How To Start A Fish Tank

[ad#HTML]This article will give you a general introduction into the three main types of saltwater tanks. When getting started with saltwater it is recommended to get the biggest tank you can accomodate. Bigger tanks give you more room for error when it comes to water quality.
There are basically three types of saltwater aquarium setups:

1: Fish Only
2: Fish Only with Live Rock – FOWLR
3: Reef Tanks

Fish Only

This is the least expensive type to set up because you don’t necessarily need the better lighting that the other setups require.
In my opinion, even though this is the least expensive setup, it is not necessarily the easiest to get started with. Getting started may take a little longer than the other setups while waiting for the nitrogen cycle to complete. Fish only tanks also require more frequent tank maintenance than FOWLR tanks. This means that you will need to stay on top of those water changes to remove the nitrates that are constantly accumulating. Having a water test kit is a necessity when keeping saltwater tanks. You will need to periodically monitor the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH levels. These readings will give you a good indication of the water quality inside your tank. It will also give you an idea of how often you should be performing those water changes.

As the name implies, this type of tank is really for keeping fish only. You may be able to keep a few snails or hermit crabs to help control any algae problems. There are generally two types of fish only tanks. Community type tanks and semi-aggressive type tanks. The community tanks house species that will get along well with the other species in the tank. Semi-aggressive tanks usually house solitary individuals from different species. Unless you have an extremely large tank, it is normally not recommended to get multiple fish from the same species.

Fish Only with live rock – FOWLR

This setup is the same as a Fish Only with the addition of live rock and better lighting. Check out the Saltwater Aquarium Setup page for more detailed information on this type of setup. The use of live rock has really taken off in the past decade because it really is the best form of natural biological filtration for the saltwater aquarium. It is called “live rock” because of the creatures and organisms living on the inside and on the surface of the rock. It can be very interesting to the look at the organisms and algae growing on the rock.

Getting good rock, such as Fiji rock, can be expensive and may even be the most expensive part of setting up a FOWLR tank. A rule of thumb for setting up a tank with live rock is 1 to 2 pounds per aquarium gallon. Currently, live rock is going for about $7 per pound, so a 55 gallon tank would need approximately 82.5 lbs (using 1.5 pounds/gallon) or around $578 to get started. This price is just an estimate and the price may be much higher or lower in your particular area.

What makes live rock so good? The porous nature of live rock means that it comes packed with all types of tiny creatures and biological organisms that aid in the nitrogen cycle. The dense, porous material inside the live rock helps rid your aquarium of nitrates. You will still need to monitor your water parameters regularly and perform water changes as needed. You will also need to add supplements such as iodine, calcium, strontium, magnesium and others, to the water periodically. live rock helps maintain stability in a saltwater aquarium and it can become a food source for your invertebrates and your fish.

Reef Tanks

The reef tank is a setup that is primarily geared towards invertebrates, corals and anemones. The fish in this type of tank are just an afterthought. “Oh yeah, there’s a fish in there”. Reef keepers are more interested in keeping their corals and anemones growing and this means monitoring water parameters weekly if not daily. These invertebrates, corals and anemones can be very expensive and very hard to keep.

Reef tanks are usually set up by very experienced hobbyists because these tanks require excellent water conditions, extremely high lighting levels (expensive), water supplements, reverse osmosis and/or deionized water (expensive), and excellent filtration (usually live rock).

If monitoring your water parameters on a daily basis and spending a lot of money is your idea of a good time, then you should look in to setting up a reef tank. Seriously though, if you are just getting started with saltwater, you should probably leave the reef tank for a future time when you get more experience under your belt.

