Tropical Fish Information – Your Fish Tank Guru

The Nitrogen Cycle Part of the Ecosystem of a Freshwater Aquarium
By Jason MacParland

The nitrogen cycle is a natural process in any aquarium. It begins as soon as you add the first fish to the tank. Their waste products include ammonia, which starts the nitrogen cycle. During the initial setup period, it is important that you test the water quality daily, so that you can watch your tank progress through the stages of the nitrogen cycle.

In addition to simply adding fish to the aquarium, there are other ways to jump-start the nitrogen cycle. Those with saltwater aquariums can add live rock to begin the process. If you are setting up a freshwater tank, it is possible to add a cup of gravel from an established tank. Although it will contain the beneficial bacteria necessary for the nitrogen cycle, it may also contain unwanted bacteria or parasites, so this method should be used with caution.

When your new aquarium is first set up, it’s important not too add too many fish. Adding too many fish results in high levels of waste, which your new tank ecosystem may not be able to handle. As the ammonia levels spike, your fish could die. In fact, many experienced fishkeepers recommend beginning with a few inexpensive fish to begin the nitrogen cycle if you plan to keep exotic tropical fish in the aquarium. This way, if your first nitrogen cycle does not go as planned, you won’t kill off an expensive and rare fish.

As you add fish to the aquarium, ammonia levels will start to rise immediately. All of the food you put into the tank will eventually be converted into ammonia by your fish. You can expect ammonia levels to fluctuate as the aquarium ecosystem settles into a routine. However, ammonia buildup is dangerous for your fish. Signs that the ammonia is too high include red or bloodshot eyes, red inflamed gills, or red streaks on the sides of your fish. Ammonia levels of 0.25 to 0.5 parts per million (ppm) can stress your fish, while above 1.0 is considered lethal. Although it’s best to let the beneficial bacteria eat the ammonia, continuing the nitrogen cycle, if the levels get too high you should change 15 to 25 percent of the water to reduce ammonia levels. Reducing the amount of food you are feeding will reduce future ammonia levels.

Within two weeks of introducing the first fish to your new aquarium, a beneficial bacteria will start to eat the ammonia. This nitrifying bacteria converts ammonia into nitrites. Your tank may become cloudy during this stage in the process, as the bacteria multiply quickly to eat the excess ammonia. At this point, nitrites should begin appearing on your water test results.

In another week or two, you will start to see increasing nitrate levels on the water test strips. Moderate levels of nitrates cause no harm to your fish. They can build up, however, especially if you are not diligent about changing the water in the tank. If levels go above 80 to 100ppm, a water change can help increase the water quality in the aquarium. In addition to regular water changes, live plants can also remove nitrates from the aquarium environment.

The nitrogen cycle is a very important process in your aquarium. You can expect the full cycle to take anywhere from three to six weeks to become established. This step is crucial if you want the aquarium to be healthy, and it must be monitored closely with water test kits.

James MacParland is a freshwater aquarium expert. For more great information on ecosystem of a freshwater aquarium, visit http://www.easyfreshwateraquariumcare.com to learn more about setting up and maintaining a freshwater aquarium. Check out my site to learn more about the ecosystem of a freshwater aquarium and more.

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How to Select Fish For Your New Freshwater Aquarium
By Jason MacParland

New freshwater aquariums owners often can’t wait to add a lot of colorful fish to their established tank. While it is tempting to add the best looking fish to the first aquarium it is beneficial to select compatible fish so that the chosen fish live happily. This article will provide information on how to select fish for your new aquarium.

Requirements of Various Fish

Barbs are tetras are small colorful fish that look very beautiful. The tetras available in local fish shops are usually less than 1.5 inches while the barbs available in local fish shops are usually less than 2.5 inches. Barbs make great additions to a community tank but some barbs like tiger barbs are known to nip fins so they should be kept in a species only tank. Tetras on the other hand do well in small schools since they feel comfortable when they are with others of their own species. Small loaches and cory cat fish can be kept with barbs and tetras.

Livebearers like guppies and swordtails can be kept in community tanks since they are peaceful. Since mollies require brackish water to grow well it is recommended not to keep mollies with freshwater fish.

Goldfish are cold water fish that should not be mixed with tropical water fish since their temperature requirements are different.

Bettas a very beautiful and common fish are very territorial fish and males should be kept alone. Female bettas can be kept in groups of five or more provided there is enough place to hide.

Cichlids are aggressive fish that need to be kept with compatible tank mates. Oscars are large cichlids that should be kept alone. Cory cat and clown loaches fish do well in small schools.

Things to Keep in Mind

While learning how to select fish for your new aquarium you should remember that your aquarium should not be over crowded. Fish in overcrowded aquariums are prone to illnesses due to stress and bad water conditions. The fish you choose should also be comfortable in the aquarium you have. Small fish like neons and barbs can be kept in aquariums more than 10 gallons but Oscars or other larger fish need bigger aquariums. Plecos that are commonly sold as sucker catfish grow to a length of 24 inches and they should not be kept in tanks that are lesser than 60 gallons.

While selecting fish for your new aquarium you should stock your tank based on the adult size of the fish. Oscars are large fish that reach a size of 12 inches and Australian arowanas can reach a size of 26 inches. The inch per gallon rule is not the right way to calculate the number of fish you can keep since this rule is only meant for slim bodied fish like tetras. As a general rule you should give 20 gallons of water per goldfish, 55 gallons of water per Oscar, 2 gallons of water per tetra or barb and 5 gallons of water per betta. Small sized loaches and cory cat fish should be given 5 gallons of water per fish. Since clown loaches can grow to a size of 18 inches and they need to be kept in small schools these fish should be kept only in large tanks.

