Filtering Out the Myth of Aquarium Filters

Filtering Out the Myth of Aquarium Filters
There are three main types of filtration: biological, mechanical and chemical. Mechanical filters aid in the physical removal of solid particles. Chemical filters purify the water by chemical reactions that take place at the cellular, microbial, and atomic levels. In most cases, it is best to incorporate all three types for optimum results. This article focuses on biological filtration. Biological filters encourage the growth of nitrifying bacteria that breakdown ammonia to less toxic chemicals. This breakdown process by the bacteria is known as the Nitrogen Cycle. In the Nitrogen Cycle, waste products generated by fish and invertebrates, along with any dead organisms or uneaten foods, are broken down by bacteria into ammonia. Ammonia is extremely toxic to all of the aquarium inhabitants and is broken down into nitrites by the aerobic bacteria Nitrosomonas. Although nitrites are not as toxic as ammonia, even at low concentrations in the aquarium, they can still be harmful to fish and invertebrates. Other aerobic bacteria called Nitrobacter, act in a similar way as Nitrosomonas and further breaks down nitrites into relatively harmless nitrates. Nitrates, at low to moderate levels, will not harm most fish or invertebrates, but can be the source of algae problems if not controlled by chemical filtration and partial water changes. The main ingredients for an abundance of aerobic bacteria in a biological filter are surface area and oxygen. There must be a sufficient surface area for a these aerobic bacteria to grow and their need for oxygen must be met. The capacity of a biological filter is determined by the available surface area for bacterial growth and the oxygen content of the water passing over them. Not all filters have the same capacity when it comes to biological filtration. Filters in which the biological media is exposed to the air are going to have the greatest capacity. When is comes to aquarium supply, do your research and choose carefully.

Ron Looker has been a fish enthusiast for over 20 years and received a BS in Zoology. Ron sells aquarium supply from his web site at <a href="www.aquariumsupplycompany.com">

#1 Way For Your Saltwater Aquarium Setup ? Choosing A Tank
Following on from our introduction to saltwater aquariums this segment is designed to give you some idea of a typical saltwater aquarium setup.

The type of saltwater aquarium setup you choose depends on a few factors. For example, the kinds of species you want to stock, the space you have available, and your budget. In general you will want to buy the biggest saltwater aquarium setup you can afford that will fit nicely into your living environment.

This is so that your fish and other animals can have the most comfort possible as they grow. The fish and other invertebrates that you choose to stock your tank with need enough space to swim and grow in and enough oxygen to survive. When you choose a saltwater aquarium setup remember that these two factors are determined mainly by the size of the tank.

So let?s talk about the oxygen component of a saltwater aquarium setup. The amount of oxygen in the water is related to the tanks surface area. This means the amount of area on the tank?s surface that is exposed to the air. The greater the surface area of your saltwater aquarium setup, the more room there is for exchange of oxygen to happen at the surface.

The more oxygen that is allowed to enter the tank and the more harmful gases like carbon dioxide are allowed to leave the healthier your saltwater aquarium setup will be. The oxygen content of the water is also influenced by its temperature. In general, the warmer the water, the lower the oxygen content will be.

Most marine species from the tropics like water that is 75 degrees or higher so this means that less oxygen is going to be available to them. This is when it becomes important to increase the surface of the tank by making sure your saltwater aquarium setup is as large as possible.

How do you do this? There is no typical saltwater aquarium setup. Marine tanks come in a variety of shapes and size, but it is the shape of the tank, not its volume that influences surface area. This means that even where two tanks have identical volumes they might not have the same surface area depending on their shape. A saltwater aquarium setup that is tall and slender won?t get a good rate of gas exchange. An ideal design would be one that is short and wide.

Once you?ve chosen your tank its time to start thinking about its residents. Of course the size of your tank is going to dictate how many fish and invertebrates it can house. The main thing to avoid in your saltwater aquarium setup is overcrowding. Too many inhabitants and your tank?s filtration system will be overloaded. Fish living in cramped conditions become stressed and this can lead to illness and death.

You can calculate how many fish your saltwater aquarium setup will hold by stocking one inch of fish per four gallons of water for a period of six months. After this period increase the number of fish slowly to one inch per two gallons. This means that a 40 gallon aquarium should not contain more than 10 inches of fish for the first six months.

So, for example, you might choose one 3-inch queen angel, two 1-inch clownfish, one 2-inch regal tang, one 1-inch bicolor blenny and two 1-inch Beau Gregory?s. Once the six month period is over you could increase the total number of inches in your saltwater aquarium setup to 20.

Of course, your fish are going to grow so you have to adjust for the changing sizes of your fish. The shape of your fish is also important. If your fish are likely to be on the heavy side you will need to stick to the low end of the capacity of your saltwater aquarium setup.

