Six Reasons Why You Should Never Neglect Changing Water In Your Aquarium Tank

by Sven Hylten-Cavallius

pH Control - pH stands for hydrogen potenz. It is actually the concentration of hydrogen ions present in your aquarium tank, and as you know, hydrogen ion concentration refers to acidity of the water in the tank. As fishes live in the water, performing all their biological activities, the pH value is bound to change. The best way to ensure that the pH values remain conducive for the health of your fish is to change the water often.

Kh control - For the scientifically inclined people, Kh is the hydrolysis constant. Simply speaking, it is ability of water to buffer, which means, maintain a particular optimum level of the acids and bases in it. Changes occur in the fish tank over time due to the inclusion of chemicals produced from biological activity. That is one reason why the water has to be periodically changed.

Controlling nitrate levels - Ideally speaking, a saltwater aquarium must have a nitrate concentration of at the most 20 parts per million and a freshwater aquarium must have at the most 50 parts per million. Fish excretion is in the form of ammonia, which increases the nitrate level of the tank. There are protein skimmers available that can help to keep the nitrate levels to optimal levels within the tank. But these skimmers will not be able to remove the organic debris that collects in the tank from time to time. That is the reason why complete water changes become necessary. In fact, aquarium sellers do stress upon nitrate level maintenance as the most important reason for making periodical water changes.

Detoxifying the aquariums - Dead aquatic organisms, byproducts of metabolic activities in the fish and other aquarium residents and the excretion products of your fish will definitely introduce some toxic products in your aquarium tank. Some toxic materials can also enter from the external environment, such as when things drop into your tank or when some microorganisms enter through the air. They could play havoc with the health of your delicate fish. You cannot effectively monitor such toxic intrusions. The best way is to change water.

Cleaning aquarium accessories - If you have live elements in your aquarium tank such as live sand, live rock, sponges, bio balls, etc. it is best to provide them with clean water of aquarium standard to filter out the wastes that they produce from time to time.

Controlling algal growth - Algae are microscopic plants that grow in all types of aquatic environment. They grow faster in aquariums because the water there is stagnant and favorable for their growth. However, algae can pollute the water in the closed environment to drastic levels, which could also mean health problems to your fish. Not only that, algae will compete with the fish with the resources available in your aquarium. If you change the water from your aquarium regularly, you are also removing the algae that have grown in them.

Hence, water changes in your aquarium are a very important aspect of aquarium cleaning. They ensure that your fish live longer and healthier in the home you provide them.

Planning is Key to the Success of Your First Home Freshwater Aquarium

 by Andrew Bartlett

Having a home freshwater aquarium can be a wonderful and exciting hobby for anyone to take on. If done right, it can provide years and years of enjoyment, but done wrong, it can be a painful source of frustration until you eventually give up.

The most important thing you can do to ensure the success of your venture is to take the time to properly plan. Buying an aquarium should not be an impulse purchase. It doesn't have to be a long, drawn out process either, but if you rush it, the result is likely failure.

So where do you begin? All of the points listed are not really in any order, as they are interrelated. Rather, all of the considerations below are what go into "step one" of buying your first fish tank.

• Size of the Tank - Many newcomers to the hobby get very excited and want to do something grand with their first aquarium. Maybe they have seen the huge tank at the dentist's office and thought about how great that would look in their house. They fail to realize that the expense, upkeep, and demands of a 200+ gallon tank are way beyond that of the beginner. Some people take the opposite approach and think that a 5-8 gallon tank will be easy, but then are disappointed to find out that they can only safely keep a 2-5 fish in it because it's too small. A good target size for your first aquarium is 20-40 gallons.
• Location - It's not just important in real estate, the location of your aquarium within your home is crucial. First of all, those things are heavy! A 30 gallon tank with stand, gravel, and water will weigh about 400 pounds, so choose your spot wisely. Do not put it in direct sunlight as temperature control and algae will be issues. Also avoid high traffic areas in your home as that placement can stress out the fish in your aquarium.
• Get the Right Accessories - Make sure that you get the right filter size. If you just grab one because it's on sale or a friend gave it to you, it may not be rated for the size tank you have and that will mean trouble. A proper fitting hood and stand are important, too. The bottom of the tank isn't "just rocks" either, so do a little research as to the right/wrong gravel before you fill the tank.
• Picking out Fish for Your Tank - This is one of the most overlooked parts of the planning process. In their excitement, many people go to the pet store and start picking out whatever fish looks neat, is the prettiest, or just seems cool, without any forethought as to how the fish will live together. This is very important! It is a terrible feeling to wake up one day to find a bunch of your fish gone because you failed to find out that the cool looking Oscar you just bought will eat anything that fits in its mouth!
• Time Commitment - If you set up your freshwater aquarium right from the start, you shouldn't encounter many problems, but it doesn't run itself. There will be some maintenance involved and please be sure that you are willing and able to do it before you make the investment in the tank, gear, and fish.