Saltwater Aquarium Fish Species Profiles

Large Angelfish

EmperorAngelfish

FrenchAngelfish

Queen Angelfish

Dwarf Angelfish

CoralBeautyAngelfish

Flame Angel fish

Butterfly Fish

CopperbandButterflyFish

Racoon Butterfly Fish

Cardinal Fish

Banggai Cardinal Fish

Clownfish

Clownfish(Ocellaris)

MaroonClownfish

Tomato Clownfish

Damselfish

BlueDamselfish

BlueGreenChromis

BlueReefChromis

Yellowtail Blue Damselfish

Dottybacks

OrchidDottyback

Striped Dottyback

Dragonets

Ocellated Dragonet
Scooter Dragonet

Eels

Snowflake Moray Eel

Goby

NeonGoby

Yellow Watchman Goby

Grammas & Basslets

Fairy Basslet

Royal Gramma

Hawkfish

Marine Invertebrates

ChocolateChipStarfish

CoralBandedShrimp

HermitCrab

PeppermintShrimp

SkunkCleanerShrimp

Turbo Snail

Jawfish

Yellowhead Jawfish

Lionfish

Lionfish

Radiata Lionfish

Porcupine & Puffer Fish

Porcupine Puffer Fish

Rabbitfish

Magnificent Foxface Rabbitfish

One Spot Foxface Rabbitfish

Sea Basses

Peach Anthias

Seahorses

CommonSeahorse

Great Seahorse

Tangs & Surgeonfish

ConvictTang

MoorishIdol

PacificBlueTang

PacificSailfinTang

RedSeaSailfinTang

UnicornTang

Yellow Tang

Trigger Fish

Picasso Triggerfish

Wrasses

Read More on: How To Start a Fish Tank

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[ad#HTML]Starting a saltwater fish tank doesn’t have to be difficult. It just takes some effort on your part to learn about and research the necessary topics.

For the type of saltwater fish tank set up (marine fish tank) described in this article you will need the following equipment:

Aquarium

Aquarium Photo Background or Paint the background – see Aquarium Aquascape Design for more info on painting the tank background.

Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed coral

Live Rock

Saltwater Mix

Saltwater Hydrometer

Aquarium filter

Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon

Multiple Powerheads (2 or 3)

Heater – be sure to get one large enough for the size tank you’re getting

Protein Skimmer – See the equipment reviews section for some protein skimmer reviews

Saltwater test kit(s) to test water parameters and monitor the infamous fish tank nitrogen cycle

Saltwater fish food

Aquarium vacuum

Fish net

Rubber kitchen gloves

Aquarium Glass Scrubber

Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon buckets

Aquarium thermometer

Brush with plastic bristles (old tooth brush) – needed for cleaning the live rock

Quarantine Tank for acclimating new arrivals and monitoring for signs of fish disease

Power Strip
Realize the responsibility, time and costs involved

time and costs involved

A saltwater fish tank setup is just like having a dog or a cat when it comes to the amount of effort on your part. In order to have a successfully set up saltwater fish tank you will have to work at it. On a daily basis you will need to feed your saltwater fish and monitor the water parameters (temperature, nitrates, etc) and some of the Aquarium Equipment. Once a week, or at most once every month, you will need to perform some kind of maintenance on your fish tank. Most of the time you will be performing water changes and water quality testing.

Cost is a very serious factor. Take the list above and research the prices of the various equipment needed to set up a saltwater fish tank. You will soon realize that a saltwater fish tank can cost significantly more to purchase than a freshwater fish tank set up. Not to mention that saltwater fish are usually more expensive that their freshwater counterparts.

You also need to understand that setting up a saltwater fish tank takes time. It often takes 4 to 8 weeks before you can add any marine fish safely to your marine fish tank setup.

Decide on an fish tank size and location

It’s a good idea to know what kind of saltwater fish you want to keep before you purchase your fish tank. Do a lot of research on the various types of marine fish to determine which fish you would like to get. Some marine fish only grow to be an inch or two, whereas other types can grow to 12 or 18 inches! Knowing what kind of marine fish you want will help you decide the size of the fish tank they will need. Many books stress that you shouldn’t get started in the saltwater hobby unless you have at least a 40 gallon. But if you’ve done your research and thoroughly prepared, there is no reason why you can’t start with a smaller tank. Be warned, a smaller tank will pose more challenges and will force you to perform more frequent water testing and maintenance.

You will want to place your fish tank in an area where the light and temperature of the tank won’t be affected by external sources such as windows and heater vents. You will also want to place your fish tank on a stand that will be able to hold its total weight. A good rule of thumb for determining the total weight of a full fish tank is 10 pounds per gallon of water. For example, a 55-gallon tank will weigh approximately 550 pounds when filled with water only! You also have to account for the total amount of live rock, sand and equipment.