A saltwater aquarium setup will cost you time and money so accept this and don?t skimp. Even if you devote considerable time and effort to a small tank you can still encounter problems. If you choose the wrong one initially you will probably end up having to buy another one and this may be discouraging. In short, if you don?t have the money to buy a tank that?s at least 30 gallons, don?t invest any money at all.

When you choose a saltwater aquarium setup there are many options. You can choose from glass and acrylic and you can even get reef-ready styles complete with pre-drilled holes for equipment and plumbing. Glass tanks sealed with silicon rubber cement are a common choice. Rectangle designs are popular but they are also found in octagon and hexagon. They are non-toxic and don?t scratch easily.

The downside to a glass saltwater aquarium setup is that they are heavy. This means that large tanks will have very thick glass. Try to find one with a plastic frame that will make the tank more stable. Plated glass is shatterproof but not as strong as tempered.

An acrylic saltwater aquarium setup is molded with few seams so they are more transparent. However your view may still be distorted at the corners. Acrylic tanks are not as heavy as glass and so come in a wider variety of shapes and sizes. Acrylic is also stronger than glass. On the downside acrylic tanks can get scratched and are more expensive than glass. They are easily scratched by algae scrapers and decorations. It is possible to buff these marks out with a special kit.

Whichever saltwater aquarium setup you choose make sure it provides a healthy environment for your fish. You also need to make sure that you can afford to maintain it properly and that it suits your lifestyle and available time. Once you have everything set up correctly you will be able to enjoy the colorful antics and shapes of your fishy friends, corals and other invertebrates. Enjoy the wonderful world of your saltwater aquarium!

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Aquarium Tank: Basic facts you need to know.
Without tank aquarium set up is not complete. Your tank is the basic element, and is of the most important in building an aquarium. The size of the tank depends on the number and size of fish you plan to have in it. That is why proper planning is quite essential when you want to set up aquarium. But then it is important to make it as big as you can afford. By all means avoid a globe tank as much as possible. Rectangle shape is always good because of various reasons you will discover later. More on Aquariums at: All Glass Aquarium

<a href="http://all-glass-aquarium.blogspot.com" Title="All Glass Aquarium">All Glass Aquarium</a>

Managing Your Flowerhorn Aquarium
Managing Your Flowerhorn Aquarium

If you’re thinking about purchasing a beautiful Flowerhorn fish, you’re not alone. The beautiful Flowerhorn fish is one of the more popular additions to your aquarium. However, if you have chosen a Flowerhorn, proper tank management is essential. It is, indeed, more important to practice a good tank management than it is to purchase the suitable type of fish for your tank.

Proper fish tank management and beautiful Flowerhorn fish complement each other perfectly. It is, therefore, crucial for all hobbyists to have proper knowledge of good fish tank management. While it is not as simple as dumping clean water in every few weeks, it isn’t as terribly complicated as you may imagine.

The Tank
As the Flowerhorn’s ancestry originated from the Central and South American cichlids, it is essential to set up your tank to a closely simulated natural habitat for the fish, which at the same time, is incredibly pleasing to the eye.

Various sizes and designs of fish tanks are available at your local fish store. Choose one that will complement your house, and always assume that your Flowerhorns will grow to be about 500 mm in length. It is advisable to get at least a 3 feet tank to start comfortably. Acrylic aquariums are recommended as these tanks are leak proof, lightweight and the wall materials provide exceptional clarity. The SeaClear 26 gallon flat back hexagonal tank is one good example of an acrylic tank that is great for keeping Flowerhorns.

Tank Accessories
Once you’ve gotten the tank, you may want to think about backgrounds. Various attractive background designs for aquariums are easily available. Choose one that will fit the natural environment of the fish. Added pebbles, stones and gravels is a good idea as well. They can be used as substrate for biological filtration as well as a tool to help smooth and polish the teeth of Flowerhorns as they dig, shove and carry these pebbles. Keep in mind that in captivity, the teeth of the Flowerhorn tends to be quite sharp, and if you can help to take the edges off a bit with pebbles or gravel, less damage will be caused during mating or fighting sessions. Once you’ve added that gravel, expect to see it migrate around the tank a bit. Flowerhorns tend to build their ‘nest’ by moving the pebbles and stones from one place to another. This behavior normally indicates that the fish has matured, and it is ready for mating purposes.

Even though you may think that sunken pirate ship looks neat, other unnatural tank ornaments are discouraged. These do not serve any purpose at all in the tank, and they may even be hazardous because they can cause accidental cuts and injuries on your Flowerhorns. These fish possess fierce territorial behaviors, and fights among fishes are common. Keeping objects like these in the tank only causes problems during fights.

