Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Aquatic Plants - Complete the Beauty of Your Aquarium

An aquarium without aquatic plants seems less lively. An aquarium should be more fascinating if planted with live aquatic plants. With a high sense of artistic touch, the layout of aquatic plants could even raise higher your aquarium performance.

Plants itself is important for fish because it serve as hiding places for the fish. For small fry, it could provide sheltering for their source of food, the infusoria (an important food for fish in early stages).



What you have to know about these plants are the photosynthetic cycle. If the the aquarium is lit, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen as they photosynthesize. In the dark, respiration accounts for the absorption of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide. For good plant growth, it will be important to provide lighting for twelve to fourteen hours a day (like in the nature).

An interesting fact is that plants clean the water of some of the waste materials from fish and fish food, and convert this mulm to fertilizer, which is absorbed through the leaves and the roots.

Water changes are also a very important factor in plant growth as well as fish growth and health. At least a third of the water should be drained from the bottom of the tank weekly! For it is the bottom of the tank where the remains of food, excrement and mulm build up the heaviest.

When refilling the tank, be sure the water temperature is within a couple of degrees of the water in the aquarium. Great variations in temperature tend to discourage plant growth, to the point of disintegration. Should this occur, leave the roots planted, and new growth will probably appear in a month or so. You may or may not lose them. Debris should be siphoned off to discourage bacterial growth.

With the use of fluorescent lighting over the aquarium, you can control the amount and kind of light you require. I use two 4-foot tubes over three 55 gallon tanks. One Gro-Lux or wide spectrum tube, accompanied by a cool white bulb, suspended twelve to fourteen inches above the water seems best suited to my needs. Plants requiring more light are planted in the middle aquarium, with those requiring less being planted in either of the side tanks. Should you find an algae build-up on your tanks, it is probably due to too much light. This can be controlled by raising the lights, or by using floating plants to cut down on the light. A piece of Java Moss anchored in the corner of the tank will also aid in algae control. Java Moss tends to grow quickly, so cutting it back may be necessary.

Most plants enjoy a 72f to 78f degree water temperature, although a few are more suited to cooler water environments. The majority of aquarium plants do well in a pH of 6.8 to 7.8. In softer or harder water, plants may not die, but will not achieve proper growth.

When bringing new plants into your aquarium, they should be rinsed well in lukewarm water. To eliminate unwanted snails, the plants may be dipped in a solution of 1 teaspoon of alum to a gallon of water, and left submerged for two minutes, then rinsed well in clear water before planting. When purchasing plants, look for good white roots, and a firm leaf structure as well. They should smell clean, as an off-coloured smelling plant rarely produces a good specimen. This is especially true when purchasing bulbs, where no growth is evident. Young plants adjust better to new conditions. All plants go through a shock in transporting them, and may lose a portion of their leaves. This is normal and these leaves should be removed as new growth appears. Plants purchased in a pot or container should be removed from the container before planting in the aquarium. This should be done carefully, so as not to break any of the healthy roots. This is a good way to buy them, as their roots are protected. Unrooted or bunch plants must have the lead weights removed and about one inch of the bottom stock cut off. The plants are now ready to plant, singly, but they can be planted fairly close together, but not as a bunch.

Plants such as Echinodorus and Cryptocoryne have crowns. This is the part where leaves join the roots. Care must be taken to leave this exposed when planting. Make a depression in the gravel, like a well, and plant fairly deep, cover the roots with gravel, then gently ease up the plant until the crown is exposed. When planting bulbs, make sure the eye (where the leaves are grown from) are top side up or they will not grow. Rhizomes have only the roots planted and the rhizome exposed. This may have to be held down with a rock or other object.

Plants suitable for the aquarium (that is, submersed plants) are found mostly in the tropic zones, although some are found in the temperate zone. Plants are now becoming more readily available in the aquarium hobby, and many new and hard-to-find species are starting to show up too.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Tips on How to Select an Aquarium Pump

If your new to the aquarium hobby you will probably get confused when you have to select a pump for an aquarium application. If you choose a size that is too small or too big, it will certainly cause trouble and might not do the job. Bigger pumps could generate overheating in the water. Below are some important factors to think about when you select an aquarium water pump:

Application

What will you use the pump for? You have to consider on which kind of system you want it to aplly on. Generally there are three categories which are "closed systems," "open systems," and "re-circulation systems."

