In hot British summers, water temperatures can rise too high even for tropical fish, so we use a chiller to keep the temperature down. Warm water holds less oxygen so in a heatwave the effect is three-fold, by stressing the animals, increasing their breathing but also lessening the amount of dissolved oxygen that’s available to them in the water.In marine tanks, corals can really suffer in ...
Surface skimmers are a very worthwhile addition to any pond filtration system. Whereas a typical pond pump only removes debris that sinks down to the bottom, a surface skimmer will remove any surface debris that won’t sink, aiding water quality, and improving viewing.Surface-skimmed water is healthier because any oils or residues are removed, meaning better gaseous exchange. Pollen, petals...
Two of the biggest problems any aquarium owner will face, are fish disease and nuisance algae.Anything that helps to reduce or prevent both of those is a welcome addition to the aquarium cupboard, and an aquarium UV steriliser can do just that.UV stands for ultraviolet, and a special UV bulb emits light at 254 nanometres.At that wavelength the light is damaging to our eyes (so it’...
There is a plethora of fish foods available, and almost as many foods as there are fish. Here’s our handy guide on selecting the right food for your fish.Flake or pellet?The most popular fish food available is flake food. The vast majority of tropical fish will eat it, and it’s a complete diet, meaning that for many fish, if they had to, they could just eat flake every day for their e...
The filter is the most important piece of equipment for any aquarium, but there is a huge array of models available, so how do you choose? Here’s our essential guide.The BasicsAll aquariums containing fish need a filter of some kind. The filter traps debris, clearing the water and enabling better viewing of your fish. The trapping of physical waste is called mechanical filtration.Fi...
The aquarium hobby is continuing to advance at a rapid pace. One of the many great things about this is that there are an abundance of modern and unusual fish tanks available, complete with state of the art filtration and care systems that not only serve as the perfect dwelling for your fish, but also make a great, inspiration and relaxing addition to your home. Here’ s the Swell UK team’s pi...
When you are just starting out or even just thinking about taking up fish keeping for a hobby, it could be that your knowledge of filters can be summed up by a simple statement: Pond and aquarium filters are ‘magic boxes’ that clean my water.There’s no shame in this, especially if you are only a budding aquarist, and most of us have been there at some point. We thought it would be a good...
Keep your fish happy and healthy by cleaning your fish tank on a regular basis. Cleaning your fish tank doesn't have to be difficult and once you get into a routine, it won't take you long at all. Swell content writer, Jenni, recently set up her own aquarium, here she writes about test kits, water changes and general aquarium maintenance. Testing water in the fish tankI've had my ...
They are an ideal fish keeping accessory for anyone who travels regularly, or for long periods of time and can prevent dangerous overfeeding.The majority of fish feeders are able to dispense all kinds of fish food, including granules, sticks pellets or flakes.There are a variety of models of automatic fish feeders, depending on how many fish you need to feed and how comfortable you feel using ...