Tank Selection

Obviously the most essential piece of equipment there is. There are a variety of size shapes and even materials to choose from. Careful thought is needed before choosing any aquaria.

Material
- All Glass. This is the material most often used. Sheets of glass bonded together by silicone.
Advantages - Relatively cheap, Easy to clean, scratch resistant. Easy to repair.
Disadvantages - Fragile and brittle, which make it easy to crack. The silicone edge can be peeled away and result in a leak. The tank corners are particularly prone to damage. Scratches that do occur cannot be treated. Curved pieces although available are very expensive.

- Plastic. Often used for small cheap tanks.
Advantages - No joints to fail. Very cheap.
Disadvantages - Easily scratched. Easily cracked. Impossible to repair. Usually small in size.

- Acrylic. Although technically a plastic I am treating it as a different option. Used for large and expensive aquaria and other quality aquatic equipment.
Advantages - More clear than glass. Relatively light. Easier to shape. Stronger and more impact resistant than glass. Scratches can be polished out.
Disadvantages - Easily scratched. Very expensive. Can't be repaired.

Shape and Size.
Unless the tank has been measured to fit in an alcove I would suggest that you get the biggest size that you are happy with. Most people exchange their first tank because it is too small to meet their needs. Not only that but large tanks offer a more stable environment than do small ones and believe it or not they are easier to maintain.

The next deciding factor is what the tank is for. Discus fish and angelfish require a deep tank of at least 15 inches. Fast swimming open water fish requires an aquarium at least 36 inches in length. African cichlids require a lot of rockwork and unless it is built like a wall at the rear of the aquarium (which looks very unnatural and is no use to the fish) a tank at least 18 inches wide will be required. Obviously it goes without saying that if large fish are to be kept then a large tank around will be required.

There are a lot of odd shaped tanks around now too, and whilst these might look trendy they would be a nightmare to landscape and maintain. I have lately seen:
- A 5ft deep hexagonal column 18 inches wide containing angelfish. The problems of maintaining such a tank would be immense. No standard airpump will work at that depth, a temp. gradient would form, cleaning the tank would be a real chore. Hex tanks are bad enough but this with the extra depth, don't do it.
- Two tanks connected together by a broad clear pipe. Quite how the connecting pipe would be kept clean and free from unsightly algae and other dirt is anyone's guess. And unless the two halves were absolutely level there is a chance of a very sudden and catastrophic failure.
- Picture frame tanks, which are no more than 3 inches wide and hang on the wall. These tanks are so small that they could house no more than 4 or 5 small tetras and soon look tatty because they are so impractical.

It is better to stick to the more usual shapes, which are very practical to use and offer great viewing. They can easily be made to any size and if in/on a specially built cabinet they can be made to fit into any room.

If something really special is called for there are bow fronted aquaria, but one big disadvantage is if they break on the front they are uneconomical to repair.

Seeding a Tank/Filter

A tank should be "seeded" (inoculated with waste-oxidizing bacteria) when:
l. A remodeled tank is stocked-out.
2. An ammonia build-up occurs when:
- A tank is over-fed, or animals throw up their food.
- Air is left off a tank for too long a time and the biological filter bacteria die off.
- A tank's filter is cleaned too well, discarding too many bacteria.
- An organism gets killed or dies (does not survive shedding, injury, or other causes of death) in a tank.
- Too much city water (high in chlorine and ammonia) is added to a tank killing biological filter.
- A treatment used in tank kills off biological filter.

Excess ammonia should be decreased by water change or addition of AmQuel prior to re- seeding a tank.

Bacteria for seeding a tank can be obtained by:
- Getting a commercial product (Fritz-zyme, other commercial products).
- Backflushing a sand filter.
- Squeezing out sponge filters.
- Siphoning from an undergravel filter.
- Adding coral or gravel from an established filter.
- Adding filter floss from an established filter.

Bacteria should be obtained from a tank with a similar salinity to the tank being seeded. Seed should not be gotten from a tank having recent problems with ammonia, algae, or disease.

