Aquarium Care

Aquarium canister filters are responsible for the mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration of particulates in your aquarium water. They come in different sizes but most are small enough that they do not dominate your aquarium. They are often called submersible filters because they are placed inside the tank and not hung on the side. Tank filters are a requirement in all tanks, but they are very important in tanks which contain fish that are messy eaters.

Knowing the type of filter for your tank

There are three types of filters depending on the function. Mechanical filters remove debris and other particles from the water with a foam layer or any other type of porous material. Mechanical filters are a must for all tanks. A chemical filter removes dissolved materials with a carbon layer. This is most effective for removing ammonia but it is also useful in removing metals and odors.

Biological filters do the job that is not finished by the previous two kinds of filters. They contain beneficial bacteria called nitrofiers that remove harmful wastes.

How to maintain your filter

Regular cleaning for your aquarium canister when is a must because aquarium filters do the main part of cleaning the tank and they tend to collect a lot of debris quickly. Accumulated debris can clog your filter and this could lead to an accumulation of harmful toxins in the tank.

You clean the filters when you replace the tank water, removing the filter and taking it apart so you can clean the individual parts like the impellers, tubings and intake and outlet pipes, and the main body. You can lubricate the parts of the filter using petroleum jelly or liquid silicone before putting the tank parts back together and reinstalling the filter.

Choosing aquarium canister filters

There are some factors that you need to consider when choosing a filter. For one, you need a filter that has easily replaceable parts since there will come a time when you need to replace parts such as rubber gaskets and impellers. Make sure that your store regularly stocks on filter parts so you can easily get a replacement when one is needed. You also need to choose aquarium canister filters that are easy to remove, clean, and reinstall. You may need the help of an expert when putting up the filter for the first time, but subsequent cleanings will require you to handle the disassembly and the reassembly yourself. Also make sure that the filter is easy to use in case of emergencies when you have to stop the filter.

Get to know your filter before you buy, such as how to assemble and disassemble it. You can get an expert to teach you how to install the filter for the first time so you can do it yourself later on.

Jeffry Johnston is a pet store owner and an aquarium enthusiast who finds happiness in helping others succeed in raising healthy, happy fish as well. He is a member and guest speaker at many aquarium clubs, as well as having a few very large tanks of his own. To learn more about aquarium filters and other aquarium equipment, pleasego to marinedepot.com.

Technorati Tags: Accumulation, Ammonia, aquarium canister filter, Aquarium Canister Filters, Aquarium Equipment, Aquarium Filters, Aquarium Maintenance, Aquarium Water, Beneficial Bacteria, Biological Filters, Biological Filtration, Carbon Layer, Chemical Filter, Debris, filters, fish tank equipment, fish tank filters, Harmful Toxins, Liquid Silicone, Mechanical Filters, Outlet Pipes, Particulates, Petroleum Jelly, Porous Material, Tank Water, Two Kinds

Once you have purchased your fish, you need to supply them with the proper food that will keep them healthy and happy. It doesn’t always have to be a big bag of fish flakes. Your fish also need good nourishment that will give them an active life, enhance their growth and stimulate breeding. Their diet should also give them a more efficient immune system against sickness.

One popular type of fish food is the dry fish food. This includes flakes, pellets, wafers, and granules. There are many different formulations of dry fish food to cater to different species of fish. They can be made from plant, animal or fish products. Most of them are fortified with vitamins and minerals for a more complete nutritional diet for your fish. Some are concocted for special purposes like intensifying the colors of the fish or making the scales shinier.

Larger fish, those bigger than an inch, require a more specialized diet. The carnivores or omnivores will prefer meat in their diet. One very popular meat food is bloodworms. Bloodworms are red mosquito larvae that can be purchased frozen from aquarium supply stores. They are considered the more nutritious alternative to flakes and pellets. They look like small ice cubes when packaged and you just drop these cubes in the aquarium water when it’s feeding time.