Buy your fish tank and equipment

Now is the time to decide on the type of filtration you will want to use when you set up your saltwater fish tank and the type of protein skimmer. We do not recommend using an undergravel filter. An undergravel filter is not needed and will only cause you headaches down the road. Since we will be using live rock as our biological filter, you really only need a modest filter for the mechanical and chemical filtration. Don’t skimp on the skimmer. After the live rock, the protein skimmer is probably the next most important piece of equipment. When it comes to protein skimmers you really do get what you pay for. We have posted a few protein skimmer reviews and there are many more out there. Listed below are skimmers that we have reviewed:

AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer

Fission Nano Protein Skimmer

Red Sea Prizm Protein Skimmer

Fission Nano Protein Skimmer

Visi-Jet-PS Protein Skimmer
You will also need to purchase a heater capable of heating the fish tank size you have.

Get the live rock, sand and a power strip. Try to get 1 to 2 pounds of live rock per fish tank gallon. One rule of thumb for the amount of sand that you will need is about 1/2 to 1 pound of sand per gallon of water. Don’t use sandbox or playground sand because it can have various unknown particles that may be harmful to your fish. Get either live sand or an aragonite based sand (from caribsea) or crushed coral.

Set up your fish tank, stand and equipment

Wash out your tank with water only! Do not use soap or detergents. Soap residue left behind will be harmful for your saltwater fish. Smoke test your fish tank by filling it with fresh water and check for leaks. If it passes the leak test, drain the fresh water from the fish tank.

Affix your background at this time. Be sure to use tape all across the top back of the background to prevent any salt creep from getting in between the background and tank glass. Alternatively, you can also paint the back tank glass (paint the outside back, not the inside). Painting the back glass can be better than using a background because you won’t have to worry about salt creep making its way in between your fish tank background and the back glass. For marine tanks, a black background can help the fish colors stand out more. Deep blue is another popular color choice and it can help create the illusion of depth. After painting, let the tank sit for a day or so to allow the paint to dry.

Install your heater, hook up your filter, protein skimmer and any other equipment you have and be sure to use a drip loop on all of the power cords. For more safety tips, read the fish tank electrical safety article. Don’t plug in anything yet!

Add pre-mixed saltwater to the fish tank

All of the marine salt mixes out there are made slightly differently. There is much debate as to which salt mix is the best. Here is a comparison on some of the available saltwater mixes. Unless you’re considering a reef tank, most of the commonly available mixes should serve you fine. You’ll soon develop a salt mix preference after you’ve worked with them for a while.

Use a clean 5-gallon bucket to mix the saltwater. First fill the bucket and then remove the chlorine and chloramine. Use something like Tetra AquaSafe for Aquariums. Read the directions on the salt mix package carefully and then add the salt mix slowly to room temperature water. Stir it well and test it with your hydrometer. Once you get a specific gravity reading between 1.021 and 1.024 you can add the saltwater to your fish tank. Repeat this process until you have filled your tank. If you have a large fish tank you can mix the salt in the tank. Mixing in the tank can be more difficult and messy, so just be sure that you have thoroughly dissolved all of the salt mix before using the hydrometer.
Turn on the fish tank and let the water circulate for a day or two.

Cure the live rock

Live rock is probably going to be the greatest expense with the initial set up of a saltwater fish tank. For a reef tank setup it may be the fish tank lighting. For this reason, you are probably going to treat your live rock like gold once you get it. However, even though it can cost a lot of money, it will probably end up saving you money (in fish) because it is the best form of biological filtration. The curing process can last anywhere from 1 week to 2 months or more depending on the shape the rock is in when you get it.

Drain some of the fish tank water and then place your live rock in the tank. Try to place it in the middle of the tank and aim the powerheads (you should have 2 or 3) at the live rock. Placing the live rock in the middle of the tank will allow you to siphon up the debris that the powerheads will be blowing off.

Every few days turn off the power to the tank so you can perform live rock maintenance. Use some new rubber kitchen type gloves while doing this to protect your hands and the rock. You will need to scrub the live rock with a brush that has plastic bristles (old tooth brush) to remove any obviously dead or dying organisms. You can do this directly in the tank. Siphon up the debris and then refill with pre-mixed saltwater. The day before you perform the live rock maintenance get your saltwater ready. If you have a smaller tank you can use a couple of 5-gallon buckets for this purpose. If you have a larger tank you may want to invest in a large rubber trash can for pre-mixing your saltwater. Whatever you use, you will need to place a powerhead and a heater in the pre-mix container so that the mix dissolves correctly. Test your water throughout the curing process to determine if the tank is cycling.

