What are the rules for cleaning an aquarium?
- NO SOAP
- Wipe down inside and outside with clean water and paper towels
- Remove gravel, rinse thoroughly, clean a little at a time
- Clean filter inside and out, break down and clean parts
- Add water, if water is turbid – clean again
Why are plants inportant in an aquarium?
Plants use the carbon dioxide fish exhale for photosynthesis. Oxygen is a product of photosynthesis. Fish require oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. They need oxygen to breath and for cellualr respiration. Plants help remove nitates from the water and help keep the tank balanced
Why is dechlorination a MUST!
- Chlorine is a chemical found in tap water. It is used to kill bacteria and keep our drinking water healthy.
- Chlorine is TOXIC for you fish. Even a small amount of chlorine can cause fish death.
- YOU MUST add dechlorinatorwhen setting up your aquarium AND every time you do a water change. Any time you use faucet water you must add dechlorinator!!
Why are aerators or bubbler important in an aquarium?
- Aerators orbubblers add oxygen to the water
* Plants can also add oxygen but require really good light
What is the rule of thumb for buying fish?
A good RULE OF THUMB is 1 gallon of water for each inch of fish. Keep in mind that this is based on length of the fish when it is grown NOT the size you buy at the petstore.
* Goldfish need 10 gallons per fish. Goldfish are dirty and only digest a small portion of their food. The rest is waste. Goldfish are cute but be prepared to do a lot of water changes if you buy one.
How much should you feed your fish?
Overfeeding your fish is one of the top cause of fish death.
- Remember your fish has a very small mouth and stomach. Only feed it as much as it can eat in 2 minutes.
- Uneaten food falls to the bottom where it is decomposed by bacteria and can increase nitrates.
- Less is more when feeding fish
How to choose your fish?
When you go to the pet store look for:
- Healthy active fish
- No sick or dead fish in the store aquarium
- Does it have any unusual food requirements?
- Is it a schooling fish? If so buy three. Schooling fish become stressed in an aquarium by themselves.
- Avoid aggressive and territorial fish, This fish can become bullies, they can harass and pick on other fish. They need to be returned to the store or sometimes moving the fish to another tank can help. Buiding a habitat with lost of hiding places can also help
- BY BEGINNER OR INTERMEDIATE FISH!
- BY INEXPENSIVE FISH!
- Make your mistakes in class then when you set up your own tank at home you can buy more expensive fish.
What is a good starter fish?
- Gourami
- Danio
- Tetra Molly
- Cory Cat Platy Guppy Swordtail
- Betta
- Fish in bold make good breeders
How to transport fish
- Fish can only survive in a plastic bag for a short period
- You can NOT keep fish in a plastic bag overnight without an aerator. They will die!
- When you bring your fish to school make sure you float the bag in the aquarium for 10-15 minutes before releasing them.
DRASTIC temperature differences can cause your fish to go into shock and die - Remove fish from bag and dispose of water. I like to place the fishing net over the sink and pour the water and fish into the net. You capture the fish and the water goes down the drain.
What are the causes of excess fish waste?
- Overpopulation: to many fish in your aquarium
- Overfeeding: feeding your fish more food than it can eat.
- Filters can slow down the rate of waste pollution , but it can not completly remove the pollutants.
What is the nitrogen cycle in an aquarium?
- Fish, invertibrates, fungi and some baccteria excrete nitrogen in the form of ammonia.
- Ammonia is produced through the decomposition of plant and animal matter, left over fish food, fecal matter, urine and other detritus.
- Ammonia is toxic to your fish in high amounts and can cause stress at low levels
Nitrite
- Nitrite: Atoxic substance formed when Nitrosomonasbacter oxidize or convert ammonia to nitrite.2. Like ammonia nitrite is also highly toxic to fish in high concentrations
Nitrate
- Nitrate is less toxic than ammonia and nitrite Nitrite is oxidized or converted to nitrate by Nitrospira or Nitrobacter
- Nitrate is the form of nitrogen that can be used by plants as a fertilizer. In a healthy aquatic ecosystem this form of nitrogen is not usually a problem. However, excess amounts lawn fertilizer or agriculture farms, dairy farms, cattle farms and other animals farms can increase nitrate levels to toxic levels.
Nitrogen Cycle: Bacteria
Nitrosomonasbacteria convert ammonia to nitrite
Nitrobacter/ Nitrospira bacteria convert nitrite to nitrate
* Nitrate is the form of nitrogen used by plants.
IMPORTANCE: When plants metabolize nitrogen compounds, they remove nitrogen from the water by using it to build biomass. This is only temporary, as the plants release nitrogen back into the water when older leaves die off and decomposeBacteria convert nitrogen into a form that can be used by plants as a fertilizer
Nitrogen Cycle: Plants
- Plants remove nitrate from the water and used as it as fertilizer.
- Plants are important part of the nitrogen cycle because they help remove nitrate from the water
Water Quality Measurments
- It is important to check ammonia levels when setting up an aquarium with new fish. Ammonia levels can become toxic very quickly and cause the death of your fish.
- In order to have an idea of accurate levels it is important to check the ammonia level on tap water. The ammonia kit is a simple test and there are chemicals in the water that can give you a “false” level.
- According to the ammonia kit anything above “0” requires a water chane. However, it the tap water levels are 0.25 or .25 we will consider that as the equivilent of “0”. As you continue to season your tank the levels will drop to “0”.
- When ammonia levels start to fall then you need to start measuring nitrite levels.
- When nitrite levels fall you need to start measuring nitrate.
General Aquarium Maintenance
- Each day check water quality and record in data sheet
- Each person must write their own data in a data sheet
- Once a week sihon gravel to remove waste and uneaten food
- Add water to maintain aquarium water levels DECHLORINATE
- Add water slowly to avoid shock
- Avoid complete water changes, always leave 6 inches of water
Leading causes of fish kills
- Failure to dechlorinate the water
- Rapid temperatures
- Overfeeding
- Poor water quality
- Fish incompatebility
- Fish vs Filter
- Improper handlingof fish
- Fish suicide (leaping out of aquarium)
Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle
- Feed fish
- Fish eats food and produces urine and fecal material
- Waste products produce ammonia
- Nitrosomonas bacteria converts ammonia to nitrite
- Nitrobacter/Nitrospira bacteria converts nitrite to nitrate
- Nitrate is used by plants as a fertilizer and is removed from the water
- If there are not enough plants to decrease nitrates to a safe level then you must do a water change