Lighting
Suitable aquarium lighting will enhance the coloration and the overall physical development of your Flowerhorn. It is recommended that you place your tank where is it able to get at least an hour of indirect sunlight a day. While you may worry that algae will infest your tank because of the sunlight, with proper water quality management, your tank should not go green with algae with that minute amount of sunlight. If sunlight isn’t possible in your living space, getting a full spectrum light is advisable. Be sure to leave it on for four to eight hours a day to maintain the color development of your Flowerhorn.

Water quality
Flowerhorns are ‘hardy’, which means these fish are highly adaptable to different water conditions, including bad water ones. However, just because they’re ‘hardy’ fish doesn’t mean that you should keep poor water conditions in your tank. Adequate feedings and frequent water changes promote better growth, and, as a result, can even change the whole body morphology of the fish.

Water pH level and Mineral Content
Water pH levels indicate the acidity and alkalinity of the water. Dissolved minerals in the water are often termed the “hardness” of the water. These two water parameters are interrelated. The water is considered ‘hard’ when there is a high content of dissolved minerals in it (like calcium), and normally the pH of ‘hard’ water is above 7, which is more alkaline. When there’s a lack of dissolved minerals in the water, it is considered ’soft,’ and thus the pH will be lower than neutral making it acidic.

Local breeders have indicated that higher pH levels (7.5 to 7.8) will favor the growth of the nuchal hump, and lower pH levels (6.1 to 6.5) will favor color development in Flowerhorn fish. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Proper pH powder is widely used to maintain water quality. As a bonus, with its aloe vera and electrolytes contents, it also works to eliminate chlorine and heavy metals from the water while reducing fish stress. Depending on which traits you desire in your Flowerhorn, it is possible to adjust your water pH level accordingly.

Temperature
Flowerhorns are tropical fish. They can survive in water with various temperature ranges, but they grow well in water temperature of 28 C. During transportation, the water temperature is usually maintained at about 22 C, and the temperature is raised to about 30 C when the fish is sick. This, though, doesn’t mean that all illnesses are curable this way. Check out the “Common Illnesses” section for more information. A simple thermometer may be purchased to monitor water temperature changes in your tank.

Dechlorination
Tap water is commonly used by hobbyist, but most tap water contains high levels of chlorine, which poses a danger to your Flowerhorn. High chlorine toxicity may lead to fatalities. Dechlorination of tap water is crucial prior to usage. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Tap Water Conditioner instantly removes and detoxifies heavy metals from tap water. Add one teaspoon to your water to treat up to ten gallons.

Filtration systems
In an artificial aquatic environment, a good filtration system is extremely important. Flowerhorns feed on huge amounts of food, and as a by product, they secrete large amounts of ammonia. A good filtration system eliminates solid wastes from the fish, leftover food, ammonia and even dusts from the atmosphere. There are various types of filters available in the market. The efficiency of these filters depends on usage, stocking density and other factors.

Mechanical filters work mainly to sieve out wastes, but they do not break it down. It makes the water clear, but this doesn’t mean it is ‘clean,’ as the ammonia produced by fish is still in the tank. The misconception of ‘clear water’ being ‘clean water’ often contributes to a lot of fish deaths. A mechanical filter normally uses filter wools and filter sponges as sieve materials. Mechanical filters work best coupled with biological filters.

Biological filters are more efficient as they provide bio-media surfaces for beneficial bacteria to grow on. Bacteria colonize these surfaces and ‘work’ on the ammonia waste left by fish to break it down into fish friendly water components. You can read more about this in the “Ammonia and Nitrogen Cycle” article.

Flowerhorn fish are quite beautiful, and they’ll make a lovely addition to your home aquarium display, but ensuring successful aquarium management is essential to keep your fish healthy and happy.

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About The Author: FlowerFish.com is the complete Flower Horn Fish Resource center. We are also one of the world's biggest and most recognised Flower Horn breeder, exporter and wholesaler.Please visit us at http://www.FlowerFish.com for more articles and Flower Horn fish picture galleries.

Crayfish - Paint Your Aquarium Blue With them
Crayfish originate from Australia and they are freshwater invertebrates. Most people call them ‘blue lobster’ and ‘yabby’

There are many species within the Crayfish community. These beautiful creatures are hardy and can live to up to five years. Crayfish is much sought after as aquarium pets due to their fancy varieties and brilliant color.

How do you select healthy crayfish?

You have to avoid shops where they kept all the crayfish in overcrowded tanks with very little water. These crayfish tends to become stress and eventually die in such condition. Look for crayfish that is lively and full of energy. You have to also make sure that they have a complete set of limbs. You can test it by lowering your hands onto its back. When a healthy crayfish sense your hand, their natural reaction is to move back and raise both their pincers in a defensive stance. If the crayfish simply lie still and does not respond to your touch, you can be sure that it is not healthy.

