Many koi hobbyists, beginners, breeders, and keepers face problems such as polluted water and disease with their ponds. As a fish hobbyist, I would like to shed light on bio-restoration filtration systems and media that can help combat pollution in man-made ponds. It All About Filtration It is important that the size of your filter is at least 10% to 15% of your pond surface area, not the total volume of water. You must also have a surface outlet to skim off floating particles and ammonia acid. There are three types of filtration media used in closed system culturing: Biological (coral chip, cockle shell, oyster shell, volcanic rock, bio-ball); Mechanical (plastic sponge, filter mat, filter brush, fishing nylon net); and Chemical (charcoal, zeolite, bio-ring, etc.). Some filters are place above the ground or on the same level as the pond, while others are place in the pond. Mechanical and biological filters work well in any environment, though mechanical filters generally need more attention. Biological filtration is the most important, and is defined as the mineralization of organic nitrogenous compounds, nitrification, and de-nitrification by bacteria suspended in water and attached to the gravel bed. The three stages make up the nitrogen cycle. Though the mechanisms in nature and captivity are the same, the effects are not. The natural dispersal of animals in the wild, as a means of overcoming environmental stress, cannot be duplicated in captivity. Captive animals are at the mercy of their limited environment. Optimizing Filtration Effectiveness Nitrifiers in the filter bed are a hundred times as plentiful as those suspended in water, showing the importance of available surfaces for bacterial attachment in nitrification. Gravel grains provide the greatest surface area in a filter system. Volcanic stone, made of mud, is highly effective, and also makes a natural habitat for bacteria to cultivate and multiply. Other biological media are acceptable, but depend on accumulated debris for additional surface area. If the filter media gets clogged up, washing it will only kill most of the bacteria, which accomplishes 25 percent of nitrification
The new D-D NanoScope makes it easy to view corals, coral pests and small benthic marine creatures. The modern reef aquarium is an enclosed eco system in miniature that with good husbandry replicates a natural coral reef enviroment and as such ‘lives’. Many of the life forms that call our reef tanks home are far too small to see with the naked eye and often go unnoticed. The NanoScope allows the hobbyist to venture into this hidden world and observe tiny marine creatures and natural feeding behaviours of corals. This can give better understanding of long term coral care and how micro fauna can influence the over all health of our systems. Within the last few years hobbyists have also been made aware of various coral pests that can plague a reef tank and quickly decimate coral stocks. These tiny creatures are often no more than the size of a pin head and are easily missed resulting in misdiagnosis and the hobbyist blaming the losses on their own husbandry. When armed with the D-D Nanoscope hobbyists can identify coral predators such as: • SPS Red bugs • Montipora eating Nudibranch • Zoanthid Spiders • Clam eating Pyramid snails • Zoanthid eating Sundial snails • Soft coral eating Nudibranch • SPS eating Flatworms to name but a few. The NanoScope can also be used to diagnose early symptoms of disease in corals that can initiate Necrotic loss of tissue. With careful use images and video can also be taken through the NanoScope using a mobile phone capable of auto focus. The images can be invaluable for online diagnosis or identification of unknown creatures. This video was embedded using the YouTuber plugin by Roy Tanck . Adobe Flash Player is required to view the video. This youtube video was taken by carefully holding a mobile phone to the NanoScopes eye piece whilst the NanoScope was mounted to the glass via the included flexible mount! D-D NanoScope is now available at our eStore at a great price for looking closer to the marine life forms!