Other fresh or frozen foods for your fish are brine shrimps or krill. Not only are brine shrimps nourishing, they also somehow bring out the colors of tropical fish. A small crustacean, called the Daphnia, or water flea is also another option for the carnivores. They may be delicious to fish but they are not really full of nutrients.

Earthworms or other worms are also popular food for some larger fish. They are high in protein but will not give your fish a balanced diet. Like the Daphnia, they should not be the only food source of your fish. To many larger predatory fish, feeder fish or any small fish are the best food, although they don’t usually go for community fish in an aquarium.

There should be a rotation of some or all of these foods in feeding your fish not just to give them balanced nutrition but also to provide variety in their diet. They are likely to get tired of the same food day after day just like any person. You also have the option of supplementing the dried pellets or flakes diet with live or frozen food.

Herbivores, unlike carnivores, will be happier snacking throughout the day rather than eating at a regular schedule. Fresh plants in aquarium tanks are good sources of food for them, and they can also eat any algae that are present in the aquarium.

You can also supplement your fish’s food supply with vegetables like blanched spinach leaves, slices of zucchini and cucumber, and peas directly to the tank. Let this vegetable matter float for an hour or two, and then remove them from the tank. Some dried foods, particularly algae wafers, also make a good choice for herbivores.

Feeding the right food to your fish is not really difficult. You just have to make a little research to find out the preferences and nutritional needs of your fish. Different species will have different needs. Make the necessary adjustments to the kind and amount of food you feed them as they grow. Remember to give them variety and a balance diet and your fish will thrive and live a full healthy, perky and happy life.

Leonard Boyler has been keeping fish for more than two decades. His favorite products make aquarium care and maintenance very easy from start up to clarifying cloudy aquarium water. To learn more about how you can keep your water clear and have healthy fish, please visit ONEdersave.com.

Technorati Tags: Aquarium, Aquarium Fish, Aquarium Supply, Aquarium Water, Balanced Diet, Brine Shrimps, Daphnia, Different Species Of Fish, Different Types Of Fish, Dry Fish Food, Feeder Fish, Fish, Fish Feeder, Fish Flakes, Fish Products, Mosquito Larvae, Nutritional Diet, Predatory Fish, Small Fish, Species Of Fish, Types Of Fish, Vitamins And Minerals, Water Flea

It must make any aquarium enthusiast cringe, having to feed his fish every day in the same water that they swim in, breathe in and release their bodily wastes in. If it were not for reasons of yuckiness that that such a situation could not be allowed, it would certainly be objectionable for the way this would poison the water and make it incapable of sustaining aquatic life. How do you treat your fish to a better life then? If the fish lived in a natural water body, a pond or stream, there would be enough clean water in the system that all the bodily waste would not make a difference; in a closed water body like an aquarium, it comes down to the owner of the aquarium to do something to constantly clean and freshen the water the fish live in, to give them a reasonable standard of living. Aquarium filters are the answer; though there are so many, they can hardly be called one answer.

The empathetic aquarium owner must worry most about the health implications of having his fish swimming around in a weak solution of their own bodily waste. What must all the bacteria and other pathogens in the water do to the fish? Do their eyes sting; do they breathe with difficulty in such a toxic water cocktail? Biological aquarium filters are the solution to such concerns. A biological filter is a unit that encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria inside it. These bacteria subsist on the bodily waste of fish; and they break down the poisonous ammonia in the waste into nitrogen compounds, nitrites and nitrates and these are a great way to take the sting out of the problem.

Under-gravel filters are a great example of biological aquarium filters; they’re not marketed as effectively these days, owing to the fact that they are simple to build, and offer no opportunity for a killer markup, but are very effective. The idea is that the filter is placed under the bed of the aquarium; water is drawn through the gravel over the bed; the gravel filters out a large part of the suspended debris, and the bacteria that live in the gravel take care of the ammonia. The water is drawn down and sent back up after purification by message of an air stone or a powerhead.