Closed (or "static") systems are those where the water is being forced through closed filter canisters or modules. In a closed system, the entire system is sealed tight except for the intake of the pump and the return line leading back to the aquarium or reservoir. Both intake and return lines are attached to the same body of water. Closed systems typically require more powerful pumps that generate more pressure. These are called "pressure" or "high-head" pumps. Closed systems usually call for a higher turnover rate than that required for open systems. Canister filters and pump/module filters are examples of closed systems.

Open (or "gravity return") systems are those where water is being drawn from an open "source" tank or reservoir and returned via a pump to another open "destination" tank or reservoir that is located above the source tank. Open systems take advantage of gravity via an overflow or siphon box in the destination tank to return water to the source tank. Water is pumped from the source reservoir up to the destination tank. The water then overflows or is drawn by siphon from the destination tank into a return line where it flows back down to the source reservoir. An example of an open system is a typical wet/dry filter or "Berlin" reservoir.

Because this type of system uses open tanks, the pumps used for these systems should be matched carefully to the overflow (or siphon) plumbing size. The pump should be equipped with a valve to control water flow and prevent flooding of the destination tank. Pumps for these types of systems are usually referred to as "re-circulation" pumps.

A re-circulation system is similar to an open system, except that water is being drawn from and returned to the same open tank or reservoir. This may be for the purpose of providing more water current or to drive a submersible filter. An under gravel filter is an example of a re-circulation system. Small submersible pumps or power heads are usually used for simple re-circulation systems. A typical protein skimmer arrangement uses a controlled re-circulation system, with valves controlling the flow into and out of the skimmer to adjust water column height.

Number of Returns
If you are planning on returning water from a filter to your aquarium via two or more return lines, you should consider using a more powerful pump as water flow will decrease through multiple returns. Consider using a valve on each return line so you can regulate the flow coming out of each return.

Aquarium Volume & Turn-Over
In our opinion, too much emphasis is placed on the turnover of the aquarium in filtration systems. To make matters worse, no one seems to agree on what is best. Since the subject seems up for grabs, we'll offer our own opinion and hope we don't confuse you even more. Bigger is not better for open systems such as wet/dry filters. Most require a turnover rate of only three times the system volume per hour. Most wet/dry filter manufacturers provide recommendations for their filters. Our rule-of-thumb is to use a pump that will turn the tank over three times per hour for open systems and five times per hour for closed systems. If the aquarium requires more current, small power heads or submersible pumps may be used to add additional water flow.

Resistance
When a pump returns water to an aquarium, every bend in the return line offers resistance. Filter material in-line in the form of a canister or micron module also offers resistance. The more resistance there is, the more back pressure the pump must endure, and a more powerful pump will be required to do the job. Keep your return lines simple. We recommend vinyl or "spa-flex PVC" as opposed to using hard PVC.


Heat Production & Noise
So you have your system all set up, and you chuckle with glee as you watch the water in the tank swirling around and gushing into your reservoir. You used a big mucka pump and you know darn well you've got enough current to satisfy any requirement needed. A few hours later, you check your water temperature and your heart sinks as you see that your tank is now running 95 degrees Fahrenheit. This scene is more common than you might think. The bigger the pump, the more heat it will produce. Air-cooled pumps tend to run cooler but make more noise. Water-cooled pumps are quieter but produce more heat. Submersible pumps are also quiet but transfer heat by virtue of the fact that the motor is under water.



source aquariumpros.com

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Knowing the pH factor


pH is one of the parameter of the water quality and we should know more about it in order to successfully keep our fish healthy.What is pH? pH is a logarithmic scale of the proportion of H+(Hydrogen) and OH-(Hydroxyl) ions ranging from 0-14, with a neutral value of 7. When the H+ ion concentration is higher, water is said to be acidic; when OH- concentration is higher it is said to be alkaline. In other words if the concentration of dissolved minerals is high then pH is high and vice versa. pH is also dependent on various factors like water hardness, dissolved minerals, oxygen level and many more.

