Freshwater Aquarium - The Solution To Pollution Is Dilution?

Introduction

Most if not all Aquarist know that the best solution they have to keeping their water in the proper specification is dilution. So the term all Aquarist know is "The solution to pollution is dilution". But what does this mean?

If you have a freshwater aquarium you need to monitor several parameters. If any of these get above the required specification, usually you will need to take action by diluting the water in your aquarium.

Dilution

The definition of dilution is taking a substance, such as water, and mixing it with another substance to make it weaker. Lets look at an example.

You have a 75-gallon freshwater aquarium and your nitrates are high endangering your fish. Steps you can take to cut nitrates are to feed your fish less because the decay of excess food creates nitrates.

You can also add more plants in your aquarium because they will consume the nitrates that have been created. But both these actions are slow and take time to cut the level of nitrates in the water.

For immediate action, to reduce the level of nitrates is to replace some of the water in your aquarium. If the nitrates are real high, most Aquarist will replace 40% of the water to get the level of nitrates down.

This action of removing the polluted water, high nitrates, with water that does not have any nitrates in it is called dilution. So you can see "the solution to pollution is dilution".

When To Use Dilution

Other times you will want to use dilution are when other parameters are high, such as ammonia and nitrites. These two, ammonia and nitrites, are toxic to your fish at very low levels so you should immediately dilute your aquarium by up to 40% if you have indication of ammonia or nitrites in your aquarium.

When Not To Use Dilution

You probably should not use dilution to solve a high pH level in your aquarium. If you are like me you use tap water to replace the water in your aquarium. Because of the chemicals added to the nations tap water, it makes the water basic.

So if you have high pH, replacing the water will probably not do much. In this case the best thing to do is add some chemicals specifically designed to lower the pH in an aquarium.

Conclusion

If you have high levels of chemicals in your aquarium, in most cases, "the best solution is dilution".

If you want more information on how to keep an aquarium, download a free eBook, titled "15 Tips On Building And Maintaining An Aquarium", at http://www.squidoo.com/homefreshwateraquariums or at Your Home Freshwater Aquarium.

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Freshwater Aquarium - Understanding PH

Introduction

When you install a freshwater aquarium in your home or office you need to become a part-time chemist. There are several parameters you need to watch, one being pH.

Having been a nuclear chemist in the Navy, I became quite familiar with what pH was and how to measure it. It was important to protect the piping in the nuclear plant and the steam generator. In a freshwater aquarium it is important to prevent stressing your fish

What Is It

PH is a measure of how alkaline (basic) or acidic a substance is. In this case we will be measuring the pH of water in your freshwater aquarium.

First of all pH has no units. It is just a number that goes from 0 to 14. If your water is measured as having a pH of 7, it is said to be neutral. That is it is neither basic nor acidic.

If your water has a pH less than 7.0 it is considered acidic and greater than 7.0 your water is considered basic.

How To Measure It

When you measure for pH you are actually measuring the concentration of the hydrogen ion (H+) in water. The more acidic the water is the more hydrogen ions are in the water.

When I was in the Navy we measured pH by using electronic probes. But this type of equipment is quite expensive for the normal Aquarist. Most of the people who own aquariums will use paper strips that will change to a certain color based on the pH of the water.

In my case, being an ex-Navy chemist, I prefer to use a more advanced method; I use test tubes and chemicals. I add the chemicals to my sample water in the test tube and look for a color change in the sample water. The color will decide what the pH is.

Adjusting It In Your Aquarium

In my aquarium my pH remains rather constant, around 6.8. If you do have to adjust your pH, the best way is to get chemicals that will either raise or lower pH. These chemicals are obtained from your local pet store.

Follow the directions carefully and do not try to adjust the pH by more than 0.1 at one time. A rapid change of more than 0.1 can stress your fish and cause illness or even death.

If you use tap water for replacement, it is usually basic when it comes out of the tap because of the chemicals added to the water. Let it set overnight to remove the chemicals and lower the pH which more closely resembles the pH in your tank.

If you want more information on how to keep an aquarium, download a free eBook, titled "15 Tips On Building And Maintaining An Aquarium", at http://www.squidoo.com/homefreshwateraquariums or at Your Home Freshwater Aquarium.

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Freshwater Aquarium - Monitor Your PH When Replacing Your Water

Introduction

One of the chemical parameters you will have to measure when you have an aquarium with fish is pH. PH is a measurement of how acidic or alkaline your water is, and freshwater fish like various pH levels.

Some fish like it as low as 5.5 or as high as 8.5. So when you select the fish for your aquarium, make sure they like the same range.

What Is pH

As I mentioned before, pH is a measurement to determine how alkaline (basic) or acidic your water is. A pH of 7.0, found in distilled water, is neutral; it is neither acidic nor basic.

Water that has a pH lower than 7.0 is acidic, while water with a pH greater than 7.0 is basic.

The pH of the tap water where I live is 7.4, or slightly basic. When I let this water sit overnight, the pH drops to 7.0 because the chemicals dissipate and the water reacts with the air (carbon dioxide in the air will lower the pH).

Adjusting pH

Before adding replacement water to your aquarium you will want to know what the pH is. Usually when you sample your tap water for pH, it will be slightly basic but when you let it sit overnight the pH will drop to where it is neutral or 7.0.