Once you take the time to make the important decisions up front, the success of your home aquarium is almost guaranteed. The time invested in the planning stage will pay off in a big way with the years of enjoyment that you and your family will get from your fish tank.

Liven Up Your House with an Aquarium

 by Steven Toews

Having an aquarium is a very fulfilling experience. Not only, does it improve the aesthetics of the house but it also creates a feeling of relaxation. For some having an aquarium is also the only way they can keep their pets if they like fish. Installing an aquarium in your house is only the first step; the next thing is aquarium maintenance. This is a very key aspect so as to maintain the aesthetic aspect of the aquarium and to also keep the fish in the aquarium healthy.

It is not so hard to keep an aquarium contrary to popular belief. There are shops where you can get aquarium supplies such as fish tank supplies, aquarium pumps and aquarium products. Once you have these products and a reliable store to get them then there is not much to keeping an aquarium in your house and improving the d©cor. Before installing the aquarium you should decide where you want to put it in your house. This means looking for a place where the aquarium will not be in the way and does not disturb movement in your house. The place you decide to put it should be in a place where it can be easily seen and where it will go hand in hand with the theme of the house. You can make the focal point of your living room such that everything else flows from it.

To make your house even livelier you can install aquarium lighting which will be very beautiful during candle lit dinners or at night when the lights are dimmed or turned off. They are also particularly good when you have a dinner party or an event and when you dim the other lights the aquarium lighting will make your aquarium the centre piece of your decorations. Aquarium lighting is a very simple way to improve the d©cor of your house by enhancing the appearance of your aquarium at night. You can use aquarium LED lighting, which come in a variety of colors and you can play with the colors to create a very beautiful ambiance.

You can also add a twist to your interior decor using reef aquarium which is more beautiful and will make the aquarium look more natural. These reef aquariums also provide a more natural environment for the fish to grow and even reproduce since they can lay their eggs in the reefs. These reefs also provide a really good backdrop when the aquarium lighting is turned on.

There are also aquarium accessories which you can get and put in your aquarium to make it lovelier and also to improve its appearance. You can get aquarium decorations such as background paintings which you can put on the back of your aquarium. This is suitable especially if the aquarium is placed against a wall or if you do not like the back ground of your aquarium. You can also get aquarium decorations such as sea shells or beautiful rocks. These add to the beauty of your house, and crate a lively ambiance.

Creating Aquarium Decoration With Discarded Things

by Timothy Kessler

Planning and crafting a theme for the aquarium can be quite a fun process. Done properly, it would likely create a piece of home furnishings for you to be pleased with and one that you will really like for years. What's better after a tiring demanding day at the workplace than to plop down in your living room and see the fish swim serenely around reproductions of castles and sunken ships. It is better than the television by a mile.

Nevertheless buying decorations for the aquarium might get expensive, particularly when you intend to get quite intricately crafted ornaments. If you are on a restricted budget, you may have to settle with the standard stuff which you could possibly discover in a large amount of other aquariums. You will still have decorative elements, but the aquarium will not appear like the exceptional, one of a kind concept which you hoped no one else owns.

All is not lost. For those who still want to have an aquarium design that stands out apart from the rest, one which no one you know will have, there are numerous goodies around your property that you could make use of. Without a doubt, you can build a splendid design just using mementos and baubles which you have around your own home that you no longer need.

Design Issues And Cautions

The key to any good design is functionality. The theme that you shape should not just be appealing but should also profit the fish. The prime profit that fish tank decorations will give to aquarium fish is to provide them with a cave. Caves in a tank are any encased area that enables the fish to enter if they need to. Fish reside in a stressful habitat, believe it or not. Out there in the wild, they have enough space to swim around in but in an aquarium, their swim area is really restricted. Moreover, they are subject to human attention nearly all of the day. If too troubled, fish have decreased defense to illnesses and will gradually die. Caves make it easy for the fish to get away if they feel stressed and will help prolong their lives. This is only one of the numerous advantages that caves give.

The next consideration is the substance that the item is composed of. You absolutely should keep away from iron. There should not be even a little part of it anywhere on or in the object. If there is, remove it. One other material to avoid is wood. I'm not speaking of driftwood here, merely objects design for home decor made using wood. These are typically not designed to be drenched in water for prolonged periods of time and many of these are usually varnished or coated over with paint.

