Petsmu

The most important objective in keeping tropical fish is to replicate the natural environment that the fish originally came from. There is a natural balance that fish like between water, plants, aeration and quality of water. If the tank is in balance – in general you will not get disease.

Out of Balance

However there are many simple reasons why your tank may move out of balance, causing stress to the fish and encouraging disease in the tank:

* The introduction of a new fish
* Too many fish
* Too little air circulation
* Too small a surface area
* Introduction of new plants
* Poor maintenance regime giving poor water quality.

Most aquarium disease can be avoided by making sure your aquarium water is healthy. Neglecting the appropriate tank maintenance and partial water changes will allow toxins to build up in the water, basically polluting your fish’s environment. As the water becomes more toxic your fish become more “stressed”, the more stressed your fish becomes the easier it is for the micro organisms present in your aquarium water to infect your fish with various diseases.

However, there are many diseases that can affect your aquarium fish and once your tank is infected, there’s a good change that all your fish will get sick. If disease does break out, doing a partial water change and treating the water for the particular disease is the best way to nip it in the bud. If you don’t do these two things your tank is liable to fail.

Stressed Fish

In addition to keeping good water quality in your aquarium, you should also keep an eye on your fish each day so that you can be alerted to any signs of stress right away and take the appropriate action.

Stressed tropical fish give out some tell tale signs you can be on the look out for including:

· Rubbing themselves against the gravel or aquarium décor

· Hiding in the corner or under plants or rocks all the time

· Floating at an angle with their fins close to they body

· Any growths or white fuzzy spots.

Of course, the first step in treating aquarium disease is preventing it…

Keep your aquarium in balance and it will help you enjoy beautiful healthy fish for years to come…

About the author: Pete owns Tropical Fish Advice which is a resource dedicated to helping individuals interested in all types of Tropical Fish
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Setting up an aquarium requires some basic knowledge but is not such a daunting task as one would first imagine.

Before putting anything in the aquarium, make sure that the glass is quite clean. You will not have the opportunity again for a long, long time. If you have an old tank, scrape off all lime deposits from the glass. Scrub inside with ordinary table salt and a very little water. Rinse well. If this does not remove all deposits, use steel wool or a razor blade scraper.

Throughout the United States and Canada, dealers carry packaged sand for aquariums. This is the recommended sand, but if you are in a position where no dealer is available, we suggest you use river sand or one of the coarse heavy sands used by builders. Silver sand and other very fine kinds are of no use because they rise too easily in the water. Because much of the sand throughout the United States is lime bearing, a simple test should be made to see that your sand is free of all lime.

Heavy sand ballast of several kinds, having different colors, can sometimes be obtained from any builder’s yard. It must be put through a wire sieve to remove all stones, and then washed thoroughly to remove all dust, dirt and finer sand.

The washing can be done by placing it in a bucket and under a tap in the sink or a hose in the garden. Stir thoroughly until the water overflowing from the bucket runs clear. A test can be made by putting some of the sand in a jar and pouring water on it. If the water is not clouded, the sand is ready.

Now the sand, still wet, is spread carefully over the whole base of the tank. If you are using the biological filtration method of keeping your aquarium clean, hold the filter panel firmly in place with one hand. Then take handfuls of sand and throw lightly on filter and around edges to cover filter. Add more wet sand to whatever depth you may wish. One to two inches is good. Generally, it is sloped to be deeper at the back.

At this point the rocks can be added. If more than one level is needed, two or three fairly large pieces of rock can be placed in a row, or a semicircle, and the place enclosed by them filled with sand. If just one level is planned, smaller pieces can be placed at desired spots as though carried there by river action.

Do not overdo the rockwork. We have seen tanks that look more like a stonemason’s yard, or a cemetery, than an underwater scene. Remember that rocks displace water, and that of the two, water is the more valuable to the fishes and plants.

The best kinds of rock to use are the sandstones, of which there are many kinds, in various shades of brown, yellow, green, and gray. Granites may also be used, and some varieties of quartz, which give a very fanciful effect, but are inclined to present sharp edges on which fish may injure themselves.

When possible, the stone selected should already be water-worn, as this looks more natural and is not so likely to be injurious as that newly broken. Limestone is not safe to use as some kinds allow the water to dissolve the lime and so harden the water. Marble, alabaster, spar, and gypsum are the worst offenders and should never be used. Colorful rocks should be tested before using, as some of them contain chemicals that are poisonous to fish; for example, copper-bearing rocks. Slate, coal or coke (first well washed) can be used with effect at times.

When all is ready, we can turn our attention to filling the tank with water.
Congratulations! You are on your way to having a fully functional aquarium.

About the author: Sought-After Manual Resurfaces With The Secret Formula For World Class Aquarium Decorations! Click Here For Free Online Ebook http://www.aquariumdecoration.net/
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Selecting a tank for saltwater aquariums is not something to do on a whim. There are a number of factors you should take into consideration.

Width: You should get the widest tank you have available considering the space you have to allocate for it. A mistake would be thinking that upgrading to a wider tank later would be easy. You might be able to get a larger tank but you would also have to upgrade all of the equipment in it, making the upgrade project up to five more times as expensive then if you get the largest tank that will fit in the space you have allocated as possible. Also in that regard, fish tend to grow when you feed them. If you get a small tank and your fish grow, you will have to upgrade to accommodate them. But if you start with a wide tank from the start, then when your fish grow you will only have to provide them will more food. The environment you first created will still be sound.

Height: Fish swim horizontally not vertically, so the more feet wide your tank is, the happier an environment you are creating for your fish. A mistake is to think that height matters. Unless you are getting very big fish, then a higher tank will only make it harder to provide the right lighting. Opting for a wide, low tank is a much better option. Your fish won’t know the difference, but you will when you get your water and electricity bill.

Water: No matter what size you select for your saltwater tank, you will want to have access to water for the purpose of making the task of changing the water in your task easier. The last thing you want to have to do is cart fifty-five to a hundred gallons of water up or down a flight of stairs. If you can be assured that you can at least have a hose to move your replacement saltwater into your tank, then you will have a far easier time changing the water, which you will want to do because of the positive effects on your livestock and the negative effects that changing the water has on pesky algae.

Environmental Factors: You want to keep your tank away from anything that will affect your ability to control the environmental factors in your tank. Allowing sunlight to beam onto your tank is a mistake as it will cause both heat and light, and will encourage algae to grow, and saltwater plants to not grow as well. Next you have to look at radiators or heaters, and ensure that your tank is not near them because the heat generated will definitely cause your control over the environment in your tank to get out of your control.

Type: Initially, acrylic may appear to have a nicer image, but it is very easy to scratch, and over time, micro-scratches create a dull look that counter-acts the initial beauty. Regular glass tends to look a bit greenish because of the iron, so for the best look, spend the money and get a tank made of low iron float glass.

About the author: SaltySupply.com offers the most premium aquarium supplies on the net. We offer protein skimmers, powerheads, pumps and more for your saltwater aquarium
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com