Their pincers are used to catch prey and protect themselves. Sometimes you may notice that some of the crayfish have pincers that are smaller than most of the other crayfish in the tank, or they may have pincers that are not of equal size. This can be that the smaller pincer is a new appendage that grew while replacing the old one.

It is a little tricky to catch crayfish. You have to approach it from the back and hold the end of its carapace with both your thumb and index finger

Crayfish is unlike some of the fishes. They are territorial in nature, and so you must never over-stock your tank. So how big should a tank be? Well, 2ft by 1ft will be big enough to keep the crayfish happy.

Crayfish likes hiding space. You can place objects in the tanks. Objects such as PVC pipes or rocks will be able to provide them lot of good hiding places.

For aeration, a bubble filter will do just fine. And take note that crayfish do not need strong lightning and they do not do well in acidic water.

When it comes to feeding, it is the easiest! Crayfish eat anything they can find. It can be dirt, unwanted scraps, and feeder fish, sinking pellet or just some shrimps. Anything, everything goes for these creatures. Crayfish hunt at night, so turn off the aquarium light before you feed them.

Crayfish tend to grow by getting rid of its old shell. They will push itself out of the old shell through the space just behind the carapace which will split open. When they shed their shells, they will be covered only with soft tissue. These soft tissues will harden into new shells after a couple of days.. And usually, the crayfish will eat up its old shell.

Anthony is a an aquarium enthusiast and writer. More related articles can be read at www.anhwohe.com or <a href="http://www.anhwohe.info">Anhwohe Home</a>

How to train your goldfish to commands; is that possible?!
It turns out that all of the old stories about fish having three second memories are untrue.

During recent scientific studies, fish have been taught many long-term skills that they are capable of remembering over the course of many months.

Dr Phil Gee from the University of Plymouth says,
“Research has also shown that fish can learn to distinguish between different shapes, colors and sounds. They can even learn that pressing a lever will dispense food at certain times of the day.”

The applications of this newfound skill are still being explored but fish farmers are set to capitalize on it by training fish to swim to feeding stations.

Hang on a second and read the results before I teach you how it’s done.

At a certain time of day, every day, the fish will respond to a specific, pre-trained noise and all swim to the same place in a lake. This even works when the fish are in open water, free to roam as they please.

This system is using fish’s intelligence to better improve their quality of life and at the same time keep the animal rights activists at bay. The fact that fish can be reliably trained to be called on command for feeding and monitoring means that the fish farmers can now keep the fish without using cages.

– So how exactly do I go about training a fish? What can I teach it to do?

The most basic way of training a fish to perform a task would be through what psychologists call “Operant Conditioning”. It means that the fish will learn how to operate a simple device simply because when by chance they do operate it they get a reward.

A basic type of operant conditioning device for fish is a small box with a sensitive lever that will dispense food when the lever is pressed. To see a video of a fish doing this go here: http://www.psy.plymouth.ac.uk/fish/
Download the video and watch.

You see the fish operating a very sensitive form of lever rigged to a food dispensing device. With a little bit of thought, something similar would not be difficult to make.

You can buy fish food dispensers with small levers online and the idea is that a fish learns to use it through trial and error. At some point a fish will accidentally make the dispenser work and will receive the reward of food. The reward entices the fish to perform the same behaviors as the first time and receive the reward again at a later time.

At this point the fish is trained to use the lever.

Conditioning a fish to respond to a command is a slightly different task.

One of your options is to wait until you see your fish performing the behavior that you want, perform the trigger (e.g. a unique noise like a bell) and give your fish a reward (e.g. food). Over time, if you do this while giving your fish a reward one in three of the times that this works then your fish will become conditioned to respond to the noise in this way.

For more complicated behaviors that your fish does not already use then do the same as above only in stages building up to the final behavior. For example, condition your fish to swim forwards on command, and then swim backwards on a different command until you have trained it to do laps.

The principals of classical conditioning hold that this will always work the same way it does with dogs and the dolphins that you see in sea world.

I hope that this article has at least been interesting for you to read and maybe given a few hobbyists some ideas for their fish.

If, by any chance, you are a fish-owner looking for fish related supplies for decent prices online then I highly recommend http://www.desertcoralaquatics.com

“With literally thousands of items in stock and ready to ship, you can be assured that you ll receive what you need quickly. See us for aquarium lighting, aquarium filters, aquarium chillers, external water pumps, tank heaters, protein skimmers and so much more.

We carry all the top brands with the best prices you ll find anywhere online. Shop in our convenient online store for brands like Mag-drive, Kent Marine, E.S.V., Dolphin Pumps, JBJ, Aqua Logic, Ice Cap, Aqua Medic Lighting, Sunlight Lighting, Current USA, Neptune Systems and other leading quality brands.”

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Housebreaking Tips For Great Danes Posted By : Richard Cussons
Discover effective housebreaking tips to help you achieve positive results in housebreaking…

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