One of the best options that modern aquarium filter technology provides is the canister filter. Canister aquarium filters force the water in an aquarium through a variety of filters and cycle the entire contents of an aquarium every hour. The result is a visibly bright and clean and aquarium that manages to be free of most kinds of impurities. A minor drawback to this type of aquarium filter is the way it keeps drawing all the water through its system constantly; this action creates quite a strong current in the tank that can be annoying to some fish.

One of the most satisfying kinds of aquarium filter to use is the sump variety. Basically a sump aquarium filter is a large aquarium-like tank by itself, used exclusively for water purification in the main tank. The sump is sectioned off into three or four areas, each one installed with a different kind of water purification system. These aquarium filters are mostly the domain of experienced do-it-yourselfers; you could have a sump with a compartment for beneficial plants, one for gravel and charcoal purification, and so on. It is easy to be bitten by the purification bug and let it run away with you though. The final test of how successful your attempts are, rests in the health of your fish population. If your veterinarian certifies them to be as healthy as can be, there’s no reason why you should not congratulate yourself on a job well done.

I enjoy blogging about pets and christian books on my interracial romance book reviews website daily.

Technorati Tags: Ammonia, Aquarium, Aquarium Enthusiast, Aquarium Filters, Aquarium Water, Beneficial Bacteria, Better Life, Biological Filter, Bodily Wastes, Clean Water, decorate aquarium, filtering an aquarium, Fish, Fish Tank, Gravel, Health Implications, Markup, Natural Water, Nitrates, Nitrites, Nitrogen Compounds, Pathogens, Toxic Water, Water Body

So you want to get an aquarium. Your first step is to figure out what kind of fish you want. But just how do you choose from the colorful tanks on the wall of your local pet store?

This can be a daunting experience for new fish keepers. Of course, you want fish that appeal to you and have the right ‘look,’ but when selecting fish for your new aquarium, there are three important questions to keep in mind. First, how large will this fish grow? Second, what are the fish’s water quality requirements? Finally, how well will this fish live with the other fish I want?

Some fish will stay small, say an inch or less. These are generally considered community fish. Many fishkeepers select a group of similar community fish to fill their tank. Good choices for tropical community fish include guppies, swordtails, Platies, and dwarf Gourami. When selecting these varieties, choose fish that are about the same size, and avoid mixing different varieties unless you have been advised that they will get along well together. Never purchase just one community fish; they are used to swimming in schools, and will get lonely in your aquarium. A good rule of thumb for this size of fish is one inch of fish for one gallon of aquarium water.

The other kinds of fishes can mature to much bigger sizes, anywhere from 6 inches to several feet. These kinds of fish should be kept solitary for they usually show aggression to other fish that are smaller or weaker. When choosing one of these bigger fish you will need an appropriately sized aquarium. While it is possible to house them in a 10-gallon tank, it must be upgraded to a bigger size once they mature to adult size.

It will be better to just purchase the aquarium that can accommodate their adult size, when you first get your fish. Once you’ve selected the kind of fish you want, find out the maximum size they will grow to, then buy the appropriate aquarium.

There are some varieties of fish that will survive almost any water condition. A popular example of these is the goldfish. They have a reputation for being almost invincible. They will most likely flourish even without lighting or filter, but this is not good aquarium practice.

The slightly more picky tropical fish need a narrower water temperature range, as well as high-quality water. To achieve the water quality these fish need, test your water frequently, use a good filter on the aquarium, and consider products like the EcoBio-Block, which improves your aquarium water quality and reduces maintenance. Some fish need a specific pH, or have other water quality requirements. Be sure to do your research so that the fish you choose have similar water requirements.

The last category of fish includes saltwater or marine varieties. These are tricky to keep, and are best left until you have fishkeeping experience with freshwater fish. In addition to temperature, light, and water quality requirements, you must also keep an eye on the salt levels in the aquarium. These beautiful fish require a lot of work to keep them healthy, and you cannot mix freshwater fish with saltwater varieties.

Lastly, whatever the species you decide on, always remember to buy only those fish that are healthy. Inspect them carefully for uneven scales, irregular growth or injuries. Check also if they have bright eyes and intact fins. They should have healthy appetites and move actively and naturally in the water.

