Aquarium Fish Salt Bath

Boy (& Girl) there are lots of filter products; and laudatory claims to go along with them. Happily, folks in the West have been keeping marine aquaria since the 1950s with little more than undergravel filter knowledge and practice. Heres another area where you dont have to be an engineer to be successful; dont let the material here or advertisements elsewhere overwhelm you.

The Cha

The latest and greatest models are quiet, energy efficient and easy to use. If youre unfamiliar with their operation, ask your dealer to take one of each out of their box, review their instructions and peruse their elements. Most all are magnetic-drive pump powered with few moving parts. The fluid-moving mechanisms and filter media replacement should be known to you in terms of cost of operation, repair and replacement. There is a huge difference in the same lines by different manufacturers between efficiencies for intended sizes and types of systems.

Your success in keeping aquatic life depends on establishing and keeping these bacterial populations in sufficient numbers as your biological filtration.

So, what are these magical microbe helpers and how can you get them going for you in your aquarium? Theyre are a few approaches here, with variations therein, and all with their various endorsers and detractors. Again, dont let these differences of opinion faze you. Bear in mind that the end result of all these different efforts is the same. This is to make a home for sufficient numbers of beneficial microbes to help keep your tank clean and healthy.

Of the Many Ways t

Artificial substrates like plastic, fiberglass and resins are lightweight but inefficient in many ways for a lack of porosity (limiting their ability to become significantly biological in time). Enlisting the minds and resources of a good aquarium society can be quite helpful for perspective from experienced and well-traveled aquarists. Some public aqua

All involve certain elements the tank, lighting, filtration. The last is especially important, in particular an aspect called biological filtration, also known as nutrient cycling. All aquatic animals produce a chemical compound called ammonia as their principal waste product, and this material is toxic, even in small concentrations. Thankfully, there exists certain microbes (bacteria) that readily convert, cycle or pr

DIY Aquarium Cave
This tidbit I recieved in the mail today was too good not to share. Mark Shoemaker and Esther Baum wrote these great 10 step do it yourself instructions for creating an....

250W HQI (Double Ended) MH Retrofit Reflectors
I just got these in! I've been waiting to see them. They are very nice well built reflectors. Not flimsy at all. Vented, and they include a nice heavy glass shield. They are available in a 150w version also if there is interest? I dont have too many right now-I wanted to get a look at them....

African Cichlid Care
The methods of care for African Cichlids can vary, and it is vital that beginners to learn how to maintain ideal aquarium conditions. Once you have created the ideal environment for your African Cichlids, you may refer to the following guidelines for maintaining their nutritional ....

Where to place my Zoa's??
I was wondering how much light most Zoa's need. I am thinking of putting the new frags lower in the tank, right on the sand bed or just a little above. I have a 26" deep tank and I am using 250W MH and pc Actinics for lighting. I have some zoos that are doing fine in the mid section of the tank and a large colony that is quite near the surface tha.