Aquarium Software To Assist You With Your Aquarium Maintenance

Maintaining the aquarium is an important aspect to this hobby. Fail to properly maintain the aquarium and ultimately it will quickly start to decline ending in livestock which is either unhappy or ultimately near to or at death.

Both John and I are both strong believers in having a proper aquarium maintenance regime and also recording the relevant details so that trends can be identified and potential problems identified prior to them becoming serious.

Personally I record the relevant information in a notepad when I am taking the relevant readings and transpose them into Microsoft Excel. From the records maintained and recorded throughout the month/year I am able to graph them and also perform other calculations.

I also record other information such as dates when fish and corals were purchased, when equipment was purchased, when certain aspects of equipment are to be replaced and also how much electricity I am using.

A lot of aquarists do not record any information at all. They simply take the readings and if they are ok forget about them until next time. If a reading is incorrect then they probably attempt to rectify the solution until the reading is correct and then again forget about them.

At the moment I am attempting to find a developer to assist me in the creation of an online maintenance/logging system. If we do go down this route then we are hoping to add this to Aquarists Online Social as a free service for all of our visitors to use. Hopefully this software will do everything I currently do in Excel but with a bucket-load more functionality. This is something which we are researching and not something which we are definitely going to be doing but I believe that there is a huge gap for an online multi-user aquarium management, recording and tracking system. Perhaps there is one out there in the vast world of the internet but so far I have not been able to locate one.

I believe that this is a tool which could and should be used by a lot of aquarists. Not just saltwater aquarists but also our coldwater and freshwater friends.

There are quite a few aquarium maintenance software tools currently available on the internet so I thought I would make a list of some of them so you could decide for yourself if you wanted to use such a tool or not.

It needs to be noted that some of these are free and some of these have a charge associated against them.

Aquariogest
Aquarix
Doctor Aquarium
Micro Marine Software
Aquarium Lab
My Aquarium Log
Aquarium Instruments
Automated Aquarium Systems
Aqua Log
ReefCon Pro
Tank Keeper
Aquarium Fish 2.0
AquaTrax
Maquarium
Tcquarium

There are probably others which are also available. If you know of one which is not listed then please either contact us so that we can add it or leave a comment below.

If you do not decide to use software to assist you with recording various aspects of your aquarium then I hope that you will at least choose to utilise at least a notepad.

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Tags: aquarium, Aquarium Maintenance, aquarium-software, Care, Equipment, water-parameters

Don’t Let Your Power Cables Become A Spaghetti Junction

Whatever type of marine aquarium is owned there is one thing that it needs and that is electricity. The aquarium is usually placed close to a power outlet so that connection is easier.

Lots of equipment is available for the aquarium. For all types of system there is lighting, pumps for seawater movement, and a protein skimmer. If a sump is used there will be a return pump. On a reef there will possibly be a calcium reactor and the like. Maybe the system has auto top-up, supplementation using a peristaltic pump etc.

All of these devices need connecting safely and securely to the electricity supply.

What often happens is the aquarist connects a device up and then moves on to the next one. As progress is made more and more cables hang down the back of the aquarium crossing over each other or passing in between others. In the future this could mean difficulties.

Equipment can fail and when this occurs the first action is to disconnect the offending device from the mains supply. Which plug is it? Usually there is a row of plugs often connected to a multi-plug bar. There’s nothing basically wrong with this but there needs to be some identification of individual plug functions. This is easily accomplished by using white gloss paint and a child’s paintbrush or sticking on securely a label indicating the function, either by numbers or abbreviation. These are simple, how about ‘S’ for skimmer for example.

Before the devices are even connected, could the number of plugs be reduced? ‘Same function’ devices could give this opportunity, such as multi actinic fluorescent lights, powerhead circulators and similar. It is unlikely that the power rating for the plug will be exceeded as most aquarium devices are low powered. A watch must be kept for this and all devices have a power rating given in watts (W). Examples of devices where wattage is going to be higher are heaters and metal halide lighting.

