How To Set Up a Calcium Reactor in Your Aquarium

Author: Devin Gilliland
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That is the reason why calcium reactors are so important to be used in aquariums. These calcium reactors can produce calcium continuously in the tank to the precise levels required so that optimal conditions are maintained. Calcium reactors will use up the carbon dioxide that is given off as a waste product into the aquarium and generate calcium, which can be useful in a number of ways to the inhabitants of the aquarium.

The following are two important ways in which calcium reactors become indispensable to the aquarium.

The most prominent benefit of using calcium reactors is that they maintain the pH value of the water. The pH value of the water has to be maintained at a neutral state, but if the level changes, then the water can become too acidic or too alkaline for the inhabitants of the tank. When calcium is released into the water by the calcium reactors, it helps to stabilize the pH value of the water and maintain it at an optimum level.

Algae that live in the aquarium play an important role in the closed ecosystem of the tank. They are useful for the sustenance of living organisms in your reef tank. For example, some of these algae could help the corals within your tank with their nutrition by forming a mutually benefiting association with them. But algae, especially the algae that grow on corals, require calcium to survive. Calcium reactors help to fulfill this necessity.

Setting up a calcium reactor in an aquarium is very simple, and you can do it yourself by referring to a DIY guide. Calcium reactors are set up by assembling several components. Here is a list of the different components that need to be assembled:-

1. Carbon dioxide cylinder - The carbon dioxide is available in a pressurized cylinder. It is present in a refillable bottle. It is attached by straps to the aquarium so that it does not accidentally fall over.

2. Calcium carbonate medium - The medium is kept within the calcium reactor and it gets dissolved into the tank. The dissolution is controlled by the pH values that are set within the reactor. These calcium carbonate media are different substances containing CaCO­3 in them, such as calcite for example. They are slowly allowed to dissolve into the tank.

3. Solenoid valve - The solenoid valve is like a switch that is used to allow the carbon dioxide to flow into the reactor. It is usually connected between the carbon dioxide cylinder and the main reactor. Another method of connection is to attach it to the pH controller and then to put the probe into the reactor.

4. Pump - The pump will be required to feed the water into the reactor. The attachment of the pump will depend on the kind; however the pump connection must be such that a proper circulation of water is maintained into the reactor.

Maintenance Of Aquarium Filters

Author: Devin Gilliland
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Aquarium filters come in many shapes and sizes. Their principles of filtering the media inside the aquarium are entirely different too, and so is their effectiveness. Based on their principle of functioning, aquarium filters can be classified into three main categories:

1. Mechanical Filters - These filters actually allow the aquarium medium to pass through a pad or a sponge that holds back the impurities within the medium and allows clear liquid to pass through.

2. Chemical Filters - Chemical filters use the principle of adsorption to allow the pollutants in the aquarium medium to get adhered to them and then eliminated. Generally, activated carbon black is used in such aquarium filters. The benefit of chemical aquarium filters is that they can remove not only the impurities within the aquarium, but also foul odors and colors from within. Hence, the water that passes through a chemical filter is much purer than that passing through a mechanical filter.

3. Biological Filters - As their name suggests, biological filters use real live organisms and microorganisms to clean out the inside environment of the aquarium tank. Biological filters might just refer to a bed of bacteria on the aquarium gravel. Bacteria are very useful in the aquarium to maintain the ammonium cycle, which helps in removing the nitrite and nitrate impurities.

Most aquariums will have all three kinds of filters in them. The reason is that all the three filters focus on cleaning different aspects of the aquarium - mechanical filters will mostly remove the particulate pollutants within the tank; chemical filters will remove organic matter and colors and odors and the biological filters will remove degradable matter and some chemicals. Huge aquariums will require all three kinds of filters.

Even the maintenance of the three different kinds of filters follows different rules. The following are some basic steps necessary in the maintenance of aquarium filters:

1. Maintenance of mechanical filters - Since mechanical filters contain mechanical components such as pads and sponges, physical cleaning is often required. Sponges have pores, and these pores can get clogged with impurities. Hence, it is necessary to take out these sponges and pads and to rinse them under flowing water at least once in seven days. But that really will depend on the population of the tank and how many impurities are produced in it.

2. Maintenance of chemical filters - Chemical filters use activated carbon black, which cannot remain for a long time in its activated state. Hence, these filters will lose out on their effectiveness in some time. Generally, chemical filters need replacement of the activated carbon black every alternate month.