Milwaukee pH meter.

The smallest change of pH is said to have a stressful effect on the fish. Naturally in the wild pH occasionally change like during day and night or season related. Whenever there are more rains then there will be more oxygen dissolved, hence raising the pH.

In an aquarium system the pH is affected by decoration, decoration, gravel, temperature, nitrate content, dissolved minerals and many more. For example adding bogwood or driftwood to your aquarium can cause the pH to drop. If you are lazy usually you aquarium (with fish in it of course) will have high nitrate levels and this also lowers the pH. High nitrate is also toxic to the fish!

Here are some other facts:

Aerating the water can increase the pH, water at a high temperature can be acidic, in a planted tank - pH variation will occur because live plants have their photosynthesis system where at night plants respire an consume oxygen but releasing carbon dioxide so this will cause a low pH.

What I would suggest is that if you intend to get so called acid-loving fish like discus or tetras don't rush or panic to bring down the pH, or in the case of Malawians don't rush to lift the pH to around 9. Stay cool and your fish can adapt to your tap water, and don't spend more on water softeners like RO units or resins or water hardeners.

I don't advocate you not to change your pH deliberately, but I would advocate you not to make alterations in pH in a panic. If you are so particular in bringing down pH you can rely on peat-filtration or a piece of driftwood. Instead of spending on RO or other resins, you can spend that money on a bigger tank. Try to keep your pH fairly stable. If you are so concerned about your fish's health, consider regular water changes. Don't panic and get into a mess as fishes face more nightmares and harsh conditions in the wild than in home aquaria. I would also advocate against using a pH lowering chemical until you know its ingredients and its working and don't increase or lower your pH rapidly.

Knowing the pH factor


pH is one of the parameter of the water quality and we should know more about it in order to successfully keep our fish healthy.What is pH? pH is a logarithmic scale of the proportion of H+(Hydrogen) and OH-(Hydroxyl) ions ranging from 0-14, with a neutral value of 7. When the H+ ion concentration is higher, water is said to be acidic; when OH- concentration is higher it is said to be alkaline. In other words if the concentration of dissolved minerals is high then pH is high and vice versa. pH is also dependent on various factors like water hardness, dissolved minerals, oxygen level and many more.

Milwaukee pH meter.

The smallest change of pH is said to have a stressful effect on the fish. Naturally in the wild pH occasionally change like during day and night or season related. Whenever there are more rains then there will be more oxygen dissolved, hence raising the pH.

In an aquarium system the pH is affected by decoration, decoration, gravel, temperature, nitrate content, dissolved minerals and many more. For example adding bogwood or driftwood to your aquarium can cause the pH to drop. If you are lazy usually you aquarium (with fish in it of course) will have high nitrate levels and this also lowers the pH. High nitrate is also toxic to the fish!

Here are some other facts:

Aerating the water can increase the pH, water at a high temperature can be acidic, in a planted tank - pH variation will occur because live plants have their photosynthesis system where at night plants respire an consume oxygen but releasing carbon dioxide so this will cause a low pH.

What I would suggest is that if you intend to get so called acid-loving fish like discus or tetras don't rush or panic to bring down the pH, or in the case of Malawians don't rush to lift the pH to around 9. Stay cool and your fish can adapt to your tap water, and don't spend more on water softeners like RO units or resins or water hardeners.

I don't advocate you not to change your pH deliberately, but I would advocate you not to make alterations in pH in a panic. If you are so particular in bringing down pH you can rely on peat-filtration or a piece of driftwood. Instead of spending on RO or other resins, you can spend that money on a bigger tank. Try to keep your pH fairly stable. If you are so concerned about your fish's health, consider regular water changes. Don't panic and get into a mess as fishes face more nightmares and harsh conditions in the wild than in home aquaria. I would also advocate against using a pH lowering chemical until you know its ingredients and its working and don't increase or lower your pH rapidly.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Tropical Fish and Beyond

So many elements effect the raising of tropical fish. Choosing the right ones and making the right decisions is crucial for success. Setting up an aquarium, selecting the fish, plants and algae, feeding the fish and breeding the fish are the major aspects of this hobby.

