Posts Tagged ‘home’

Maintaining and Taking Care of Your Fish Tank

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Your pet tropical fish are very much like us human, where we need to have a healthy environment to stay in so that we do not contract diseases as well as falling sick often. Understanding how to properly take care of and maintaining your fish tank is imperative to keeping your fishes healthy! Make it a point to clean the tank at least twice a month to make sure you’re giving your pet fish the best possible environment there is to stay in.

Thus, this article will address the few things you need to take care of your fish tank.

The Air Filter

An air filter’s job is as it sound, to filter the waste and debris in the water left by your pet fish. This is completely different from the air pump as an air pump will only be sending water into the air filter, and thus if you have a bigger tank, you do not need to clean the air filter as much as you would be with a smaller tank. This is because with bigger tank there will be more bacteria growing, and more bacteria does not necessarily harm your fish as the variety of bacteria regulates each other’s growth and presence, not to mention that your fish will sometimes feed on them too.

As per previously mentioned, you only need to clean your fish tank twice a month, to make sure it’s in a healthy and livable condition for your fish. There are some who suggests that once a month should actually be more than enough, why is that?

This is because by maintaining the bacterial growth at the bottom of your aquarium are useful for degrading the fish waste, as well as any food waste. This natural cycle can help break down the waste in it’s most natural form, thus cleaning them too often will alter it’s function as well as altering your fish’s habitat often.

That being said, there is no harm in cleaning your fish tank if it gets out of hand and too murky, as the main reason why some of us rare tropical fishes are to enjoy the spectacular view, and thus a dirty aquarium will definitely not be the best sight!

Aside from tropical fish articles, you can also find more of the author’s work on indoor rocking chair and indoor rockers here!

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Tropical Fish Care Info

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

A tank full of lively tropical fish can be a thing of beauty. The vibrantly colored fish and the silent way they glide around in the water can make it the focal point of any room. Watching the fish swim while the filter quietly gurgles can be a very relaxing experience. However, if proper care is not taken of the fish and the tank itself, it can very quickly turn into an eyesore that still attracts the eye but now for all the wrong reasons. Here are some basic guidelines to tropical fish care that will help you get started.

Now that you have decided that you want to set up a fish tank, what are the things you need to make that happen? Obviously you will need a tank. The size and shape of that tank is entirely up to you, but keep in mind that the larger the tank the more it will cost to set it up. There are a multitude of choices as to the types of decoration and fish to put into the tank but there are some things that you simply must have. They include gravel, a filter, a heater and a light source.

Take your time when you decide on the color and type of gravel you would like. It will be the single largest thing seen in your tank so you want to be sure to get it right. Think about the room you will be placing it in and the overall theme of the tank. In a child’s room, you may want brightly colored gravel while in a living room, you may want to go with the more muted, natural colors.

Filtering systems come in two basic types: those that are placed under the gravel and those that hang on the outside of the tank. Both are equally effective at cleaning the water. Some feel that the one placed under the gravel is a better choice because it cannot be seen, but they are much harder to maintain than the ones on the outside of the tank. In some cases, especially if the tank has many fish in it or is particularly large, you may find that it takes both types to keep the water quality high.

In order to keep your fish healthy, you will need to keep the water temperature around 72 degrees. A heater with a thermostat built into it is the best way to accomplish this. Tanks that are twenty gallons or below can be regulated with a single heat source. Bigger than that you will probably need two heaters placed at opposite ends of the tank.

Light fixtures often come as part of the tank’s hood. These hoods are designed to cover the entire top of the tank. This will keep the fish in and everything else out. You will have a choice of incandescent or fluorescent light fixtures. Fluorescent may be the better choice. The light bulbs last longer and they do not add any additional heat to the tank.

Once you have purchased everything that you need to get started, it is time to set up the tank. Do this where you intend the tank to stay because a tank full of water is very heavy and difficult to move. Turn on the filter and the heater and leave it to run for several days before adding fish. This will give you time to get the temperature just right and allow any chemicals that may be harmful to you fish to be filtered out.

Finally you are ready to add the fish. When you bring them home it is important to let the bags sit in the tank water for at least fifteen minutes before releasing the fish. This will give the fish a chance to acclimate to the temperature of the tank gradually. Now you can release them and enjoy their quiet grace as they move around the tank.

To get some more information about tropical fish care, please click on any of these given links: tropical fish care information tropical fish care

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A Simple To Follow Tropical Fish Guide

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

When you are ready to go from being a tropical fish observer to a happy tropical fish owner, you’ve got some things to take care of. You need to make sure that this is something you are really ready to take on because while it’s quite wonderful to own tropical fish, it’s hard work, too. Have no fear; you will be greatly rewarded for your diligence. This tropical fish guide may make things a bit easier for you.

