Angelfish Breeding Pair #752
These Silver Pearls may both carry the Albino gene. If so, they will produce 25% Albino offspring. This pair is young and getting along great.
How To Setup A Freshwater Aquarium
This is an 11 step guide to setting up a freshwater aquarium in your home.
Equipment you will need:
Aquarium
Aquarium gravel
Aquarium filter
Replacement filter media
Heater
Other decorations (such as plants)
Chemical test kits
Fish food
Aquarium vacuum
Fish net
Glass Scrubber
5-gallon bucket
Pasta strainer
1: Realize the responsibility involved.
A tropical fish tank 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 successful fish tank you will have to work at it. Once a week, or at most once every two weeks, you will need to perform some kind of maintenance on the tank. Most of the time you will be performing water changes. You will also have to feed your tropical fish at least once a day. If you are up to the challenge, please proceed!
2: Decide on an aquarium size.
It’s a good idea to have in mind what kind of tropical fish you want to keep before you purchase an aquarium. Some tropical fish only grow to be an inch or two, whereas other types of tropical fish can grow 12 or 13 inches in length! Knowing what kind of tropical fish you want will help you decide the size of the tank they will need. If this is your first time with an aquarium, I would recommend going with a 10 or 20 gallon aquarium for now.
3: Decide on the aquarium’s location.
Place your aquarium 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 want to place your aquarium 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 aquarium is 10 pounds per gallon of water. For example, a 55-gallon tank will weigh approximately 550 pounds when filled with water!
4: Buy your aquarium and equipment.
Now is the time to decide on the type of filtration you will want to use. You will also need to purchase a heater capable of heating the tank size you have. Buy the gravel, plants, a power strip and other decorations. A good rule of thumb for the amount of gravel that you will need is 1 to 1.5 pounds of gravel per gallon of water.
5: Set up your aquarium and stand.
Wash out your tank with water only! Do not use soap or detergents. Soap residue left behind will be harmful for your tropical fish. If you are going to use an under gravel filter (not recommended) now would be the time to set it up as well.
6: Wash Gravel, plants and decorations.
Be sure to wash the gravel thoroughly before adding it to your tank. An easy way to do this is to put some of the rocks in a pasta strainer and wash them out in your bathtub. Then place the clean gravel in a clean 5-gallon bucket for transport to the aquarium. After adding the gravel you can place your plants and decorations.
7: Add water to the aquarium.
To avoid messing up your gravel and plants, you can place a plate or saucer in the middle of your aquarium and direct the water flow onto the plate. Use room temperature water when filling. To remove the chlorine and chloramine, use something like Tetra AquaSafe for Aquariums. Don’t completely fill up the aquarium until you are sure of the layout of your decorations. Otherwise, when you place your arm in to move stuff around water is going to spill over. Doh!
8: Set up equipment.
Install your heater but don’t plug it in until the thermostat in the heater has adjusted to the water temperature. This usually takes about 15 minutes or so. Hook up your filter and any other equipment you have, then top off the aquarium water to just under the hood lip. Place your hood and light on the aquarium and then check your power cords to be sure that they are free of water. I would also recommend using a drip loop on all of the power cords to be extra cautious. Plug all of the equipment into a power strip and then “turn on” the aquarium.
Wait, wait, wait and then wait some more.
I know, you want to add some tropical fish. But, in order to do this right you must wait until your aquarium has cycled before adding any fish. There are ways of speeding up this process. Check out the nitrogen cycle page to learn more. If you must use fish to cycle, try to get a hardier species like the zebra danio or cherry barb.
Add tropical fish.
Only add one or two fish at a time. Adding a couple tropical fish at a time gives your filtration system the time needed to take on the increased biological load that the new fish introduce. When you bring the fish home let the bag float in the tank for about 15 minutes so that the fish can become acclimated to the temperature and pH of the aquarium water. After 5 minutes of floating the bag you should add some of the aquarium water to the bag so that the fish can become acclimated to the pH level in the aquarium. This will help reduce the amount of stress imposed on the tropical fish. Stressed tropical fish often leads to dead tropical fish! Don’t feed your tropical 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.
Get ready for regular maintenance.
Be prepared to spend some time once every week or two to clean your tank. Performing regular water changes will reduce the nitrate levels and keep your tropical fish happy and healthy.
Please visit http://www.FishLore.com for more information on tropical fish.
