Learn About Aquariums

Keeping tropical fish is a fascinating hobby that has been enjoyed for centuries in different parts of the world. The Romans kept live anemones in saltwater jars, but never succeeded in keeping these beautiful creatures alive for any longer period of time in captivity. They were however much more successful with keeping eels in aquariums, and some sources claim that certain types of eels reached an age of up to 60 years when kept by the Romans. In South East Asia, the first fish keepers had their fish in ponds, not in aquariums. The first domesticated species were probably carps and all of today’s fancy goldfish types actually hail from a wild carp that can still be found in Asian rivers and streams.

If you want your fish to thrive like the Asian carps instead of quickly vanish like the Roman anemones, it is important that you take the time to learn the basics about fish keeping and aquarium maintenance before you set up your first aquarium. By obtaining the basic information before you go about, you will save yourself a lot of time, money and effort in the long run since you will be able to avoid the common beginner mistakes. One common beginner mistake is for instance to purchase a very small aquarium, thinking that a large one is much more difficult to manage. The truth is however that the mega-sized show aquariums that you can see in your fish store are easier to maintain than your tiny 5 gallon tank. In a small aquarium, there will be a very little amount of water. If a fish dies in a large aquarium, the pollution will be diluted by gallons and gallons of water. If a fish dies in your 5 gallon aquarium, the carcass may very well pollute your entire tank before you even notice the demise and remove the body from the water. I therefore recommend the beginner aquarist to choose at least a 10 gallon aquarium, and a 30 gallon aquarium is ideal. Avoid extraordinary deep aquariums since they are more difficult to clean. A very deep aquarium can also become a problem if you want to introduce plants to your aquarium, since you might have to install extra strong lights that are capable of penetrating the deep water all the way down to the plants at the bottom of the aquarium.

Filling up your aquarium with water and then promptly add all your fish at once is extremely unadvisable since the aquarium is ready to accommodate that many fishes. An aquarium is actually a miniature ecosystem and fish is not the only thing inhabiting it. Your fish will produce plenty of waste products (chiefly fish poop) that will eventually begin to build up in the aquarium. It is naturally not very healthy for fish to swim around in there own feces, but fortunately enough there exists a certain type of bacteria that can convert waste products from fish into compounds that are less unhealthy. Fish poop contains a high level of ammonia, and ammonia is also excreted via the gills of your fish. Ammonia is harmful to fish and also can turn extremely poisonous if your aquarium experience a sudden change in water chemistry that pushes the pH level above 7.5. If you allow populations of suitable bacteria to establish in your aquarium before you introduce all your fish, the bacteria will convert the ammonia into nitrite. Nitrate is also very unhealthy and high levels of nitrite will kill your fish, but fortunately enough there is another type of bacteria that will love to live in your aquarium and that will change the nitrite into a less harmful compound – nitrate. Nitrate is less dangerous than ammonia and nitrite, but high levels of nitrate will be unhealthy for your fish. There are unfortunately no beneficial bacteria to aid you here, and you must instead remove the nitrate by performing regular water changes. Changing 25 percent of the water once a week is a good rule of thumb, but some aquariums require more frequent water changes. When you are trying to establish your new aquarium or if you are experiencing problems with the water quality, smaller and more frequent water changes are advisable.

About the author:

It is good to read a book of two about aquarium keeping before getting your first aquarium and i would therefore like to recommend a good free book about tropical fish available for download named Tropical fish – A Beginners guide which you find by clicking the book name and is available for free download at AC tropical fish

Written By: William Berg

Most children are fascinated with animals and want a dog, a cat, two birds, a horse and some fish. But are fish and aquariums suitable for children. The answer to this question is to a very high degree depending on how old your child is. Children under 12-14 years are not suitable to keep an aquarium by themselves and will need help from their parents or some other adult to maintain their aquariums. The child can take care of the daily care such as the feeding of the fish. They will however require help with larger undertakings such as changing the water in the aquarium and cleaning the electrical equipment.