3. Maintenance of biological filters - It is difficult to clean biological filters because they are microscopic living organisms. A careful rinsing method can be employed taking care that the bacterial growths remain intact. It is wiser to actually clean out the mechanical and chemical filters before handling the biological filters, because many a time, cleaning out the mechanical and chemical filters cleans out the biological filters too.

When you go shopping for an aquarium filter, you must keep the size of your tank in mind, and the number of occupants in it. Also ask in the store what special measures you will have to adopt to maintain the filters.

Maintaing a Freshwater Aquarium

Author: Devin Gilliland
via articlesbase.com

Freshwater aquariums are preferred among aquarium hobbyists for the apparent reason that they require very low maintenance. It is true that freshwater fish require lesser maintenance than seawater fishes, but that does not mean they should be neglected. Even freshwater fish need some suitable conditions for their good health, and hence it is required to maintain those needs for your tank inhabitants.

The following are the important steps you will have to perform for the care of your freshwater inhabitants:

1. Removing the organic debris from the tank.

There is a lot of pollution in aquarium tanks, whether they house freshwater fish or saltwater fish. This pollution comes from the waste products of the fish, and from the fragments of the food that has been uneaten by the fish. When microorganisms in your freshwater tank die, they will also contribute to the pollution level of the tank. You must remove all these from the tank on a regular basis. Vacuuming is the most suitable method for this purpose. You can cheaply get aquarium pumps at any reputed pet store. Vacuum your freshwater tank at least once every month.

2. Checking the conditions of water in the tank.

You must understand that fish live in the water, and for them the water is just as important as air is to us. That is why you must make every effort to check the condition of the water. This is done by setting a proper pH value for your tank. You will have to ask your aquarium supplier what will be the proper pH value for your fish, as the pH value differs for different fish types. Then you must get a pH filter that will help you keep the proper pH value. But in the initial two months or so, you will need to check the water condition once every few days. This can be reduced to a monthly checkup after the first two months are over. That is the time your aquarium will have completely set in.

3. Checking your aquarium's filtration.

There are several different filtration requirements for your aquarium, and you will need mechanical, chemical as well as biological filters for your tank. The mechanical filters are made of pads and sponges, and their work is to filter out the particulate impurities from the tank, while the chemical filters will remove all unendurable odors and colors. The biological filters are a complex bed of microorganisms in your tank - mostly bacteria - that provide your tank with the natural environment it needs. However, as time passes by, mechanical filters will get choked, chemical filters will lose their adsorptive power and biological filters could simply die out. Hence, you will need to check out the efficiency of your aquarium filters from time to time. Monthly cleaning is enough for aquarium filter maintenance.

4. Changing the water in the aquarium.

You will have to change the water in your aquarium periodically. You must replace about one-tenth of the water every week, a quarter of the water once a month and about half the water once every six months. That will ensure the water in your tank remains pure. However, you should never replace all the water in your tank because then you will be losing out on the valuable biological ecosystems that are already set up within your tank.

How To Properly Transport Live Fish

Author: Author: VARADHARAJA PERUMAL
Via articlesbase

Tropical fish are among the highlights of many aquariums. This is because they are usually varied in both color and appearances.

Due to this high demand for them, many sellers and fish breeders guarantee that they can send they to wherever you are in the United States of America.

Transporting

Tropical fish are sensitive to climate changes in the water they belong to. These changes in the water temperature can affect the fishs health and living condition up to a point that it can cause death.

Some pet store owners recommend transporting live fish in a plastic bag. The bag should be filled halfway with water. They shall then be placed in the plastic and then the plastic must be filled with oxygen and sealed.

They come from the tropics are often transported in this way as well. The only difference is that the plastic bags are stored in Styrofoam containers that help to regulate the temperature.

Lowering the temperature can help to lower the metabolism of the fish and enable them to survive better through the long and arduous journey.

They are always transported in this method when they are just being brought to the United States from Asia. What usually happens is that one fish is put in one plastic bag and then they are packed into a Styrofoam container.

The reason why only a single fish is placed in an otherwise roomy bag is to isolate deaths. If there are three fish in a container and one dies, the water will stagnate and poison the other fish in it.

Ice is often placed at the bottom of the plastic bags under some insulation so as not to have any direct contact with the plastic bag to lower the temperature of the entire container.

They being transported usually have a long way to go before they reach their destination.

The transportation of they plays a big role on the prices of the fish. Since these fish are usually transported by air to their destinations, the price of their cargo and handling along with the shipping costs are included with the fish prices in the pet stores.

They are difficult to propagate and breed so breeding them is not such a feasible idea. Tropical fish seldom live long in an aquarium unless they are in a really large tank with the right kind of water and conditions.