If sufficient bacteria are added, a new tank (or re-seeded tank) can be set-up without a three to four week "cycling" process.

Experience plays a great part in ascertaining the amount of debris, etc. needed to seed a tank - a 210 gallon tank needs two to three one-gallon scoops of coral (gravel) from an operating tank in order to properly inoculate it. Spread coral (gravel) evenly over tank bottom.

As the bacteria for a biological filter need food (= waste products) in order to survive and grow do not inoculate a tank and wait one or more days prior to adding organisms.

The Nitrogen Cycle(Fish)

Lets start off really basic. How far you get along into this is up to you.

Fish make Waste - Bacteria get rid of Waste.

Complex enough for you? OK, we can get a little more specific.

Fish produce Ammonia(NH3) as the majority of their waste. Ammonia is toxic to fish so we wouldn't want that to build up in our aquarium. Luckily, there are types of bacteria that use Ammonia as part of their metabolism.

They use up the available Ammonia and convert it to a compound known as Nitrite(NO2). So, all is safe and sound, right?

No. Unfortunately, Nitrite is also very toxic to fish.

Bummer.

Now it happens to be that another type of bacteria come along and use this Nitrite in their metabolism. They scrounge up all the Nitrite they can find and convert it to a compound known as Nitrate(NO3). So all is safe and sound?

YES! Well for the time being...

Nitrate is MUCH less toxic than either Ammonia or Nitrite but should not be allowed to build up. SO...the way to keep the Nitrate level down is...Water Changing.

I knew you didn't want to hear that but that's the way it is. For the majority of aquariums, water changing is just part of the scenery. No way around it. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something (in my not so humble opinion).

Got the concept? Want more specifics? Are you sure? Ok, you asked for it.

When first setting up an aquarium, the tank and all of the folderol inside of it are relatively clean and free of bacteria, especially the kinds that we want. An aquarium takes time to establish a colony of "bugs" to get at the nasty wastes. This is what we call a Bacteria Bed, or also a Bio-Filter

1. A new aquarium gets set up. (assume water etc. is ok)
2. Fish get introduced.
3. Fish get fed ( I would hope).
4. Fish swim happily in enjoyment of their new home.
5. Fish produce waste.
6. Ammonia from the waste starts to build up (TOXIC).
7. Bacteria start growing that use Ammonia.
8. Ammonia level starts to drop as Nitrite level builds (TOXIC).
9. Bacteria start growing that use Nitrite.
10. Nitrite level starts to drop as Nitrate level slowly rises (Much less Toxic)
11. Aquarist (that's you) keeps Nitrate levels in check by doing weekly, partial water changes.
12. Aquarist enjoys years of happy fish keeping and goes on to win the Nobel Prize.

Well, you never know... The point of this is, that the "break in cycle" takes some time to get going. A new tank isn't ready for a full load of fish because the Bio-Filter hasn't built up yet. Go slowly. Good things come to those who wait.

Had enough? Up for more? We can get more technical...ok then.

The types of bacteria that go through this Nitrogen Cycle are known as Aerobic Bacteria. Simply put, this means that they use Oxygen in their daily lives to do all the wonderful things they do. Without Oxygen, they cannot live. (Sound familiar?). They grow on surfaces in the aquarium. On the walls, gravel, decor, filter materials etc.

The best way to get these Aerobic bacteria to grow is to give them plenty of oxygen by having well aerated water AND to give them plenty of places to grow.

For many years, it was thought that Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter were the primary culprits in this dance of waste management in the aquarium. Recent research by Dr. Tim Hovanec of Aquaria/Marineland in California has shown that we may have been mistaken for all these years.

Now there's lots more that can be said on this subject, but I am tired and I think my Pizza might be here. Also do some web searching. There are many great resources out there. If you really want to rock your world, go out and get "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium" by Diana Walstad. Then take everything I just said and turn it inside out!

Well, not really, but you'll see.

Now go get some fish!

