Why Choose A Saltwater Aquarium?

A salt water aquarium can provide you with a wide range of benefits. If you are used to walking around the department store and selecting the perfect little goldfish to take home with you, then you may be ready to move from the freshwater fish tanks to the ocean life. There are many differences in the two types of tanks of course. The main reason for this is due to the types of fish that you can have in the aquarium. Yet, there are many more reasons why you should consider going with a salt water aquarium rather than that of a freshwater. So, step back and put the goldfish back down. It's time for you to explore ocean life! 

The Benefits To Consider  

• You get a wider variety of fish to choose from. No matter what anyone says, you may just be able to have more interesting fish in your salt water aquarium then you can have in any type of freshwater aquarium. They are usually more full of color, more varied in their shapes and sizes and are often much more interesting to gaze at from across the room.

• You will also be providing yourself with a bit of a challenge. In the salt water aquarium, you are likely going to need to put a little more time into caring for your fish tank. You will need to check the quality and the salt levels in the water on a daily or weekly basis, depending on the type of fish you own. You will also need to check out the health of your fish as well. This only takes a second but will provide you with more respect and admiration for your little guys.

• Children can benefit from a salt water aquarium too. If you provide them with a good sized one, you will be able to teach them about ocean life. Not only can you create an aquarium that will house the fish that you love, but you can create a world that is above the sea level that is just as amazing and full of information that the children will love to learn.

The salt water aquarium is a choice that you have. You are sure to find that it is cheaper to own a freshwater tank and that those fish are less expensive. But, you will not find them to be more interesting and intriguing then the fish over here in a salt water aquarium.

 

Read More

Taking Care Of Your Saltwater Aquarium

There are several things that you will need to do to take care of your salt water aquarium. Since you just invested a good deal of money into only not the aquarium itself but in the fish that you are going to stock it with, it makes sense to take some time to learn about the things you need to do to maintain your tank. Doing so is not necessarily hard to do, but it is something that you need to do if you plan to keep your tank up and running and your investment in fish well worth it. It is not hard to do though.

To help you, here is a checklist of the things that you need to do to keep your salt water aquarium up and running at its best level.

• Test your water every two weeks. There are several things that you need to test the water for. These include the ammonia levels, the salinity level, the pH level, the nitrite and the nitrate levels. These things are easy to test for and really only take seconds to do. You will want to know what the normal levels of these items should be, which you can easily learn from your pet store clerk prior to purchasing your fish.

 • If your level of pH is too high, you can adjust it by adding one tablespoon at a time of baking soda to the water. Make sure to allow it to completely dissolve before adding more.

 • If your level of salinity is too low, you can easily adjust this by adding salt to your water.

 • If your level of salt is too high, which is commonly the case, you will need to add dechlorinated water to the tank. This happens naturally as the water in the tank begins to evaporate. It will level the salt concentrates in the water remaining.

 • Add the appropriate levels of iodine and calcium to your tank. To know what levels and how often to do this, talk to your fish clerk about what the right amounts are. These are generally specific to the type of fish that you own.

 • Once a week, you should remove ten percent of the water from your fish tank and replace it with fresh, dechlorninated water. This will keep the water fresh.

 • Once every few months, remove 25% of the water in your tank and replace with fresh dechlorinated water.

 • Keep your water temperature at 75 to 80 degrees unless you have fish that prefer a different level of temperature.

 • Maintenance of the tank is also necessary. Keep algae off the interior cover and walls of the tank, check the filter pads and test its alkalinity as needed. You will also need to clean out the gravel in the tank as well.

 Doing these things will help you to keep your salt water aquarium up and running at its peak performance and it will keep your fish happy.

Read More

Do I Really Want A Saltwater Aquarium?

The salt water aquarium is one of the most sought after types of fish tanks. Even though it can be more difficult to actually maintain and even more costly, it offers you the ability to have a wider variety of fish, many of which are attractive and fun choices to make. But, if you are considering this type of fish tank to have in your home or in your place of business, you really should know the difference between these two types of aquariums

 

 

Deciding

 The most essential way to choose which type of tank to have is to know which ones will provide you with the fish that you want to have. If you are looking to own a goldfish, for example, you’ll want to stick to the freshwater tanks. On the other hand, if you would love to own a clownfish, go with the salt water. If you have no idea what types of fish you would like to own, then take the time to check out a few species to determine which ones may just work the best for your needs and desires

