Aquarium Equipment

Aquarium Equipment - Aquariums are not just a tank and a stand, the aquarium has to be filled with certain equipment such as heaters and filters. Aquarium equipment is essential in the up keep of your fish. The tank needs to be clean and the fish need to be kept happy if they are going to survive in their new home. When imported to this country, fish are kept in small boxes so they have not had any experience of being in a large proper tank.

Heaters are an essential part of your aquarium because if you have any kind of tropical, they need hot water to survive, anything cooler than twenty degrees Celsius for a period of time will kill them. The temperature needs to be around twenty six or twenty seven degrees. Choosing a proper heater is essential when it comes to heating issues, if you buy a heater with too low voltage it will not substantiate a large tank, and a heater that has to high a voltage will only fry your fish! Always ask your fish shop staff what the best choice is for your tank.

Filters are a big part of aquarium equipment, without a filter all the bad bacteria in the tank will build up and make it hard for your fish to breath, this is known as new tank syndrome. When you haven’t left your tank long enough to cycle there isn’t enough bacteria to kill the ammonia and nitrates that the fish produce in their waste. Once the waste builds up it makes it hard for the fish to breath. If you have enough bacteria in your filter however then your fish waste will be broken down in the filter and the water that is put back out of the filter will be clean and pure.

Aquarium equipment is essential in maintaining your tank and its fish, if you leave the tank to keep it clean then it won’t work, if you leave the tank to heat itself it won’t work. You have to make sure that you supply the tools the tank needs to keep your fish happy and healthy; otherwise you are looking at a tank of dead fish!

Aquarium Filter

Aquarium Filter - There are two different kinds of filters; there are external filtration systems and internal filters. Internal filters are used in salt water and fresh water aquariums. Many salt water aquariums have an internal tube for the water to flow down into a sump tank, which is just below the main tank and all the water passes through a certain type of foam where all the waste and bad bacteria gather and this filters the water. The water is then pumped back up to the top of the main tank and this flow continues on constantly.
Although a noisy method, it is the second most effective but rather pricey. The other way of doing internal filtering is to have what looks like a large black rectangle stuck to the inside of your tank, this sucks up water and waste through its bottom, the water then passes up through the filter. This method is the third most effective method and is very cheap.

The external filter is the way to go, this filter is a hard working piece of machinery that keeps your aquarium in tip top condition and gets rid of all the water. It is like the other two methods of internal filtering above but it is al done outside of the tank. The only thing connecting the tank to the filter is a long black tube. This is the most effective and expensive way to filter your tank but it is very worth it.

All these types of filters are available at your local fish shop, but not really your local pet shop. For the internal filter that requires a sump tank this is usually custom made to suit your tank so it is expensive but not really worth the money. You are probably better choosing an external filter, although it will cost you more it is more effective and it creates less noise.

Aquarium Fish

Aquarium Fish - You have the set up and now all you need is the fish to go in it, but what to choose? Do you want to start of small? Or do you want to dive right into the deep end, pardon the pun. The best thing to do it is to talk it over with your local fish shop. But they will advise you exactly the same as what I am going to advise you. If you see this as becoming a really good hobby then don’t bother will small fish as this is just a waste of time and money, but if this is just a fad or is for your kid’s or whatever, then small fish is the way to go.

Small aquarium fish can be anything from tetras to angel fish, they are usually brightly coloured and tend to eat fish flakes rather than fish “meat”. The smaller fish tend to be for decorative purposes as they are very shiny and create a lot of bright silvers under the right aquarium lights. They are simple fish with no personality and they are no fun at all! These kinds of fish are for simple decorative aquarium set ups and suit people who want a low maintenance tank.

Larger fish however, such as cichlids and African fish are a lot harder to keep. They are the harder fish in general though, so your fish mortality rate is pretty low, unlike smaller weaker fish. The problem or should I say fascination with cichlids is that they are cannibals. If there is a smaller fish in the tank then say good bye to it as it won't be there much longer! They eat fish meat and don’t try to feed them any less, they will not be happy. Different types of cichlids are available. They do not all look the same, there are Oscars (my personal favorite) which you can have tiger, red or albino. There are black belts, there are jaguar cichlids and the list does go on. The types of fish require a lot of filter and gravel cleaning as they have high amounts of waste. A breeding pair of cichlids is worth a lot of money! Cichlids in general are more expensive as they tend to be larger (we have a tank of 5-6 one and a half foot Oscars). Just remember that these fish like the tank. Set up the tank how you like but it may not stay that way for long. I could go on forever about cichlids but Ill leave it there for now.

So depending on what the reasons for your aquarium is depends on the type of fish for the aquarium that you should get. Smaller more decorative tanks need smaller more decorative aquarium fish. But the bigger the tank the bigger the fish! Put in some big boys and let them do the talking!

Aquarium Glass

Aquarium Glass - Aquariums are built from specially enforced glass to make sure that when the water is added to the tank and all the equipment and the fish are in, the tank doesn’t fall apart and end up all over the floor. The glass itself is terribly heavy and when you add water it is impossible to lift, unless you are the strongest man or woman in the world! Fish tanks don’t just need to be made from glass; they can be made from acrylic too.

