My Aquarium Secrets

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Aquariums came into vogue around late 1800’s. Those days’ aquariums were crudely made, with metal

or wood. They had three sides of wood or metal and only one side made out of glass. These ancient aquariums mostly had fish which came from the same region as its owner because only local species

were available then. Only fresh water fish could be housed in these aquariums as salt water corroded the metal frame of the aquarium that held the four panes together.

With the advent of silicone adhesive in the 1960’s, there was a complete change in the way aquariums were made. Metal frames existed no more and people were able to keep salt water

invertebrates and salt water fish. The latest invention is the use of acrylic instead of glass

tank material. Acrylic is greatly flexible. This fact made the acrylic aquariums break-proof as

compared to their glass counterparts. With glass aquariums, there was the danger that some heavy

object could strike and shatter the glass tank, scattering the water and the fish alike all over,

leading to the death of the fish. The possibility of this happening is nullified owing to the

flexible nature of acrylic tanks. Even for designing the aquarium using acrylic, the possibilities

are mind boggling. You can turn your coffee table into acrylic aquarium and so also your gum ball

machine.

Like everything, acrylic aquariums also have their pros and cons. The cons consist of easy

scratch ability of the acrylic as compared to glass. You need to be very careful while cleaning

your aquarium and avoid the use of paper towels or abrasive and harsh chemicals as they would

scratch the surface of the acrylic aquarium. You must use a special cleaner labeled safe for

acrylic. Even scrubbers need to be of rubber or plastic, rather than metal which are used to clean the acrylic sides of the tank. Special care must be taken not to pick up any piece of gravel or

substrate while cleaning the tank from inside. However, even if accidentally scratches appear in

an acrylic aquarium, there is no need to despair. There’s always a way out. The aquarium can be

repaired, unlike its glass counterpart. Acrylic repair kits are available at your local store of

hardware, specialty pet stores or online.

You have a wide variety to choose from when you go to purchase your acrylic aquarium kit and the

prices will also vary. You can purchase aquarium kits from retail, or aquatic specialty pet

stores, or even online. Fish lovers can take their pick from cute little cylinder shaped aquariums

that serve as lamps for your coffee table to huge wall to wall aquariums. Although there will be

some common basic things with most kits, such as substrate or coral, a filter, even lighting, there can be a great variety in kits themselves. You may purchase your starter kit from anywhere, but do remember that it is very very important to buy the fish from a dealer who is reputed because fish

diseases are easily communicable. You need to ensure that you are buying healthy fish. Don’t go

for fish that hover at the surface or from a tank which has other dead fish. Beware of a fish

trader who refuses to take out a specific fish from the aquarium for you. After all, you have a

right to be selective when you are taking home your fish.



Matthew

Mike LaVallee asked:


If you have come to the conclusion that you would like to set up a tropical fish aquarium for the enjoyment of yourself and your family, then you are probably in need of some directions in how to get started. If you have never had an aquarium before, then it is recommended to start out with freshwater aquarium fish because they are easier to care for.

Freshwater aquarium fish, as opposed to their bright and flashy cousins of the saltwater variety, can be a good experience for people who have never cared for fish before. Saltwater aquarium tanks can be quite challenging to set up and properly maintain. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that those new to fish keeping, look first at starting with freshwater fish. After you have been able to master the challenges of keeping freshwater fish alive and their aquarium in good order, at that point you might want to broaden your fish keeping horizons and branch out into the saltwater aquarium realm.

Ultimately, it does not matter what kind of aquarium or tank that you choose for your freshwater aquarium fish, as far as care and maintenance is concerned. However, if you cannot keep to a regular, weekly schedule of cleaning and maintaining the tank, then perhaps you should not even bother setting up an aquarium.

In addition, you will also need to monitor your tropical fish tank on a daily basis. You need to be sure that the water is always properly in balance for your freshwater aquarium fish and that the correct and comfortable temperature is constantly maintained. The other daily task that you must remember to perform is to make sure that your fish receive the proper amount and type of food as needed.

After you have determined that you will be able to keep up with the regular required maintenance of freshwater aquarium fish, then you can start deciding on what kind of fish you want to include in your tropical aquarium. The tropical fish tank that you choose must be large enough so that it can properly accommodate the number and types of fish that you plan to purchase. The overcrowding of a tropical fish tank can be a deadly mistake because it can cause polluted tank water and can lead to diseased fish. Before making your final decision, make sure you ask how large the selected fish will be at maturity, as size can vary a great deal depending on the species. A newbie to fish keeping might want to start with a 10 to 20-gallon tropical fish tank and fill it with the smaller and heartier freshwater fish varieties.