During the curing process your tank may smell pretty bad and a good indication that your live rock is cured is when it no longer smells bad but more like the ocean. Use your test kits to verify that the tank has indeed cycled. You should have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and some sort of reading on the nitrates.

Add your substrate

First, drain some of the saltwater in your fish tank to allow for the sand you’re about to add and turn off the power to the tank. We’ll use the 5-gallon bucket to clean the sand. Use the 5-gallon bucket to pre-mix about 2 gallons of saltwater. Add your sand to the bucket and then stir. This will allow some of the dust and dirt to rise so you can then siphon it off. Drain some of the saltwater from the bucket before adding your substrate. Use a plastic cup, ladle or something similar to add the freshly cleaned substrate to your fish tank. Use one of your powerheads to blow off any sand that gets on your live rock during this process.

Allow the tank to settle for a few days

Monitor your water parameters closely during this time. Check the salinity or specific gravity, pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and carbonate hardness levels and correct as necessary. Ideally, you want the following readings for your saltwater tests before you start adding fish to your saltwater fish tank setup:

temperature: 75°F – 80°F (24°C – 27°C)

specific gravity: 1.020 – 1.024

pH: 8.0 – 8.4

ammonia: 0

nitrite: 0

nitrate: 20 ppm or less (especially for invertebrates)

carbonate hardness: 7-10 dKH

Slowly add saltwater fish after the tank has cycled
I can’t stress enough the need to use a quarantine tank for any new marine fish. You are playing a game that you will eventually lose by adding fish directly into the main tank. For more information on using a quarantine tank, please read How To Setup A Quarantine Tank.
Only add one or two saltwater fish at a time. Only adding a couple saltwater fish at a time gives your filtration system the time needed to take on the increased biological load that the new fish introduce. When bringing home new saltwater fish, the acclimation process is a little more involved. Dump the bag contents (fish and water) into a clean 5-gallon bucket and then add about 1 cup of fish tank water to the 5 gallon bucket every 10 minutes. Continue to add 1 cup of fish tank water to the 5-gallon bucket every 10 minutes. After an hour or so your marine fish or invertebrate should be ready to add to the fish tank (qt tank). Following this more involved acclimation process will help reduce the amount of stress imposed on the saltwater fish. Stressed fish often leads to dead fish! Don’t feed your saltwater fish on the first day. They probably wouldn’t eat any food on the first day anyway. Let them get acquainted with their new home.

Perform Regular Aquarium Maintenance.

Be prepared to spend some time every day to monitor the temperature and salinity levels on your newly setup marine fish tank. You will also need to spend some time once a month to clean your tank and change out some of the saltwater. Try to change 20% of the saltwater in a given month. This could work out to doing small 5% water changes once a week. Performing regular small water changes will reduce the nitrate levels, replenish elements that have been used up and skimmed off and keep your saltwater fish happy and healthy. Remember to never add freshly mixed saltwater to your fish tank because it is fairly caustic freshly mixed. Mix it up the day before you will be doing maintenance. Read More on: How To Start a Fish Tank

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[ad#HTML]Fish tank lighting is a vitally important component of an aquarium display, without it the visual aspect of what may be quite a physically imposing piece of equipment remains dull and un-interesting.

Lighting brings the display alive and allows us to delight in the reflected beauty of shimmering shoals and dramatic designs displayed by the myriad of fish varieties available to the home fish keeper.

Lighting also plays an important role in ensuring plants are able to photosynthesize and in some aquariums such as the reef system, is essential to the survival of many types of invertebrate life forms. Types Of Fish tank Lighting. It is important to choose the correct type of lighting that will suite the type of aquarium system and the effect you are trying to create.

The following are the most common types of lighting available.