Clearly if the devices are supplied with plugs of the sealed variety which are already wired up then the above is not an option. If it is legal in the aquarist’s area and if the aquarist is competent, then even sealed plugs can be removed and re-wired with new plugs to permit multi use. Competence and legality have been mentioned, the law must not be broken and competence is a must with electricity as incorrectly used it is dangerous or even lethal. Don’t take chances and/or assume ‘it will be ok.’

Another way of connecting devices is to use ‘cable tidies.’ These allow several devices to be connected. Ensure that the model has sufficient connections plus a couple to spare and be careful to follow any instructions.

The wires hanging down the back of the aquarium could be untidy and give the aquarist a problem in the future. Even if there is identification on the plugs, when an attempt is made to pull the wire through so that the attached device can be removed, the plug could become snagged with other wires. This occurs where wires behind the aquarium are interwoven and/or twisted with others and it is very easy for this to occur in the connecting up stage.

It would be reasonably simple to wrap adhesive tape around groups of wires and this would certainly tidy things up. It would not solve the problem though as the need to withdraw a particular cable would remain difficult. It is better to either keep cables individual or keep them in groups where multi connection through a plug has been done. The wires could be held together with purpose made twist cords, or even string fastened in a bow so it is easy to undo.

To achieve neat wiring it is necessary to put any group wiring in and fasten it together immediately. Any single cables should be carefully placed so that they do not run under and over other cables which will permit them to be withdrawn if required. When any new or replacement device is fitted, the cable must be clear of entanglement.

The attention given to the stocked aquarium is high, and rightly so. Paying attention to simple matters such as tidy wiring (perhaps it could be termed logical wiring) and device accessibility should one require removal is a positive action during the connection process.

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Tags: aquarium, Aquarium Maintenance, Care, Equipment, reef-tank, saltwater-aquarium

Aquarium Equipment - The Peristaltic Pump

Aquarists use different types of equipment to assist in the running of their aquariums. These can be very important ‘must haves’ such as a protein skimmer and circulation pumps, or labour saving devices such as an automated evaporation top-up device or calcium reactor.

One piece of labour saving equipment is the peristaltic pump. This device originated in the medical profession where medications needed to be applied to patients in precise but low amounts over time. The device has been found to be useful in the marine aquarium hobby and there are models available manufactured for this purpose.

The units vary in size, some perhaps 1″ (circa 25mm) in thickness by perhaps 4″ (circa 1.2mm) square. The ones destined for use with an aquarium are usually constructed of plastic, often with a clear panel on one side. The clear panel enables the owner to see the flexible tube inside.

The unit is powered by a small electric motor which to all intents and purposes is silent. This drives a shaft which revolves very slowly. As it revolves it usually drives three arms and on the end of each arm is a roller. A flexible tube about ¼” (circa 7mm) in diameter enters at one side of the unit and exits from the same side but the other corner. The flexible tube goes in a circle within the unit. When running, the rollers which are moving slowly in a circle compress the flexible tube and force any liquid present forwards in the same direction.

The pumps can be obtained in various outputs and with either static or variable speed. The static speed ones are of course less expensive. They run very cheaply on mains electricity and can be used with electric timers. Fitting them is simplicity itself, most being fitted upright in a convenient location out of sight but accessible and away from the danger of getting wet from seawater. The intake end of the tube should be fitted with a filter which is easily constructed - a small piece of fine filtration sponge with a narrow hole is the often used method. The outlet end of the tube could need holding down with a sucker or small weight as it might tend to float to a horizontal position.

The aquarist can make use of the pumps in several ways. Sometimes it is difficult to adjust the flow rate of an anti-nitrate filter (a de-nitrator) and a pump could be selected to move seawater through the filter, thus solving the problem. Or, provided the aquarist knows the demand of the aquarium, supplements could be applied for the appropriate period per day to meet the need. A watch would need to be kept that mixtures remained viable, that is did not de-mix over time, and also that clogging did not occur.