Small children under 5-7 years of age should not be entrusted with the care of any animal including fish. This is not to say that small animals shouldn’t have pets but rather to say that the parents understand that the pet is their responsibility and not the child’s. A child in this age group can benefit a lot from being allowed to interact with animal, se fish swim and feed the fish but is not ready to care for the animal themselves. As an example can be said that children off this age group only should be allowed to feed the fish when a parent is present. It isn’t an uncommon event that children tries to be kind to the fish by feeding them the entire can of fish food causing a biological disaster, and if not discovered and corrected the death of all the fish in the aquarium within a matter of hours.

Small children under 5-7 years should never be allowed to change water in the aquarium or work with the electric equipment used in the aquarium due to the risk of injury.

Some parents might think that a fish is a good pet for a child since it require less care than say a dog and are cheaper. This is only partly true. A fish requires good care to remain healthy and the parents should expect that they will have to do a certain amount of work to keep their child’s fish alive and healthy. True it didn’t cost that much but it is still a living thing and does as such deserve to be threaded with care. Expect that an aquarium will require 5 minutes of your time each day for daily care and an hour each week for partial water changes etc.

Remember that a small aquarium requires more work than a large one. You should therefore never buy a small goldfish bowl or other small aquarium for your child. It might seem easier but requires a lot more work and only experienced aquarists should keep fish in small aquariums. I recommend an aquarium of at least 25-30 gallon (around 100 L) as a first aquarium for your child. Anything smaller will give you a lot of extra work and most likely more dead fish. A little larger aquarium also allows you the luxury to choose between more fish for your aquarium. So what fish should you choose to your child?

Some fish species are more suitable than others for children. First of, a child should never be allowed to keep toxic or otherwise potentially harmful fish species. Secondly the fish should be hardy enough to be easy to take care of, accept flake food and other easily storable foods and be calm enough not to be stressed by the children playing near the aquarium, tapping on the glass etc. Suitable fish includes many livebearers, barbs and tetras. Always buy fish that are suitable for you aquarium and don’t just let your child by the fish he think is most beautiful, coolest or otherwise most appealing without considering their demands.

And don’t forget that you as a parent have to do your research so that you know how to take care of an aquarium before letting your child get one. It might be your child that is getting an aquarium but you are getting the responsibility.

About the author:

You can read everything you need to know about setting up and caring for an aquarium at AC Tropical Fish & Aquarium . AC Tropical Fish & Aquarium features a large amount of articles containing info on all aspects of aquarium keeping from setting up the aquarium, to diseases and fish breeding. Visit the Aquarium article archive now

Written By: William berg

If anyone else has been a keen aquarist as long as I have then I am sure by now that a few mistakes have been made when choosing the right fish for the tank.

In the early days I was much too eager to buy the fish and shove them in the tank without any consideration to how the fish would interact with each other. As far as I was to know all fish would get along ‘swimmingly’. Definitely not the case!

Unfortunately rushing to the pet store and picking out the prettiest, most colourful and interesting looking tropical fish is not the best way to stock the tank.

Instead consider this; if you were to buy a house what do you look for. First of all you look the house over, does it have what you need for your family, what about the location, does the area look inviting? Is there a decent school for your children and a park for them to play in? Does the property have a garden and all the niceties you imagined when deciding to purchase a house? Now what about your neighbours? You are not going to want to live next door to an undesirable character are you? It is very much the same for your fish, their needs are all different, and characters unique. It is important to know that your fish will be able to tolerate other fish species.

Before even setting up your tank decide what kind of fish you are going to keep, some people don’t have much time on their hands and so low maintenance cold or easy to manage tropical fish are the best ways to go, for those with much more time and a higher level of commitment there are many varied species to chose from, including the easiest to care for fresh water fish to beautiful and fascinating marine fish.

Research your fish well, visit your nearest aquarium centre and ask advice. There are a vast number of web sites from enthusiasts including myself, right through to the professional aquarists who are always willing to assist.

You will need to find out firstly what environment the fish need, for example a tank with lots of planting or a rockery with many hidey holes for fish to escape or deep open water with lots of swimming space. Remember also that the aquarium is for your enjoyment, so if you want to be able to watch your fish swim about then maybe fish who like to hide in rocks may not be your ideal choice. Consider all the options from the needs of the fish right down to your own needs.