If it is not at the desired level you need for your aquarium, you can buy chemicals that can lower or raise the pH for you. But make sure you follow the directions carefully or you might end up chasing pH.

If your pH is not that far away from what is in your aquariums water, you should consider adjusting the pH after you add your replacement water. If you are like most good Aquarist, you will replace 10% of your water every week.

As an example on how little the pH will change we will use my aquarium as an example. I have a 75-gallon aquarium and replace 10 gallons of water every week.

Here are the numbers used in my calculation to see how much pH changes by replacing 10 gallons of water, with a pH of 7.0, in my 75-gallon aquarium with which has a pH of 6.8.

• 10 gallons of replacement water with a pH of 7.0
• 65 gallons of water in tank with a pH of 6.8
• pH change in aquarium after adding replacement water is 6.862.

Using a free calculator I found on the Internet calculate the amount of pH change, you can see that the pH in your aquarium is only changed by 0.062. This amount of change should not stress your fish.

If your calculations show that the change in pH will be greater than 0.1, adjust your replacement water so that the change in pH in your aquarium will be less than 0.1.

Conclusion

If your aquariums replacement water is higher or lower than the pH in you aquarium, perform a calculation to determine the amount of change. If the change will be less than 0.1, then go ahead and add the water. If greater than 0.1 then adjust the pH in the replacement water so that the change will be less than 0.1.

Minimizing the pH change to less than 0.1 will decrease the stress of your fish.

If you want more information on how to keep an aquarium, download a free eBook, titled "15 Tips On Building And Maintaining An Aquarium", at http://www.squidoo.com/homefreshwateraquariums or at Your Home Freshwater Aquarium.

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The Responsibility That Comes With Keeping An Aquarium

Whenever you visualize an aquarium, all sorts of wonderful images spring to mind. You may picture the brilliant colors of a coral reef or perhaps the lush vegetation of a planted tank. But what you most likely don't picture is you, arm deep in that aquarium attempting to reactivate a blocked filtration system. For every gallon of water in that amazing tank you observe, there's a gallon of blood, sweat, and tears which went into making it what it is. There are several points to consider before choosing to set up an aquarium.

Obviously before you do anything you must determine just what it really is you wish to keep. A successful tank may last several years. You have to sort out exactly what it is you would like to keep, and discover whatever you can regarding it's requirements. Some fish can be unbelievably gorgeous yet if they demand a particular diet or maybe grow to several feet in length they may not be right for you.

Every aquarium requires time dedicated to maintenance on a daily to weekly basis. With no regular attention small problems can easily grow. Putting aside a little time at normal intervals, like every Sunday afternoon for instance, will go a long way towards maintaining your tank in tiptop shape. This can include things like changing water, cleaning filters, as well as feeding the aquarium's inhabitants. Moreover, problems can occur unexpectedly that may demand immediate attention, like a busted water pump. Having a schedule that permits for such predicaments being handled rapidly is really a definite plus. Some setups have increased maintenance requirements over others and could demand daily attention. If you travel regularly plans might need to be generated to allow for this.

Depending on the size and complexity of the initial setup, the start-up cost can be quite significant. A small freshwater setup might be had for easily below $100 while a basic saltwater aquarium may run a couple of hundred dollars at most. The sky's the limit after that obviously. Even so, just because the aquarium is up and running doesn't mean your spending is complete. An aquarium additionally requires regular expenses. Recurring costs such as filter media and fish food do mount up over time. Depending on just what you intend to keep livestock costs can also get rather high. A bigger setup can also have a visible effect on your power bill.

Needless to say there exists an incentive for your work and investments- an incredible aquarium! And appreciating that beauty is all the more special if you realize it was due to your hard work.

To learn more about aquarium setup please visit http://www.aquarium-setup.net/.

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Choosing The Right Tropical Fish

When you fist start planning for your new aquarium the choice of fish and options of equipment can be a little overwhelming. Firstly there is the tank, what size? Where will I locate it? Then comes the question of what type of equipment should I choose, this is before you think about the type of species you are going to keep.

The first decision you should make is what type of Tropical Fish are you going to keep there are plenty of options, Community (Neon Tetras, Corydora etc), African cichlids, South American Cichlids, Biotope (an aquarium perfectly matching a species requirements). If you are going to keep large species then a large aquarium with good filtration is a must but if you're only keeping small species perhaps a community aquarium then a smaller aquarium will be fine.

You should ask yourself the following questions before deciding on a species:

-How large will the fish be once fully grown
-Once fully grown will the fish attack smaller fish in my aquarium
-Is the fish territorial
-What water parameters does the fish require (ph, hardness) and can I provide these
-Will it eat my plants
-Will it dig up the substrate in my tank
-Is the lighting suitable for the given species (too bright or too dim)
-What does the fish eat some fish are very fussy and will only take live foods
-Is the fish happy living alone or does it need a group of its own in the aquarium

Now you have decided on the type of fish you are going to keep you need to choose a location for the tank, avoid direct sunlight, loud noises and ensure the floor it is going to be placed upon will handle the load (a square meter of water weighs 1 ton!).

Now that you have chosen the type of fish you are going to keep and chosen a location it is time to think about decoration. The choices here are endless however you should match the natural habitat fish you intend to keep also do some research in to the species if you intend to plant your aquarium, Cichlids and some other species will destroy plants in a matter of days.

