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Advice |  |
| Setting Up a Tank Cold Water Tanks
Step 1 :
Before purchasing an aquarium it is best to consider these
points:
--Decide on the types of fish you would like to keep
--The size and style of the aquarium
--Where the aquarium will be placed in your home, it is best to avoid
direct sunlight and any heat sources such as a radiator
Step 2 :
Come and visit us at Reef Aquatics!!!
Step 3 :
Make sure the aquarium is placed on a flat surface or on the correct
cabinet. Polystyrene should be used under the aquarium when needed.
Step 4 :
Give the gravel or sand a good wash to remove any dust this should be done
prior to putting into the aquarium . Next fill the aquarium up with water.
Step 5 :
Assemble the Filter. This should never be switched on when out
of water.
Plants and ornaments can be added at this stage
Step 6 :
Add a water conditioner, we recommend you add Amquel plus water conditioner to
the aquarium. This will remove ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and also any
contaminants which from tap water that may be harmful to fish. It is also a
good idea to add a biological treatment such as bacteria life as this will help
to mature the aquarium . The Treatment will help to cultivate bacteria in
the filter which is used to brake fish waste down to a non poisonous
product.
Step 7 :
It is best to allow the tank to run and mature for two weeks before adding
any fish . Once your tank has been allowed to mature we also recommend
bringing a small water sample into us and we can test the water quality
before adding fish , this is important as some aquariums will take longer to
mature then others.
Step 8 :
Choose your fish! It is best to choose hardy fish to go into a new setup. We
are happy to advise which species would be a good first choice!
Marine Tanks
Marine tanks are renound for being the hardest tank to set up and run. They require a lot of attenion but are very awarding. Marine tanks can be the most attractive tanks if set up correctly. To set up a marine tank you need the following equipment.
Tropical Tanks
Step 1:
Before purchasing an aquarium it is best to consider these
points:
--Decide on the types of fish you would like to keep
--The size and style of the aquarium
--Where the aquarium will be placed in your home, it is best to avoid
direct sunlight and any heat sources such as a radiator.
Step 2:
Come to Reef Aquatics!!!
Step 3:
Make sure the aquarium is placed on a flat surface or on the correct
cabinet. Polystyrene should be used under the aquarium when needed.
Step 4:
Give the gravel or sand a good wash to remove any dust this should be done
prior to putting into the aquarium . Next fill the aquarium up with water.
Step 5:
Assemble the Filter and heater. These should never be switched on when out
of water.
Plants and ornaments can be added at this stage.
Step 6:
Add a water conditioner, we recommend you add Amquel plus water conditioner to
the aquarium. This will remove ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and also any
contaminants which from tap water that may be harmful to fish. It is also a
good idea to add a biological treatment such as bacteria life as this will help
to mature the aquarium . The Treatment will help to cultivate bacteria in
the filter which is used to brake fish waste down to a non poisonous
product.
Step 7:
The heater should be set on about 26 c (75f) for most types of tropical fish
It is best to allow the tank to run and mature for two weeks before adding
any fish . Once your tank has been allowed to mature we also recommend
bringing a small water sample into us and we can test the water quality
before adding fish , this is important as some aquariums will take longer to
mature then others.
Step 8:
Choose your fish! It is best to choose hardy fish to go into a new setup. We
are happy to advise which species would be a good first choice!
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| | | Aquarium maintenance and hygiene To minimise the risk of your fish getting disease and to provide the best possible environment for them it is important that you carry out regular aquarium maintenance.
The following is a guide to regular maintenance on an averagely stocked coldwater, tropical or basic marine tank to be carried out every 2 weeks.
Firstly switch off the filter and heater (where applicable) to prevent any risk of damaging them or electrocuting yourself!
Then remove around 20% of the old aquarium water preferably using a gravel cleaner, which will also remove most of the waste that will have built up, into a clean bucket referably reserved for fish cleaning out.
Then remove the filter from the aquarium and take it apart to get access to the sponge. Wash the sponge in the bucket of water you have just removed from the aquarium. It is important you wash the sponge in this water and not under the tap because the chlorine in the tap water would kill all the beneficial bacteria which will be living in the sponge. Then check the rest
of the filter and rinse any areas that might need it. Whilst you have the filter apart it is worth checking and cleaning the impellor to prevent it from clogging.
Before reassembling the filter replace any filter media that might be expired e.g. carbon.
Then reassemble the filter and return it to the tank. Using either an aquarium magnet, glass scraper or specific cleaning cloth wipe around the insides of the aquarium to remove any build up of dirt or algae which might have formed. Empty away the waste water and refill the bucket with fresh water for topping up the aquarium. Use a little warm water to try and even out the temperature and don't forget to add water conditioner. We recommend one which will remove both chlorines and chloramines , such as amquel + Slowly and carefully add the fresh water to the aquarium making sure you try not to disturb it too much, topping it up to the desired level. At this point you can rearrange any of the decor you might wish to and trim any live plants that might require it. Switch the filter and heater back on making sure that the filter restarts and wipe up any spilled water and the front of the glass.
Sit back and enjoy your aquarium!
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| | | Feeding your Fish It is advisable to give most fish a good varied diet as this will promote good fish health and bring out the best colours in the fish. Certain fish such like catfish require sinking pellets or wafers while others such as tetras need a staple diet of flake food with the occasional frozen food such as bloodworm. Wheather you keep goldfish , cichlids or marines we stock top quality frozen , dried and live foods. |
| | | Disease From time to time it is possible even for a healthy fish to become sick. We are more then happy to give advice as factors from water quality , stress and even diet can be the root cause.
Prevention is far better then cure!! Before finding a treatment to cure a disease we believe it is best to find what has caused the decline in the health of the fish. By finding the problem it will help to eliminate any future problems and also insure that your fish are happy. Some diseases are infectious where as others aren't, we sell a range of top quality treatments which can be effectively used to cure disease. Here are some examples of the most commonly found disease: |
| | | | If you have any problems which may not be listed or you need any advice please do not hesitate to contact us!! |
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