Some fishkeepers are proponents of the “perfectly balanced tank” theory, where the number of fish, number of plants, level of light, exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, and quality of filters are all in ideal equilibrium so the water in the tank never needs changing, only topping up to replace what is lost through evaporation. Few hobbyists, however, can attain that equilibrium without the perfect environment, perfect equipment, and years of expertise. Most of us find that dust gets into the tanks, algae keeps growing, plants not unexpectedly, fish develop diseases, and the water just goes off. The simple fact is, aquariums need regular maintenance. However, the maintenance itself must be balanced. Clean too often and the fish will be stressed; clean too little and they could die from the build-up of toxins. The General Rules About Aquarium Maintenance Big vs Small Tank: Larger tanks are more stable and easier to maintain because the water gets polluted less quickly, and external temperature changes do not affect them as rapidly as they do a smaller aquarium. A bigger tank usual offers more liters of water per fish, so waste matter and uneaten food do not poison the water as fast. Do not overcrowd the tank, or the advantage of a bigger container will be lost. Leave Filter Material: A clean tank is good, but one that is made to clean, filter included, will be deprived of the good bacteria that help to break down toxins from waste matter. Always leave behind a little of the filter material when changing it so the good bacteria colonies can carry on their work. Polish The Tank: Tanks that are scratched will accumulate dirt in the rough areas easily, and be hard to clean. If possible, polish off scratches from acrylic tanks and see if roughened sections of glass can be smoothed. This means removing all the fish and plants first, so it’s best to keep such maintenance to a minimum. Tank Position: Algae grows swiftly in sunlight. While a few sucker fish can eat the algae, they rarely consume enough to clear the tank walls. A little cleaning is still in order. Position the tank so it does not get too much direct sunlight. Size vs Volume: Your fish may not be living happily in their aquarium if they have grown bigger since you acquired them, you have added to their numbers, or they have reproduced. If the ration of inches of fish to volume of water is more than is not healthy for them, you’ll need a bigger tank for all, or an additional tank to house half the fish
Goldfish are perhaps the most popular aquarium fish in the world, and a species most first-time fish hobbyists start off with. Their bold colors, gracefulness and gentle demeanor have endeared them to people of different generation, and they are ideal pets for children as they are relatively easy to care for. History of the Goldfish The goldfish, Carassius auratus auratus, is native to China and Central Asia. In the wild, they are a natural brown/silvery color, unlike the brightly colored varieties we are accustomed to. Occasionally, a slightly unusual individual—for instance, one that is white or orange—such oddities that captured the interest of early fish hobbyist. The earliest reliable records relating to goldfish being kept as pets dated back to the Sung dynasty in China (around 1,000AD), although varieties in these “strange” colors had been noted much earlier (around 300AD). The Chinese embraced these fish as part of their culture, and set about intensifying their colors through selective breeding. By the end of the 13th century, gold, silver, red, black and mottled species were established. Subsequently, over the centuries, the Chinese, Japanese, Americans and Europeans went on to develop the vast array of colors and shapes prevalent today. Varieties Of Goldfish There are far too many varieties of goldfish to specify, but it is worth distinguishing between “fancy” and “ordinary” varieties. Fancy goldfish, such as the Black Moor or Oranda, generally have unnatural body shapes and finnage. They are ideal for indoor aquaria, but do not fare well outdoors, where they may have difficulty coping with the elements. Ordinary goldfish, which include Shubunkins and Comets, have more normal body shapes, but their fins may stall be ornate. These fish can be kept indoors or outdoors. It is wiser not to keep fancy and ordinary goldfish varieties in the same aquarium, as the former tend to be overshadowed by their more agile tank mates. The body shapes of some fancy goldfish could be also give the impression that they are mature females ready to spawn, subjecting them to constant harassment by the other fish. Fun Fact about Goldfish: Goldfish need the same care as other fish, and do not like being kept in unfiltered aquariums.
fresh ‘n’ marine aQuarium now expands to India! Aquarium hobbyists from India can now access to an even wider range of aquarium products from the new online store at www.freshnmarine.in . FnM aQuarium India is an initiative by fresh ‘n’ marine aQuarium Singapore and Indiapetstore , bringing the World even closer.
- Self-filtering aquarium keeps water healthy and clear for months at a time
- Built-in filtration system uses 5-stage method combining biological, mechanical, and chemical filtration
- All supplies and instructions included
- Black trim looks great in home or office
- Measures
Product DescriptionAquari-Sol is highly effective against Ick (White Spot), closed fins, body fungus, velet, and sluggishness. A Broad spectrum anti-parasite treatment that is mild enough to use as a weekly preventative treatment or net dip. Aquari-Sol is for freshwater…
- Safe for Freshwater and Marine Aquariums and Terrariums
- Hand Painted Detail
- Solid one piece construction
- Swim thru holes for fish
- Safe for Freshwater and Marine Aquariums and Terrariums
- Hand Painted Detail
- Rock like tunnels provide safety and cover
- Swim through holes for fish
- Doc Wellfish’s Aquarium Salt is made from evaporated sea water. This all-natural salt is intended fo
- Aquarium Salt can also be used to reduce the toxicity of nitrite to freshwater fish. Nitrite (NO2-)
- Aquarium Salt contains no artificial