|
| |
Tips
and guidelines to maintain Aquariums
Main
Article page |
Beauty articles
|
Health page |
Computers|
Diseases |
Education |
Entertainment |
Family
Business |Fitness|
Fruits and Vegetables
|
Jobs |
General |
Personality|
Technology
|
Tourism |
Sports
Biography Page|
Heroes & Incredible peoples
|
Inventions
|
Useful Tips
An aquarium is a specially designed device that
acts as an artificial habitat for water-dwelling animals. Although most people
associate an aquarium with tropical fish, aquaria can also be used to house
amphibians or large marine mammals. In addition, many aquaria contain a variety
of plant species.
A home aquarium typically contains a water
filtration system, a climate control device, and an artificial light. Most also
have a hood available to reduce water evaporation and prevent debris from
entering the tank. A home aquarium is typically made from glass panels joined
with silicone, although acrylic and laminated glass aquaria are becoming
increasingly popular since these materials are both durable and lightweight.
Home aquaria in a variety of styles can be purchased from any pet store. Prices
will vary according to the size of the aquarium, the quality of materials used,
and whether or not a stand is included. The store employees are typically
trained to provide any assistance you need in selecting compatible fish for your
aquarium. ( reference:
WiseGeek )
Why is my aquarium water cloudy?
Your aquarium water may be cloudy for a number of reasons, to begin it
depends on the colour of the water. If it is a green then most likely you have
green water, an annoying type of algae that is hard to get rid of, i suggest you
keep the tank out ofdirect sunlight, do water changes and maybe buy a UV filter.
If it is a cloudy white this can be due to a few reasons. The most likely is you
have recently set up this tank, what you are seeing is a bacteria bloom that
will soon pass (anywhere from 1 day to a couple of weeks). This bloom or mini
cycle can also happen if you change a large amount <50% of the tanks water or if
you wash the filter media DONT DO THIS. Overstocking and overfeeding can cause a
light haze, maybe reduce both of these.
It could also be dust from a new ornament you have put in, you may need to do
constant water changes to get rid of this. Substrates like Fluorite can make the
tank cloudy for the first few weeks but will clear up later on.
How long should I leave my lights on?
For a planted tank 8-10 hours a day will be more than sufficient, be sure to
keep the tank out of direct sunlight as this will only promote the growth of
algae in the aquarium. Don’t ever leave your lights on for 24hours a day, the
fish and plants need there rest and without it they will be stressed and it will
surely lead to death.
Do fish sleep?
Yes it has been proven that during the night fish do sleep, it is important
to let them get there rest by giving them enough dark time to do this. It’s no
use having the tank lights off during the day and then on all night, this will
not work. It is best to use lighting during day hours and then at night add some
moonlights for added viewing time.
Will fish only grow relative to the tank size?
NO, this is a very big misconception that should be scrapped right out of
the hat. Larger fish will soon need a larger aquarium to be healthy and happy.
Restricting them to a smaller aquarium may stunt there growth and result in
physical deformities. Be sure to give the right environment to the fish you look
after.
Why are all of my fish starting to die?
This may be due to a number of reasons. If it is a new tank, the tank may be
going through the stage of turning ammonia into nitrite, in most tanks this can
and will reach toxic levels and may kill your fish, to stop this do small 10-15%
water changes each day. Other reasons could be something contaminated put into
the tank recently, a new rock or sculpture. Disease in some species of fish can
be common; it is not unknown for a whole species of fish to suddenly die due to
a break down in there immune system. Make sure the temperature is still high and
you are feeding them a varied diet. Check your water levels, you will probably
find spikes of ammonia or nitrite in the water. Sometimes it can be more simple,
if you forget to put water conditioner when you do a water change you have the
chance of letting in toxic chlorine and chloramines, if this may be it, use some
now.
How long do I have to wait for my tank to cycle?
You have to wait until the nitrite spike has gone and nitrates are starting
to rise, for a new aquarium this will be anywhere from 2-8 weeks, it is very
wise to wait for this to end, because if you add more fish at this stage it will
only put more pressure on the bacteria and most likely kill your fish.
How many fish can I keep in my tank?
A good guide for keeping fish in your tank is about 1” of fish per 1 gallon
of water. For larger and messier fish it is recommended only 1” of fish for
every 3 gallons of water. Just because your tank is 50 gallons capacity, does
not mean it holds 50 gallons of water. After gravel, rocks, plants, decor it
will be far less so take that into account. It is also wise to make sure you
know how big the fish will grow that you are buying so you have an idea of how
many fish to stock at this stage. It is no use stocking a 30 gallon tank with
25” of fish and then finding out that the fish will grow to 2” each, leaving you
with 50” of fish....
Can I create a planted tank cheaply?
Yes, you do not have to follow the typical convention of high light,
substrate, ferts and co2. Many people have low-tech setups with low lighting and
minimal fertilizers. It is recommended that you only use low light plants such
as java-ferns, Amazon swords, moss and anubais. Some stem plants will also do
fine.
Does PMDD work? Have you used it?
Yes PMDD works wonders and better yet it is very cheap. Make sure not to use
too much as you may overload the system with fertilizers leading to a storm of
algae outbreak. Yes i have and still do use this recipe, it gives me the same
results as i get from commercial fertilizers although like many others i was
hesitant to make the switch. One thing to look out for is copper additives; if
you use these in a shrimp tank you can have disastrous effects.
Why is there so much algae in my aquarium?
You may be experiencing algae problems due to a number of reasons: There may
be an unbalance of nutrients in the water, you might have too much lighting and
not enough co2 and fertilizers, the plants can only consume these three in an
equal ratio so having an off balance on one will lead to algae feeding off the
excess and thriving in your tank. Algae can also grow on slower growing plants
like anubais and java fern, this is very common. If you have constant algae
problems and are near direct sunlight try to reduce this during the day as it
will be a major contributor to the amount of algae. If you feed too much or put
in too much fertilizer it will once again cause the imbalance and a rise in
algae.
( Courtesy:
http://aquariuminfo.org/ An excellent reference site for aquarium
related information)
More..
Useful tips & guidelines :
| |
|