So many elements effect the raising of tropical fish. Choosing the right ones and making the right decisions is crucial for success. Setting up an aquarium, selecting the fish, plants and algae, feeding the fish and breeding the fish are the major aspects of this hobby.

Aquarium
The aquarium elements depend on the fish one intends to have. Many parts form an aquarium and they all need to be considered seriously before they are selected: Glass - Gravel - Hood - Heater - Thermometer - Bulbs - Filters - Cleaning Equipment - Nets - Water Test Kit - Small Container

Selecting the Fish
You can opt to have only one type of tropical fish. Problems are limited if you choose to go that way. But with tropical fish, many believe, variety is an essential element in raising fish in an aquarium.

One needs to be very careful when deciding which fish to raise in one's own aquarium. It is obvious that not all fish get along with each other well, and selecting the right fish is a crucial decision one needs to make. Research on various tropical fish in respect of habits and behaviour is a must before hurrying to the store.

Buying the fish
Once at the store, there are many things to look for. Here is a list of guidelines: 1. Don't buy fish which reside in dirty tanks 2. Watch out for white spots and eaten fins 3. Fish eyes should be clear 4. Movement should be linear with their fins in an upright position 5. No dead fish in the tank

Plants and Algae
By many ignored, but a very important aspect for tropical fish is to have the right plants and algae in the fish habitat. The ideal is to get rooted plants with roots already in place. This way, fish are provided with plants straight away and their survival rate is much higher. Ideally, tall plants are placed at the rear corners of the aquarium and the smaller and shorter ones at the front.

Several types of plants and algae exist, and choosing will always depend on your likings and on the character of the fish one intends to have.

Feeding the fish
Feeding tropical fish is an art in itself. Many fish don't die because of lack of food, but as a result of food abundance. Giving the right amount of food is important as selecting the food. The market for tropical fish food is quite large and there are foods for several types of fish.

Breeding
There is only one way fish can breed in your aquarium, that is, giving them the right environment to do so. There isn't better proof that the aquarium is in good shape than having fish breed in it. You can see when one has done a good job by the results the fish themselves will give to the owner.

There are so many tropical fish that one can never feel completely fulfilled as there is always some species one would like to have as part of his/her collection. The other items that form part pf having tropical fish, like the aquarium itself, the plants involved, and the various accessories, make this hobby a vast and interesting one without ever getting bored.

Articles Source - Free Articles
About the Author

Sandro Azzopardi is a professional author who writes articles on his web site and local newspapers. http://www.theinfopit.com/science/animals/tropicalfish.php

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Some Of The Best All Year-round Aquarium Tips by Grange Aquatics

by: AquaFishTalk

When it comes to looking after your aquarium you need to be focussed on providing care all year-round. Below we look at some of the most important points

Temperature Control For Your Aquarium
When it comes to caring for your aquarium fish, temperature control is one of the most important aspects. Although we may really feel the weather outside, your aquarium fish are more likely to suffer from any drastic changes to temperature which occurs inside the aquarium. So the following tips are worth noting:

1) Ensure that you switch the lights off during the hottest part of the day.

2) Check that your heater is properly working and keeping a steady temperature. Water which is too warm may result in the fish suffocating.

3) If you need to make any change in temperature always do so gradually.

Regular Care and Maintenance of Your Aquarium

Regular care is needed if you have an aquarium. This regular maintenance should involve vigorous aeration and filtration. Make sure that you clean your tank out regularly to ensure that the fish remain healthy.

Aquarium General Tips

Following these general tips should lead to a better environment for your aquarium fish:

1)Limit the number of fish in your aquarium to maximise the amount of oxygen for each fish. It will also help minimise the number of times you will need to clean the aquarium.

2)Make sure that you think about the positioning of the aquarium – it shouldn’t be in direct sunlight as this may increase the amount of algae.

3)Research the fish before you buy. You need to check that each fish you put into the aquarium is compatible with the general environment and with the other fish.

