An aquarium filter plays an important role in keeping the fishes in your aquarium healthy. It helps to keep your aquarium water free from pollutants which can cause harmful effects to the health of your fishes. Unless you change the water everyday, an aquarium filter is essential in your aquarium. There are several types aquarium filters available in the market. Some of these fish tank filters are described below.
Canister filter
An aquarium canister filter combines mechanical, biological and chemical filtration. It is a unit which contains a filter chamber for filter media and an electric pump for circulating water. The water from the aquarium enters the canister filter, is pumped up through the filter media, and flows back to the aquarium. The filter chamber consists of several filter media such as sponges, carbon (charcoal) and ceramic medium.
There are external and internal aquarium canister filters available. An external aquarium canister filter has inlet and outlet pipes for water to flow from and to the aquarium. Whereas for the internal aquarium canister filter, it has slits for water to flow into the filter and an outlet from the pump. It is commonly placed on the floor beneath the aquarium or attached to the back of the aquarium glass. Aquarium canister filters have the capacity of filtering several hundred gallons of aquarium water per hour. The benefit of this type of aquarium filter is that its output can be adjusted to any part of the tank.
Undergravel filter
An aquarium undergravel filter is a plastic plate placed between the substrate and the aquarium base with uplift pipes. Water is being drawn down, passing through the substrate, and returned through the uplift pipes. The aquarium undergravel filter is considered as an excellent method for biological filtration. The benefit of this filter is that as the inlet is the whole aquarium base area, there is no way that wastes can escape from being processed. There is a large amount of filter medium available for bacterial colonization. The disadvantage of an aquarium undergravel filter is that when the system gets clogged, the cleaning task requires a major upheaval.
Undergravel filters are most suitable to be used in aquariums which do not have big rocks or decorations blocking large sections of the gravel bed. If such big rocks exist, the block plates would create dead spots on the filter. For udergravel filters, it is preferable to use regular gravel substrate as smaller substrates will tend to fall through and larger ones tend to hide huge amounts of debris.
Sponge filter
An aquarium sponge filter provides biological filtration. It consists of a perforated plastic tube fitted with a cylindrical sponge. The tube is attached to an air pump. It draws the aquarium water through the sponge, which acts as a medium for trapping bacteria. As a sponge filter does not have the tendency of having young fishes being sucked up into the filtration unit, it is suitable for use in aquariums with small fishes. Sponge filters are also good to be used in quarantine tanks where fishes are placed for treatment. This is because sponge filters have no chemical filtration which can affect the effectiveness of medications being used for treatment. As sponge filters only provide biological filtration, they are not suitable to be used in large tanks which have higher filtration requirements. This type of fish tank filter is mainly used in aquariums with low filtration needs.
Aquarium filters provides filtration which is essential in all aquariums in order to keep the clean for the fishes to live well. The above are some types filters used for aquarium filtration. These filters provide different level of filtration needs. You can consider using these filters based on the needs of your aquarium. Please visit Aquarium Filter website for more information.
Rose Mary enjoys travel and writes on various interest topics. Discover the essentials on keeping Betta Fish alive and Aquarium maintenance at http://www.fibcool.com/betta-fish/
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You need to take excellent care of some discus or if you are planning to keep discus fish. The discus may die if you mistreat them accidentally. In order to avoid future accidents, I will be giving you some basic tips on how to take care of discus fish, which can grow beautiful and colorful discus.
Many have a myth that taking care of discus is suitable only for the advanced fish keepers. There is no truth in it. The discus can be taken care easily even by a common man. The following are basic simple rules, which I will share few tips regarding discus fish care.
1. Aquarium Size: Because of their sizes discus fish should be kept in deep tanks. Since they size may increase up to 6 or 7 inches, and they continue to increase the size, they prefer to wide space for their survival. The discus fish can be kept in the empty tank provided if you add plants or bog wood to the tank. If they are frightened the discus feel safe place for hiding in plants or bog wood. They hurt themselves from dashing around in the tank. They get stressed very easily if they are kept in bare tank.
2. Aquarium Water: The best way to keep discus fish healthy by keeping the aquarium water clean and avoiding chlorine and heavy metals. We have to invest in water purifying unit to keep the discus aquarium tank clean. We have to make sure that water is filtered and movement of water should be minimal. The normal temperature should be between 82-86F.
If you want to other discus fish care information that's guaranteed to help you raise beautiful discus fish, click here.
