An Aquarium Maintenance Service - Good Idea Or Bad

There are a lot of people interested in the saltwater aquarium hobby nowadays. It really is a growing hobby.

A lot of people, like me are interested in saltwater aquariums for the life which we keep within then, have an interest in the chemical aspect of the hobby as well as the techniques required to enable our little aquatic friends to thrive.

There is a lot to learn in this hobby but do you actually need to learn it?

Personally I enjoy learning it as I am sure a lot of other people do, however a lot of people would like to have a saltwater aquarium which is effectively a piece of furniture in their home. It is something that they can look at and show to their friends and families. However they may not have an interest in how filtration works, why it is required, what lighting requirements there are, water conditions etc etc.

Then there are other people who do have an interest in this side of the hobby but are limited for time. Let’s face it in todays lifestyle we are all busy aren’t we. Either at work, at home, with the family etc. There is always something to do and not enough time to do it all.

For me when I am at work I really look forward to coming home and spending time with my family. Yes I even class my aquarium as a member of the family and doesn’t my wife just know it!

I also look forward to watching the aquarium, checking it all and maintaining it. To me it helps me forget about work for a while and concentrate on something which I find both pleasurable and challenging.

So what about the people who are hoping for an aquarium as a piece of furniture as some celebrities have.

Easy - pay someone to do the maintenance for you.

And the other people who have no interest in maintenance - what do they do?

Again - pay someone to do the maintenance for you.

But what do you need to look out for.

An aquarium maintenance service is an aquarium maintenance service right?

Wrong.

They might not really know that much about aquariums and are only in it for the money.

As with any purchase you need to check that you are getting what you are paying for. You need to ensure that the people you are paying actually know what they are on about, know what needs to be done on an aquarium, what to look out for etc.

This can easily be achieved by asking questions, asking for testimonials from other customers, ask to see another clients aquarium, ask to speak to another client.

If they do not know what they are doing then it will soon become clear as it will do if they are knowledgeable in the subject.

Would I use an aquarium maintenance service?

No I wouldn’t but that is not because I have anything against people who offer this service. It is simply because I enjoy doing it myself. I don’t find it a chore - I find it a pleasure.

If it means that another aquarium is started then to me that is great news. Over time the individual may want to learn more about the hobby and start to do the maintenance themselves.

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Tags: Aquarium Maintenance, aquarium-cleaning, Care, Equipment, marine-aquarium, saltwater-aquarium

DVD Review: ‘Your Instructional Marine Aquarium Guide’

This DVD is presented by Paul Talbot, produced by Fish Eye Films and can be purchased from Exclusive Fish Films. The DVD sent for review was very well wrapped when received.

The container is a standard one and is attractively presented. On the colourful front is a picture of an angelfish and on the reverse a list of the contents. There are two discs provided, and these are also colourful and suitably ‘marine‘. The duration of the discs is given as 1hr 40mins. I noted that the cover information advises that the discs are ‘All Regions,’ meaning that they can be used in the US and EU etc.

The list of contents is fairly long, but it should be included as it is of high importance. The contents are given as shown on the reverse of the cover:

DVD 1: Introduction. Marine Systems. Tank Selection. Fish Only Tanks. Substrate and Decoration. Live Rock. Lighting. Selecting Fish and Corals. Seahorses. Introducing Your Fish Safely. Breeding Tips. Temperature.

DVD 2: Coral. Coral Positioning. Clown Fish & Anemones. Filter Tips for Nitrate and Algae. Water Flow. Water Quality. Trace Elements. Feeding. Clams. Maintenance. Cleaning Lids. Tank Tip Room. Fish Health.

As can be seen the contents are comprehensive and address the areas that a novice aquarist would be interested in, and also any other aquarist who wanted a reference. However, lists and pretty pictures are all very well, but a book cannot be judged by its cover.

I played the two discs completely to ensure that the quality both visually and orally was of a sufficient standard.

The first thing to be seen, after copyright information, is a note that it is hoped the aquarist will buy home raised corals and fish as far as possible. This is to be applauded, as it is a direct way that any aquarist can assist in the protection of the wild reefs.

The next item is the ’choice’ page, where particular sections of the video can be selected. I selected the ‘Virtual Aquarium‘. This is very good and entertaining, and the livestock is ’real’. The section can be watched without interruption for quite a while. No maintenance either!

The next selection made was to play the full disc. There isn’t a requirement to watch everything, individual sections can be selected if desired

There is music on the discs, but it is not continuous or intrusive and appropriate to the subject. It is mainly used when various aquariums are being looked at and there isn’t any narration.

