Marine fish tanks are so cool, and there’s no better hobby to start while you’re locked down at home. Here’s what you’ll need:TankChoose a model from 50-500 litres to get you started, but note that you’ll need a tank of 300 litres and 120cm in length minimum to keep Tangs long term.LightIf you want live corals and anemones you need good light. Choose high-powered control...
In the age of YouTube videos on how to do absolutely everything, the temptation might be to have a go at building your own aquarium. Its only five panes of glass after all - right? But it’s not quite that easy…Take a look at your aquarium up close and feel it with your fingers. It will have neat silicone lines, smooth, polished edges to the glass and the corners are all square. It may hav...
A number of factors can affect the pH in an aquarium and lower it. The first factor is the source water. If your tap water has a low pH and you fill your tank with it, your tank water will then also have a low pH. The pH of tap water can change occasionally so if you experience a drop in pH in your tank and you’ve just done a water change, check the pH of the tap water too. If the tap water has...
Wood can be found naturally in freshwaters all over the world, and many fish have adapted to live near to it, breed on it and even feed on it. Place some wood in your aquarium and it can instantly give that natural look, and combine lots of wood with a bed of fine sand and your tank will resemble a stream in the Amazon.Bogwood is just wood from fallen branches and tree trunks. It would float ...
Parrotfish are a type of cichlid that is popular in tropical freshwater aquariums. Not to be confused with the saltwater parrotfish which chew up coral reefs or the true Parrot cichlid, Hoplarchus psittacus, Parrots are a hybrid of unknown origin, popular for their chunky bodies, cute faces and bright orange or red colouration.Most probably made from cross-breeding South or Central American c...
Aquarium filters are vital life support systems for aquarium fish. Without filters, and the beneficial bacteria inside them, we would not be able to keep fish as their tanks would pollute and they would poison themselves with their own waste. Filters come in all shapes and sizes and there is one to suit every tank size and budget. But which one is best? The basicsEvery filter needs to cl...
There are lots of protein skimmers available for marine tanks, and they have many benefits including increasing oxygen levels and reducing nutrients. But which one is right for your tank, and how do you set one up?There are several types of protein skimmer: Internal, hang-on, and sump based, with sump based skimmers sub-dividing again into internal (which sit inside the sump,) and external, w...
Freshwater shrimp can be fun to keep and there are dozens of species and varieties available. They stay small, eat algae, and some don’t even need a heater! They’re super easy to keep too.Freshwater shrimp inhabit most of the world’s rivers, lakes and streams, but the ones we keep mostly come from Asia, like China, Taiwan, Japan, and Indonesia. Cherry shrimp are the cheapest, stay small...
Coral reefs occur naturally in some of the sunniest places on earth, but light is changed when it travels through seawater. Sunlight can be regarded as full spectrum, but as soon as it hits the water some of that spectrum is filtered out. First to go is the red spectrum, followed by orange, yellow and green. Violet is also filtered out eventually, but blue light penetrates deep and is the last li...
Carbon is a chemical filter media for aquariums which removes dyes, odours and impurities from the water. It uses adsorption, meaning it can attract molecules to its surface where it will then adsorb and hold the impurities until saturated. When carbon is saturated, throw it away and replace with new. Every aquarium is different and unlike phosphate remover, it’s hard to test the water to ...