Temperature For Freshwater Aquariums

The name Tropicals, places too much emphasis on the idea of high temperature, for all exotic fishes. There is a number of them that do not come from the tropics, and a few of them that come from the tropics, do not come from particularly warm water.

It is understood that the majority of the exotic aquarium fishes, cannot stand cold water, and rightfully so,because the fish can get sick easier, and on the other hand, many of them do not prosper in the higher temperatures, because they need more oxygen than the water can carry.

Placing them all in water around 80 degrees, is not the kindness that the Aquarius thinks, who likes high temperature. The one thing you should not believe, is that each specie has an exact degree of heat. Most of them have a toleration of at least 10-degrees and can stand a 5-degree change over 8 hours, without injury.

As far as individual species is concerned, is to place delicate fishes in the the warmest and most consistent places, and the hardier ones in the cooler spots. I believe a great deal of needless worry and expense is given to trying to keep aquariums or aquarium rooms within 2-degrees of a fixed point.

Nature does not supply such an environment, and it has been observed that fishes are stimulated by some change of temperature. The aquarists should not be too concerned about the variation between the heat at the top and the bottom of the aquarium. The variation in native waters is considerable, but the fish seem to handle it without trouble. They can choose what level in the water they like.

It all comes down to this:The average exotic aquarium fish is happy at a average temperature of 72-76 degrees. At times, you should never let the temperature drop down below 70- degrees, and if it does it wouldn't hurt, but raise the temperature soon. Taking the temperature above 8o- degrees is alright, as long as their is enough oxygen in the water.

The breeding of most fish, means raising the water temperature above 80- degrees. If through uncontrollable causes the temperature drops down to low 60-degrees, or even 50-degrees, the thing to do is slowly raise it to about 80-degrees and keep it there for 24 hours or more.

The best way to keep a aquarium at the right temperature, is with a heater. Aeration equalizes top and bottom temperature. The most asked question is,"What size heater is required for a given gallon capacity?"This cannot be answered intelligently without knowing the amount of cold to overcome. A general rule is 2 watts for raising each gallon 5-degrees above surrounding temperature. I favor conservative sized heating units, then if a thermostat fails to function, the fishes won't fry.

It's alright for the fishes to swim from warmer to cooler water in your aquarium, but its entirely different changing them , from one tank to another, of which could vary in temperature of several degrees,either up or down. This is one thing that just must not be done. The effect may not be apparent at once, but it is seldom escaped. It usually brings about the "shakes" or "shimmies, "Ichthyophthirius (ick), fungus or a general decline downhill. Changes should be made within 2-degrees of the temperature. You should check thermometers because they can be off as much as 4-degrees.

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Choosing The Right Freshwater Tropical Fish

You have probably been to your local pet shop or aquarist dealer and seen a large variety of tropical fish to choose from. How do you go about choosing the right combination of fish for you?

You can't just choose any fish you like and expect them to all get along well together, it doesn't work like that - you need a plan.

Firstly, do you want a community aquarium or a species tank? A community aquarium will hold a variety of different fish that will all live in harmony with each other. A species tank, as the name suggests, will only hold one variety of fish.

Most people start with a community aquarium, and it is a very good place to start.

Before you work out exactly which fish you want, you need to work out have many inches (or centimetres) of fish you can accommodate in your new aquarium. A long, shallow tank will hold more fish than a short deep tank, because it is the amount of oxygen in the water that is more important than the actual quantity of water.

As a guide you can expect to be able to fit one inch of fish for each gallon of water, so a good place to start is to calculate the number of inches of fishes you can accommodate. This is measured from the mouth of the fish to the start of the tail, and don't forget to find out how big the fish will grow to, don't just look at the size of them in the shop as they will almost certainly grow.

How do you go about choosing the right fish for you? Firstly look around and see if there are any fish which you definitely want, and start your plan there. You need to know what size the fish you want will grow to, and how many you should keep together. Some fish are fine singly or in pairs, others only really thrive when they have friends to shoal with.

