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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Having an aquarium means diligence in taking care of the condition of your tank. The fish are susceptible to the most common diseases that can be found in aquariums, if you are not practicing simple cleanliness of water and good feeding processes.

Parasites, bacteria, and fungus will be the main causes of disease in your marine life. If you are not cognizant of the health of the occupants of your tank, then ailments can take control of your tank.

Keeping a tank cleaned at regular intervals is vitally important. Water needs to have the right properties to keep the health of a fish optimum. Not having a proper environment raises the risk of stress to them and that opens the door for aliments to plague their health. Use of preventative products like the EcoBio-Block can help to maintain proper balance and cleaner, clear water which will help with the health of any fish in the tank.

The Marine Whitespot and Marine Velvet Diseases are created by parasites that cause small white dots or larger white velvety patches on the fish. Fish will be scratching on the rocks at the bottom of the tank to mollify the irritation to the body and fins. This illness is highly communicable and works quickly. Without treatment fish will die.

When white tufts of cotton seem to be sticking out of the mouth of your fish it is probable that your fish has contracted a fungal disease. You may also see reddish markings on the sides of their body. This is a deadly and infectious disease and must be treated quickly to prevent spreading and morbidity in the infected.

Bacterial disease can take many forms. One way is patches of red on the body which can actually give the impression of the rotting of the skin of the fish. As with any illness without a proper course of treatment they will not survive.

It is imperative to keep the well-being of your fish on track with deliberate and designated cleanings of the tank. Even more important is the nutrition of fish and keeping the stress level low. Being on top of care in your tank and those that live there will make sure that they remain healthy. To do this it is best to utilize products that keep this fact in mind. One EcoBio-Block in a larger aquarium will keep the water cleaner, meaning less water changes, and giving less stress to fish. Easy-to-use and effective for all types of tanks, you can keep them clean by adding this to your aquarium.

If you find that your fish has contracted any of the above ailments you must separate them as soon as possible giving them a freshwater bath to keep the disease from progressing. It might be necessary to utilize a medication based on copper but you must be sure to not harm the other marine life that might have an aversion to copper.

Responsible tank precautions are important to keeping the most common disease in your aquariums from occurring. Keeping fish relaxed by supporting them with regular water changes, products like EcoBio- Block, good food and adequate temperature will be the best preventative to ailments in your aquarium world.

Are you there to save the fish and make sure they live a healthy fish life? Well, with clear water and less pollution, we all can help fight pollution. Support the clean water and help save the fish that we like to eat and see everyday.

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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.

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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

by Ruby Bayan

As caretaker of the simulated natural environment in your tank, you will have to make sure that your aquarium flora are planted well, and receive adequate light, nutrients, and the constant care and maintenance they need to thrive. This may all seem a bit overwhelming, but once the plants are established, they do not really require much fuss.

Planting Techniques

Once you’ve chosen your assortment of aquatic plants and are ready to introduce them into your tank, be sure you are not also introducing unwanted elements such as snails and tiny predators. Rinse your newly acquired vegetation under clean water and remove damaged or decaying leaves, stems, and roots. Plant them into their designated places gently to minimize bruising.

Rooted plants should be planted into the substrate only up to where their leaves meet the roots. Burying them too deep will cause the stems to rot. If the plant is mature and has a good root system, you can trim off a third of the roots, including the old brownish ones because these are, in effect, dead roots.
Tubers should be planted at an angle, with the shoots just above the substrate; otherwise, the plant will not survive.

Cuttings, which are usually sold in a bunch or cluster, should be separated and planted one by one, and properly spaced out for better growth. Spacing them will also help provide adequate lighting to the bottom leaves. Thrusting clusters into the substrate, or tying them together, will crush the stems and cause them to rot. Trim off a few leaves from the bottom of the stem and sink the stem into the substrate up to its first bottom leaf.

As to the placement of plants in your tank, try to follow some basic principles:

1. Put tall ones, and those that tend to grow tall and thick, at the sides and at the back.
2. Plant short and rosette-type plants in the front and center.
3. Do not use the rooted plants in areas where fish that have a tendency to dig can uproot them. Instead, plant them behind rocks, driftwood, or other dominant decor.

Lighting Considerations

All plants have unique lighting requirements. Some require intense light while some can’t tolerate it. Most aquatic plants require about 10 to 12 hours of light exposure in order to thrive, and very few will continue to flourish if the light source is partially blocked by tall neighboring plants.

Remember that if certain species like the red-leafed and fine-leafed ones need bright light, extending their exposure to regular light (i.e., the standard fluorescent tube that came with the tank) will not suffice. Putting the aquarium by the window so that it will catch the sun’s rays is not a good idea either — too much light will encourage algae growth. The best strategies are to add fluorescent light tubes or install aluminum reflectors behind the light source, and to ensure that the glass cover is always clean so that proper illumination reaches all the plants.

Regular Care and Maintenance

Just as you would diligently check on the health and wellness of your fish, give a little attention to your aquatic plants as well. Here’s a list of things to do:

1. Fertilize. Aquatic plant fertilizers that are rich in nutrients like iron and potassium are available as pellets and in liquid form. Follow the product instructions on the quantity, schedule, and manner of applying these fertilizers. Some substrates are mixed with laterite clay that is specifically beneficial for tank vegetation.
2. Change some of the water. Aquarium plants play an active role in the tank’s nitrogen cycle, but sometimes the water composition degrades into one that is not any longer highly beneficial to plants. This is when your assistance is required — once a week, changing the water (less than 20 percent) helps in refreshing the quality of the environment. Be sure to de-chlorinate and check the temperature of the new water before introducing it into the tank. You may also add fertilizer to the new water if appropriate. If you have an EcoBio-Block in your tank, water changes can be done less frequently.
3. Do regular check-ups. Regular maintenance for plants also includes trimming dead or damaged leaves and branches, propagating by cutting or separating new growth, and removing snails. Some serious aquatic plant enthusiasts introduce CO2 into the tank to boost the plant systems. You can inquire from your vendor about this option.
4. Avoid toxic elements. The standard manner of treating fish ailments is by dropping medication directly into the water. Unfortunately, some fish medications are harmful to plants, affecting leaf coloring, absorption of nutrients, and overall health. Therefore, when medicating fish, transfer them to a tank containing no plants. Also, when using water conditioners and anti-chlorine treatments, never pour them directly on the plants. (Also, remember to take out your EcoBio-Block, medications can be toxic to the beneficial bacteria).

And finally, address warning signs. Be aware of indications of poor maintenance. When environmental conditions are not ideal, you will see the effects on the leaves of the plants themselves. Pale and widely spaced leaf growth in the stems is a sign of poor or insufficient light. Yellowing of the leaves is a sign of lack of nutrients like iron. Blackening of the leaves indicates pollution. Holes or damage indicates the presence of either snails or vegetarian fish. Attend to these distress signs immediately so that your aquarium garden will always be in good health.

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