Freshwater Aquarium Algae is probably one of the most common problems that aquarium lovers endure. In this article we cover 3 procedures to lessen the problem or ideally get rid of it.

1. Physically Getting Rid of Algae Yourself

Often, with too much light present utilized as illumination in your tank green algae will form covering the glass surfaces of your aquarium and you might also have green water trouble.You might remove the algae by employing an appropriate scraping implement with a keem edge. Some folk utilize steel wool and you would have to be very careful as you do not want to cause any marks on the glass surface by using too much pressure.

Obviously using steel wool with sand around, especially the bottom of the tank, will increase the risk of marking the glass surfaces.

Not only will the glass be covered by freshwater aquarium algae but the plants will be covered as well.

It is nearly impossible to remove all algae from the plants.

Beneath electric light, blue-green algae are favorite to be a nuisance, settling not only on glass, but also on the plants. The algae may be scraped from glass as normal, but to get it off the plants is practically impossible. Cut down on the lighting strength and see how the situation develops.

2. Chemical Treatment

One more to treat the situation is to use a chemical. However you can’t do this with living pets in your tank. You would have to develop another tank that ideally has water that has been matured so that your fish can be safely esconced for a few hours. Transport your pets and invertebrates etc securely to their temporary tank and introduce copper sulphate to the fish free fresh water aquariums.

Regarding the amount to utilize, work out what 1 parts per million might be for the volume of water in your tank.

Mix it in and leave for several hours before substituting the majority of the water. Once your fish are put back into the tank you will have to check on the water quality and carry out water changes as you would do with a new aquarium to ensure the nitrates will not rise to high levels.

Relocating your fish about too often is not fantastic for their well being so consider this a strategy for you to utilize only when you have to.

3. Using A Particular Fish To Get Rid Of The Algae

In addition to proper upkeep there is an yet another ongoing strategy you can utilize. Purchase an algae eater such as a Plecostomus. This one is not going to win a beauty competition any time soon – but it might help keep your aquarium algae to a low level.

Some people say they put more waste and nutrients into the water and algae still thrives but if you do water changes, then it should lessen their additional waste products, as with any other fish additions.

NOTE WELL: A Plecostomus (also known as) can become one and a half feet! You may be all right with one in a ten gallon tank but when it develops to that length you’d need a fifty five gallon aquarium!

Find More Freshwater Aquarium Articles

Live plants provide food and shelter for fish, prevent green water, and make your aquarium look great. They also help balance out the aquarium system by absorbing carbon dioxide and waste products.

Like any living organism, plants need nutrients and proper living conditions. Having plants fed is easy because all of the needed nutrients come right from the fish. Fertilizing plants is just as easy because the fish do that too. There are fertilizers available as additives but it can cause problems with algae in your tank if too much is added.

Most plants like water temperatures to be between 72 and 78F. A pH between 6.8 and 7.8 is also ideal for the plants.

Snails are also related to the success or failure of your aquatic plants. Snails can help clean the plants of small algae and food. There are some other types of snails that can actually start eating and damaging your plants. You can actually remove these snails by placing lettuce at the top of your tank, then removing the lettuce after the snails have been attracted to it.

It is always good practice to rinse any new plants in a warm water to get rid of any nuisance insects. Try to choose plants for your tank that have solid roots, firm leaves, and do not have a strange smell to them.

If you are looking to add plants to your aquarium, you will probably need to upgrade your lighting. Plants need about twelve to fourteen hours of light everyday. Some aquarists have differing opinions of the amount of light plants need but three to five watts per gallon seems to work well for most.

Transplanting younger plants will always be easier and have a larger chance of success. Almost all plants will need some kind of adjustment period where it may lose leaves, but if you remove all the dead leaves and not damage the roots; your plant should be just fine.

Plants do a lot to balance an aquarium aesthetically and balance the ecosystem very well.

More Freshwater Aquarium Articles

Article by Chris Walker

Aquarium gravel and other substrate form the bed at the bottom of your freshwater aquarium. In addition, it supports decorations and furnishings that act as habitat that you will be putting inside the aquarium. It also supports aquatic plant life providing an anchor for their roots. The aesthetic quality is not the only consideration though when choosing aquarium substrate for the bottom of your tank. There are certain things that should be kept in mind to make the appropriate choice of aquarium gravel or other substrate.

