Fish Tank Aquarium

Perk up your mood and shake off the tiredness? Get a bit of the ocean into your home with dazzling corals and attractive fish. A vivarium is an enclosed area to maintain and grow plants or animals for observation or research. It is a smaller representation of the ecosystem for a particular species, with the environmental conditions under control.

Fish tank aquarium is a type of vivarium imitating a water habitat. A fish tank aquarium simulates a river, lake or sea and projects only the sunken area of these natural habitats. Fish tank aquariums developed as an interesting hobby in the 1850s. Currently there are nearly 60 million fish tank enthusiasts all over the world.

A fish tank aquarium is generally contained in a container that has clear sides, made of glass or high strength plastic. Plants and fishes that dwell in water are kept in incarceration for display in these aquariums.

Fish tank aquarium

A fish tank aquarium is comparatively a low maintenance way of owning pets as compared to other pets. Fishes need less hands-on care. Owning and maintaining a fish tank aquarium is a sure-fire way to relax at home after a hectic tired day at work. Keeping fish as pets is a rewarding hobby. Freshwater fish tank aquariums are preferred over saltwater fish tanks since they are easier to maintain.

Besides freshwater fish are cheaper and easier to breed. Saltwater fish are not as tolerant as freshwater fish when it comes to deviations in their environment. Besides they are larger and need more space. Some favorites with fish tank aquarium enthusiasts are Guppy, Black Molly, Green Swordtail, Goldfish and Neon Tetra.

Fish tank aquarium essentials

• Aquarium
  
  
• An aquarium stand
  
  
• Gravel
  
  
• Back ground (optional)
  
  
• Pump
  
  
• Light
  
  
• A filter system
  
  
• Plants (natural or artificial)
  
  
• Heater
  
  
• Rocks
  
  
• Fish

Choosing fish tank aquarium

Aquariums are available in various sizes. Choose the right one depending on the size of the fish and the number of fishes. The thumb rule is one gallon of water per fish. If you fill a fish tank aquarium with too many fish, there is excessive waste, food particles, and chemicals floating in the water. The larger the fish, the more water they require.

Fish tank aquariums are built either horizontally or vertically. Again depending on the type of fish you choose to exhibit, you have to select the aquarium type. Angelfish look their best in vertical type while zebra danios are set off to best advantage in horizontal type of fish tank aquarium. Choose a stand that will suit your decor.

A good filter is one that does all the three types of filtration i.e. biological, chemical and mechanical. The entire water in the fish tank aquarium should be turned over every hour for over four to five times. There are four types of filters available, canister filters, under- gravel filters, wet/dry or tickle filters and power filters. As for the other items including fish, in a fish tank aquarium, it is purely your choice depending on what you have in mind.

Setting up fish tank aquarium

• Decide the place suitable to you to set up the aquarium. Make a wise decision to put the stand in the right place so that it need not be disturbed for a long time.
  
  
• A background in the fish tank aquarium can be purchased from a store or can be painted on the outside of the aquarium.
  
  
• Place the fish tank aquarium on the stand. Set the filter in the bottom of the tank if the filter is an under water filter.
  
  
• Place clean gravel.
  
  
• Fill the fish tank aquarium to the top with water of drinking quality.
  
  
• The safe zone of temperature for fish is from 70 to 80 degree Fahrenheit; ensure the heater you install maintains this level of temperature. Freshwater fish can be either tropical and cold water fish. Find out the pH that is ideal for the fishes you have chosen.
  
  
• Connect the under gravel filter to the pump installed.
  
  
• Air stone augments the oxygenation of water and improves the quality of water. So don't forget to add air stones to your fish tank aquarium.
  
• Thermometer helps in monitoring the temperature of the water.
  
  
• Plants can be kept on the gravel. Natural plants need some maintenance but are beneficial, as they provide oxygen to the water. Artificial plants are easy to maintain.
  
  
• The main part is choosing fish; choose fishes that use all parts of the tank. Educate yourself on that and choose the right combination of fishes for your fish tank aquarium. For e.g. bottom feeder fish, cat fish, top feeder fish? angel fish, mid tank feeder fish ? zebra danios, sword tails. Allow the fish to swim out on their own from the packet to the tank.
  
  
• Finally feed the fish when required. Two to three feedings per day is sufficient.

Feeding fish in an aquarium

You will be surprised to hear that fish beat humans when it comes to eating when not required. Choose the best and nutritious food for your fish in the fish tank aquarium. Nutritious food is as important as the environment the fish lives in. Not all the fish eat the same kind of food. You will be amazed to hear that a variety of fish are nocturnal eaters, they eat when it gets dark.

Don't forget to feed them before you turn off the light at your home. A well balanced diet for the fish in your fish tank aquarium will include a combination of dry, fresh, frozen and live food. Beware! Do not overfeed the fish, food not eaten within five minutes from when fed is excess and needs to be removed. If excess food is not removed from the fish tank aquarium they clog the filters and break down into toxins that are in turn harmful for the fish.

Maintaining fish tank aquarium

Fish in your fish tank aquarium need clean surroundings. Begin cleaning the aquarium as given below:

• Inner glass
  
  
• Rocks, plants and any decorations
  
  
• Gravel
  
  
• Outer glass and other equipment
  
  
• Filter
  

Glasses can be cleaned using an algae pad or scrapers, if the stain is too hard to remove try using blade. Next clean the plants, rocks and decorations. Remove all the plants and decorations and use siphon to clean the gravel. Latest trend in siphons is the python type; this siphon draws the dirty water straight into the sink thus getting rid of buckets. Surprisingly a larger fish tank needs lesser maintenance. Since it has more volume of water, the fish waste is dispersed over a larger area.

To clean the glass, use cleaners that are friendly to the fish in your fish tank aquarium. Say no to cleaners based with lime as this is very toxic to the fish. After using any cleaner, ensure that you have rinsed the fish tank aquarium thoroughly and repeatedly. Check regularly to ensure that fish are swimming normally and do not show signs of disease.

Filters can be cleaned a couple of weeks after the entire aquarium has been cleaned. The filter media encloses bacteria that are helpful in maintaining the eco system in the fish tank aquarium. For this reason, give the tank rest while cleaning the filters.

Ensure the filters are cleaned once every month. Biological filtration allows the right amount of good bacteria to remain and grow in the water so as to maintain ideal levels of Nitrite. Chemical filters use carbon or chemical resins to absorb the waste.