When you have chosen the fish you want to base your aquarium on, look to see how many you need to get, and how many inches they will use up. Next, will they live in harmony with all other fishes, or are there some they don't get along with? Also, take note of where they live in the aquarium. Some fish are bottom dwellers, some live mainly at the top, and others in the middle of the aquarium.

The best way to have a balanced aquarium is to have some fish that live in each level of the aquarium, as well as some fish that will keep the bottom clean, like corydoras. I also always like to have fish that will keep the sides clean, like a pleco (suckermouth catfish).

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Bala Sharks Vs Clown Loaches - Similarities and Differences

Bala Sharks and Clown Loaches are both very popular aquarium fish, but for different reasons. The Bala Shark (also known as the Silver Shark) looks a lot like a shark (go figure). The body shape and dorsal fin fit the traditional "great white" shark archetype and there is just something neat about having miniature sharks swimming around in your aquarium, even if the Bala Sharks are only minnows. The clown loaches are also popular for their appearance. The clown loaches have 3 vertical black bands on their bright orange body which makes for a lively looking fish. What the clown loach has above most other fish, is it's personality. They can be very outgoing and they have many strange behaviours, which earned them the name 'clown'.

Both bala sharks and clown loaches are shoaling fish, so you should definitely try to have at least 5 of each in your aquarium. If you keep bala sharks singly they may become aggressive and nibble on other fish in the tank. The clown loach on the other hand will become very stressed, its growth will be stunted and it may die. It is more pleasant for everyone involved if you keep these two fish species in groups.

Keeping them in groups can become a problem though. Both bala sharks and clown loaches can grow to be a foot long! When you buy them they are around 1-2 inches (2.5-5 centimeters) so they fit comfortable into smaller aquariums. Once they are grown however, a large aquarium (around 125 gallons) is recommended. That can be quite an investment for a hobby aquarist.

Both of these fish species are more susceptible than most to fish diseases, such as Ich. This means you can use them as a 'parrot' to let you know when there are potential problems in the tank. If you notice either of these fishes getting sick check the water quality immediately. If the water quality is normal try your best to diagnose the illness. There are many resources online and there should be someone at the local aquarium store that can help. Since the bala sharks or clown loaches have warned you about a potential problem you have a bit of a head start before the more hardy species become sick.

Before you begin to medicate your fish make sure that you know what is making them ill. You don't want to medicate for the wrong illness. Also, clown loaches are very sensitive to medication, so make sure you read the label for directions.

Bala sharks and clown loaches are not good fish for starter aquariums. They are very susceptible to "new tank syndrome". You will want to stock a new aquarium with more hardy species and allow the nitrogen cycle to cycle at least once before adding balas or clowns (this takes about 6-8 weeks).

Bala sharks and clown loaches both come from South East Asia and both are rarely breed in home aquariums. There actually have been zero confirmed cases of clown loaches breeding in aquariums.

If you are thinking about having both bala sharks and clown loaches in one tank you can rest assured knowing that they get along. Just make sure you have enough of each fish otherwise you may run into problems.

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How to Get Coralline Algae to Grow Faster in a Reef Aquarium

Part of the draw to reef aquariums are the colors of the fish,coral and especially the colorful purple live rock that are all found in the typical reef aquarium. That purple color is called coralline algae and it is a calcium based reef building algae.

It comes in many colors that include brown, green purple and even orange but purple is the most common. This algae will also spread to the walls of the reef tank adding to the color and visual impact. But in order to grow it needs the right environment.

While getting fish and coral to be colorful is fairly easy most people seem to struggle with getting their live rocks purple color to spread through their mini reef.

How Do I Get Coralline Algae To Grow Faster

Maintain Low Phosphates- High phosphate levels in a reef tank act like poison and can all but slow the growth of coralline algae. To avoid this make sure that you are using a good salt mix, purified water to make your saltwater and not over stocking or feeding your tank. A good protein skimmer and proper tank upkeep will also help to keep phosphates at low levels.