A community tank is a good all round choice as long as you ensure you research well. Remember that certain breads of fish like to nibble long flowing tails; some fish can be aggressive towards smaller or weaker breeds of fish. Also remember that fish grow, do not go for a fish that will outgrow the tank within a short period of time. You need to be able to accommodate your fish’s needs at all times not just in the set up stages.

I have found the best method is to go along to an aquarium centre and see the livestock in the flesh, there are always wonderful varieties on show and an expert on hand to answer any questions. Ask lots of them, a professional dealer who knows, understands and values the need for setting up the aquarium and stocking it correctly will accept as many questions as you wish to put forward, will answer them and readily offer any help and guidance. If he/she is the kind that is only after your money and does not care about what equipment or combination of fish you buy, then find another who knows his/her stuff.

When a tank is fully stocked with compatible fish, the aquarium will provide hours of entertainment, provide a focal point to your living area as well as provide all of the essentials the fish needs to survive including good neighbours.

About the author:

Cerianwen is a keen aquarist with many years experience in fish keeping. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.

Written By: Cerianwen Ball

Any new aquarium tank should first be given a thorough test to ensure that it is watertight. If after 12 hours there are no leaks, it may be emptied and placed in its final position. Now all is ready to set up the aquarium, for this work we shall require various items such as sand, rocks etc. These will be death with in order. For making a bottom soil, you need, first of all some sand, the most suitable is called 1/16th grade and it is about the size of the average pin-head:

The gravel to be used must also be graded; that is, the gram must be of uniform size. Sand and gravel’s sold in aquarium supply stores are always graded, but if you buy elsewhere they may nor be. Gravel grains 2-5mm work best.

If you use nothing, but sand, it must be well washed-in buckets, under running water until no more dirt or foam comes to the surface – and spared out on the bottom of the tank in a layer running from 3- 6cm thick sloping upwards from front to back. If you decide to mix the sand with gravel to make at least a layer 6cm deep on top of the subgravel filter since less than this amount reduces the filtering capacity of the tank.

Your tank is the basic element, and is of the most important in building an aquarium. The size of the tank depends on the number and size of fish you plan to have in it. That is why proper planning is quite essential when you want to set up aquarium.

But then it is important to make it as big as you can afford. By all means avoid a globe tank as much as possible. Rectangle shape is always good because of various reasons you will discover later.

Option 1: You can buy ready made glass tanks already sealed professionally set up aquarium tank at any aquarium store.

Option 2: Buy ready-made plastic models through distributors or mould-extrusion manufacturers and put your aquarium tank together yourself. Below are the tools you need and the steps you need to take to set up completely new aquarium tank:

Tools:

- Sheet of glass (4mm to 12mm) – Silicone sealant (clear and transparent) – Silicone gun or (syringe) – Dulling stove – Tape rule – Sheet of paper, ruler, pencil and eraser – napkin (x2) – newspaper – hand glove (rubber type) – methylated spirit – blade – knife – toilet soap and soap case – masking tape – flat bench (made with plywood) – 1/4 flash – water and siphon hose – buckets (x2) – polythese sheet about the size of the table

Other than that, I’ll give you my 12 essential aquarium tips below is a great start on your way to having a beautiful aquarium full of happy and health fish that you can be proud of:

1. Location of the tank in a spot which is draft free and has a moderate amount of light for 8 to 10 hours. This will ensure the safety of the tank and the inhabitants.

2. Location of the aquarium tank where water spillage a day will do no damage, at a height convenient for working, and in a place where it will not have to be moved.

3. Proper sand gravel (not too large, not too fine).

4. Conditioned water – free of chlorine, dirt, excess hardness, excess acidity, or excess alkalinity. Hard, acidic, dirty water is not suitable for an aquarium. It will make life uncomfortable for fish and leads to constant fish death.

5. Availability of plants properly place is highly essential.

6. Proper, even temperature for the fish species.

7. Decoration and furnishing if you desire them.

8. Aeration to supply additional oxygen.

9. Filtration to remove excesses waste products.

10. Fish which will live peacefully together.

11. Food to keep them health.

12. Kits and utensils to make maintenance easy.

For more great aquarium related articles and resources check out http://fishtanks.aquariumspot.com

About the Author

For more great aquarium related articles and resources check out http://fishtanks.aquariumspot.com

Written By: Nathan Miller

Keeping tropical fish and aquariums has become a growing and fascinating hobby in every country of the world. More and more people in today’s world of fashion are looking for ways to better create beauty with different hobbies. Aquariums are therefore becoming a growing habit and some beginners make the mistake of jumping into this ‘habit’ without any knowledge of the fundamentals of fish keeping.