One area that the pump cannot be used for is timed feeding. This is a great shame as it is ideally suited and could successfully dose an aquarium accurately according to the demand of the livestock. So why can’t it be used? It is simply because the food goes off. The pump needs a small reservoir so that timed feeding can occur. During this time the liquefied food morsels could fall to the bottom of the reservoir, though the problem could be avoided by a simple stirring system. As said though, when waiting to be used the food deteriorates. Experiments have been made with refrigeration devices, all by aquarists but as far as I know a successful solution has not been found. If feeding could be done with the aid of the pump then more natural feeding over the daylight hours could be accomplished, rather than the one or two heavier meals a day that usually occurs.

There is very little to go wrong with a peristaltic pump. The item to watch is the flexible tube inside the pump in the region where it is compressed. Over time it starts to fail and needs replacement. The tube is not expensive and so a length can be kept as spare. Some manufacturers supply this spare tubing with a new pump.

So if the aquarist is having difficulty in supplying a correct flow rate or wants to apply precise amounts of liquid to the aquarium a peristaltic pump could be considered.

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Tags: Aquarium Maintenance, Aquarium Water, aquarium-pump, Care, Equipment, Water Movement

Protect Your Livestock By Using Two Heaters

Whatever the size of the marine aquarium, it represents a fair financial investment. That’s just the system comprised of aquarium and support devices. Then there’s the livestock, which again requires a sizeable financial outlay. It is necessary to protect the livestock in as many ways as possible, first because it is life and second because it is costly.

One way of protecting livestock is by correct husbandry, keeping the seawater quality high, correct feeding and the like. The initial way to achieve this protection is to invest in adequate hardware in the design stage obtaining properly sized powerheads, protein skimmer etc. An important part of this hardware is the heater.

Aquarium heaters nowadays are generally reliable and can be accurate to about + or - 1.5 deg F or better. The unit comprises a heater that is at the lower end of the unit and a thermostat that is at the upper end. The more powerful the heater, that is the higher the wattage, the longer the unit will be.

The heater is best fitted in a sump if there is one as it could look out of place in the display aquarium though in a reef they are usually fairly easy to disguise. If they are disguised then there should not be any interference with seawater flow around them. They should be clear of the sand and preferably fitted at an angle, not vertically, though with modern seawater currents this is not quite so important.

The size of the heater should be calculated according to the total net gallonage of the system. This can simply be achieved by checking the recommendations of the manufacturer. It is usual to also size to the room the aquarium is in - if a cold room more heat is needed than in a warm one.

The heater as said is generally reliable nowadays but, like any piece of equipment, they can fail. They could fail in either the ‘off’ or ‘on’ position. This is a major failure: if a protein skimmer fails then there isn’t a nearly immediate threat to the livestock, though of course it needs attention as soon as possible. A heater failure needs immediate attention not just when convenient.

Dependant on the air temperature, cooling seawater does become such a threat if the aquarist doesn’t notice the problem. Seawater generally cools fairly slowly, the speed based on volume and air temperature. Seawater that is gaining in temperature quite quickly is a more serious threat. This is because if the heater has stuck in the ‘on’ position heat is constantly supplied and the seawater temperature rises continuously, more quickly than it would cool. As the temperature increases so the oxygen content decreases. Further, there is a general upper tolerance level for corals and fish, above which losses will occur.

The potential problem can be guarded against quite easily. When the total wattage required to heat the seawater has been calculated, divide it by two and buy two heaters. So if 200 watts is needed obtain two heaters at 100 watts each. The heaters are set to the same temperature and fitted parallel to each other. Some aquarists put one at each end of the display tank, but if a sump is available they can go in there.

“200 watts is needed so if one fails the aquarium won’t be heated properly.” That’s correct, but the immediate danger is removed. If one heater fails in the ‘off’ position, then the other heater will apply heat and attempt to reach the design temperature. If it can’t reach this temperature it will not switch off. This means that the seawater will not cool down as rapidly and the heater will at least be able to maintain a lower temperature. This means the aquarist has considerably more time to notice the problem before there is real trouble. When a replacement heater is fitted all is well.

