by Online Audio Books

There are many people set up saltwater aquariums these days; most of them like to add coral as their saltwater aquariums decoration. Coral’s just like other living things, it is recommended that you should understand this creature and have a good grasp of how to take care of it before you buy it. Coral is also a kind of animal that you’ll add to your saltwater aquarium. Before making final decision to add this wonderful animal to your aquarium, you should fully understand how to take care of and maintenance of your lovely coral.

The most common type of coral that are always placed in saltwater tanks is bubble coral. I would like to take this kind of coral as a guideline because it is so common. In bubble coral family, there are three subspecies: the first is grape bubble coral, the second is simple bubble coral, and the last is pearl bubble coral. Throughout this article, they will all be referred to as bubble coral, because they are cared for in the same way.

One of the most important things to know about is how to space them when you put them in the tank. There are long stinging cells tentacles in each bubble coral. In most cases, they keep them closed till the time they are fed. If they are too close, they may hurt their neighbor coral by stinging them. You have to be aware of this case when locating corals in your tank. It is recommended to keep them apart by least 6-inch away.

Not only should the placement, the available lighting where they’re placed also be taken into account. Bubble coral will be good in the aquarium if you have sufficient light sources beside the tube in the hood, considering to place the coral near the surface would be even better. Bubble coral love slower water movement. Don’t place it in any direct current, it will keep coral’s vesicles remain closed which will cause it to death in the long run.

One thing you’ve got to remember is that coral is a livening animal and should be fed just as your fish do. It is recommended that feed it few pieces of clam or shrimp once or two times on a weekly basis.  Place the food morsels on the polyp of the coral. Any food will be eaten almost immediately when it is trapped by the tentacles or among vesicles. Don’t overfeed weather it is fish or coral. Algae are harmful to your lovely coral, it is a pest that may damage or even kill your coral. You should set up a schedule, follow up and clean your aquarium regularly. By doing so, the amount of algae will be controlled. Flat worms are another type of thing that will do harm to your coral. Flat worms can be detected by your eyes with ease. They always appear as circular spots on the coral’s vesicles. But they do less harm than algae. Nevertheless, you still should keep alert when they reach to a significant amount since a large population of these worms can also cause death.

Before adding coral to your tank, it is important that you should learn all the things you can. Most people don’t know how to take care of this type of animal but it is surely an amazing addition to any tank. If you are able to take a good care of it, coral will certainly make your tank a beautiful aqua paradise.

This article is brought to you by Online Audio Books More Aquarium articles can be found at http://www.online-audio-books.net/aquariam This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.

Tags: aquarium stands, aquarium lights, aquariums

by Roger Gordon

Anyone who has had an aquarium knows that algae is unavoidable. It is just one of the things that fish owners, both salt and freshwater, have to deal with on a regular basis.There are four main variety’s of algae; green algae, brown algae, red-brush algae, and blue green algae.

The first thing that needs to be done after the purchase of a new aquarium is to cleanse the tank itself and all of its accessory parts with freshwater, sans soap, and a soft cloth. This will remove any dust and chemicals which it may have accumulated while in the factory and prevent them from harming the fish. Once all of the parts have been cleaned the tank should be set upon a level stand which has been placed an appropriate distance from the wall to enable the electrical cords to reach an outlet plug with a minimal risk of minor amounts of sloshing from the tank causing an electrical fire. A soft cloth should be placed beneath the tank to keep the condensation from the saltwater aquarium from causing damage to the surface of the stand beneath it.

It is common for brown algae to appear when a tank that has just been started. It typically puts in an appearance within the first two weeks. Its appearance in established tanks means that the aquarium owner needs to test the nitrate and phosphate levels of this tank.

Brown algae is unusual because it thrives in aquariums that do not receive a great deal of light. When brown algae appears in the tank the aquarium owner needs to clean the entire tank and increase the lighting. It is not unusual for brown algae to disappear when the tank conditions stabilize.

This is an example of minimizing Mother Nature’s perfect filtration system in order to provide your fish with the perfect habitat. Hopefully you have chosen to artificially stimulate the cycling process so that it is well established prior to inserting your fish. If you have not it is very important that you keep a very close eye on them while the tank is undergoing its cycling process. The spikes in ammonia and nitrite levels can be severely harmful to fish if they are exposed to it for too great a period of time, and they will likely begin to show signs of distress during these periods of the cycling process. If this becomes severe their conditions can be aided by changing a portion of the water in order to dilute the concentration of these products.

Aquariums are beautiful in their own right, particularly ones which are large enough to make the viewer feel as though they have been transported into an underwater wonderland. For many individuals the inside of a clear glass aquarium is as close as they will ever come to the wonders of the world beneath the ocean’s surface, and for that reason an aquarium which is as close to the natural habitat of its inhabitants as possible is a joy unto itself.