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If you plan on keeping discus fish or already have some discus, you need to know how to take excellent care of them. If you mistreatment them by accident, you could possibly cause your discus to die. So, what I'm going to share with you are some basic discus fish care tips that will help you understand how to take care of your fish so that it'll grow into a beautiful, colorful discus.
First, I'd like to say that many people think that taking care of discus is only for advanced fish keepers. There's nothing that could be further from the truth. Actually, discus are easy to take care of. But only if you follow some basic rules, which I'm about to share with you.
The basic discus fish care tips are:
1. Aquarium Size. Discus fish need to be kept in deep tanks because of their size. Typically, they grow up to 6 or 7 inches. As they continue to grow, discus prefer to be in shoals of at least 6.
You can keep discus fish in tanks that are empty, but it's best if you add plants or bog wood to the tank. This will help your discus feel safe because they'll have somewhere to hide if they are frightened. If they are kept in bare tanks, they will get stressed easily and could possibly hurt themself from dashing around in the tank.
2. Aquarium Water. The next basic discus fish care tip is keeping the aquarium water clean and free of chlorine and heavy metals. To keep your discus aquarium tank clean, you may want to invest in a water purifying unit. Be sure that the aquarium water is slow moving and filtered. The temperature should be between 82-86F.
3. Fish Mates. If you are going to add other fish with your discus, you can add catfish, plecs, or small tetras from South America (neon tetras). Whichever fish mate you choose to add, make sure that your discus fish is the largest fish in the tank.
4. Feeding Discus Fish. The last basic discus fish care tip is feeding your discus. They can be fed most aquarium foods, such as frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp. Make sure you feed adult discus once a day and young discus fish three times a day.
These are the basic discus fish care tips. Follow these simple tips and you will raise your discus into beautiful, colorful fish.
For more information on how to care for your discus fish, visit http://www.Secrets-To-Discus-Fish.blogspot.com now
This information has helped dozens of people, like you, keep their discus healthy and disease free. So, to learn how to properly care for your fish, Click Here!
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Ever dream of owning a fish tank that encases the microcosm of marine life? It's like living your life as Aqua Man of the land, commanding and relegating the fishes within your domain at your will. If you want to take your gold fish bowl to the next level then try for these ten simple pet fish care tips and watch your water sanctuary flourish to an aquatic paradise.
1. Check with your pet fish store that you are feeding your fish with proper type of fish food. Sure your goldfish may lap up just about whatever food you give it but that doesn't mean its good for them. This is even more the case if you should choose to get a more exotic fish that are quite delicate.
2. Don't overcrowd the fishes. Overcrowding can create a stressful environment for the fishes and as many fishes are very territorial, causes infighting. General rule of thumb is, one fish per gallon of water.
3. If you are planning to expand your fishy domain and introduce new species to the aquarium, make sure to check their compatibilities first. That way you won't come home to a fish tank with a one really empy tank with a fish with its stomach full of your prized schools of fishes. Which brings us to the next advice...
4. Overfeeding the fishes is one of the major cause of death for pet fishes. You want to avoid overfishing because the waste build up from uneaten food and waste produced by the fish breaks down and changes the chemistry of water in the tank.
5. Cover your fish tank, your fishes may not be Flipper but they sure can and will jump out of the tank if you provide them with the opportunity. Don't let fishy suicide be a scene you're coming home to, keep your fish tank covered.
6. Knowledge is power isn't just another public PR campaign. The more you know about your fishes, the better you are equipped to take care of it. (That's why you're reading this list presumably right? To provide a better home for your gilled buddies.) Likewise, make sure to do plenty of research about your aquarium equipment before buying them.
7. The decorations aren't just for looks. Sure the sunken pirate ships and underwater castles sass up the fish tank but they're primary function for your fishes are as hiding places. More hiding places for the fish mean happier fishes.
8. Sun light for your fishes is a good thing but like overfeeding, too much sun light, or any sort of lighting, can be a bad thing. Excessive sunlight can encourage green algae growth, which in it of itself is not a bad thing but can quickly grow out of control. Over growth in algae = extra care and maintenance. Make sure to keep the exposure of light to your fish tank limited to about 8 to 10 hours daily.
9. NEVER place your fish tank by the window. There are two reasons for this. One as mentioned previously, is that too much light exposure can encourage the excessive growth of green algae. Second is that leaving your tank near the window leaves it susceptible to temperature changes. Make sure you leave your fish tank somewhere out of way of direct sunlight and prone to extreme temperature changes.