Mike is an editor at FishLore.com. Designed for beginners, http://www.FishLore.com provides tropical fish information, how-to guides, articles, fish profiles, FAQs, forums and more! FishLore.com – Tropical Fish & Aquarium Information.
Angelfish breeding June 11th 2010 3
live action anglefish breeding
freshwater fish aquarium
20 gallon freshwater aquarium: 5 neon tetras, 3 tiger barbs, calico fantail goldfish, chinese algae eater and clown pleco
Angelfish breeding June 11th 2010
live action angelfish tending to the nest
29G Freshwater Aquarium with Sand Fountain
29 Gallon Freshwater Aquarium with Sand Fountain. The song is sunlounger – white sand I purchased the aquarium from ebay. Search ebay or amazon for sand fountain, there are a variety of styles. How it works.. Just like a undergravel filter is hooked up to an air pump to circulate water and use the waters current created from the bubbles to circulate the dirt to the bottom… This is hooked up to a air pump that attaches to the sand fountain with tubing and uses the current created from the bubbles to move the sand up and out of the ’sand spout’. It’s really neat! PS. It comes with sand prepackaged for the fountain, but u will eventually run out b/c it spills over. So you need to find really FINE aquarium sand. Now the sand in my aquarium is different from the sand in the fountain, and the sand I use is POOL FILTER SAND from any pool maintenance store. Yes it is safe and it’s really inexpensive! Hope I answered all the questions!
if i put a terracotta pot in my fish tank (for angelfish breeding) will it harm my fish in anyway?
Caring for Your Freshwater Aquarium
The most important factor of owning an aquarium is the proper cleaning of the tank. Many new owners are unsure of how to go about this. This information will help new freshwater aquarium owners keep a clean and healthy tank. These first two questions are the key to maintaining your aquarium allowing you to enjoy this beautiful addition to your home. When should I clean my tank? You should clean your tank once every two months unless you can really tell it needs cleaned before then. Why should I clean my tank once every two months? Because your tank will start building up algae on the inside and your gravel will retain waste that could make your fish ill in the future. The following steps are easy and quick and will provide your fish with a clean and happy aquarium.
Step 1 (prepare for cleaning) You have to prepare for the steps to follow before removing your fish from your freshwater aquarium. There are some supplies you will need to clean the tank, so it’s best to have them handy before starting. You will need some kind of container that your fish can be placed in until it’s time for them to be put back in the tank. It doesn’t have to be a large container, but make sure your fish do have enough room to swim freely. This container is dependant on how many fish are living in the tank. You will also need a fish net, a towel or paper towels to wipe up any spills that may occur, a water pitcher or a bucket for refilling the tank, food drainer, a clean sponge, and a clean rag. After you have these things gathered, you’re now ready to begin cleaning your freshwater aquarium.
Step 2 (Removing your fish) This may be the most important step in the cleaning process. It is time to remove the fish from the tank. The first thing to do is make sure that the container in which the fish are being placed has water that is about the same temperature at the tank, other wise your fish will go into shock. When the container of water is ready, use the net to catch each fish one-by-one and place them in the container. Once all the fish are collected, be sure to place the container in a safe place where it will not be spilled. It is common for fish to become stressed when they are moved, so the water temperature and reducing as much unneeded activity is very important. Step 3 (Removing the fish tanks old water) When all the fish are out of the tank, it is time to start emptying the water from the aquarium. Using the pitcher or small bucket, begin to remove the water. The water from the tank may be disposed in a sink or toilet. This can be a messy task, so be sure to clean up all spills to prevent any possible accidents. It is not necessary to remove all the water from the tank. Most freshwater aquarium owners remove approximately 3/4 of the water. The remaining original water will help acclimate the new water you will add later. Step 3 (Removing and cleaning your tanks gravel) Most of the waste that gathers in a tank settles into the gravel at the bottom. It is very important to clean the gravel when you clean your tank. At this time you will remove the gravel. You can use the fish net, a small scoop or even a dustpan to do this. Place the gravel in a container. Once you have removed all the gravel, transfer it into a strainer of some sort and run it under hot water. Be sure to mix it up while you are rinsing so that all the sediment and waste is removed. Once the gravel has been cleaned, place it aside. You will not be putting it back in the tank at this time.