Like any new venture, if you want your fish keeping efforts to thrive and bring you fulfilment, it is very important that you take the time to learn the basics of aquarium maintenance and fish keeping before jumping into that venture. You will find some of the basic information about aquarium maintenance and other tips in this article.

To start with, most beginners believe that it is better and easier to start with a small aquarium than a larger size aquarium. Interestingly, the opposite is the case here. In most cases, those medium sized or large size aquariums are better and easier to maintain for several reasons.

Your small aquarium contains a limited amount of water, unlike the fish’s natural habitat. It should be realized that the closer your aquarium is to the natural habitat of the fish you want to keep, the better their chances of survival and thus your success. For instance, any form of pollution, say the death of a fish, is likely to cause more damage faster in a small aquarium, than in a large aquarium with a greater volume of water. The volume of water which a medium sized or large aquarium can contain is a major advantage and it will work for your good, minimizing the effects of some sorts of mistakes you are bound to make, as a beginner and creating a better environment for your fish.

Another mistake beginners to aquariums and fish keeping make is the speed with which they fill their aquariums with water and introduce the fish into the water, after all, they’ve been told the water and aquarium can contain that amount of fish. But you should realize herethat what you are creating in your aquarium is a similitude of the aquatic ecosystem i.e the natural habitat of the fish you are going to keep. It is a nice idea to ask yourself, therefore, if the fish you are introducing into your aquarium live alone in their natural habitat? The obvious answer is NO! These fish live amidst many bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms, not to mention the plant life and other water creatures.

Therefore, it is advisable to allow your water to grow some of these beneficial co-habitants of water life before you start introducing your fish into the water. There are several bacteria that are beneficial to fish and other aquatic life. Your fish produce a lot of fish waste especially fish poop. This waste pollutes the water and makes it unhealthy for your fish. The chief constituent of fish waste is ammonia, which is also excreted through fish gills. But if you allow the normal ecosystem to build up in your aquarium, you will have fewer problems with this waste. Bacteria exists in water that can convert the ammonia from fish waste into a less harmful compound called nitrite. Nitrite isn’t completely harmless, but there is another group of bacteria that can convert nitrite too, to nitrate, which is far less harmful compared with ammonia and nitrite.

As a beginner, you must also learn to change the water in your aquarium regularly. On average, changing 25% of the water weekly is regarded as normal. But if you are just starting your aquarium or the quality of water is not satisfactory, a more frequent but smaller water changing procedure could be followed.

About the author:

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Aquariums

Written By: Michael Russell

Aquarium tank fish death is one of the common challenges faced by aquarists. There are number of factors that could be responsible for the deaths experienced. These are outlined briefly below:

- The aquarist selection of fish.
- The removal and packing of the fish from the pet shop
- Transport time and period and the handling of the fish in transit
- Quarantine procedure.
- Adjustment and adaptation into the new community or environment by the new fish.

When buying fish from the pet shop always spend some time at the place to inquire about the life history and habits of the new purchase. You can then make a selection from collection of the same species. Never buy the last specimen in reserve at any shop because if it had been a good specimen, you would not have met it there in the first instance.

Always form the habit of making your fish purchase during the cool periods of the day, preferably before 12 noon or after 4.30pm.

These are the only periods I can guarantee for fish comfort. This restriction is borne out of my observation that most pet shops and aquarists alike do not seem to care about insulation of the fish against temperature fluctuations after gassing them in a polythene.

When making your fish selection from the pet shop be sure the attendant has the expertise to pick fish out from a selection. This you can know through the swiftness with which your choice fish is removed out of the selection.

Reject a fish that has been chased around, gasping for breath… It is week already! Chances are that it gives up with the further stress that accompanies the transportation of the fish.

Make sure that your new purchase is quarantined. That’s a single factor that affects fish survival as pets.

