Discover the classic Aquarium book; for novice aquarists and experts alike. This is the first Atlas Dr Baensch authored and stands as the classic work in defining the characteristics required to sucessfully keep and breed. A must for understanding what is in the beginning aquarium and for planning the future inhabitants at all levels. A good rounded book, informative in all areas of Aquatic endeavors.
I know there is such a huge amount of information on the Internet that it is easy to become confused.
When searching for information on a specific topic, it is so easy to get off the original topic when following a set of key words through various articles. One of the most confusing for me is to keep my focus when viewing the offerings of the various Video sites, such as YouTube.
Water is the support system for all aquatic life. It provides the medium for movement, oxygen, toxin disposal and every other aspect of a fish’s life requirements. As such it is the single most important element in the aquarium to keep fish healthy and disease free. Its chemistry can be extremely complex if you want to make it so, but for the novice aquarist there are some simple concepts that must be understood. Water is the single most important factor in the success during maturation of the beginning aquarium.
Since water is so important, it is pretty surprising how often it is neglected by the modern aquarist. This often translates into serious omissions when advanced hobbyists discuss the new aquarium with beginners. Sometimes the all-pervasive aspect is just simply taken for granted. Local pet stores can provide quite a wealth of information on your regional characteristics. The most important of these characteristics are pH and hardness. Although in some cases these are overstressed, they do form an important aspect of successful fishkeeping for many species.
One other vital characteristic of many municipal water supplies is the type of chemical added by the municipality to make the water “potable” or fit for human consumption. Cities and towns often add chlorine or chloramine to their water supplies to ensure the safety of the drinking water for their citizens. Either chemical is effective in destroying most disease causing bacteria that could be carried in the drinking water. Unfortunately, both are also quite effective in killing beneficial bacteria that help a new aquarium installation as well. This indiscriminate destruction of bacterial strains is absolutely required to ensure the drinking water supplied to the tap is safe and harmless when it is consumed by humans.
The problem is that chlorine and chloramine are also deadly to fish. These must be removed BEFORE the water may be used to keep fish alive. There are any number of products on the market that will do the job, some much better than others. Local advice is strongly recommended in this area.
Well water may not have the toxicity added to the water by a city, but it can have other problems associated with it, most often in the form of extreme hardness or heavy metal toxicity. Often this water is softened by commercial water softeners that use salt for their softening effect. This is also a cause for concern, as the softening process can leave the water unsuitable for fish.
Making water safe for fish
Well Water
Well water provides a number of challenges to the modern aquarist. The solutions are varied. It is best to seek the advice of a local pet store expert who should have a better idea of the particular problems local well water may pose in the region. If well water is causing stress or even death for your fish, it it might be time to consider using distilled water or a commercial water treatment system to removes everything from the water, leaving it as close to pure H2O as possible. On problem with distilled or RO (Reverse Osmosis) water is that the pH may require chemical adjustment. Standard tap water is far from pure, it contains many other trace elements that are vital to fish, so the use of 100% distilled water all the time is highly discouraged.
Municipal Tap Water
Most aquarists, however, have municipally treated water delivered to the home or office. Although the assorted water characteristics vary tremendously by region, a few “rules of thumb” have provided me with success for the past few decades.
Pond Rule of Thumb # 1
NEVER add untreated tap water to an operating aquarium. Always ensure all chlorine or chloramine has been neutralized before it can contact any live fish. Follow the instructions on your chosen water conditioner carefully. Remember most preparations are labelled for US gallons.
** Be sure you know the capacity of the aquarium (in US gallons) when it is empty, in the long run this is the best quantity to use when medicating the aquarium. **
Chlorine Removal
Chlorine is essentially a gas – it enters the water and will remain there for a limited length of time. After this it disperses into the atmosphere, leaving sterile water that is suitable for supporting life. The old time aquarists knew this and always kept uncovered containers full of tap water to age in case of emergency and for regular aquarium maintenance.
