It was in the late nineteenth century that fish were first kept at home. Originally they were kept for a short span of time and used for consumption. You would normally find home aquariums in towns along the coast where the fish were easily available. Today, nobody would even think of lowering a net into the tank to cook and serve the pet on the dinner table. Home aquariums are meant to entertain and enjoy. They add color and life to any home. They have a soothing effect on the observers. For this reason they are displayed in physician’s offices and at shopping centers where the kids are kept busy while their parents shop.

Let’s examine the benefits of keeping fish rather than bigger animals as pets.

1. They don’t require much care as compared to other pets like dogs, cats or birds. If you are going away on holiday it is okay for you to leave the fish on its own for even a week or more. You just have to get a kind neighbor to feed them maybe a couple of times.

2. They are low maintenance. Although a home aquarium does need recurring cleaning and other maintenance, it is slight as compared to the larger pets.

3. They become a terrific learning tool for growing children. If the kids are involved in caring for the aquarium they learn to be responsible. You can teach them to feed the fish and clean out the tank. It also helps toddlers develop their language skills as they make conversation with the fish. You can name each fish and educate your kids the fun way by asking them to tell the color of the fish or count them. A fish floating at the top is something nobody would want, but since death is unavoidable this is a simple way to help your children understand it and learn to cope.

4. In today’s world with an endless number of cable channels and video games. An aquarium would add a rejuvenating source of fun to the home. So the next time you gather for dinner, turn their attention from the tv to the aquarium and talk about it. This will lead to a lifetime interest in fish keeping as a hobby.

Why wait? Get your home a planted tank with fish now!

David

Elimination of encrusting algae can be accomplished by simply scouring the aquarium sides or cleansing the rocks occasionally. If you have plastic plants and a gravel bed which is entirely white, it will require more effort as you would need to bleach the gravel to eliminate the algae altogether. But if you use bleach which is very poisonous, you must meticulously wash out the gravel thereafter or else even tiny traces could have an adverse effect on the fish in the aquarium.

Extra light is the main reason for green algae. The first few things you should do to eliminate the algae is to reduce the light, change water fractionally and replace the artificial plants with live aquarium plants. Thereafter, an algae killing formula should make sure that the crisis has been eliminated, not to reappear for awhile. Only make sure you don’t overuse it!

What is even more important is to first eliminate the causes that brought about the algae in the first place. Using live aquatic plants is one of the most successful methods of keeping the algae away. Abundant growth of the aquarium plants will filter out the extra light thus keeping the algae under control. Besides, aquatic plants absorb a lot of nutrients from the water therefore leaving extremely little for the algae to feast on. You will be surprised to learn that the ideal plants to space ratio is about 50 to a square foot.

Green algae is supposed to be tasty and an excellent way of eliminating it is to introduce some algae eating fish like the Suckermouth Catfish, Siamese Algae Eater, Peckoltia, Ancistrus or Otocinlus. Is your aquarium lit continuously? Too much light can promote the growth of algae. By making sure your aquarium is lit for at most ten hours in a day, and removing whatever green algae you can get your hands on, you can restrict the growth of algae quite effectively.

You can control the growth of algae by changing the water time and again. In so doing, you will maintain the nutrient levels in the aquarium, which are vital in restricting the growth of algae. You must introduce suitable live aquatic plants that absorb high levels of the same nutrients needed by algae. This will result in the algae getting starved thereby reducing its chances of survival.

The suggestions mentioned here have to be carried out faithfully if you want to have an algae-free aquarium on a continuous basis.

Read on more tips on anti-algae solutions!

David
AquaticMagic ~ Grow Happiness

The salt-water fish tank represents a unique complex of conditions that accurately imitates the sea as a natural environment with its set of complicated biochemical interactions. It demands regular maintenance and control of the water quality – at least once per week.

The salt-water fish tank is possible to maintain although it requires much more of a time commitment than a freshwater aquarium. Its inhabitants require more attention to maintain them in a healthy condition. The main difficulty is the necessity of keeping the water in appropriate condition without any drastic changes all at once as the fish cannot tolerate that. For example, replace a third or at most a half of the water at one time. Lesser volumes per change are best.

Never change all of the water to clean water at one time. This will cause the fish great distress. They will either die or live on in an unhealthy state for six months, and then die. The inexperienced aquarist will not necessarily connect the two events, his changing the water drastically (too much at a time) rather than gradually to maintain the appropriate water conditions and the death of the fish. The maintenance of the oxygen in the water of the salt-water fish tank should also be closely monitored. The regular filtration and water regeneration are obligatory.

Perhaps the beginning aquarist should first have a freshwater tank to gain experience. It would be very disappointing to deal with the pet fish dying quickly especially if it is known they have suffered rather than finished their average life span and then died.

What a pleasure it is to come home to the enjoyment of watching your fish swimming happily around in the environment you created for them. This however, is not an inexpensive undertaking. It requires an original investment in an aquarium, pump, lighting system and heater. Careful evaluation of purchasing the fish and plants that can both flourish in the same underwater environment requires study and careful thought.