James MacParland is a freshwater aquarium expert. For more great information on freshwater aquarium fish, visit http://www.easyfreshwateraquariumcare.com to learn more about how to pick the right freshwater aquarium fish as well as properly setting up and maintaining a freshwater aquarium.

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There are advantages and disadvantages in any possible situation. The same thing can be said about aquariums. There are pluses and minuses about both freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Let us talk about freshwater aquariums in detail. It has already been proven that freshwater aquariums are much more comfortable in maintenance and aquarists usually have much less problems with them comparing to saltwater aquariums. Freshwater aquariums are a great decision not only for your interior decoration, but also for the decoration of offices and other premises in business centers and private rooms.

Experiences aquarists, who start up their aquariums either as a hobby or as a part of interior, are sure that there is nothing difficult about keeping aquariums. Believing them, beginners usually start aquarium as a perfect alternative to a cat or a dog. They think that it is unnecessary to care for an aquarium, but believe us, nothing is that easy, as it seems when it comes to aquariums. Don’t you believe those people, who try to convince you of acquiring aquariums and saying that it is going to be nothing, but a joy for you and your children. Of course, it cannot be denied that aquariums are beautiful and you will admire them, but you have to talk to competent people in order to get the proved information.

The aesthetic joy is going to be great if you have your own fish tank filled with a clear water and with colored fish living inside. Aquariums are considered to be a nice cure of psychological tensions and depressions, which can strike you everywhere – from your work to your home. They are advised and used to ease the nervous states and rather helpful when curing heart diseases. Now, imagine that you come home after a long and tiresome business day. You feel distressed and exhausted. You can easily ease your state by spending a half an hour, sitting in your favorite armchair in front of your fish tank and admiring a small beautiful underwater world, you have created with your own hands. Wonderful perspective, isn’t it? So why don’t you just examine several books on aquarium maintenance and go to the nearest pet shop? You will be offered a great option of species, which will make your aquarium look beautiful. Choose an average-sized aquarium, requiring o special place in your house. You will be able to install it on a solid wooden coffee table, on your desk or wherever you wish. If you want to have a larger fish tank, you will have to take care of a separate base capable of holding even the heaviest fish tanks. Such bases are even more comfortable, because you will not have to move objects or a fish tank itself in order to feed your species or clean your aquarium. Whatever fish tank you choose, it will become an inalienable part of your interior, making it cozy and comfortable.

For the info about fish aquariums, freshwater aquarium tips and resources to get fish tank table – please visit this blog.

And use your golden chance to find the best bargain on the market. We are living in the world where information makes life easier.

That is why if you are properly armed with the information in your sphere of interest you can be sure that you will always find the solution to any bad situation. So, please make sure to get back to this blog on a regular basis or – the easiest way to take care of it – sign up to its RSS feed. Thus you will have a direct shortcut to the latest informational updates here. Blogging can be helpful, you just need to understand how to use them.

As well as any other hobby, aquariums require a great deal of attention and care. There are so many peculiarities and care requirements, typical of this or that breed of fish and that must be observed in order to have healthy fish. Most people start up aquariums, because they think that it is going to be the most suitable variant for occupied people, who have no time to care for cats and dogs. It is the greatest delusion that can be imagined. You have to pay much more attention to your fish tank than you think. Moreover, there will be some unplanned investments into your fish tank, like additional filters, lighting equipment, new species, etc. The greatest difference between the maintenance of aquariums lies in their types. There are two general types of aquariums – freshwater and saltwater aquariums. As you understand, there are a lot of factors to consider, when choosing the type of aquariums. Freshwater aquariums are very popular nowadays and this popularity is mostly predetermined by the simplicity in maintenance. When it comes to saltwater aquariums, we have to admit that they are much more difficult to be kept, because of specific conditions preferred by exotic species. The first and the most important thing about the both types of aquariums is the acid-base level, also known as PH level of water. Fish are extremely sensitive to PH changes of water and can experience shock or even die because of these changes. Irrespectively of what type of aquarium you choose, you have to buy the PH measuring device in the first place. Water hardness is one more factor that must be considered in definite cases. The thing is, there are several breeds of fish, which are intolerant of certain hardness rates. Anyway, there are ways to help you with the maintenance of the water on one and the same PH and hardness level. There are special PH buffers available in most of pet shops, so if you see that there are considerable changes of PH level, you can buy a buffer and normalize the situation.

The third important factor that can influence the health of your species is the temperature of water. It is necessary that you examine some literature of an aquarist and get the information on temperature preferences of fish. Different breeds like different temperatures and if you don’t maintain the temperature average for all your species, or choose the fish that are not compatible, the problem will arise and you can lose the most beautiful species because of your carelessness. So, think twice before choosing the right type of aquarium for you, and if you are a business person and go on business trips often, you’d better choose a freshwater aquarium for your home.

For the info about fish aquariums, freshwater aquarium tips and resources to get fish tank table – please visit this blog.

And use your golden chance to find the best bargain on the market. We live in the world where knowledge quickly enhances the quality of our life.

Due to this if you are properly armed with the knowledge in your topic you can rest assured that you will in any case find the way out from any bad situation. So, please make sure to track this site on a regular basis or – the least time consuming way of doing it – sign up to its RSS feed. In such an easy way you will have a direct shortcut to the freshest info updates here. Blogging can be helpful, you just need to know how to use them.