Learn About Aquariums

Buying Your First Aquarium, What To Look For

If you are interested in buying an aquarium and keeping several varieties of fish as pets, there are several things you should know before you start looking. Some factors to keep in mind are type of fish, number of fish, and what type of decor would you like. Buying an aquarium can end up costing a great deal of money but if you shop smart you can get a nice aquarium for a good price.

If you haven’t owned an aquarium before, you might think it would be best to start off small. In truth you are establishing an ecosystem, so buying a small tank and only a few fish, is actually harder than going a bit bigger. In order for your aquarium to survive, you need the correct pH balance and also some live plants. Think in terms of twenty gallons as a starting size. This will give your fish room to swim and not feel trapped in a tiny space. It will give you more to look at and enjoy as well.

Don’t purchase too many fish in the beginning. Four or five is a good number. You’ll be able to add more later on if you want to. Another consideration is deciding if you want fresh water fish or salt water fish. You can’t have both in the same aquarium. Most of the tropicals live in salt water.

Before you randomly choose some fish, do some Internet research or talk to the pet store employees. Some fish species don’t interact well and may actually eat one another for lunch.

Now that you know the tank and the fish you want, it’s time to think about decorations. There are a lot of choices at the pet store, and the right ones depend only on what you like. That doesn’t mean however, that you can just put anything in the water. Gravel especially must come from a pet store, since it won’t have an adverse affect on your aquarium system, like beach gravel would. You don’t want to upset the balance you’ve worked so hard to establish.

After having your fish and decided upon the aquarium you would like, next you will have to bring in the water. The chlorine in the normal tap water is harmful for the plants and the fish. This is the most important factor. You will have to treat the tap water to remove the chlorine content. Use a chlorine remover before adding the water to the aquarium.

Maintaining the correct water temperature is another important consideration for your aquarium. It needs to be between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so be sure to purchase a thermometer. If the temperature isn’t just right, your fish could die.

The next thing to be considered is the food for the fish. Most fish are not fussy about the food they are given, fish flakes and pellets are both fine with the fish. Recommendation for any special food can be ascertained from the pet store.

Some people are of the opinion that just placing a few gold fish in a bowl and hoping that the fish will be fine. However it takes much more effort. Starting an aquarium and then maintaining it can be very enjoyable and satisfying.

About The Author

Kathy Strander runs a very interesting website at Rock Aquarium, visit there today for the latest Aquarium advice, and while you’re there sign up for the free newsletter. Read many more interesting articles on Aquarium at: http://www.rockaquarium.com/articles

Written By: Kathy Strander

There are two areas of introducing new fish into an aquarium that you must be aware of: 1. Fish Quarantine

Fish quarantine is one big, singular factor that must be observed strictly before you can be sure that your new fish is of good health and not an apostle of doom for the other inmates. Most new fishkeepers don’t take consider this very important factor.

For the benefit of intending aquarists, quarantine in the fish world refers to the physical and chemical treatment of new fishes (either imported or caught from the wild) to rid them of disease and restlessness before introduction into a new environment,

A small quarantine tank (30×20x25cm) is advisable for any serious aquarist. The alternative is to be sure that your pet shop has a functional quarantine section to cater for bacterial, fungal and viral diseases.

This is a sure guarantee against fish deaths. The unfortunate thing with most shops in the country is the lack of space and inadequate expertise to build and administer the prophylaxis procedure on new fish, as the procedure is sure to last at least nigh days! To the average aqua-investor, this is an unnecessary tie down of capital and you know what that means.

Admittedly, the expense incurred on quarantine by way of chemical purchase e.g. copper sulphate, wescodyne, malachite green, teremycin etc) is high. This is more or less reflected on the final sales price of the fish, which is slightly higher in our shop. But, this would pay you off in the long run, as it is unlikely that you will complain of fish deaths any longer.

I am quite sure, some fish farmers reading this column would be more concerned about the application of this procedure to solve their farm problems especially those with hatcheries or those who stock with post fry and fingerlings.