Live rocks, rocks which are covered with both micro- and macroorganisms which help to digest the waste produced by the fish, are a vital part of every natural ecosystem. For that reason it makes sense that they would be an important part of an aquarium environment as well. It is not as simple as dropping a rock into an aquarium and allowing all manner of things to grow on it, however. There is a process that must be followed to ensure optimal benefits for both the large aquarium and the live rock.

It is very simple to cure live rock before placing it in the aquarium, but this is an important step that must be taken in order to prevent a build up of ammonia in the tank which could negatively affect the fish. To cure live rock first select a plastic container that is of a suitable size to hold the amount of live rock which you are working with, then fill it with saltwater. Then place a heater and water pump in the "tank" for optimal temperature and circulation. Once the water has reached the desired temperature remove the heater and pump and half of the water content, then preclean the rock in a bucket of saltwater by swishing it around to remove any lose organisms and debris and place it in the prepared water. Then reinstall the heater and pump and allow nature to do its thing!

Ocean water is the natural habitat of all saltwater marine animals and, consequently, the best water source for any saltwater aquarium. If ocean water is not available, however, and the owner of a saltwater aquarium does not wish to purchase a pre-made saltwater solution it is possible to make saltwater. It is important to use a sea salt mixture that is free of impurities rather than table salt when creating saltwater in order to reproduce the natural environment as accurately as possible. These mixes can be purchased from any store that specializes in the sale of tropical fish.

This article was written by Roger Gordon. For more information on aquarium care please visit http://aquariummania.info This and other unique content ‘aquarium care’ articles are available with free reprint rights.

Tags: aquarium fish, saltwater fish aquariums, aquarium maintenance

by Bob Evanston

Freshwater fish are perhaps the easiest fish to care for in comparison to saltwater species because they are usually hardier.  A basic aquarium set up will be required.  You will need a tank, some rocks or substrate to line bottom of the tank. You will also need a filter, and some lighting.

The fish in your tank must be compatible in terms of temperature, P.H. and food requirements. You should also keep in mind a basic fact of nature –fish eat other fish. If this happens, don’t be discouraged, but learn from it. You can keep this to a minimum by keeping fish of roughly the same size.

Feed your freshwater fish twice daily; only give them a small quantity of food at a time, what they can consume in around five minutes. Overfeeding, a common mistake made by novice aquarium owners, will cause the excess food to dirty the tank. It’s important to keep the water regulated; you should test it weekly, and correct and discrepancies in P.H. and temperature. This will minimize stress to the fish.

You cannot ignore stress, because it is a major cause of illness. That’s why it’s vital to closely monitor the general behavior and condition of your fish. Do not overcrowd your tank; this can be a cause of stress. It isn’t hard to spot signs of stress. If you notice fish that are slow-moving or lethargic, purchase a stress coat at your local pet store.

Only change about one third of the aquarium’s water at a time; this reduces any disturbance to the tank’s inhabitants. Change this much water every two or three weeks, using either a bucket or siphon. When adding water, be sure to remove any loose or floating debris you spot. It is also crucial to make sure that the new water is close in temperature to the water already there, within two degrees or so.

The sides of the aquarium should be scrubbed regularly to remove an algae build up.  Again be careful not to disturb the fish. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling the aquarium. Lastly, check the manufacturer’s recommendation on filters and change them accordingly. Filters collect any fish waste or left over food. They can’t function properly unless they are clean.

Start your aquarium with hardy fish such as danios, barbs, gouramis and live bearers. These kind of fish are able to withstand the higher nitrite levels that are present in a new tank. Before adding fish, check with your pet store or other expert, as acclimation times vary per species. As a rule, do not add more than three or four small fish per week.

If you would like to learn more, go to Complete Tropical fish care , for much more information on Tropical fish care. Click here for other unique ‘tropical fish’ articles.

Tags: aquarium decorations, aquarium maintenance, live aquariums

by Anthony Sastre

Many fish keepers believe that if the water is not green or brown, fish can reside in it. They might get this misconception from the fact that raw areas of water could sometimes appear polluted, yet fish thrive there. Nevertheless, raw areas of water have their own systems for providing fish the conditions they need while taking out harmful substances. Your faucet water might be nontoxic to consume, but it is not nontoxic for fish to reside in. Faucet water consists of chlorine, iron, and likely small portions of lead and copper. Faucet water could also be too hard or soft for your fish, or contain an unsuitable pH. Luckily there are avenues to make your faucet water appropriate for a fish tank, including other water possibilities.

If you decide to use tap water the initial thing you need is something to remove the chlorine. All fish shops will have bottles of an item that you can put in the water to remove the chlorine, and they commonly last a long time. With the chlorine gone, your water will probably be safe for your fish, although you should also examine the levels of copper, lead, and iron in the water. These items are okay for you to drink in very little doses, but fish are much more easily harmed by them. You should also test the alkalinity and pH of your water to be sure it is okay for the fish you intend on keeping. You can also buy items to increase or decrease your alkalinity and pH determined by your wants.