The fish you eventually choose for your aquarium will bring you many happy days of living nature experiences that are guaranteed to reduce your stress and give comfort and beauty to your home or office.

Leonard Boyler has been keeping fish for more than 20 years. His favorite products make aquarium care and maintenance very easy from start up to clearing up cloudy aquariums. To learn more about how to clear up your water and have healthy fish please visit ONEdersave.com.

Technorati Tags: 10 Gallon Tank, Adult Size, Aggression, Aquarium, Aquarium Water, Buy Aquarium, Community Fish, Dwarf Gourami, Fish, Fish Aquarium, Fish Keepers, Kind Of Fish, Kinds Of Fish, Kinds Of Fishes, Maximum Size, New Aquarium, Pet Store, pets, Platies, Rule Of Thumb, Tropical Community, Tropical Fish, Water Quality Requirements

One important thing that a person setting up an aquarium must not overlook is aquarium water testing. When you have arranged the decor in your aquarium and put water in, do not immediately add the fish but instead, let the water stand for several days to let the water settle. Beneficial bacteria in a product like EcoBio-Block will help you to speed up the nitrogen cycle. You can monitor this cycle daily with water quality tests, and add the fish a few at a time. At the start of the cycle, you will see a spike in the ammonia level. This will be followed by a nitrite spike when the beneficial bacteria convert the ammonia into nitrites.

Once you have fish living in your aquarium, test the water daily for the first few weeks as the water adjusts to having fish living in it. After this initial period, test the aquarium water weekly. Although most aquarium supply stores will test it for you, it is much easier to purchase a water test kit and do it yourself at home.

You will be presented at the aquarium supply store with a wide variety of testing kits to choose from. There are basic kits with strips that test important water quality indicators like pH, nitrate, water hardness, ammonia, nitrites and others. The strips change color to indicate the quality of the water.

The basic kits are convenient, but have some drawbacks. They are cheaper but are not very reliable. You can go instead with more complex testing, which involves a test tube. Add also a thermometer to your testing supplies so you can test the water temperature.

The health of your fish depends largely on the quality of the aquarium water. That is why it is essential that you do regular aquarium water testing. You need to add whatever is necessary in order to bring your water level to healthy levels for your fish.

Healthy pH level is around 6 or 7 for most fish, but they will generally tolerate a fairly wide range of pH. Any decor, food or medication added can change the pH level in your aquarium. You can increase or reduce the pH to healthier levels by adding some chemicals. A natural, but much slower approach will be to add driftwood or peat for more acidic water or a lime rock if you want more alkaline.

High ammonia levels are toxic to fish. Nitrite levels too, must be kept as close to zero as possible. What will reduce both will be partial changes of water. An easier way is to add beneficial bacteria. Nitrites will be converted to the less harmful nitrates by the beneficial bacteria.

Even simpler and less trouble is to have a bacteria colony established with the EcoBio-Block which gives long-term, continuous results. The bacteria breaks down ammonia into nitrites and then into safer nitrates. The bacteria live and multiply in the block and disperse into the water, keeping the water clear and healthy.

Aquarium water testing is a very important part of keeping your aquarium environment safe and healthy for your fish.

Leonard Boyler has been keeping fish for more than two decades. The products he likes bestmake aquarium care and maintenance very easy from start up to making your cloudy fish tank clear. To find out more about what you can do to keep your aquarium water clear and healthy for your fish please visit ONEdersave.com.

Technorati Tags: Ammonia Level, Aquarium, Aquarium Store, Aquarium Stores, Aquarium Supply Store, Aquarium Water, Beneficial Bacteria, Fish, Initial Period, Nitrites, Nitrogen Cycle, pets, Ph Level, Setting Up An Aquarium, Test The Water, Test Tube, Water Hardness, Water Level, Water Quality Indicators, Water Quality Tests, Water Temperature, Water Test Kit, Water Testing