Goldfish Blog

Archive for May 11th, 2011

The concept of keeping aquariums came into being 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 contained fish that were indigenous to the location of their owner simply because of availability. Also most old school fish tanks contained only fresh water fish. This is because salt water would corrode the metal frame that held the aquarium together. These days people can even have the luxury of watching fish from the comfort of their own computer screen with these free moving screensavers!

Aquariums drastically changed in the 1960′s with the invention of silicone adhesive.  Metal frames became obsolete and more people began to keep salt water fish as well as invertebrates. Recently glass tanks have grown to be less frequently used because of the flexibility of acrylic. Acrylic aquariums are much more forgiving compared to their glass counterparts. In cases where a heavy object strikes a glass tank, it will almost certainly break. The flexibleness of the acrylic tank will prevent this catastrophe from happening. In addition, acrylic provides more flexibility in design than glass. Acrylic aquariums have been made into everything from coffee tables to gum ball machines.

That said, there’s a short downfall to owning an acrylic aquarium tank. They actually scratch easier than glass. 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 fish tank.  Always use a cleaner specifically labeled safe for acrylic. Use plastic or rubber scrubbers, rather than metal to wash the sides of an acrylic tank. Take care not to accidentally pick up a bit of substrate or gravel while washing the inside of the tank. However, if you do happen to scratch an acrylic aquarium, all is not lost. The aquarium can be fixed, unlike glass. There are actually acrylic repair kits available at specialty pet stores, the local hardware store and of course on the web.

When buying an acrylic aquarium kit, there will be a variety of options to select from, at a variety of price points. Aquarium kits can be purchased at places such as specialty aquatic pet shops, from huge retail stores, or again online. A fish lover could decide among small cylinder shaped tanks that can double as a coffee table lamp to wall huge wall sized aquariums. Fish lovers may also observe and revel in a variety of fish right from their computer or pc with these moving screensavers! While, there are some basic things that will be included in most aquarium kits, for example, a filter, some substrate or coral and sometimes lighting, the kits themselves can vary greatly.  It doesn’t matter where you buy your starter kit, but remember that it is very important to buy your fish from an established dealer. Don’t buy fish which are hovering near the surface, or which are located in an aquarium with other dead fish. Fish diseases are extremely communicable. Be weary of any fish seller which will not catch a specific fish from the tank for you. After all this is going to be your fish and you have a right to choose.

Also don’t forget that you can view numerous gorgeous fresh and saltwater fish varieties right from your computer screen with a moving screensavers for free. They’re 100% Totally free, look fantastic, and supply an ideal solution for an quick tropical getaway at any time during the day!