Successful Aquariums » Fish tanks

5 Tips To Deal With Algae In Tropical Fish Tanks

Sandra Bing — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:12:36 +0000

Overgrowth of algae in tropical fish tanks can be a very frustrating problem, it can ruin your perfectly designed aquarium in no time if you don’t follow few simple guidelines. Here they are:

1.Cleaning

If you spot algae developing on any of your aquarium decorations or on the glass just scrape them, ( go to your shop of choice for special aquarium scrapers) remove the stones and rocks and scrub them. If you don’t act fast they can reproduce to the point that you won’t be able to simply scrape them.

2.Change water regularly

Make sure you do weekly water changes, 10% is a good amount to reduce your nutrients level.

3.Too much lighting

Make sure that the sunlight don’t operate on your tank as it can increase the algae population very very rapidly. Also make sure that your aquarium lighting is not too strong.

4.Overfeeding your fish

Don’t put too much fish food into the tank, basicaly if your fish can’t eat the amount you gave them in 2-3 minutes you are overfeeding them. By doing that you not only make your life harder ( more cleaning) but also you “feed” the algae which grows on excess nutrients.

5.Algae eating fish

You can also buy fish which base their diet on algae, they won’t eliminate your problem if you have a big overgrowth of them but can be helpful. Make sure that you match their water requirements with rest of your fish. Black Molly, Otocinclus and Plecos are a few of those algae eating fish species.

Stay tune for more great article about tropical fish tanks.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/5-tips-to-deal-with-algae-in-tropical-fish-tanks-3430801.html

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Fish Tanks & Aquarium Maintenance : How to Clean Artificial Aquarium Plants

Sandra Bing — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 18:15:31 +0000

In order to clean artificial aquarium plants, use hot water to soak the plants and scrub the branches. Discover why cleaners, bleach and dish soap shouldn’t be used to clean artificial aquarium plants withhelp from the manager of a pet store in this free video on aquarium maintenance. Expert: Ashlee Bio: Ashlee has been the manager of Pet Planet in Riverton, Utah for the last three years. Filmmaker: Michael Burton

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So , You Want To Buy An Aquarium? Where On Earth Do You Begin?

Sandra Bing — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:20:55 +0000

Why do we want an aquarium, because it is a great indoor hobby that teaches so many things, about nature, water, fish behaviour, plants and decoration, plus when you create a nice display it looks fantastic as well.

There is a little work involved in setting up and keeping a nice display, but what good is a hobby with nothing to do and without doubt, aquariums are a very enjoyable and satisfying hobby.

Remember too, that you are creating an underwater world, your aquarium is a micro system of living creatures that will react to each other and so there is no exact science or instructions, but a gradual building of the understanding of your creation.

There are three different types of environment that you can create depending on the types of fish that you want to keep, here mentioned with a little detail to help you choose, but in greater depth later, so you only have to read about the type of environment you have selected.

Coldwater Aquariums Contain ornamental goldfish, a small number of other species and a range of plants that can thrive indoors, but in water that is not heated. Good for quick bright displays, but as much work as tropical fish to keep looking nice, often because the more efficient filters and equipment are not considered as important as with the other environments.

Tropical Aquariums have the advantage of a wide range of fish from the warmer parts of the world, the varieties available are amazing, but a little care in selection is essential to ensure they will get on well with each other. A community aquarium offers a variety of fish with an excellent selection of water plants to really make an outstanding display. As your aquarium develops the Tropical aquarium also offers the advantage of being able to breed and raise your own fish, if you want to. The tropical aquarium has a thermostatically controlled heater to maintain the warmer temperature.

Marine Aquariums are defined by the remarkable shapes and stunning colours of the coral reef fish, from the relatively low cost damsel fish and clowns to the higher priced rarities, no other types of fish can possibly compete with the amazing display that can be created. Essentially the addition of a synthetic sea salt mix and different decor is the only difference to the freshwater tropical aquarium. Although there is no question that it is the more expensive of the different environments to set up and keep.

Your Aquarium Now that we have an idea of what type of display we want to create we need to select a suitable aquarium. The first understanding of any environment is that changes occur more quickly in small areas. Pollution, temperature changes, bacteria and parasites will all have a faster effect in a smaller aquarium than in a larger area. Choose the largest reasonable size aquarium that will fit into the part of your home you want to keep your display, aquariums are more expensive the larger you choose, however the results are always worth the initial additional cost.