It is important to understand that the substrate bed plays a major role in the nitrogen cycle inside your aquarium as well as other chemical cycles. The nitrogen cycle is very important for the survival of your fish. Bacteria that that grow in the aquarium gravel or sand eradicate unwanted ammonia and nitrates from the aquarium. An understanding of the requirements for a good aquarium gravel bed must therefore be understood, at least at the basic level, for both the aesthetic and biological functions.

A good aquarium gravel bed must be natural and beautiful, with its granules being 3 to 4 mm in size, other sizes are also adequate. Sometimes it is good to keep in mind the type of fish you plan to raise. Some fish like to build nests or burrow which requires them being able to manipulate and move the substrate.

Ideally, the aquarium gravel bed should be at least five centimeters in height for plant placement and for maintaining the beauty of the aquarium. The bed can be heavy for an aquarium to support, therefore, an appropriate amount would be 3 kilograms for every 10 liters of water. Adding the weight of the bed to the weight of the water can make the total weight rise significantly. Natural beds work best for freshwater aquariums. There are different aquarium substrate types that you can use for this purpose each with certain characteristics that affect the whole aquarium. Gravel and coarse sand (e.g quartz sand) are the best because they allow for better water circulation and filtration. Loire sand is finer than coarse sand that contains nutrients that may be utilized by aquatic plants and are usually taken from rivers. Original Loire sand was gathered from the Loire River of France. Finally, fine sand is appealing, but it does not do well in circulating water. Lastly, it is best and easiest to purchase aquarium gravel sold specifically for aquariums rather than trying to collect and clean it yourself. It is best to consult with a knowledgeable aquarium hobbyist before deciding on a freshwater aquarium substrate.

Freshwater Aquarium Setup

When you speak about a freshwater aquarium set up, what you really mean is the display and arrangement of your freshwater tank in the house. Needless to say, the set up of the tank is not a very onerous or demanding job but you have to go about it methodically and in step succession. There is some equipment that you will have to invest in while setting up your tank.

This would include:

- An aquarium
- An aquarium filter
- Aquarium gravel,
- Heater
- Decorations like plants
- Alternative filter material
- Fish food and net
- 5 gallon bucket
- Aquarium glass scrubber

The first step in the arduous journey of setting up your tank is to understand the depth and capacity of the responsibility involved. In order to have an eye pleasing and successful fresh water tank, you will need to perform some duties once a week or at the most twice a week including the upkeep and maintenance of the tank, changing of the water and feeding of the fish at least once a day.

The process of setting up your tank and running it involves recurrent expenses like buying regular food supply and replacing the filter media.

The next step in tow would be finalizing on the size of your tank. This decision can be made after sufficient research and homework is completed in terms of the fish species that you want to buy. The reason mainly being that while some fish grow only an inch or two, some grow as much as 12 to 13 inches. For starters, begin with a 10 or 20 gallon water tank set up and stock it up with smaller and hardier fish.

The third step would be zeroing down on the location of the tank.

This is entirely determined by an area where the light and temperature of the tank will not be hampered by external forces like windows and heaters. Exposure to direct sunlight will lead to the growth of excess green algae and the aquarium must be placed on a stand that will be able to bear its weight.

After you’ve decided the placement of your tank, now will be a good time to narrow down on your aquarium filters as well. At the same time, you will also need to buy a heater that is in accordance to the size of your tank. When you are out fish equipment shopping, bur you tank decorations including fake and real plants as well as the gravel.

The tank should always be washed with water and abstain from the use of any soap or detergents. The gravel must also be thoroughly washed before included in the tank and the clean gravel must be placed in a 5 gallon bucket for moving it to the aquarium. plants and the other paraphernalia can be added thereafter. Setting up the other equipment as in the heater and the filter is also of great importance as it regulates the temperature in the tank. Top off the aquarium with a hood that is fixed with a tank light and power cords that do not come in contact with the water.

As you can see, the steps that are involved in setting your fresh water aquarium are not as complicated and rigorous. The whole idea of doing it for your fish will take away the monotony and boredom from it.

Article by Robert Hedley

Q: Dear Robert,

I bought some fish food the other day that had a warning not to overfeed my fish. I have heard about fish being overfed, but haven’t given it much thought until now – I always feed as recommended. Can you tell me something about how much, and maybe what to feed my freshwater aquarium fish?