Keep Calcium Levels Up- The average calcium levels in the ocean is a around 400 PPM and any calcium based algae needs it to grow. The more available calcium the faster it will grow. Maintaining calcium can be accomplished with liquid or powered additives or with calcium reactors.

Maintain Proper Alkalinity Levels- Alkalinity must be maintained at the proper levels in order for coralline algae to grow at a fast rate. If the alkalinity levels get to low your growth will slow or stop. keeping alkalinity up is easy to do with additives or even frequent water changes.

Keep Predators Out- Certain animals like urchins or puffers can eat calcium based algae faster then they can grow. So if your goal is to have purple covered rocks and aquarium walls keep urchins and other coralline eaters out of you reef tank!

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Why Is Sand Such An Important Part Of Your Aquarium?

But the truth of the matter is that a sand bed in an aquarium can be very beneficial. First and foremost, sand provides fish with a more natural habitat, since that is what is actually present in the beds of their seas and oceans. You will find your fish happier in the sand and even spawning in them, which could be a delight to watch. Sand is not very difficult to clean too, if one does it in the right way. In fact, using sand in an aquarium makes it look more real and the fish enjoy is more than a gravel bed.

Live sand is especially beneficial to the organisms in your tank. Live sand is biological sand. It is pre-seeded with certain microscopic organisms such as bacteria and algae. These organisms help to clean the water in the tank and also produce the chemicals that are present in natural habitat. Live sand can be very expensive, such as live aragonite sand, but it is a very good option to have at the bottom of your tank, since it will not require maintenance. Not only does live sand clean itself due to the organisms present in it, but it will also contribute a major share in the internal cleaning of your tank.

There are many different types of sands available that can make good choices to your aquarium. The following is a list of some of the sand types that are used:-

Aragonite sand - Aragonite sand is the most expensive variety of sand available, and so it will not be a good choice for larger aquariums. However it helps in the buffering of the water and is fantastic for keeping the tank at an optimal chemical condition.



Silica sand - Silica sand is common beach sand, and it is very cheaply available. It is mainly composed of silicon dioxide, SiO­­2, which is a natural ingredient in sand. The plus points of this sand are that it is smooth and sifts easily. It is very easy to clean during setup and maintenance, and it is available very cheaply.



Coral sand - As the name suggests, coral sand is suitable for tanks that have corals as their inhabitants. Since corals can change internal levels of the tank, such as the nitrate levels and the pH values, drastically, it is wise to use this sand. Coral sand has a natural buffering action that can maintain the chemical composition of tank water at optimal values.



Black beauty - Though this is not actually sand, it is sold as such. Black beauty is actually solidified and powdered iron slag. It adds a contrast to the tank and is good for esthetic reasons. But the sand particles are sharp, so do not use this sand if you have fish that sift too much on the bed.


Cleaning of sand is a very important process, and must be done in the right way. These are the steps you must follow while cleaning sand:-

Take about two gallons of the sand in a capacious bucket.


With the help of a pipe, run water on the sand till half the bucket is full.


Then drain out the supernatant water. This will contain many floating dust particles.


Put water again, and this time, sift through the sand.


Again pour out the water.


Continue this process till the water you pour out is quite clear.


Thus, it is very easy to clean the sand in the tank, and that should not be a problem in deciding to use it as a bed product for your aquarium. Sand does add quite a bit of grace and naturalness to the tank, and fishes find it closer to their own natural surroundings.

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Tetras Are Popular Aquarium Fish

The Tetras are small or medium size fish belonging to the Characin family. They come from South and Central America and from Africa. There are hundreds of different types of tetras. Many of these fish are almost incredibly beautiful. Most of The South American tetras come from soft, acid water. All will survive fairly happily at 24 degrees C (75 degrees F).

Neon Tetra

When people say Tetra, they sometimes mean the Neon Tetra, Paracheirodon innesi. This is one of the most popular aquarium fish. The Neon and its near relatives, the Cardinal, Paracheirodon axelrodi, and the Green Neon, Paracheirodon simulans, are all small fish, subject to predation by larger fish. They are very suitable fish for a community aquarium of small, peaceful fish including the next group of tetras.