All the sections that are listed under ’Contents’ are well covered. The various aspects are well explained in an understandable way appropriate to a beginner - or a more experienced aquarist. Special points that need emphasising, for example the need to change lights periodically, are made very well, with the reasons clearly explained. The narration overall is very good - the viewer is not being ’talked at’ but the feeling is more one of being in conversation. The presenter’s voice is even and pleasant, and at all times he looks genuinely interested in the subject.

Ok, so the discs contain what they are supposed to and the oral presentation is fine. What about the video?

The video I thought is excellent, the colour is super and the picture always in focus. There is a very infrequent reduction, which is understandable considering the lighting and photography difficulties with this subject. The picture is certainly good enough to do real justice to the corals and fish that are seen. There weren’t any judders or blips on either disc.

It is all fine then, but what did I really think of it overall - really, never mind being nice and pleasant.

Looking at the target audience, the marine aquarium beginner, the subject description and the order of presentation is spot on. Each section is clear and concise, not a yawn to be seen. By following this video, the beginner is given clear and adequate information on how to proceed, and this information will greatly enhance the likelihood of success. There is a lot of ‘look at it together’ on the video, where the narrator and the viewer consider various subjects and also consider the ins and outs of equipment.

What is there to particularly like about this video, apart from the narration etc already commented on? What I really like are the ‘interludes’ when the narration ceases from time to time, the music starts and various lovely aquariums of different shapes, sizes and types are seen.

This video will be an asset to any beginner aquarist who wishes to proceed in the marine hobby without making those mistakes that so often occur, causing stress and heartache. Follow the logically presented subjects and note the excellent clearly given advice, which is up to date and completely relevant. The probability of success for that beginner will be much increased.

There is only one problem! When the two discs are initially played it is unlikely that anything will be learned. The viewer will be too engrossed in the beautiful fish and corals, shown in complete tanks, sections of tanks and close-ups of high quality. But there isn’t any rush, the learning can come on the second or third time around.

I can recommend this DVD package without reservation.

Summary:

Quality of video: very good/excellent
Quality of sound: excellent
Oral presentation: excellent
Quality of subject content: excellent
Amount of mumbo jumbo: nil
Quality of packaging: excellent
Desirability: highly desirable

(Note: Aquaristsonline.com are not linked to the manufacturer of the video described, commercially or personally)

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Tags: aquarium dvd, Aquarium Maintenance, aquarium video, aquarium-cleaning, Care, saltwater-aquarium

Don’t Leave Your Glass Too Long Before You Clean It!

With my day job I have the requirement to travel from time to time.

The past week or so has been one of those occasions. I knew that I was going to be travelling but I did not know at the time exactly how long I would be travelling for. Before I left I made sure that all the maintenance was done on my aquarium, the cleaning was done and the fish were well fed. I then left my wife explicit instructions (again and again I hasten to add) on how to feed the fish - how much, how often etc.

Whilst away I have had limited access in my personal time to the internet so have been watching the site, doing a few things etc but I have not been able to post anything to the site. The trouble is that I have been working on a new area to the site for the past 4 weeks or so and had hoped that it would be live by now but it is a couple of weeks off yet. I will post more about this nearer the time - hopefully it will be of benefit to all our readers.

That was just over a week ago and I am now home. I hate travelling with work and it is always a great pleasure to return and see my family again - as well as my reef tank.

After I returned and settled in, unpacked etc I went to check on the aquarium. Becky and Joshua had been feeding the fish and they looked well fed. The glass however was covered in a thin film of algae. This was to be expected as I normally clean it 2 - 3 times a week.

No problem I thought - a quick clean with the magnet cleaner and it will be gone. Off I went giving it a clean and although some came off there was pieces which were stuck fast. So out came the algae scraper and off I went.

That was just under two hours ago!

My arm is hurting, my fingers are all wrinkly and well I;m just tired now!

The aquarium now does look lovely and clean. All the glass is sparkling, all corraline and other algae removed from the front glass and it is back to it’s former glory but I just wish now that I had asked Becky to clean the glass with the magnet whilst I was away.

Becky is always worried about looking after the tank whilst I am away. I don’t know why but I presume that she is just worried in case something happens or she does something wrong etc. Things happen, I know that - we all know that. I remember as a child looking after my fathers aquarium whilst he was on holiday and two of the fish died. I was absolutely positive that it was something I had done. I even went to the shop and purchased him some store credit so that he could replace them when he returned. Store vouchers which he revoked when he came back as he knew, as I know now that I had not done anything wrong.

I truly wish that I did not have to travel with my job as I enjoy being at home with my family and do not like being away but the job requires it and without it we would not have all the things we have so I have to put up with it.

Oh well next Monday I get to go away again for a week - this time not with work though, this time it is a short break with the family. Think I will get my Dad to clean the glass as well as feeding the fish whilst I am away.