Your other two selections are to buy pretreated water for your tank, or collect rainwater. Buying pretreated water is the most pricey choice, yet it helps you be sure that the water will be prepped properly. This is a good choice when setting up a saltwater tank. Rainwater is free of chlorine and metals and is especially harmless for fish. While contaminated rainwater has received a lot of press, it is indeed very infrequent and you can tell if the water is contaminated without checking it. Rainwater is, after all, what the wild fish reside in.

Whichever water you apply you will have to maintain it. Fish eliminate waste that includes ammonia. While naturally occurring bacteria in the tank change the ammonia into nitrite, but nitrite is still harmful to fish. Additional bacteria changes nitrite to nitrate, which is considerably less harmful. While this cycle helps an aquarium achieve equilibrium, there are still cases to examine and change your water. The ammonia generation of your fish can surpass the capacity of the bacteria to process this. This is often the case with new tanks that do not yet possess enough bacteria in the tank. The ammonia creation also increases any time you increase the amount of new fish or raise the amount you feed them. Plus, nitrates are still harmful to fish in large doses. You should examine your water and change it regularly to assist in keeping ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates under control.

Anthony Sastre is the CEO of A Signature Line Of Designer Aquariums These highly talked about theme based aquariums could be seen at aquariumwithsense.com. For more information please visit http://www.aquariumwithsense.com. You can get a unique content version of this article.

Tags: aquarium supplies, tropical fish aquariums, aquarium lights

by Roger Gordon

The importance of the thirty day cycling process cannot be understated; this is a vital part of establishing the ecosystem of each individual aquarium. The exact processes which are occurring during this cycle, however, are often not well explained, or else they may be a little too well explained and no one without a degree in organic chemistry can understand a word that is being spoken.

The first thing that needs to be done after the purchase of a new aquarium is to cleanse the tank itself and all of its accessory parts with freshwater, sans soap, and a soft cloth. This will remove any dust and chemicals which it may have accumulated while in the factory and prevent them from harming the fish. Once all of the parts have been cleaned the tank should be set upon a level stand which has been placed an appropriate distance from the wall to enable the electrical cords to reach an outlet plug with a minimal risk of minor amounts of sloshing from the tank causing an electrical fire. A soft cloth should be placed beneath the tank to keep the condensation from the saltwater aquarium from causing damage to the surface of the stand beneath it.

If you are using fish to stimulate the cycling process take a great deal of care. While on the first day there is likely to be no ammonia in the tank, by the end of the third day these levels will have reached near toxicity. It is important to carefully monitor the fish during this crucial state; it may be even better to use an artificial source of ammonia to trigger this process. This will allow you to establish the proper balance in the tank without placing your aquatic friends at risk. While ammonia levels are beginning to rise first stage bacteria are beginning to grow.

Brown algae is unusual because it thrives in aquariums that do not receive a great deal of light. When brown algae appears in the tank the aquarium owner needs to clean the entire tank and increase the lighting. It is not unusual for brown algae to disappear when the tank conditions stabilize.

Red-brush algae is a variety of algae that loves aquariums that have a high PH. It is incredibly difficult to manually remove red-brush algae from aquariums.Blue-green algae is deceptive because it’s not an algae at all. It is really a cynobacteria. When it appears in the aquarium it looks like a slime that is taking over the tank. Blue-green algae can be fatal to aquarium plants and can jeopardize the health of the fish.

Aquariums are beautiful in their own right, particularly ones which are large enough to make the viewer feel as though they have been transported into an underwater wonderland. For many individuals the inside of a clear glass aquarium is as close as they will ever come to the wonders of the world beneath the ocean’s surface, and for that reason an aquarium which is as close to the natural habitat of its inhabitants as possible is a joy unto itself.

Use distilled water whenever you clean your saltwater aquarium or change the water. Changing your water every two to three weeks will limit the amount of time algae can grow in your tank. When you change the water make sure you vacuum your rocks. Also keep the use of additives to a minimum. Change your prefilter pad weekly.

Stock your tank with algae eating fish. In saltwater tanks this will be; hard star fish, Yellow Tang fish, Blennies, Turbo snails, Angel fish, and small Hermit Crabs.

Purchase the largest, strongest algae glass cleaning magnet you can find and then use it. If you use the magnet each and every time you clean the water your tank the glass on your tank should stay algae free. Be sure to clean the magnet after each use. For particularly stubborn algae spots, you will have to use a razor blade. Don’t forget to clean the overflow pipes.

This article was written by Roger Gordon. For more information on aquarium care please visit http://aquariummania.info This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.

Tags: marine aquariums, , marine fish aquariums