New Aquarium Blues

You have bought yourself a new aquarium, filled it up with water then added a few fish and naturally you feed it. The fish digests the food and excretes waste into the water. In nature fishes live in vast water bodies or in flowing rivers that refreshes its water continuously removing its waste. But in the stagnant and limited quantity of water in your aquarium the nitrogenous waste products breaks down into ammonia. Within a day the ammonia reaches poisonous levels in the aquarium. Your see your fish scratching itself. Within a few days the fish look sick...by a week the fish are dying. You blame the local aquarium shop for the unhealthy fish and go buy some more. The local aquarium shop owner suggests you to clean the tank and try again - and the deathly cycle begins again.

You have to allow the nitrification or nitrogen cycle to establish itself in your aquarium. In this cycle of events the waste decaying matter is converted to less harmful chemicals which your fish can tolerate and plants can utilize.

The Nitrogen Cycle explained:

When the ammonia levels in your aquarium reach a suitable level (in a few days) nitrosomonas species of bacteria from the air settles in the water and starts to form colonies in your filter or sand, these bacteria convert the ammonia (NH3) to nitrite form (NO2-). At this time the ammonia levels drop to low levels and the nitrite levels starts to increase. The nitrites in the water is also toxic to fish, your aquarium is not ready as yet.. When the nitrite level in the water has reached suitable levels another bacteria of Nitrobacter species starts to establish colonies in your aquarium. These bacteria convert the nitrites to nitrates (NO3-), which are less harmful in small quantities and is absorbed by plants or algae. Now the aquarium is truly ready to host aquatic life. This process takes anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks depending on water temperature. One of the indications of an almost complete cycle is visible algae on the glass. The process looks like this:

Ammonia ->> Nitrite ->> Nitrate

How to speed up the nitrogen cycle:

The beneficial bacteria multiply slowly and to speed up the nitrogen cycle you have to introduce these bacteria into your aquarium in large quantities. The best way to do this is by borrowing some from an aquarium that is already established. An established tank would be one that is at least 3 months old after it has been setup or cleaned. You could

1. Take a cup of sand (with the muck) from an established aquarium and add it to yours. 2. Put a cup of sand from an established aquarium in your filter temporarily. 3. Borrow a filter from an established tank and run it in your tank for a few days. 4. Squeeze the water out of a filter media of an established aquarium. 5. Fill your aquarium with water taken from an established (larger) aquarium.

Taking care of the beneficial bacteria:

NEVER wash and clean an established aquarium. If you have to, try the following procedures. The following steps will save your colony of beneficial bacteria from destruction.

1. Siphon out all the water, filter the water and save for later. 2. Remove the filter and keep filter wet in this water. 3. Do not clean the filter. 4. Remove the sand, rinse, filter the water and save this water as in (1) 5. Now wash tank, substrate (sand), stones etc. 6. After you reset the tank, pour back the water saved in steps 1 & 4. 7. Put back the filter without cleaning. 8. Change water after a few weeks.

NEVER add medication directly to your aquarium unless it is from a reputed manufacturer and the package clearly states that the medication is harmless to filtration bacteria and plants.

NEVER add antibiotics like tetracycline to the aquarium. Treat the fish with antibiotics in a bucket of water. Antibiotic and other Microbicidal chemicals (Betadine) will kill all the beneficial bacteria along with whatever infection you are treating.

NEVER clean out a filter media (sponge) completely. Rinse the filter media gently in clean water to remove surface blockage and re-install. This will retain most of the beneficial bacteria.

NEVER add chlorinated water directly to your aquarium. Chlorine is added to water to kill harmful bacteria; chlorine kills ALL bacteria very effectively. Allow water to sit in bucket with an aerator for some time before adding to your aquarium. Water stored in a sump or overhead tank would have lost all chlorine over time.

And Note:

NEVER add a lot of new fish to your tank in one go. The bacteria colony will not be able to handle the sudden increase in load. Buy and add new fish one pair at a time. Now you know why fish suddenly start dying after you have added a new lot of new fish.

