Moving Your Aquarium

By Roshan Goodman

Moving your aquarium can be very easy or very difficult, if you know how to do it the correct way. The size of your tank can make the moving easy or hard. You also have to take in account for the distance that you are moving the tank. With a few easy steps you can make moving your fish tank effortless.

First, the fish are the most important part of the moving of your tank operation and should be handled with caution and your biggest concern. Before you ever move the tank move the fish out of the tank. If you have a small carrying tank, move the fish into that tank temporarily. If you do not have a tank, move the fish into plastic bags or a bucket. The fish are most important and cannot safely be moved with the tank.

If your tank is smaller than ten gallons then you will need to empty the water out of the tank to move it safely. To drain the water from the tank, vacuum the water from the tank like cleaning the tank, Leave about an inch of water in the tank so some minerals are left in the tank.

Keeping the fish safe should be your first priority. In any instance the fish should be taken out of the tank before it is drained or moved, If you have another aquarium or small tank for carrying fish in, then I would suggest moving the fish into the extra tank, If none of these options are possible than put the fish into bags, like you would at a pet store. Remember the fish cannot stay in the bags or a small-unheated tank very long because of heat and air.

After the fish are adjusted to the tank, release them into the tank. Place the decor and plants back in the same places, as the fish are probably used to their habitat. Just remember the fish cannot stay in the temporary tank or bags very long during the move, because of oxygen and heat, Also if you decide to clean the tank during the move of the tank, make sure to wash out the tank and accessories well so the fish do not get harmed by soap or chemicals.

When you are ready to re fill the tank, fill it with the right type if water for the fish. Put all the accessories and plants back before the fish, Make sure the heaters have been going for awhile, so that the tank is to the warmth the fish need. If the water is too cold or hot the fish will go into shock. Float the fish in the water, just like when you purchase new fish, to prevent shock. If you follow these steps then your tank will be happy and healthy. - 32185

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My Fish At Home Are Very Healthy

By Amanda Lesserberg

Compared to other things, aquariums usually require very little care and daily attention. In fact, if you started maintenance on your aquarium by the time you begin reading this article, you will probably have been through before you even finish the article. So what is involved in aquarium care? We are going to look at four aspects of aquarium care that you will find very beneficial.

One has to do with the lighting. One thing you have to remember is that aquarium light does not need to be on at all times except when observing or feeding the fish or if the aquarium contains any live plants. The room light is generally considered sufficient and will keep the finish fairly active. In fact, leaving the light on for long periods can even cause algae growth explosions which of course you do not want. So how can you ensure consistent light and dark cycles are maintained, especially if you are a forgetful aquarium owner? You can install an inexpensive electrical timer that will turn the lights on and off and this will probably leave you with peace of mind knowing that your fish are getting the right doses of light.

Good aquarium care also means that you feed the fish two or three times per day and for only two or three minutes per feeding session. If you are a beginner, this may require some practice until you know the correct amounts of food to give. Do not overfeed the fish. The side effects are obvious; the water quality deteriorates, there is increased algae growth, the water gets cloudy and this often results in fish being prone to infections and diseases. This is as a result of uneaten food that accumulates in the aquarium.

Good aquarium care also means taking the time to simply observe the fish behavior especially during mealtimes. Look to see if every fish has got something to eat. Look out for fish that are picky about their food. Of course, each type of fish acts differently and it may take some time to determine 'normal' behavior for each fish type. If you take time each day to make this observation, your experience will grow.

Also do not forget to check the aquarium equipment and ensure that everything is working as it is supposed to. Consider the various pumps, heaters and filters as the life support system of the fish. This should be done daily. Excellent aquarium care takes some time and experience and is also a source of joy when you realize that your fish are safe and happy in their aquarium habitat. - 32185

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Filling Your Tank

By Roshan Goodman

Many fish such as Cory cats and neon tetras can only live in a certain range of hard water. Hard water is water with more minerals and can harm some fish. There is a solution that can be purchased to clean the water if it is hard, but is best used only when first filling your aquarium for the first time

Filing your tank about twice a week can keep the cycle of water in your tank for maxim health for your fish. When filling your tank, be careful not to fill the tank too soon. Fill the tank when the waterline reaches an inch below the lid. Filling the tank too high can affect the fish by letting the water of the tank not be circulated to get enough oxygen. Fill the tank only to the bottom of the lid line.

Before you regularly change your tank's water they type of fish your own should be assessed. If you have a variety of fish that cannot live in hard water it is best if you fill your tank with just soft water. Having a little bit of soft water can be good for the fish. Fill the tank with a fifth of hard water and the rest soft.

Filling your tank regularly is very good for the cycle of water. The fish get fresh water twice a week will increase their health. Fill the tank after the waterline recedes to an inch below the lid. When you fill the tank do not fill it above the lid cap. If you fill the tank water too high then the air will not flow and the fish will not get enough oxygen.

Not everyone may know how to find out how to get water that is soft and water that is hard. The trick is knowing where you can find it. If you have tap water or a water purifier then that type of water is soft. Also any bottled water is also soft. Hard water is any faucet water usually. Also hard water is from your hose or outside faucet.

Knowing the types of fish in your tank can help your weekly water changes be very smooth and easy. Finding the type of fish that you have and separating them if they can or cannot be in the same tank with the same type of water. These tricks and tips can help your tank be happy and healthy. - 32185

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How To Filter Out Your Fish Tank

By Wendy Napier

It must make any aquarium enthusiast cringe, having to feed his fish every day in the same water that they swim in, breathe in and release their bodily wastes in. If it were not for reasons of yuckiness that that such a situation could not be allowed, it would certainly be objectionable for the way this would poison the water and make it incapable of sustaining aquatic life. How do you treat your fish to a better life then? If the fish lived in a natural water body, a pond or stream, there would be enough clean water in the system that all the bodily waste would not make a difference; in a closed water body like an aquarium, it comes down to the owner of the aquarium to do something to constantly clean and freshen the water the fish live in, to give them a reasonable standard of living. Aquarium filters are the answer; though there are so many, they can hardly be called one answer.