In order to maintain a healthy environment for your freshwater aquarium fish, you will also need to have a quality water filtration system, a reliable heater and some nice aquarium decorations and accessories. When setting up your freshwater tropical aquarium, be sure to choose a location in the house where light and temperature can be controlled so that it remains constant. And, remember that once your tropical fish tank is set up and filled, it will be very heavy, so be sure that it is on solid footing with flooring that can handle the load.



Jesus

Devin Gilliland asked:


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.



Jonathan

Jeanie Smith asked:


The practice of keeping fish in the home came about in the late 1800’s. These fish were usually kept for short periods of time, and were used as a food source. Home aquariums were generally kept only in coastal towns where the fish were readily accessible. Today, however many things of changed. We wouldn’t dream of dipping a net into an aquarium and frying up the family pet for dinner. That’s what Red Lobster is for. Home aquariums are for our personal entertainment and enjoyment. Aquariums add life and color to any room. They soothe sick patients at doctor’s offices, and entertain small children while their parents are shopping at Nordstrom. 

When considering adopting a family pet, think fish. They are a good compromise when your children are eying that puppy in the window of the local pet store. Aquariums need little care in comparison to cats, dogs and even birds. When going out of town, it is acceptable to leave the fish alone for a week or even longer. Just have a neighbor feed them once or twice. There is no grooming or bathing needed for fish. While a home aquarium does require regular maintenance and cleaning, it is minor compared to the care required for larger pets. Aquariums are usually less costly, as well. Dogs and cats require regular visits to the veterinarian, vaccinations, flea and tick medications, etc. Last year the purchase of pet toys was a billion dollar industry. We don’t have to worry about buying a tug rope or a stuffed friend for our fish. 

An aquarium is less of a commitment than larger pets, and can still be a welcome addition to the family home. Aquariums are great learning tools for small children. Kids get excited if they are involved in process. They can learn responsibility by having to help with the chores associated with aquarium care. Teach the children how to feed the fish and how to clean the tank. Aquariums are very handy for helping kids develop language skills, as well. It’s amazing how much conversation can take place between a two-year old and an aquarium.  Let the kids name the fish. Have discussions and ask questions like, what color is that fish? What are the fish doing today? Count the fish. Just be careful with counting. If one of the fish has decided to eat some of its tank mates that could turn into a different type of learning experience altogether. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing; you just have to be prepared for it. After all, kids do have to learn about the cycle of life and death somehow. It would certainly be a lot easier to cope with the death of goldfish as a child’s first loss, rather than a human family member.

In these times of having five hundred plus cable channels and excessive video games, an aquarium can be a refreshing touch to a home. The next time you sit down for a family dinner, try looking at the aquarium instead of the television. You never know, it may just start an actual conversation.



Claude

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


1. Fish need lights to survive

Regardless of whether you have a fresh water set up or a marine set up your fish will need light in the aquarium to survive. However, sometimes different fish require different kind of lighting and it is better that you ask for advice from the fish accessory shop as to what lighting you should have for your fish.

2. The various kinds of lighting

You could use florescent lighting for fish that are brightly colored as this will make the fish stand out more in the aquarium and give the aquarium a nice effect. You can get these lights in various sizes to suit your aquarium. You will have to buy the light fittings separately as they do not come along with the fish tanks or the hoods for the tanks. This is an expensive part of equipment as you will have to buy the fittings for the lights also.

3. Lighting for marine tanks

Marine tanks need more light and these are more expensive as a lot of pure light is needed here to light up the reefs. Anemones and corals require a lot of light and also sensitivity to live in under these conditions and so light plays an important role in this sort of a marine aquarium. If you are planning on a coral reef make sure that you have adequate light and the correct kind.

4. Where to find aquarium lighting

Aquarium lightings maybe easy to install, but cost quite a bit. You can buy these at any pet shop or fish shop that sells accessories for fish tanks and aquariums too. You could also search for second hand lighting for marine aquariums but always ensure that they are in working condition first or else you will be wasting your money on it.

5. Get good lighting to define your aquarium

To get a good look about your aquarium you should put good lighting and not some cheap kind which will make it look shabby. If your lighting is good then your fish tank will look good and will be worth being put up. You could try out various colors and not just adhere to white for your lighting effects. Try out various colors and see which one you find most suitable for your aquarium and for the type of fish collection that you have in it.



Charlie

Jeanie Smith asked:


Many aquarium owners crave to someday own a saltwater tank displaying numerous kinds of coral. This may be achieved is fast easy steps if you use coral starter kits to grow your own coral. This is recommended over buying coral from a store. By growing your own, you ensure it is properly acclimated to your tank. Setting up and caring for the coral aquarium, or reef aquarium is a task that requires a bit of knowledge before starting. There are some steps to take when setting up a new coral aquarium. The process may seem to take a long time, and because of this, many people opt to use fake coral instead. However, the time spent waiting will be well worth it when you are later able to display your own coral aquarium. If you follow some simple steps and have patience for about 12 weeks, you will be able to create and own your piece of underwater paradise.