Kinds Of Things Which Create Wonderful Aquarium Accessories

With some creativity, anything around the house which you no longer desire can be converted into quite a stylish theme. Here are several samples of items that you could try.

Unused chinaware. That chipped cup or damaged teapot still bears its attractive design work on it. Why not fixed them up inside the aquarium and arrange these to seem like a tea time scene. In case some of the ceramic are badly chipped, it will be advisable to bury the sharp portion into the substrate so that it doesn't harm the fish. On top of that in case you are placing in a sugar bowl, turn it on its side so that it acts as a cave for the fish. With a little care, you can cut out a hole in the side of the teapot to produce a cave to. Just be certain you sand out the sharp borders.

Rejected playthings. Kids playthings make really excellent tank accessories. The toys manufactured nowadays are so detailed, they out beat any house decoration you might have. Gather the models from the same cartoon show and place them to build an aquarium pattern centered on that show. Your kids will like them.

Undesired garden ornamentation. Lawn and garden decor are manufactured to weather any condition and will endure in your aquarium for a very long time. If you do wish to use these, give them a fairly good scrub because they would have collect so much dirt and grime over time.

These are only a couple of suggestions which you could employ to put together an excellent tank theme without cost. Just look around the house and you will discover other trinkets and baubles that you may work with.

Setting Up Your Aquarium in a Cheaper Way

by Gary Lock

The want for aquariums at home has not declined since it started. As the means for getting your own aquarium get easier the demand for aquariums also rise in proportion. With the rise of the demand come a lot of gadgets to add to an already long list of 'musts' for your aquarium.

Freshwater aquariums have never been out of hype. This may be due to the fact that they are relatively easy to obtain and maintain. Fishes from fresh waters are also more playful considering the time they have spent cultured by humans.


Saltwater aquariums, although harder to keep, have also increased demands. This is mostly attributed to the challenge they pose to the aquarist. The truth is that saltwater plants and animals are more attractive in color, variety and behavior. This type of aquarium is more expensive, though, as more augmentations are needed for the fish merely to live long enough, more so to thrive.


The market for aquariums is wide. Check your local pet store. Chances are, freshwater fishes are available there together with freshwater aquarium implements.


Appliances designed for saltwater aquariums are a little harder to find. They also come with higher price tags. Higher saltwater implement prices are but reflections of how hard it is to simulate saltwater conditions. These devices are mainly designed to keep the tank's variables as stable as possible.


A complete aquarium set consists of the tank, non-chlorinated water, biological filters, mechanical filters, chemical filters, a heater, a chiller, lighting, live rocks, substrate, plants, ornaments, a thermometer, a hydrometer, a pH measuring kit, a phosphate measuring kit, nitrate and nitrite measuring kits, small hoses, a suitable aquarium base, bacterial preparations, plastic netting, salt, and bleach. Yes, the fish is not included and should preferably be bought after all needed appliances and materials have been bought and set up.


Most of the items listed above are necessities. At best of times, all of them should be bought. Missing appliances often lead to disastrous results. The key to a successful yet cheap aquarium is to keep accessories to the minimum and the necessities complete.


In a fish only freshwater aquarium, for example, very little accessory is needed to maintain the fish. Usually, a tank with dechlorinated water, substrate and a wet/dry filter will suffice. Bear in mind, however, that this only keeps the fish alive.


In saltwater aquariums, things get a little complicated. Temperature control, for instance, is important even in a fish only setup.


In setting up an aquarium in a budget, you should first consider what type of tank you want. You could opt for fish only tanks to a reef aquarium and everything in between. Generally, the more creatures you add to your tank, the more equipment you will need.


It is imperative to buy the tank and set it up first. You may need a month to cycle the tank before introducing the fish. This will also buy you time to save for the fish itself.


For novices, it is advisable to start with affordable fishes. In a saltwater fish-only setup, the best fishes to buy are damsels, saltwater-acclimated mollies, clownfish, and blennies. These varieties are quite affordable and are also hardy. This will give you leeway on maintenance costs and space for errors.


It is best to buy a wet/dry filter as this will serve both as a mechanical and biological filter. It also helps oxidize the water, thus saving you the urgency to buy two filters and a plant.


Do not think you can save on low quality equipment. Most of the time, they break down easy incurring greater cost. Many stores offer the same products and brands. Check as much of them as possible as there may be big differences in prices.


All in all, buying an aquarium is only for those serious enough to support these delicate creatures in an artificial environment.