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Setting up a Fish Tank Aquarium

Apr 3rd, 2011
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It can be fun to set up a fish tank aquarium but as in all hobbies it pays to do some research before you start. Before you purchase any fish you need to cycle the tank correctly to ensure that there are sufficient bacteria to cope with the waste products of your fish. We recommend a fishless cycling method detailed below.

Choosing the Tank

Fish tank aquariums can be purchased in glass or acrylic. Glass tanks are cheaper, are heavier and occasionally spring leaks. Acrylic tanks are more expensive, rarely leak, come in a variety of shapes but do scratch easily. Acrylic tanks usually last longer than glass tanks.

Fish Tank Shape

Acrylic tanks come in a variety of shapes including cylinder, hexagon, octagon and round as well as the traditional rectangular shape. There are also wall tanks and coffee table tanks. The traditional rectangular shape is still the best however as the water volume to surface area is a maximum giving good gas exchange. For other shapes, with smaller water volume to surface area ratio, maintenance will be higher and more frequent water changes will be needed.

In general buy the largest tank that will fit where you will be placing it and you can afford. A larger tank requires less maintenance and you can fit in more fish without risking overcrowding.

Fishless Cycling Method

Requirements

Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate testing strips

Bacteria culture from an established tank – this can be some filter material or some gravel

Alternatively use a commercial preparation such as Colonize by Dr Foster & Smith or Biospira by Marineland
Unscented ammonia

Method

After adding the bacteria culture to your newly set up tank add 5 drops of ammonia for every ten gallons of water. Test for ammonia. If nothing registers add a few more drop until you get a reading. Continue to add the same amount every day until you can detect nitrites in the tank. Now add half the amount of ammonia daily until nitrate registers on the testing strip. At this point the nitrite levels should start to drop. When they reach zero the tank is cycled. Do a 30% water change and you are ready for your fish.

Choosing the Fish

Carefully research the types of fish that can be kept together. Community fish are those that live peacefully with each other. All the fish listed below are suitable for a tropical community fish tank.

* Guppy
* Horseface Loach
* Lyretail
* Hatchetfish
* Molly
* Leopard Catfish
* Neon Tetra
* Head Tail Light Tetra
* Opaline Gourami
* Platy
* Pearl Gourami
* Harlequin Rasbora
* Penguin Fish
* White Cloud
* Rainbowfish
* Black Phantom Tetra
* Australian Rainbowfish
* Ram
* Black Shark
* X-Ray Fish
* Spotted Catfish
* Blue Acara
* Plecostomus
* Rummy Nosed Tetra
* Serpae Tetra
* Spiketailed Paradisefish
* Blue Acara
* Angelfish
* Black Shark
* Pencilfish
* Cherry Barb
* Black Neon Tetra
* Bristlenose
* Chinese Algae Eater
* Upside Down Catfish
* Bala (Tri-Color) Shark
* Zebra Danio
* Elephant Nose
* Boesman’s Rainbowfish
* Black Phantom Tetra
* Flame Tetra
* Dwarf Loach
* Green Catfish
* Dwarf Gourami
* Congo Tetra
* Blue Danio
* Bumble Bee Goby
* Bloodfin
* Glowlight Tetra
* Corydoras
* Banjo Catfish
* Cardinal Tetra
* Flame Gourami
* Giant Danio
* Clown Loach
* Festivum
* Emperor Tetra

Carefully inspect the fish tanks at the pet shop to make sure the fish look healthy and no dead fish are in the tanks. Research the fish you will be buying carefully and check up on their temperature and water quality requirements. Tropical fish will need a higher temperature than goldfish. Some fish are relatively peaceful when young but are bullies when fully grown. Tiger barbs are good examples of these.

Always avoid overcrowding. You will need a larger tank for bigger fish. For angel fish never use a tank smaller than ten gallons. After purchase never introduce fish to an established tank but quarantine in a separate tank for at least a week to ensure you do not introduce disease organisms into you tank.

For more information on tropical fish and some good deals in fish tank aquariums check out Fish Tank Aquariums or Fresh Water Fish Tanks
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Buying Your First Freshwater Fish Tank

Mar 14th, 2011
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When you bring home that very first freshwater fish tank I know you are eager to get it up and going. You may be tempted to fill it full of water and add a few fish the first day you get your tank. It would be wise to take a step back and think about a few things before you buy your aquarium.

