What You Need to Know About Freshwater Aquarium Maintenance

Freshwater Aquarium Maintenance Tips

Good freshwater aqurium maintenance habits are important not only for your own enjoyment but also for the life and health of your fish.

Now that you have your home freshwater aquarium up and running and populated with fish you want to make sure to protect the lives of your fish and keep them healthy and stress-free.

Proper maintenance of your home freshwater aquarium means doing regular water changes, maintaining a steady and proper tempature level, monitoring the water's PH levels and keeping the water clean and debris-free.

CHANGING THE WATER

You should siphon out approximately 20-20% of the water in your tank about twice a week and refill it with clean water. Make sure you do a partial water change at least once a month if you can't do it every two weeks, but two weeks is optimal.

You also want to make sure you don't change the water too frequently, as the friendly bacteria that builds up is actually required to keep the tank balanced and the fish healthy.

MAINTAIN A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE

Maintaining a constant temperateure between 72 and 75 degrees is optimal for most community tanks. Some fish like it a little warmer while others can tolerate it cooler, but this range will suit most home aquarium fish breeds.

KEEP A STEADY PH LEVEL

The PH level of your fish tank is basically how alkaline or acidic your water is, The PH scale ranges from 0 (highly acidic) to 14 (highly acidic). 7.0 is considered neutral and for most community fish this is what you should try for and maintain.

Maintaining a proper PH level in the tank is key and can sldo be dependent on the PH level of the water coming out of your tap. Unusually hard or softwater will need to be pre-treated before you can use it.

TIP: take a sample to your local pet store where you buy your fish and have them test it. You can buy various chemicals to adjust the PH of your tank depending on the levels.

KEEP THE WATER CLEAN

Probably the biggest reason for dirty water is overfeeding. It's a simple truth that the more food your fish ingest the more waste comes out the other end.

Now, we're not suggesting you starve your fish for the sake of a clean tank but a pinch of food goes a long, long way.

A good rule of thumb is to put a pinch of food into the tank and see if it all gets eaten within a minute or so. If it does, add a second pinch, and that's it.

Granted, it totally depends on the size of your tank and how many fish since 30 fish will simply eat more than 13 fish, but watch to see how many flakes are just rolling along the bottom of the tank after 5 minutes. If after 5 minutes you still see flakes floating or rolling around, yoo're feeding them too much. Cut back a bit next time.

KEEP OUT OF DIRECT SUNLIGHT

A little sunlight on the tank each day won't harm the tank or the fish and is actually a good thing.

But you want to avoid sustained amounts of direct sunlight since this can contribute to algae.

Algae can take over your tank and make it hard to clean and see the fish and sometimes makes the water smell bad, too.

A healthy, balanced, well-aerated home freshwater aquarium will hardly smell at all and should not have a fishy smell or any strong odors.

Odors are usually a sign of decay, either from rotting food or a dead fish. So doing a smell check as part of your routine freshwater aquarium maintenance duties is a good tool to use. The nose knows!

KEEP IT AERATED

Keeping the water aerated with a separate air pump and airstone will help your home freshwater aquarium maintain good circulation and oxygen levels which the fish need to maintain good health.

By having a properly aerated home freshwater aquarium with the correct temperature and PH that you don't overfeed, will increase your chances of having a healthy and happy fish tank for years to come.

Gene Sower is an expert in freshwater aquarium keeping with nearly 40 years of experience. For more information on how to keep your freshwater home aquarium clean, visit http://www.aquarium-keepers.com

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Bird of paradise

The birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species in this family are found on the island of New Guinea and its satellites, with a few species occurring in the Moluccas and eastern Australia. The family has forty species in 13 genera. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings or head. For the most part they are confined to dense rainforest habitat. The diet of all species is dominated by fruit and to a lesser extent arthropods. The birds-of-paradise have a variety of breeding systems, ranging from monogamy to lek-based polygamy.

Data refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird-of-paradise

Blue bird of paradise

King Bird-of-paradise

King of Saxony Bird-of-paradise

Raggiana Bird-of-paradise

Red bird of Paradise

Wilson's Bird-of-paradise

Dog Halloween Costumes

At Halloween, kids aren't the only ones who get to dress up and enjoy treats. Hundreds of dog lovers get their pets into the act with dog Halloween costumes. The following are the costumes for dogs this Halloween.

