Basic Freshwater Aquarium Principles; Filters, Heaters, Bio-cycling, Live Plants, Feeding, Cleaning and Chemistry

AQUARIUM:

Start with as large an aquarium as you can afford. There is a very BASIC priciple (this only applies to beginners), that is to have 1-2 inches of NARROW bodied fish per FILTERED aquarium gallon. Goldfish are dirty and fatter, so I would triple this with them (3″). This also only applies to a standard rectangular aquarium.

Obviously longer fish need more tank width and length. I would decrease the amount of fish proportional to the gallons in a tall aquarium or hexagon aquarium.

Remember, many fish purchased can grow much larger than your original purchase size (ex: goldfish), so keep this in mind too.

FILTERS:

I always recommend two filters minimum per aquarium for redundancy and for improved biological (denitrifying) filtration. For a small aquarium, a combination of a hang on the back and a sponge filter. Or a sponge filter and an internal power filter. You want to make sure and rinse your sponge or cartridge out in used aquarium water to maintain your beneficial bacteria for bio filtration.

Other filters of note include canister, wet/dry, under gravel, and fluidized bed.

There are four types of filtration:

Biological; the removal of nitrogenous waste (ammonia, ECT), which is the most important type.

Mechanical; the removal of larger debris (organic and inorganic) before it can go through the nitrogen cycle (organic)

Chemical; The removal of chemical contamination via carbon, zeolite or many other products. This becomes less important in a healthy, established aquarium.

Germacidal; The use of UVC or ozone to kill disease pathogens and control the Redox potential.

HEATER:

Most tropical fish do well at a temperature between 76 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. (Discus prefer warmer).

Goldfish do not need a heater.

I recommend 25 watts for every 10 degrees of ambient temperature you need to raise your aquarium temperature. EX: If your home is 68 degrees and you have a 40 gallon aquarium, to reach a temperature of 78 degrees you would need a 100 watt heater.

BIO-CYCLING:

Your aquarium will not be at peak biological filtration for 6 weeks (or more). To start your biological filtration, there are many cycling products available, such “Cycle” by Hagen. My success with these products is mixed at best, it is very difficult for the aerobic bacteria that are needed for cycling your aquarium to live in a sealed container kept at room temperature, as they die very quickly without oxygen.

I prefer to add gravel and/or used filter sponge or cartridge from another aquarium.

This method of adding media is much faster (you still have to take it slow), and provides all the necessary bacteria, the only negative is adding disease pathogens to your aquarium, but I have rarely encountered this problem.

We used this method for our Aquarium Maintenance route for years and never lost a fish to Ammonia or nitrite poisoning.

Another method is fishless cycling where un-scented ammonia is poured into the aquarium (3-5 drops per gallon pure ammonia) so as to bring your ammonia level to 4-5 ppm. Then it takes about 3-8 weeks for the aquarium to cycle. Although this method is growing in popularity, I do not recommend it, not because it does not work (it does), but because human nature is to want to add fish sooner than the 3-8 weeks it takes for this method.

The method of adding media is much faster (you still have to take it slow), and provides all the necessary bacteria, the only negative is adding disease pathogens to your aquarium, but I have rarely encountered this problem.

Cycling is what is referred to as the Nitrogen cycle. Waste (nitrogenous) from the fish is broken down first from ammonia (NH3, the most toxic) to nitrites (NO2, less toxic) to nitrates (NO3, least toxic- but high amounts can stunt fish growth and lower disease resistance).

At a pH of 6.5, NH3 (ammonia) converts to NH4 (ammonia) which is basically non-toxic to most fish (many ammonia removing chemicals to a similar ion change, as they do NOT actually remove ammonia). If you have plants in your aquarium they will directly consume the ammonia (especially hornwort), thus rendering the NO2 (nitrite) part of the nitrogen cycle null. The danger here is if your pH climbs above 6.5 the ammonia can change to much more toxic NH3 and the aerobic bacteria needed for nitrite consumption will be sparse.

For more about th nitrogen cycling, see this article: AQUARIUM NITROGEN CYCLE

LIVE PLANTS:

Live plants are desirable in my opinion, but many artificial plants can look quite realistic when properly arranged or used in conjunction with live plants. For a beginner live plants are more difficult, but not a lot.