NEVER increase the feed amount to the fish suddenly, the bacteria might not be able to take the extra load of excrement. To prevent overfeeding, when you are leaving town for a few days, put the daily feed amount in small packets with instructions to the person who is looking after your fish.

My fish are already dying, what do I do?

Reduce the levels of these toxic chemicals by a DAILY partial water change. Alternatively you could remove the fish and put them into a large bucket of fresh water immediately. Replace the water in the bucket completely every day till the aquarium has completed the nitrogen cycle.

You can add anti Ammonia compounds like Ammolock, Amquel etc. These compounds lock up the Ammonia and provide complete relief to the fish within an hour.

Your First Aquarium Helps

Your first aquarium should never be an impulse buy. You should be aware that you are about to embark on a mission to provide a suitable world within your home to your new aquatic pets. To understand your responsibility fully, you must realize that you are playing god to these creatures and therefore you are ethically required to understand their environment and requirements fully and to the best of your ability. These creatures that you have decided to make your pets and create a home world for them have no escape except through death. It is a startling reality, which is completely ignored by most.

What are these aquatic requirements you need to fulfill?

Fishes have to be provided with a sufficiently large water body. You can decide the size of the aquarium that your budget allows and buy fish that would be comfortable in that aquarium. Alternatively you could decide the kind of fish that you want to have and buy an aquarium that suits that species. It is cruel to put a large fish into a small aquarium; the unfortunate fish would have limited mobility and low oxygen levels. In the long run such a fish would be unhealthy and as a result may succumb to opportunistic diseases. A large aquarium with few fishes or many small fishes is dreams come true. Ideally plan your aquarium for a small number of fish with a large space to swim around in.

Fishes come from rivers and lakes where there are natural currents constantly refreshing the water. This movement ensures that water is constantly exposed to air. Water from the lower reaches of your aquarium must be brought up to the surface so that fresh oxygen may dissolve in it and carbon dioxide exhaled by the fish may escape into the air. To achieve this in an aquarium you can either use an aerator or a filter-power head. The aerator does more than introducing fresh air bubbles into the water, the air curtain draws up stale water from the lower parts of the aquarium to the surface. Water rides along the water bubbles reaches the top, ripples on the surface increases oxygenation and refreshed water from the surface flows down. Remember that the aerator you select should not be so noisy so as to keep you awake at night. A filter or power head is a better choice. Select one with the flow capacity to suit your aquarium.

Your aquarium needs gravel to simulate nature. The gravel at the bottom helps in many ways. The gravel becomes home to billions of bacteria which help in harmlessly decomposing the fish excreta. This is a very important function to make your aquarium habitable to fish. In water fish excreta breaks down chemically and produces ammonia, which is very toxic to fish. These beneficial bacteria convert ammonia to less harmful nitrates. Without these bacteria your fishes would fall sick within days and eventually die by the damage ammonia does to their gills. The life of these creatures is in your hands and you have to ensure that these useful bacteria are present in your aquarium. Firstly choose gravel which is between 1 and 3 mm. in size, smaller particles will become compacted and larger gravel will make it difficult for plants to root. Make sure the gravel is free of sea shells, gravel prepared from laterite from the coast is ideal. To give your gravel a head start with bacteria, you need to fill your aquarium with water from another aquarium which has been successfully functioning for 3 months or more. You can also take a scoop of gravel from such an aquarium and add it to yours. Another way, take the sponge from an established aquarium and shake it firmly in a mug of water. Allow the mess to settle and add this water to your aquarium.

Most rivers and lakes provide aquatic life with a stable temperature. The temperature may only vary a little in tropical areas, while in other colder regions water might even freeze. Not all fishes have evolved to survive in such stressful climates. Temperatures in small bodies of water like your aquarium might vary quite a lot between day and night. If you plan to keep an aquarium indoors, the temperature may not vary much. If you plan to keep the aquarium outdoors or in an exposed area then temperatures may vary quite a bit. If you suspect that temperatures might vary a lot then you need to reduce these fluctuations by the use of an electric heater. The wattage of the heater will depend on your aquarium size, ask local aquarists for advice. Do not use heaters without automatic temperature control. Remember that glass heaters can break if handled carelessly and broken heaters immersed in water can result in FATAL injuries.