Dear Mike,

Just like any other living thing, the kind of diet that fish live on is a big factor in determining how long and how well they live. I’ll start with your second question on what and then we can talk about how much.There is really no specific food that we can say is the best for freshwater aquarium fish – they need a combination so that they can get all the nutrients. There are some guidelines though:

1. Dietary Type

You need to familiarize yourself with fish diets – as they exist in nature. Once you understand them, you can replicate them for your fish tank. To give you a bit of guidance, human beings, for instance are omnivores so we have all the sets of teeth that are required to crush both meat and vegetables. Different fish have different dietary needs and have different teeth and digestive structures to help them digest what they eat. A piranha is built differently from a gold fish. The only way to know what the dietary needs of your fish are is to do some research.

2. When do they like to eat?

Again, just like any other animal, they have times when they prefer to eat. Some freshwater aquarium fish are night creatures and so would rather feed at night and sleep during the day. Also, check where they like to eat from. You’ve seen on TV that some fish prefer to catch food that’s at the top while others want to sink to the bottom and catch particles from there. You’ll have to know the species preferences; observation will also be helpful.

3. Variety

Vary the food occasionally to make things a bit more interesting for your fish, but make sure that whatever you give them is ok and will not cause any problems either to the fish or in the tank. There are frozen as well as fresh fish foods in the pet store and you can alternate these. It will also ensure a balanced diet. Whatever your pick, it must always be fresh. You want to pick freshwater aquarium fish food with a short shelf life – it means that it has little or no chemicals. Flake foods lose nutritional value after a while, so don’t make any bulk purchases.

On to the second (or rather first) part of your question. How much? It’s a common thing for beginners to overfeed fish – its understandable because they really have no idea how much is enough. It causes problems though. It will increase toxicity in the water and then clog filters so there is no cleaning going on within the tank – it won’t be long before the fish die. That’s why they put that little warning on the pack of fish food that you bought. Fish are opportunistic and will eat whenever they get a chance. They are always preparing to go without food so they gorge themselves.

They also learn pretty fast who brings the food. You don’t have to feed them each time they ask – develop a routine and stick to it. The routine will be based on the kind of fish you have – some eat more frequently than others. Once or twice will do for most freshwater aquarium fish, but always keep the feedings small.

Remember to watch out for the nocturnal ones and feed them too. If you have herbivorous fish, feed them more frequently. How much to give? It should all be eaten up in five minutes, that’s the rule of thumb. Better less than more, you can always give them another feed later.

All the best with feeding your freshwater aquarium fish!

Article by Robert Hedley

Many people who are getting started in aquarium keeping will be faced with this question, and it can be quite confusing. It’s not easy to decide between acrylic and glass for the best freshwater aquarium without knowing the pros and cons of each, so in this article we will have a look at why you may opt for one instead of the other.

Let’s start with glass, the age-old material that has been used for many years to make all sorts of things. It is so trusted because it has its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages.

To start with, glass is much heavier than acrylic. When you consider which is the best freshwater aquarium, you will find that acrylic is the better option. It is much lighter and as a result, even the stand that you use will not be unduly strained. If you think about the possibility of an accident, you are much better off with acrylic too – it will not shatter into tiny, dangerous fragments if it ever falls down. True, the glass aquarium that you buy may be made of toughened glass and therefore hard to break, but this does not mean that it’s unbreakable.

Acrylic, though much lighter, is a much tougher material. The material strands are blended in such a way that they can take a lot of strain without giving way and this is what makes it shatter-proof.

Glass on the other hand will worry you if it gets even a tiny crack, because it will put strain on the entire structure especially considering that there is the weight of water to make the pressure that much more. As an aside, if you own a glass aquarium and it has a crack, consider replacing it because that is an accident waiting to happen.

Acrylic will also give you options with shape because it is mouldable without making it weaker. Glass is too, but the more you bend and play around with glass, the more delicate and brittle it tends to become. With acrylic, you will be able to get tanks in many different shapes, and you can choose the best freshwater aquarium that is something other than just square or rectangular.

If you ever need to modify your tank, maybe to put in an overflow system, go with acrylic. You can cut it easily with common tools that you can get at your tool store. Glass would require a glass expert and any holes will tend to leave the entire structure rather unstable.

Glass, because of its nature will tend to distort images and light. This means that depending on the angle from which you are looking into your fish tank, you may see that the fish and whatever else is in the tank look distorted. This will not happen with acrylic. Glass tanks also tend to be that much thicker, another factor that will distort view.