Fluorescent lighting is and has been for some time, the most common type of lighting system employed and despite many other innovations and introductions, still has a lot to offer the fish keeper. Many companies offer a choice of fluorescent tubes with the most popular (UK) being marketed by Hagen, Interpet and Arcadia. Standard fluorescent tubes (See also T5 tubes) are 1” (25mm) or 1.25” (38mm) diameter tubes of varying length from 12” (30cm) to 60” (150cm) and wattages (Power output) from 8 to 60 Watt. There is a correlation between the length of the tube and its wattage, for example all 12” (30cm) tubes are 8 Watt and all 24” tubes are 18-20 Watt. The tube terminates at each end with a metal cap and two projecting pins. The pins push into corresponding holes on a separate, plastic end cap that fits snuggly around the tube preventing moisture ingress. The end caps have wires running back to a transformer (Switchgear) that is positioned outside the aquarium, as it is not waterproof. The transformer has a switch for on / off operation. Most systems now use the 1” (25mm) diameter tubes and the larger diameter versions are gradually disappearing. All manufacturers produce tubes that give out different types of light and which of these to pick is the first choice faced by the fish keeper. If buying a manufacturers tank kit the tubes fitted will usually be the correct ones to achieve best results for the target aquarium type, but these may need to be replaced if you change the specification, i.e. convert a system intended primarily for Freshwater Tropical fish keeping, to Marine.

Choosing A Fluorescent Tube For Coldwater Fish tanks. Coldwater aquarium fish are, by nature, natural grazers as plant material forms a large part of their diet. As a consequence keeping a coldwater aquarium well stocked with plants is difficult as the fish insist on dining on your latest prize potted specimen. For this reason lighting is chosen mostly for its aesthetic affect and not for any positive effect it may have on plant growth. The predominant colours of many coldwater fish are shades of red and blue and choosing a light tube that will complement and even enhance these colours will achieve the best results.

A modern florescent tube for coldwater systems will be biased towards the spectral output giving (To human eyes) a pinkish tinge but also be balanced with a white light output so that colours other than red and blue are not dimmed and distorted. Another benefit of these tubes will be reduced algal growth, which should keep any silk or plastic plant decoration pristine for longer. Examples of these are Hagen’s Aqua-Glo and Interpet’s Beauty light.

Choosing A Fluorescent Tube For Tropical Fish tanks. A Tropical Fish tank system will always look its best when fully planted with a lush growth of aquarium plants. If a successful under water garden is to be achieved, then the element of light is an important factor. In nature plant growth is stimulated by natural sunlight that penetrates the water to reach the plants below. A fluorescent tube for tropical aquariums in which good plant growth is required will, therefore, need to replicate the wavelengths of the natural spectrum that are able to penetrate water. These tubes are of a visibly brighter rendition to the ones used for coldwater systems and as they are more complex they are a little more expensive. Examples of these are Triphosphor tubes like Triton from Interpet and Power-Glo from Hagen.

Choosing A Fluorescent Tube For Marine Fish tanks. The bustling coral reef is teeming with life that has evolved under the intense glare of a tropical sun, much of which relies on this high light intensity to power basic life functions. The Marine system, therefore, has the highest light requirement of all aquarium types. For Marine systems a combination of two, three or more tubes is recommended, dependant upon the system type. A typical combination would include a daylight tube, which as the name suggests is even more complex than the tropical tubes above and produces a light output even closer to that of natural sunlight. These 4 band tubes are very bright indeed and are even more expensive than high output tropical tubes but are absolutely essential for success. Some tubes have an inner coating that acts as an in-built reflector further increasing brightness. Examples of these tubes would be Daylight Plus from Interpet and Life-Glo from Hagen. Combine these with an Actinic 03 spectrum tube such as Arcadia’s Marine Blue Actinic, Hagen’s Marine-Glo or Interpet’s Blue Moon. One Actinic to two daylight tubes is the usual combination. Less lighting is required for fish only systems and mixed fish invertebrate systems that do not include true corals and the more difficult types of Anemone and Polyps.