[hint]
** I can’t stress the importance of regular aquarium maintenance enough **
Modern methods are quicker – use a suitable water conditioner and the prepared tap water is ready for immediate use. A common mistake made by many novices is to add the water conditioner to the aquarium directly. When this happens, there is a segment of time when the chlorine is active within the aquarium to stress and kill fish. Chlorine (and Chloramine) is an oxidizer, it will burn anything that it contacts, such as delicate gill tissue.
**
** Always prepare your water in a clean container, removing chlorine
** completely in the bucket BEFORE adding the replacement water to the
** aquarium. It is highly recommended to purchase a plastic bucket expressly
** for aquarium water ONLY. Label the bucket:
**”FOR AQUARIUM USE ONLY”
** and never, Never, NEVER use the bucket to hold a cleaning solution
** with soap!!! Soap is toxic to fish and it remains in the plastic pores to cause
** stress to aquarium inhabitants since embedded detergent and soap traces are
** released into treated water during later water changes.
**
Consider one of the many water conditioners on the market, Aqua-Plus (Nutrafin), AquaSafe (Tetra) and Stress Coat (Jungle), all protect by artificially coating the fish with a replacement compound when/if the natural slime coating may accidentally be removed by netting or other stressful situations. Slime is a fish’s natural defense against external parasites. When this protective layer is scraped away, parasites have an easy time invading under the scales and gaining a foothold. Water conditioners are especially recommended for a newly set-up aquarium where fish are added immediately. Since they must be netted and moved, a water conditioner with this feature will add a complete protective layer just when the fish need it most, during the most stressful time of their lives.
Chloramine Removal
Chloramine is deadly. It is added to the water supply of some cities where the water is transported for long distances or stored for an extended period. Two I know of personally are Edmonton Alberta (for as long as I have known the city) and Ottawa, Ontario (for the past few of years). Chloramine is used because it stays around for a long time, it doesn’t dissipate like chlorine. It MUST be chemically removed. Since it is a combination of chlorine and ammonia in liquid form, it must be removed in two stages.
Stage 1) The Chlorine bond must be broken. Almost any pure Chlorine remover can be used. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Chlorine and Chloramine Remover, Wardley’s SuperChlor or Jungle Start Right will break the chloramine bond adequately. But, in the long run, I highly suggest using the previously mentioned water conditioners with their added slime bandage and heavy metal neutralizers as well.
The only caveat for any of these products is that standard chlorine doses are not powerful enough. Normally a three to four time dosage is needed to release the chlorine and precipitate it out. Always be sure to use an adequate dose to eliminate the chloramine from the water supply, if in doubt use slightly more than the instructions require. In this case, truly it is better to be safe than sorry.
Stage 2) When the Chlorine-Ammonia bond is broken, the ammonia that was combined with chlorine is released. This toxin can kill fish in relatively low concentrations when the pH of the water is high. If the water is acid, this problem is greatly diminished, but must be factored in nonetheless.
There are a number of ways to eliminate the released ammonia in the tap water after the chlorine has been eliminated. I generally let nature take its course, relying on the natural ability of the nitrogen cycle to remove ammonia from the water column. Cycle by Hagen is always added regularly to my aquariums to ensure the maximum efficiency of the biological filtration, no matter what filtration system I am using. I have found its extremely high concentrations of beneficial bacteria (nitrosomonas and nitrobacter) reliably inoculate the aquarium and small increases in ammonia from added tap water are consumed without noticeable stress to the fish. In larger aquariums, over 40 gallons the water capacity is great enough to disperse any ammonia released from breaking the chloramine bond that it is not very deadly.
In established large aquaria, I generally ignore the added ammonia since a properly functioning bacterial filter will utilize it before it can become a stressful condition for the assorted inhabitants.