4)You should change 25% of the water in the aquarium weekly to help maintain a healthy water balance for your fish

Article Source: http://www.articlefishtalk.com

Grange Aquatics have been in business for over 20 years and have a dedicated team of staff on hand to share their expertise in pond equipment and water features. Visit their website Aquariums.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Aquarium Lighting Is Important For The Health Of Your Tank

image from swelluk.com

Getting the proper amounts and types of lighting in your fish tank is vital to the health of your fish and plants. Even though your fish are in an aquarium inside your home, they still need to experience light as they would in nature so you want to be sure to provide around 12 hours of light a day. Consider using a timer so that you can consistently light the tank, inconsistent lighting may stress your fish which can lead to health problems.

Although most aquarium setups come with hoods that have lights fitted right into them, you can also purchase different types of fish tank lighting to suit your needs. Most beginning aquarists need only to use the lighting that is provided with the aquarium as long as it is flourescent lighting and your tank is for fresh water fish only.

If you want your fish to be their happiest, you should use flourescent lighting. This lighting resembles natural light more closely than incandescent and it will also show off the colors of your fish better. Incandescent lighting also has the drawback of throwing off a lot of heat which can cause the water in your aquarium to become to hot which can harm your fish. If your current setup has an incandescent light you should be able to easily change the bulb out and replace it with flourescent.

For a fish only tank, it is recommended that you have 3 watts of lighting for each gallon of water the tank holds. This ratio can be important when it comes to algae control and if you notice ...

Understanding fish diseases and how to prevent them from happening.

Picture from http://www.aquatics-warehouse.co.uk

Preventing disease:


The health of your fish depends on the quality of their environment. Poor water conditions, stress, and/or incorrect feeding can cause illness, therefore it is up to you to see that this doesn't happen. Certain procedures must be taken to prevent diseases from making themselves at home on your fish. Quarantine new species that will be introduced into your tank so you can evaluate them thoroughly. Keep in mind to handle your fish correctly when moving them whether it be from a bag or from another tank. Prevent poisons from predators from entering your tank. Make sure that heating, lighting, air, and filtration is functioning properly and well maintained. Last thing to do is make sure that the water quality is fresh, clean, and balanced for your fish. Also, if you have a planted aquarium don't forget to care for them as well.

Quarantine:

Quarantining new fish can help stop spreading possible diseases. You can monitor the fishes behaivor. Spot diseases, if any, and treat according to the type of disease. I recommend you keep new fish quaratined for 2-3 weeks before introducing them to a community tank.

Reducing stress:

Stress is a major factor in preventing disease. It is caused by bad handling, poor water conditions, sudden changes in water conditions, and the famous tapping on the glass. If you have to move a fish, remember to handle with care, if you are rough it will cause the fish to stress out. Light changes will cause fish to be stressed, to soften this shock follow this procedure:

Switch off the aquarium light before turning off the lights in the room, wait about 5-15 minutes so the fish can get adjusted to the low light level, then turn off the room lights.

A stressed out fishes immune systems is lowered, therefore allowing infections and disease to occur.

Nets:

If you use a net to move a sick fish keep in mind that net is now contagious and should not be used until disinfected. You should be able to pick up a disinfecting solution at your local fish store.

Nutrition:

Overfeeding your fish can cause algal and bacteria growth so make sure you feed your fish accordingly. A common cause of low immune systems in fish is a lack of vitamins. To prevent this use a variety of foods as like you and me, I'm sure that fish get tired of eating the same thing day after day.

Types of ailments:

External infections are easily seen and treated. Internal disorders, however are much harder to determine and cure.

Parasites:

These are the creatures that make homes out of our fish and are very much unwelcome. Most parasites feed primarily on the mucus layer on the skin and gills. Larger parasites penetrate the skin and feed on blood and tissue.

Bacteria and fungal:

Basically this is caused by poor tank conditions. Dead plant matter, feces, and/or uneaten food encourage bacteria or fungal to grow.

Skin disorders:

This is the most common problem found in fishes. They are caused by bacteria or parasites. There are several symptoms involved in diagnosing a skin disorder which I will explain in another article.

Gill disorders:

Basically it is when the fish have problems with their respiratory system. In time the gills will thicken up in response to the chronic irritation. This can and will slowly suffocate the fish. The cause of this condition may be slime disease, gill flukes, or bacterial damage.

Disorder of the eyes:

Many of the same diseases that affect a fishes skin can also affect its eyes. Bad handling and/or poor water conditions cause minimal damage which will allow bacteria or fungal infections to occur.