10. When cleaning, don't remove all the stuff out. Not only does it create more work for you when cleaning out the tank, you would be scrubbing away bacterial growths in your tank that are beneficial to your fishes.
These 10 advices are just the basics of pet fish care but they should guide you towards the right direction of building your very own fantastic aquarium.
Find out more about fish tanks and pet fish care at Fish Tank Warehouse
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Markets are a resource of a variety of fishes including the freshwater, coldwater and tropical fishes. Apart from these one can also find the saltwater and Seawater fishes. People who have written about fishes have pointed out to the saltwater fish also called the damsels as a species which are one of the top starter fishes. What they must know is that there are around 22000 species of fishes suitable for the fish tanks and some of these fishes are ideal for starters even more so than those damsels. It takes more effort in maintaining salt water fishes. water conditions and feeding patterns have to be carefully monitored. In order to settle on the ideal fish for starters one has to learn about fishes in general. In this article, we will look into fresh water fish even as we know starters are nicer with coldwater and freshwater fishes.
Most people get involved in marine aquariums because of the beautiful colorful fish. It is also these colorful fish that confuse people and can wind up costing them a lot of money if the salt water fish the choose are either to difficult to care for or do not get along well with or eat other fish in the tank. This article will touch on a few popular and easy to care for salt water aquarium fish for beginners.
Clown Fish- Clown fish are some of the most popular marine aquarium fish today. They are almost the poster child for the hobby. They are also some of the best choices for new aquarium keepers because they eat well and are very hardy and resistance to changes in the tank. There are also captive grown clown fish on the market that are healthier and longer lived then wild caught specimens.
Damsel Fish- Damsel fish are very hardy marine aquarium fish and some are very colorful. However they can also be very, very aggressive and kill other fish in the tank. For this reason you should stick with only a few kinds. These would be the yellow tail blue damsel, the chromis species which should be kept in schools. Both these species are peaceful and very active additions to the aquarium, but as a precaution add them last to avoid any aggression.
Basslets- This is a great family of salt water aquarium fish but you again must choose carefully. One of the best choices in this group is the Royal Gramma. This fish is purple and yellow and very mild mannered. It is inexpensive and easy to care for and generally very hardy in aquariums. Just provide it with some rocky areas to hang out around.
Yellow Tang- This is a very popular fish but also a fish that is not cared for properly by many people. To start with these fish need tanks that are at least 4 feet long in order to swim freely as they do in nature. They also like to eat constantly so they need to fed frequently throughout the day. Other then that they are very good aquarium additions and easy to care for.
Blennies and Gobies- Blennies and Gobies are some of the best salt water aquarium fish for beginners because they are inexpensive, full of personality and very hardy. Two of the best choices are the bi-color blenny and the lawn mower blenny. Both of these fish will graze algae in the aquarium and also provide a fun fish to watch.
If you are setting up a new Saltwater Aquarium and feeling a little confused then you need to have our marine aquarium guide on your side. Our marine aquarium guide will give you a complete step by step plan to follow for a successful marine aquarium. You can learn more by visiting http://www.dseventures.com
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For your first aquarium, freshwater fish is the best choice because you will find these fishes easy to manage and taking care of them is easy. But you must not neglect the freshwater fish because they will also need proper and timely attention. Your aquarium must have the suitable environment just like Mother Nature so that the fishes don't find any trouble to live.
You must protect the aquarium freshwater fish from dust or any harmful material entering the aquarium. So the cover is important. The freshwater fish will require water temperature varying till ten degrees. Don't ever feed the fishes in excess quantity.
Certain fishes have the tendency to fight with the others. So if you putting in many fishes together then take care that there is no deficit of oxygen and plants in the aquarium. If you love pets then aquarium freshwater fish will offer you a unique pleasure. You will find great happiness in changing water for them or offering them food and watch them swimming in the aquarium.
You must keep the aquarium clean and tidy for which proper filters are important. Good filters will keep the water of the aquarium clean and fresh. Besides water filters you must also keep air pump that will supply fresh air so that the fishes get the oxygen and even the plants inside the tank will require fresh air.
There are different kinds of decorations that are available for the aquarium. It definitely adds to the attractiveness of the aquarium but at the same time these things can often pollute the environment of the water. These decorative eat up much space so fishes don't get enough space to travel. But you have to leave enough room for the fishes so that they can move freely.
