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...
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...
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...
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 ...
There is a maximum of 12 hours of daylight on the equator so that’s the maximum length of time that any aquarium containing tropical fish should be lit for. Any more will cause algae.But it’s worth considering other factors that affect sunlight duration in nature. At dawn and dusk, the sun’s brightness is at its weakest so by utilizing controllable LED lighting you can simulate dawn an...
Lots of our aquarium fish naturally inhabit soft water in the wild, including Cardinal tetras, Angelfish, Discus, Rams, Clown loach and Pearl gourami. And most of the fish that come from the Amazon basin, peat swamps in South East Asia and rainforest streams in West Africa prefer it too. Soft water is water is which is low in calcium and magnesium. Rainwater is soft water and water only ...
Few freshwater aquariums look more stunning than a planted tank. But its the first few steps of setting it up that can make the difference between an average looking scape and a jaw-dropping Nature Aquarium.Start at the bottom by placing a deep layer of aquatic soil on the base of the tank. Aquascaping soil is soft for roots to bury into, holds nutrients to fertilise plants and holds rocks an...
Set up a tropical tank and sooner or later you’ll want some cleaners. The tank light will cause the glass and decor to go green and detritus (fish poo and uneaten food,) will start to build up in the gravel. But are there really fish that will clean your tank for you or is it a myth?There are thousands of fish species available and some of them do indeed graze on green algae as well as othe...