The aquarium has been rumored to have been around since the mid 1600’s! However, the aquarium for fish did not show up in print or pictures until the mid to late 1800’s. While we may not know the whole history of the aquarium we do know that there are many different kinds out there to choose from. Probably one of the most common types you see today is the freshwater fish aquariums. These aquariums can house some of the most beautiful fresh water fish to show off in your home, office, school or even church. Who doesn’t enjoy looking at a beautiful aquarium? You may catch a gold fish, Betta Fish, Bela Shark, or even an Angel fish swimming around in these fresh water aquariums.
For the few out there collecting, studying or housing jelly fish you probably own a Kreisel aquarium. This tank is a circular shape and typically will only house delicate fish, like the jelly fish. These aquariums are popular for scientist, researchers, and fish sanctuaries so you will rarely see one in someone’s home or office building. For many people the aquarium for fish they need has to resemble the natural home habitat of that specific fish. These aquariums are referred to as a biotope aquarium and have been made to resemble places like the Amazon river, lake Victoria, and lake Malawi.
Your salt or freshwater fish aquariums will generally be made out of either acrylic or glass and can come in many different sizes. Aquariums are sized in gallons and include 10, 20, 29, 30, 40, 50, 55 gallons or larger! You can literally get an aquarium any way you want it if you know where to go. Your aquarium could be round, rectangle, octagon, bowed fronts, and even a hexagon. If you want your aquarium to match your home décor you may want to consider buying one with the stand included. This way the stand, tank and your home or office décor will all flow together.
There are many types of aquariums and fish tanks out there to choose from so know which one will fit best in your home or office. Plus, finding one that fits the needs and life of your fish will always come in handy. Check out this website for more information on aquariums, how to care for them and how to pick out your first one!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Tips for Fish Aquarium Maintenance
By now, you already know the steps for keeping your aquarium clean. But in-between water-changings and tank-cleanings, there are steps you can take to help make your fish aquarium maintenance a little less daunting and a little less work.
Don’t overfeed your fish. It can be tempting to give your little beauties more food than they can eat. Resist! Overfeeding results in uneaten food rotting away in your aquarium, which very quickly creates a toxic environment for your fish. Never feed your fish more than they can eat in a matter of minutes.
Keep jugs of aged water on hand. After you’ve finished a few gallons of milk, save the jugs and use them to store tap water. The lovely thing with freshwater fish is that tap water works just fine for their changes, as long as it has been aged properly so it’s de-ionized and free of chemicals. You can buy chemicals that will treat your tap water instantly, but if you age the water for a few days, you can just pour it in the tank—and you don’t have to worry about it being the correct temperature.
Purchase a quarantine aquarium. Eventually, you will have a sick fish. A quarantine aquarium is a great way to separate ailing fish so they can recover more quickly (and keep the disease from spreading to other fish in the tank). Also, when you want to bring new fish into your watery world, a quarantine aquarium is a great way to acclimate them into your home’s atmosphere.
Get some helpers. I’m not talking about getting family members or roommates to help out (although if they want to, that’s awesome). No, I’m talking about tank scavengers like snails, crabs, and certain bottom-feeding fish species. The natural world is filled with symbiotic relationships, and these cleaning machines are what keep lakes and oceans from becoming overrun with algae and other aquarium “pests.”
As with most things in life, a little bit of prevention and planning goes a long way in good fish aquarium maintenance. Just be observant, and you’ll have happy, healthy fish for many years to come—without having to treat their care as a full-time job. Investing in helper fish like sucker fish, will also help keep your aquarium clean in case you get a little caught up. A healthy aquarium is a happy aquarium!
Don’t overfeed your fish. It can be tempting to give your little beauties more food than they can eat. Resist! Overfeeding results in uneaten food rotting away in your aquarium, which very quickly creates a toxic environment for your fish. Never feed your fish more than they can eat in a matter of minutes.
Keep jugs of aged water on hand. After you’ve finished a few gallons of milk, save the jugs and use them to store tap water. The lovely thing with freshwater fish is that tap water works just fine for their changes, as long as it has been aged properly so it’s de-ionized and free of chemicals. You can buy chemicals that will treat your tap water instantly, but if you age the water for a few days, you can just pour it in the tank—and you don’t have to worry about it being the correct temperature.