If you do acquire an aquarium for the first time the volume of water should be at least ten gallons and preferably twenty gallons. Its structure (the saltwater aquarium) requires installation, illumination and heating just as the freshwater tank does. At least give careful thought to beginning with a freshwater tank of about twenty gallons for an optimal first experience at keeping fish.

Give it a thought. If this is really what you wish to have, and what you are ready for, go and get it started, and enjoy the great sense satisfaction when the salt water tank is ready for display in your living room!

David
AquaticMagic ~ Grow Happiness

A fascinating, planted aquarium can help create a focal point in your living room, it can transform a corner of your office into a liquid Zen garden to help relieve stress and it can create a more relaxing, pleasant atmosphere to help you relax.

We have been working out a starter kit (as shown in the demo tank above), which is ideal for beginners in planted tank, or those hobbyists in aquarium but wish to make use of the aquarium plants for the landscape design, instead of using artificial ornaments in the tank.

The planted tank starter kits will be designed for a 2-feet aquarium (54 liters or 15 Gallons), comes with Java fern (mid-ground), Cryptocoryne Balansae (background), Xmas moss (foreground) and CO2 tablets (no clumsy CO2 systems/regulators, extremely easy for beginners to maintain the tank).

On top of that, the starter kit will be offered together with a 10-step easy to follow start-up guide, as well as bundled price for the hardy plants specially designed for beginners. It is really different from the starter kits offered from other pet store or huge online store, where the sellers might not have a in-depth knowledge of what is really suitable for beginners.

We will update you once the starter kit is available at our aquarium plant store.

David
AquaticMagic ~ Grow Happiness

It is not difficult to deduce why most aquariums have aquatic plants. Having aquarium plants in your aquarium not only adds to its aesthetic beauty but also creates an environment closer to the natural habitat of your pet fish. A lot of species of fish feel secure and comfy when there are plants to hide around and there are some that will just not thrive in the absence of plants. Some species of fish live around rocks and feel safe among rocky and cave-like structures. If you find that the fish are damaging your plants by feasting on them or uprooting them, try using rocks and some bits of wood. Or perhaps you could select floating aquarium plants that don’t need to go into the substrate or plant hardy aquarium plants that grow pretty fast and are none the worse after being nibbled at.

Aquatic plants maintain the quality of water in the tank besides beautifying it and providing shelter to your fish. Just as plants and fish exist together in the wild waters and maintain the ecosystem so also they bring the same benefits while living together in an aquarium. The waste matter let out by the fish serves as a manure to the plants. Thus, instead of floating around in the tank and causing harm to your fish, it will be put to good use if you have live aquarium plants in your tank. However, you must make sure that you trim the plants on a regular basis and remove the dead or rotting parts so that the water does not get polluted. The live aquarium plants use carbon dioxide thus maintaining a healthy level in the tank and produce oxygen which is crucial for the fish. The plants are also home to a variety of micro organisms which help maintain the water content. Having live aquarium plants leaves very few nutrients for the growth of algae.

Several species of fish will just not reproduce in an aquarium having no plants. A few species need the plants just to hide around them and feel safe. Others require leaves to fasten their eggs to. If you are bringing up the baby fish in the same tank as the adult fish, the survival rate of the young ones is found to be much higher if the aquarium is dense with plants, creating a great hiding place for them. Plants with plenty of tiny leaves should work well. Fry that has newly hatched can also use little caves, stones or any artificial decoration as a safe hiding place.

For the process of photosynthesis, plants require light. If your aquarium has only fish, you don’t need much light. But if you decide to plant your aquarium densely, you will need to enhance the lighting. Fluorescent lights work better than the normal incandescent ones. However, although they are comparatively a bit more expensive, they do not give out as much heat and save electricity. Some plants require even stronger light, but to begin with let us stick to rugged aquatic plants like Java Moss and Java Fern. These live aquarium plants can endure a varied series of pH values and water hardness.

Instead of planting Java Fern in the substrate, it is better to fasten it to a bit of rock or wood where it will start giving out roots. Java Moss and Java Fern both multiply easily. Soon you will find that little plants have appeared on the old ones. Just break them off and attach them to some support and watch them grow all over again.

Read on more about setting up a simple nano tank to fit into a small corner of your home, or even in the tidy office space.

David
AquaticMagic ~ Grow Happiness

This is posted by the creative guys from Curiousphotos.blogspot.com. Nice for them to share, great for us to see.

If you happen to set up one of such aquarium tank in your home, please do not flush too often - leave some for the fish!

David
AquaticMagic ~ Grow Happiness

There are practices that can be followed by all who keep fish as a hobby. It doesn’t sound like a difficult program to follow. It will benefit your fish and the planet for future generations such as your kids and grandkids by keeping the planet as green as possible. If we all do our part, it will be for the benefit of the Earth.

Live plants will aerate and clean the aquarium water. Planting several varieties will assure you of providing the fish with the cleanest possible environment. Believe it or not, fish are subject to stress. Since they can’t take tranquilizers you keep them happy by giving them plants to hide among and nibble upon.