The benefits of live plants are they are great at nitrate removal and keep a natural balance to the aquarium, removing CO2 and adding oxygen (only during daylight). Hornwort is an excellent plant for nitrate removal (even ammonia removal), and is relatively easy to grow. Banana plants (when available) are also a very easy plant.

Here is a list of “easy” beginner plants:

Compacta swords, hornwort, Red wendtii, spiral valis, dwarf subulata, Hygro, Java fern regular or lace.

Be careful with many fish that will “mow down” your plants such as: Silver Dollars, most African cichlids, and even goldfish.

For healthy plants I suggest a substrate of #00 sand mixed with laterite about 3-5 cm deep with a layer of #3 gravel on top about 2 cm deep. This combination works well for plant roots, ease of vacuuming the top layer ONLY (where plant roots are), and for better bio filtration. You can substitute laterite with a sandy top soil (although usually not as good a source of iron), by preparing the soil thus; Gather sandy top soil, add water with a 10/1 bleach solution, mix for a couple of minutes, then rinse (with a de-chlorinator for first rinse) until the water runs relatively clear. The sand that is left is what you mix with your plant roots.

FEEDING:

I recommend feeding high quality fish and plant based foods. Quality ingredients include: spirulina, fish meal, FD Brine Shrimp, shrimp meal, Vitamin C & E, lobster shell.

Fish cannot digest proteins from beef well, and fish get most their energy requirements from fats. Some quality foods include: Omega, Spirulina 20, Ocean Nutrition, Hikari, Sanyu.

Feed you fish two to three times per day what they will consume in three minutes.

Feeding foods high in poor quality proteins can increase your nitrate levels, as an essential ingredient in protein is nitrogen, and if unusable by the fish, it is excreted, entering into the nitrogen cycle.

CLEANING:

You should try and have a schedule of changing 20% (or more) of your water every week. I recommend using a gravel vacuum, you need not remove the fish while using a gravel vacuum. Make sure the water you add back in is the same temperature and ph, and has no chlorine or chloramines.

CHEMISTRY:

Keep your ammonia level at 0, your nitrite at 0, your nitrates below 20-30, and your KH above 80 ppm. Ph depends very much on the fish you are keeping. Discus prefer under a ph below 7.0, while Mbuna African cichlids prefer above 8.0

A very general ph of 7.2 -7.5 works for many community fish. Crushed Coral and/or Wonder Shells can help maintain a high pH when you desire an aquarium with a higher pH, KH, & GH, especially where tap or well water is very acidic (Wonder Shells are much faster at dissolving to the desired KH and add electrolytes crushed coral does not!).

For a lower pH in aquariums where the tap water used is very high (usually 7.8 or above), I have used blends of RO (Reverse Osmosis) water and tap water. The ratio varies with the tap water pH, KH, & GH and the water conditions I want to achieve. With Discus it can be as high as 75% RO. Then to maintain these conditions I use peat in my filters. Note that GH does not affect pH, and magnesium (a major ingredient of GH) is important to fish metabolism. Also note that calcium which is the main factor in KH (which does affect pH!) is also important for fish metabolism and fish health and healing. With the above method of using RO (or DI) water in a blend with tap water and peat, I have still been able to maintain a KH above 80 ppm (for proper calcium absorption), sometimes with additives such Wonder Shells or Calcium Polygluconate.

CONCLUSION:

This is only very general information, there is much more in depth articles about each of these subjects and more available. But these are sound principles to follow, based on 27+ years of aquarium maintenance experience. As new and better methods become available, I regularly update my information to reflect this.

For my more in depth full article:
Aquarium Information

The Benefits Of Acrylic Aquariums

Are you in the market for a new fish tank? If so, have you decided which type of fish tank you would like to purchase? When this question is asked, it doesn’t necessarily mean the size or the shape of the aquarium, but rather the type of it. Unfortunately, there are many first-time fish owners who do not realize that they have more than one option. If you are one of those first-time fish owners, you are urged to look past glass aquariums. Once you do, you will see acrylic aquariums. After a close examination, you will see exactly what makes acrylic aquariums one of the most highly rated and recommend aquarium types.