Another thing to watch out for in a newly installed tank is the quantity of food: very little of this should be given during the fist three weeks. Mind you! I am not suggesting that you should not give them food at all, because without food, no bacterial flora forms. The food supply to the bacteria should be increased only very gradually.

Fish keepers with old functional aquariums should avoid general cleaning that is washing of sand/gravel, scrubbing of tank wall and complete water changes so as not to disturb the bacterial flora.

When you have to service, it should just be the removal of the mulm and dead leaves sufficient to ensure adequate flow through the filter and no more. The bad habit of replacing the entire filter material or the soiled part with fresh materials is detrimental to fish life. Most bacterial live in the sludge at the bottom of the tank, so don’t throw them away.

Many pet shops that operate a house-to-house maintenance routine on aquariums are used to the habit of complete overhaul which invariably lead to fish death. I have met many people who have said, “I used to service my tank myself. On close scrutiny I discovered that he indulge in the unforgivable habit of washing the aquarium with detergents!

In real life situation, no one can attest to having experienced a complete overhaul of a river bed. The only thing that happens during heavy rains or flood is the partial/complete change of the water body. The bed, sand and gravel components get cleaned but not overhauled.

This is nature’s method of ‘servicing’ the fish’s natural environment. So why don’t we all adopt nature’s method. Professional aquatic pet dealers service aquariums in the same way, and to the committed aquarist, I will advice you to do this yourself!

About the author:
For more great aquarium related articles and resources check out http://aquariumfish.aquariumspot.com

Written By: John Morris

It is a well known fact that feeding live food to your fishes will help them to grow better, show better coloration, and improve vigor. Fish love a variety of foods, and live foods are more closely related to what they feed on in their natural habitat. Although raising live foods can take up a small amount of space, and a bit of your time, the results in seeing your fish thrive are well worth it! Vinegar eels are basically fry food, and very easy to grow. They are not really eels, but are classified as a minute nematode worm (Turbatrix aceti. and feed on vinegar or acidic, fermenting vegetable matter. These tiny roundworms are bilaterally symmetrical, approximately .08 in. (2 mm) long, and lives for around 10 months with a minimum effort of care.

To cultivate, fill a gallon jar with a quart of undistilled apple cider vinegar, a quart and a half of aged cool tap water, and an apple cut into 6 sections. If your water is typically hard, increase the apple cider vinegar to a 60% ratio. Introduce your vinegar eel culture to the container, and cover with a piece of cloth, held in place by a rubber band to keep flies out of the culture.

The media will need to be replenished about once a month, due to some evaporation and loss from harvesting the eels.

Culturing the eels is very low maintenance, as they have no temperature requirements and a long life span. One consideration is odor, for the apple cider vinegar will smell a bit like a winery, and some may find it objectionable!

Be patient with the culture, as it may take up to a month for the culture to be strong enough to see the eels in large numbers. When you are able to see them in quantity, it is time to harvest and feed to your fishes.

Harvesting vinegar eels is perhaps the most challenging part of the whole process. The easiest way to accomplish this is to draw the eel laden fluid up with a small baster, such as is used for basting chicken or turkey. Transfer this liquid into a funnel lined with a coffee filter placed over the opening of the culture jar to return the excess fluid to the container. When you feel that you have harvested enough for a feeding, gently rinse the coffee filter under a stream of cold fresh water for several minutes. Swish the inverted filter in your tank, and feed the fishes. If feeding several tanks, swish the filter in a beaker of water, and feed the eels using an eyedropper.

Vinegar eels will stay near the surface of the water, so aren’t good food for bottom feeders. Surface feeders such as rainbowfish will benefit greatly from feeding vinegar eels, but a lot of cichlid fry are bottom feeders. This is why a variety of live foods is important to feeding fry.

If you do not feed vinegar eels on a regular basis, don’t worry. The culture will keep indefinitely for a year with little care needed. A couple of times per year, thin out the culture by using a coffee filter and funnel, remove about half the media, and replace with fresh media in the proper ratio. You can then gift a fellow aquarist with the culture to begin a vinegar eel colony of their own.