Angel Dog Halloween

Clown Dog Halloween

Devil Dog Halloween

Groom and Bride Dog Halloween

Jailbird Dog Halloween

Pirates Halloween Costumes

 

Adding Salt to Freshwater Aquarium

The practice of adding salt to a freshwater aquarium is one that has been around for quite some time. There are several reasons why sodium chloride (aka table salt or aquarium salt) would be added to a freshwater tank, including stress reduction, medication, and to create a natural environment for fish normally found in brackish water. Before you add salt to your freshwater aquarium for any reason, be sure to understand the reasons for doing so and any possible side effects.

Many popular aquarium fish species come from brackish areas, such as rivers feeding into an ocean. In these cases, adding salt to the aquarium serves to replicate their natural habitat by creating a water quality that is between the typical freshwater and saltwater tank options. Known as "brackish," attaining the optimum salt content for these types of fish requires knowledge of your fish species' natural environment, as the salt requirements can vary widely even among brackish fish.

Many species of fish are not brackish, but still benefit from a small quantity of salt in their water. Salt can reduce stress in goldfish, African Cichlids, and most live-bearers such as Mollys, Platys, Guppies, and Swordtails. When using salt to reduce stress, the recommended dose is one to two tablespoons for ten gallons of water. This use of salt in a freshwater aquarium is especially common with fish that have lost a lot of scales. A teaspoon per 10 gallons of water will support the healing of scales by helping the fish maintain the proper level of salt in its blood.

In addition to this use, salt may be added to treat common ailments of freshwater aquarium fish, including ecoparasites, ich, and Costia. To kill these ailments, you'd need to add about 1 1/2 cups of salt for every 10 gallons of aquarium water. If you have an aquarium hydrometer, which measures the salt content, it should read between 1.005 and 1.009, or 7 to 19 parts per million. This salt level must be maintained for several weeks. Not all species can tolerate this much salt. Whenever treating freshwater fish with salt, you must monitor the fish closely for signs of stress, and return the fish to a fully freshwater environment if necessary.
A short-term dip in lightly salted water is often recommended as a treatment for fish that have been exposed to water with a high level of nitrites. Add about four teaspoons of salt to a gallon of water, and place your fish in the bucket for about half an hour, observing them closely for signs of distress during this time.

When should you avoid adding salt to an aquarium? If your tank is planted with live plants, avoid salt, because plants are easily damaged by relatively low salt levels. Scaleless fish are very sensitive to salt, as are some other fish species, including Tetras.

If you do decide to add salt to your aquarium, avoid using ordinary table salt, which contains additives such as iodine and calcium silicate. Aquarium salt has no such additives, making it safer for your fish.

Jason MacParland is a freshwater aquarium expert. For more great information on Adding salt to freshwater aquarium, visit http://www.easyfreshwateraquariumcare.com to learn more about setting up and maintaining a freshwater aquarium.

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Helpful Tips For Starting a Tropical Freshwater Aquarium

There are many worthwhile hobbies that you may seriously consider adding to your list of creative interests. Caring for tropical fish is a great option and you can begin your venture by learning proper knowledge and tips regarding starting a tropical freshwater aquarium. In the course of beginning this exciting aquatic adventure, there are several things you need to know and understand to have a successful endeavor.

How do you ensure that your aquarium, especially for beginners, is a success? It is every fish keepers ultimate goal to have healthy fish with remarkable longevity. An aquarium that is breathtaking adds not only self fulfillment but also color to a boring and dull room. However, you want to make sure that it will not take all of your time in maintaining your freshwater aquarium.

Setting up a tank takes time and patience to get started right. It is not a good idea to purchase a tank, set it up, and add fish to the aquarium in one day. If you want to have the best results and a wonderfully assembled fish aquarium, start by doing your research, then purchase your tank and equipment or an aquarium kit and set it up. Next, add water and run the filter system. Let the tank cycle for at least 48 hours which will allow the water conditions to stabilize and allows important micro-organisms to grow in your tank.

The freshwater aquarium setup is vital to the health and overall quality of your aquatic friends because it provides the environment for your fish to live and be comfortable. Stressed fish are most likely to have weaker immune systems, become susceptible to diseases and eventually perish.