As a rule Community aquarium should have a gravel or sand substrate with places for the fish to take refuge and plants (presuming the kept species will allow) African Cichlids if you intend to keep mbuna (rock dwellers) then the aquarium should be full of rock with lots of places to hide. Some Africans are open water swimmers so need plenty of free open water.

There is a mass of products for decorating the aquarium on the market, some are novelty the traditional bubbling diver with his treasure chest for example. There are also some very realistic artificial bog woods which give your aquarium a very natural feel. The other advantage is you are making your fish feel at home and fish that feel comfortable in their surroundings are more likely to show good colouration as well as being more likely to breed.

When selecting new tropical fish for your aquarium, its important you are well informed if new to it, and have a good selection of healthy fish to choose from.

View a great selection of the Finest Tropical Fish online.

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Freshwater Aquarium - Frozen Or Unfrozen Food for Your Fish

Introduction

There is a raging debate among Aquarists, should I feed my fish frozen food or food that is not frozen? Let's look at both sides of the argument and see if we can come to a logical conclusion.

I really did not think there was an argument but I guess there is. Be advised, this article is bias because I already have an opinion.

The Unfrozen Food Argument Side

People who argue for feeding their fish unfrozen food remind us that humans do not eat frozen food. Well I beg to differ; I eat Popsicles and ice cream that are frozen as a treat for myself. Even my children eat them.

I cannot buy into this argument that since humans do not eat frozen food, fish should not eat frozen food. It is like saying that humans cook their meat so our pets or all animals should cook their meat.

Another argument is that the digestive lining of freshwater fish is very sensitive and the cold food will damage the lining of their digestive system. But when I watch my fish eat the frozen bloodworms, they are usually eating the parts that have broken off and are not frozen any more.

If the food was frozen by the time the food gets to the digestive tract it is unfrozen. So how will frozen tidbits clean out the digestive system after it becomes unfrozen?

The Frozen Food Argument

Here are the arguments presented by the side that supports feeding your aquarium buddies frozen food. One argument is that it cleans out the digestive system of your fish. How it cleans out the digestive system of our fish is difficult to comprehend.

By the time a frozen piece of food is dropped in the 75-degree water and enters the mouth of your fish and finally makes it down to the digestive tract, it is unfrozen. So how does this clean out the digestive tract compared to the fish-eating unfrozen food?

The last argument used by this group is that there are no warning labels on the packets the frozen fish food comes in saying to defrost it before feeding your fish. Every thing else has warning labels, so why not a precaution on feeding your fish frozen food.

My Position

I feed my fish frozen bloodworms and brine and cannot help but notice that most of the frozen cube will have melted in the 75-degree aquarium water by the time the treat is consumed.

I have been feeding my fish frozen food for many years with no adverse affect on my fish.

Conclusion

So the debate rages on, but my position is and will remain, to continue feeding my fish frozen treats.

If you want more information on how to keep an aquarium, download a free eBook, titled "15 Tips On Building And Maintaining An Aquarium", at http://www.squidoo.com/homefreshwateraquariums or at Your Home Freshwater Aquarium.

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Information on Weedy Sea Dragon

This sea dragon is the marine emblem of the Australian State of Victoria. Weedy Sea Dragons are protected by the government and are subjected to strict export controls in Australia. Get to know more about it in the Article below:

Weedy Dragon Physical Description

Adults are red in color, with yellow and purple markings. There are appendages which are like leaves. This helps the fish to camouflage. There are short spines too which protects them. Males have narrow and dark bodies in contrast to females. These spiny fishes have quite a long dorsal fin along the back side and small pectoral fins on either side of their necks. This helps in providing them balance. They can reach a size of up to forty five centimeters in length.

This dragon is found in central New South Wales coast around the southern coast of Australia to southwestern part of Western Australia.

The habitat of this type of fish

This camouflaged fish frequently stays in kelp-covered rocky reefs located at a depth of about three meters to fifty meters. They live in areas ranging from deep offshore reefs to shallow estuaries. The places are related to sea grass meadows, rocky reefs, structured colonized sea weeds and sea weed beds.

Weedy Sea Dragon Behavior

They camouflage to defend themselves from their predators in their habitat area. These fishes cannot swim well.

Weedy Sea Dragon Diet

The carnivorous weedy sea dragon feed on sea lice and small crustaceans.

Weedy Sea Dragon Reproduction and Life Cycle

The breeding season is during early summers, with generally 1 brood per season. These sea dragons can have 2 broods per season if the condition is favorable. Before mating, the male prepares for the area in his tail where he will keep eggs. This area becomes slightly swollen, spongy and soft. The female pushes the eggs in the tails of the males. The eggs get fertilized in their tails. The males carry around one hundred and twenty to three hundred eggs in his tail. He carries the eggs for around two months. The eggs get hatched over a period of six days.

The hatchlings are big in size ranging from 2.5cm to 3.5cm in length. There is a yolk sac attached to them, which helps them for about two days while the snout grows. Once the snout is grown they begin to feed. By the end of fourteen weeks, the juveniles can reach about fifteen centimeters.