2. Feeding New Fish

When you just introduce a new fish to aquarium tank it’s necessary to feed the fish. Though this will not be instant because no matter how carefully you add the fish to your aquarium tank they will look very unhappy for a while.

Thus it’s necessary that you turn the flights out, and leave them overnight to get used to their new home first before thinking of feeding them. Then feed fish with aquarium fish food with fish flakes the next day, this will make the fish feel at home.

If you already have an established tank, it is advisable to quarantine new fish before adding them to an existing populated, and the cheapest way to do this is to purchase a plastic tank which will need no gravel or plants.

This can be used solely for quarantine and as a hospital tank.

Leave the fish in this tank for about three days during which any disease harbored by the fish would be evident for which it can be treated using available chemicals from your dealer. The fish can then be introduced into the tank in the same way as before.

When you add new fish to an established community, there will probably be a certain amount of harassment of the new arrivals by the original fish. Try to divert their attention by giving them a good feed when the fish are introduced.

About the Author

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

Written By: Nathan Miller

Just as trees, flowers and plants help our environment, add a food source and make our landscapes beautiful so too do aquatic plants provide the same for your aquarium.

Just like us fish like to have areas where they can swim around and nibble at, but plant life in the aquarium plays a much greater part in the aquatic environment.

Toxins in the water created by rotting food and fish excrement pollute and starve the water of vital oxygen. Remembering that the fish breathe water through their gills we know that it is vital to keep oxygen levels up in the tank. Aquatic plants will help the process and uses the phosphate created in the nitrogen cycle to help them grow.

So what is the nitrogen cycle? Just like on land the leaves, plant life and animal droppings rot and mulch down into a fertiliser. Plant roots take the fertiliser and use it as a feed. In the aquarium rotting foods, and fish waste falls to the bottom of the tank and turns into a fertiliser for the aquatic plants. In turn they produce oxygen through photosynthesis just as the trees and flowers do above water. More oxygen means that the fish can breathe healthy clean and safe water.

Aquatic plants also play an important part in the breeding process of fish. Some species lay their eggs beneath the leaves away from other predatory fish swimming around the plants to ward off fish from nearing them until the eggs hatch, the leafy plants then offer a good food source for the young fry and indeed many adult fish enjoy nibbling on the fresh leaves as much as we enjoy our garden vegetables..

Not only are aquatic plants important to the tank environment but offer an exciting landscape for you and your fish. Imagine walking through the countryside and seeing no trees, no flowers and plant life, pretty grim thought yes? In the same respect the underwater garden offers you the chance to create dramatic and stunning plant effects that will give you hours of watching pleasure as you see your fish happily swimming and enjoying the garden you have given them.

Different plants have different visual effects, look around your aquatic centre and ask for advice as some plants are hardier than others and therefore easier to look after. You will also need to ensure you have a good substrate for the roots to grow and a plant food, this usually comes in liquid form and can be added at intervals to ensure your plants get what they need to survive life in the tank.

The plants come in all shapes and sizes, various colours can brighten a drab looking aquarium, this not only creates great effect for you and any visitors to your home, but also gives the fish a greater enjoyment. When you plant your garden, use your imagination, create an effect you will truly be happy with, and if you need an extra hand there are hundreds of ideas to choose from in websites and books readily available on the net, library’s and in your local aquatic centre.

About the author:

Cerianwen is a keen aquarist with many years personal experience in tropical and cold water 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

Just as trees, flowers and plants help our environment, add a food source and make our landscapes beautiful so too do aquatic plants provide the same for your aquarium.

Just like us fish like to have areas where they can swim around and nibble at, but plant life in the aquarium plays a much greater part in the aquatic environment.

Toxins in the water created by rotting food and fish excrement pollute and starve the water of vital oxygen. Remembering that the fish breathe water through their gills we know that it is vital to keep oxygen levels up in the tank. Aquatic plants will help the process and uses the phosphate created in the nitrogen cycle to help them grow.