With susceptible species or aquariums where even the slightest increase in ammonia concentrations are lethal, I suggest considering adding a Zeolite filter media in the filter chamber. Zeolite products are normally marketed as Ammonia Removers and are available from a number of companies. Zeolite media acts like a resin to chemically bond with the free ammonia and remove it from the water solution. Zeolite preparations can be recharged, they simply have to be placed in a strong brine solution to force the captured ammonia from the substance. I do not highly recommend this practice since there is no physical change that identifies how charged the ammonia remover is, or how long it will continue to remove passing ammonia.
Since ammonia is released by a solution of brine water, it follows that Zeolite preparations are not at their best in marine situations. What aquarist would knowingly put a material into his aquarium that will tend to release the very poison that is being eliminated? For this reason, I personally do not recommend the above mentioned Zeolite filter materials to ever be considered for marine aquarists, they are strictly for fresh water.
Many people will make their first aquarium purchase on a whim, or suddenly be given a starter kit as a gift. When that happens, there is often not much time or thought given to seven vital factors that can determine the long-term health of the ecology of the fish’s habitat. If you find yourself in this situation, or even when more rationally taking added time before making your first tank purchase, give the following points some serious consideration.
I’m not even talking about the inside fixtures of an aquarium, those will be dealt with in a future entry. No, before you even add the gravel or the first rock decoration, you need to carefully think about where and how the aquarium is situated.
1) Location (location, location). Water is very heavy, it weighs about 8 pounds per gallon, but with all the gravel and decorations, I use ten pounds per gallon as my rule of thumb. That means that even the common ten gallon beginner’s aquarium will weigh about 100 pounds. Most floors can take that relatively well, but when larger tanks are considered, that load should always be placed on a supporting wall. So the very first consideration when placing any tank is that the floor will be well able to support the weight. It just makes sense that that much weight be placed on a supporting wall, preferably on the inside of the structure so as many other factors can be kept under control as possible.
There are a couple other rarely talked about factors to also consider in initial location.
The first; the amount of general traffic around the tank makes a difference for all concerned, fish and viewers alike. If an aquarium is in a high traffic area, the fish will be constantly subjected to lots of noise and visual movement, making them a bit less natural and possibly timid. The correct choice of location is optimized by placement where there is less traffic and movement as well as a comfortable place for viewing. This set-up will allow the viewer to enjoy the living picture uninterrupted for a relaxing period away from the hustle and bustle of the real world. Lack of outside distractions and activity will also allow the fish to concentrate on their habitat and act much more naturally.
The second is an outgrowth of the weight of water. If an aquarium is placed in the middle of a floor that is not strongly supported in a heavily trafficked area, the activity around the aquarium will often cause the floor to vibrate and move, creating constant added movement within the aquarium and causing undue long-term stress to the fish and other inhabitants. The best way to prevent this is to ensure the tank is placed close to a supporting wall
2) Proper Support. So often, people decide that a piece of furniture they own is suitable to support an aquarium. This uninformed decision often sets the stage for a disaster later. There is a real reason why many aquariums are sold with the express warranty rider that the aquarium must be supported on a properly manufactured aquarium stand. This is not simply a ploy to sell an extra accessory, but truly an important safeguard for the aquarium. That strong wood table you are planning to put the aquarium on is usually the reason for a sudden, catastrophic failure. Any strong apparently flat surface simply won’t do!
You need a stand that will properly support the weight, and not suffer from the strain of so much weight on such a localized surface area. Proper support for an aquarium actually isn’t a flat surface under the entire surface area of the aquarium. Solid wood or not, the weight will eventually warp slightly, and if you accidentally drip water on the surface, that warping and swelling happens even more often. The result of a suddenly uneven support placing stress on the glass box is most often a stress crack. It only takes a miniscule shifting of the contact on the side glass panes and bottom to cause a break and leaking. Don’t take the chance of a broken aquarium from a shifting support not made especially for the aquarium that is not able to take the weight over the long term.
3) Lighting Considerations. Another important consideration in aquarium placement is in regard to lighting. Unless you plan to have the aquarium mainly a plant tank with few fish, the illumination in the system should be artificial. Ensure that sunlight cannot hit the aquarium at any time during daylight hours.