Get To know more about the Other types of Australian Animals only at http://www.australiananimallearningzone.com

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Freshwater Aquarium - Stopping Nitrites

Introduction

When you start your freshwater aquarium, you need to make sure that your aquarium goes through a nitrite spike. Having this nitrite spike will help you in keeping nitrites out of your aquarium. This spike is a sign that you have established a bacteria colony that consumes nitrites.

After this spike your nitrites will go down to zero ppm, but you must continue to measure for them and keep them out of your aquarium to prevent endangering your fish.

Why Nitrites Are Bad

You do want nitrites in your aquarium because they are toxic for your fish. This is one of the most common killer of aquarium fish for people starting freshwater aquariums, right after ammonia.

To prevent affecting your fish, keep nitrite levels less than 0.5 ppm, preferably at zero ppm. If the nitrite levels reach 20 ppm or more they will be deadly to your fish after a few days.

Where Nitrites Come From

The most common cause of nitrites in your aquarium is not properly cycling your tank. This cycling process creates bacteria that eats the nitrites that develop in your aquarium. If you have a well established bacteria colony you should not have problems with nitrites.

But even after you have a strong bacteria colony you can generate nitrites by not cleaning your aquarium or replacing the water in your aquarium. This cleaning and replacing process will remove excess foods and fish poop that can break down and create nitriles.

How To Stop Nitrites

The best way to stop nitrites and keep them at zero ppm, is to have a well established bacteria colony. You do this when you start your aquarium and you keep it by not replacing the filter wheel on your mechanical filter unless absolutely necessary.

The major source of nitrites that new aquarium owners create is by overfeeding their fish. Believe it or not, keeping your fish lean and mean and not fat and lazy is a must. This means feeding your fish only as much as they can eat in two minutes.

Anything more than two minutes and the excess foods will settle in the substrate and decay into nitrites. The other problem with too much food is that they will eat more and poop more. This poop will also settle into the substrate and decay into nitrites

Conclusion

Having an effective bacteria colony is important at keeping nitrites at zero ppm. Vacuuming your substrate and removing 10% of the water weekly will also help prevent the build up of nitrites.

If you want more information on how to keep an aquarium, download a free eBook, titled "15 Tips On Building And Maintaining An Aquarium", at http://www.squidoo.com/homefreshwateraquariums or at Your Home Freshwater Aquarium.

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Freshwater Aquarium - How To Use An Automatic Fish Feeder

Introduction

One of the things that is important for any person who has an aquarium is to have an automatic feeder. This piece of equipment is important if you do a lot of travel for business or if you just want to go on vacation and get away.

The Automatic Fish Feeder

An automatic fish feeder is just that, a device that will automatically feed the fish in your aquarium. It is good to have if you will not be able to feed your fish when they expect or if you just want to get away.

You can find them at most pet stores or do what I did, buy it online. You can find them at prices ranging from ten dollars on up. I bought one for about 70 dollars and am quite pleased with it.

The reason I bought the more expensive feeder is because I read the reviews on the cheaper models and there were some bad reviews. I did not want to have any troubles with mine, especially if I was not at home. I wanted one that was reliable.

Setting It Up

Most automatic fish feeders use pellet food better than they use fish flakes. So if you feed your fish flakes, I suggest using pellets with your automatic fish feeder.

Once you receive your automatic feeder you need to adjust it so that it will deliver the correct amount of food. I found that this took the most time. Adjusting the right amount of food is mainly trial and error. It will take some time till you get it just right.

The feeder adjustment cannot wait, do it the day you receive it and not the day you plan on leaving. This will make sure it works correctly and you can make any adjustments beforeyou need it and not when you need it.

Some of these feeders come with the ability to use an AC electrical source. I would not recommend this because if electrical power is lost, then the feeder will not work. Plus since the feeder sits on top of your aquarium there is a danger of electrical shock.

Conclusion

An automatic fish feeder is a must for anyone with an aquarium. With it you are not tied to your aquarium with no chance of escape.

The most important thing to remember is to set it up before you need it, not the day you need it.

If you want more information on how to keep an aquarium, download a free eBook, titled "15 Tips On Building And Maintaining An Aquarium", athttp://www.squidoo.com/homefreshwateraquariums or at Your Home Freshwater Aquarium.

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Freshwater Aquarium - What If Your Power Fails?

Introduction

If you have a freshwater aquarium, one of the things you fear the most is a power outage. Depending on where you live, you can lose your power for hours, or like we did after a hurricane, for almost two weeks.

What Is Important

When your aquarium is operating normally one of the most important items you have is your aerator. This provides much-needed oxygen to the water so your fish can breathe.

You should also have a mechanical filter to remove large and small debris particles and it also houses some of your bacteria colony that removes toxic chemicals.

Heaters are also necessary to keep the water in your aquarium at a constant temperature.

All of this equipment, aerator, mechanical filter and heater need electrical power to run. Without this equipment your aquarium is in jeopardy and you could lose your fish.

What To Do If You Lose Power

If you do lose your electrical power here is the action you should take in the order of importance:

Aerator - The first thing you should do is get oxygen to your aquarium's water. Ahead of time you should buy a battery-operated aerator that they sell at sporting goods stores. Fishermen use these to keep their live bait alive.

You can also get a battery operated air pump at most pet stores or do an Internet search for a battery operated aerator.