You should also realize that there are differences in these tanks. The freshwater aquarium is one which will be easier to maintain (no salt to deal with here!) It will also offer a higher amount of fish in its tank. Of course, it also provides for you the ability to purchase the least expensive types of fish around too. If you are looking for something a little more challenging and more rewarding too, consider the saltwater fish aquariums. Although they do require more work on your part, you get a wider range of fish to choose from. You also will have the ability to create your own little ocean full of all sorts of different ocean life in it

Consider things like your budget and the amount of time that you have available to take care of these fish. You may also want to consider the amount of room that you have for the fish tank. While you can have a smaller salt water aquarium, many people are looking to have a much larger aquarium. This is quite normal yet requires that much more attention and needs. Weigh your choices carefully so that you can find the right choice for your needs. If you do go with the salt water aquarium, you will find a wide range of options ready and waiting for you to learn about

Read More

Saltwater Aquariums From A-Z: Purchasing An Aquarium

1) Remember, there is no dearth of variety when it comes to the kind of aquariums you can buy for keeping saltwater residents in them; there are only two main consideration you should consider - your budget and the time and effort you can spare to learn about the potential inhabitants of your marine tank and whether you are up to seeing to their regular upkeep.

 2) There is a wide variety of the types, construction material, size and ornamentation available for saltwater aquariums that really end up making consumers feel number of choices available and the belief that there is no sure-shot formula for success when it comes to building a saltwater aquarium, it can be very difficult for fish tank enthusiasts to decide which type of fish tank they should buy. There are many factors to be considered before anyone with any plans of setting up a fish tank should consider before ever setting foot inside a pet store.


 3) The next consideration is the size of the tank. If you are a beginner you should opt for a small size aquarium and set your skills on maintaining the tank and the inhabitants. You will get a fairly good idea within a couple of months, on how many fish a particular size aquarium will hold and how to go about taking care of it.

 4) Choose the fish for your aquarium wisely. If you are going to keep even the smallest variety of saltwater carnivore fish in the tank you should ensure that they have plenty of space to swim around. If the tank is crowded and small the small variety of shark will get aggressive and damage the other show fish in the tank.


 5) Choose the material the tank is made of wisely. Aquariums are made of two materials, glass and acrylic. Glass is the better choice as it does not scratch easily, though care must be taken to prevent cracking. While cleaning the aquarium acrylic is very easily scratched and in no time at all you will feel the need to replace it, An expensive proposition.

 6) Never keep more than 10 fish in a 2 cubic foot tank. If you want to keep more fish you should purchase a larger tank.

7) The foliage in the tank should be natural. Do not go for the artificial aquarium plants as the natural plants serve as breeding grounds for bacteria the fish feed on as well as help clean the aquarium water.

 8) Ensure that the tank comes with an aerator and water filter. There are many electric accessories that are easily available to choose from. 9) Gravel is an important part of an aquarium. It not only helps the water filter keep the water clean but it also adds to the beauty of the tank. 10) Lighting should be adequate and not too strong. A small florescent tube will suffice.


 Ensure that your tank has all these accessories before you begin to put fish into it. Your aquarium will not be complete if any of these items are missing.

Read More

How To Care For And Clean A Saltwater Aquarium

1) Most tank owners think setting up a saltwater fish tank absolves them of all after care - after all, the same fish in the regular marine life take jolly good care of themselves, breed and lead a happy, long life there, so why should there be any special need for aftercare when they are kept in a home aquarium? But, here's where they make the mistake of not realizing that proper cleaning and care of a marine tank is very essential to avoid future health problems the fish may face and to maintain its general upkeep. Begin with purchasing a device to keep the tank water clean, which by the way should only be filtered water - you can buy a reverse osmosis kit, available at the local pet store or on the net. The other alternative is to use regular water at required temperature for the kind of marine fish in the tank, add chemicals to remove chlorine from it and other stuff and ensure cleaning is done at least once a month!

2) Caring for your saltwater fish tank requires regular maintenance and cleansing, if possible, once every 2 weeks; but, it is as important to understand that you do not clean out the good bacteria from too much cleansing.


3) If your saltwater aquarium is relatively new - please remember to let it sit for at least a month before adding fish or plants or even decorations to it. This period is for resting and testing the waters of the tank for the inmates to come: invest in some inexpensive test strips to check chlorine and pH levels in the tank water if you do not want to lose your precious Piscean pals to imbalance in the water levels they usually prefer! After you have ensured that the saltwater aquarium has been set-up properly and the water conditions in it are conducive to keeping fish and other marine creatures or even botanically beautifying it, do not indulge in removing gravel to clean the tank as this can upset the delicate chemical balance in the aquarium.

4) Any kind of cleaning supplies you invest in should be thoroughly researched as being advantageous and safe for tank inmates' health and cleanliness levels and should be effective in cleaning the saltwater aquarium without upsetting its chemical balance, especially if you own an acrylic tank.