About the Author

Alden Smith is a published author who has been marketing on the internet for over 7 years. His website, http://www.kingdiscus.com, is a resource for articles, software and information on the tropical fish hobby. Visit his website for more information on live foods, tracking software, and articles on the tropical fish hobby, especially if interested in raising discus fish. Weekly articles are posted, along with updates for Fish Minder software.

Written By: Alden Smith

Lungfish can survive in poorly aerated waters since they have lungs which make its possible for them to obtain oxygen directly from the air. The lungs are related to those in primitive amphibian animals. Today, there are six known Lungfish species in world, but they used to be much more common. Lungfish have been around since the Lower Devonian era and during earlier stages of the planets history there existed much more than six lungfish species. Those species that have survived have changed little since the Lower Devonian age. The Australian lungfish have for instance looked pretty much the same during the last 100 million years.

Today, you will find wild Lungfish in Africa, South America and Australia. The African and South American Lungfish species all belong to the family Lepidosirenidae, while the Australian Lungfish has its own family – the Ceratodidae. As mentioned earlier, all Lungfish species are capable of breathing oxygen from the air. Other shared features are their large, elongated and snakelike bodies. They are also predators and will eat pretty much anything that they manage to catch. Fish is their staple food, but they will happily also gulp down crustaceans, larger insects and other aquatic creatures. They are very robust and can survive in waters shunned by most other fish species. If you want to keep Lungfish in your aquarium you should however avoid the highest pH-values. Before you buy a Lungfish for your aquarium should consider their size. The largest Lungfish is one of the African lungfish species, a fish which can reach a maximal size of 2 metres / 6 feet which makes it unsuitable for hobbyist aquariums. Even the smaller Lungfish species grow very large and should only be housed in huge tanks.

In Africa, you will find four different Lungfish species. Protopterus annectens is the most popular species among aquarists. The three other ones are Protopterus aethiopicus, Protopterus amphibious and Protopterus dolloi. You should never get an African lungfish unless your aquarium is very large, since they grow rapidly. As long as you can provide them with enough space, they are however though fishes that will tolerate a wide range of water conditions. They will eat all sorts of food. Even though they are predatory fish, it is not very hard to make them accept dry and frozen foods. When kept on a diet of prepared food they will still appreciate occasional live treats. This means that your African lungfish should ideally be housed alone since it will happily devour any tank mates. If the other fish is too large to swallow, the African lungfish will simply bite chunks out of it until it is fully consumed.

On the South American continent you will only find one Lungfish, Lepidosiren paradoxa. This Lungfish can also be kept in aquariums and its requirements are very similar to the African lungfish species. Just like its African cousins, it must be given plenty of room. Lepidosiren paradoxa can reach a maximal size of 1.2 meters / 4 feet.

The Australian Lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri, can also be kept in aquariums but you should be aware of the fact that they are CITES listed. You are only allowed to by Australian Lungfish from licensed breeders and if you live anywhere outside Australia it can be hard to get exportation and importation licenses. The Australian Lungfish is also known as Queensland Lungfish.

About the author:

Read more about different species of lungfish like the South american lungfish or ask questions about lungfish in our predatory fish forum .

Written By: William Berg

The Clown Loach is a popular fish in tropical aquariums since it is very beautiful and not too difficult to keep. Its scientific name is Botia macracanthus and it is therefore also known as Botia fish. When you buy a loach it will typically need at least a 100 liter / 20 gallon aquarium to do well. They are usually sold when quite young and will therefore grow larger and larger as they mature. A fully grown Clown Loach will need a 540 liter / 125 gallon aquarium or larger.

Wild Clown Loaches inhabit densely grown waters in Indonesia and will therefore appreciate a planted aquarium or an aquarium with plenty of rocks and caves which the Clown Loach can hide among. A combination of both plants and caves are ideal. Adult Clown Loaches like to nibble on plants and you should therefore ideally choose tough and fast growing plants like Java Fern and Anubias. Juvenile Clown Loaches can usually be kept with all types of plants as long as they appreciate the same water conditions as the fish. The Clown Loach loves to squeeze it self into caves, rocky formations and other tiny places that can barely fit it. To put it simple: the more decorations the better. The aquarium must be decorated when you bring your Clown Loach home from the fish store, since it is most likely quite stressed from the long journey from Indonesia. A majority of the Clown Loaches available in the aquarium trade is caught in the waters of Sumatra and Borneo. If you place your Clown Loach in a barren aquarium, it will not have a chance to recuperate. It will instead become more and more stressed. Stressed Clown Loaches are very susceptible to a parasite called Ich (White Spot Disease).