These are relatively inexpensive and a must for any one with an aquarium.

Filters - Though not as important as getting your aerator operating, you should also get your filter operating. You can do this by purchasing, ahead of time, a device that converts DC power (battery) to AC power that will power your filter.

Heater - If you lose power to your heater, your aquarium's water temperature will equalize with the temperature that is in the room. If you can control the temperature in the room then you can control the temperature in your aquarium.

Your biggest concern is if the temperature in the room drops. If this happens try wrapping the tank in blankets, better yet use staged Styrofoam to place on your aquarium to stop the heat loss.

If the problem is rising temperatures, place ice in plastic bags and float in your aquarium. You want to make sure it is in plastic bags so you do not contaminate your aquarium's water with water that has not been treated.

Conclusion
Once you have all these items to power your important equipment, do a walk through and make sure the actions you have in place, in case of a loss of power, will work. You do not want a surprise when you actually need the equipment.

If you want more information on how to keep an aquarium, download a free eBook, titled "15 Tips On Building And Maintaining An Aquarium", at http://www.squidoo.com/homefreshwateraquariums or at Your Home Freshwater Aquarium.

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Maintaining a Healthy Aquarium Using Proper Fish Treatment Methods

There are many things to consider when it comes to maintaining a healthy fish tank. Medication for fish treatment depends on whether you have a Tropical, Coldwater or a Marine aquarium. For example, some medication affects the biological system which can kill certain bacteria required for a healthy aquarium. You must read the instruction manual carefully before you start any treatment.

You have to take into account the size of the fish tank. When treating fishes some certain type requires isolation and hence having a big fish tank is advisable. If you have a small size fish tank, it is highly recommended to buy a portable one as a backup in case you have to isolate certain fishes.

All problems in a fish tank are bacterial, parasitic and environmental in nature. The bacterial infection is characterised by white patches instead of spots and this is cured by using bacterial fish medicine. The parasitic infection can be easily identified as it is characterised by individual white spots on the fish and this can be cured by treating the water. The environmental infection is caused due to improper handling and maintenance of the aquarium. It can be easily prevented by constantly checking the water quality and maintaining fresh stock for the fishes all the time.

Cotton mouth is a type of bacterial infection and takes place due to poor water quality and improper diet. It spreads very easily and in cases causes the death of all the fishes in the tank. Symptoms of this disease are white colouring and disintegration on the fins. Treatment of this infection can be done through change of water, vacuuming the gravel, use of antibiotics, adding aquarium salt and discontinuing carbon filtration throughout the treatment.

Velvet or otherwise known as rust or gold disease is a type of parasitic infection. It is caused by a parasite that penetrates into the skin and gills of a fish and feed on the nutrients. After feeding and maturing it releases itself into the water and thereby creates an unhealthy water quality for the fishes. Symptoms such as rapid breathing, discolouration of skin, and peeling of the skin will occur. To treat this infection raise the water temperature, reduce lighting of the aquarium, use aquarium salt and discontinuing carbon filtration.

Ammonia poisoning is a type of environmental infection and occurs when too many new fishes are added to the tank. Symptoms of this disease can be detected when you notice the fishes gasping for breath on the water surface, gills will appear to bleed as a result of change in colour, fish laying at the bottom of the tank and red streaks on the body will appear. You can treat this by using chemicals that neutralises the ammonia and discontinuing feeding for a certain period of time.

If you are starting up a new fish tank using Evolution Aqua Pure Aquarium Bacteria Gel Balls as a treatment is advisable. It is a bacterial treatment which provides the required ammonia and nitrite in water to provide fishes with a clear and healthy environment. Take note that treating the water is important because poor water quality leads to all sort diseases for the marine life in the tank.

Your contributor Harvey J Hamilton is highly skilled in all things aquarium and has been advising customers for many years on the best aquarium fish treatments available. For anybody who is looking for fish disease treatments then reading the useful resources drafted by this writer will certainly help you to locate the best solutions available.

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Freshwater Aquarium - What To Beware Of When You Get A Freshwater Aquarium

Introduction

Thinking about getting a freshwater aquarium? I have a 75-gallon freshwater aquarium and love it. But here are some things you need to beware of if you get one. If any of these things turn you off, then do not get one.

Here are some of those items to beware of:

Water Replacement - When you get your freshwater aquarium you are going to have to beware of having to replace 10% of the water on a weekly interval. If you do not do this, your aquarium will fail because of the build up of chemicals in the water.

To get by this predicament, I actually look forward to replacing the water, because I use the water I take out to water my plants and vegetables. This water has a lot of the nutrients needed by your houseplants and vegetables. So it is actually a fertilizer.

Debris Removal - Along with water replacement, you are also going to have to clean the debris that collects in the substrate. This debris consists of excess food and fish "poop".

To get around this challenge, I clean the debris from the substrate at the same time I remove the water. This debris is also great food for my plants and vegetables.

Feeding - Another chore you will have to beware of is feeding. Like any pet, they must eat. Your freshwater fish should be fed at least once a day, but only as much as they can eat in two minutes.

But actually becomes a joy for me, because when your fish get to know you and they know when you normally feed them, they will gather to greet you waiting for their food. This gathering of my fish gives me smiles and joy.

