When it comes to aquarium keeping for beginners, you may not be aware of the importance of oxygen in your fish tank. This may sound weird, but fish, just like humans, need to have oxygen to breath in through their gills in order to live. However, oxygen in a home fish tank can become depleted very quickly. And if this happens, then your fish can actually suffocate!
What can you do to ensure that your home aquarium is properly oxygenated, or araeted? There are a number of ways that this can be done. You can choose to do one of these methods, a combination of these methods, or all of them.
The cheapest and simplest method is using an air pump with an airstone. The airstone keeps your home aquarium aerated, however it does not aid in keeping your tank clean.
A second option available is the use of a powerhead. This is a motor that is placed in your tank and it circulates your water. When an air hose is attached, it not only circulates the water but it adds some needed oxygen to it as well. The nice thing about a powerhead is it can keep debris from settling down at the bottom of your aquarium. The negative part is it does not filter your water. These are very good for fish that like to have current, but some fish do not like a lot of water movement, so double check to make sure that your fish like current first before adding a powerhead.
A third suggestion is a HOB, or 'hand on the back' filter. As the name implies, it hangs on the back of your home aquarium. It pulls water from your tank, runs it through a filter of some sort, and then trickles the water back into your tank. By exposing the water to the air you are adding back fresh oxygen.
Another similar option to the HOB filter is a canister filter. These are a little more expensive to purchase but they do a great job in cleaning your water and putting oxygen back in. Since they are bigger, you don't have to clean them as often. And, in addition, unlike a HOB, they are quiet and they are placed outside of the aquarium, where they can be hidden from the eyes of onlookers.
One downside, they are more difficult to clean when it comes time to clean them, but a small price to pay, in my opinion, to have a home aquarium that is filtered correctly and is aerated.
All of these methods are exceptional for aeration, which is adding back oxygen to your aquarium water. You can use one or more of these methods and you will find success and your fish will thank you.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Curing Cloudy Water in Aquariums
Keeping your aquarium clean and clear can be a real task at times. And it is very important to keep an eye on your tank water is because it can prove to be fatal for your fish.
My last post was entitled: 'Water Green in Fish Tank' and it dealt with curing green water that can happen from an algae bloom. In this post, we will focus on fish tanks and cloudy water.
Curing Cloudy Water in Aquariums
Having cloudy water in your fish aquarium can make it look really ugly. But your fish will not like it as well.
You may wonder, 'what causes cloudy water in my tank?' A major reason for water cloudiness comes from overfeeding. If you feed your fish too much the uneaten food will dissolve and cause your water to become cloudy. This can happen rather quickly and it can overwhelm your filters.
You can eliminate cloudy aquarium water by reducing how much food you put into your tank and then do a few small water changes over the next few weeks. Soon your water will be clean and pristine again.
Always check you aquarium water and make sure it stays clean and clear at all times.
My last post was entitled: 'Water Green in Fish Tank' and it dealt with curing green water that can happen from an algae bloom. In this post, we will focus on fish tanks and cloudy water.
Curing Cloudy Water in Aquariums
Having cloudy water in your fish aquarium can make it look really ugly. But your fish will not like it as well.
You may wonder, 'what causes cloudy water in my tank?' A major reason for water cloudiness comes from overfeeding. If you feed your fish too much the uneaten food will dissolve and cause your water to become cloudy. This can happen rather quickly and it can overwhelm your filters.
You can eliminate cloudy aquarium water by reducing how much food you put into your tank and then do a few small water changes over the next few weeks. Soon your water will be clean and pristine again.
Always check you aquarium water and make sure it stays clean and clear at all times.
Water Green in Fish Tank
Having a beautiful fish tank is a thing of joy but sometimes keeping the water looking and smelling clean and healthy can be a problem. And this has proved to be troublesome for some beginners because it can be hard to figure out what's going on.
The reason you want to keep your water clean and clear is because if it is not, it can prove to be disastrous for your fish and other creatures in your tank.
Over the course of the next two posts I will outline 2 common problems that you will probably encounter in regards to your tank water. We will talk about green water and cloudy water. In this first post, we will discuss green water.
Water Green in Fish Tank
If your tank water is starting to get a green hue to it then your tank is probably starting to be infested with algae. It definitely is algae if there is a green buildup on the sides of your tank walls. This is a common problem and it can take over your tank very quickly.
You may be asking yourself, 'what causes green water?' Green water in your fish tank oftentimes is caused from overexposure to light, especially sunlight. Keep your fish tank away from any sunlight that may be coming in via a window. You may have to physically move your tank away from a window.
You can eliminate green water in your fish tank by using an aquarium UV sterilizer. You can run one for a while and it will gradually eliminate the algae in your water. Once it is gone, then you can remove the sterilizer.
Another option is rub down the tank walls to remove the green algae buildup and then do a number of small water changes over a few weeks. Don't do a big water change because you could end up disrupting your essential bacteria.
Try these techniques along with reducing light exposure to your tank and in time you will conquer the green water in your aquarium. In my next post, I will focus on curing cloudy water in aquariums.
The reason you want to keep your water clean and clear is because if it is not, it can prove to be disastrous for your fish and other creatures in your tank.
Over the course of the next two posts I will outline 2 common problems that you will probably encounter in regards to your tank water. We will talk about green water and cloudy water. In this first post, we will discuss green water.
Water Green in Fish Tank
If your tank water is starting to get a green hue to it then your tank is probably starting to be infested with algae. It definitely is algae if there is a green buildup on the sides of your tank walls. This is a common problem and it can take over your tank very quickly.
You may be asking yourself, 'what causes green water?' Green water in your fish tank oftentimes is caused from overexposure to light, especially sunlight. Keep your fish tank away from any sunlight that may be coming in via a window. You may have to physically move your tank away from a window.
You can eliminate green water in your fish tank by using an aquarium UV sterilizer. You can run one for a while and it will gradually eliminate the algae in your water. Once it is gone, then you can remove the sterilizer.
Another option is rub down the tank walls to remove the green algae buildup and then do a number of small water changes over a few weeks. Don't do a big water change because you could end up disrupting your essential bacteria.
Try these techniques along with reducing light exposure to your tank and in time you will conquer the green water in your aquarium. In my next post, I will focus on curing cloudy water in aquariums.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)