If one of the heaters sticks in the ‘on’ position then there will not be a danger of overheating the seawater with the problems that will bring. The heater that is permanently on will obviously continuously heat the seawater. The other heater which is operating normally will reach the design temperature and switch off. The seawater is now likely to cool down though more slowly than usual. When the temperature drops sufficiently the second heater will switch back on again and so forth.

Using two heaters doesn’t cost more in electricity: the wattage is the same as if there were only one. However, the livestock are protected from excess stress or even disaster.

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Tags: Aquarium Heater, Aquarium Maintenance, Aquarium Water, Care, Equipment, Water Quality

Aiptasia - Death By Fire!

I found a really interesting article over at Elder Reef today. Andy has found what looks like a really unique way to clear the aquarium of aiptasia.

Aiptasia can very easily become a pest in the saltwater aquarium. At first they appear to be a welcome addition, however before long they reach plague like propotions in the aquarium and are very hard to clear.

There are various prducts on teh market, Joe’s Juice, Aiptasia-X and others for example, however these do not always work.

Andy has found a new way - burn them off!

From the article it looks like it does work, time will tell if they return or not and I hope Andy updates us on his blog with the progress. If it does work then this is great for rocks which you can rremove from the aquarium. For the rocks which are hard to remove then this technique might be a little trickier - let’s face it water and fire dont really mix.

Check it out - excellent read.

http://reef.eldersign.org/?p=317

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Tags: aiptasia, Aquarium Maintenance, aquarium-pests, Care, majano anemone, reef-tank

Is An Aquarium Air Pump A Good Way To Add Oxygen?

Though there are other needs, seawater quality is the number one requirement for the success of a marine aquarium. Attention to seawater quality will pay dividends to the aquarist.

One of the necessities for high seawater quality is sufficient oxygen content, and there are different ways of insuring that the content is high.

Air pumps are an older type of technology, still in use today. Most air pumps run on a vibration principle, where a flexible arm is connected to a diaphragm. The arm is moved rapidly back and forth by electric energy, which in turn moves the diaphragm backwards and forwards. Air is sucked in on the backward movement and pushed down the airline on the forward movement. The air is usually released into the seawater through an air stone, though an air curtain can be used. The air curtain is simply a length of rigid airline with holes spaced equally along its length and blocked at one end.

Air pumps can be obtained in various sizes, the smaller ones with single air outlets and the larger ones with two. Maintenance on the air pumps is very simple: if there is an air filter fitted on the intake of the pump, the pad must be changed when dirty to allow the passage of air, and the only other consideration is the condition of the diaphragm. If this is showing signs of wear or splitting, it should be replaced with new. The running cost of the device is very low.

Air is pumped into the seawater and, as said, is normally released through an air stone or curtain. In marine use the air stone is normally a wooden one, which creates smaller bubbles. If the air stone is not releasing bubbles as readily as in first use then it should either be cleaned by a fresh water soak or, better, replaced.

Ok, back to oxygen then. It seems pretty obvious how the oxygen gets into the seawater, the answer being the bubbles. This is true but only partially. Some oxygen will get in from the bubbles, because each bubble is an air/water interface. However, the majority of the oxygen is taken in at the surface. This is because the rising stream of bubbles moves the seawater upwards in a column. When it reaches the surface, it peels away outwards in a circle and the seawater constantly passes this much larger air/water interface. It follows that the power of the air pump must be sufficient for the size of the aquarium, and also for its depth.

There is nothing wrong with using an air pump in a marine system. There are disadvantages though.

The first disadvantage is salt spray. When the bubbles are bursting at the surface they tend to throw spray about. After a short period of time salt encrustation can be seen on any wires, glass covers etc that are above or close to the bubble area. To avoid this as far as possible the aquarist should position the air stone so that the upwelling at the surface forms a mound. Experimentation with the size of this mound by moving the air stone up and down will indicate the best for minimum salt spray. If an air curtain is in use, the air curtain can be moved up and down. Of the two, for efficiency the air stone is probably best.

Some pleasing decorative effects can be achieved with a column of air within the aquarium, and the air stone can usually be hidden from direct view.