Other fish which are suitable companions for the Tetras of the Neon Group include Guppies, Endlers Guppies, Platies and the smaller species of Danio. Smaller specimens of many other species are also suitable companions.

The three species of this group all come from very soft, acidic water. Although they can be acclimatized to Neutral water, avoid letting the water get too alkaline.

Small Peaceful Tetras

There are many types of peaceful fish in this group. The tetras in this group include the Black Phantom, The Black Neon, Diamond, Flame, Head and Tail Light, Glass Bloodfin, Glowlight, Lemon, Penguin, Pristella, Rosy, Rummy Nose, Silvertip and Splashing.

Larger or More Aggressive Tetras

The Tetras in this group can be kept with each other, and with the tetras of the previous group, but caution is necessary if putting them with the three species of the Neon group. Some tetras slightly larger or more aggressive are: Black Widow, Blind Cave, Buenos Aires, Emperor, Paraguay, Red Eye, and Serpae. These Tetras are also suitable companions for the small to medium sized Barbs like the Tiger Barb, Gold Barb and Rosy Barb.

As always, be aware of the sizes of your fish and avoid putting large fish with very small ones. For example, the Paraguay Tetra is only in the third group of tetras because it can be a little aggressive, but it is a small fish. You would not want to put a small Paraguay Tetra with a large Rosy Barb. This is only a short overview of a few of the more common tetras. Before keeping any fish, or other animal, you need to be aware of their needs.

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Algae Control Guide For Marine Aquariums

This is a guide tailored to marine aquariums. While the basic premise can be applied to most situations regarding freshwater algae control, it cannot be used for freshwater planted aquariums. There's a bit more going on in planted tanks than meets the eye. So let us begin by naming the four musketeers.

* Hair Algae
* Red Slime Algae
* Brown Diatoms
* Dinoflagelletes

Listed above are the four most prevalent forms of problem algae marine aquarists face. Lets scratch off brown diatoms right away as it is the easiest of the four to get rid of. Just maintain zero phosphates for a week or two and it should disappear. Not so for the other three. Once they've got a hold on your aquarium it takes some long term algae control to be rid of them.

The reason pest algae growth is so prevalent in your tank (If you have this problem) is because they are getting energy from some source. The two sources we will be looking at are nutrients and lighting. Lets start with nutrients.

The next time you're in a department store, head on over to the gardening section and take a look at those packets of fertilizers. Some are suited to flowering plants while other claim to be better for green leafy plants and so on and so forth. What you'll probably see is something called an NPK rating stamped on these packets. Avid gardeners will know exactly what i'm talking about. They stand for Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).

These three nutrients along with light and water are necessary for plant growth. Some need more of a specific nutrient or they don't do so well but that isn't true with regards to marine pest algae. The more nutrients they have, the better. They're not picky, have food = will spread. Thats their motto.

The nutrients we will be testing for are nitrates (NO3) and Phosphates (PO4). These two are directly correlated to the rate of pest algae growth that your system is experiencing.

Nitrates = Form of Nitrogen
Phosphates = Phosphorus

So these two nutrients are fertilizers. And our immediate goal is to reduce them to zero. And for that you will need a PO4 and NO3 test kit, a lot of extra salt mix for new aquarium water and a good PO4 remover media like Phosban.

Lets tackle NO3 head on. To reduce your aquariums nitrate levels as quickly as possible, water changes are needed. Direct export of the nutrient. If your nitrate readings indicated large water changes to reduce them to zero then i suggest splitting the up over a few days back to back. Do not change 80% or more of the aquarium water in one go. Do it gradually as the sudden change in water chemistry might affect the tanks inhabitants. The most i'll ever do in a day is a 40% water change.