Glass does have its positive attributes though; it’s a natural material and it will not discolour like acrylic. Acrylic tends to yellow with time, and because your fish tank has algae in it, if you are not very regular with the cleaning, you may find that the color of the tank has permanently changed. Glass will also outshine acrylic any day – you just can’t get the same gleam however much you polish an acrylic tank. With an acrylic freshwater aquarium, you are always watching out not to scratch it – scratches are unsightly and they will affect the general attractive look of the tank.

Acrylic, because of all these qualities, will be more expensive, as well as more tasking to ship – it has to be wrapped very carefully so as not to get scratched. All that said though, you are much better off with acrylic as the best freshwater aquarium, so long as you clean it regularly enough for it not to yellow fast and avoid getting scratches on it.

Related Freshwater Aquarium Articles

Article by Rozlyn Rozberry

Why do you need to test your freshwater aquarium pH levels? pH is not the only test you need to perform, however it has the most significant impact – water temperature is probably the only other factor as critical to the existence of your fish.

Fish live and breathe their aquarium water, keeping it healthy is central to their survival. Imagine this, if your living room were filled with wood smoke, how healthy would you be? Would you want to work in a closed garage with the truck running?

The initial issue you encounter when going to purchase a test kit for pH, ammonia, or anything for that matter, is that there is literally hundreds of brands, flavors, styles and what not to choose from. Figuring out which ones you actually require will save you money while preserving your fishes lives!

The subject of water quality in a freshwater aquarium is altogether too extensive to try and review in one article; however I would like to review the fundamental elements that every aspiring aquarist should be familiar with.

If You Don’t Write It Down, You Won’t Remember!

Each aquarium has its own heartbeat; you will want to write down your findings along with the date and time to establish a history. Certain elements you are testing for, and pH is one of them, change over the course of the day; conducting your test at the same time each day will establish an average range for your setup.

Observation goes a long way towards maintaining a healthy aquarium; take a few minutes each day to make sure your filters are running, the heater and lights are turning on and your fish seem healthy. Fish will fend off all manner of ailments in a stress free environment – expose them to stress from toxic buildups, pH fluxuation and so on, and they will quickly fall prey to parasites, infections, injury and more.

Why pH Is So Important

Freshwater aquarium pH is the most significant element to master, it can change the quickest and nothing will put our fish at risk more rapidly than stress brought on by precarious pH levels.

Water is either acidic, neutral or alkaline, measured on a numerical scale of 1 to 14. Most freshwater fish inhabit water in a very narrow pH band, ranging from 5.5 to 7.5; but a variation of even 1/2 point can place your fish in harm’s way. It is valuable for you to understand the pH needs of the fish species you intend to keep and try to match those levels as closely as possible.

pH is referred to as being in “drift”, starting out the day low and gently raising towards evening, this is a common occurrence in your aquariums daily cycle. There are a lot of things that can affect your pH levels, adding water of a different pH reading, overfeeding and fish waste are a few.

You’re testing for a reason! You want to establish the acceptable “drift” of your setup, otherwise you will not be able to identify when something is wrong.

High Ammonia Levels Are Deadly!

Do not subject your fish to toxic ammonia levels; it will lead to permanent injury! Uneaten food and fish waste converts to ammonia as it decays. Draw your test water from the bottom of your tank, ammonia is denser than water and will build up more heavily there.

What Else Should You Test?

Other water tests you should actively consider are nitrite (a necessity with new tanks), nitrate and phosphate if you are experiencing unreasonable algae growth. Water hardness is a good one if you think your water source may be an issue.

These three tests are no less important than pH and ammonia and need to be watched on a consistent basis.

Do your water tests, don’t overstock or overfeed, clean your filters and change your water on schedule; if you are diligent in these chores, keeping a healthy freshwater aquarium is trouble free.

Related Freshwater Aquarium Articles

Article by David R. Grayson

There’s a lot you can do with keeping your fish tank beautiful. You can place plants in it for example. And when you go with freshwater aquarium plants, you have something multipurpose too. Real plants will provide your fish with oxygen and food. The real plants in your tank will also keep the chemistry in your water balanced. Also, you’ll be providing your fish and the other inhabitants of your tank with great places to hide and swim around in. It’s not difficult to take care of real aquarium plants. If you want to grow them, here are some tips you can follow.

There are many varieties of freshwater aquarium plants that you can go with. The kind of plants you’ll be taking care of would depend on the size of your tank, the size of your plants and even the scene you want to make for your tank. Just like plants on land, your tank plants will grow too. You can choose plants with a lot of leaves or you can choose plants that are essentially a moss. You also must consider your plants being fish food.