It is recommended that you purchase the tank and accessories prior to buying the fish. Your tropical fish will not be happy or healthy for long in a plastic bag. You need to establish a clean and safe environment for them ahead of time. Give them something magnificent to come home to. When buying your first tank, don’t think that bigger is better. Since you’re a newcomer to the world of tropical fish ownership, start small. Once you see that you are good at taking care of them, you can increase the tank size. Just don’t bite off more than you can chew out of the gate.

If you don’t have a tank already, go purchase a small one. You also need a filter and light as well as other supplies to clean the tank. Buy the food you’ll need ahead of time as well. You can design a tank that is creative and colorful or if you prefer, very basic. Just make sure that whatever you do, you buy quality products. Things you buy that are less than well crafted can cost you down the road.

You of course need a strong and well built tank. Make sure the tank has no cracks or obvious defects. You will also need a hang on the back filter and a 5 watt light to keep your new pets happy and healthy. Wash your tank out well when you get it home and make sure that the water is pure before you begin introducing fish into it.

Make sure that your tank is completely clean and then add about an inch of rocks to the bottom of the tank. There is a variety of colored and ornate gravel that you can purchase for your tank. Get creative and give your new pets a beautiful home to enjoy.

Heat your new tank to about eighty degrees Fahrenheit. This is the prime temperature for your tropical fish. Make sure to check the temperature frequently once the fish are living in the tank. You don’t want to accidentally kill them by having them be too hot or too cold.

Set up your light in the tank before adding your fish. Fish like light but having your tank directly in front of the window will cause algae to grow out of control and you’ll have a difficult time with regulating temperature. Once you’ve got the water added, gradually warm it and then get to the pet store! There are a lot of places you can buy tropical fish from. There are specialty shops that can order any kind of tropical fish for you if they don’t have them in stock. You can also buy tropical fish in most local pet shops.

Ask the pet shop owner what the easiest to care for fish are, and then you can start with something easy. Make sure that the fish you are buying won’t eat each other. It’s very sad to wake in the morning and see that half of your fish are missing or half eaten by the others in the tank. Many pet shop owners are not truly well versed in tropical fish so you may have to do some learning on your own. If you’re in doubt, don’t mix breeds. Buy a few of one kind, bring them home and then do some online researching. You can always go back later and buy more kinds and colors of fish.

Take care when you go to feed your new pets. Tropical fish require a very specific diet and should be eating at the same time of day, every day. Never feed them too much and if you’re going away, have someone feed your fish. Take care of your tank and your fish should prosper. If you ever have problems, you can find the answers to your questions online. Good luck and enjoy your new tropical fish!

If you want to read a more extensive tropical fish guide, then please click on any of the given links: tropical fish guide for fledglings tropical fish guide

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Setting Up A Tropical Fish Tank For Beginners

Monday, January 11th, 2010

This will be a beginners guide to setting up a tropical fish tank. You will need to take your time and make sure not to add fish to the tank right away as this could kill your fish. You must understand that it takes a little time for the water to fully cycle so your fish can live a long time and stay healthy.

Before you go out and start buying aquarium equipment determine what kind of fish that you will want to put in there and how many. This is necessary as you will need to know what size tank to get, if you are on a budget you will have to work with it. The general rule is for small to medium fish is 1 inch per one gallon of water.

The items that you will need to set up a fish tank are the aquarium, filter pump, heat pump. Optional items that you should get also are gravel, thermometer, lamp, decorations, and a back up filter pump in case the main one goes bad.

Once you have all of the necessary items to set up the fish tank find spot in your home where you will be keeping it. Make sure it is not somewhere that is going to be in the way, and that it is not blocking anything you might need to get to later.

Next fill the tank up with water to the top, do not worry about putting any conditioner in the water yet as we are only testing to see if the tank has any leaks. Let the water sit in the tank overnight, and in the morning check around the tank for any signs of water, once you are sure there are no leaks you can empty the tank.

While you are leak testing your aquarium you can start filling up jugs of tap water. Mix the tap water with water conditioner as fish do not like plain tap water. I also add bacteria supplement to the water also. Make sure you follow the directions on the water conditioner bottle exactly.

Next you can start adding gravel, make sure that you rinse the gravel very good. Since the tank is still empty you can start putting in the gravel and decorations. It is very important to make sure that everything that you put into your fish tank is washed well, as it only takes a little bit of dish soap to kill fish.

Start setting up the filter pump and the heating pump. Add the water solution from the jugs that you already pre-mixed, fill the tank up to about an inch from the top. Put the overhead lamp on if you have one and turn on the heater and the filter pump, you now want to be patient and let the water cycle for a week at the minimum.