You must also make sure they receive their food when you are gone. Some suggestions are to have a friend come in and feed them, or do what I do, and have an automatic feeder.

Research - If you are new at developing and maintaining a freshwater aquarium and you want to be successful at keeping a freshwater aquarium, then beware, you are going to have to do some research.

Research is a must, because if you think all you have to do is buy a tank, put some water and fish in, then you will fail and your fish will die. There is a lot of research needed to receive the knowledge needed to keep a freshwater aquarium.

Conclusion

These are the items you need to beware of if you want to keep a freshwater aquarium. From my perspective, these items are nothing compared to the joy I receive from my freshwater aquarium.

If you want more information on how to keep an aquarium, download a free eBook, titled "15 Tips On Building And Maintaining An Aquarium", at http://www.squidoo.com/homefreshwateraquariums or at Your Home Freshwater Aquarium.

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What to Look For When Finding All Glass Aquarium Fish Tanks?

When buying their first aquarium, a lot of people are undecided as to whether they should have their first aquarium be made of glass or acrylic, especially since you need to be looking for certain specifications when getting all glass aquarium fish tanks. This article will be solely focused on glass aquariums and we hope that will clear any doubts or uncertainty you may have about buying one of these.

The first thing that you should know if that the quality of the glass aquarium itself is pretty much dependent on the thickness of the glass that's used and the type itself. In terms of aquariums, there are essentially two major types. There are some which are mean to be completely filled with water and hold water based creatures like fish. There are others, on the other hand, which are made as a support for you to hold plants, turtles, lizards and others. If you're looking for an aquarium to hold fish, then you should first make sure that it is made to hold water, which translates to the need of having sealant on the corners to avoid getting some nasty leaks.

What Are All Glass Aquarium Fish Tanks Made Of

We mentioned before that the type of glass used in these fish tanks was important and in fact, it is. All glass aquarium fish tanks will be using either plate glass or tempered glass.

As for plate glass, we're talking about a type of glass that is much heavier than the most common plexiglass (sometimes weighing in at about twice the wight), but unlike the later, it'll be able to endure much more damage before starting to scratch, besides also being quite resistant to discoloration. On the other hand, tempered glass comes in as a glass that's not as smooth, perhaps even a bit on the rough side.

When breaking up, plate glass will usually breaks in larger pieces, and unlike a tempered glass, you'll probably still be able to have the aquarium holding up in case it breaks. While on tempered glass, the aquarium usually breaks into pieces, on a plate glass, it'll have a single crack and you'll be able to patch it up. And unless the crack is at the bottom you may just lose a bit of water and your fish will more likely still survive.

Remember that all glass aquarium fish tanks will not be great at keeping the temperature constant, so you should control the temperature if you life in an area when the temperatures differ a lot throughout the year to make sure that the water your fish are on has the right temperature for their survival. Of course that this is something that's dependent on the region you're on and not all regions will need it.

Special Care With All Glass Aquarium Fish Tanks

Being heavier than the regular acrylic ones, you must take extra care when choosing an aquarium stand for your all glass aquarium fish tanks. While most of the water in an aquarium actually comes from the water (so the acrylic to glass difference won't be big in comparison), it's will important to make sure that you get a stand that can hold it all to avoid rupture.

If you love fish tanks, then take a look at our website on All Glass Aquarium Fish Tanks.

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Freshwater Aquarium - Why Perform Water Replacement

Introduction

Water replacement is necessary to keep a healthy and happy aquarium. You are probably wondering what benefits are there in replacing the water in your aquarium. There are several beneficial benefits to replacing part of your freshwater aquarium water periodically.

How Much And When To Replace Your Water

When you read various articles on maintaining a freshwater aquarium, you will read about Aquarist who have different routines on how much water to replace and how often. Some Aquarist replace 20% of their water once every two weeks. I find this a little too much, to late.

I find that replacing 10% of my freshwater aquarium's water weekly is fine for my 75-gallon freshwater aquarium. Keeping to this routine has kept my fish healthy and happy.

Why Replace Your Water

There are several reasons why you will want to replace the water in your aquarium.

• Remove Chemicals- One of the sayings used by people who follow the hobby of aquariums is "dilution is the solution to pollution". The most common chemical concentration you will want to dilute is nitrates that can only be removed by dilution or plants. If you have high levels of ammonia and nitrites you will want to do a water replacement of 40% immediately and check your bacteria colony to make sure it is working properly.
• Debris- Since you have an enclosed eco-system you will also need to remove any waste that builds up in your aquarium. In nature, tides and currents sweep the debris away, but with an aquarium you become the tides and the currents to remove this waste.
• Fertilizer- Another reason you will want to replace the water, especially if you are a gardening nut like me, is you can use the water in your plants or garden. This water is full of phosphates, nitrates and fish poop, just what your plants and vegetables love.
• Salton Sea- Without water replacement you aquarium becomes a mini Salton Sea. Salton Sea is a synthetic sea in Southern California, formed when water was brought to the Imperial Valley in California from the Colorado River. This lake has no outlets and was initially hailed as a lush resort in the 1950s. But because there is no outlet, just evaporation, salt has built up in this land locked lake. Today the place is abandoned and nothing lives in the water because of the high salt content. Your aquarium would turn into a mini Salton Sea if you did not offer an outlet by performing water replacement.