Don’t be afraid if you notice that your Clown Loach has squeezed itself behind a piece of aquarium equipment, chances are that it is not at all stuck, it just likes to feel safe. The Clown Loach is also found of digging itself into tiny places. It is therefore important to use a substrate without any sharp edges in the aquarium. In the substrate your can place a wide range of different things for your Clown Loach to explore and hide among. You do not have to limit your self to plants and rocks; PVC pipes, flower pots, roots and ceramic and plastic aquarium ornaments will also be highly appreciated. It is important that the decorations have no sharp edges, since the Clown Loach will like to squeeze itself into the smallest places possible. If you place floating plants in the water they will dim the light and make your Clown Loach less shy and more active during the day.

Vigorous filtration is necessary since Clown Loaches are sensitive to poor water conditions. A combination of mechanical, chemical and biological filtration is recommended. Change 25 percent of the water at least once a week. Smaller and more frequent water changes are even better. Even a slight disturbance in the water quality can harm you Clown Loach and in a community aquarium the Clown Loach is usually the first fish that falls ill or die when the water quality drops. Since your will find the live Clown Loaches in streams and rivers, the aquarium should ideally also have strong water circulation. The aquarium must have a will fitted lid since Clown Loaches are vigorous jumpers.

About the author:

Read more about clown loaches like for exampel what to think about when buying clown loaches and the best clown loach aquarium setup.

Written By: William Berg

Our warm-blooded nature enables our body temperature to adjust to our environment. Fish and invertebrates are not as fortunate. The body temperatures of these cold-blooded creatures are harmonious to their environment. It is, therefore, the fish owners’ responsibility to maintain the appropriate aquarium temperature.

98.6 degrees is our optimal body temperature. Anything venturing too far above or below this invariably results in a trip to the emergency room. There is no across the board temperature for fish as this depends on their origin. A fluctuation of just one or two degrees can be fatal. To avoid losing your aquatic friends, determine whether your fish is a temperate or tropical one. Temperate fish originate from cooler waters and require a coldwater aquarium. You will find that most fish are tropical and need warm water set to between 75 and 79 degrees. This is a job for an aquarium heater.

There are numerous heaters options on the market. Most of them fall into three major categories.

Hanging Tank Heaters

Hanging tank heaters have been around the longest and are the least expensive. They hang upon the rim of the tank while the glass portion of the heater is submerged in the water. This partial submersion, consequently, results in less than adequate heat exchange. The heater’s placement on the tank’s rim also increases the risk of damage.

Submersible Heaters

As the name suggests, submersible heaters are fully immersed making them better for heat exchange. They can be placed anywhere, although areas of high circulation such as the filtration system or sump pump are recommended. Owners of submersible heaters also enjoy advanced thermostat controls.

Heating Cable Heaters

Heating cable systems are most commonly found in freshwater aquariums, but they do exist in some saltwater tanks. The heaters rest below the aquarium’s substrate and are manipulated by a separate electronic controlling unit. There is one caveat. When these systems need to be replaced, the entire substrate must be dug up in order to remove it.

Selecting the correct heater tube length for your aquarium is critical. Because heat rises, skilled aquarist stay clear of shorter units that under perform. Heaters also offer varying levels of power. The general rule of thumb is to select 5 watts of heater per gallon of water.

Most heaters come equipped with a thermometer, but you will want to purchase an external one so you can monitor it for yourself. Thermometers that attach to the outside of the tank are influenced by air temperature. Avoid them along with those made of metal and use mercury. Floating bulb thermometers and LCD strip thermometers that stick to the side of the tank are the most common. If you have a larger tank, consider purchasing two thermometers and placing them on opposite sides of the aquarium. They will work in tandem to provide accurate readings for the entire tank.

Sustaining your aquarium’s optimal temperature is necessary for your pets’ survival. Purchasing the right equipment and regularly monitoring your aquarium will keep you and your fish out of hot water.

Copyright 2006 Reef Saltwateraquarium

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