The Aquarium Location Whilst mentioning the area in your home where you are going to site your aquarium, modern lighting systems are much more controllable than daylight so to keep your plants looking healthy and reduce the growth of algae try and keep the aquarium away from natural light and certainly direct sunlight. Use the aquarium to brighten a dark area rather than compete with a bright window.

Aquarium Construction Aquariums available today are either made from acrylic, normally the smaller ones, or are all glass with silicone rubber adhesives. Glass is harder to scratch and will last for years so it is more popular, especially now that bow fronted, hexagonal and a variety of other shapes are all commonly available. Leaks are extremely rare as the silicone sealer that joins the glass is well tried and tested. It is important that the aquarium is placed on a rigid, flat support as the weight of the water could crack the base glass if any movement or distortion occurs, so ensure that the stand or cabinet used is designed for the purpose.There are sometimes surprises when obtaining quotes for special size aquariums to be made. The longer, wider or deeper the aquarium, the greater the weight, or water pressure. Therefore the glass has to be thicker. The thickness can double between one metre long and one and a half metres long, therefore the price is likely to do the same.

Aquarium Delivery

Carefully arrange your delivery to suit you, on the most suitable working day, make sure the carriers are careful and that the packaging is thorough and well tested. Larger aquariums should travel on a pallet for safety, so when the aquarium arrives preparations to unpack it and place it in the home should be made.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/so-you-want-to-buy-an-aquarium-where-on-earth-do-you-begin-55026.html

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#1 Method For a Saltwater Aquarium Setup and Choosing a Tank

aquaman — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 07:38:48 +0000

The type of saltwater fish tank setup you select depends on several factors. For instance, the kinds of species you want to stock, the space you have available, and your budget. In general you will want to buy the biggest saltwater fish tank setup are able to afford that can fit nicely into your living environment.

This is so that your fish and other animals may have the most comfort and ease possible while they grow. The fish and also other invertebrates that you choose to stock your tank with need enough space to swim and grow in and enough oxygen to survive. When you choose a saltwater aquarium setup remember that these two factors are determined largely by the size of the tank.

So let’s take a look at the oxygen element of a saltwater aquarium tank setup. The quantity of oxygen within the water is related to the tanks surface area. What this means is how much area on the tanks surface that’s subjected to the environment. The higher the area of the saltwater aquarium tank setup, the more room there’s for exchange of oxygen to take place at the top.

The more air that’s allowed to enter in the aquarium and the better harmful gases like carbon dioxide can leave the far healthier your saltwater aquarium setup will be. The oxygen content of the water is also influenced by its temperature. Generally, the warmer the water, the lower the oxygen content will be.

Most marine species from the tropics like water that is 75 degrees or more so this means that less oxygen will be open to them. This is where it becomes vital that you increase the surface of the fish tank by making sure your saltwater aquarium setup is as large as it can be.

How do you do this? There isn’t any typical saltwater aquarium tank setup. Marine tanks come in a variety of shapes and size, but it’s the shape from the aquarium, not its volume that influences surface area. Which means that even where two tanks have identical volumes they might not have the same area based on their shape. A saltwater aquarium setup that’s tall and slender won’t obtain a good rate of gas exchange. An ideal design would be one that is short and wide.

Once you’ve chosen your tank its time to start thinking about its residents. Obviously how big your fish tank is going to be will dictate how many fish and invertebrates it may house. The most important thing to prevent inside your saltwater aquarium setup is overcrowding. A lot of inhabitants and your tanks filtration system will likely be overloaded. Fish living in cramped conditions become stressed and this can lead to illness and death.

You can calculate how many fish your saltwater aquarium setup will hold by stocking one inch of fish per four gallons of water for a period of 6 months. After this period increase the number of fish slowly to 1 inch per two gallons. This means that a 40 gallon tank shouldn’t contain more than 10 inches of fish for the first six months.

So, for instance, you might choose one 3-inch queen angel, two 1-inch clownfish, one 2-inch regal tang, one 1-inch bicolor blenny and two 1-inch Beau Gregorys. Once the six month period is over you could boost the total number of inches inside your saltwater aquarium setup to 20.

Obviously, your fish are going to grow so you have to adjust for the changing sizes of the fish. The shape of your fish can also be important. If your fish are likely to be on the heavy side you will have to keep to the low end of the capacity of the saltwater fish tank setup.

A saltwater aquarium setup will cost you money and time so accept this and don’t skimp. Even if you devote considerable effort and time to a small fish tank you may still encounter problems. Should you choose the wrong one initially you will likely wind up having to purchase another one and this can be discouraging. In a nutshell, if you don’t have the cash to buy a tank thats a minimum of 30 gallons, don’t invest any money at all. Another option if money is tight is to watch some fish on your computer by incorporating free moving screensavers instead. It’s not the same as the real thing but can be a pleasant temporary fix while getting your game plan together on the actual aquarium tank setup.