Dropsy:

This is when the fish appears to be abnormally swollen. They often can't be distinguished from each other without a postmortem.

Wasting:

Weight loss resulting in an uneven appearance. This is caused by harassment of an individual fish preventing access to food, or a disease such as tuberculosis, which is more common.

Swim bladder problem:

Abnormal swimming or difficulty maintaining equilibrium may be due to several reasons:

Deformed swim bladder
Cancer or tuberculosis in organ next to the swim bladder
Constipation
Poor nutrition
Chilling (colder water)
Serious parasitic infestation
Serious bacterial infections

If you think your fish has a swim bladder problem check and treat for other diseases first.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Choosing/Cleaning a Filter

Here’s a short article about cleaning/replacing your filter media:

There are 5 main types of filters. I am only going to include filters that clean out stuff from your aquarium, not chemical, light(UV), specialty, in tank (who uses them anymore).. The filters job is to remove solid waste from your water. This can include food, fish poo, plant matter, and anything else that may happen to be in your tank.

HOB (Hang On Back):
This is one of the most common filters out there. It’s a box that sits on the back of your tank and holds your filter media. The filter media traps the garbage in your tank and keeps it there until you clean it out. These filters are great for beginners but for planted tanks they aren’t the best because they gas off Co2. Common brand names include: AquaClear and Marine Land’s Bio Wheel.

Canisters:
This is my favourte type of filter. It's basicaly the same as a HOB, but its not hanging onto the tank. Instead it’s underneath or to the side of the tank. A pipe sucks water in, it flows through some media (same idea as a HOB) and returns to the tank via a spray bar. A spray bar is a pipe with many holes drilled into it for the water to exit from. These are the best for planted tanks because most of the Co2 will stay dissolved in the water.

Sumps:
These are more common in salt water tanks. In the tank there’s a hole drilled, or a tank overflow that takes water out of the tank to a certian level and drains it to a glass or plastic box under the tank. There it flows through many chambers where media, bio media, chemicals, sand, etc are kept. In the last chamber is a pump that returns the water back into the tank.

UGF (Under Gravel Filters):
These filters go under the gravel (hence the name) and have two exit tubes on the ends. Water flows through the gravel and into the collection plate. It then goes into the uplift tubes where it is returned into the tank. The filter is powered either by an air pump or a power head. IMO these are the worst and are too “old school” when compared to the others listed above. If something breaks you have no choice but to destroy the whole tank because it’s under the gravel. If not cleaned properly they can become nitrate factories. A better choice would be RUGJ or Reverse Under Gravel Jets.

Sponge Filters:
These filters are really basic. It’s a sponge, a stand, and an uplift tube. Normally powered by an air pump or a power head. Water comes in through the sponge and out the uplift tube. These are great for fry tanks as there are no moving parts, and they can not get sucked into them.

Cleaning a filter:
With any filter cleaning is basically the same because they all use the same media. Cleaning a filter is very important for its proper function.

Sponges:
These are super easy to clean. Once every 2 weeks you can take them out and swish them around in some old tank water or some water that has no chlorine in it. Reason being chlorine will kill the bacteria in it. They only need to be replaced when they are falling part. I have had mine for over a year.

Carbon:
Carbon is not needed in a normal tank. Carbon takes out meds, color, and odor. None of which should be present in your tank always (except if you have driftwood). It will become un active in about 2 weeks. After that it is useless and will not be doing anything.

Bio Media:

Bio media is any media that is designed to house bacteria. They can be ceramic noodles, Bio Max, plastic Bio Balls. They only need to be cleaned in old tank water every few months. As long as they are not clogged it should be fine.

Choosing and maintaining your filter will make fish keeping much easier. Filters are a must. It’s the life support for your fish. Without it, everything may die because nothing is cleaning out the gunk that’s in your tank. There are some filters less tanks that use plants as a natural filter. This gives a nice effect but is not the easiest thing to do. Good luck with your fish keeping!

Sunday, January 6, 2008

How much should you feed your fish?

To answer this question, actually there is no definitive rule on how much you should feed your fish. One of the main reason is there is too many factors involved.