One of the many benefits to owning an acrylic aquarium is appearance. Acrylic aquariums do not come with the noticeable black seals that most glass aquariums have. This, automatically, makes acrylic aquarium more attractive than traditional glass aquariums. In fact, the sealing used on acrylic aquariums leads to another benefit of owning an acrylic aquarium, strength. The sealing of an aquarium plays an important part in its strength and reliability. Acrylic aquariums are sealed with molecular bonds. This type of bonding is one of the best. Essentially, this means that an acrylic aquarium should withstand the test of time. In fact, that is why many acrylic aquarium suppliers offer lifetime warranties on all or most of their acrylic aquariums.

With the strength and durability of acrylic aquariums, you might assume that they are quite heavy, but that isn’t the case. The weight of acrylic aquariums is just another one of their many benefits. When compared to glass aquariums, acrylic aquariums are lighter. It is amazing that something can be stronger and lighter at the same time, isn’t it? As an acrylic aquarium owner, you will find that the weight of an acrylic aquarium makes it easier to move it around your home or your office or even to a whole other establishment! Of course, the size of your aquarium will have an impact on its weight, but, no matter what the size, acrylic aquariums weigh less than glass aquariums.

Reliability is another benefit to owning an acrylic aquarium. As it was mentioned above, many acrylic aquariums come with warranties, many of which are lifetime warranties. A fish tank manufacturer or supplier would not offer lifetime warranties on products that they couldn’t stand behind. This just goes to show how much acrylic is preferred among fish tank manufacturers and suppliers. It is rare, if not impossible, to find a lifetime warranty on a glass fish tank. One of the reasons for that is because glass aquariums can crack or shatter. Acrylic aquariums can scratch, but those scratches and easily be repaired and it is just about the worst thing that could happen with an acrylic aquarium. Acrylic aquariums will not shatter, crack, or distort in any shape or form. This fact, alone, is enough to reason to make acrylic aquariums worth the cost.

The above mentioned acrylic aquariums benefits are just a few of the many that exist. Just a few of other noteworthy benefits include insulation, ease of repair, and design. As it was mentioned above, acrylic aquariums will not crack or distort, but they can starch. If scratching does occur, it can easily be repaired with a home-repair kit, which can be purchased from many fish tank supply stores. As for insulation, due to their strength, acrylic aquariums are known to provide more insulation, when compared to glass aquariums. It is also important to note design. Since acrylic can easily be manipulated, design wise, it is possible for unique or even custom acrylic aquariums to be developed. This often means that you have a much larger selection of aquariums to choose from, when buying an acrylic aquarium.

If you are interested in purchasing an attractive, strong, and reliable acrylic aquarium for your home or your office, you will need to find a fish tank supplier to do business with. For the largest selection of acrylic fish tanks, you may want to use the internet to your advantage. To start your search, you should examine FishTanksDirect.com and the large selection of acrylic fish tanks that they have available for sale.

Unique Aquariums: Popular Styles

Are you looking to update your aquarium? If you are, you may be thinking about purchasing a traditional acrylic aquarium, one that is in a rectangular shape, but you may also be interested in thinking outside of the box. What you may not know, when it comes to buying an aquarium, is that you literally have an unlimited number of choices. In fact, if you are looking for something unique, you should be able to find it, as a many fish tank suppliers carry a large selection of unique aquariums. Just a few of those aquariums are outlined below.

One of the most popular, yet unique types of aquariums are known as table aquariums. As the name implies, these unique aquariums serve as tables. When it comes to purchasing a unique table aquarium, you will also find that you have a number of options. For instance, there are numerous aquariums styles that are used for coffee tables, end tables, or even dining room tables. As you likely already known, unique aquariums, like table aquariums, can be fairly expensive, especially if they are large in size. While the prices that you will find will vary, it is not uncommon to see unique coffee table aquariums selling for five hundred to seven hundred dollars. Large dining room table aquariums can sell for much more money, but they tend to start retailing at around seven or eight hundred dollars.

In conjunction with the above table aquariums, there are also a number of other unique aquariums that can come in the form of other furniture pieces. In addition to traditional table-like structures, like coffee tables or dining room tables, furniture aquariums can also come in the form of headboards or wall units. If you are looking to spice up your bedroom, a unique aquarium headboard may be just what you are looking for. Unique wall unit aquariums are perfect for both homes and businesses. As with table aquariums, most unique aquarium pieces are expensive in price. Whether you are looking to purchase an aquarium headboard or an aquarium wall unit, you should be prepared to spend a couple of thousand dollars, if not more.

