Aquarium Guide
Keeping aquaria is a hobby I have enjoyed for many years, and I have gained what I think is some useful experience on the subject. I also have a number of excellent books on aquaria, and a degree in Biology from a famous university which is slowly fading from memory ( the degree is fading, not the university. ) There is a great deal you can learn about this subject from books, and the people at your local pet store, and I will try to avoid duplicating that in detail. I will also spare you the chemical equations, most of which I used to know. My purpose here is to tell you what you won't find in books, and what your pet store guy may not tell you, as well as some of the pitfalls along the way that I have discovered by falling into.
At no point here am I speaking about tropical marine reef aquariums. This is a highly specialized field, about which reams of literature exists, and I have no wish to duplicate that. In addition, I have no experience with this sort of aquarium and little interest in it. Instead, I will describe here three other types of aquarium:
Freshwater Tropical
This is the type of aquarium that everyone starts out with. Relatively easy to set up and maintain, with an almost limitless selection of specimens to choose from at your local pet store.
Freshwater Temperate
( Coldwater )
Similar to the freshwater tropical aquarium, the temperate aquarium is maintained a few degrees cooler, with no heater in the winter. This makes it possible to keep many coldwater species that may be collected locally.
Marine Temperate
( Coldwater )
The marine temperate aquarium can be a fascinating personal experiment. The marine environment offers an incredible diversity of specimens that can be collected locally.
While keeping an aquarium can be a rewarding pastime, it can also be a lot of work, expense, and sometimes frustration. There are a number of excellent public aquaria in the area where you can observe aquatic creatures at your leisure.
All aquaria today are constructed of tempered glass, with silicone seals and plastic frames, or entirely of clear acrylic. This is exactly the way they should be constructed, and it is hard to go wrong with a new tank. If possible, you should leak-test a new tank for a few days outside or somewhere where a little dripping water will do no harm, but the incidence of leakers is really very low. If you use cold water, expect condensation all over the glass until it warms. This is not leaking; just dry it off with a towel. Aquarium glass will scratch. You should always be gentle when moving the gravel or stone decorations inside the tank. Acrylic scratches very easily, and for this reason, along with the high cost, I would avoid it.
More: Aquarium Guide - Tank ...
Freshwater
If you can drink it, then your tap water is probably OK to use in your aquarium. This is especially true if the water comes from a municipal supply. If your water comes from a well, this is less certain. There are several factors to consider in water quality: pH, hardness, chlorination, and other chemical contents.
More: Aquarium Guide - Water ...
Tropical Aquaria
Tropical aquaria should generally be maintained at 75-80°F. In hot weather, temperatures up to 85°F are easily tolerated as long as adequate aeration is maintained. The addition of an air stone and a small air pump during these periods is helpful. At 90 F things start to get dangerous, and the tank should be cooled by floating ice packs or blocks of ice in it. Temperatures down to 70°F will generally do little harm, but the fish will be uncomfortable, and the temperature should be raised. Below 65°F is again dangerous for tropical fishes.
More: Aquarium Guide - Temperature ...
The main purpose of a filter is to circulate the water. This leads to better aeration and higher oxygen levels for both the fish and the critical bacteria which decompose the fish wastes. The more obvious aesthetic effect of filtration is the mechanical removal of particles in the water, but this is of much less importance. Since most aquaria are stocked far more heavily than natural conditions, constant effective filtration and circulation are essential. On large tanks ( 55 gallons or more ), consider using two smaller filters in place of one large one, and place them at opposite ends of the tank for maximum circulatory effect.
More: Aquarium Guide - Filtration ...
Lighting Basics
An unplanted aquarium should receive 6-10 hours of light per day. This can be either artificial or natural light. Direct sunlight should be avoided. While in the short run darkness does the fish no harm, how would you like to be kept in the dark most of the time? On the other hand, excessive lighting can lead to dangerous brown or green algae blooms, which can upset the entire balance of a tank, and eventually kill everything. This is caused mainly by excessive amounts of direct sunlight and is not really a problem with artificial lighting.
More: Aquarium Guide - Lighting ...
I prefer natural-looking decor in an aquarium. That pretty much rules out fluorescent plastic skulls and little air-powered pirate ships. There are a large number of items that are available to furnish an aquarium, and many of them are even free.
Gravel is available in almost any color you want. All fish have at least some control over their color, and will usually try to match their surroundings. Therefore, I go for darker colored gravels that make the fish's colors more intense. The same goes for the aquarium background - black paper works nicely. Artificially colored gravels are OK, but when they split open the true color inside shows through, giving a salt and pepper effect that you may or may not like. You should have enough gravel to cover the entire bottom of the tank to a depth of at least one inch.
More: Aquarium Guide - Decor ...
Feeding your fishes and other aquarium residents is an important part of keeping them alive. Merely buying some flakes at the supermarket and dumping them in once a day may be adequate for goldfish, but most types require a little more thought and effort.
Obviously, small mouths require small foods, and large mouths require large foods. Try to feed small portions several times a day, at least morning and night. Don't just dump it in and walk away - watch as they eat. Give them more if they finish everything and still seem hungry, but do not overfeed. Fish have preferences just like we do, and you may find that they refuse certain types of food outright. Make sure all the residents of the tank get something and make a note of who eats what and how much.
More: Aquarium Guide - Feeding ...
The most common and treatable fish disease in both freshwater and saltwater is Ich ( or Ick. ) However, although they have similar life cycles and symptoms, the freshwater and saltwater varieties are actually quite different, and caused by entirely different organisms. In both cases, the organism is a parasite, which has three major life stages:
- a free-swimming stage where it is looking for a host
- a feeding stage, where it is embedded in the host's tissues
- a reproductive stage, during which it forms a cyst and drops off the host
More: Aquarium Guide - Health ...
Here are some notes on the care and feeding of a number of fishes and other creatures that can be wild-caught and kept in an aquarium. The size of each specimen is assumed to be 6" or smaller. This restricts some species to juveniles only. The groupings here do not imply any sort of relationships between the different species, only similarities in keeping.
More: Aquarium Guide - Gallery ...
By Ronald M. Clayton
Illustrations by author
Maintaining an aquarium filled with local fish and other aquatics can be an enjoyable, learning experience, and give you a good excuse to get out and stomp around in your local pond or stream. It's fun collecting new animals and plants to add to the aquarium, to replace ones that have died, or as food for your locally acquired fish, and learning about your wildlife is a fascinating part of the experience. In the shimmering shallows and mysterious depths of almost any nearby body of water thrives a whole world of living things, some very ugly and some very beautiful - the variety will amaze you. If you are interested in providing inexpensive recreation and education for yourself and perhaps your family, read on.
More: An Aquarium For the Naturalist ...
by Kathy Johnston
Courtesy of Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve
- Home ...
- Dive Sites ...
- Artificial Reefs ...
- Marine Biology ...
- Artifacts ...
- Gear & Training ...
- Blog ...
- Cozumel ...
More: Marine Biology & Ecology ...