Usually I apply a theory of feeding 2 - 3 times a day, give an amount of feed as much as your fish can eat in 3 minutes. If there is too much leftover after that amount of time we have to reduce the amount of feed. This theory can be applied to beginner or community tanks but if you deal with breeding tanks, single species or hospital tanks, you should be more careful with how to feed your fish.

There are some important things to remember about fish feeding habits. In nature, most of them usually have a hard time finding food, and through evolution they have been "programmed" to eat as much as they can fit into their bellies whenever they find some, because they never know when the next meal will be found. In a tank, we do know when their next meal will come. Therefore, it's up to us to control the amount they get. Feeding them until they seem satisfied is not a good idea. Fish are expected to spend most of the day feeling hungry and searching around for little bits of food.

A common mistake made by beginners is to overfeed because their fishes seem to be desperately begging for food every time the owner approaches the tank, and he decides to satisfy their appetites every time. A hungry fish is a healthy fish...if they don't come up to you when approach in the morning, that's when you should start worrying.

As another evolutionary defense, fish seem to adapt to the availability of food, by adjusting their growth rate. When they live in a place with more food available they respond by growing fast, and vice versa. Because of this, I believe that the actual amount you decide to offer isn't as important as maintaining the same criteria throughout their lives. So the ideal situation would be to setup your tank, populate it with young fishes, define a reasonable feeding criterion and stick to it.

Finally, keep in mind that it's way easier to weaken or even kill your fish by overfeeding (because it spoils the tank water) than by making them starve to death.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Aquarium Chiller? what is it?

Author: Allan Winters (www.fishtanksdirect.com)
via articlesbase.com

Did you recently purchase a fish tank? If so, did you purchase any additional fish tank supplies or accessories? If so, what supplies and accessories did you purchase? Is an aquarium chiller included in your list of purchased supplies and accessories? If is not, you may want to examine aquarium chillers, namely what they are and what they can do for you. After a close examination, you may see why it is advised that you own an aquarium chiller.

Just as the name sounds, an aquarium chiller is a piece of equipment that is used to help keep the water temperature of your aquarium at a cooled, chilled level. As with many other fish tank supplies and accessories, aquarium chillers come in a number of different makes and models. Despite a variation in appearance, most aquarium chillers accomplish the same goal; to keep your fish tank cooled. When it comes to cooling an aquarium, aquarium chillers work just like air conditioners. In fact, many even have similar controls, allowing you to control the amount of cooling that is going on in your fish tank.

In many cases, owning an aquarium chiller is completely optional, but in other cases it may be necessary. Whether your not you actually need to own an aquarium chiller will depend on where you live, the average temperature of your home, and the type of fish that you own. These small, but important factors should be closely examined before you automatically decide that you do not need to purchase an aquarium chiller for your fish tank.

As mentioned above, where you reside may have an impact on whether or not you need to own an aquarium chiller. If you live in the south or if you live in an area that regularly experiences heat waves or high temperatures, it may be a good idea to purchase an aquarium chiller. If you do not have an aquarium chiller, it is likely that the water inside your fish tank will slowly adjust to room temperature. If the overall temperature where you live is too high, your fish tank water may increase in temperature, even to an unsafe level. In this case, an aquarium chiller may have a significant impact on the survival of your fish.

In connection with where you reside, it is also important to examine the average temperature inside your home, namely the temperature in the room where you fish tank will be housed. If you like to have the temperature inside your home to be above room temperature, an aquarium chiller may also be needed. As it was mentioned above, the temperature of your fish tank and its water may have a significant impact on your fish and how long they are able to survive. In fact, that leads to another important factor that should also be examined, the type of fish that you own.

If this is your first time owning fish, you may not necessarily know that certain fish need certain accommodations to survive. If your fish tank water is too warm or is downright hot, your fish may not only be "uncomfortable," but they also may not be able to survive. To determine what the best water temperature is for the type of fish that you have, it is best that you ask when purchasing them. If you have already made your purchase, you can easily find the same information online, often with just a standard internet search. The individual or company you are looking to buy an aquarium chiller from may also be able to give you their suggestions or professional advice.