When you choose a saltwater tank setup there are many options. You could decide among glass and acrylic and you can even get reef-ready styles complete with pre-drilled holes for equipment and plumbing. Glass tanks sealed with silicon rubber cement really are a common choice. Rectangle designs are popular but also, they are found in octagon and hexagon. They’re non-toxic and don’t scratch easily.

The downside to a glass saltwater fish tank setup is that they tend to be heavy. This means that large tanks will have very thick glass. Try to look for one which has a plastic frame that will make the aquarium more stable. Plated glass is shatterproof but is not as strong as tempered.

An acrylic saltwater aquarium tank setup is molded with few seams so they’re more transparent. However your view can always be distorted at the corners. Acrylic tanks aren’t as heavy as glass and thus come in a wider number of shapes and sizes. Acrylic is also stronger than glass. On the downside acrylic tanks can get scratched and are more expensive than glass. They are easily scratched by algae scrapers and decorations. It is possible to buff these marks out with a special kit.

Whichever saltwater aquarium setup you choose make sure it provides a healthy environment for your fish. Additionally you need to ensure you can afford to maintain it properly and that it suits your way of life and available time. After you have everything setup correctly you will be able to enjoy the colorful antics and shapes of your fishy friends, corals and other invertebrates. Enjoy the wonderful world of your saltwater tank! As pointed out above though, for those who don’t wish to hassle with a aquarium and maintenence another option for watching fish could be by watching them on your computer with one of these free moving screensavers.

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Fish Tanks & Aquarium Maintenance : How to Set Up an Aquarium for the First Time

Sandra Bing — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 04:38:54 +0000

When setting up an aquarium for the first time, the easiest method is to start off with tap water, insert gravel rocks and add the necessary chemicals for clarifying the water. Make sure the heater fits the gallon of a fish tank withhelp from the manager of a pet store in this free video on setting up fish tanks and aquariums. Expert: Ashlee Bio: Ashlee has been the manager of Pet Planet in Riverton, Utah for the last three years. Filmmaker: Michael Burton

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Black Mystery Snail

Sandra Bing — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 18:01:29 +0000

The Black Mystery Snail is a popular aquarium inhabitant and will do well even in small aquariums with a capacity of no more than 10 gallons.
When you find these snails in aquarium stores, they will typically have a size of 3/4″ to 1-1/4″. As your snail grows older, it can reach a size of 2″. This type of snail is not an aggressive species and it is therefore suitable for community aquariums with docile fish species. You should naturally not house it with fish species that eat snails in the wild, unless the fish is very much smaller than the Black Mystery snail.
This snail belongs to Apple Snail family. In the Apple Snail family you can find roughly 120 snail species and many of them are popular in aquariums. Just like all the other snail species from this family, this snail has a siphon that is use to breath oxygen from the air.
The Black Mystery snail will stay submerged near the waters surface in the aquarium and stretch up the siphon into the air. It is very important that the Black Mystery snail is not denied access to the surface in the aquarium, since this will cause it to suffocate.
Leave a gap of at least 2 inches between the water and any lid. In its native waters of Brazil, the Black Mystery snail will spend the day resting and become active at dark. It will spend most of its time submerged, but it can actually walk on land in search of food. When it is kept in an aquarium, you can see it scavenging for food in the substrate or sliding up the glass to breath at the surface.
As the name implies, the coloration of this snail is mainly black, but you can find specimens that are decorated with golden and ivory colors too. The pattern varies between each individual snail.
They can adapt to most pH values as long as your avoid the extremes, but ideally to keep the pH from 6.5 to 8.0 and avoid rapid changes. The preferred dH range is 12-18 and the recommended water temperature 68-85 degrees F.
The Black mystery snail is an omnivore species that will happily eat left over fish food and help you keep the aquarium clean.
You can for instance feed it flakes and frozen food. It will also eat algae and dead and decaying plant matter. If the aquarium is without any plants, you should regularly feed your snail vegetables and algae based food.
Sexing Black mystery snails is difficult, but when two snails of similar age have been kept on a similar diet in the same environment, the biggest of them will typically be the female one. A Black Mystery snail is never hermaphroditic. During the breeding period, the female will deposit her eggs in clutches over the waterline.

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So , You Want To Buy An Aquarium? Where On Earth Do You Begin?