The empathetic aquarium owner must worry most about the health implications of having his fish swimming around in a weak solution of their own bodily waste. What must all the bacteria and other pathogens in the water do to the fish? Do their eyes sting; do they breathe with difficulty in such a toxic water cocktail? Biological aquarium filters are the solution to such concerns. A biological filter is a unit that encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria inside it. These bacteria subsist on the bodily waste of fish; and they break down the poisonous ammonia in the waste into nitrogen compounds, nitrites and nitrates and these are a great way to take the sting out of the problem.

Under-gravel filters are a great example of biological aquarium filters; they're not marketed as effectively these days, owing to the fact that they are simple to build, and offer no opportunity for a killer markup, but are very effective. The idea is that the filter is placed under the bed of the aquarium; water is drawn through the gravel over the bed; the gravel filters out a large part of the suspended debris, and the bacteria that live in the gravel take care of the ammonia. The water is drawn down and sent back up after purification by message of an air stone or a powerhead.

One of the best options that modern aquarium filter technology provides is the canister filter. Canister aquarium filters force the water in an aquarium through a variety of filters and cycle the entire contents of an aquarium every hour. The result is a visibly bright and clean and aquarium that manages to be free of most kinds of impurities. A minor drawback to this type of aquarium filter is the way it keeps drawing all the water through its system constantly; this action creates quite a strong current in the tank that can be annoying to some fish.

One of the most satisfying kinds of aquarium filter to use is the sump variety. Basically a sump aquarium filter is a large aquarium-like tank by itself, used exclusively for water purification in the main tank. The sump is sectioned off into three or four areas, each one installed with a different kind of water purification system. These aquarium filters are mostly the domain of experienced do-it-yourselfers; you could have a sump with a compartment for beneficial plants, one for gravel and charcoal purification, and so on. It is easy to be bitten by the purification bug and let it run away with you though. The final test of how successful your attempts are, rests in the health of your fish population. If your veterinarian certifies them to be as healthy as can be, there's no reason why you should not congratulate yourself on a job well done. - 32185

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An Aquarium That You Can Count On

By Chase Levy

To any aquarium hobbyist, the exciting and creative time to be had building your own little underwater fantasyland often can feel let down by what follows: watching a week's pall of dirt and dullness settling over everything that you prized for its clear color and healthful liveliness. The joy of building and owning a beautiful aquarium asks of only a small sacrifice: the will to work some regular time for cleaning into your schedule, as you would to walk your air breathing pets. Aquarium maintenance as it happens, deals with more than merely a good scrubbing for everything in sight that is slimy; you need to know any little about water chemistry and the biological requirements for healthy fish life as well.

To any aquarium hobbyist, the exciting and creative time to be had building your own little underwater fantasyland often can feel let down by what follows: watching a week's pall of dirt and dullness settling over everything that you prized for its clear color and healthful liveliness. The joy of building and owning a beautiful aquarium asks of only a small sacrifice: the will to work some regular time for cleaning into your schedule, as you would to walk your air breathing pets. Aquarium maintenance as it happens, deals with more than merely a good scrubbing for everything in sight that is slimy; you need to know any little about water chemistry and the biological requirements for healthy fish life as well.

The typical aquarium needs a little hands-on time about twice a month. The maintenance routine usually begins with switching off electricity to the tank, for safety's sake. Aquarium maintenance shops typically get a lot of business from first-time hobbyists who scrub their tanks without thinking about how today's tanks mostly come in acrylic and not glass. Replacing sccratched panes can be a tidy business. Acrylic needs special cleaning techniques. A good way to go, cleaning the algae film off the front of your aquarium would be to use an improvised plastic scraper, an old credit card for example. Cleaning the salt deposits off the front window in a saltwter aquarium, is important too. When you clean out your aquarium filter, do no more thorough a job than rinsing it in any water you took out of your tank. The filter's medium holds a valuable collection of friendly bacteria; if you just took it out to clean under the tap, you would waste a lot of it.

Most of the uneaten fish food and water, bodily waste and other debris collects in the gravel and substrate that lines the bottom of your tank. There are special aquarium vacuum cleaners available that can help you with this part of your aquarium maintenance routine. Cleaning your aquarium each time, you'll find that you need to bail out and replace no more than about a quarter of its water capacity to keep things fresh. If you have a saltwater aquarium, you will need to put on your chemist's hat and make sure that you have exactly the right level of saltiness to the water.

But freshly-made saltwater can sometimes sicken your fish, and you need to use water prepared a day in advance. You need a hydrometer to check for the right level of saltiness, you need to make sure that you use water with no chlorine in it; your aquarium supplies dealer will have the chemicals you need to clean the chlorine up out of the water that comes out the tap. It doesn't take much more than that to keep your aquarium clean and your fish happy. Aquarium maintenance is not really difficult; it's just that there's just something about it that upsets even the most stable among us. - 32185

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How To Keep Your Aquarium Cold

By David Rice

People have owned home aquariums for centuries, and arguably, their fish and aquatic setups got along very well without aid from the modern contraptions you would find at any self-respecting aquarium supplies dealer today. These new devices available today, the aquariums chiller, the powerful lighting or the protein skimmer, were not just thought up by bright marketing departments to part you from that last dollar; these were made for the true aquarium enthusiast, one who tries to expand his aquarist's horizons delving into areas of aquarium-building heretofore unexplored: raising saltwater coral reefs, or raising exotic fish from cooler climes.

Building a coral reef in your home is no easy matter; these reefs occur naturally close to the water surface out in the sea, and are accustomed to receiving the full benefit of a day's sunshine. There is no way you could keep these at home illuminated with just a couple of florescent lighting fixtures. Successfully raising coral reefs and the life forms dependent on them requires that you invest in lighting technology that's really out there- metal halides, Very High Output fluorescents and so on. These do solve your lighting issues raising corals and other tropical life, but not without raising a problem or two of their own. Intense light will always come with intense heat. In the ocean, the heat, as much of it as the sun is able to supply, is pretty much lost in the vast volumes of the ocean's waters.

