Aquarium Care

The size of the gravel is a vital piece of the puzzle for your tank. Having the wrong size of gravel can make owning a fish tank a hassle. This can be easily avoided with a few simple steps. The size of the grave usually depends on your tank and fish.

If the gravel is too big, then the food debris will get stuck in the gravel. When the debris gets stuck in the gravel then it makes it difficult to clean the tank. Also if you have fish such as cichlids, then smaller gravel is highly un-suggested. Cichlids move the gravel consistently, and if the gravel is smaller, the easier it is to move. The bigger gravel makes it a lot harder for the cichlids to dig in.

The drawback to having big gravel is that if you have smaller fish they can get stuck under the rocks. The bigger gravel is easier to clean; buy can grow a lot of algae on because of the surface area. Smaller gravel can get sucked into the filters and clog the filters.

My advice is to analyze the situation. If you have fish that like to dig a lot then I would suggest bigger gravel. If you have smaller fish I would suggest smaller gravel. If you have a range of fish than I would suggest medium gravel.

My advice is to analyze the situation. If you have fish that like to dig a lot then I would suggest bigger gravel. If you have smaller fish I would suggest smaller gravel. If you have a range of fish than I would suggest medium gravel.

Gravel sizing is simple; a few steps can save you a lot of effort. You only need to ask yourself a few questions. What kind of fish do I have? What size of fish do I have? What kind of algae problems do I have? Is cleaning a tank hard for me? What kind of decor do I have? If you ask all these questions then the gravel you purchase will be perfect for your tank.

Roshan Goodman shows you how to maintain aquariums an also gives tips on aquarium gravel.

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Hagen CatIt Fresh and Clear Small Drinking Fountain for Cats

64 oz. capacity. Small water fountain provides clean, filtered, great tasting water for your cat or small dog. Provide an indoor source of moving water that will encourage your pet to drink more with the CatIt Fresh & Clear Small Drinking Fountain. The large water-to-air surface area maximizes oxygenation for fresher, better tasting water. Water is cooled and aerated by the re-circulating system while the multi-stage filtration consisting of a dual-sided foam and activated carbon filter rids your pet’s water of debris and impurities. Also suitable for small dogs. dog water fountain bowl

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Eeek ruined my wood floor
This product was not a very good one. I gave it 1 star because I was required to give it at least 1, but it didn’t earn 1 star. It worked well for about a month, maybe two, and then it began to leak. It leaked all over our wood floor. Obviously we should have had the product on a mat instead of directly on the floor, but even with a mat the fountain shouldn’t leak. One other drawback of the fountain that I didn’t think of until it was too late was it you have a power outage remember to provide your cat with an alternative source of water. I returned this and bought another product, large pet store chain brand model.

1 Star Always always leaks!
It is impossible to fill this fountain without water leaking out all over. There is a red indicator on it but water leaks when I try to fill it regardless of the location of the indicator. I am very disappointed with this fountain and strongly advise AGAINST purchasing this product.

5 Stars PURRFECT FOR US!!
This is the 3rd fountain “we” are trying. The first 2 my cats wouldn’t drink from. One was the Petmate and the other was the original Catit fresh and clear fountain. It all depends on the cat, of course, which one THEY like. Most cats appear to enjoy drinking from dripping water, ie. the faucet, etc. Mine do not. So if I offer them a fountain where the water is flowing, forget it. That being said, they took to this fountain right away. Both cats have always drank from bowls. One cat likes hers elevated, the other prefers to lay on the floor with a ground level bowl. I want to know that they are enjoying drinking as much as possible, and that the water is always fresh. Hence my quest for an automatic fountain. The pluses of this one> It is elevated !!! which is the healthiest way for an animal to eat/drink. No, it doesn’t mimic dripping water like a faucet. My cats wouldn’t drink from it if it did. It does attract a bit of interest….the middle bubbles a little. Not so much as to scare off even the most skiddish feline. It is very quiet if filled correctly. And, for me, I don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how to assemble or clean it. This is EXTREMELY easy. I have not had one leak. After I put it flat on the floor, I fill it slowly till the water almost reaches the rim. PLEASE REMEMBER that you MUST keep an extra bowl of water available at all times! As noted, the cats won’t be able to drink from this if the power goes out. We are all very very pleased with this purchase! ~>^..^< ~"

3 Stars Hums
It took a couple of months for Elmo to bother with his new water dispenser; guess he wasn’t sure what to make of it or was bothered by the hum. He drinks from it now, but not as often as he did from his water bowl. Not sure why. Note - you must pour water in almost everyday as it does evaporate. Either that, or Elmo is drinking more water from it than we think he is. The hum, we got use to.

5 Stars Great Water Bowl!!!
This water fountain is exactly what I needed. I have one large cat that drinks a lot of water. So I used to have one of those standard bowls, which was basically a bottle upside down attached to the bowl so I could fill it maybe once a week without worrying about it. But the problem with those is that water gets stagnant and bacteria starts to build up in the bowl and can make the cat sick. So I started looking for a flow water bowl and the ones I found started at $50, but I’m on a budget so luckily I came across this bowl which is half the price. This bowl makes sure the water is clean and fresh; no more yucky buildup.

I had read some of the other reviews about the bowl leaking, but I have had this bowl for about 3 weeks now and no leakage has occured. You can hear a slight buzzing noise, which is the pump running. But it is only noticable if it is completely quiet in the room, which for me is very rarely. It was super easy to assemble and even easier to use, just pour the water in the resevoir and leave it alone. I have to fill it up maybe 2 or 3 times a week because if the water gets too low the unit will make a gurgling sound, so you will have to check it to make sure there is enough water. All in all this drinking fountain is worth every penny. I love it and most importantly my cat loves it too.

Buy/More Info

Technorati Tags: Activated Carbon Filter, Drawback, Drinking Fountain, Dripping Water, Great Tasting Water, Hagen, Impurities, Model 1, Moving Water, Pet Store, Petmate, Power Outage, Small Dogs, Source Of Water, Stage Filtration, Surface Area, Water Fountain, Water Leaks, Water Water, Wood Floor