To begin, the first thing to do is assemble your aquarium. Find a spot in the home that you wish to have it displayed. Follow through with the set up as you would a freshwater tank. When you are ready to add the water to the tank, follow these simple steps. First, pour the sand into the bottom of the tank. Add dechlorinated water to the tank. Next, add the salt and make sure it is mixed until the specific gravity measures 1.205. After the water and salt are added, arrange your live rock as desired and install the heater and the hood of the tank. After doing these things, you must then wait 4 weeks to move ahead.

After the four weeks has passed, you will then add your first living creatures to the tank. It is best to add fish later, and slowly as to make sure the salt balance in the tank is correct and remains that way. At this time, you can add a variety of snails or crabs if you wish to have them part of your tank. You will also need to install a protein skimmer. The tank should be functioning as if it were full of fish. Make sure the filters are working properly and the lighting is right. Remember not to leave the light on for more than 10 to 12 hours a day as it may promote algae growth. After adding some snails or crabs, wait another 2 weeks before proceeding.

Now at week 6, you will add your first pieces of coral. There are many types of coral used in saltwater coral aquariums. Some of the most common are Button Polyp, Yellow Polyp, Hairy Mushroom Coral and Bullseye Mushroom Coral. Make sure when adding your coral, it is attached to the live rock at the bottom of the tank. Wait another 2 weeks. Don’t get frustrated… you’re almost there! During the eighth week, you can add Aquacultured Coral such as Pumping Xenia, Starburst Polyps and Spaghetti Finger Leather Coral to name a few. Place these corals into the live rock as you did with the previous set of coral.

Now you have succeeded in creating your reef aquarium. During the course of the 10 to 12 week mark, you may begin adding your fish to your underwater world. It may seem a long drawn out process to get a coral aquarium up and running, but the time and hard work will pay off for years to come. Creating and caring for your coral aquarium will bring you much enjoyment and a wonderful sense of accomplishment for creating a spectacular coral aquarium.



Bernice

Andri Irawan asked:


Saltwater Reef Aquariums make a lovely addition to any home, and the exotic nature of a saltwater aquarium and the tropical fish who inhabit it have caused these household decorations to rise in popularity over the years. Unfortunately, because of their exotic nature and high demand it can often be quite costly to purchase and outfit a saltwater aquarium. The tank is not the only factor to be considered when calculating cost, although it is bound to be one of the greatest. There is also the cost of the plant life, sand, gravel or silt, the rocks (particularly if you are using live rocks), coral, the filtering system, the stand, the lights and, of course, the fish themselves.

With all of these costs it is no wonder that people look for deals whenever possible when attempting to put together their aquarium. The most common venue for purchasing an aquarium is to simply go to some form of pet store, such as Petsmart, that offers all of the things that are needed to establish a saltwater aquarium in one convenient location. This is much easier than attempting to put together an aquarium piece by piece and is the method generally chosen for those who do not want to wait months for their aquarium while they attempt to find the perfect pieces at the perfect bargain, an often frustrating hunt. These pet stores can also be invaluable when it comes to obtaining the saltwater and chemicals necessary to get the aquarium up and running; however, unless the store is running a special this is probably not going to be the method of choice for getting a good deal on an aquarium.

Online retailers offer consumers a better chance at good deals on an aquarium and all of their parts, and the ease of navigating the internet means that a search that could take months on foot can be done in only a matter of minutes from the comfort of the consumers own home. A would-be aquarium owner can search the online retailers who sell these parts new or they can choose to utilize such sites as e-Bay and Amazon, who offer these products gently used at prices much lower than can be found in any of the major retailers.

It is important to shop around a bit before making a commitment if you are attempting to get a good deal on an aquarium. Never take the first deal offered to you until you have seen how it compares to the competition. Regardless of what the retailer may claim, chances are that the offer will still be there in an hour or two after you have had the opportunity to examine what the competition has to offer. If the product is being sold by a private seller rather than a retail chain it may also be possible to barter the price down, particularly if this is something that they have been attempting to sell for some time.

With a bit of ingenuity and the proper resources it is possible to obtain a quality aquarium at a bargain price-it simply requires a bit of patience and faith. Happy hunting! Saltwater Reef Aquariums



Dawn

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


With the popularity of aquariums growing widely, now every mid sized town boasts of at least two aquarium shops. Fish collection hobby has become extremely popular and aquarium shops are the best bets for your aquarium tanks and accessories. Pet shops have all types of items for a variety of pets and hence tend to be more expensive than aquarium shops. Aquarium shops cater only to fish hence they normally have a wide range of fish as compared to pet shops which deal only in smaller and more basic species of fish. So if you are interested in specific species, there is no alternative to an aquarium shop as only they specialise in such fish.