An aquarium tank has just so much water, and can be heated up a degree or three with just a few hours of intense artificial lighting. When you switch off the lights at night, the small body of water that the aquarium is, it can hold the heat for only a couple of hours before the temperature in the tank plunges. The temperature swings can be distressing to your aquarium's inhabitants, for the discomfort they cause and also for the amount of oxygen that warm water will quickly lose. And here enters the aquarium chiller.

Aquarium chillers can be quite expensive, running into hundreds of dollars for a reliable unit. You might think that using a fan would cool your tank adequately: there is a little added wrinkle to the problem though. To have a fan constantly playing on the top of the water will certainly cool it a couple of degrees; the fan will also hasten evaporation. It won't be easy to top up the water levels either. In some cases you will need to spring for a special reverse osmosis filterto easily do this all the time.

It's not really difficult buying a chiller; you just measure your tank for volume, and you buy a unit in proportion to the size. If you don't live in a particularly hot desert-like area, a midsize 30 gallon tank will require a 600 BTU aquarium chiller and a large tank will require as much as 4000 BTU. Think of an aquarium chiller as an air-conditioner for your aquatic friends. Aquarium chillers can often be quite noisy, and can turn out to be stress contributors themselves. Check out online forums for the best brands to buy, and the best feature-choices to make. - 32185

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How To Make Your Aquarium Fancy

By Wendy Lucie

Making up an aquarium at home used to be so simple; any hopeful aquarist who could put together a reasonable arrangement of aquatic plants, a few funny pebbles and a little plastic castle in a glass box could end up looking like a sensitive guy for his trouble. If you have ever seen the ethereal and exquisite effects of Japanese aquarium decor though, you know how real the artistry involved in aquascaping is. The organic and harmonious look achieved in Japanese aquarium decor principles often makes people imagine that these are actual attempts at re-creating a biotope, the habitat of an actual ecological community. As tempting as it is to imagine that, these are as man-made as anything you would see in any modern aquarium, and sometimes they are inspired by landscapes you would see above water to boot.

There is something about a living environment: the harder you try to artificially replicate it in your own aquarium, the more elusive it becomes. But if you are lucky and if you try, you may end up with aquarium decor that you find more beautiful than the original. The Japanese aquarium styles sees the fish and the environment they live in as equally contributors to the final effect, after the philosophy that the frame can sometimes be considered to be as important as the painting itself.

The first step to designing your Japanese aquarium would be to pick the general shape of the landscape you want within the tank; popular landscape shapes include arranging for a generally concave look, where the surface rises all around a central valley, and a convex look where the landscape rises from the peripheries of the aquarium to a central prominence. The ideal aquarium decor layout would place before the viewer no more than one or two areas of focus, of something good and catchy to look at. There shouldn't be lot of stuff thrown in there, each piece competing for attention.

Japanese aquarium decor philosophy places some value in imbuing tank designs with a sense of depth. The most popular way to do this is to use lowrise aquarium plants and not bushy ones. The larger shapes in the aquarium need to be the rocks and the driftwood you bring in, and not the plants. Riccia and hairgrass are great choices; for a neat look with excellent depth, try using contrast - plants of different colors, some close-cropped and tidy, others that hang a little more free, and so on.

A natural underwater vista would include a number of rocks and pebbles of the same type. It might be tempting on your visit to an aquarium supplies store to pick a couple of all the best-looking rocks around for a Technicolor effect; while that might be the way to go for Vegas-like glamor, you must remember that you are going for the natural look, for Oriental restraint. Try to pick all your aquarium rocks, as many as you get, to belong to the same geological type, more or less. When you arrange them around the bottom of your tank, the placement that should work best is usually where the action of water currents would kick them around. The natural look is best achieved by rolling the rocks around and letting them rest where their center of gravity dictates.

Of course the aquarium you dream up can never be precisely to your standards; an aquarium is a living environment, and is a place of free biological growth. If you can somehow factor that into your core philosophy, you should be ahead of most first-time designers and perhaps you could say something grand to people who come in to admire your handiwork, like "According to ancient Japanese wisdom, the earth that supports life and the life that lives on it must all be free". - 32185

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Everything You Need To Know About the Different Types of Fish Food

By Leonard Boyler

Once you have purchased your fish, you need to supply them with the proper food that will keep them healthy and happy. It doesn't always have to be a big bag of fish flakes. Your fish also need good nourishment that will give them an active life, enhance their growth and stimulate breeding. Their diet should also give them a more efficient immune system against sickness.

Dry fish foods include flakes, granules, pellets, and wafers. Each type is formulated for a particular diet, so choose carefully depending on the fish species you own. Some contain plant products, while others contain mainly fish and animal products. Many are fortified with vitamins and minerals or have special purposes such as developing brighter colors in your fish. Although many fish keepers choose dry foods because of the ease of storage and feeding, it may not be the best choice for your fish.

Particularly if your fish are larger than an inch, a specialized diet will serve them much better. Many fish are carnivores or omnivores, so at least some of their food should include meat. A popular choice is frozen bloodworms, which are small red mosquito larvae that are very nutritious for your fish. They are sold in a plastic package, frozen into blocks that look like small ice cubes. Simply drop one of these cubes into the aquarium when it's time to feed your fish.

There are other fresh or frozen foods available as fish food. Brine shrimp or krill, which can be purchased live or frozen, are known for bringing out the colors in tropical fish. The Daphnia, or water flea, is a small crustacean that can be purchased at aquarium supply stores. Although most fish enjoy them, they do not provide much nutritional value.

Earthworms are especially enjoyable to larger fish. They are rich in protein but not much else. It will be a mistake to feed your fish with just earthworms or with just the Daphnia. Both are lacking in most essential nutrients for your fish. The large predatory fish also will enjoy small feeder fish. They enjoy the taste and the chase.

There should be a rotation of some or all of these foods in feeding your fish not just to give them balanced nutrition but also to provide variety in their diet. They are likely to get tired of the same food day after day just like any person. You also have the option of supplementing the dried pellets or flakes diet with live or frozen food.