Other fish keeping guidelines to consider include not overfeeding your fish and keeping them in an aquarium with compatible tank mates. A major part for successful fish keeping is determined by your maintenance of your freshwater aquarium. Make sure that you regularly make partial water changes to ensure good water quality. Check your filtration system and make sure it is working in order to provide the cleanest water and healthiest place for your pets. It is also imperative to give them enough room where they can live and interact with other tank mates. One of the biggest sources of tank problems has to do with putting too many fish in your aquarium. This can cause stress, excessive waste in the tank, algae problems, and more.

Choosing the best tropical freshwater aquarium setup is a very crucial yet rewarding effort to begin with in developing your passion for freshwater fish keeping. Make the most of your time by doing thorough research which will save you time, money, and most of all make aquarium keeping more enjoyable.

Chris Walker is an aquarium enthusiast. For more great information on setting up a tropical freshwater aquarium, visit http://freshwateraquarium.org/.

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Guide For Buying and Preparing Your Freshwater Aquarium Tank

Before buying your freshwater aquarium tank, one of the first considerations is how much available space you have. The size of your tank will also determine the number and size of fish you can keep. It is my experience that larger aquarium tanks are easier to maintain once they are up and running for a few months. Now that you have considered how much space you have, it is now time to secure your freshwater aquarium.

Buying the Tank

When you go to a pet store, or a preferably a retailer that specializes in fish tanks, choose among the available tanks that will fit in the space you allocated in your home. Another decision is whether you want a fish tank made of glass or acrylic material for your home freshwater aquarium tank.

If you have children at home, the best choice might be an acrylic fish tank because they are more durable and much more difficult to break. However, this material is also prone to scratches, and is more expensive. Nonetheless, it is a good material for a fish tank. A fish tank that is made from glass is less prone to scratches, although it does scratch, costs less, but the event of a breakage cannot be dismissed. I usually keep aquariums made of glass and just exercise caution so that breakage does not occur.

One more thing that you have to consider is the number of fish that you will be placing inside the tank. A general rule is to load the tank at 1 inch of fish per gallon. It is my experience that this can be somewhat excessive. I am usually more conservative loading my tank as low as 1 inch of fish per 2 gallons of water. This combined with an aquarium filter that is more than adequate for a fish tank can reduce the frequency of tank cleaning and aquarium maintenance activities.

Preparing the Aquarium Tank

The freshwater aquarium tank must be prepared before fish can be placed inside. First, fill the tank with freshwater. Setup all accessories that you would like to see in your aquarium such as aquarium gravel or sand, background paper on the back of the fish tank, set up the filter system and aquarium heater, and place any other habitat you provide such as rocks or plants. Get everything up and running and let every run for 3 days to a week. This allows the water chemistry to stabilize and give time for important micro-organisms to grow in your tank.

Stabilizing the aquarium before placing the fish inside it is a must. The pH level should come to an acceptable level, the temperature should be normal for all the fish in the tank. Everything inside the tank contributes to the general well-being of the fish, and therefore, everything must be in place when the tank would be set to run for stabilization.

Time to Buy the Fish

Now that your tank has stabilized since it has been running for a couple of days, you now can go back to the pet store and buy your fish.

Once you have purchased all the fish that you will be placing inside the aquarium, let them acclimatize first to their new home. Float your fish, which should be in plastic bags, in the water so that the water temperatures normalize, so they won't get shocked by being submerged immediately into water that they are not used to.
The freshwater aquarium tank is the home for your fish and must be maintained with care. With the appropriate care, freshwater aquarium keeping can be fun, easy, and be a low maintenance hobby. If done wrong, you could have a lot of maintenance on your hands by learning the hard way, as I have many times in the past.

Chris Walker is a biologist freshwater aquarium enthusiast. For information on freshwater aquarium tanks, visit http://freshwateraquarium.org.

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Freshwater Aquarium Information For Beginners

Maintaining an aquarium is a worthwhile hobby. There are a lot of fish species making aquarium keeping interesting and exciting. Also, seeing fish swimming inside an aquarium can be soothing to the senses, thus helping you relax and relieve stress. In general, there are two main types of aquariums that hobbyists can enjoy. They are freshwater and saltwater aquariums. As a beginner, you might want to choose to maintain a freshwater aquarium at first. Considering this, adequate freshwater aquarium information must be obtained so that your new hobby as an aquarium enthusiast is a success.

One of the first things that needs to be considered when planning your aquarium is the size of the tank. It is recommended that you stick with a tank no less than ten gallons. Smaller tanks are harder to maintain, especially for maintaining healthy water quality. Of course, bigger tanks are more costly than the smaller ones, so consider your budget and the available space in the process of selecting a tank.

