One of the best investments you’ll ever make in fishkeeping is in test kits. Water can look crystal clear yet still be deadly to fish and with reef tanks you have the complicated lives of corals and invertebrates and their needs to think about too. Run a reef tank without testing and you’re running one blind. Nutrients will build up and elements will degrade, resulting in seawater that isn’...
Aquarium plants need lighting with the right spectrum if they are to be healthy and grow properly. This may be slightly different to the stock lights supplied in your aquarium package so many planted tank owners and aquascapers swap their lights out for those with dedicated plant spectrums.The colour of light is measured in Kelvin and most plant lights have a Kelvin rating between 6500 and 9...
Spring is coming, the sun is out and its time to start thinking about those big garden projects again. If you haven’t already got one, a pond should be one of those projects as it transforms a garden, bringing life and movement, encouraging wildlife and bringing us closer to nature. They don’t have to be big or expensive either, and a small pond can be dug, lined and filled within a day. ...
Ammonia is really dangerous to fish, even when as low as one part per million, and its an invisible aquarium fish killer. Fish produce ammonia via their gills as they breathe but they aren’t adapted to be able to deal with it as in nature its simply diluted by the vastness of the body of water they live in. In aquaria we use filters, or more specifically the live, beneficial bacteria t...
Fish tanks turn green with algae, which needs light, water and nutrients to grow. Algae spores are airborne, so even if you start off with brand new everything, coldwater, tropical or marine, your tank will go green.Algae are tiny plant-like dots that can stick to surfaces like the tank glass or even be free-floating in the water. A little algae is natural in any tank - some fish, snails and ...
Water changes are really important for fish tanks. They lower pollutant levels and can add buffers, freshening up the tank and aiding fish growth. They can also be used to remove debris from the tank, like algae and fish poop, so are a key part of a regular maintenance regime. We have freshwater in abundance in our homes - tap water - but there are a few key things you need to do to it f...
Marine fish have evolved to take advantage of all the different types of food that are available in the ocean, from phytoplankton to zooplankton, macroalgae to mobile invertebrates to coral polyps and even other fish. Some fish are omnivores and are easy to feed in our aquariums, while others are specialists which struggle to feed on items that are different to what they would find in the wild.&n...
Most fishkeepers know about the importance of cleaning filter sponges, and to only ever do it in old aquarium water, not tapwater. They also know to replace white filter wool and polishing pads when dirty, and to replace carbon every 30 days. But the filter pump itself, the beating heart of the filtration system also needs maintenance too. A typical scenario goes like this: You switch the fi...
Fish stocking levels rely on several factors including the type of filter used, the amount of food that’s fed, the maturity of the biological filter, water temperature, tank surface area as well as the type of fish! Despite this, if the aquarium is more than six weeks old and has a mature filter, here are our recommendations.If the fish are an inch long like Neon tetras, White Cloud Mountai...
Reef tanks take time to mature and within that time conditions may not necessarily be at their best for all inhabitants. Because of this, we mature tanks slowly, adding livestock a bit at a time. We add the hardiest creatures first and the most sensitive ones last. MaturationThe first water quality issue will be ammonia and no living creature should be exposed to that. Fishless cycle...