Aquarium glass is basically extremely thick and strong glass that is built to withstand the pressure and the weight of at least ninety litres of water. Some tanks are as big as eight or nine feet long and three or four feet wide so you can just imagine the amount of water needed to fill that tank and then the pressure that is on the glass, but the glass never beaks. It is sealed at the sides to make sure that it can withstand the weight of the water. You would not want that tank to break and splash out all that water on your living room floor!

Fish tanks can also be made from acrylic. Acrylic is known to be at least twice as strong as glass and half the weight. The benefits of acrylic tanks are that it can be moulded when heated to suit whatever shape or style of tank that you want. Also when the sides are moulded together with heat they are said to be stronger than the sealant used to hold the glass together. Acrylic tanks don’t sound like a good option to me; I think I will be sticking with glass tanks. Acrylic tanks are new and not many people have used them yet. The glass is still the best alternative for me and my fish!

Aquarium glass is easy enough to pick up although it is quite expensive. As with everything else you can get your aquarium built to suit you, so you don’t have to purchase one from the shop, although unless you are someone who can build a tank it is going to cost you a pretty penny or two!

Aquarium Heaters

Aquarium Heaters - Heating in an aquarium is essential for fresh water and salt water fish. They both like their water to be hot as they are both tropical species of fish. Goldfish are cold water fish so you don’t need to worry about a heater for them. Often when winters comes fish shops get many calls asking why their fish have just suddenly died or are acting strange. This is because people have not turned up the heaters in their fish tank! As the weather gets colder people forget that their house temperature drops and so does the tanks temperature so you have to adjust the heater for this time of year! If there is just a one degree drop in twenty four hours it could bring on a fish disease called “ich” or it could outright kill a fish!

When buying a heater you have to look at all the options. You could buy a very cheap heater but then you have the problem where the heater will probably break, the thermostat isn’t as good as regulating the tank and you don’t have a temperature heat setting like others would. Then you have the mid priced heaters, they are generally the ones that people use. They have semi decent thermostats and hold their value reasonably well. After a period of time maybe six months to a year you have to change your heater as the heating element isn’t always working properly after this time!

Try to check your heater every couple of weeks and check the temperature of the tank everyday so that you can make sure that your fish are not suffering! Too hot and you will basically boil your fish and too cold and you can freeze their blood. So try and keep the temperature regulated!

Always try to place your heater near a filter as this helps to distribute the heat. This helps to save your fish from hot or cold spots! Heating is essential in tanks so make sure that you are adequately prepared in the seasons that count!

Aquarium Hoods

Aquarium Hoods - When you have an aquarium you need to have lighting set up and to do this you need to have somewhere to put it. Before now when it came to lighting, it used to come attached to your aquarium hood but that is not the case anymore. The shops are selling the hood, lights and light attachments separate which is costing people a fortune! Hoods are not only needed for lights but they are also needed to help the fish stay in the tank, some fish when they get excited especially when getting fed are often jumpy and is has been known for fish to basically propel themselves out of the tank, I speak through personal experience.

Aquariums hoods are available in either specialised aquarium shops or your local pet store. They are just simply a tank lid for the fish tank. It is essential that you have one of these otherwise you have no place for your lights; unless you get some hanging ones and hang them from your roof! Hoods are also essential for keeping those jumping fish in the tank! They are often made from plastic but some are made from wood. The wood variations are often more expensive than a plastic one, basically because of the wood and there is more time and effort put into making a wooden hood. Some tanks can have a hood customised to it. These are the most expensive ones. But at least they have the lights and light fixtures attached. When you buy a jewel aquarium the hood is included in the price and so are the lights and fittings.

Aquarium hoods are not very expensive but all the attachments and other accessories are costing fish collectors a fortune. They have to make sure that the tank has everything that it needs, but it is getting more and more expensive to run and maintain the tank. Just make sure that when starting to purchase the tank that you know all about the extra outlays that are involved with the tank! It would not be a good idea to purchase the tank and then not be able to afford the rest of the accessories!

Aquarium Lighting

Aquarium Lighting - Aquariums need light for the fish to survive, this doesn’t matter if it is a freshwater set up or a marine set up. There are however different types of lights available for each one. A lot of fish require different lighting conditions; your fish shop will advise you which is best for the fish that you are keeping.

Fluorescent lighting is best for brightly coloured fish this gives the impression of bold colours and a mysterious effect in the tank which makes the fish stand out even more. All aquarium lights are available in the different sizes to suit your tank, as there are lots different sizes of tanks available. Most tanks don’t come with lights attached to the hood of the tank. They need to be purchased separately; this is expensive as you also need to buy the attachment for the lights as well.

There are harder lights needed for marine tanks, the reefs that can be made in these tanks need a lot of pure light and getting a lot of light means a large and expensive light bulb! The corals and anemones need a lot of light and sensitivity to survive, so lights should be a great factor in your aquarium if you are going to be setting up a coral reef.

Aquarium lighting is available at all fish and pet shops, they are easy to install but are very overpriced. I think, you can probably find second hand lights better but be sure to make sure that they are working before you purchase them or that was a waste of money.

Lighting your aquarium is essential that is how your tank is defined, if your lights are cheap and nasty then don’t expect a good look in your tank, but if you spend that extra on good reliable and beautiful lights then you are sure to have a fish tank set up that is worth looking at! Explore all different colours of lights as well don’t just stick to white there are pink, green and blues out there too, experiment with them and see what best suits your tank!