Step 4 (Cleaning the tank) Now it’s time to clean the inside of the tank. This can be a tedious chore if there is a lot of build-up on the glass. Some freshwater aquariums have algae growth on the glass. The warmer the water is inside and the more the aquarium is exposed to natural sunlight, the more algae growth you will have. This can be cleaned off by using a scratch pad. Try to use the least abrasive pad you can to avoid scratching the class. Cleaning with hot water will aid in the removal of algae. Make sure to never use any type of cleaner or detergent when cleaning the tank. This will be fatal to the fish. After removing the algae, finish by wiping down the rest of the tank with a towel or soft rag. You may have to repeat this a few times. Try to rinse the rag or towel frequently to remove all the waste. If you have decorative pieces in the tank, be sure to wash them as well using hot water. After completing these steps, your tank should be clean of waste and build-ups.
Step 5 (Putting it all back together) Now it’s time to replace everything. Start by replacing the gravel into the tank, followed by refilling the water. Take notice of the temperature once again. Try to add water that is of the same temperature as the original water in the tank. Add your finishing touches with decorative pieces, then carefully move the fish back in. It may take a little while for the fish to adjust to the new water, but after having followed all these steps, you can be sure that your tank is clean and healthy.
You won’t have to completely clean your tank for another 2 months. Always remember to change the filters if they are dirty. As an added tip, if you remove 20% of the water every month and replace it with clean water, this will cut down on the complete cleaning of the tank in the future. To maintain a healthy tank, it is important to clean it properly and keep up with the aquarium care. By doing this, you will ensure a long life for your fish and an enjoyable experience for observers.
Learn about sand shark and aquarium dimensions at Aquarium Fish Care site.
Angelfish breeding June 11th 2010 2
Live Action ANgelfish tending to the nest
Freshwater Aquariums – Simple Tips To Get You Started
If you have finally decided to take the plunge and own an aquarium there are certain things you should do before plucking down any of your money. First, make a list of everything you want and the type of fish you want to own. You can do this by browsing the Internet and seeing what is available. You can also go to a pet shop and check the selection. Once you have decided on what kind of fish you want, do some research to make sure you aren’t buying fish that like to eat each other. You also need fish that enjoy the same type of environment (water and pH level). When exploring different options you will find freshwater fish are better to sustain than saltwater. Freshwater fish are hardy and handle changes in water conditions better.
As a beginner, you might think tropical saltwater fish are pretty and these are the fish you want. Let’s consider the basics of fish first and see why freshwater fish are better for beginners. A fish needs water to live. We all know this. Freshwater fish absorbs water through its body. However, saltwater fish have to drink it because the body’s fluids leave the skin by osmosis. Salt is excreted through the skin in the form of urine.
Freshwater fish also have a large range when it comes to water temperature sometimes up to ten degrees. Many saltwater fish have little room for error. They tend to need temperatures that can only fluctuate two to five degrees.
If you are just starting out, maintaining the right water level is going to be hard. Just be patient and keep at it. Eventually you will figure out the tricks to keep the water regulated. If the freshwater fish do happen to pass while under you care, don’t take this is a failure. They are sensitive creatures and you are going to learn more about balancing the water. Speak to pet shop employees or go online to get extra tips to maintain the proper water conditions.
When you first get the freshwater aquarium, set it up and let it run for at least 24 hours before adding any fish. This is the time to regulate the water and get it under the right conditions. During this period, set up the filter and any plant life you want in the tank. (Live plants are a great way to reduce ammonia). Check the ammonia and nitrate levels. When you do finally add fish to the tank, start small. Only put three to four fish. You want to wait about a month before you put anymore in for a couple of reason. First, you want the fish to get used the environment because with too many the fish might get stressed. Second, there is an incubation time with diseases. You want to ensure the fish are healthy before contaminating others. Monitor the temperature, pH, ammonia and nitrate levels.
Feeding freshwater fish is relatively easy. You only need to feed them twice a day. However, be careful of overfeeding. This is a common rookie mistake. Put small amounts of food in the tank. These should be gobbled up within five minutes. Any extra food, scoop out because it will cause debris in the tank and possibly add toxins to the water.
When it comes to the filter, you want to follow the manufacturers specs on replacing it. The filter is important because it keeps the water clean for the fish. Without a good, clean filter the fish won’t thrive.
These are some basic tips for caring for your freshwater aquarium. If you have other questions speak to pet shop workers or get some books from the local library. There is plenty information available to help care for freshwater aquariums.
Abhishek is an avid Fish Lover and he has got some great Aquarium Care Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 105 Pages Ebook, “Aquarium Care Made Easy!” from his website http://www.Wonder-Homes.com/636/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.
