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Posts Tagged ‘Freshwater Fish’

Freshwater Aquarium Maintenance

When i lived at home, my mom had one freshwater fish in a fish tank, with a few rocks . Her idea of freshwater maintenance, was to let the replacement water stand for one day. She said this was to remove the chlorine from the water. She  did  something right, for when we moved and had to give the fish away, the fish was even so alive after two and half years.  

Now that was a very basic fresh water fish . With today’s exotic fish for sale in the pet stores, it is going to take more than letting water stand for a day to remove the chlorine to keep your fish healthy and more importantly happy. Things you must consider for right maintenance of your freshwater aquarium are :

1. Having proper water quality is important, but it is much more than just letting it hang around for a day . There are a lot more items to think of . You will need a test kit to rate for proper ph, water hardness, nitrates, specific gravity, etc. You will need to test the water for these properties almost everyday and make proper adjustments.

2. Proper cleaning of the gravel is important. You will need to vacuum-clean the gravel to remove food, feces and other contaminants to prevent the build up of nitrate, nitrite and ammonia. All of these contaminants are harmful to your fish.

3. You should only replace 25% of the water every week . But if you must clean the entire tank, do not use chemicals on the inside for glass cleaning, use a algae scraper instead. Even a slight amount of home cleaners is toxic to freshwater fish. You can use them on the outside of the tank, but verify you do not get any of the chemicals inside the tank.

This is just the tip of the ice burg on proper freshwater aquarium maintenance, there is much more to learn.

When talking about upkeep of fish pond, a lot of people fail to look after it the right way. Nevertheless, it is no ordeal if you initiate the process on the right note from the very beginning i.e. from the stage of digging the pond in the right place and right way. Digging it at the right place can automatically cut down on maintenance hassles and the frequent headache that it gives. Do not make the mistake of digging a pond below a tree as you’ll end up spending your time and energy in keeping the pond clean of all the dirt and fallen leaves from the tree. Here are some simple upkeep tips for the same.

One easy way to maintain a pond is to use a plastic lining. This plastic lining can be of great help in separating the pond and the adjoining ground. Additionally, having this plastic lining around may prevent the unwanted entry of the soil, debris and other substances in the pond. However, make it a point to use only high quality lining as it does not wear off easily.

While you are using plastic to maintain your pond, you must make sure that you are using the right kind of plastic. There are a handful of plastic varieties that are toxic and can kill the fishes in your pond. So, ensure that you’re using a safe variety of plastic.

A very effective thing that you can do to maintain a fish pond is try to include an assortment of plants inside the pond. Different plants may serve diverse purposes, which may help in the upkeep of the pond. For instance, there are plants that are good for controlling algae growth. On the contrary, there are specific plants that work well as decorative elements. It’s also essential to include plants which are good at absorbing and retaining nutrients. These plants help in maintaining the nutrient quotient of the pond. It’s advised that you place these plants around the edges for increased nutrient absorption.

Another advantage of growing such plants along the sides is that it helps cut down on the maintenance issues. You can prevent the soil and the dirt of the edges from entering the pond by placing small rocks on the edges. Here again, avoid using any rock widely known for releasing toxic substances when in contact with water. This could lead to untimely death of animals and plants present in the pond.

Sustaining a pond is not as challenging as it might sound to be. You just have to put in some effort and be be guaranteed that your pond will stay on for a long time period.

So, you have your fish tank set up. Or you’re all ready to setup your aquarium, and you want a whole number of swimming, happy freshwater fish; to fill your aquarium acrylic tank, right? Well, relax and determine exactly what sort of fish you would like in there.

Maybe you would like some which are incredibly active, so they are constantly moving about and interesting for you to look at in the aquarium. Or maybe you’re interested in individuals with vivid, radiant shades. Or possibly, you want something different entirely.

Any way you look at it, you are going to want fish for your glass or aquarium acrylic tank. Choosing the type of fish that you might want may take some time, especially if you are planning on having many varieties together.

Make sure to research ahead of purchasing anything, simply because you risk fish loss and ultimate death if you do not!

Research: Not All That Challenging

Employees in a fish supply store will be able to enlighten you a lot about what you need to keep your potential fish content and strong inside their aquarium, and also you might find that they’re far more knowledgeable than you previously anticipated. There are a variety of questions to take into account, such as:

• Will this fish like open places, or lots of plant life?
• Does this particular fish favor alkaline or acidic water (Lower pH compared to higher pH)?
• Does this fish get along with others?
• Do you know the feeding needs for this fish? Does this individual eat at the top of the fish tank, or the bottom part?
• How much space does this particular fish require?
• What temperature does this particular fish flourish in?

This is important and often ignored…

If you would like multiple kinds of fish in your aquarium acrylic tank, attempt to match these as closely as you possibly can. You wouldn’t want them eating each other, would you? There are many guides on what fish are compatible with other fish and the subject is too complicated to discuss here, but this item is very important for a enduring aquarium.

Good luck on your aquarium hobby. The aquarium will deliver you many years of visual pleasure.