Herbivore fish, unlike carnivores, are much easier to feed. They happily nibble all day in the aquarium, eating food provided by fresh plants and the algae present. They are happier snacking all throughout the day rather than eating at specific times of the day.

You can also supplement your fish's food supply with vegetables like blanched spinach leaves, slices of zucchini and cucumber, and peas directly to the tank. Let this vegetable matter float for an hour or two, and then remove them from the tank. Some dried foods, particularly algae wafers, also make a good choice for herbivores.

Feeding the right food to your fish is not really difficult. You just have to make a little research to find out the preferences and nutritional needs of your fish. Different species will have different needs. Make the necessary adjustments to the kind and amount of food you feed them as they grow. Remember to give them variety and a balance diet and your fish will thrive and live a full healthy, perky and happy life. - 32185

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When I Bought My Aquarium

By Amy Andrews

An 100 gallon aquarium holds a large amount of water. If people are serious about having many fish for pets, they may purchase a 100 gallon aquarium. These aquariums stay cleaner longer than smaller models. An 100 gallon aquarium is good for fish as well as aquatic gardens including reefs and treasure chests. Some 100 gallon tanks are featured in restaurants, casinos, boats and office buildings as an elegant touch.

An 100 gallon aquarium can start at $50.00 and go up to $500.00 and up depending on where they are purchased. Since these models are so large, often when someone moves, they sell their 100 gallon aquarium if they cannot fit it in their new house. Rarely does this size of aquarium add elegance to a room without taking up a lot of space in turn.

You can purchase an 100 gallon aquarium from a garage sale or specialty store. Sometimes an 100 gallon aquarium comes in a package including food to feed the fish along with some colorful gravel. An 100 gallon aquarium will sometimes have a light built in to illuminate the water, decorations and fish in the tank. The tank will also have a filter to refresh the water. These aquariums are friendly to freshwater or saltwater fish.

An 100 gallon aquarium will need to be cleaned from time to time, and it may be valuable to have a professional tank cleaner come to your home and clean it for you while protecting the fish. The water can be changed, the glass can be cleaned and the decorations can be rinsed. The filter can also be removed and flushed out of any debris.

Fish can be kept in a large container full of water that is the same temperature as the 100 gallon aquarium they lived in until the tank is finished being cleaned out. You can use a net to catch the fish and quickly dump them into the container so they can quickly readjust to the new water. Many 100 gallon aquariums come with instructions for filling the tank, assembling the filter, using the light and cleaning the tank. Caution should be taken around a tank this size because of the amount of water it holds and the delicate glass keeping it all in. There have been accidents and injury from tanks breaking and this is why it is crucial for precautions to be taken when maintaining tanks. - 32185

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Why Buy Aquariums, When All The Fish Tanks For Sale Look The Same?

By Mike Marvel

Fish aquariums are great to own and take care for as a hobby. These aquariums have come along way from the rectangular tanks we grew up with. Now when you look to buy aquariums you will see some very unique aquariums for sale. They come in many different shapes and sizes today.

The aquariums for sale these days are very unique. They are available in forms that look like works of art mounted to the wall to coffee tables. You will find that you can buy aquariums made from acrylic rather than glass. The acrylic aquariums can be shaped much works of art. You can also find ones made from acrylic instead of glass. The acrylic can be shaped much easier than glass and allows for some unique designs. We'll take a closer look at what you may find when you are ready to buy aquariums.

If you have an limited amount of space the look for the BiOrbs. These are not very big and easy to place in a limited area. The BiOrbs are made for acrylic and comes in 4, 8, and 16-gallon sizes. These are shaped like a globe and have the appeal of all the aquariums down through the years, along with up-to-date filtering system for ease of maintenance.

Today you can even see coffee table aquarium when you go to buy aquariums. Your living room will definitely be the talk of the town with of these. Whether you place it in front your couch or in the middle of your living room this type of aquarium will have people marvel at it. These can be different shapes from round to octagon.

Now if you have a drab corner in your house or even office think about getting an aquarium specially designed to fit the corners of the room. These are available in towers to perfectly enhance the corner of any room. The corner aquariums are one of the best aquariums for sale today for solving a decorating problem.

To show how versatile an aquarium is check out desktop models. When you buy aquariums you have to purchase what will fit the space you have allotted. So if you are just trying to perk up your desk at your office, the desktop aquariums really fit the bill. They take up very little room and some only hole 1 gallons of water or so. The only thing to remember about these small tanks is to put no more fish in them then they will support. Other than that you can decorate them up the same as larger aquariums.

For a smooth look in the aquariums for sale there is the Fluval Edge fish tanks. The sides are sealed in a way as to give you an uninterrupted view of the fish. These tanks are definitely durable with all six sides so efficiently sealed. They also have a port on top that is easily accessible. You can view the fish from ever angle including the top.

The oceanic aquariums for sale really make you feel that you are in some ancient underwater locale where mermaids may live. You get the feeling that you should be looking at shipwrecks and sandcastles instead of fish. So when you can check these while you try to buy aquariums that appeal to you.

Don't forget to look into wall mounted aquariums for sale. These models mount to the wall, just like a work of art. Just imagine have a living picture hanging on your wall. This aquarium will really be noticed. When you are ready to buy aquariums, don't forget to shop around online. - 32185

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Looking for the Right Fish for Your Aquarium

By Leonard Boyler

So you want to get an aquarium. Your first step is to figure out what kind of fish you want. But just how do you choose from the colorful tanks on the wall of your local pet store?

With the many varieties of fish to choose from, it can be so easy to pick the wrong fish. You would naturally want to get the fish that you think are attractive or have a certain look that you want your aquarium to have. After you have narrowed down your choices, it's best to try to answer these three guiding questions before you make your final decision. How large do these fish grow? What water quality do the fish need? How well will they live with the other fish that I've chosen?