During these water changes you want to siphon out as much fish waste, detritus and uneaten food as you can. Left in place, they all contribute to elevated nutrients. Manually remove the pest algae rock by rock until most of it is out of the tank. This is important as even the smallest amount can regrow and spread over your aquarium all over again. In large tanks this is a hassle, but it needs to be done. A 100% algae removal isn't necessary but the more you remove, the better.

Reducing PO4 is a much easier affair. While water changes also remove PO4, they tend to come back with a few feedings. Unless, you employ the use of phosphate removal media. I swear by them. Just add the directed amount per gallon in an area of high flow and you should see you levels plunge. They must be zero for it to be effective. Some good brands to use are Phosban, Rowaphos and Phosguard. Available at most pet stores.

Next, we look at lighting. Whens the last time you changed your bulbs? If they are older than 6 months then you might want to change them as older bulbs tend to emit light from the red spectrum. And these algae really thrive in such lighting conditions. Also, lower your daily photoperiod to 5 or 6 hours if possible. Most soft corals (mushrooms, leathers etc) will do fine with lower lighting but an SPS dominated tank might suffer. Up to your discretion.

Follow this regiment for a solid month straight and you should see results at the end. You need to ensure the tank is clean of detritus and any new algae growth during this period to be successful.

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Keeping Your Aquarium Clean

Before you buy an aquarium and fill it with fish, you need to find out what is involved in freshwater aquarium maintenance. One thing you cannot do with success is buy a group of fish, place them in your tank and then think that all you have to do is feed them. Aquariums are a lot of fun but they are not maintenance free. You need to do everything you can to keep your fish healthy and happy.

One of the things you can do to limit freshwater aquarium maintenance is to start out by equipping your aquarium with the best equipment and the right types of fish. For instance, a power filter is the answer to making your tank the most user-friendly. With one of these filters, you do not have to worry much about odors, cloudiness or water impurities. All you have to do is change the filter once a month and you are good to go.

A fish that can help you clean

When you fill your aquarium with fish, get a bottom dweller. These fish are more than worth their keep because they live on the bottom and keep the gravel and plants clean from any food that has fallen down there. They also keep the bottom of the tank algae-free. One of the best algae eaters and a real boon to freshwater aquarium maintenance is the plecostomus. This fish's name has lots of letters and is hard to pronounce but it is the easiest solution to algae problems. They come in all sizes.

Daily fish checkups

Each day you should check to make sure that there is no leftover food floating around tank. Only feed an amount of food that your fish can eat in three to five minutes. Feeding too much food will make the water in the tank cloudy. Also check to make sure that your water is clean, your heater is working (if you have fish that need one) and that the lights are going on and off when they are supposed to. The biggest thing is, of course, to make sure there are no sick fish in the tank.

Ideally, you need to have a small tank all ready to go for isolating sick fish. Not everyone does but it will make life a lot easier if you can manage to have one. A sick fish should be isolated until you can determine what is wrong with him or her and whether or not the illness is contagious. This is especially critical with an injury as a fish that is not well will often be mistreated by the other fish in the tank. If the fish does have a contagious disease, you will have to treat all the other fish as well.

Aquarium cleaning

Freshwater aquarium maintenance means changing the tank water every two weeks. While this is necessary, it is not always the thing people most love about having an aquarium. Luckily, you only need to take out about 20% of the water, not all of it. Around once a month you will want to do a more thorough cleaning, where you take out one-half of the water. This too is when that second tank is going to come in handy. If you have one, you can keep the water in it just right so that when you clean the primary tank, you can move all the fish into the backup tank.

Water is usually removed from the tank using a siphon and fish are moved from one tank to another with a net. If you have to clean your tank with the fish still in it, be very careful not to hurt any of the fish.

A two-week cleaning means using a sponge to scrub the inside and outside of the aquarium. Do not ever use soap. A small amount of salt applied to the sponge will clean the glass beautifully. Either rinse or change your filter. Check the hoses if you have an air filter in your tank, and use a gravel cleaning device to get the substrate clean. If you have a bottom dwelling fish, this will be much easier as he will already have done most of the job.

