Question by riverrat15666: What is the best website you have found explaining the care and maintenance of a 55 gallon freshwater aquarium
Best answer:
Answer by EEZEE BONEZ http://www.squidoo.com/TropicalAquariumCareThe proper nutrition and feeding of tropical fish is one of the most important factors in keeping your pet fish healthy. Choosing the right food for your tropical fish is very important, a high quality flake food made specifically for the species you own is the best choice.A properly balanced diet will ensure optimum health, hardiness and brilliant colors. Feeding the correct amount of food is also important to the health of your fish, one of the most common errors new aquarium owners make is overfeeding.Maintaining water quality is one of the most vital tasks for the long term health of your tropical fish. Regular water changes will ensure that the tank stays clean and clear. Water should be changed at least every 2 weeks, once a week is even better and will make cleanings an easier job.It’s not necessary to change all off the water in the tank, usually about 20 to 25 percent of the aquariums total water volume will suffice. This is also a good time to vacuum the gravel and clean off any algae that has accumulated on the glass.Most aquarium disease can be avoided by making sure your aquarium water is healthy, fish are just as vulnerable to disease as any other organism. If you suspect that one of your fish is diseased it’s imperative to properly diagnose the illness before you use any medication on your tank.A couple of the most common tropical fish diseases are:Ich: Ich can be identified by the small white spots on the fins and body of the fish that look like the fish has salt all over it. Ich often comes about due to poor water conditions, fortunately most pet stores carry the medication needed to treat this disease.Ammonia Poisoning: Ammonia poisoning can happen when a filter fails, if too many fish are introduced at one time, or due to the loss of beneficial bacteria colonies. Symptoms include red or inflamed looking gills, and the fish will likely be near the surface gasping for air.Chemical neutralization of the ammonia and a 50% water change should be the first steps in treating ammonia poisoning. Constant testing and stepped up water changes will bring the tank back to normal conditions.Getting your self familiar with the proper environments for tropical fish is the first step in creating a long lasting aquarium. Finding a specialty aquarium store in your area, with a knowledgeable staff and professional advice can be a valuable resource.
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You can rightly say that your freshwater aquarium filter is the most important part of your fish tank; it’s the one that will maintain a clean and balanced environment so that fish can live. When cleaning out your tank, it’s most important to clean out the filter, but it’s usually not clear, especially to beginners how to go about this. This article is a guide on what you should do and why, so that you can get your filters clean without harming your fish.
There are different kinds of freshwater aquarium filters and they are usually designed to do different jobs in the fish tank, and according to the kind of fish tank in question. Many filters will do all 3 steps of filtration – mechanical, biological and chemical so you’ll not have to install 3 separate ones.
For beginners, especially with smaller tanks, an under-gravel filter is a good one to start with. It sits under the gravel in the tank and requires little maintenance. You will only need an under-gravel filter vacuum to siphon off bits and pieces that are floating around the gravel, but other than that, there isn’t much to be done. You must ensure though that you do a thorough job; any bits left behind will eventually cause your tank environment to go out of balance.
In larger aquariums though, especially those that are heavily planted, you need more than an under-gravel filter. An under-gravel filter will cause the gravel to be raised and there will be too much water movement meaning that plants never get to root properly. It will also cause air bubbles to trap and these could be toxic when they eventually pop.
Even in a small aquarium, if you have live plants, it’s a good idea to install an internal freshwater aquarium filter to avoid these 2 problems. They are not very expensive and they will save you the trouble of having to worry about your plants or trapped gases.
An internal (even external) freshwater aquarium filter needs to be cleaned once every 4 weeks, or sooner if you notice that they are clogging. This is where most beginners will have a problem, but without any ill intention. They will use hot water and then get surprised when their fish die after all that hard work!
Hot water will make a filter useless, or even dangerous for your fish. To understand why, refer back to your knowledge of the 3 filtration steps, mechanical, biological and chemical. Biological filtration is the most important because it’s the one that’s responsible for putting friendly bacteria that create a favourable environment for your fish. The bacteria are usually caught in the sponge and will be released once again into the tank when the sponge is replaced after cleaning.
What happens when you use hot water on your freshwater aquarium filter? You kill off all the bacteria, and then replace the sponge and your water is flat. There are no micro-organisms in it to provide a balanced environment and soon, you notice that your fish are sluggish and they eventually die. It’s because breakdown of compounds is not happening – there are no bacteria to aid in this. Ammonia (especially toxic) is one of the toxins that won’t break down without these friendly bacteria. Nitrites as well will not convert to nitrates and the eventual high doses will start to affect the fish. The tank will repopulate with the necessary bacteria after some time, but it may be too late by then.