Community fish are fish that are usually about one inch or less. Fish keepers usually choose to populate their tanks with groups of similar community fish. Some examples of community fish are sword tails, guppies, Dwarf Gourami and Platies. When you have chosen a variety, find fish that are close to the same size. Get some advice on which varieties get along well with each other if you want to mix them. Avoid getting just one community fish because they are used to swimming in schools and will just be lonely in your aquarium. As a rule of thumb, provide one gallon of aquarium water for every inch of these fish.

Most other species of fish will grow much larger, anywhere between six inches and several feet. With a few exceptions, these are best kept alone, as they will attack smaller or weaker fish. If you do select one of these larger species, you'll need an aquarium size to match. Keeping one of these species in a ten gallon tank is possible when they are very young, but you will need to upgrade eventually.

It's best to just buy the appropriate aquarium for their adult size when you first get the fish. Select the species you want, and then determine the aquarium size requirements for this fish at its adult size. This is not always one gallon per inch of full-grown fish, like it is for the smaller community fish.

There are some types of fish that can thrive in almost any type or condition of water. The goldfish is the most popular of these varieties. They are recognized as almost invincible. They will no doubt continue to survive even with no aquarium lights or filters, but this is not exactly wise fishkeeping practice.

Tropical fish are a little bit more particular especially with regard to the smaller range of water temperature they need. They also require high quality aquarium water. Testing the water frequently and having an excellent filter are just some of the ways to make sure that the fish are swimming in quality water. To lessen the need for constant maintenance, there are products like, EcoBio-Block, which helps to improve the quality of your aquarium water. Make sure to do some research regarding all the fish you have selected for their specific water quality requirements. There are some fish that require aquarium water to have a specific pH level, for example.

The last category of fish is the saltwater or marine variety. They are much more difficult to take care of, and are not recommended until you have acquired more fish keeping skills and experience with freshwater fish. On top of the light, temperature and water quality requirements of these fish, you also have to monitor the salt content in the aquarium. Never mix the saltwater fish with the freshwater varieties.

And lastly, examine every fish closely before you buy them. Check that they have healthy bright eyes, intact tails and fins, no missing scales or injury of any kind. Observe if they have healthy appetites and a high level of activity. Choose only bright and healthy looking fish.

As you can see, choosing your fish is an important factor when creating your aquarium and good choices will mean many years of enjoyment to come. - 32185

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Fish Causing Chaos

By Roshan Goodman

If you are stressed out about a fish then you can solve the problem easily. There are a few steps to follow to fix the bad fish problems. The first step is to identify the problem. Secondly, you must figure out what to do with the fish. Finally, you must try out the solution to see if it works.

There are many ways that a fish can be un-cooperative. Fish can attack other fish. They can constantly bug other fish and scare them. They can be very hyper and be too fast for the other fish. They can dig a lot and knock over plants. Identifying which fish does what is the first step to fixing the problem.

The most common problem when fish are causing problems is because of they do not like the other fish. This can be solved very easily, and is best solved as soon as the problem is found. Usually the problem is that one fish does not like another type of fish.

Solving this problem can be easy and done without having to kill the fish. Isolating the fish that has the problem in a different tank for a while is best. If the problems cease in your main tank then the fish cannot be with the other fish in the tank, and is best left alone or maybe only with its own kind.

If a group of fish or a few groups of fish are fighting then the problem may take longer to fix. You can remove the first group of fish from the tank and see if the fish are peaceful without that group. Next move the other group of fish to see if the first group is the problem. The group that is the most troublesome must be removed from the tank.

Following these tips will help your tank be happy and healthy. They can be implemented easily and effectively with an extra tank and decorations for the tank. If you need any help or have any questions please email me at vhypio@yahoo.com. Fish tanks are my hobby and an happy to help. - 32185

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Do You Learn Anything at the Zoo?

By Sara Ferguson

I am a very active zoo visitor; I often go more to a zoo in a week than most people do in year. In all my zoo visits I have learned that animal behavior isnt limited to across a watery moat, steel fencing, or glass window. It goes on everyday in the crowds of visitors which come to the zoo.

There has always been an ongoing argument about the educational value of the zoo compared to the animal suffering in the cages. An argument which, of course, wont be solved here but will give you a lot more to the think about in the end.

Yes, I do agree with all those that say, Animals should be free in the wild. I do not feel that we have the right to lock up animals for our own use in this manner. Animals like humans in prison will and do develop mental problems, behavior usually gets worse over time, and nothing good come out of it.

In all my years of going to the zoos I have found few people get any educational value from the visit. No one reads the signs, people past exhibits so fast they miss the animal, and most do not even stop long enough to really take a good look and reflect about the animal they are viewing. Many people spend the day speed walking, dragging one or more child, and wishing they hadnt promised to go to the zoo that day. I dont see must educational value to visitors or a reason to make animals suffer if people act that way.

Then you wonder about the school field trips, yes kids do get to see animals they might never see in the wild. They do hear, at least, some interesting facts about the animals. Do they really learn anything? I doubt it very much, most kids in those groups are too excited to just be free from the burden of school and having to sit still all day they cant pay attention to learning. Did you ever hear anything at the zoo field trips? I never did. Once the kids have a quick run through the zoo, they are fed like cattle and shoved back on a bus. How much educational value did the child get from the trip? I know the teachers would rather be in a pit of live snakes than go on a field trip with ten thousand screaming kids.

The sad thing is the adults really. Going to the zoo all the time, I have over heard some very interesting conversations between adults. Things said that convince me that the human race overall has a low IQ. One of the most common things I hear is people seeing a mother and her baby, and then calling the mother a he. I didnt know males got pregnant (No, I didnt forget about certain species, we dont want to get that complicated here).

Often adults cannot even pronounce the name of the animal. They usually get by calling it whatever name they know close to it. I can understand the Latin scientific names can be pretty hard, but Orangutan does not have a g at the end of it. Yes, the little things can lead to much bigger problems. How can you care about an animal to help save it from them becoming extinct (which we are causing), which probably has a higher IQ than you, if you cant even pronounce the name us humans gave to it?

What is the educational value of the zoo to the overall human population; Very little, in my opinion.

