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Algae
: Microorganisms
which exist in every
aquarium. They sometimes grow to extreme levels which becomes a
nuisance or even a threat to the well being of the plants and the
fish. Many kinds and forms of them. Among them the Green, Blue green
(one of the most difficult to get rid of), brown, red, hairy etc.
Elimination : Special Algaecide products, change of the duration and
intensity of the lighting, algae eater fish or invertebrates,
elimination of phosphates. It is worthy to note that actually algae IS
a plant a very old plant adapted extremely well to almost every
condition. Because of this very simple fact, most preparations
claiming that they will eradicate algae will most probably harm your
plants as well (to some degree). An algaecide should be used only if
the other methods prove ineffective.
More related articles :
Fighting the algae with Hydrogen Peroxide
,
Fighting Blue Green Algae with
Erythromycin
Fish
Disease :
Diagnosis and therapy is not easy. A
change in behavior is indicative of a disease problem. Closed fins,
bottom resting, ataxia, nervous movements, anorexia and any kind of
spots or swelling are clear marks of disease. A handy catalog of the
most common diseases and their relative therapies is usually
available in any pet shop (usually issued by companies like Tetra,
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals etc.). A good book with photos will help
you identify the possible cause of the disease. Telling people that
"my fish has something like white wool next to its mouth"
is not really the best thing to do. Even sending a photo is not
enough. One needs to examine the fish closely in order to rule out
some possibilities or identify the symptoms of some common diseases.
More related articles :
Diseases
in the aquarium ,
A
disease list in alphabetical order (A-C)
(C-F)
(G-I)
(I-N)
(N-S)
(S-Y),
Diseases
in the Aquarium - List of Active Ingredients in alphabetical order
(A-S)
(T-V),
Over-dosing
is better than under-dosing ,
When the
going gets tough... ,
Sedation - Anesthesia
- Euthanasia ,
Only you can save your fish
,
List of medication products by leading
manufacturers ,
A "true" quarantine tank
,
A case of Pseudotropheus demasoni
inexplicable deaths
Plants
: You
may find that certain plants can grow under the specific conditions
of your aquarium while others won't. The reason is that some plants
absorb big quantities of some nutrients thus depleting it from the
water. Some plant species may secrete agents in the water which
could inhibit the growth of other species. Some may outgrow their
neighboring plants or block the light. Just keep going with the
species that suit your tank. If your intention is a well planted
aquarium special care should be taken when selecting fish in order
to avoid plant eaters (like silver dollar, kissing gourami etc).
With cichlids you need to anchor the plants, either by placing the
special weights on their roots or, far better, by securing it in
place with rocks.
More related articles :
Planted
mbuna tanks ,
Planted mbuna tank - useful tips ,
Planted Tanks - A Natural Fertilizer
Free of Charge ,
Plants - A Quick
Reference Guide ,
A planted Tank with Aesthetics
,
Hygrophila corymbosa siamensis
,
Notes on Continuous Plant
Fertilization.. and a bit more ,
A flowering Anubia
,
A step by step diary of a planted tank
,
Our new Discus tank
Water
changes :
The single most important factor for the
well being of your aquarium. A 20% water change every week is
absolutely essential. Remember to add Aqua Safe (or a similar
dechlorinating product) in every change. You should also add any
conditioners (Cichlid Vital, Salt, baking soda) or fertilizers
(Flora Pride, Iron Supplements, bottom tablets etc.) that you need.
You may have to make changes more often if you have a high fish load
in your aquarium. Some species are very prone to diseases if the
water quality is not optimum.
More related articles :
Water
changes - How to do it,
How
I run my Tanks,
How
much fresh water is there in your tank?,
Water Treatment and
Purification ,
Reverse Osmosis – What it Is and How it
Works
Filter
Maintenance :
Check regularly to make sure that your
filtration system works. I recommend cleaning your mechanical filter
at least once a month. If clogged, the bacteria will die, the toxins
will remain in the water column and disease (or death) is about
there. If you don't have an air pump for aeration and you have CO2
injection installed, checking should be made every other week. Fish
gasping for air at the surface of the water is a clear indication
that surface water movement has declined, hence your filter is
clogged.
More related articles :
On
Fluidized bed Filters ,
Filtration - Do It Yourself
,
Filtration
beyond Theory ,
The Use of Ultra Violet (UV) Radiation in Aquaria
systems ,
Using
Monitors - In a Mediterranean marine system ,
Tank Window Cleaning ,
Design and
Construction of a filtration system
(sump) ,
Replacing the filter in a
500 L tank ,
Activated Carbon
pH
: Take a measurement every week. In case
you have low buffering capacity (KH < 4) and CO2 injection
installed, you should check your pH every day till you make sure
that pH has stabilized. Once done, a weekly measurement is a must. A
pH of 7 is regarded neutral, values over 7 alkaline and values below
7 acidic. Most fish will tolerate a pH around 7-7,5. Some of them
require very alkaline water (Cichlids from the African Rift Lakes)
and others very acidic (Betta splenders - siamese fighting fish,
discus). Most species can gradually adapt to neutral pH. Use of a pH
electronic monitor is highly recommended for CO2 injection systems.
More related articles
:
pH
table ,
The
effect of pH (and not only) on fishes ,
The effect of pH on the Fry
Sex ratio ,
Simple software which makes
our life easier
KH
: Carbonate Hardness. It is an indication
of the buffering capacity of your water. The higher the KH value the
more CO2 or other acidifying agent your water will "hold"
before any significant changes in pH happen. Of outmost importance
if CO2 injection is employed. Most fish will easily tolerate KH up
to 10 while some of them will even stand a KH = 30. As always, a
gradual change is the best you can do.
More related articles
; See
table and notes ,
Simple software which makes
our life easier
GH
: General Hardness (magnesium and calcium
carbonate). Some fish (Discus for example) require a very soft water
(low GH values, 1-4) while others require a high GH (like African
cichlids from the Rift Lakes; values over 12 recommended). When
selecting new additions in your tank you should pay attention to the
requirements of the species you plan to buy. Water values should
match the ones existing or desired in your tank.
More related articles
:
See
table and notes
CO2
: Carbon
dioxide. Should be injected via a system that allows it to dissolve
in water. Such systems are the CO2 reactor, the "bell"
system or (far simpler and equally effective) inserting the CO2
outlet in your power filter's intake (in the tank). The gas is then
forced to travel for a considerable time without any escape and much
of it is dissolved. Very intense surface movement results in escape
of the gas to the atmosphere, thus air pumps should be avoided. CO2
does not replace oxygen. Water without CO2 injection contains 2-5
ppm CO2. With an injection system installed, a good range of useful
and safe (for the fish) concentrations is between 10 and 25 ppm. CO2
concentration is related to pH and KH. The formula which gives the
CO2 concentration is CO2 (ppm) = KH * 3 * 10^ ( 7 - pH ). Which
means that in very high pH values, CO2 is not dissolved no matter
how much you add. Practically, for pH values over 9 there is no CO2
dissolved. The rate CO2 is added is estimated by special bubble
counters which allow you to find the relation of CO2 added (in
bubbles per minute or second) with the CO2 actually dissolved. Bear
in mind that the bigger the tank the more bubbles per minute you
need. My 490 liter tank, with a KH = 10, requires 1 bubble per
second to have a 15-16 ppm CO2 content after 10 hours. This results
in a pH between 7-7,2. As stated before, if you intend to have
plants with mbuna, special care should be taken to inject as little
carbon dioxide as possible in order to keep the pH high.
More related articles
: See
table and notes ,
Simple software which makes
our life easier |