You can purchase the freshwater aquarium plants that you want to accessorize the tank. But before popping them in your tank, inspect them for snails and other organisms; it doesn’t take long to quickly rinse them off. If you go with aquarium plants, know that they mostly prefer being submerged. As a basic premise, you shouldn’t let your plants dry out. You have to anchor the plant when you’re putting it into your tank. If you want to produce an aesthetic effect with your plants, the last thing you want would be for them to be bobbing around in the water. For moss, you need to tie them on a string for the first part just until they establish themselves to whatever you want them to.

Just like the way plants work on land, your freshwater aquarium plants also need light. Photosynthesis is also a process that occurs with your tank plants and for that, they need light. Your tank lights will be enough just as long as you make a note of the light requirements your plants need. Upon setting your plants up in the tank, you can now add your fish. In some way, they will have a symbiotic relationship with the plant wherein their waste will nourish your plants into a healthier state.

When you have plants in your tank you may have to change the water periodically. If algae grows on the plants and the walls of your tank, you have to remove it. They’ll be your plants’ competitors for light. Finally, you have to prune or divide your plants as they start to outgrow your tank. You might suddenly end up with too many plants in a short amount of time unless the fish like to eat them. As for the slow growing varieties, you will need a little patience in growing your own tank plants. The key with freshwater aquarium plants is to find the perfect balance for your aquarium.

Checkout my website here

More Freshwater Aquarium Articles

Article by Eddie Lamb

Freshwater aquarium fish are just as lovely and relaxing as their saltwater cousins, but are much easier to take care of. While a freshwater tank still has to be kept clean and in the right pH range, there is no salinity to worry about.

Some freshwater aquarium fish are easy enough for a young child to take care of. The best fish are not so sensitive to water quality, and so they make a good, hardy species for the family to enjoy. These popular species are also coldwater fish, meaning the aquarium will not need a heater.

Goldfish

Without a doubt, goldfish are the most popular freshwater aquarium fish. If cared for well, a goldfish will live about six to eight years. People have bred the ones with bright orange scales for hundreds of years. They cost as little as 25 cents each and produce a lot of waste relative to their size; so changing the water in the fish tank frequently is important to the fish’s health.

Angelfish

Domestic angelfish originate from species native to the Amazon River. Their flat, triangular shape is rather uniform, but breeders have produced a range of colors and patterns in their scales. Some have delicate flowing tails and fins while some are more compact.

Angelfish are sometimes known to eat very small freshwater aquarium fish, but in general, if there is enough artificial fish food supplied, an angelfish will not turn on his tank mates.

Neon Tetra

Tetra are very small fish; domestic tetras rarely grow bigger than an inch. But neon tetras have a bright stripe along the sides of their tiny bodies, giving them a big visual impact. They swim in schools, making their colors even more obvious.

Tetras originally came from South American waters. Tetra generally should not be put in a tank with other freshwater aquarium fish because they are liable to be eaten or bullied. They can live up to ten years in a home aquarium.

Betta fish

Betta fish are actually a large family, comprising many members beyond the popular red “Siamese fighting fish”. Siamese fighting fish have elaborate fins in red trimmed in blue, purple or green. Fish keepers say a male betta fish should never be kept in a tank with another male as they will fight. In general, the beta fish needs to be paired with fish that are too big for him to attack and do not have large fins.

More Freshwater Aquarium Articles

Article by Devin Gilliland

If a fish or coral in your saltwater aquarium contracts a disease, it is essential that you are able to identify this right away and quarantine any infected livestock, or you will quickly have an epidemic on your hands which will be distressing. Of course, not all diseases will be fatal to your livestock, and most are treatable. But, to prevent all of your livestock from perishing, you must act quickly. Here are some tips to help.

One of the more common conditions among fish when you first create your aquarium is called delayed mortality syndrome, or DMS. DMS occurs to a fish when new environmental conditions are thrust upon it like changes in temperature, oxygen level, or chemicals in different water then what they were transferred from, so all of your fish will be susceptible when first introduced into your tank. This condition is not the problem in and of itself, as it is not contagious and only serves to weaken the immune system of the fish.

It is important that when a fish seems to exhibit symptoms of a disease that your first step is to check all of your water factors such as ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, alkalinity, and anything else that, if at the wrong level, might harm the fish rather than provide a safe environment. If you have any doubt at all, change the water. If the problem was your levels instead of an actual disease, then you will see a change in your livestock