Another unique type of aquarium that is unique, but still highly sought after is aquariums that are in the shape of columns. Column aquariums are often thin in width, but tall in height. For instance, it is not uncommon to find unique column aquariums that are six or seven feet tall! It is also not uncommon to find column aquariums that have built in clocks towards the top of the aquarium. For this reason, column aquariums are highly sought after by business owners or by office decorators. Due to their beauty and their compact size, these unique column aquariums, however, can also be found inside many homes. Since column aquarium come in all different sizes, you should be prepared to spend anywhere from five hundred dollars to one thousands dollars.

If you have purchased an aquarium in the past, or at least researched all of your options, you are likely familiar with BiOrbs. BiOrbs are small, compact acrylic aquariums that are ideal for homes and offices; just about any place that is limited on space. If you enjoy the compact design and the beauty of most BiOrbs, you are also urged to examine SeaVision Orbs. SeaVision Orbs are unique aquariums that are rapidly increasing in popularity. One of the reasons for that is due to their design. While SeaVision Orbs are similar to BiOrbs, there is a small difference. That difference is a large bubble shape. That bubble shape actually acts as if it was a magnifying glass! What does that mean for you? It means that it is much easier to see the contents of your aquarium! How unique is that?

If you are interested in owning one of the above mentioned unique aquariums, you are urged to contact a reputable and well-known fish tank supplier, like FishTanksDirect.com. By visiting FishTanksDirect.com, you can examine a large selection of aquariums, including the previously summarized ones.

Keeping A Saltwater or Marine Aquarium Guide

Here are some simple tips to help you with your saltwater/marine aquarium keeping.

This is a simple guide on the top 5 things TO DO and the 5 things you SHOULD NEVER DO.

What you SHOULD DO when looking after your saltwater or marine aquarium.

1, Look at your aquarium every day to check for your fish and invertebrates health.

Check to see if they are acting differently than normal, do they have any damage or signs of illness etc.

2, Feed your fish and invertebrates small amounts regularly, feed a varied diet that accommodates all your inhabitants needs.

3, Make certain that you have sufficient circulation in your tank.

It’s best that at least 10 times your tanks volume is made to circulate every hour

4, Make sure that you wash your hands before putting them anywhere near your saltwater/marine aquarium, including any equipment that you will come into contact with. Soaps, creams etc can all harm your fish, so better to be safe than sorry.

5, Be sure to choose any new fish and inverts carefully.

Ensure they are not damaged, diseased or otherwise looking unwell. Quarantine them in a separate tank before adding them to your saltwater/marine aquarium.

Buy a good aquarium book to make certain that you are selecting the right fish and inverts that get along. You can find a good and inexpensive saltwater aquarium book here.

Thing’s that you SHOULD NEVER DO when looking after a saltwater/marine aquarium.

1, The most common mistake beginners make is to overfeed.

Fish always appear hungry, feeding them too often causes all sorts or problems, and not only directly to the fish, overfeeding can also effect the water quality.

2, Never mix fish or inverts without some researching it first, know your fish, it can be tempting to pick out something that looks pretty or wonderful, but just like me and my ex partner, things can turn sour very quickly, don’t make the same mistake as I did and choose a mrs hannibal lecter.

BE WARNED your new pretty and wonderful fish could be bubble talking this “I do wish we could chat longer, but… I’m having an old friend for dinner. Bye.

3, NEVER use fly sprays, air fresheners etc in the same room as your fish tanks as they may well poison your inhabitants.

4, DON’T change your aquarium conditions drastically – stability is your friend. The main factors are salinity (SG), pH and temperature.

5, If your starting a new saltwater setup don’t rush the maturation of your new aquarium.

One of the most common mistakes for beginners this is.

Sea water is a complex living thing. It contains thousands of elements, compounds, minerals and organisms that are all reacting together.

When starting a new aquarium it takes time to mature enough to sustain higher order living animals such as fish.

FINALLY and the most important factor of all is to enjoy your saltwater/marine aquarium.

Saltwater Aquarium Decorations

So you own a saltwater aquarium, time for the fun part – saltwater aquarium decorations are one aspect of marine fish keeping where you can really allow your imagination to reign free. A variety of decorations are available – from ceramic, resin or plastic ornaments and backgrounds, real or false corals and shells and even plants the skys the limit when it comes to making a marine world for your fish..