It places a strain on the fish if you change more than twenty per cent of the water at a time.

This will protect them from shock. Changing more at a time can cause an imbalance in the healthy bacteria required in the water. Clean the gravel and try to siphon the water to be changed from the bottom of the tank.

The water you siphon can be used to water your regular plants around the home. With its natural fertilizer created by the waste your fish produce, it is good for land plants too. For fun try watering one part of your lawn with this water regularly. It will stand out in its improved look, thereby proving the benefits to your house plants. Using it on the house plants should be done on a monthly basis. More would be detrimental to them.

If you want to give your pet fish a natural treat go catch a few mosquitoes. They’ll become active right in front of your eyes as they chase them to eat them. The more your approach to setting up your aquarium and maintaining it replicates nature and the environment your fish would experience in the wild, the happier each little wet pet will be…
Let’s go green. Reduce our carbon footprint even when you are building your aquarium!

David

I came across this creative aquarium photo a couple of months back - but I couldn’t find the source any more (if anyone knows, please tell me)

This is a very fantastic setup - I hope to get one of these tank at our place as well.

The thin-leave plant at the background is called Hairgrass (or Eleocharis parvula). This is definitely an excellent photo suitable for your wallpaper.

If you would like to take up the challenge, and setup a creative aquarium like this, you will stand a very high chance in winning the AquaticMagic “Tank of the Month” aquarium photo contest!

David
AquaticMagic ~ Grow Happiness

One of the methods for keeping algae away from your aquarium plants is to use the easy estimating index procedure of adding a prescribed amount of nutrients to your tank without having to use any test kits. You have to keep adding the required nutrients on a regular basis so there is no shortfall and change the water every week to prevent saturation. Thus, you can effortlessly sustain a moderate level of nutrients even without having to use a test kit.

However, if you have no time to spare in order to change the water on a weekly basis, here is a simple, quick, effectual and unconventional way of getting rid of algae from your Java moss or any other aquarium moss or aquatic plants you might have.

All you need is bleach and water. Make a mixture of bleach and water in the ratio of 5 parts bleach to 95 parts water in a receptacle. Add the moss. Swirl it around a bit and wait for a couple of minutes. The algae will get bleached if it is of the soft variety. If it is the hardier one like Hair Algae or Black Brush Algae, they will pale in color and eventually die.

Remove the moss from the container and rinse it thoroughly to make sure no traces of bleach are left. Alternatively, you could treat the moss to a solution of anti-bleach in another receptacle. After following these steps you may as well consider your moss to be brand new.

Considering that your aquarium is rampant with algae, bleaching the java moss alone will not eradicate it. This procedure works best for outgrown receptacles you might have for nurturing baby fish. Normally we might add some aquarium moss like Java moss to the receptacle to absorb the surplus nutrients. By the time the young ones (called the fry) have matured, normally the moss would be stricken with algae again.

Dipping in bleach would make the moss usable again. Make sure you bleach the receptacle as well and keep the bleach out of reach of little children. It is poisonous in an undiluted state.

David

There is quite a bit of debate regarding aquarium plants and allelopathy. Do live aquarium plants emit chemicals into the water to combat algae? Tests in controlled environments are inconclusive at best. While it is true that having live aquarium plants reduces algae growth, there are a number of factors that must be considered.

Aquatic plants are only one part of a thriving ecosystem which consists primarily of live aquarium plants, light, and fish. After reading my verified opinion, you’ll understand the importance of having aquarium plants in your tank.

Live aquarium plants and algae have similar needs. A healthy tank, with a variety of aquatic plants and fish, does not encourage algae growth. For this reason, allelopathy seems to be having an affect.

It is easy to see how one could conclude that these aquatic plants are releasing anti-algae chemicals into the water. Without enough live aquarium plants, algae fills the role of absorbing carbon compounds, and as algae grows, the flora becomes further weakened. Sufficient live aquarium plants kill algae by competing more efficiently for the chemicals and nutrients available via fish waste or dissolved fish food. Rather than emitting chemical agents, aquatic plants are better able to take away the chemicals which are already there.

And here we see the role of fish in maintaining the health of aquarium plants. Not only do live aquarium plants provide shelter for fish and add decoration, aquatic plants also provide a natural cleaning system, recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen, converting fish waste into fertilizer for aquatic plant growth. Once a healthy amount of lighting is provided for live aquarium plants and fish both, you’ll see how aquatic plants play such a vital role in the tank.

In a very real sense, allelopathy is going on, perhaps not in a way that is poisonous to algae, but in a competitive fashion. Algae growth is a sign of the tank being out of balance, possibly because there aren’t enough aquatic plants. Adding more live aquarium plants, and making sure that the aquatic plants are getting eight to 10 hours of light per day should help. A weekly check of pH (using pH tester) and gH balances should be sufficient when there is a healthy balance of fish and aquarium plants. Allelopathic symptoms occur as healthy aquatic plants push out algae growth.

Using aquatic plants is a natural, beautifying method of controlling algae growth, beyond a doubt. Live aquarium plants provide a necessary link in a tank’s ecosystem.

David