So how should you clean a freshwater aquarium filter? Use cold water every 3-4 weeks. Never use soap – if you have to use anything, salt or bicarbonate of soda will do, and only in small amounts. You must not use soap on any part of your fish tank – it contains acids that will kill of your fish.
If you have many fish, clean a bit more frequently because waste accumulates faster. Disconnect the filter from the socket and take it out of the tank. Remove the cabinet that holds the filter to expose its inside and put it in a bucket. Rinse the inside in room temperature water. You’ll know its clean when the water running off it becomes clear. Don’t get it too clear though – you want to leave some “dirt” behind to repopulate the tank. Wash the rest of the filter (cabinet, piping); put everything back together and freshwater aquarium filter is good to go into the tank again.
A completely balanced finch bird diet consists of seeds, supplementary vitamins and minerals, green, leafy vegetables, fresh sprouts, millet and live insect larva. Feed all of this to your finches and they will be cheerful, healthy birds living from 15 to 20 years in your care.
Dog owners sometimes tend to do everything for their pet. Those who don’t have a dog and never had one might not understand this, but those who do know what having a pet means. Dogs are not only adorable playmates, but also great companions and friends.
If you have been focusing on a freshwater aquarium setup this far, you might wonder how they differ from salt water tanks. It’s important to know because should you choose to, you can transition your freshwater tank into a salt water one with ease. Let’s have a look at the differences.
I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about filtration. I have a tank but it came with all the bits and pieces fitted – even the fish. I sort of have never really gone out of my way to find out more about how freshwater fish tanks work, but I have to now because I want to get a bigger tank and do all the fitting myself. What kind of freshwater aquarium filter should I get?
Many people who are getting started in aquarium keeping will be faced with this question, and it can be quite confusing. It’s not easy to decide between acrylic and glass for the best freshwater aquarium without knowing the pros and cons of each, so in this article we will have a look at why you may opt for one instead of the other.
Fish, whether raised in the wild or domesticated carry parasites and bacteria. In normal water conditions, these are harmless. It’s just the same way that humans carry millions of bacteria around without getting sick. But in fish just like in humans, if there is a certain combination of factors, these bacteria can become harmful.
I have just been given a freshwater aquarium as a present by my parents, and I seem to be getting the hang of it, except for the testing part. I know that I need to do freshwater aquarium tests and I have looked them up. What other specific test kits do I need and how do I use them?
When setting up an aquarium power filter, which hangs over the side of the aquarium, start by removing the motor to make sure that the impeller and blades are there. Find out why fish tank filters should be cleaned every six months withhelp from the owner of a pet fish store in this free video on setting up aquarium filters. Expert: Eric Rasmussen Contact: www.worldofwetpets.com Bio: Eric Rasmussen is the owner and operator of World of Wet Pets in Portland, Ore. Filmmaker: Lisa Fenderson Video Rating: 5 / 5
The practice of keeping aquariums came about in the late 1800′s. They were fairly crude. Usually these ancient aquariums only had one side that was made of glass, with the other three sides being made of metal or wood. Most aquariums consisted of fish that were native to the region of its owner simply because of availability. Also most old school fish tanks contained lone fresh water fish. The reason being that salt water would corrode the metal frame that held the aquarium together.
Aquariums drastically changed in the 1960′s with the invention of silicone adhesive. Metal frames became obsolete and more people started to keep salt water fish and invertebrates. More recently glass tanks have become less frequently used due to the flexibility of acrylic. Literally flexibility! Acrylic aquariums are far more for forgiving than there glass counterparts. If a heavy object strikes a glass tank, it will almost certainly break. The flexibility of an acrylic tank will prevent this catastrophe from happening. In addition, acrylic offers more flexibility in design than glass. Acrylic aquariums have been made into everything from coffee tables to gum ball machines.
That being said, there is a short downfall to owning an acrylic aquarium. They do scratch more easily than glazing. When cleaning your aquarium, be careful not to use paper towels, and harsh or abrasive chemicals, as they can scratch the acrylic surface of the aquarium. Always use a cleaner specifically labeled safe for acrylic. Use plastic or rubber scrubbers, rather than metallic to clean the sides of an acrylic tank. Be careful not to circumstantially pick up a piece of substrate or bothering while cleaning the inside of the tank. However, if you do happen to scratch an acrylic aquarium, all is not lost. The tank tinned be repaired, unlike glass. There are acrylic repair kits available at specialty pet stores, your local hardware store and of course online.