T5 fluorescent tubes differ from traditional fluorescents as they have a smaller diameter and produce higher outputs, up to 80% greater. In addition they have a very long life of up to 20,000 hours, almost two and a half times that of other fluorescents. Also, very importantly, spectrum output is only reduced by around 10% (See also “Maintenance of Fluorescents” below) over the operating life of the tube. These characteristics make these tubes a good choice where high output is required and they are a very competitive in cost terms when compared with standard fluorescent (T8) tubes and Metal Halide lights. Arcadia produces a range of daylight white and Actinic T5 tubes in 24,39,54 and 80 watt outputs. Compact T5 tubes are also available from other manufacturers. It inconceivable that this type of tube will ultimately take over from other types. Enhancing Fluorescent Tubes. Greater light output can be achieved by fitting of reflectors. These can increase light output by 80 to 100% and are especially useful for deep aquaria where light penetration can be a problem. Clean reflectors regularly to maintain their reflective potency. Maintenance of Fluorescent Tubes.

To ensure maximum light output at all times it is vital to clean the tubes on a regular basis. It is recommended that this be carried out every four weeks by gently wiping with moistened kitchen paper or cloth. Stubborn deposits may be removed with methylated spirits or a proprietary glass cleaner. Ensure that the tube transformer is switched off and the tube is cold before attempting any cleaning. It is a characteristic of fluorescents that the spectrum of light emitted changes and reduces gradually throughout the life of the tube. Some tubes lose between 40 to 60% of their output after only six months usage. It is important, therefore, to replace tubes at least every twelve months unless the manufacturers specification indicates that this is not necessary as low reduction of spectrum output over the life of the tube is a characteristic.

Metal Halide Lighting has for a long time been the lighting of choice for the serious reef system and provides an almost un-paralleled source of high intensity light output. The most common version is housed in a rectangular unit that is suspended above an open topped aquarium on stainless steel cables anchored to the ceiling above. Wall mounting brackets are also offered as an option from some manufacturers. The unit will often include Actinic tubes to further improve the spectrum coverage and penetration to greater depths. Metal Halide lights are the most expensive of all the light systems with prices from around £250.00 to over £1,000.00 (Pounds Sterling). There are also some very advanced versions of these lights available that have computer assisted functions such as simulated U.V. light output corresponding to a Lunar cycle (Believed to influence spawning of Corals) but be prepared to part with serious money if you intend to incorporate one of these into your Reef system. For maintenance of these units refer to individual manufacturers instructions.

Mercury Vapour Lighting is another high output light of large bulb like appearance housed in a suspended or wall mounted dome like pendant. This type of lighting is popular with specialist systems dedicated to fabulous plant growth. Like Reef systems, these aquarium types are open topped, often with plants breaking the surface, primarily plant displays with fish added only for contrasting colour and movement. This type of system is especially popular in Germany and the Netherlands. For maintenance of these units refer to individual manufacturers instructions. Over-tank Luminaires. Over-tank Luminaires are another suspended lighting system, which are becoming and marine systems. Some versions have brackets that attach directly to the end panes of the aquarium. Over tank Luminaires provide an exciting opportunity create a stunning open topped display aquarium for a reasonable cost. For maintenance of these units refer to individual manufacturers instructions. It is important to spend time considering the lighting options for your chosen aquarium system to ensure you get the best possible combination.

Filtration is often called the “Heart of the system” and should be allocated the Lions share of the available budget. Whilst this is true, Lighting should come a very close second and should not be skimped on. Read More on: How To Start a Fish Tank

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[ad#HTML]Frequently Asked Questions
What size of an fish tank should I purchase?

Choosing size you need for an fish tank depends on several factors. Your main consideration should be ; how much you want to spend; what space you have available; and number of fish you would like to keep. Calculate one litre of fish per cm of fish When buying fish tank, take into account large fish tanks are much easier to maintain than smaller ones.

How many different shapes are available?

The most popular are the rectangular shaped fish tanks, but at the present time there other different shapes available eg triangular, hexagonal and octagonal fish tanks. There are no limits as long as your fish tank functions biologically.

Where should I position my fish tank?

A nice quiet corner of a room, whilst you can get easy access when maintaining fish tank. A hallway or alcove is not a good idea because of draughts caused when opening and closing of doors.

How do I find a reputable aquatic store?

In our experience we find most aquatic or pet stores are in the business of making money rather than selling good products. A good idea is to shop at a store that concentrates only on fish tanks Observe stock where you are buying, and pay particular attention as to whether any of fish look stressed or lethargic,reason being water quality unsuitable.