You need to make some decisions such as how big a tank do I need, and what type of material should it be made of. Decide before you go shopping what type of accessories you will need. The biggest choice for many is to pick out the right type of fish. Get this wrong and nothing else will matter.

This article will look at some of the most important things you need to decide before going out to the pet store to do your shopping.

The most important choice you need to make is how big of a tank do you need. You need to ask yourself how big of a space do I have to put my new aquarium. Also decide on the size fish you intend to keep. Everyone loves those huge fish tanks that the pet stores always seem to have out on the floor but are they the best choice for you. If you are just getting started a small tank may be a much better option as they cost a lot less.

Next you need to decide how much you want to spend. You can get tanks made of glass or acrylic. The acrylic tanks tend to cost more. Either type will do the job so let your budget help you decide what to buy.

The tank is just the first step, as you will need to add all kinds of accessories such as a heater and decorations. You will need gravel and a filter also. These items can add to the cost pretty quick so do your research and know just what you need before you go shopping.

The type of fish you choose will decide everything we have talked about so far. This is the most important decision you have to make. If you decide to keep a pair of Oscars you will need a very big aquarium. On the other hand a few small community fish can get by just fine in a small fish tank.

Do the proper research before hand and you will do fine with that new freshwater aquarium. Enjoy the hobby of fish keeping

For more information on how to set up your freshwater fish tank try visiting http://www.yourhomeaquarium.com where you will find lots of tips, advice and resources about topics such as aquarium cleaning tips .
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Aquarium fish tanks- adding beauty to any space

Mar 12th, 2011
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It can be great fun to have aquarium fish tanks but you need to do a careful research before setting up the best of fish tank at your place. Before you buy any fish, you have to cycle the aquarium in a proper way in order to make certain that there are enough bacteria to work with waste products of the fish.

Aquarium fish tanks can be easily purchased in acrylic or glass materials. Traditionally, the aquariums were of glass but in past few years, the advancement in plastic technology has paved a new way to use acrylic tanks. Although the glass fish tanks are cheaper, they are much heavy in weight and are even prone to occasional spring leaks. On the other hand, the acrylic tanks are a bit expensive but they rarely leak and are available in a variety of designs and shapes.

Also, as glass is harder and tough to scratch, these scratches become permanent. Acrylic tanks are indeed easy to maintain and repair in case they are scratched. The best part about acrylic tanks is that various kinds of acrylic polish kits are there in the market which can be easily used to remove all the scratches from the tank body and make the aquarium tank fresh and new.

The aquarium acrylic tanks are available in different shapes like hexagon, round, cylinder, rectangular and octagon. There are even coffee table and wall tanks in acrylic material.  Glass is in fact strong and sturdy in compression but as it is so hard, it becomes brittle. Acrylic is much softer and thus can be easily twisted without any breaking problem. This then makes the acrylic aquarium fish tanks less prone to breaks and cracks. The most interesting part about these fish tanks is that the user can easily drill holes in these tanks and that too without sacrificing on the strength.

When buying the aquarium fish tanks, it is important to inspect these tanks to ensure that the fish you opt to buy are healthy. Research the plant life and check what type of water quality and temperature is required to be set. The tropic fish generally require higher temperature than the goldfish. Indeed, some fish are comparatively peaceful when they are young but become bullies when fully developed. Tiger barbs serve as a great example to such fish types.

Moreover, it is better to avoid overcrowding in your tank. You will require a bigger tank for the larger fish. It has been observed that various aquarium holders are cruel and harsh to the fish as they overload the tanks with as many fish and plants they can buy thereby neglecting any thought to oxygen requirements by each and every fish. So before you buy the aquarium, consider the total number of fish you wish to have and then ensure that the size of the tank is sufficient enough to accommodate all of them.

In all, aquarium fish tanks are now gaining high popularity. The affordable cost as well as the amount of benefits that these tanks offer to the users makes them a perfect option to have the best of aquatic life in your home.

Fisher is the author of this article on Discount Fish Tanks. Find more information about Salt water Fish stores here.
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What You Should Know When Buying A Saltwater Fish Tank

Jan 19th, 2011
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A saltwater fish tank is used for keeping fish that are used to living in salty waters.