If you want more information on how to keep an aquarium, download a free eBook, titled "15 Tips On Building And Maintaining An Aquarium", at http://www.squidoo.com/homefreshwateraquariums or at Your Home Freshwater Aquarium.

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What You Should Not Do When Cleaning the Aquarium

As human beings who are out for self preservation and survival, the idea of germs being harmful to our health has always been instilled in our minds since we were young. Therefore, we would be doing everything possible to stay away from them. This also applies to making sure that everyone and everything inside the house is kept safe from them. Yes, even your pets would be taken care of properly. After all, they are your loyal animal friends and would give you endless hours of entertainment and stress relief. However, there are also times that they are the catalysts for this, especially when it comes to cats and dogs. They may end up making a mess in the house, nibbling and chewing away at our belongings, thus adding to our stresses. Thankfully, for people without much patience for this, they have fish to serve as pets. Fish would be living in an aquarium, which proves challenging in its own right. Many pet fish owners are often wondering how they can ever clean the aquarium properly.

Sure, there are many steps and guides we can follow that point things out correctly, but there are also some mistakes to avoid while doing so. In fact, below are just some of the things that you should never do when you want to clean their artificial habitat:

Do Not Clean Without Emptying the Tank

According to a number of websites posted all over the World Wide Web, you are required to remove the fish and every other thing inside the aquarium when you want to change the water. This includes your décor, plants and gravel. They would simply state that, once you're done, you can just fill the aquarium with fresh and clean water and put everything back inside. While this may seem logical, this is also rather detrimental to your fish. The fact is that, the water in the aquarium leaves a lot of room for beneficial bacteria to grow. Cleaning out the water way too much can interfere in the biological filtration of the fish's environment, and may even make things worse for them, health wise.

Don't Use Just Any Detergent

There are some individuals who use strong detergents in order to make sure that the aquarium is germ free. While you clean the aquarium with these agents, there is a possibility that some residue will remain. What this means is a strong possibility that your pet fish will be contaminated with the chemicals of these cleaning agents, thus affecting the stability of their health. Therefore, you must make sure that if you are to use detergents, they are cleaned thoroughly. Otherwise, you can just settle for some products which are guaranteed to be naturally safe for your fish. These products can be purchased at the pet store.

Bernard Yao invites you to http://www.petsinfoplace.com dedicated to sharing useful information on raising happy and healthy home pets for the online community.

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Having Decorative Birdhouses That Reflect Your Taste And Personality

Did you ever think of having a Victorian birdhouse for your birds? Well, a Victorian birdhouse wouldn't cost you a fortune but will reflect your taste and personality. Not just Victorian birdhouses but you can have your birdhouses decorated in many different designs and patterns that reflect your personal tastes and personalities.

If you are a history lover, why not consider having historic birdhouses? Historic birdhouses are made in the pattern and design of different historic buildings like the Public Library, Star Barn and the Round Island Lighthouse. These historic birdhouses have the same intricate design and details like the original buildings. They refresh history, culture and tradition and are a great addition in any backyard. Even your birds will be attracted to visit and house in one of these great buildings of historical importance. Of course, you can't build these intricate designs yourself but you can easily buy them from our online website or at your local backyard store.

Other than historical birdhouses, you can have contemporary decorative birdhouses that will enhance the look of your backyard. These contemporary decorative birdhouses are easily available just about everywhere and you can also decorate them yourselves just by painting them. Birds are especially attracted to decorative designs. Wrens especially would choose a decorative birdhouse to attract one of their females and their large families.

If you look around for decorative birdhouses, you will find a huge range of these beautiful and intricate designs. These don't just look beautiful in your backyard setting, but they are also attractive to the birds. Birds won't miss the golden chance of living in one of these great architectural designs. They are also fully functional and easy to clean. You will find the decorative bird houses ranging from the design of a cozy honeymoon cottage, beach cottage to more elaborate club house and Victorian architectural designs. You can even go for religious designs like churches, temples or mosques if you are a religion enthusiast. Your decorative bird houses can reflect your own personality. A dome or tower shaped birdhouse is a great design that houses many different species of birds.

Another great idea is to have whimsical birdhouses if you have a comic personality. These are different than the usual designs. To make whimsical birdhouses, you can have various cartoon characters painted or mounted on the house. Hilarious Disney characters or other comedy characters would look good and would impress any visitor who visits your home. These unique birdhouses can double the excitement and fun of bird watching.

Besides buying the pre-designed large bird houses, you even have the option to decorate them yourselves and have fun while doing so. If you are the creative type or have children who love to get creative, this is a really fun activity to undertake together. Get out your paint brushes and a huge selection of paints to use for your decorative bird houses. Use mosaic art and different accessories to design your own decorative bird houses to increase your pleasure whenever you look at them.

Jim has developed a variety of interest over the years. These include many outdoor activities especially sports, gardening and working in the yard. To beautify the yard, he has learned how to attract birds with beautiful birdhouses and birdfeeders. As a result, Jim and Pamela have become experts in the use of birdhouses to enhance their gardens. Check out the birdhouse store at http://www.aboutbirdhouses.com. Also see our blog at http://aboutbirdhouses.blogspot.com/

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Effective Bird Feather Filtration - 6 Features Your Cleaner Needs To Work

Having pet birds in your home add lots of fun to life. They can also add dust from feathers, wings, and dander. Add this to the normal indoor pollutants such as dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores, and seasonal pollen and you've got air that is thick with particles.