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Tags: Algae, aquarium, Aquarium Maintenance, aquarium-cleaning, Care, saltwater-aquarium

How To Clean A Fish Tank

When the aquarium is clean it can look amazing to the eye - both for yourself and for anyone who see’s it.

The trouble is they don’t keep themselves clean do they.

[tag-tec]Fish[/tag-tec], like humans produce waste. This waste along with the aspects which we introduce into the aquarium (uneaten food etc) all helps to increase the pollution in the water.

Of course we introduce an aspect of filtration into the system as well as other nutrient export mechanisms to help keep the water so that it is habitable. You tank however does go through cycles where it can look to be truthful a bit of a mess.

You get various algae blooms - diatom, hair, slime etc all of which come and go and can be kept in line by performing the correct care and maintenance but still there are aspects of the aquarium which need to be kept clean.

The cleaning aspect of the maintenance does depend upon what you have in your aquarium, what filtration method you use etc and I will attempt to cover the basics of cleaning.

Ready?

Aquarium Glass

The glass will require cleaning. The best way to do this is with a magnetic based glass cleaner. This has a smooth surface on the outside so that the glass/acrylic is not damaged and a rough side on the inside to remove the algae from the glass. The magnets allow the two sides to push together to increase the pressure on the glass to improve the cleaning ability. The good thing about a lot of these types of tools is that if it falls off for whatever reason then the part in the water will float to the top.

The easiest way to use this is regularly. They are good at removing a slight amount of algae but they will not be able to deal with a large amount.

To remove heavier amounts of [tag-ice]algae[/tag-ice] and coralline algae when it is present on the glass is to use some type of blade. The one which I use is a glass scraper which has a long handle with a blade on the end. This allows you to scrape the algae from the glass. When using these types of devices make sure that you do not damage the sealant on the aquarium.

If you use cover glasses then these can be removed from the aquarium and cleaned.

The front glass can be cleaned to remove any water splash which may have occurred. I would not recommend using glass polish from a spray can as some of this may enter the aquarium and could be detrimental to the inhabitants. I personally use a dry cloth to perform an initial clean and then another clean cloth to polish the glass.

Substrate

Cleaning of the [tag-self]substrate[/tag-self] depends upon the type of substrate you have implemented. If you have installed a deep sand bed then you should never clean this yourself. You should try and breed enough life in the sand to clean it for you.

If you do not have a deep sand bed installed then it will over time become full of detritus, uneaten food etc. This will need to be removed from the aquarium so that it does not break down and cause spikes in your water parameters.

The best time to do this is when you are doing a water change. With a piece of wood or some other suitable device you can slowly stir the sand - not to much to create a sand storm but just enough to bring the ‘bad stuff’ out of the sand. Once it is in the water column do your best to siphon as mush away as possible.

You will not, of course be able to catch it all but do your best perhaps working on a section of the sand at a time during each water change.

Rocks

If you are using live rock as your filtration and have purchase some ‘clean up crew’ then these should do a very good job of keeping the rocks clean as long as you have put enough in in relation to the size of your aquarium.

If you spot and detritus, sand etc on the rocks then you can either siphon this off during a water change, blow it off with a power head or waft it away using your hand. Once in the water column it can be siphoned away.

Filtration

This does depend upon your filtration method. If you are using live rock or a deep sand bed then natural based cleaning should be used. If, however you are using filtration such as a canister filter etc then these will need to be manually cleaned.

To do this simply turn off the filtration unit and, dependant upon the design of the filtration unit remove the filtration chambers. Inside the chambers will be the filtration media. It is absolutly imperative that the filtration media is not washed in tap water. It must be cleaned in old aquarium water. The reason for this is that the ‘life’ on the filtration media will be destroyed when washed in tap water.

Clean it in old aquarium water until it is clean, then clean both the insude and outside of the filtration chambers and filtration itself - you can use tap water for this part.

If the filtration device has an intake then this may be protected via a sponge prefilter of some type. You do not want this to become active and become a filter itself so these need to be washed in tap water until they are clean.

Furniture

This is quite often an overlooked part. Your aquarium may (or may not be) placed on a very nice aquarium stand. This may become dusty. Don’t reach for the wood polish and spray the wood. Wipe it off instead with a damp cloth. The reason for this is that some of the polish may find it’s way into the aquarium water and be detrimental.

I have heard on a few occasions of aquarists having problems with air fresheners. Not the spray type but the ones you place on the shelf, window ledge etc. They work and do make you home smell nice but they get into the water and can be detrimental.