In the 1950′s it was popular to keep marine fish as pets. People would visit their local beach with their aquarium in hand hoping to pick themselves up a cheap pet for their children.Compressors were used to keep the water healthy but nowadays filters and substances such as salt mixes are available to add to the water which are used to regulate the water to ensure the correct environment. Electric filters and pumps and heaters all now make life easier for the fish enthusiast.

How Big Should My Saltwater Fish Tank Be?,

A large Saltwater fish tank is far better than a small tank, the experts recommend the saltwater fish tank to be at least fifty five gallons. It also depends on a few things such as the following:

•How much money you have to spend
•How much room you have

Choosing The Correct Synthetic Salt Mix For Your Saltwater Fish Tank

To ensure the healthy survival of your fish the water in your saltwater fish tank needs to be maintained to a level which is the closest to seawater as possible The following salt mixes do a very good job:

•Chlorine
•Sodium
•Calcium
•Potassium
•Silicon
•Sulfur
•Magnesium
•bromine

The following (not all) are also required in smaller quantities to maintain the suitable levels to ensure your fish survive: Your local supplier will be able to advise you as to the quantities needed.

•iron
•copper
•iodine
•cobalt
•chromium
•manganese

Beginners Tips For Your Saltwater Fish Tank

When stocking your saltwater fish tank with fish begin by introducing a few inexpensive fish. Make sure the fish are not ill. Try and choose the largest tank that you can afford preferably made from glass as acrylic tanks tend to scratch easily. Damsels are very easy to keep in a wide range of water conditions and are great for the beginner. Marine fish such as grammas, basslets, and hawkfishes should only be introduced when you have a good knowledge of and experience with marine fish.

If you are looking for advice on keeping fish,help can be found at http://www.fishtankfun.com including what to look for when buying a saltwater tank or fish tank stand.
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The Armory of Freshwater Aquarium Maintenance Tools

Dec 4th, 2009
by Aquarium Lover.
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Good and clean aquariums are the pride of the aquarist. But in order for these proud aquarists to have, sparkling clean fish tanks, they have to do regular maintenance. But doing freshwater aquarium maintenance can be a bit demanding, and so these aquarists have come up with an array of different tools right from the aquarist armory, to ensure that dirt and its minions can never win over the cleanliness of these prime enthusiasts.

Gravel Vacuums
Specifically called aquarium gravel vacuums, for a more defined naming convention, these machines work exactly like your ordinary vacuum cleaner: they suck off excess dirt in the aquarium that you can’t get your hands on, such as excess food and waste materials.

Algae Pads/Scraper/Scrubber
As the name suggests, they are specifically used to remove the algae from your aquariums, keeping them free of these green monsters. The softer pads are commonly used for acrylic tanks, which are scratched very easily due to their flexible composition.

Fish Nets
These nets can be utilized as a separation bay, much like how fish farmers grow their fish in the sea using nets. You can also use these fish nets as transportation devices, when moving dead or large fishes from the main tank. The size of the holes determines their use, and obviously, the smaller-holed ones are for small fry.

Forceps or Tongs
Primarily useful for picking out certain obstructions in the aquarium, as well as removing dead fish. Apparently, they can also be used as planting sticks.

Pails
Ah yes, the ever so faithful water container. Bet you’re unsurprised? Yep, pails are also good aquarium maintenance tools to use, because they carry water that you can use for partial water changing, full water changing, and many other things.

Siphon Tubes
These are commonly used to drain the water out of the aquarium without you having to literally lift the aquarium and tilt it sideways (which is quite difficult if you know what I mean). This is the reason for the minimum length of a siphon tube: it should at least be able to reach to floor from the rim of the aquarium.

Water pH Testing Kits
As the name states, is used to check the water pH levels in an aquarium. It can generally be used as a pH testing kit for almost anything (yes, even if it not even about aquariums), which is why it can also be used to test certain kinds of waters, like tap water, if they’re safe to use for an aquarium (of course, after following the correct procedures in testing pH levels of tap water).

These tools give the aquarist the edge against all kinds of dirt that can desecrate his or her sacred aquatic sanctum. And in using these tools, you can now conduct your freshwater aquarium maintenance with maximum proficiency. For best results, however, a combination of some of all of these tools would be necessary, along with the proper maintenance procedures. 

Sandra Gaffney is a freshwater aquarium expert. For more great tips on
freshwater aquarium
maintenance , visit

http://www.myfreshwateraquariumsecrets.com/

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/the-armory-of-freshwater-aquarium-maintenance-tools-1542187.html


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