So what is the nitrogen cycle? Just like on land the leaves, plant life and animal droppings rot and mulch down into a fertiliser. Plant roots take the fertiliser and use it as a feed. In the aquarium rotting foods, and fish waste falls to the bottom of the tank and turns into a fertiliser for the aquatic plants. In turn they produce oxygen through photosynthesis just as the trees and flowers do above water. More oxygen means that the fish can breathe healthy clean and safe water.

Aquatic plants also play an important part in the breeding process of fish. Some species lay their eggs beneath the leaves away from other predatory fish swimming around the plants to ward off fish from nearing them until the eggs hatch, the leafy plants then offer a good food source for the young fry and indeed many adult fish enjoy nibbling on the fresh leaves as much as we enjoy our garden vegetables..

Not only are aquatic plants important to the tank environment but offer an exciting landscape for you and your fish. Imagine walking through the countryside and seeing no trees, no flowers and plant life, pretty grim thought yes? In the same respect the underwater garden offers you the chance to create dramatic and stunning plant effects that will give you hours of watching pleasure as you see your fish happily swimming and enjoying the garden you have given them.

Different plants have different visual effects, look around your aquatic centre and ask for advice as some plants are hardier than others and therefore easier to look after. You will also need to ensure you have a good substrate for the roots to grow and a plant food, this usually comes in liquid form and can be added at intervals to ensure your plants get what they need to survive life in the tank.

The plants come in all shapes and sizes, various colours can brighten a drab looking aquarium, this not only creates great effect for you and any visitors to your home, but also gives the fish a greater enjoyment. When you plant your garden, use your imagination, create an effect you will truly be happy with, and if you need an extra hand there are hundreds of ideas to choose from in websites and books readily available on the net, library’s and in your local aquatic centre.

About the author:

Cerianwen is a keen aquarist with many years personal experience in tropical and cold water 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

Do you dream of watching the natural beauty of the undersea reef life while sitting in your living room?

Whether your goal is a nano reef tank or a 150 gallon aquarium with an ecosystem of coral and saltwater fish, the following five steps will lead you on your way to success.

1) Commit! Decide you are going to spend the $$ it takes to make a proper go of it. At a minimum, most tanks, (from 10 gal to 55 gal) take between $250 and $500 to get going. Can you do it cheaper? Yes, but usually not your first one. You have to know what you are doing and understand how things can and will go wrong before you can choose less expensive husbandry options and/or equipment. Save up if you have to, but count on that first tank being expensive.

Realize that this is not a short term commitment. And as much fun as it is to collect the coolest coral fragments out there and show them off to your friends, there WILL come a time when you are hauling all of those same ‘frags’ out of the tank and into temporary storage when your six year old cracks the side of the display tank with a pool ball or some other calamity occurs.

2) Study! Spend time on the internet, in books and watching nature shows on reefs BEFORE you get your animals. Understand the animals that you are going to keep and how they interact with each other. If you count on the LFS (Local Fish Store) or your buddy down the road to keep you out of trouble and don’t do your homework.. You will fail. That is the one guarantee in this hobby. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

The only way around this is to be able to afford to pay someone else to set-up and maintain your tank.

3) Mingle! (see 2 above) There are plenty of reef-keeping societies out there with lots of experience to help you along your way and teach you what you need to know. As long as you are doing your own homework, they are usually happy to help!

4) Keep an open mind! There is not just one way to keep a reef tank – no matter how loudly people on the various bulletin boards and forums out there might shout that there is.

5) Share! It is amazing how much help people are willing to give when they realize that you are offering a particularly nice specimen that they have always wanted. Equipment that they didn’t even remember they had may magically appear or they might
be willing to share a very nice piece of their own reef frag with you.

Trading frags not only is a great way to increase your variety, but it helps maintain genetic strains of corals (frags are also known as ‘clones’) that might otherwise die out in a single tank struck by the calamity mentioned in 1 above.