Let the fish tank cycle the water for at least one week. After that one week you can add a couple of fish to get the tanks ecosystem in action, but do not add anymore fish for at least 5 weeks. Be patient and your fish will be healthy and live for a long time.

The author has been putting together fish tanks of all types for many years and has great knowledge on fish tanks. You can check out his store if you need to purchase a home fish tank. Fish Tanks For Sale

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Requirements For Testing Water In A Freshwater Aquarium

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
by Anika Woods

Testing of water in a fresh water aquarium involves two steps, the first is when you first start an aquarium and the second stage is when the tank has already been established and you have fish in them.

Fish thrive or die, depending on the water quality, so it is imperative for their health that you understand the sort of conditions and the quality of water that your fish need to live healthily. This is not uniform for all fishes, so a bit of study is necessary.

Procedure for a new fish tank:

You first need to establish that the nitrogen cycle has taken place. This is important because after this cycle has occurred it is safe to add fish. Fish waste and undigested food lead to an ammonia spike. This is the first stage of the nitrogen cycle and you can detect this by an Ammonia test. After this friendly bacteria called Nirosomonas start to breed, causing a nitrate spike. This is the second stage of the nitrogen cycle.

The third stage occurs when nitrospira bacteria breed converting the dangerous nitrite into less harmful nitrates. Once this occurs it is safe to add fish. Add the fish gradually, testing the water every couple of days, partially changing the water if there is too much ammonia or nitrite in it. This cycle takes place over a few weeks so it is important to keep testing the water so that you know which stage of the cycle you are on.

There are three test kits that are a must for any fish tank owner, to monitor the nitrogen cycle, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate testing kits. You also need a pH testing kit to check the water for acidity. This is important because if there is too much of a difference in the acidity level of the tank they lived in before you bought them, they may die of stress or shock.

Once your tank is established you do not need to keep on testing all the time. However, you still need to check the water for nitrates. Even though nitrates are not as harmful as the nitrites and ammonia, too much nitrate can also be detrimental to the health of your fish. To avoid any kind of problems, make it your habit to check the water quality and carry out regular water changes so that your fish are healthy and active. You can control the nitrate build up by adding plants and nitrate eating fish to your tank and monitoring the quality of water.

About the Author:
Visit our site to learn more about maintaining a healthy freshwater aquarium and for information about the different water requirements of specific species of tropical fish.

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Getting To Know Your Betta Fish

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009
by Mick Turret

For many individuals, Betta fish will be the initial step to having tropical fish because they are exquisite to look at and more than anything else, simple to take care of. Betta Splendens also referred to as the Siamese Fighting Fish, are ideal for beginners as they do not require much care and most especially, they do not call for much space. This means that you can begin out small and discover as you go before heading out into more exotic or bigger tanks.

In order to keep your betta in good health, the temperature in the fish tank should be kept at around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Betta fish also require special food, which comes in either flake or small pellets. Some fish foods even have extra additives that help to increase the color and keep the betta healthy.

You will probably have to change the water in the tank approximately once a week, though with a filter installed that period may be a bit longer. As betta fish do not require large tanks, the process of replacing water does not take too long most of the time.

It is commonly believed that it is a bad idea for betta fish to be kept with other fish or aquatic creatures, but this just isn’t true. However, some attention should be payed to the type of fish you choose to join your betta in its aquarium. Of course, putting a female betta in the fish tank with the male isn’t likely to create an issue. Other secure species include smaller fish that do not have large or colorful tails.

It is important to remember nonetheless that setting a male in the same tank with a female will result in a large number of extra bettas. It is the truth though, that you cannot keep two male bettas together – even placing them in bowls close to each other creates exhibits of hostility.

Just about any ornament can be included in the fish fish tank but bear in mind that you could have to supply crushed rock to keep things like vegetation in position on the floor of your tank. The idea is to supply the fish with a place to play, swim around and secrete themselves if needed.

Betta fish are perfect for anyone who is hoping to begin in tropical fish maintaining as they are simple to look after and do not call for a lot of care. Nor do they call for a big amount of room and can manage without a lot of items that other varieties of tropical fish can’t do without. When thinking of a betta or creating a habitat, consider having additional kinds of smaller fish that that don’t have display signals such as flashy tails.

About the Author:
If you are curious about tropical fish, you will probably be curious about Mick’s guide to buying betta fish tanks and breeding betta fish.

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Tropical Fish Care Concepts

Monday, June 15th, 2009
by Greg E. Johnson

A fish tank can be a beautiful asset to any room of your home. There are very few things more relaxing than watching fish swim gracefully around a well maintained tank. Fish tanks are not difficult to set up and maintain, but there are basic supplies that you need to get first. Here is some information to help you set up your first fish tank and learn about proper tropical fish care.