Tank refills

When you do your monthly cleaning, take out all of the structures and plants and clean them with water and salt as well. Check the pH of the water to make sure it is what it's supposed to be. The best way to fill your tank up again after a cleaning is to use distilled water and heat it up to the right temperature before adding it. Tap water should only be used in an emergency as it is never the best choice for your fish. It often contains chlorine and other organisms which can be deadly to fish.

The biggest thing to remember about freshwater aquarium maintenance is that you must never change all of the water at once. Only add a small amount of water to the pre-conditioned water in the tank--not more than 20% weekly or 50% when you clean the whole tank.

Fish are a wonderful hobby and you can spend endless hours engrossed in watching their movements and behavior. Make sure that you help them to be as healthy as possible by feeding the right types of food and performing regular freshwater aquarium maintenance.

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Caring For a Saltwater Tank - Simple Tips to Make Your Marine Aquarium Care Fast and Easy

Caring for saltwater tanks is not a hard or complicated process like so many people think. All it really takes is a good maintenance plan and the ability to follow through with it. Below you will find a very simple marine aquarium maintenance plan that if you follow will help you keep a healthy saltwater aquarium for many years.

Good Saltwater Tank Care

Before you dive into taking care of your saltwater tank you need to separate the things that need to be done into daily, weekly and monthly tasks. By doing this you will be more efficient in your aquarium care as opposed to trying to get it all done one day a month.

Marine Aquarium Care Broken Down

Daily Requirements

The fish must be fed but not overfeed
Look over your fish for any signs of disease,injury or stress
Make sure all fish are accounted for and remove any that may have died
Look at the tanks temperature and make sure its in the safe range
Give all filters and pumps a quick check to make sure they are working properly

Weekly Requirements

Add freshwater to replace any water that has evaporated
Using aquarium safe cleaners wipe off the stand and the outside of the aquarium
Clean the front glass using aquarium safe cleaner
Using a magnetic cleaner clean the glass on the inside of the aquarium

Monthly Requirements

Perform a 20-25% water change, this can actually be done in two smaller changes if you have a large tank.
Clean the tanks gravel by vacuuming it when changing the water
Clean your filters and pumps and replace all filter pad material and filter media like activated carbon
Complete water tests to monitor nitrate and phosphate levels
Sit back and enjoy your saltwater tank. This is something that not to many people actually do this and instead get caught up in caring for saltwater tanks.Watching your tank is one of the best parts to owning a marine aquarium so enjoy it.

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Protein Skimmers

A protein skimmer is a device used mostly in marine aquariums that generates a column of bubbles that waste from the tank will stick to and rise to the top of the tank then deposit these pollutants into the collection cup where they can be removed and disposed of. This aids in water quality and keeping waste buildup from forming on the walls of your tank. The size of the protein skimmer you need to purchase will depend how large your tank is and how much your budget allows. Some enthusiasts recommend to purchase a skimmer that is slightly larger than what your tank requires. They claim this will save you on maintenance and keep your skimmer working properly for a longer period of time while keeping your aquarium water at the highest quality possible.

Here is a brief description of different types of protein skimmers.

Co-Current Skimmer: This type is best for small systems between (20-30 gal). They are considered to be the cheapest and most unreliable skimmer. They are prone to the air stone getting clogged overtime which will damage the pump if left unchecked.

Counter-Current Skimmer: More efficient than the Co-Current skimmer. Water enters the top of the skimmer while air enters the bottom, while they pass one another the pollutants of the water stick to the bubbles and flow into the collection cup while the water continues back into the tank.

Venturi Skimmer: This skimmer creates a high-pressure jet of water with an air valve, using the pressure to draw in air with the water. They are very efficient but can require a somewhat pricey pump to keep it going.

Turbo (Needle Wheel) Skimmer: The most expensive and considered to be the most efficient skimmer. They use a small wheel to whip the air into a bubbly froth creating a thick column of small bubbles that pulls the pollutants out of the water and into the cup.

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