About the Author

Chris Knowlton is an avid fan of reef keeping and propagation. He maintains a nano tank and two large saltwater reef aquariums.
To visit his site and read 5 More Steps to Success with Saltwater Coral Reef Aquariums visit http://www.KnowltonsReef.com

(Reprints of this article are allowed, but must have an active link to the authors website.)

Written By: Christopher Knowlton

The first decision you must make when you buy an aquarium is whether you plan to keep freshwater fish or saltwater fish. Its up to you whether you want to keep saltwater or freshwater, but if this is your first aquarium, then I suggest you start with a freshwater aquarium.

Heres why: Saltwater tanks are more expensive and more complex. You have extra things to worry about such as the salinity of the water, water conditioning, and temperature. Because of this, freshwater fish are much easier to care for if youre new to keeping tropical fish.

Heres a few other things to keep in mind when buying an aquarium:

Location
When youre deciding on a location for your aquarium, remember that it cant be placed in direct sunlight, or anywhere else that could result in changes in temperature.

Also remember that your aquarium, when filled with water, can be very heavy. As an example, a filled 20-gallon glass tank will weight about 225 pounds. Bear this in mind when you choose on a location for your aquariumas it will be impossible to move afterwards.

Level floor
You will need a level floor for your aquarium, as this will reduce stress on the tank and reduce the chance of any cracks forming over time due to the floor being uneven.

Electrical outlet
Make sure your new tank is located near an electrical outlet so you can plug in the heaters, lights and pumps.

Accessible
Youll need to have easy access to your tank so you can use the heater controls and air valves. You also need to have room for a net, and room to move decorations around.

Shape
When youre choosing the shape of your aquarium choose short, longer shapes over tall, thinner shapes. This way there will be more surface area at the top of the water, which is much better for your fish.

Size
It is best to choose an aquarium over 10 gallons. Why? Because its just easier to take care of a fish in a larger tank than a smaller one. Whatever aquarium you choose, it is going to, over time, have a build up of waste material. In a large tank these toxic materials have more room to be dispersed. This means the water stays cleaner for longer, and will require less cleaning than a smaller tank.

Material
Aquariums can be made from glass or acrylic. Both have there pros and cons, but I recommend beginners to start with a glass aquarium. Why? Firstly, they cost less, secondly, they dont scratch so easily, and thirdly, they only need to be supported by the edges.

As you can see, you need to put some time and consideration into where you choose to place your aquarium. All these things will play a part in which aquarium you choose to buy.

About the Author:

Learn all about tropical fish at the author sites: Tropical Fish, Saltwater Fish, Freshwater Fish

Read more articles by: Taylor Jones

Written By: Taylor Jones

The real apistogramma’s come from southern America, they all have the same characteristics, like a complex breeding behavior, as their large relatives, only their size is different. Besides the apistogramma group there are also some relatively popular dwarf cichlids from Africa, like the Pelvicachromis group. From this group the most widespread cichlid is the Pelvicachromis pulcher, also known as the Kribensis or Purple cichlid. Generally the cichlids from the apistogramma group are more fragile and harder to maintain, and breed, for a longer period of time. In my opinion apistogramma’s are not real beginner species. They are more likely to get diseases if not all the environmental variables are properly taken care of. They need soft and acidic water with a low PH value, a PH of 5.5 to 6 is preferable. They hardly eat dry foods, best is to feed them live foods or frozen food, like bloodworms, brine shrimp and mosquito larvae. Apistogramma species can be kept in a large tropical community aquarium, but be sure the other fish are not too small, they can defend their territory very fiercely, and can be quite aggressive when they are breeding. In my opinion it is best to keep the apistogramma’s on their own, in a larger aquarium you could combine two apistogramma variants together, maybe supplemented with a small group of other fish, like some livebearers or betta’s. They also can be kept together with discus or angel fish. I always have a harem of apisto’s in my discus tanks, just to populate the lower areas of the aquarium and I really like these small dwarfs with a big attitude.