5) Learn about the simplest ways to clean tanks and control build up of scuff and algae that dirty up the saltwater aquarium; you may use phosphate drops to cleanse the marine fish tank water, which prevents build-up too soon or buy a pair of hermit crabs and snails to keep algae at bay! These versatile marine creatures also clean out rocks and gravel in the tank and are often referred to as a tank's clean-up crew! For yourself, you can invest in a good pair of gloves, scraper or scratch pad to shine the glass as algae is difficult to remove with any old cleaning tool.

In closing, please remember that aiming a filter (if using one) should ideally be done downwards - into the tank water to avoid build-up of excess salt on the hood of the aquarium. Learn about ideal tank lighting (no more than 6 hours daily at a set time, keep tank away from direct sunlight etc.) for the kind of marine fish you have, the best water filter for your tank needs and the situations that make algae thrive so you know what to avoid and what actions to follow for good marine tank hygiene.

Read More

Removing Algae From Your Fish Aquarium

1. After you have set-up your fish aquarium and enjoyed watching the fish in it swim about under soft or bright lighting, there is the unavoidable possibility of also dealing with scuff and algae build-up, which are natural possibilities to keeping water in an enclosed area where marine residents live and various bodily secretions take place besides plant life exists. This algae may develop through different places in the aquarium and it's not your fault - please understand that this build-up is a result of natural conditions of the tank and at times, it grows because of the strength of the light in the tank as well as the nutrients existing in the aquarium that promote its growth.

2. You need to understand the nature of algae and the various kinds that exist to ascertain the type growing in your fish tank; learn about what makes it grow, what can kill it and ways to remove it with the use of chemicals if it develops in the fish tank. This knowledge will help you stay atop any algae build-up that you can control, if not prevent entirely, since algae growing in the aquarium is a natural process.


3. Once you know of the nutrients that are promoting algae build-up, you can work to minimize or eliminate their levels so the algae do not find circumstances to thrive in; to prevent other slime from accumulating and spoiling the healthy living environment of the tank inmates and have an adverse effect on the cleanliness quotient of your aquarium, clean it immediately when you detect it building up! Begin by changing the tank water and step up to cleansing with chemicals meant to clean algae build-up.

4. Since algae build-up is caused much in part due to the lighting in the tanks, opt for reducing the brightness and heat in your fish aquarium to prevent frequent algae build-up and to have minimum use of low light levels in it and to be on the safe side, keep the aquarium out of direct sunlight since this can lead to algae build up also.


Of course, if you buy a family of fish that eat up algae you will have naturally used the best way to reduce any build-up and also found a way to build up your fish collection in the aquarium - so do consider it! After all, you have nothing to lose but algae - and everything to gain, including a beautiful and clean aquarium to give you hours of pleasure.

Read More

Purchasing Fish For Your Freshwater Aquarium

1.) As a home aquarium owner wanting to purchase freshwater fish, there are a few things you must remember; of this, the most important is that you know which kind of fish you want to keep and the other species that can stay together with them. The size of the aquarium determines how many fish you can keep comfortably in it - go by the simple thumb rule of each fish requiring at least 3 inches in each gallon of tank water so they can discover and grow naturally. Freshwater aquarium fish only grow as big as the space granted them, so you know that the more space you give them in tank water, the longer their lifespan will be!

2) Know your fish species: especially for the freshwater aquarium set up you have, in order to determine which are the types that can live in captivity, along side other varieties and the kind of tending they require in order to grow and breed. Also take the time to find out the kind of tank environment will suit the kind of freshwater fish you are keen to buy, the kind of temperature preferable to them and the food they will be eating as apart from compatibility, these factors also influence the health of your tank inmates.

3) When buying fish for your non-marine aquarium, keep in mind any advantages you can give the tank fish you purchase in terms of investing in fish that consume algae so the build-up does not affect the maintenance of the tank and makes less work for you.

4) Last, but not least, when considering buying fish for your freshwater tank, it is important to know which are the species to avoid buying that can be unfriendly - to say the least - after all, you do not want the fish in your home aquarium to live in an environment of disharmony, do you? So, learn as much as you can about which kind are territorial e.g. Catfish that can also grow big in a short time and eat into the space required by others in the tank. Also avoid buying the dangerous or poisonous kinds of fish harmful to keep in a freshwater aquarium, such as Piranhas since these can disease easily and also intimidate the other fish in the tank, which is an expense you want to avoid if you want to keep your fish happy, healthy and for a long time.

Read More