Marine aquarium decorations are fun to buy because unlike the other inhabitants of your tank they don’t require any special care. You won’t need to feed them, provide special habitats and they can’t get sick or die so they are hassle free! A tank without any décor is dull but that’s not all.

An aquarium without any saltwater aquarium decorations is not very exciting and it can also beunhealthy for your fish. Using tank décor makes it possible to break up the physical environment of the tank and is important both for the biological and psycho-social well-being of the fish in your tank. This is because using tank decorations gives hiding places, areas for food to grow on and microbe activity that keeps your marine tank healthy.

Add to this the fact that marine aquarium decorations are nice to look at and fun to work with and you’ll begin to see that décor is essential in any marine tank. The best way to choose your marine tank decorations is to visit a store that allows you to see saltwater aquarium décors in an working tank, not just on a rack or a table.

Some examples of marine aquarium decorations you might like to try in your saltwater tank are:

Belching clams and treasure chests – These are bubbly and air actuated action ornaments. Spacemen, submarines, clams, and treasure chests are always very popular. Even a frog on a log and airstones, are fun saltwater aquarium decorations. The display should be well lit and there should be plenty of bubbles for the best effect.

So what other options are there for marine aquarium decorations? What about unusual and interesting backgrounds? You can purchase a variety of backdrops like marinescapes, paint-on materials, foils, mirrors and cork stock. You can even buy an in-tank diorama! Display the background effectively and choose a tank décor that suits its theme.

Rocks are another good choice for saltwater aquarium decorations. You can choose from volcanic, sandstones and metamorphic rock or even plastic. Some rocks don’t have any impact on water quality while others improve the water quality. If you aren’t sure of a certain rock, play it safe and leave it out. Try pieces of tufa, igneous, silicious/petrified woods), and brackish and African Great Lakes systems calcareous “base” rock. You can usually buy rocks by the pound or the ‘piece’. Some rock types are artificial while others are natural.

Driftwood is a great idea for saltwater aquarium decorations. It might be self-sinking or weighted and wither chemically or physically inert or live. Don’t try to cure your own woods. It’s just too time consuming and expensive, it’s cheap enough to buy anyway.

Corals and shells can also be used as saltwater aquarium decorations. Always try to use those from a natural marine source.

Marbles are traditional saltwater aquarium decorations. They can be used underwater – whole circular to flat, marbles and crushed glass are popular in marine tanks. However marbles don’t make for a good biological substrate. They do provide vibrant color to any tank, though.

Faux natural saltwater aquarium decorations are another way of pepping up your tank. You can choose from fake rocks, logs, shells, coral, ships and more. Fake they might be but some are attractive when arranged properly; so don’t overlook these decorations.

Plastic plants are another option you might want to make use of for your saltwater aquarium decorations. You can obtain some good likenesses of marine plants like sagittaria-turtle grass for example so don’t overlook them and use them to supplement your real plants while they are growing.

Your choice of saltwater aquarium decorations is up to you but there are some general guidelines to bear in mind when making a choice.

Always make sure that your marine aquarium decorations don’t have any sharp edges on which your fish might cut themselves. Never use any substances (rocks, shells etc) that might give off toxic chemicals into the water. Choose shapes and designs that make suitable hiding places for shy animals and good substrates for the growth of marine plants.

Also make sure that your saltwater aquarium decorations are squeeky clean when you put them into your tank. Never use decorations from a tank where the fish or plants are ill or unhealthy in any way. Make sure that there are no spaces within the decorations where fish might get trapped and die.

The best saltwater aquarium decorations don’t have to be particularly fancy. If you like spacemen and frogs go ahead and decorate your tank with them – it’s your tank after all. If you prefer a more elegant style choose natural, rather than faux ornaments and study other natural systems and try to copy some of these environments in your tank.

You can easily glean this kind of information from books on marine biology or by doing some research on the World Wide Web. The more you learn the more accurate will be the marine world you create and this will make your fish and other invertebrates happy and healthy. The most important thing to remember is to have fun with your marine aquarium decorations.

But don’t forget the health of your marine ecosystem. Try to find the proper balance between the aesthetic value of your tank and the well-being of your fish. The only way to make sure that your stock stay healthy is to study, study, study the fish, invertebrates, plants and make sure you give them what they need to survive, a good cheap online book on everything you need to know on marine and saltwater aquariums.

Good luck in whatever you choose, and enjoy your saltwater aquarium decorations.

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