To begin with, you will need to decide what size tank you want. How much money you have to spend and how much room you have will be the deciding factors here. You will find that there are many, many choices as to what to put in the tank. Most of these will be entirely up to you. However, there are some things that you will need in order to keep the tank and the fish within it healthy and attractive. They are the gravel, a filtering system, a heater with thermostat, and a light fixture.

Gravel comes in many sizes and colors and the one you choose is based entirely on your taste. Remember that the gravel you choose will be the first thing that people will notice about your tank. Make sure that it fits with the look you are trying to achieve.

Filtering systems come in two basic types: those that are placed under the gravel and those that hang on the outside of the tank. Both are equally effective at cleaning the water. Some feel that the one placed under the gravel is a better choice because it cannot be seen, but they are much harder to maintain than the ones on the outside of the tank. In some cases, especially if the tank has many fish in it or is particularly large, you may find that it takes both types to keep the water quality high.

In order to keep your fish healthy, you will need to keep the water temperature around 72 degrees. A heater with a thermostat built into it is the best way to accomplish this. Tanks that are twenty gallons or below can be regulated with a single heat source. Bigger than that you will probably need two heaters placed at opposite ends of the tank.

Light fixtures often come as part of the tank’s hood. These hoods are designed to cover the entire top of the tank. This will keep the fish in and everything else out. You will have a choice of incandescent or fluorescent light fixtures. Fluorescent may be the better choice. The light bulbs last longer and they do not add any additional heat to the tank.

Once you have purchased everything that you need to get started, it is time to set up the tank. Do this where you intend the tank to stay because a tank full of water is very heavy and difficult to move. Turn on the filter and the heater and leave it to run for several days before adding fish. This will give you time to get the temperature just right and allow any chemicals that may be harmful to you fish to be filtered out.

After all of that, you are ready for the fish. Start with just a few. Let the bags of fish float in the tank for at least fifteen minutes before releasing the fish into the tank. This will allow the fish and water temperature in the bags to slowly adjust to the temperature of the tank. Now you can release the fish and sit back and enjoy watching the fruits of your labor.

About the Author:
If you want to get some more FREE information about tropical fish care, then please click on any of the links shown below: tropical fish care tropical fish care information

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Tropical Fish Care – Getting Started

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
by Greg E. Johnson

Many people enjoy having fish tanks in their home. They can be a beautiful addition to any room. However, getting started may seem like a daunting task. This article will give you some basic information about how to set up your first tank and some tips on tropical fish care.

Now that you have decided that you want to set up a fish tank, what are the things you need to make that happen? Obviously you will need a tank. The size and shape of that tank is entirely up to you, but keep in mind that the larger the tank the more it will cost to set it up. There are a multitude of choices as to the types of decoration and fish to put into the tank but there are some things that you simply must have. They include gravel, a filter, a heater and a light source.

When you look at the many types and colors of gravel in your local pet store you may feel overwhelmed by the choices. The choice is completely up to you. There is no one color or size that is better than the others. Do keep in mind the the gravel will be a very visible part of you tank. Make sure that the one you choose fits the room you plan on putting it in and the overall theme of the tank.

Filtering systems come in two basic types: those that are placed under the gravel and those that hang on the outside of the tank. Both are equally effective at cleaning the water. Some feel that the one placed under the gravel is a better choice because it cannot be seen, but they are much harder to maintain than the ones on the outside of the tank. In some cases, especially if the tank has many fish in it or is particularly large, you may find that it takes both types to keep the water quality high.

In order to keep your fish healthy, you will need to keep the water temperature around 72 degrees. A heater with a thermostat built into it is the best way to accomplish this. Tanks that are twenty gallons or below can be regulated with a single heat source. Bigger than that you will probably need two heaters placed at opposite ends of the tank.

Most lights are purchased as part of a full hood that covers the entire top of the tank. However, it is possible to only purchase the light. Whichever way you decide to go, it is best to avoid incandescent lights. This type of light is harsh and will add heat to the tank. Fluorescent lighting is softer and will add no heat to the water in the tank.

Once you have purchased everything that you need to get started, it is time to set up the tank. Do this where you intend the tank to stay because a tank full of water is very heavy and difficult to move. Turn on the filter and the heater and leave it to run for several days before adding fish. This will give you time to get the temperature just right and allow any chemicals that may be harmful to you fish to be filtered out.

Finally you are ready to add the fish. When you bring them home it is important to let the bags sit in the tank water for at least fifteen minutes before releasing the fish. This will give the fish a chance to acclimate to the temperature of the tank gradually. Now you can release them and enjoy their quiet grace as they move around the tank.

About the Author:
If you want to get some more FREE information about tropical fish care, then please click on any of the links shown below: tropical fish care concepts tropical fish care

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