Can I buy my tank,set it up and stock all in same day?

Definitely not,this would disasterous, complete set-up takes in the region of up to 4-6 weeks.

Why does set-up take so long?

The most important point to bear in mind, you want to minimise fish stress and this envolves understanding THE NITROGEN CYCLE Fish produce ammonia that must be broken down by bacteria via biological filter. This is the reason in most cases for lack of knowledge of not understanding THE NITROGEN CYCLE.

What is the nitrogen cycle?

It is a dynamic progress that goes on in your fish tank 365 days year. There are three stages of the nitrogen cycle First stage is when fish are introduced to fish tank and urine,faeces and any uneaten food is broken down into ammonia. If PH reads below 7, it is not toxic to fish,but if PH reads at above 7 it is highly toxic to fish. Ammonia levels usually start escalating on the third day after the introduction of fish Second Stage – By this stage the ammonia levels should have dropped dramatically, however nitrate levels can be dangerous to some fish. Nitrate on most accasions begin to rise by the end of the first week after fish are introduced Third Stage – In the last stage of the nitrogen cycle nitro bacteria converts into nitrates. Nitrates are not harmful to fish in low temperatures. Partial water changes can regulate water to a safe range.

How do I know if fish are stressed?

The most common symptoms of stressful fish are as follows:
(a) Gasping for breath,usually staying at surface of tank
(b) Appetite is poor
(c) Stays near bottom of tank
(d) Minor cuts or bruises or disease eg parasite,fungus etc
(e) Temperature of water needs to match each species.

How many fish can I put in my new fish tank?

The suggested rule should be two inches of fish to every two gallons of water, on the other hand I would recommend one fish at a time. It is very sensible to add fish gradually and most importantly slowly until maximum load that your fish tank can take.

How do I introduce fish to my tank?

When you have fish home, place the bag on surface of water, allowing fish to climatize to water temperature,let bag settle on water for 20 minutes. Open bag and add half a cup of water repeat this method every 20 minutes for ¾ hour, then gradually add fish to tank water. Observe new fish for two weeks and watch for signs of disease.

How much should I feed my fish?

The fishkeeper will from time to time hear, feed your fish what they can consume in 3 minutes. Each time you feed your fish observe how much they eat and how much falls to bottom of tank. It is better to feed a tiny bit several times a day, but most adult fish are content being fed once a day.

What kind of plants should I put in my Aquarium?

There are two types of Aquarium plants-real and plastic. They both provide décor and hiding places for your fish.

What type of filtration should I install?

There are three types of filtration; biological,mechanical and chemical All fish tanks must have a biological filtration system to decompose the toxic ammonia that fish produce as waste. A biological filtration system is the most economical, efficient and stable way to breakdown toxic ammonia. A mechanical filtration unit on the other hand traps any uneaten food or leaves etc allowing them to be removed from fish tank before they decompose into ammonia. Chemical filtration is mostly used for dealing with short term problems eg removing medication or purifying water prior to going into a tank. All fish tanks must have a Biological Filtration system, although Chemical filtration can remove ammonia under limited circumstances it is not the answer.

How do I feed my fish when I go on vacation?

When you go on vacation, you should either have someone feed your fish for you or use an automatic feeder while you’re away. If someone is going to feed your fish while you’re gone, you should stress to them the importance of not overfeeding. You can make up little packets of food in the corners of plastic sandwich bags and seal them; then hide all of your other food to help your fish sitter resist the temptation of over-feeding your fish tank.

How important is varying the diet of fish?

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! You should vary the diet of your fish as much as possible. Keep at least six different foods on hand and feed different dry and/or frozen foods at each feeding.

What are some of the things I can do to ensure a healthy environment for my fish?

Find a good fish tank store and follow their advice. Make friends with them. Support the fish tank retail store whose staff spends valuable time helping you by obtaining your fish, equipment, and supplies there

Buy good equipment to begin with, and set your fish tank up right the first time. Buy a good book first. Read it. Then buy your fish tank. We have seen many new fish tank owners who skimped on the initial fish tank system because they were afraid to invest too much before they were sure they would enjoy the hobby.