A while ago I was speaking with a friend of mine in the fish shop and no matter what he tried he could not get his corals to come out. Myself and the shop owner helped him as much as we could - testing the water, checking the setup - everything we could thing of and they still would not come out. In the end we found out by accident that it was the air freshener. It was not anything we did but it had run out and within days the corals came out.

If you think about it then it makes sense. At the water surface is where the air exchange takes place. If there is other elements in the air they they will go into the water as well. Goes to show how delicate aquatic life can be.

Anyway to close cleaning the aquarium can at times become a bit of a chore. It does not need to be. It does not take long as long as you keep on top of it and let’s face it our aquariums look a lot nicer when they are clean don’t they?

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Tags: algae-bloom, aquarium, Aquarium Maintenance, aquarium-cleaning, Care

Aquarium Sand - Should You Clean It?

Aquarium sand is something that all salt water aquarists are well aware of. The question above is a simple one, but not quite as simple as it appears.

Decorative Sand.

The first [tag-tec]aquarium sand[/tag-tec] that aquarists usually come across is the fairly coarse variety. This will have particles around 1 to 3mm or so. It was commonly used in the ‘old’ days with under gravel filters. Nowadays it is often used for decoration in the main display aquarium. A layer of, say, ½ to 1″ is used, and sometimes made into small dunes for effect. Now to answer the question. Yes, most definitely. It will be detrimental to the aquarium if detritus is allowed to accumulate on or in the sand.

It is a good idea to clean the sand before it is put into the aquarium. Rinse it several times in a bucket until the water runs clean. Tap water will do, but make sure it is allowed to drain away before the sand is placed into the aquarium.

Again before the sand goes into the aquarium, it is recommended to place it in a thin layer. This will need to be done in small batches. Obtain a powerful magnet and run it over the sand. Metal has been found on a few occasions in sand. Metal in the confines of an aquarium is not good news!

The sand when in place in the aquarium should be gently stirred occasionally to allow detritus to escape into the water column. Hopefully, this detritus will be carried by the currents to within reach of filter intakes. The dirt that isn’t may well settle in an area of relative calm. This should be siphoned out. The sand stirring operation can be carried out according to need. This operation shouldn’t be necessary more than, say, once a month, but this will vary with individual aquariums. If there is a tendency for the sand to lose its colour because of algae (often a very thin patchy layer on the surface) then stirring will get rid of that also. However, ensure that the sand is clean. Also, check the water parameters. How is the algae developing?

If the decorative sand in the aquarium is found to be very dirty then it can be removed by siphoning at water changes. There will be too much for one water change so the operation can be extended over several, removing one area of the sand at a time. Then clean in a bucket before replacing it.

Filter Sand.

This is fine sand with particles much smaller than the decorative variety described above. It can be blown about by power heads etc quite easily. This is the sand used in DSB’s (deep sand beds) and plenums. It is usually 4″ or more in depth and has filtration and other advantages in the aquarium. The sand can be in the main aquarium, or in a sump. (It is my opinion that the bed is better off in a sump, as it will be generally free of rockwork, be easy to observe in its entirety, be of a generally uniform thickness over its whole area, and the tiny life forms that should inhabit the sand are away from the predation dangers of the main aquarium.)

Now to answer the question. These sand beds cannot be stirred whenever as can the decorative one. If the sand bed theory has been properly studied, it is set up correctly, and it has a good population of various life forms, it is quite likely to look after itself. However, problems can arise. If the surface of the bed is becoming covered in detritus, and this detritus continues to increase, the first action is to attempt to siphon it out. This is not an easy operation as the fine sand can be sucked up very easily. The exercise should be undertaken with the utmost care and patience and every effort made to remove/disturb as little sand as possible. Also remember the siphoning action will probably remove a fair number of the little life forms, not a good thing. It is obvious that an investigation into why so much detritus is being produced should be undertaken. It must be prevented. A noticeable but small amount of detritus on the sand surface is normal. In these sand beds the sand rarely looks particularly clean at the surface. It can be observed that the normal small amount of detritus that arrives daily is not increasing, as it is being dealt with naturally. If an algae film appears on the sand surface then, using a small clean stiff stick, the sand surface can be very gently stirred, making sure that penetration into the sand is minimized. If the sand in its depth is filthy, particularly if there are blackened areas on the surface and/or can be observed through the glass sides of the aquarium or sump, the only real action is to remove the sand and begin again. This is a very serious action and should not be undertaken unless the aquarist is certain there is no alternative.

I’ll repeat, however, that if the aquarist has properly studied the theory, setting up, and maintenance of a DSB or plenum, then the probability is that there will be minimal problems.

So, looking at the question again, the answer should really be “Yes, but…..”

Tags: Aquarium Maintenance, aquarium-cleaning, Care, cleaning-aquarium