Sandra Bing — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:29:14 +0000

There are hundreds of books written about fish keeping which are readily available, however there is not enough time to read a book before we start, so let us get going and we will keep fish successfully by staying with the basics, then you can become an expert later on, from experience, as well as from books.
Why do we want an aquarium, because it is a great indoor hobby that teaches so many things, about nature, water, fish behaviour, plants and decoration, plus when you create a nice display it looks fantastic as well.
There is a little work involved in setting up and keeping a nice display, but what good is a hobby with nothing to do and without doubt, aquariums are a very enjoyable and satisfying hobby.
Remember too, that you are creating an underwater world, your aquarium is a micro system of living creatures that will react to each other and so there is no exact science or instructions, but a gradual building of the understanding of your creation.
There are three different types of environment that you can create depending on the types of fish that you want to keep, here mentioned with a little detail to help you choose, but in greater depth later, so you only have to read about the type of environment you have selected.
Coldwater Aquariums Contain ornamental goldfish, a small number of other species and a range of plants that can thrive indoors, but in water that is not heated. Good for quick bright displays, but as much work as tropical fish to keep looking nice, often because the more efficient filters and equipment are not considered as important as with the other environments.
Tropical Aquariums have the advantage of a wide range of fish from the warmer parts of the world, the varieties available are amazing, but a little care in selection is essential to ensure they will get on well with each other. A community aquarium offers a variety of fish with an excellent selection of water plants to really make an outstanding display. As your aquarium develops the Tropical aquarium also offers the advantage of being able to breed and raise your own fish, if you want to. The tropical aquarium has a thermostatically controlled heater to maintain the warmer temperature.
Marine Aquariums are defined by the remarkable shapes and stunning colours of the coral reef fish, from the relatively low cost damsel fish and clowns to the higher priced rarities, no other types of fish can possibly compete with the amazing display that can be created. Essentially the addition of a synthetic sea salt mix and different decor is the only difference to the freshwater tropical aquarium. Although there is no question that it is the more expensive of the different environments to set up and keep.
Your Aquarium Now that we have an idea of what type of display we want to create we need to select a suitable aquarium. The first understanding of any environment is that changes occur more quickly in small areas. Pollution, temperature changes, bacteria and parasites will all have a faster effect in a smaller aquarium than in a larger area. Choose the largest reasonable size aquarium that will fit into the part of your home you want to keep your display, aquariums are more expensive the larger you choose, however the results are always worth the initial additional cost.
The Aquarium Location Whilst mentioning the area in your home where you are going to site your aquarium, modern lighting systems are much more controllable than daylight so to keep your plants looking healthy and reduce the growth of algae try and keep the aquarium away from natural light and certainly direct sunlight. Use the aquarium to brighten a dark area rather than compete with a bright window.
Aquarium Construction Aquariums available today are either made from acrylic, normally the smaller ones, or are all glass with silicone rubber adhesives. Glass is harder to scratch and will last for years so it is more popular, especially now that bow fronted, hexagonal and a variety of other shapes are all commonly available. Leaks are extremely rare as the silicone sealer that joins the glass is well tried and tested. It is important that the aquarium is placed on a rigid, flat support as the weight of the water could crack the base glass if any movement or distortion occurs, so ensure that the stand or cabinet used is designed for the purpose.There are sometimes surprises when obtaining quotes for special size aquariums to be made. The longer, wider or deeper the aquarium, the greater the weight, or water pressure. Therefore the glass has to be thicker. The thickness can double between one metre long and one and a half metres long, therefore the price is likely to do the same.
Aquarium Delivery
Carefully arrange your delivery to suit you, on the most suitable working day, make sure the carriers are careful and that the packaging is thorough and well tested. Larger aquariums should travel on a pallet for safety, so when the aquarium arrives preparations to unpack it and place it in the home should be made.

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Pet Fish Care : Beginner Saltwater Aquarium Setup

Sandra Bing — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:31:22 +0000

A saltwater aquarium setup includes a standard fish tank and filter but uses sand or crushed coral substrate. Setup a saltwater aquarium withtips from the manager of a fish pet store in this free video on pet care. Expert: Hunter Leber Bio: Hunter Leber is the saltwater livestock manager at the Austin Aqua-Dome in Austin, Texas. Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIA

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Goldfish Tanks

Sandra Bing — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:27:25 +0000

One of the animals kids like raising when they are young are goldfish. Goldfish are undoubtedly the most common and rewarding of all pets for budding fish lovers or children. Goldfish are very visually appealing and available in many colors, goldfish are very simple to care for and own, provided they are enclosed in a safe, healthy and comfortable environment. The beat way to ensure your goldfish lives a long time is to pick a tank best suited for them not just any old tank you find.

