. Read the rest of this entry »

Now that you have the pond you’ve always wanted, how do you keep it in good shape? The following are some common pond problems you may encounter and how you can solve them. Read the rest of this entry »

Plants are an important part of almost any pond because they add beauty to the pond and aid in maintaining a healthy environment for fish. They also provide food and shelter for the creatures that may reside in the pond. Read the rest of this entry »

Ferrets are among the most popular of household pets. They’re similar to cats in that they’re both friendly and curious, and, if you’re up to the challenge, they can be trained. Unlike cats, ferrets require a little more care to keep odors down and to keep them in optimal health. They’re also prone to several diseases if they don’t get the proper diet. Read the rest of this entry »

Montreal derives its name from a nearby mountain, Mont Royal, which also happens to be one of its main tourist attractions but there’s much more to this city on the St. Lawrence River than natural wonders. Read the rest of this entry »

The Jardin Botanique de Montréal resides in one of the most lush areas of North America and was founded in 1936 by one of Canada’s premier botanists, Frère Marie-Victorin. It houses over 100,000 specimens representing 20,000 species is second in size only to Kew Gardens in London, and is easily a rival for New York’s famed institutions. Read the rest of this entry »

Constructed on the site where Montreal was founded in 1642, the Museum of Archeology and History is deservedly one of the most popular attractions in the city. First opened in 1992, the museum itself is built on some of the grounds that once held the objects now on display. Read the rest of this entry »

Known officially as the Quai du Vieux-Port, this section of Old Montreal is paradoxically one of the most up-to-date portions of the city. Like many cities bordered by large bodies of water, activities abound. Read the rest of this entry »

Using waterways to move goods, aid industry or simply for transportation has been done for centuries but the excellent canals and ports used today didn’t always exist, and sometimes creating them took generations. So it is with the Lachine Canal in Montreal. Read the rest of this entry »

What do New York’s Central Park and Mont Royal’s parks have in common? They were both designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most unusual religious structures in existence, due to its design and its history, St. Joseph’s Oratory is a large Catholic church atop Mont Royal in Montreal. Read the rest of this entry »

The iSci Science Center, or le Centre des Sciences de Montréal, as it is formally known, is one of the premier attractions in a city already filled with so many. Located along the length of King Edward Pier in Old Montreal, it’s also one of the newer sights. Read the rest of this entry »

The Insectarium de Montréal, is one of the foremost collections of insects in the world, and while there may be some that are larger, such as that in New York, there are none finer. Opened in February, 1990 over 400,000 visitors per year come to be amazed at the collections. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the few cities to dedicate a museum to the glory of building, the Centre Canadien d’Architecture in Montreal is itself glorious and is, in fact, actually two separate buildings. Read the rest of this entry »

The Casino de Montréal gets about 15,000 gamblers per weekday, 25,000 on a weekend day. It’s not hard to see why. With 3,000 slot machines alone, there’s a lot of action. But that only begins to cover the possibilities in this gaming house in Quebec. Read the rest of this entry »

The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal is the oldest museum in Canada, and one of its finest. Founded in 1860, it moved to one of its present locations just before WWI in 1912, and is ‘one of’ because the museum is actually comprised of two separate buildings separated by a street, connected by a long underground tunnel. Read the rest of this entry »

French for ‘Our Lady’, this Catholic cathedral of Montreal called Notre Dame richly deserves the same name as its more famous Parisian cousin. The church was designed in 1824 by an Irish-American Protestant, James O’Donnell.   Read the rest of this entry »

Vieux Montréal, as it’s known in the native language of Quebec, is a European postcard made real in North America. Along the cobblestoned streets crossing Place Jacques Cartier it’s easily possible to imagine oneself in Paris. Read the rest of this entry »

The Montreal Biodome is one of the most unusual tourist attractions in the world. Originally built in 1976 to house Olympic Games events, it has evolved into a showcase of ecosystems as they might be. The Biodome holds four such areas, representing different ecosystems of the Americas. Read the rest of this entry »

Underground City has brought into reality a popular science fiction scenario with its network of tunnels under the streets of Montreal that house one of the most unusual shopping areas in the world. Read the rest of this entry »

Translated from the French, ‘La Ville Lumière’ means ‘City of Lights’. By now a commonplace description, there’s nothing commonplace about the place. Paris, for those who love… well, anything, is stellar. Read the rest of this entry »

The Eiffel Tower was originally intended as a structure to commemorate the French Revolution so who would have expected that 100 years later it would become the symbol of Paris itself? Read the rest of this entry »

The Cathédrale Notre Dame is second only to the Eiffel Tower as the recognized symbol of France. It is both a tourist destination and a working church. Read the rest of this entry »

Approaching the gates of Versailles, the feeling is of entering an entire city, not just a palace, and the impression is justified considering the massive scale of the building and the even larger grounds. Read the rest of this entry »

Unquestionably the most famous name in the world of art museums, The Louvre largely deserves its renown. Enormous and filled with irreplaceable treasures from around the world, this premier series of exhibits offers something for everyone. Read the rest of this entry »

Though less artistic than its older cousin of Porte Saint-Denis, the Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile is the more famous and far larger. Set atop the hill of Chaillot it forms the center from which radiates a dozen busy Parisian avenues. Read the rest of this entry »

The Seine River flows nearly 800km (480mi) from Dijon through Paris and into the English Channel, but even the short section through the city provides enough sights to satisfy the most discerning traveler. A leisurely walk or one of the excellent boat tours will provide an unforgettable view.   Read the rest of this entry »

Known to Parisians simply as Beaubourg (after the neighborhood), The Centre National d’Art et de Culture Georges-Pompidou is a museum of modern art rivaling the best in New York or London. Read the rest of this entry »

The Champs-Elysées is not just a boulevard. In Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields was the resting place of heroes who dwelt in perfect happiness. Fortunately, visitors don’t have to die to reach it although some may think so after making their way through the French airports and into Paris. Read the rest of this entry »

Affectionately known as DLP by Mouseketeers the world over, Disneyland Paris is a cornucopia of rides, restaurants, exhibits and all out fun for everyone. Read the rest of this entry »

‘Maison’ is French for ‘house’ but in this case the word is slightly misleading. While no palace, although sited in the Place des Vosges (originally known as Place Royale), the site is no simple domicile. Read the rest of this entry »

Montmartre is a fascinating mixture of old and new, seedy and sacred, bizarre and blasé. Within this section of Paris, technically the 18th arrondissement, there is everything from Moulin Rouge and Musée d’Erotisme to the Sacré Coeur Basilica. There are several art shops, a Dali museum and even a winery. Read the rest of this entry »