The cichlids from the Pelvicachromis group are much more tolerant when it comes to water values and feeding, I do consider these cichlids a good beginner species. They are hardened, beautiful colored and eat almost anything. The Pelvicachromis pulcher is maybe one of the most easy to breed cichlids as well. If you have an adult couple they will reproduce, in a community tank, a special species tank or in a pond, some people like to breed them in their pond during summer. Actually some of the biggest and nicest colored Pelvicachromis pulcher were pond bred and raised. The only thing to keep in mind with these cichlids is that they are capable of redesigning your aquarium, they can make huge holes and are real little bulldozers. So if you have, or want to setup, a subtile planted tank, don’t add a couple of Pelvicachromis to your aquarium.

The last dwarf cichlid I want to mention is the Microgeophagus ramirezi, or Ram cichlid. Their behavior and care are roughly the same as the apistogramma’s but they are more tolerant when it comes to water values, and in my experience they are easier to keep in good condition. Unlike the apistos they have to be kept as a couple, not a harem but that’s the only breeding experience I have. I have tried several couples, have a couple in a breeding tank right now, but I have never even had a clutch of eggs. I know from other breeders that they are kind of hard to get going, but if they do they never stop.

About the Author

Auke Veenstra is keeping and breeding tropical aquarium fish, and dendrobatea, for years. He shares his experiences on the TinkerFish website.

Written By: Auke veenstra

Aquarium fish fall ill just like any other pet. The illnesses are as a result of disease. The common diseases that affect aquarium fish are mostly stress induced. The micro-organisms which cause these diseases may be present in the water as part of the normal micro fauna and grab the opportunity to infest or infect the fish when it is stressed and its normal defense are weakened.

Different ways aquarium fish suffer from stress

- Aquarium fish usually start experiencing stress starting from the time it’s about living the breeding farm till when the end purchaser finally picked it from retailer. Most beginners don’t really know how to handle fish.

- The quality of water is another cause of aquarium fish stress. Different fish species have different water quality that will make the environment conducive for them. Quality parameters like pH, water hardness, high nitrite and carbon dioxide level, low dissolved oxygen salinity of water, water temperature and others.

- Any change in environment like physical damage, leaches, lice and introduction of new fish that is not quarantine could lead to stress in aquarium, thus making life non conducive for fish in aquarium tank

- Change in weather condition is another factor that leads to aquarium fish stress. When there is heavy downfall as you know the weather will become cold and this could lead to stress in aquarium.

- Poor Diet as a result of lack in nutritional requirement always leads to poor performance in fish immune system. Fish immune system will struggle to operate efficiently. This will result in a stressed fish.

Warning signs of illness in aquarium fish

You can easily know when your fish are going through stress if you watch them very well and often. You will notice signs like fish swimming with clamps up (closed) in their fins, hovering in a corner, heavy breathing and fish brushing its body against objects. These are warning signs you need to act on immediately.

How to reduce stress in aquarium

To reduce stress in aquarium, you need to guide against factors that lead to stress. The following are tips on how to prevent stress that ultimately leads to illness:

- Make sure you have detail information about the fish species that you will be introducing to your tank. Enquiring about its requirements before you buy it will help you a lot. Thus, ask lots of questions before making your purchase.

- Knowing the right food for your fish is another important thing you have to know as this may vary from species to species. If you have this knowledge you will be able to provide foods that are rich in nutritional ingredients that your fish require.

- Keep the environment clean.

- When you want to introduce new fish, make sure it’s quarantined to reduce the risk of disease.

About the Author

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

Written By: John Gorecki

Quite simply, a saltwater aquarium is designed to offer saltwater marine life with a familiar and contained environment. As a hobby, saltwater aquariums allow individuals to purchase fish as pets and keep them inside their home. The first saltwater fishkeeping, for personal use, became increasingly popular in the 1950’s and was widely enjoyed through the use of glass aquariums that are still famous today.

A saltwater aquarium typically features the tank itself, along with a filter, lighting and an aquarium heater. A saltwater aquarium can be purchased in a variety of different sizes, including small to the very large models. For this reason, prices vary greatly depending on the size and features of the saltwater aquarium.