Your pet's health will depend heavily on the quality of air you provide for it. So it is important to use filtration that can take out these particles as well as gaseous pollutants. Here are 6 important features that filtration for your bird should include.

HEPA Filter---High efficiency particle arresting filters are designed as such because they are able to remove airborne particles as small as.3 microns in size with a micron being defined as one millionth of a meter. That size particle is invisible to the human eye.

Because it can eliminate 99,997 out of every 10,000 of these invisible particles dust from feathers and wings and the invisible dander can be taken out of the air. And because the more normal indoor pollutants are bigger that sub-micron size they can be eliminated as well.

Pre-Filters---Even though the HEPA can remove a large range of particle sizes, having it do all the work would mean you would need to spend money frequently on replacement filters---maybe every 6 months to a year depending on what's in your air.

By having several pre-filters (a large and medium size) you can save the more expensive filter from filling needlessly with particles that can just as easily be removed by the larger and less expensive filters. These cheaper filters save you money and time and are one of the best ways to determine how much maintenance your cleaner will need.

Carbon Cloth---Gaseous pollutants can really affect birds. Having a filter that can remove gases, odors, and airborne chemicals is a huge advantage. Carbon cloth gives dual protection. Because it is made of carbon it can remove gaseous irritants. But because it is woven like a cloth it eliminates additional particles as well.

Stand-Alone-Unit---A system that is not connected with heating and cooling systems gives you the most flexibility with filtration. It will run during the in-between-seasons when heating and cooling are not necessary. And since it will clean the air that is closest to it first, being able to move it into the bird room is a huge advantage.

24-Hour Cleaning---This is probably one of the most important features to have. Check to make sure your unit contains a split capacitor motor. This type of motor is designed to run continuously with high revolutions per minute. That means it doesn't need to take a break after a certain number of hour of operation.

The key to keeping air quality high is never allowing to become polluted, and the best way to do that is to filter the air continually without having to turn it on and off. Being able to allow it to run keeps you from having to remember to turn it on and off which can get tedious after a while.

Natural By-Products---The whole purpose of filtration is to keep your bird's air passages (and yours too) clear. Because avian airways are so small, they can be easily clogged by excessive numbers of airborne particulates in the air. Once their airways are clogged, it is often the start of disease and infection that cannot be reversed.

The only by-product of filtration should be fresh, clean air. Stay away from units that produce any amount of ozone or ionized particles. Both of these filtration technologies remain controversial in terms of how they affect birds and humans and how effective they are.

Why take the chance? Everyone agrees that fresh air is the best air to offer your bird and their owners. 250 cubic of fresh air entering the room every 60 seconds can only help you and your pet live the highest quality of life possible.

Provide healthy air for your bird all day every day with the Bird Dust Air Purifier from PurerAir.com at http://purerair.com/bird_dust_air_purifier.html

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Song Bird Audio Training App Needed for Serenity and Survival of Nature in Mankind's Domain

Well, I can't say I am a birdwatcher, but then again I wouldn't say that I'm not either. Being into aviation I marvel at the maneuverability of birds, and their incredible design and engineering through evolution. Indeed, I am completely convinced that in the future the aircraft built by humans will have morphing wings allowing them to create more lift during takeoff and landings, and reshaped in a more streamlined way for higher-speed.

However, today I'd like to talk to you a little bit about songbirds, mockingbirds, and other species of birds that seem to have an acute musical ability and a rather vast repertoire for their small sized brain. Over the years, I've traveled to every state in the US, and extensively abroad. Each area and region of our globe has different species of birds, some which migrate, and some which live all year round depending on the area. Many birds live in urban areas and around human civilization, society, especially in our suburbs.

Perhaps you have a yard, some trees, and have noted on occasion the songbirds tweeting away. Have you ever noted that they will mimic the sounds they hear. I've heard songbirds which live in and around industrial areas that make the sounds of forklifts backing up. I've also noted birds that live around construction sites make the same sounds as the tractors with a backup alerts going ding, ding, ding. Often these call signs and sounds are passed on to future generations. A friend of mine lives in a recent housing track, the birds in the area, some five years later are still making that same sound as the tractors which leveled off the area prior to the building of the foundations of all the homes.

This means that future residents of that housing tract will have to listen to that same ding, ding, ding for years to come, but I have a better idea. Since birds like to mimic and imitate the sounds that they hear such as car alarms, cross walking warnings, and other similar sounds, why not train them using speakers and a special audio device with sounds that the birds can easily mimic, but in a sequence that is pleasing to humans. Perhaps you can teach them a couple notes of your favorite song. Every time the songbirds wake up in the morning, thus, also waking you up, you will rise to your favorite tune.

If we design an app for that, and people can hook their iPads to some speakers, they might go away on vacation, and when they come back the songbirds are now singing their favorite songs, melodies which they will pass on to future generations of birds which live in the area. The birds want something to sing, and they like to make noise, as long as we give them cues in the form of sounds they can easily replicate, mimic, and imitate then humans will be happier with the birds around. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it - but please don't teach them to RAP.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

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