If you go to an aquarium shop, you can shop for all the accessories you might need there and won’t have to go anywhere else. Everything from heaters, filters, lights, food and fish - they have the whole range. They even sell you stands, tanks and plants! If you are a novice in the field, still an aquarium shop is the place for you to start your hobby as there you will get the best advice on how to go about setting up your aquarium. They will teach you everything from the bacteria process to the things to be done for maintenance of a healthy tank. These aquarium shops will have chemical solutions to purify the water and also test kits to ensure that your water has optimum levels of pH, nitrates and ammonia and stay that way.

Before going to an aquarium shop, you should have decided on the type of tank you want, whether saltwater or tropical, and if you already have a tank, what types of fish you are interested in. Aquarium shops cater to your personal tastes and you get personal help and support of the friendly staff to set up your tank and also to provide ongoing support for your hobby. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced aquarist, the aquarium shops will look after all your needs and interests at your level of fish keeping.



Micheal

Angie Atkins asked:


The type of aquarium tanks that you choose will ultimately end up being a huge factor in how much enjoyment you will receive from the tank that you choose to set up. The very first thing that you will need to think about is the specific type of fish or other type of pets that you plan to purchase. There are several different types of animals and fish life that can live quite comfortably in these tanks, such as a variety of amphibians, corals, fish, gerbils, hamsters, snakes, the choices are almost endless. You may even be the type of person that you would simply like to use many different sizes of aquarium tanks to add to the décor of your home or office by adding a variety of plants and other decorations to the tank.

After you have made the decision on what you will be placing inside the tank, you will then need to determine what size it is that you would like to purchase and have to maintain. Of course a much larger tank will take a lot more time for the maintenance that will be necessary. There are numerous different sizes that are available that will work perfectly for your specific needs. Making sure to choose the correct size tank is very important for the pets or even plant life that you will be placing into the tank. They will simply not be able to thrive very well if they are in tanks that are much too small for them, as many varieties of fish and other animals will need plenty of room to move around in to be able to maintain good health. There are also several different shapes that these tanks are featured in, so you will also need to think about the specific shape that you might want. The regular square tanks are one of the most popular and most common shapes in aquarium tanks.

One very popular choice is coffee tables and other pieces of beautiful furniture that are designed to have the tanks made directly into the furniture. These items can add a great deal of beauty to any room of your home, and they can also be a wonderful conversational piece.

For help in choosing just the right aquarium tanks for your individual needs, the Internet can be very helpful in making that determination. There are numerous web sites that offer many selections and very reasonable prices.



Bertha

Maximum Hit asked:


Our priority to keep an aquarium in our homes is the well-being of the fish and invertebrates we maintain. And the first step to note while preparing a checklist of the aquarium accessories required for the well being of aquarium occupants is to keep the aquarium room cool, especially for marine aquaria. The ideal temperature for most fish-only aquaria is between 76 degrees and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. If you only have fish in the aquarium and the aquarium is stocked properly with aquarium supplies, then you only need about a 2 to 6 degree temperature drop. This will depend on the type of aquarium you keep and the temperature drop needed to cool the tank.

With fish, it’s not always the high temperature that kills. Many fish die in tanks running too hot due to low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the water. The warmer the water, the less dissolved oxygen (DO) it will hold.

Here are a few tips to keep your aquarium water cool for your little friends to survive for long.

1. If your aquarium is well-covered, open the covers on your tank, and place nylon netting over the openings to prevent fish from jumping out. This allows heat to escape. You can aid this process further by directing the air-flow of a small fan across the top of the tank.

2. Close the shades on windows in the room. Even indirect sunlight will raise the room temperature by a degree or two and every little bit helps. You can also reduce the amount of aquarium lightening time. The tank lights contribute greatly to higher water temperatures. Don’t leave the lights off all the time though. That’s bad for your fish too! If you have a freshwater planted aquarium, which requires at least 8 hours of light per day, you may have no choice but to buy an air conditioner or a chiller to solve your heat problem.

3. Aerate your aquarium tanks with a strong air pump! This will help to increase the exchange of gases at the waters surface, thereby helping to raise Dissolved Oxygen levels. It will also aid heat exchange at the surface.

4. DO NOT unplug your aquarium heaters! This is a common mistake that often backfires. An aquarium heater that’s working properly will shut off when the aquarium is at the proper temperature. Unplugging the heater could cause the temperature to drop too far at night in situations when it’s hot during the day but cool at night and the windows in the aquarium room are kept open.

5. If your aquarium equipment is in a closed cabinet stand below your fish tank, open the cabinet doors and place a fan circulating air into the cabinet area to allow heat created from aquarium pumps to escape

6. Buy an air conditioner! Sometimes this is the only solution. The cost of running an air conditioner for a few months is a small price to pay to keep our finned friends alive.



Alvin