The features of a saltwater aquarium are very important to the survival of the marine life. As they are used to moving water, filtration is a must. Otherwise, the water would become cloudy and the fish would deteriorate quickly. While lighting is perhaps not as important as a quality filtration unit, it does provide a sense of a routine in a distinction between light and dark. While in the wild, marine life experiences the difference between day and night and will find a similar lighting routine to be similar to their natural habitat.

It is very important that the water in a saltwater aquarium be tested regularly with the use of a test kit. In addition, regular water changes are required of every saltwater aquarium in order to keep the fishs life clean and safe. Regular tap water, however, will likely feature contamination that may prove harmful to the fish. Chemicals and purifiers used to treat the water is found in most tap waters so, instead, a saltwater aquarium should be filled with distilled water. When changing the water in a saltwater aquarium, the owner must remove up to 20% of the current water and replace it with new saltwater, which is achieved through the use of a saltwater mix.

There are a number of ways to find the perfect fish and a saltwater aquarium to keep it safe. A pet shop is the most likely place to find rare saltwater marine life and provides the biggest selection, while many retail stores offer a freshwater fish selection. When purchasing, it is a good idea to ask if the fish comes with any type of guarantee and/or special car instructions. Saltwater fish are fragile and must be treated according to specific guidelines, which any pet shop owner will detail depending on the fish that you select.

About the Author:

Want to learn more about salt water aquarium? Make sure you visit our site at: http://www.saltwateraquariumreview.info for access to additional salt water aquarium tips and information.

Read more articles by: Angel Estrella

Written By: Angel Estrella

Tropical fish are beautiful and are brilliant for keeping at home provided that they have the right habitat. When thinking of keeping tropical fish always remember to have a suitable home for them, a large enough tank, clean fresh water, a tank that resembles their natural habitat and plenty of food. When fish are happy then they are likely to live longer so making sure that you fish has all those things mentioned then you are already on your way to being a great fish keeper.

There are several types of fish that you can have in your tropical fish aquarium. You can keep smaller fish such as Neon’s, Tetras, Angel fish, Guppies and Gourami’s or you can keep larger fish for example cichlids or Malawi’s. When it comes to cichlids and Malawi’s there are different types of fish that fall into these categories. Cichlids are well known to be like cannibals, there are fish such as Oscars, black belts, jaguars, parrots and Jack Dempsey’s to name a few. The list goes on. Malawi cichlids have fish like Black Doral’s, blue nose, chidunga and luhuchi to name a few.

Tropical fish aquariums are made up with freshwater. The water needs to be completely purified, no salt or chlorine in the water. The best thing to do is set up your tank about four weeks before purchasing any fish and let the bacteria cycle, this will give your fish the best start in your tank. You get what is known as new tank syndrome, if you put your fish in the tank too soon. The bacteria has not had enough time to build up and the fish suffer. The bacteria is extremely important as this is what gets rid of the fish waste and if there is not enough bacteria the waste gathers and becomes toxic to the fish. This is also why a lot of learning needs to be done. Never use fresh water always take out boiled tank water to clean your filter so that you don’t destroy the good bacteria! When cleaning the gravel in your tropical aquarium always remember to have some water prepared a few weeks beforehand. Fill up a bucket of water and leave some chlorine solution in it. This will also help to protect your fish.

A tropical fish aquarium is an absolutely stunning piece of furniture for any home but it does require constant attention, so you have to make sure that you know what is involved before getting into fish keeping. If you are ready for the challenge and you can keep your tank clean and your fish happy, then there is no reason why you can’t be a great fish keeper, good luck!

About the author:

William Nabaza of http://www.Nabaza.com specializes in domains, webhosting, webmaster’s tools, netpreneur’s articles and resources. Stands out as a freebie provider, business opportunity provider and the like. Visit his site at http://www.nabaza.com or contact him directly at william@nabaza.com There’s more pet resources here: http://www.nabaza.com/pets.htm

Written By: William R. Nabaza of http://www.Nabaza.com/pets.htm