A factor that could affect your choice of tank is the number and types of fish that you would like to have in your aquarium. The number and size of fish is directly proportional to the size of the aquarium setup that you have. A general rule when to stocking your tank is to add one inch of fish size to one gallon of water. However, this is a general rule that I tend to be very conservative about by putting in less fish rather than more. This should cut down your aquarium maintenance by reducing the amount of waste from your fish. Another trick is to get an aquarium filter that is more than adequate which will also reduce how often you will need to clean your tank. Typically, fish must have enough space to swim freely in order to give them comfort. Large species of fish can become stressed if the tank they are placed in is too small.

In making your selection, the location of the tank must also be considered. Do not place it in direct sunlight or near vents. Just make sure that the aquarium is placed on an aquarium stand that can hold its weight and that it is stable.

With adequate knowledge about fish care and aquarium maintenance, fish keeping can be done by anyone. Obtain as much knowledge as you can about the aquarium hobby. You might not always get the correct answer from the pet shop, so try to gather as much freshwater aquarium information first from as many sources that are available.

Chris Walker is an aquarium enthusiast and expert. For more great information on freshwater aquariums, visit http://www.freshwateraquarium.org.

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Proper Artificial Lighting For A Freshwater Aquarium

Proper lighting is one of the essential elements for a balanced underwater ecosystem. Technically termed as photosynthesis, it is equally important to organisms like fish and other aquatic animals to produce food. Freshwater aquarium requires specific kind of light so that fish may live longer. Some may require minimum lighting; others prefer intense lighting so the application of lighting to the aquarium is another thing to be serious about.

There is a number of artificial lighting available in the market today that can be used to brighten your fish tanks. Every aquarium has special features that require specific kind of lighting therefore each aquarium requires different type of lighting.

Incandescent bulbs generally are not advisable for fish water tanks because of its low luminosity and high energy consumption. It tends to get hot too quickly fish may die due to sudden change of heat therefore it is not efficient to use.

Fluorescent bulbs on the other hand are the most used type of lighting option because of its relatively high luminosity and low energy consumption. Fluorescent lamps are truly favorable for the freshwater aquarium since they can be readily available at all times.

Metal halide lamps are considered to be a better lighting alternative for freshwater aquarium because of its intense lighting. Its light so in tensed that can be compared to the actual sun light making it appropriate for a busy marine ecosystem. Metal halide lamps are notably expensive and a bit hard to maintain.

What is the appropriate type of lighting to use?

There are a number of factors to deal with before deciding which type of artificial lighting to use. The most basic one is to consider the general condition and the specification of the aquarium these things when combined together will constitute the total well being of marine life inside your aquarium.

Take into consideration the population inside the aquarium, depth of the water and the entirety of the fish tank.

In an aquarium where there are only fish present on it medium lighting maybe applied. It is not necessary to apply intense lighting to aquariums of this type. Usually minimum wattage requirement is 2-3 watts per tank gallon. The quality of lighting may vary according to the number of population. The more fish you have then more lighting can be applied to accommodate them all.

Fish tanks with fish and live plants added on it requires intense lighting. The more intense the lighting is the better it would be. 4 watts per tank gallon should be the minimum wattage for these types of tanks. The bigger the water tank is the more lights should be shared with. Be cautious to note that there are some kinds of marine life requiring specific type of luminosity. Learn techniques and information from the experts to properly address this concern.

It is suggested that once in a while you perform light simulation wherein you regulate the light of your freshwater aquarium the same way as the sun lights. It must be brightly lighted the whole day while turned it off the whole night. This will bring good effects to fish from getting too stressed in an artificial aquatic environment. Simulating the lights will make fish feel they actually lived in their natural habitat.

Freshwater aquarium is a fun hobby that involves a generous amount of discipline and responsibilities. Just like any other jobs or hobbies freshwater aquarium has its distinct characteristics and needs that should be given preferential attention. With the hints cited above about proper artificial lighting keeping a freshwater aquarium at home can be the most rewarding experience you can truly have.

For more great information on freshwater aquarium lighting visit the site.

Wilson is an aquarium enthusiast and loves to share his secrets on Freshwater Aquarium. For more great information on freshwater aquarium keeping, visit http://www.freshwateraquariumadvice.com

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