There are however, those cases and individuals from which the lack of a zoo might not have made them into the person they are today. Those people are now on the leading forefront of trying to save from the human race the very right for these animals to exist. So while most people get little to no educational value, hopefully just enough seeds are sparked to keep anymore animals from going extinct.

Do I like seeing a Polar Bear in a cage? No, but if it sparks enough people to help save all the polar bears from extinction at the hand of the human race then it is worth it. We can however make that Polar Bears life active, interesting, and fulfilling.

So what do we do now? Do we close all the zoos and set the animals free in the wild? Do we design the zoo a bit better forcing people to learn? The last time I looked, almost every sign at the zoo had the word Endangered on it. Oh well, after all the animals go extinct, man will be next. - 32185

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Choosing the Correct Lighting for Your Aquarium

By Leonard Boyler

All aquariums require lighting. It not only enhances the look of your aquarium, including the dcor and the fish themselves, but it is also necessary for the ecosystem in your tank, especially if you have live plants.

The easier way to set up an aquarium is to get the full tank setup. This usually includes the lighting, along with the other necessary equipment. Although this setup might be cheaper, it is much more advisable to choose your own lighting so that you can customize it according to the size of your tank and the needs of your selected fish and plants.

The power of the aquarium lighting should be around 2 to 3 watts for every gallon of water in the tank. Keep in mind, however, that the lighting requirements for the aquarium with live plants would be more than that of the same aquarium with artificial plants. Be careful though, because more light is not always good for all fish. Some fish thrive in a brightly lit habitat, while some are bothered by too much light and end up being stressed. Furthermore, an environment with too much light causes algae to grow much faster.

There are two types of lighting to choose from for a freshwater aquarium. You can have either an incandescent or a fluorescent bulb. Incandescent bulbs are more appropriate for smaller tanks and generally cheaper than fluorescent bulbs. But the yellow color of light they emit is not at all similar to natural light. They also heat up the water so you have to regularly monitor the temperature.

If you have live plants, you'll need an aquarium fluorescent light. Available in the form of tubes or compact fluorescent bulbs, their light is much brighter and does not give off any heat. The fluorescent light can be used by your live plants. If your tank is very heavily planted, you may need more than 3 watts per gallon. A compact fluorescent bulb will fit into any fixture designed for incandescent bulbs, while fluorescent light tubes need to be purchased at the correct length for your aquarium hood.

Some fluorescent lights come in specialized spectrums, though you can use an ordinary household fluorescent light. "Full Spectrum," which contains all of the necessary wavelengths of light, is the best choice for brightly colored fish and healthy plants. Different parts of the spectrum have different effects on your aquarium. Purple-tinted lights will bring out the colors in bright tropical fish; the blue area of the spectrum increases algae growth. Orange-red light is ideal for your aquatic plants.

Although a lot of fish are nocturnal, it is still important for the main aquarium light to be turned off at night to imitate the natural order they are used to. The use of submersible LED lights will allow you to watch your fish when the main aquarium lights are off. You can use different colors to highlight the dcor or the fish. To watch the fish without disturbing their daily routines, use small red or blue LED lights.

Replacing your aquarium light bulbs is an inevitable part of aquarium maintenance. Regardless of whether the light is still working, replace the bulb every year, because they grow dimmer over time.

If you choose the right aquarium light, it will not only add color and artistry to your aquarium, it will also serve you well in keeping your fish and plants healthy. - 32185

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Bringing The Fish Home

By Roshan Goodman

Whether it's your first aquarium or you are an expert aquarist, bringing fish home from the store can be a tricky task for everyone. Getting your fish home safely can be easy or very difficult. With a few steps your fish can arrive home and be happy and healthy. The distance to get your fish is a big factor in getting your pets home safely. Longer distance can cause hardships for the fish and yourself.

If you live far away then planning when and how you get the fish home can be vital. If you cannot get the fish home right away you might consider investing in a small plastic transporting tank. A tank can help the fish feel more safe and they will have airflow in the tank.

Leaving the fish in the bags they come in is ok, but not suggested. The bags have only a certain amount of water and the fish ca survive for a small period of time in the bags. Moving the fish to a different container is highly helpful.

The worst thing you can do is leaving the fish in the bag in the sun. If you have to park leave the air conditioning on. If it is cold do not leave the fish in the car. Have someone stay in the car with the heat on. Do not leave the fish in the car alone.

When the fish are home the last step to establishing them into the new tank. Floating the bags in the tank is a key point to make sure the fish do not go into shock when they are released into the tank. Float the bags in the tank for around thirty minutes so the fish can get used to the temperature of their new habitat.

By following the steps earlier in the article you can avoid losing any fish. The fish will live happily in the new tank. The temperature of the new water will not shock the fish. The new fish will also not die in the way home. - 32185

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Do You Learn Anything at the Zoo?

By Sara Ferguson

I am a very active zoo visitor; I often go more to a zoo in a week than most people do in year. In all my zoo visits I have learned that animal behavior isnt limited to across a watery moat, steel fencing, or glass window. It goes on everyday in the crowds of visitors which come to the zoo.

There has always been an ongoing argument about the educational value of the zoo compared to the animal suffering in the cages. An argument which, of course, wont be solved here but will give you a lot more to the think about in the end.

Yes, I do agree with all those that say, Animals should be free in the wild. I do not feel that we have the right to lock up animals for our own use in this manner. Animals like humans in prison will and do develop mental problems, behavior usually gets worse over time, and nothing good come out of it.

In all my years of going to the zoos I have found few people get any educational value from the visit. No one reads the signs, people past exhibits so fast they miss the animal, and most do not even stop long enough to really take a good look and reflect about the animal they are viewing. Many people spend the day speed walking, dragging one or more child, and wishing they hadnt promised to go to the zoo that day. I dont see must educational value to visitors or a reason to make animals suffer if people act that way.