Purchase a quarantine aquarium. Eventually, you will have a sick fish. A quarantine aquarium is a great way to separate ailing fish so they can recover more quickly (and keep the disease from spreading to other fish in the tank). Also, when you want to bring new fish into your watery world, a quarantine aquarium is a great way to acclimate them into your home’s atmosphere.
Get some helpers. I’m not talking about getting family members or roommates to help out (although if they want to, that’s awesome). No, I’m talking about tank scavengers like snails, crabs, and certain bottom-feeding fish species. The natural world is filled with symbiotic relationships, and these cleaning machines are what keep lakes and oceans from becoming overrun with algae and other aquarium “pests.”
As with most things in life, a little bit of prevention and planning goes a long way in good fish aquarium maintenance. Just be observant, and you’ll have happy, healthy fish for many years to come—without having to treat their care as a full-time job. Investing in helper fish like sucker fish, will also help keep your aquarium clean in case you get a little caught up. A healthy aquarium is a happy aquarium!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Setting up an Aquarium
Fresh water fish aquariums house some of the most beautiful fishes that you can have as an addition to your home, office or even place of worship! Probably the most common type of fresh water fish kept as a pet is the gold fish. Growing up, there wasn’t a kid on the block that does not have at least one gold fish although the aquariums were a little different back then. An “aquarium” during those times was simply an over-sized bowl with maybe one small piece of foliage for decoration. Now, I see aquariums like they are pieces of art instead of being just a fish’s home.
Another common fresh water fish seen in homes and offices is the Betta fish. Typically these fishes do not get along with any other fish, including another Betta, so they often live pretty lonely lives. These Siamese fighting fishes are pretty fierce but on very rare occasions. More than one Betta can live in the same aquarium with a different type of fish, but the Bettas are usually females. In some of the larger fresh water fish aquariums you may often see a Bala Shark along with other fresh water fish. The Bala Shark will pretty much eat anything it can fit into its mouth as it is an omnivore. The smallest tank you should ever keep a Bala Shark in is at least 55 gallons.
Growing up I personally own three super cute Tiger Barbs. A Tiger Barb is a small tiger striped fish with a hint of orange on most of its fins. You will usually see tiger barbs in a large tank with other communities of fish as they are pretty social fish. If you keep a Tiger Barb alone or with just one or two other fish, it will almost always become very aggressive and terrorize other fish in the tank with it. One of the most beautiful fresh water fish out there to put in your tank is the Altum Angel fish. Angel fishes are beautiful fish and when they swim it is like pure elegance. You can get Angel fish in dozens of different colors and sizes so you have plenty of varieties to choose from. These fishes are very peaceful and can live up to ten or more years.
Whatever fresh water fish you put in your aquarium make sure you take proper care of the fish and the cleanliness of their tanks. For more information, head on over to this website.
Another common fresh water fish seen in homes and offices is the Betta fish. Typically these fishes do not get along with any other fish, including another Betta, so they often live pretty lonely lives. These Siamese fighting fishes are pretty fierce but on very rare occasions. More than one Betta can live in the same aquarium with a different type of fish, but the Bettas are usually females. In some of the larger fresh water fish aquariums you may often see a Bala Shark along with other fresh water fish. The Bala Shark will pretty much eat anything it can fit into its mouth as it is an omnivore. The smallest tank you should ever keep a Bala Shark in is at least 55 gallons.
Growing up I personally own three super cute Tiger Barbs. A Tiger Barb is a small tiger striped fish with a hint of orange on most of its fins. You will usually see tiger barbs in a large tank with other communities of fish as they are pretty social fish. If you keep a Tiger Barb alone or with just one or two other fish, it will almost always become very aggressive and terrorize other fish in the tank with it. One of the most beautiful fresh water fish out there to put in your tank is the Altum Angel fish. Angel fishes are beautiful fish and when they swim it is like pure elegance. You can get Angel fish in dozens of different colors and sizes so you have plenty of varieties to choose from. These fishes are very peaceful and can live up to ten or more years.
Whatever fresh water fish you put in your aquarium make sure you take proper care of the fish and the cleanliness of their tanks. For more information, head on over to this website.
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