Aquarium Care

Fishkeeping can be an interesting hobby, and knowing how to clean your aquarium can help keep it looking great. It can also keep your fish and other tank inhabitants healthy.

Many inexperienced fish keepers make the mistake of thinking that cleaning the tank involves removing all of the water and inhabitants, cleaning it, and then replacing everything. This is completely wrong and can result in problems like fish loss and a cloudy tank. The cloudiness is usually from overfeeding. It is often seen as a reason to clean the tank again, or add chemicals, but it is a natural part of any tank and will disappear once the proper balance has been reached.

If you have made this mistake with your tank, or even if your aquarium is well established, you can ensure there are always sufficient bacteria by adding an EcoBio-Block. This volcanic rock is filled with bacteria, and when positioned in the tank near the filter output or by an air stone, the bacteria will begin to reproduce and populate your tank keeping your tank clear and healthy.

The first cleaning step is to unplug the filter and any air pumps you have running. Next, remove algae that may have accumulated on the sides. This can be accomplished by using an algae scraper, available in pet stores, or by using a new, clean sponge that has never been used for any other purpose. Once this is done, the water will appear cloudy, but that is okay, this will disappear in a short while.

If plants and tank decorations are very dirty, they can be removed and cleaned with a tooth brush, but this is not necessary if they do not have a build up.

Using a tank siphon, insert one end in the gravel, and run the other end into a bucket that is clean, chemical free, and preferably only for tank cleaning. Gently probe the gravel, and you will notice debris flowing through the tubing and into the bucket. Remember to move quickly as you do not want to remove too much water. Also ensure that no fish end up in the bucket as you clean. This dirty water can be discarded or it is wonderful fertilizer for your plants.

Next, take the lid off the external filter if this is the type of filtration system used, and lightly rinse away any accumulated debris. You can use a toothbrush to clean the tubes that protrude into the water, as they may have collected a film. Never clean the filter entirely, and don’t replace all of the filter media at the same time. Many of the beneficial bacteria in your tank live in the filter and will be removed if you clean it too thoroughly. Always follow the instructions on carbon packs, sponges and other filter components when replacing them as some may need to be rinsed before use, others may not.

You will now need to replace the water you have removed. Ensure that you treat tap water with a product that can remove chlorine and chloramine in the water, as these will kill your tank inhabitants. Mix the chemical with water that is the same temperature as the tank water, and gently pour it into the tank. Do not pour too quickly as it may disturb decorations and plants, or harm fish.

Ensure that your tank stays clean by performing this whenever necessary, and reduce your cleaning tasks by adding an EcoBio-Block to help keep beneficial bacteria at optimum levels. Cleaning your fish tank is easy, once you know what you are doing.

Get the exclusive inside scoop on how to clean your aquarium quickly and effectively now in our aquarium care and clear water review.

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Cloudy aquarium water is disgusting to look at, dangerous for the fish to live in, and may even smell bad. What kinds of cloudy water are there and why does it happen in the first place? How do you get rid of cloudy water permanently?

There are four types of cloudy water: green, yellow, brown and white. Each comes from a different cause.

Green Cloudy Water

When a tank has too much decaying material, things like fish waste or uneaten fish food, this sets the stage for waking up to green water in your aquarium one morning. The decomposition creates nitrites. The nitrites are blue-green algae’s favorite food. Cloudy green water is created by an algae bloom.

Yellow Cloudy Water

Occasionally an aquarium owner will notice that the water has turned yellow. This can be caused by driftwood secreting tannin into the water. It can also be caused by dead plant decay or a build-up of fish waste.

Cloudy Brown Water

You may notice brown water in your tank. This is caused by brown algae overgrowth. This overgrowth is due to a lack of light in the tank.

White Cloudy Water

New aquariums may develop white, cloudy water. This is due to a bacterial bloom caused by the imbalance of bacteria and nutrients in the water. Another cause for white or grey cloudy water is dust from the aquarium decorations or gravel settling to the bottom of the tank. This is most often seen when a tank is brand new, even before fish have been put in. Be sure to rinse any new decorations prior to adding them to the tank. Gravel should be vacuumed occasionally to keep waste and uneaten food from accumulating.

Getting Rid Of Cloudy Water

To avoid getting most cases of cloudy water in the first place, it is very important that you not overfeed your fish. Fish eat whenever food is presented, so should be fed twice a day an amount that they can eat within 1-2 minutes. Use a net to take uneaten food out of the tank if it has not been eaten quickly.

A very simple way to clear cloudy water forever is by placing EcoBio-Block in the tank. EcoBio-Block will completely clear cloudy water without using chemicals and it will keep the water clean and odor-free.

Each piece of volcanic rock has live bacteria living within it. As they multiply, they disperse into the water. These bacteria are beneficial to the tank’s environment, breaking down nitrites from the waste products in the water, maintaining clear water and clearing cloudy aquarium water. One EcoBio-Block will last about two years. Aquariums with this product will need fewer water changes and generally be much less difficult to maintain. For a totally natural way to ensure the health of your fish tank, this product is really a must.

Long time aquarium keeper, Leonard Boyler’s favorite products make aquarium care and maintenance really easy from start up to clarifying your cloudy fish tank. To learn more about keeping your aquarium water clear and your fish healthy, please visit ONEdersave.com.

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So you want to set up a fish tank, well the first thing that I will tell you is that you have to be patient and should not jump right into putting fish in your tank. In this article I will be explaining all of the steps to setting up a fish tank for tropical fish only.

Before you go out and start buying aquarium equipment determine what kind of fish that you will want to put in there and how many. This is necessary as you will need to know what size tank to get, if you are on a budget you will have to work with it. The general rule is for small to medium fish is 1 inch per one gallon of water.

Some of the things you will need to set up a tropical fish tank will consist of the aquarium itself, a stand for the aquarium, filter pump, heater pump, thermometer, water conditioner, bacteria supplement. Some other additional options you can add to your fish tank would be a lamp, decorations and wall paper for the back of the fish tank.

Find a space in your home that you want to set up the fish tank at. This should be somewhere that is not in the way and make sure you are happy with the spot because moving a tank can be a pain once you have fish in it.

The next thing that I would do is make sure that there are no leaks in the fish tank. Fill up the tank with water to the top, and just let it sit there for about a day, more if you want. Once that day is up check the surrounding area for any signs of water, once you know your tank is not leaking you can empty it.

While you are leak testing your aquarium you can start filling up jugs of tap water. Mix the tap water with water conditioner as fish do not like plain tap water. I also add bacteria supplement to the water also. Make sure you follow the directions on the water conditioner bottle exactly.

Next you can start setting up the interior of the tank with decorations and gravel while the tank is still empty. It is very critical that you was anything that you put into the tank very well, even if it is brand new. There will still be dust and dirt on the gravel so make sure that it is rinsed with water before putting it into your aquarium.

Once you have it decorated set up the rest of the equipment, the filter pump, the heater, overhead light, etc. Start adding all of the pre-treated water into the tank, once you have it to the top turn on your filter pump and heater. Let the water cycle for about a week before adding fish, make sure the water temperature supports the fish you want.

Let the fish tank cycle the water for at least one week. After that one week you can add a couple of fish to get the tanks ecosystem in action, but do not add anymore fish for at least 5 weeks. Be patient and your fish will be healthy and live for a long time.

The author has been putting together aquariums of all types for many years and has great knowledge on aquariums. You can visit his store if you need to purchase a home aquarium. aquariums For Sale

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