Then you wonder about the school field trips, yes kids do get to see animals they might never see in the wild. They do hear, at least, some interesting facts about the animals. Do they really learn anything? I doubt it very much, most kids in those groups are too excited to just be free from the burden of school and having to sit still all day they cant pay attention to learning. Did you ever hear anything at the zoo field trips? I never did. Once the kids have a quick run through the zoo, they are fed like cattle and shoved back on a bus. How much educational value did the child get from the trip? I know the teachers would rather be in a pit of live snakes than go on a field trip with ten thousand screaming kids.

The sad thing is the adults really. Going to the zoo all the time, I have over heard some very interesting conversations between adults. Things said that convince me that the human race overall has a low IQ. One of the most common things I hear is people seeing a mother and her baby, and then calling the mother a he. I didnt know males got pregnant (No, I didnt forget about certain species, we dont want to get that complicated here).

Often adults cannot even pronounce the name of the animal. They usually get by calling it whatever name they know close to it. I can understand the Latin scientific names can be pretty hard, but Orangutan does not have a g at the end of it. Yes, the little things can lead to much bigger problems. How can you care about an animal to help save it from them becoming extinct (which we are causing), which probably has a higher IQ than you, if you cant even pronounce the name us humans gave to it?

What is the educational value of the zoo to the overall human population; Very little, in my opinion.

There are however, those cases and individuals from which the lack of a zoo might not have made them into the person they are today. Those people are now on the leading forefront of trying to save from the human race the very right for these animals to exist. So while most people get little to no educational value, hopefully just enough seeds are sparked to keep anymore animals from going extinct.

Do I like seeing a Polar Bear in a cage? No, but if it sparks enough people to help save all the polar bears from extinction at the hand of the human race then it is worth it. We can however make that Polar Bears life active, interesting, and fulfilling.

So what do we do now? Do we close all the zoos and set the animals free in the wild? Do we design the zoo a bit better forcing people to learn? The last time I looked, almost every sign at the zoo had the word Endangered on it. Oh well, after all the animals go extinct, man will be next. - 32185

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The Importance of Aquarium Water Testing

By Leonard Boyler

One important thing that a person setting up an aquarium must not overlook is aquarium water testing. When you have arranged the decor in your aquarium and put water in, do not immediately add the fish but instead, let the water stand for several days to let the water settle. Beneficial bacteria in a product like EcoBio-Block will help you to speed up the nitrogen cycle. You can monitor this cycle daily with water quality tests, and add the fish a few at a time. At the start of the cycle, you will see a spike in the ammonia level. This will be followed by a nitrite spike when the beneficial bacteria convert the ammonia into nitrites.

After adding the fish, monitor the water chemistry daily for the first few weeks. You can shift to weekly testing if all proves well in your aquarium. Testing can be done in aquarium supply stores but for your convenience, you can just buy a water test kit and do the testing yourself.

You will be presented at the aquarium supply store with a wide variety of testing kits to choose from. There are basic kits with strips that test important water quality indicators like pH, nitrate, water hardness, ammonia, nitrites and others. The strips change color to indicate the quality of the water.

However, although they are convenient, they are not very accurate. More complex tests involve a test tube. Don't forget a thermometer as part of your water testing supplies.

The health of your fish depends largely on the quality of the aquarium water. That is why it is essential that you do regular aquarium water testing. You need to add whatever is necessary in order to bring your water level to healthy levels for your fish.

Healthy pH level is around 6 or 7 for most fish, but they will generally tolerate a fairly wide range of pH. Any decor, food or medication added can change the pH level in your aquarium. You can increase or reduce the pH to healthier levels by adding some chemicals. A natural, but much slower approach will be to add driftwood or peat for more acidic water or a lime rock if you want more alkaline.

High levels of ammonia are lethal to your fish. You can help to reduce ammonia levels by doing a partial water change. Nitrite levels ideally should be close to zero. If nitrite levels are rising, add beneficial bacteria to convert them into less toxic nitrates.

Even simpler and less trouble is to have a bacteria colony established with the EcoBio-Block which gives long-term, continuous results. The bacteria breaks down ammonia into nitrites and then into safer nitrates. The bacteria live and multiply in the block and disperse into the water, keeping the water clear and healthy.

Aquarium water testing is a very important part of keeping your aquarium environment safe and healthy for your fish. - 32185

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What is the Educational Value of the Zoo?

By Sara Ferguson

I am a very active zoo visitor; I often go more to a zoo in a week than most people do in year. In all my zoo visits I have learned that animal behavior isnt limited to across a watery moat, steel fencing, or glass window. It goes on everyday in the crowds of visitors which come to the zoo.

There has always been an ongoing argument about the educational value of the zoo compared to the animal suffering in the cages. An argument which, of course, wont be solved here but will give you a lot more to the think about in the end.

Yes, I do agree with all those that say, Animals should be free in the wild. I do not feel that we have the right to lock up animals for our own use in this manner. Animals like humans in prison will and do develop mental problems, behavior usually gets worse over time, and nothing good come out of it.

In all my years of going to the zoos I have found few people get any educational value from the visit. No one reads the signs, people past exhibits so fast they miss the animal, and most do not even stop long enough to really take a good look and reflect about the animal they are viewing. Many people spend the day speed walking, dragging one or more child, and wishing they hadnt promised to go to the zoo that day. I dont see must educational value to visitors or a reason to make animals suffer if people act that way.

Then you wonder about the school field trips, yes kids do get to see animals they might never see in the wild. They do hear, at least, some interesting facts about the animals. Do they really learn anything? I doubt it very much, most kids in those groups are too excited to just be free from the burden of school and having to sit still all day they cant pay attention to learning. Did you ever hear anything at the zoo field trips? I never did. Once the kids have a quick run through the zoo, they are fed like cattle and shoved back on a bus. How much educational value did the child get from the trip? I know the teachers would rather be in a pit of live snakes than go on a field trip with ten thousand screaming kids.

The sad thing is the adults really. Going to the zoo all the time, I have over heard some very interesting conversations between adults. Things said that convince me that the human race overall has a low IQ. One of the most common things I hear is people seeing a mother and her baby, and then calling the mother a he. I didnt know males got pregnant (No, I didnt forget about certain species, we dont want to get that complicated here).