The decision as to whether or not you want to own an aquarium chiller is yours to make; however, it is advised that you keep the above mentioned factors in mind. If you feel that you need to own an aquarium chiller or if you would like to purchase one, just in case, you are urged to examine FishTanksDirect.com. They have a relatively large selection of aquarium chillers available for sale. This includes aquarium chillers that are designed for small, large, and medium sized aquariums.

Friday, January 4, 2008

(Aquarium) Link Attack!

Hi readers, happy new year to everyone. In this post I would like to link to various interesting post in aquarium blogs around the blogosphere. What are other people blogging about in the beginning of 2008? lets see what we have!

1. Marine Depot, one of my favorite aquarium blog, is posting about aquarium lighting using LED by Powerbrite. Very good information and makes me want to buy one for my aquarium.

2. John Cunningham of the Aquarist online, posted about hair algae and how to control it. Its quite an important information if you now what this kind of algae can do to your aquarium.

3. Have you heard about a jellyfish in aquarium? phone booth made into an aquarium, or even more crazy, a toliet aquarium check it out here in the top 9 aquarium list.. its totally fun!

ok thats it for now! Enjoy!

Hardy Fish for the First Time Aquarium

Author Cole Carson
via Articlesbase.com

There’s nothing more soothing or beautiful than a glowing blue fish aquarium. There are such a huge variety of aquariums, decorations and fish out there that having your own customized aquarium can be extraordinarily easy. Of course though, as with any pet comes responsibility, and different species of fish require different care than others. Any new fishkeeper needs to make sure that they choose their aquarium carefully. Different fish have different cleaning requirements, require different foods, different temperatures, and even different aquarium sizes! – And when choosing fish for the first-timer, it’s a good idea to look for species that are healthy and hardy, clean and easy to keep, and don’t require a massive tank. Here we’ll talk about some great fish species that are ideal for the beginning aquarium keeper!

There’s no easier to keep fish than the White Cloud Mountain Minnow. These energetic little fish are not only fun to watch while zipping around the tank, they’re extremely hardy, and great for the cool-water aquarium, preferring temperatures between 55-75 degrees Fahrenheit. They are schooling fish, meaning you should have at least three or more, and a small school can be kept in an aquarium as small as four gallons. They are not picky at all about what they eat, so flake food is a good choice, but they do love the occasional bloodworm for a treat. Fortunately these are also clean fish, which means that they don’t need as much cleaning of the tank as other species to ensure a healthy aquarium and clean water.

Siamese Fighting Fish, or bettas as they’re most commonly known, are also a perfect fish for any beginner. Not only are these fish hardy, they’re one of the most beautiful fish you can buy, with brilliant colors and long, flowing fins. Bettas are probably best known for the fact that they can be kept in rather small aquariums, making them perfect for a child’s room or an office desk. Though the aquarium size a betta can be humanely kept in is fiercely debated, a single betta can be safely kept in a tank from 3-5 gallons. One important thing to note though is that bettas are aggressive fish, and that when keeping a male betta, you should never, EVER keep them with another male betta, as they will fight to the death. They also do require warmer water temperatures to make sure their immune system stays in peak condition.

The Corydoras Catfish happens to be a popular favorite among aquarium enthusiasts. Also known as Cory cats or simply Corys, these small catfish are active, playful, friendly, and are loaded with personality. They love to explore and play, and best of all, are a great fish for beginners. They’re simple to take care of, and can be added to any existing aquarium because they get along with most all other fish. Getting a school of three or more is recommended due to their social nature, and as such, you’ll want at least a ten gallon aquarium to fit them all comfortably. You’ll also need to invest in a heater – these fish like tropical temperatures, above 72 degrees and below 82. You won’t have to worry about food very often – as bottom feeders, Corys are content to stick to the bottom of the tank munching on the leftovers from other fish. It is a good idea to get them a tropical treat every now and then, and watch them as they all dig in. Normal cleaning routines work fine for Corys.

Any of these fish are perfect for someone who has just gotten their first aquarium. The choice between them depends on personal taste and aquarium specifications, but each of them has their own unique charm and personality. They are strong fish that are forgiving, and finding information about them is very easy. Remember when choosing an aquarium to find what’s right for you, and select fish that will work well in that sort of environment.

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