You have to communicate with the aquarium vendor for the types of freshwater fishes they deal in. if required you can shop around for varieties of freshwater fishes. If you research the internet you will find different types of freshwater fishes. From relevant websites you can know even more about aquarium freshwater fish.
Johnny is a freshwater fish expert. For more great tips on freshwater aquarium fish [http://www.freshwateraquariumultimateguide.com/aquarium-freshwater-fish], visit [http://www.freshwateraquariumultimateguide.com]
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Nothing is more fun to watch than aquarium freshwater fish. That's because you can choose many different types of fish that will live happily together in a community. Some will be bright, others more darkly colored, some small and some large, many will move very fast and just fly through the water while others will be extremely slow swimmers.
Fish community
When you are choosing fish for your aquarium, you need to consider many different options. The worst thing you can do is to walk into a pet store and just choose a group of fish because you liked the colors or the way they looked. Just as all people cannot get along together, neither can all fish. Not doing a little research beforehand is a recipe for disaster.
When you are first setting up a freshwater aquarium, you need to let it run for a few weeks so that everything is working properly and the water is just right for the fish. As you eagerly await placing your first fish in the tank, it is the perfect time to do a little research on fish and find out which aquarium freshwater fish are going to get along together the best.
Once you figure out which fish can live together in a community, the next thing to determine is which fish to choose for different levels of the tank. You see, every aquarium works best when you have top feeders, who like to live near the surface of the water, middle feeders, who like to be right in the center of the tank (vertically), and bottom dwellers, those nifty fish who swim around the bottom of the tank, eating all of the food that falls there. These bottom dwellers actually keep uneaten food from spoiling and ruining your tank water, which causes diseases. They also keep it algae-free.
Pet Store Discoveries
Unless you are completely fixated on a certain type of fish, the best choice for aquarium freshwater fish is to have a whole aquarium of fish who get along, live at different levels, and are colorful and exciting to watch. One of the best ways to make these selections is to go to the local pet store and spend some time looking at the fish. Don't let shop salespeople hurry you along. Just take all the time you need going from tank to tank, and bring along a notepad to jot down the names of the fish you really liked.
Next, ask the salesperson to take a look at what you have chosen and make their recommendations as to what fish can live in harmony and which cannot. As a rule it is always best never to put more than one male of any type of fish in an aquarium. Males of different species can get along but as a rule, two males of the same species will not. So, one male and several females is a better choice. The aggression level of fish is very important because some fish will fight another fish to the death of one of them if they are incompatible. And, even if death is not an issue, some placid fish can be terrorized daily by more aggressive fish, having their fins nipped at and being driven away from the food.
The truth is that many of the people who work in pet stores are not experts on aquarium freshwater fish. That means that you should write down what the salesperson said and take your notepad home to do a little more research. There are literally thousands of websites online about aquarium freshwater fish, and dozens of forums where people get together to talk about their fish. Never let a pet store employee talk you into bringing your aquarium and your fish home on the same day.
Online fish facts
Do a little more research to figure out if the fish you like get along with one another. Find out if the fish need to have lot of plants and other hiding places. If some of your fish need huge open spaces and others need large areas of plants, you will not be able to live with the smallest tank available. Keep in mind that for every one inch of fish, you need 3 to 4 gallons of water. The rule of thumb that says each inch of fish needs one gallon of water is far from reality.
Obviously, if you are enthused by large fish you are going to have to put out some big bucks to buy a big tank. Go down the list of fish you liked and see how much space they will need. Find out if they can all live in water with the same acidity level. This is determined by a number and then the letters, pH. Some fish need a low pH and some need a high one. And, check out as to whether or not you have fish who can live at the surface, mid-way and bottom water levels.
Even if you choose to have fish that all live at one level, you will need a bottom feeder, or you will have big problems keeping your water clean and your fish healthy. Besides, bottom dwellers are a lot of fun to watch as they scour the bottom of the tank with their big mouths constantly opening and closing. Also make sure all the fish can survive at a similar temperature level.
Best beginner fish
As you are trying to determine the freshwater aquarium fish you want to purchase, take a look at some of these fish, who all live at the same temperature level, different water levels, and who all get along in a community. Most fish do best with at least a half dozen of their own kind in the tank. Check these out: tetras (used to be the best tiny fish but in recent years quality has declined and they don't live as long), cherry barbs, danios, blue gouramis, rasboras, and corydoras catfish, who are perfect bottom dwellers.
Kevin Elliott is an aquarium expert. For more great information on freshwater aquariums fish, visit [http://www.afreshwateraquarium.com]
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