When you decide to purchase a goldfish for a pet, you need to purchase the right tank for your new pet goldfish so your pet lives a long time. Your fish tank’s size will depends on a lot of factors. Goldfish are a fish species that requires a large bowl for them to grow healthy. The main reason to own a larger tank is that it will carry large amounts of water and more water in turn helps dramatically to dilute and lower the concentration of ammonia generated from your goldfish. A good rule to go by before you buy your goldfish tank is to first determine the number of fish you want. For example, if you are going to buy four fish swimming in the tank, you would require at least 36 gallon fish tank size to accommodate all your pets. However, you must also bear in mind that common goldfish can grow up to 8-10 inches in length and thus your aquarium must also be sized in accordance to cater to your pets maximum growth.

A common error committed by most pet owners is that they buy smaller tanks only after considering the size of the young fish but not realizing that in the long run without ample room space; your fish will not be able to reach the maximum growth size and can become stunted as well. Once you have narrowed down your choice of a fish tank size that will suffice the water requirements of each goldfish, you then need to figure out the surface area of the tank which is crucial for fulfilling the oxygen needs of your fish. Goldfish are rather timid by nature and decorating your aquarium with hiding places and other colorful elements will make them feel safe and secure. Filling half of your tank with such attractive pieces will lure the fish into open swimming.

When getting lights installed with the intention of uplifting the colors of the goldfish and highlighting the aesthetics of the tank, make sure you don’t go over the top as goldfish don’t have eyelids and are sensitive to light. Goldfish can become stressed in your quest to give it a look of a lighted aquarium. Hence, once you have extensively researched on picking the apt tank size for your fish, thereafter indulge in a purchasing spree to ensure safety and security of your fish as well as value for the money you are investing.

The proper goldfish bowl will help ensure that your fish is alive for a very long time and is comfortable in their fish bowl.

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The Joys Of Cardinal Tetras

Sandra Bing — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:58:36 +0000

The Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) is similar to more frequently kept Neon tetra, but is much more difficult to breed in aquariums. Since both species look similar to each other at first glance, they are sometimes mixed up with each other and the Cardinal tetra is sometimes erroneously referred to as “red neon tetra”.
Telling them apart is however not very difficult. Both species have a characteristic sparkling blue line that bisects the body, and under this line you will notice a red lateral stripe. If this red coloration extends only halfway to the nose of the fish, you know that it is a Neon tetra. If the red coloration instead extends much longer, you are looking at a Cardinal tetra.
The red coloration of the Cardinal tetra was thought to resemble the long red robes worn by cardinals, hence the name. The scientific name of this species (Paracheirodon axelrodi) was given to it in honour of Herbert Axelrod, a highly regarded ichthyologist.
Since the Cardinal is quite difficult to breed in aquariums, a majority of the Cardinals in the aquarium trade have been wild caught. The native habitat of the Cardinal tetra is the upper Orinoco and Negro rivers in South America, where the water is acidic and very soft. Fortunately enough, the Cardinal tetra is very prolific in the wild and is not considered an endangered species.
It is only reluctant to breed when kept in aquariums. In the wild, it is uncommon for a Cardinal tetra to grow older than one year. When you keep Cardinal tetras in aquariums without any predators around, you can however make them survive for several years.
The Cardinal can be kept in community aquariums with other peaceful species that appreciates the same water conditions. It will usually stay smaller than 2 inches in length and a group of Cardinal tetras do not need a large aquarium to do well. This species is rarely found in beginner aquariums since it is quite scarce in the aquarium trade, but it is not overly sensitive and a dedicated beginner aquarist that is prepared to monitor the water chemistry and perform frequent water changes can usually make his or her Cardinal tetras thrive.
It is especially important to keep down the level of nitrate. The Cardinal tetra is a schooling fish and keeping at least ten specimens is recommended, since this will make the fish less shy and stressed. Cardinal tetras are also much more beautiful to watch when they form a big school, and living in a school makes them display a much broader variety of natural behaviours.
When you set up an aquarium for your Cardinal tetras you should ideally try to make it similar to the native habitat of the fish. A well planted aquarium that contains floating species is recommended, but you should also leave an area open for swimming. The water should be acidic and very soft. Keep the pH in the 4.6-6.2 range and the dGH under 4. Cardinal tetras can adapt to harder water and even alkaline conditions, but they will be much more sensitive and prone to illness.

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