Be patient. Take your time stocking a new fish tank. Select your specimens carefully and go slow. Allow at least two weeks between each introduction of fish for a freshwater tank fish tank. If your fish tank will be due for a water change soon, wait until after the water change to purchase new fish.

Buy a test kit and use it. Testing the water quality in an fish tank on a regular basis can reveal minor problems in an fish tank before they become major disasters. Read More on: How To Start a Fish Tank

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[ad#HTML]Recommended Treatment
Treatment for Fish Disease in Tropical Fish and Goldfish.

If your tropical fish or goldfish show Signs of Stress or Disease, give them the Recommended Treatment. It’s difficult to determine exactly what makes tropical fish and goldfish sick, but we always use the same 6-step treatment, and that treatment is given on this page.

Do the six steps listed below in order starting at Step 1 and ending at Step 6.
Clean Your Fish’s Home.

Clean Your Fish Bowl

Clean Your Cool Water Aquarium

Clean Your Warm Water Aquarium

Clean Your Fish Pond

The first step is to clean your fish’s home. Don’t overreact and completely tear it apart and scrub everything. Just follow the advice given at the appropriate link above.

Clean the Gravel. Fish Bowls should have a layer of gravel about 1/4 inch thick, but aquariums with an external power filter with a BIO-Wheel do not need gravel. In an aquarium with a BIO-Wheel the gravel is just ornamental. The fish don’t need the gravel. If you do have gravel, make sure it’s at most 1/4 inch thick. Click on one of the underlined items listed below to read more about how to clean gravel.

Cleaning the Gravel in Cool Water Aquariums

Cleaning the Gravel in Warm Water Aquariums

You can avoid many problems with your fish’s health by not having any gravel in your aquarium or by keeping a very thin layer of gravel.

Change Some Water. Remove and replace some of the water in your fish’s home.

Change Water in Fish Bowls

Change Water in Cool Water Aquariums

Change Water in Warm Water Aquariums

Change Water in Fish Ponds

Repeat water changes every day until the fish are no longer showing Sign of Stress or Disease. Remember don’t change more than 20% of the water in one day.

Add Quick Cure. The dosage on the package is 1 drop of Quick Cure for each gallon of aquarium water or 1 drop per two gallons for Tetra Fish. Elsewhere we’ve read advice to use only a half dose on delicate fish such as Clown Loaches and Elephant Noses, but we’ve found it’s safe to use a full dose on these fish. Your results may vary.
So, for example, a 10-gallon aquarium gets 10 drops of Quick Cure, or 5 drops if there are Tetra Fish.

“Use one drop per gallon daily on all fish except those of the Tetra Group. For Tetra – Use 1 drop for every 2 gallons daily.”

“Remove charcoal or carbon from filtration system during treatment.” But our tests show that leaving charcoal or carbon in the filtration system does not affect the treatment, so we recommend you leave the charcoal or carbon in your filtration system, and leave the filter turned on and pumping during the treatment.

Add Aquarium Salt. The dose recommended on the package label is one Tablespoon of Aquarium Salt per five gallons of aquarium water. So, for example, a 10-gallon aquarium gets 2 Tablespoons of Aquarium Salt. Do not repeat the salt and do not use iodized table salt. Aquarium Salt is available in many stores that sell pet fish.

Treating Ponds. You can also use Aquarium Salt and Quick Cure to treat the fish in your pond. The dosage is the same, but it may be more difficult to determine the volume of your pond. Click here for more information about measuring and calculating the volume of your aquarium or pond.

Increase the Temperature of the water.If the fish you’re treating are in a warm water aquarium with an aquarium heater, carefully increase the temperature of the water by 4 degrees to a maximum of 82 degrees F.

Even if your fish are coldwater fish such as Goldfish, it will probably help them to increase the water temperature by 4 degrees to a maximum of about 78 degrees. This is somewhat controversial, but I have tested it for many years. It often helps and rarely hurts.

After 3 or 4 days lower the temperature by 4 degrees, and continue every 3 or 4 days to adjust the temperature up and down by 4 degrees.
What not to Do.

Do not use other medications or treatments. Do not add more fish until all the Signs of Stress and Disease are gone, and your fish have recovered. Do not completely tear your fish’s home apart and clean it.
Read More on: How To Start a Fish Tank

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