Often adults cannot even pronounce the name of the animal. They usually get by calling it whatever name they know close to it. I can understand the Latin scientific names can be pretty hard, but Orangutan does not have a g at the end of it. Yes, the little things can lead to much bigger problems. How can you care about an animal to help save it from them becoming extinct (which we are causing), which probably has a higher IQ than you, if you cant even pronounce the name us humans gave to it?

What is the educational value of the zoo to the overall human population; Very little, in my opinion.

There are however, those cases and individuals from which the lack of a zoo might not have made them into the person they are today. Those people are now on the leading forefront of trying to save from the human race the very right for these animals to exist. So while most people get little to no educational value, hopefully just enough seeds are sparked to keep anymore animals from going extinct.

Do I like seeing a Polar Bear in a cage? No, but if it sparks enough people to help save all the polar bears from extinction at the hand of the human race then it is worth it. We can however make that Polar Bears life active, interesting, and fulfilling.

So what do we do now? Do we close all the zoos and set the animals free in the wild? Do we design the zoo a bit better forcing people to learn? The last time I looked, almost every sign at the zoo had the word Endangered on it. Oh well, after all the animals go extinct, man will be next. - 32185

About the Author:

What is the Educational Value of the Zoo?

By Sara Ferguson

I am a very active zoo visitor; I often go more to a zoo in a week than most people do in year. In all my zoo visits I have learned that animal behavior isnt limited to across a watery moat, steel fencing, or glass window. It goes on everyday in the crowds of visitors which come to the zoo.

There has always been an ongoing argument about the educational value of the zoo compared to the animal suffering in the cages. An argument which, of course, wont be solved here but will give you a lot more to the think about in the end.

Yes, I do agree with all those that say, Animals should be free in the wild. I do not feel that we have the right to lock up animals for our own use in this manner. Animals like humans in prison will and do develop mental problems, behavior usually gets worse over time, and nothing good come out of it.

In all my years of going to the zoos I have found few people get any educational value from the visit. No one reads the signs, people past exhibits so fast they miss the animal, and most do not even stop long enough to really take a good look and reflect about the animal they are viewing. Many people spend the day speed walking, dragging one or more child, and wishing they hadnt promised to go to the zoo that day. I dont see must educational value to visitors or a reason to make animals suffer if people act that way.

Then you wonder about the school field trips, yes kids do get to see animals they might never see in the wild. They do hear, at least, some interesting facts about the animals. Do they really learn anything? I doubt it very much, most kids in those groups are too excited to just be free from the burden of school and having to sit still all day they cant pay attention to learning. Did you ever hear anything at the zoo field trips? I never did. Once the kids have a quick run through the zoo, they are fed like cattle and shoved back on a bus. How much educational value did the child get from the trip? I know the teachers would rather be in a pit of live snakes than go on a field trip with ten thousand screaming kids.

The sad thing is the adults really. Going to the zoo all the time, I have over heard some very interesting conversations between adults. Things said that convince me that the human race overall has a low IQ. One of the most common things I hear is people seeing a mother and her baby, and then calling the mother a he. I didnt know males got pregnant (No, I didnt forget about certain species, we dont want to get that complicated here).

Often adults cannot even pronounce the name of the animal. They usually get by calling it whatever name they know close to it. I can understand the Latin scientific names can be pretty hard, but Orangutan does not have a g at the end of it. Yes, the little things can lead to much bigger problems. How can you care about an animal to help save it from them becoming extinct (which we are causing), which probably has a higher IQ than you, if you cant even pronounce the name us humans gave to it?

What is the educational value of the zoo to the overall human population; Very little, in my opinion.

There are however, those cases and individuals from which the lack of a zoo might not have made them into the person they are today. Those people are now on the leading forefront of trying to save from the human race the very right for these animals to exist. So while most people get little to no educational value, hopefully just enough seeds are sparked to keep anymore animals from going extinct.

Do I like seeing a Polar Bear in a cage? No, but if it sparks enough people to help save all the polar bears from extinction at the hand of the human race then it is worth it. We can however make that Polar Bears life active, interesting, and fulfilling.

So what do we do now? Do we close all the zoos and set the animals free in the wild? Do we design the zoo a bit better forcing people to learn? The last time I looked, almost every sign at the zoo had the word Endangered on it. Oh well, after all the animals go extinct, man will be next. - 32185

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Cleaning The Aquarium

By Roshan Goodman

Cleaning your fish tank is task that must be done every few weeks or so until your tank is established. Once established, your tank will only need to be cleaned a few times a month. If you do clean your tank right the process can be very easy or difficult. The size of your tank can depend on how long it takes to clean. The bigger the tank and more decor is the, the harder it will be to clean.

When cleaning a tank, changing the filters is the first step. If you have a bio filter, or power filter changing the filters is a breeze. A under gravel filter is another story. You must remove all the plants, decor and accessories. Then you must pull it out from under the gravel to clean.

Once the filters are cleaned, replace them with new ones. If you have an underground filter do not replace it back in the tank yet. If you have an established tank then leave the plants and decor, even if they have algae on them. If you do not have an established tank or smaller tank (ten gallon or smaller) then wash off all the plants and decor. If you have real plants do not wash them.

After the accessories, decor and plants have been washed do not place them back in the tank yet. The next step is to siphon the tank. Siphon no more than one third of the water out of the tank. If there is still debris at the bottom of the tank fill it with water and re siphon until all debris is gone. If you have an established tank then only siphon out some of the debris and leave a little in the gravel.

When replacing the water only use soft water so the fish do not die of shock. Soft water is water without minerals. Tap water or filtered water is considered soft water. After the water has been replaced remember to not fill the tank too high because, the plants, decor and filters have to still be added.

Replace the under gravel filter if you have one. Also consider in investing a power filter, this will make your life a lot easier. Then replace the plants and decor. You're all done, and now your tank is clean. Remember that cleaning a tank can be traumatizing for the fish, so they might be timid for a while after the clean. - 32185

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