A disturbing phenomenon, green water, is caused almost exclusively when sunlight strikes the aquarium for even a short period during the day. Green water is the result of single celled suspended plants termed algae suddenly exploding in population. The main and almost sole cause of this is direct sunlight. Eradicating the problem is very difficult once it begins. As a word to the wise, eliminate the possibility by ensuring that natural sunlight does not get into your new aquarium. If this wasn’t a great reason to keep sunlight out, here is a another one. Sunlight can also temporarily heat the tank as well, making temperature control difficult.
Actual artificial lighting selection is a topic in itself, and will be handled at a later date. For the moment I am assuming that the ligting type is a part of the equipment presently sitting on your floor. That should be installed as per manufacturer instructions when you get to that time. For the moment you still need to ensure you place the aquarium, on its stand where the sun doesn’t shine.
4) Temperature Control. I’m not talking about the aquarium heater that will provide the aquarium temperature needed to keep your tropical fish alive and well. Rather, I am talking about the ambient temperature of the room and how that affects the tank over time. So far you need to put the aquarium on a supporting wall away from direct exposure to sunlight. Now inspect the area you have chosen and ensure there are no airconditioning or heating vents close by that would cause the output of either to strike the aquarium. Either type could make keeping proper temperatures stable almost impossible.
5) Electrical Power Supply. Electrical power is vital to the aquarium, the heater and filter, not to mention the light, require power. The heater will require power at the rated power, from 25 – 300 Watts, but only when it is running. The light will also require its rated power, but probably much less that 100 W unless the set-up is quite elaborate and uses HO bulbs. Generally no more than 40 Watts. If you are using a standard power filter, or even two in combination, the power required is quite small, usually less that 12 W. So the power draw really is not a consideration, it is the number of units that can cause problems, Above I have mentioned three, one more than the normal socket, so a power bar is normally required.
Most people simply leave a power bar on the floor and have no problems. But I have seen too many times when water drips into a power bar and can cause a short. Few people follow the standard electrical requirements for aquarium products contacting the tank in some way, but regulations uniformly require a drip loop. See your electrical product’s instructions for further details. One easy way would be to suspend a power bar above the floor, leaving the actual cord to drop to the floor before rising to the electrical source. The power bar thus cannot be soaked by any possible drips or leaks. This provides maximum safety to the home and aquarium vicinity.
Alternately, the use of a power block, one that increases the number of power outlets from 2 – 6 would automatically keep the power off the floor. Drip loops are almost automatic in this configuration.
6) Water Access. This is pretty much self explanatory, take a few minutes to decide whether your proposed location is close enough to water. You always have to replace evaporated water, but this is minimal assuming you are properly maintaining the aquarium over time. Removal and replacement of water is much more common, and the shorter the distance to carry a bucket – both ways – the better. If two locations are equally desirable for your new aquarium, the one closest to the sink, or the one with less steps should be the one selected. Also, the location where spilled water will do less damage is also a point to consider.
7) Pet Access. Cats love to fish, and your beginning aquarium is like shooting fish in a barrel for any feline friends in the vicinity. Many families are multi-pet owners, so when the final location is determined, make sure other friends, furred or feathered are unable to get into the system. You are making a large investment in both time, effort and money, so make one final evaluation as to the safety of both the fish and all other pets in the family.
Enjoy your new set-up. In later posts I will go over some of the factors you need to know about setting up and maintaining the aquarium through the vital first six weeks. Not all of them are obvious. But for now, ensure you have located your aquarium in an optimal place for the long term enjoyment of the living picture you are getting ready to create.
Steve Pond
For over 30 years I have professionally been giving aquarium advice to novice aquarists interested in learning how to keep their tropical fish alive in their beginning aquarium. Keeping a fish tank, in the long term, is not all that difficult, but the first couple of months are possibly the toughest to get through. Most of the problems you will face during the break-in time really result in overcoming ingrained habits and beliefs that are not really compatible with proper tank maintenance.
