> Aquarium
Care
Designing &
Maintaining an Aquarium
Robert E. Foss
Topics
Included:
-
Tank and
Stand
-
Top and
Lighting
-
Filtration
Systems
-
Preparing
the Aquarium
-
Adding Fish
Owning an
aquarium can be a rewarding experience. It will require a bit of
work and attention at first, but with proper maintenance, it will
be added asset to your home. Before the initial purchase, there
are few things to consider.
Tank
and Stand
The
size and placement is an important factor. While it is true that a
large tank is easier to maintain after the set up and balancing
process, you need to be able to access all areas of the aquarium
for general cleaning purposes. The tank should be set up in a room
that receives little direct sunlight. Never place an aquarium in
front of a window! It will then become difficult to control the
growth of algae. It will also be difficult to regulate water
temperature, as sunlight will add unwanted heat. The stand you
choose should be one specifically designed to accommodate the size
of the aquarium, as well as be balanced and able to support the
weight of the water and gravel you will be adding. Tip: one gallon
of water weighs approximately eight pounds. Most aquariums are
sold with stands that fit these requirements., and there have been
a few who found out the hard way why this is so. If the tank
falls, not only have you lost the initial investment, there is
usually a huge wet mess!
Top
and Lighting
There
are a few options to consider here. A conventional glass top with
a hinge and plastic back strip are the author’s personal
favorite. They are easily removed for routine maintenance, and are
easy to work with. The plastic backstrip allows for the creation
of holes for airlines or heater electrical cords. A strip light
sits on top of the glass, shining down into the aquarium below.
Most of these strip lights are fluorescent lighting, but there are
incandescent lights available. The disadvantage to incandescent
bulbs is the light will not diffuse as well through the water,
leaving shadows, and they produce heat, creating the same problems
as sunlight, like excessive algae growth.
Plastic
hoods are also available, and are generally less expensive. They
usually have incandescent light, and are cumbersome if the tank is
large, as they are the size of the top of the aquarium. They
usually have smaller openings, and the entire top must be removed
for routine maintenance.
Another word about lighting. There are many different choices of
lighting types. For example, there are bulbs that will produce
natural light, which is almost equal to sunlight but will produce
no excess heat. The type of lighting you should choose depends on
what you will have in the aquarium. For most community systems, a
regular fluorescent bulb will suffice.
Filtration
Systems
I
almost always recommend an undergravel system for the beginning
hobbyist, as they are usually the easiest to balance. They consist
of a plastic plate that sits under the gravel, allowing for the
passage of water and air freely through the gravel bed. The plate
will have tubes rising from it and through these tubes water and
air continually circulate. After adding your starter fish, a bed
of bacteria will begin to grow, and this bacterium actually serves
as the system’s filter. It breaks down harmful waste products
from the living creatures, and removes ammonia from the water.
Your
undergravel filter needs to be powered by an air pump or a
powerhead. These devices cause current in the system, which forces
the water through the bacterial filter. Pump systems are
efficient, but for any tank larger than a twenty gallon, I
recommend a powerhead. This piece of equipment sits on top of a
filtration pipe and physically moves the water through the system.
The powerhead will move more gallons of water per hour and
provides more efficient filtration. Both of these systems can be
very effective at providing oxygen to the system, but the
powerhead tends to be a bit noisier. I suggest buying the
powerhead to pump the water, and a small air pump to provide
oxygen, via an air stone and airline tubing.
Power
filters should not be confused with powerheads. Power filters are
water polishers only, and a tank will not be healthy if they are
the only source of filtration. Most power filters have cartridge
inserts, and these need to be changed frequently. A good bacterial
bed is hard to maintain if you keep having to remove and replace
it. These filters are very good at removing solid debris and some
chemicals found in the water.
Preparing
the Aquarium
The
one and only time gravel should be rinsed is before it goes into
the tank the first time. You need to purchase enough gravel to
cover the bottom of the tank to a depth of at least 3-4 inches.
For example, a ten-gallon tank should have at least fifteen pounds
of gravel to achieve this depth. Before you begin adding the
water, pour a bit of water conditioner onto the gravel. Water
conditioners are a necessity, no matter what kind of water you
have. Using tap water is fine, but always make sure that you are
using a product that eliminates chlorine, chloramine, and ammonia.
These three chemicals are often used to kill bacteria in our tap
water, but they are lethal to fish and live plants. Once you have
added your conditioner, and the under gravel filter and gravel are
in place, start adding the water. You can place the heater in at
this time, but don’t plug it in or turn it on. The heater must
adjust to the temperature of the water before it begins to work;
otherwise it will break or short out. Let it sit in the aquarium
for at least a few hours before turning it on.
Once
the tank is filled, plug in your filtration system. Let the
aquarium run for at least 12 hours before adding any fish. This
way you can make sure the system will run smoothly, regulate the
temperature of the water and make sure there are no leakage
defects in the aquarium. At this time you can decorate the
aquarium by adding driftwood, plastic plants and rocks, as well as
ceramic ornaments designed for aquariums. Be very careful of using
decorative items in the tank that are not made for such use, as
they may become damaged, or place toxic chemicals in the water.
The type of décor should be considered in accordance to the type
of fish that you wish to keep. For example, cichlids enjoy
uprooting plants and rearranging the décor in their tanks, so it
is best to buy slate or some decorative rocks instead of plants.
Décor in aquariums is a necessity, since the fish will be calmer
if there are places to hide.
Adding
Fish
It
is always best to start out a tank with inexpensive fish that are
hardy. You will probably lose a few in the balancing stage the
first six to eight weeks. Danios and some of the tetras fill this
niche quite well. The feeding of these first fish should be very
sparing, since there is not adequate bacteria to consume their
waste products. Add a few fish at a time, at first no more than
two per five gallons of water. Routine water changes should be
performed on a weekly basis, removal of 25% of the water, and
replacing it with fresh. Always add water conditioner to the water
before adding the water to the aquarium.
A
few notes: NEVER use soap of any kind to clean anything that goes
inside the aquarium. Soap is impossible to remove, as it will sink
into the pores of objects. Soap damages the slime coat of fish,
which is necessary for their survival.
Cleaning
will involve placing hands into the water. This is fine as long as
hands are washed thoroughly before placing into the water. Make
sure hands are rinsed well, and use a soap with no lotion or
fragrance additives. Always wash when done with the aquarium as
well.
The
rule for an aquarium population is 1 inch of fish per gallon of
water. Do not exceed this rule, as the tank will become over
crowded, and fall out of balance. Remember to stock slowly at
first, and don’t become discouraged if these first fish don’t
survive the balancing process. Remember to feed sparingly, and do
the water changes!
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