When purchasing an acrylic aquarium kit, there will be many different options to choose from, at many different price points. Aquarium kits can be purchased at places such as specialty aquatic pet stores, from huge retail chains, or again online. A fish lover can choose from small cylinder shaped tanks that can double as a coffee table lamp to wall huge wall sized aquariums. While, there are some basic things that will be included in most kits, such as, a filter, some substrate or coral and sometimes lighting, the kits themselves can vary greatly. It really doesn’t matter where you buy your starter kit, but keep in mind that it is extremely important to buy your fish from a reputable dealer. Don’t buy fish that are hovering near the surface, or that are located in a tank with other dead fish. Fish diseases are extremely communicable. Be weary of a fish dealer that refuses to catch a specific fish out of the tank for you. After all this is going to be your fish and you have a right to choose.
It was in the 1800’s that the habit of collecting and keeping fish started. It was selfsame basic. They were mostly made from glass on one side and surrounded by some other material like wood or metal for the other sides. These aquariums mostly kept fishes that were locally available and were native to the region. The other thing that used to prevail was that the fishes were mostly fresh water fishes and not salt water as the salt content could erode the metal frame which kept the tank in one piece.
This drastically became different with the introduction of adhesives made from silicon in the 1960s. Because of this people said bye to metal frames and started keeping invertebrates and fresh water fishes. Nowadays even glass has been frowned because of the handier Acrylic. They are flexible and do not break. Where in a case of some heavy object hitting the tank and its certain breaking, the acrylic which is flexible makes sure this does not happen. Also getting something decorative is more possible through acrylic rather than glass. They can be used either as tables or tanks or gum ball machine.
But there is one disadvantage of the acrylic aquarium. It becomes scratched soon and more easily. While cleaning you have to make sure you use only cleaning agents that are labelled safe. Do not use scratchy and harsh chemicals and paper or hard cloths to wipe. Instead use rubber or plastic scrubbers to clean the tank sides. But even in the case of your acrylic tank getting scratched, there is no postulate to fret as it tinned be repaired unlike the glass tanks. At pet, other speciality store and online you can buy an acrylic repair kit, they are easily available.
The aquarium kits can be bought at different prices and with different options for your choice. These kits will be available either in pet store or the specialized aquatic stores or huge chains and/ or of course the online shops. The fish lover can get anything from the small cylinder tank that doubles up the table lamp to the wall size aquariums. The kits come with some basic essentials like substrate, filters, corals, at times even lighting and the kits vary from one to another. It is not important where you buy the kit but remember the fishes have to be bought through a more trustworthy fish dealer. Don’t buy fishes that hang out at the top of the tank or the ones that are close to the dead ones as disease among them is extremely communicable. Do not trust a fish dealer who does not get you the fish you want from the tank, why? Well because the tank and the fishes are going to be yours and hence it is your choice!
When starting a saltwater fish tank, some of the equipment needed includes a stand, a cover and a light. Learn about using salt mix and a mixing bucket solely for a fish tank with help from the owner of a retail aquarium shop in this free video on saltwater fish tanks. Expert: Ed Pecord Contact: www.fishfrenzyonline.com Bio: Ed Pecord runs a retail aquarium shop. Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso
Choosing tropical fish depends on the size of aquarium and the environment that is available. Choose the right tropical fish for an aquarium with tips from a limnologist in this free video about tropical fish.
Expert: Bruce Kelley
Contact: www.aquatektropical.com/
Bio: Bruce Kelley is the co-owner of Aquatek Tropical Fish in Austin, Texas.
Filmmaker: Drew Noah
Choosing a tropical fish tank is an important step in keeping exotic fish. Choose the right tropical fish tank with tips from a limnologist in this free video about tropical fish. Expert: Bruce Kelley Contact: www.aquatektropical.com/ Bio: Bruce Kelley is the co-owner of Aquatek Tropical Fish in Austin, Texas. Filmmaker: Drew Noah
Choosing tropical fish depends on the size of aquarium and the environment that is available. Choose the right tropical fish for an aquarium with tips from a limnologist in this free video about tropical fish.