Approach keeping your new tank with a sense of the wonder that this small slice of underwater life will offer to you. Be patient and careful in doing any changes, either to fish population or water conditions. Actually the old carpenter’s rule: measure twice before you cut once really applies: Be absolutely sure of the consequences of any action you perform on the new aquarium before you change the living environent of your fish.
The very first thing to understand is that the novice aquarist is completely responsible for the environment that his/her aquatic pets must live in. You are the one to provide all the nutrition and must ensure the water is in proper balance to support life within the closed confined of the glass (or acrylic) box. The water needs to be monitored in the first few weeks, but once the aquarium filtration systems have matured and the biological filtration has been allowed to optimize, the new aquarium becomes a thing of beauty and a pleasure to watch. Sometimes for hours on end…..
When I started my first aquarium, I had few resources to rely on. That was way back in the era of stainless steel framed aquariums caulked to seal with slate bottoms. Leaks were a common problem. One of the greatest innovations in the Aquarium Hobby was the introduction of silicone sealant by GE. Standard aquarium filtration in the early (19)60′s consisted of a small vibrator air pump supplying a small inside box filter and, in advanced cases, a few airstones to keep oxygen levels adequate in the aquarium. Soon, the undergravel filter showed up to “revolutionize” modern filtration. I still remember the most powerful air pump, the Silent Giant, which was pushed to its limits to provide as much air as possible down the riser stems. The relesed bubbles created a chimney effect to draw water through the gravel to feed and oxygenate the benefical bacteria growing in the substrate. About the same time came the motor driven filters, the original DynaFlo and AquaKing. Then the Biozonic 3 Stage and powered filtration began its upward spiral to acceptance.
In those days, The only place to solve illnesses was at the local pet store. I was lucky, the Live Fish Stores (LFS) in my area had dedicated owners who were devoted to keeping fish alive. They spent the time needed to educate a young boy who was captivated with the hobby of keeping and growing tropical fish. But the other main resource I needed was a good reference book. Between the helpful pet store staff and the right book, we went through all the problems possible, and you are the beneficiaries of that old-time expertise to help you miss all the problems associated with a new glass aquarium and its multiple inhabitants. I look forward to that challenge, it will teach me just as much about this hobby as it will help you!
You have the advantage of a huge data warehouse of information, the Internet. But, just like the young boy who started so long ago, plan to rely on one of the most valuable resources in this hobby, the staff of your local pet store. Hopefully yours is staffed with at least one aquatic expert to help advise the solution of any problems that may arise. If the nearby store does not have such a resource, find one that does. Frank discussion of propblems, face to face, is often the easiest way to overcome a particular problem.
This blog will also provide answers to commonly asked questions, in my career, both personal and professional, I have seen them all. Maybe even the information and troubleshootng tips will help to educate the store employees as well. My mission is simple, I am dedicated to helping you avoid the most common problems that plaque the novice aquarist. It will involve some education, some troublshooting and probably some work on your part to eliminate dangerous activites that are deadly to your new pets.
Many problems are obvious when one understands what is happening in the aquarium as the system matures. Filtration is much more pervasive than simply passing water over a screen to remove dirt. If you are unaware what is going on in the invisible world at the most basic life levels and do not optimze the system to promote beneficial bacteria, trouble and continuous fish death is a common result. UIn the long run, biological filtration is actually more important to the fish than the temperature and cleanliness of the tank. Do not get me wrong, level and even heating and adequate particulate debris removal is also vital. The work needed to ensure sucess is not extensive, the more you know, the easier it gets.
I have found that often the people who fail often do way too much to the tank, and that can be the greatest single problem with sucessful fish keeping.
As time goes by, this blog will look into the many aspects of fish and fishkeeping. The things you need to know will be carefully explained, as well as the actual technology you are using to keep this living picture healthy and thriving.
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