There is another problem, which is probably more applicable to reef systems than fish only ones. This is to do with seawater movement. It is well known that corals require good seawater movement for their well being, some corals more than others - hard corals generally need more than the soft variety. The problem is that this strong seawater movement could interfere with the air column coming from the air stone or curtain. At best, the column could be distorted and become less decorative. At worst, the aquarium could end up with air bubbles all over the place, not a particularly decorative or natural scene.

Overall, the need for an air pump to service a modern marine aquarium should not arise. The use of weirs and sumps greatly assists the intake of oxygen. Most of all, correct seawater movement in the aquarium will bring a constant flow of seawater to the surface, where a large air/water interface permits good gas exchange. The protein skimmer also assists with oxygen, though this must be considered as very much of secondary importance with this device.

So there shouldn’t be any need for an air pump. There is one place where this equipment can be of great use and that is with the bucket used for routine seawater changes. When the fresh water and dry salt are mixed, it can be left overnight with the air pump running to mix and oxygenate. Any spray from the bubbles doesn’t matter in this situation, particularly if the bucket has a loose fitting cover. The pump does not need to be particularly powerful for this purpose.

The air pump is not out of date. It is simply that a properly designed and stocked aquarium will have no need of one.

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Tags: aquarium, Aquarium Maintenance, Aquarium Water, Care, Equipment, Water Quality

Aquarium Filter Media - Is There Such A Thing As The Best One

The function of the filtration is to ensure that the relevant nutrients in the water are processed. These nutrients occur due to the inhabitants being kept in a closed environment - the aquarium.

Of course life in the ocean also creates waste yet the ocean is so vast that the waste/nutrients are controlled. Look at the oceans filtration - huge sumps, loads of live rock, the biggest deep sand beds ever, mangrove swamps etc.

In our aquariums fish and food are the biggest problems. As soon as you add fish to the aquarium there is a requirement for you to feed it. The trouble is the majority of aquarists unfortunately overfeed. Not on purpose I hasten to add feeding is a pleasurable time and as aquarists we all want to ensure that our fish are well fed.

Fish being fish though will just eat. This is a natural response and is primarily because they do not know when their next meal will come, therefore the gorge.

This causes the problem. There is a lot of food which does not get eaten and starts to decay, other food is passed through the fish’s digestive system either un-digested or partially digested as they ate to much, normal faeces plus urine.

Unless this waste is broken down and processed by the aquariums filtration system then before long the fish will be living in a nutrient loaded soup.

Not nice as I am sure you will agree.

This is why it is so important that a good filtration system is implemented. There are various types of filtration which can be utilised in the aquarium some of which are listed below:

• Canister Filter
• Internal Filter
• Fluidised Filter
• Plenum
• Deep Sand Bed
• Live Rock

In the above examples there are some of these which require filter media. Filter media can be many things - sponge, ceramic rings, plastic balls etc, however it can also be sand or even rock. For example the filter media used in a deep sand bed is the sand itself and the filter media used in live rock is rock.

There are a lot of people who see filter media as being something which is man-made which is added to the aquarium. It is of my opinion that filter media is anything where the required bacteria can function.

Any type of filter media can and will work. The issue is not about where the bacteria live it is how the filtration itself is maintained and how efficient the filtration is.

A good example of this is a sponge filter media. When the filter media is working efficiently the sponge will be clean and not clogged in any way, however over time the sponge if not maintained correctly will become clogged and the efficiency of the filtration will decline.

Another example would be live rock. If the live rock is not kept clean by either manual methods or by the introduction of a natural clean up crew then the filtration may not work at a level of efficiency which is could do if it was clean.

I do admit that there are some filtration media which does allow for more nutrients to be converted. The majority of filtration media finishes at the creation of nitrate. A deep sand bed, live rock or the two combined when maintained correctly will allow for the processing of nitrate as well.

Maybe the article should have been titled ‘Aquarium Filter Media - Which is The Most Efficient’ as it is of my opinion that there is no such thing as the best filter media…just the most efficient.

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Tags: Aquarium Filter, Aquarium Filtration, Aquarium Maintenance, Care, deep-sand-bed, filter media, live-rock, plenum

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