Plants are found in many water bodies, its only natural for you to provide aquatic plants in your aquarium for your pets. Plants provide much needed oxygen during the day. Plants remove nutrients from the water, reducing the buildup of nitrates. Plants provide a hiding place for fishes and break the monotony of an aquascape. Plants need to be selected by their size and suitability to your aquarium size. Some species of fish do not like plants in the aquarium; others constantly dig the gravel pulling out plants. Plants need light to grow, do not skimp on lights. Some species grow well only in bright light. For the first 6 months or more your plants need trace element supplements to do well. Add a micronutrient or trace mix according to directions.

In nature the sun rises and sets with absolute predictability. This sets the biological clock in all living things. It is very important that you provide this cycle to your plants and pets in the aquarium. Unless you plan to keep your aquarium near a well lit window, a light is required. You will have sufficient light if you use Compact Fluorescent lamps (CFL) with good electrical efficiency and keep you power bills low. Common household filament lamps have low light output and high heat radiation and are not suitable for an aquarium. Lamps should be switched on in the morning and switched off 12 hours later. You can invest in a electronic timer if you wish to automate the job. Lights may be fixed in a hood, a cover over the aquarium. When selecting light bulbs for a hood ensure that your fixtures are water proof. You can suspend lights from overhead and leave the aquarium top open. To prevent excessive evaporation, use a glass sheet to cover the top of the aquarium. This sheet is known as a condensation plate. You can use a condensation plate to protect your lighting fixtures from moisture.

In nature there is fresh water flowing in rivers. We cannot provide our home aquatic world with flowing fresh water, waste chemicals accumulate and important chemical elements get depleted so its very important to change some of the water in your aquarium regularly. Since we are driven by a calendar week of 7 days, it's easier to remember change some water weekly. Replace a maximum of 50% your aquarium water every week and add micronutrients or trace mix. If your water supply is chlorinated, you need to allow the chlorine to dissipate by allowing the water to sit in a container for a long time. You can also use chemicals like sodium hyposulphite "Hypo" to bind the chlorine and make it harmless. Chlorine is harmful to fish and it kills the useful bacteria in the aquarium.

Selecting your new fish at the shop is important. Do not buy fish that look like their fins are frayed or look visibly sick. Avoid fish with white spots, fishes with visible injuries or parasites clinging to their bodies. When in doubt avoid buying. Do not pick fish from an aquarium where there are dead fish. Do not buy fish on an impulse. Check if the fish you wish to buy are compatible. Some species are territorial and may become aggressive. You can learn a little more about a fish's nature by spending a little time at the shop observing them. Start with very few fish and increase your population with a few at a time. The aquatic world you have created needs time to adjust to fish load.

Finally your pets need to be fed. Growth of the fish is dependant on the amount of food they get. The more food they get faster they grow and shorter their life span may be. Fish food is available as pellets, flakes and live feed. Select food from reputed manufacturers, use pellets that suit the type of fish you have. Some fish species are bottom feeders, for them you need to use sinking food. They will starve if you feed your pets only floating food. Vary the food a little and give your pets some variety. Feed the fish once or twice a day, use as much as they eat in 5 minutes. Remove all excess uneaten food immediately. If you wish long life for your pets, feed them lightly. Unlike other pets, you can leave fish unfed for many days. If you have to leave town for a few days you need not worry about the fish, they will do nicely for days without being fed. Do not feed them excessively to compensate.

Plan your first aquarium with your family. Encourage your spouse and children to take part in its planning and upkeep. Keep the aquarium where it is out of reach of toddlers and four legged pets! Place the aquarium in a stable and safe place, safe for the family and safe for your fish.