Can You Build A Fish Tank From Plywood?

Aquariums get more expensive as they get bigger. Well, there’s a pretty obvious statement to start with! However for the aquarist who is not keen to meet the price of a large aquarium but is able to deal with the cost of everything else there is a way around the problem. It doesn’t have to be a large aquarium really, any size applies, but the cost of smaller commercial glass or acrylic tanks makes the need to ‘get the tools out’ diminish considerably.

The way around the cost is for the aquarist to make the tank using plywood. It stands to reason the aquarist, or a DIY competent friend, should be reasonably good at cutting a straight line. The use of power tools is a great help.

The job is not as daunting as it could appear. Also, the end product is not going to look like a box that doesn’t leak with some water in plus fish. Ok, for the comedian at the back - yes the livestock can be seen as the tank has a glass front!

The first item required is a plan and once again the internet comes to the rescue. The plan here is for a 140 gallon tank, but these dimensions could be reduced or increased if ratios are kept accurate.

Here’s the link:

http://cichlid-forum.com/article/diy_plywood_aquarium.php

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Tags: acrylic-aquarium, aquarium, DIY, Equipment, glass-aquarium

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

The Calcium Reactor - When To Decide If You Need One Or Not

There is a variety of equipment to assist in the maintenance of a marine aquarium. Some are essential such as the heater/thermostat, others are supportive for example the auto top-up system. The calcium reactor is often supportive, but in some circumstances it can be argued that it is essential.

First of all, what is a calcium reactor? This device is a means of getting calcium into the seawater. This is achieved by slowly moving the seawater through a calcium rich media in an acidic environment. The device is attached to two inputs, first seawater and second carbon dioxide. The seawater is as said fed into a media area where the gas is present. The gas is injected under careful control, usually a bubble count. The acidic environment created causes the media to dissolve and the seawater carries calcium into the aquarium. The flow rate is slow, counted in drips per second or similar.

The amount of calcium demand is the key to the usefulness and effectiveness of using a calcium reactor. There is a need to measure the calcium in the aquarium, so the only way to know is to test. Testing will let the aquarist know what calcium presence there is, but what needs to be replaced for that which is used? The answer lies in doing an ongoing weekly test as in this way the calcium demand of the aquarium can be ascertained. When the amount at the end of the period is subtracted from the amount at the beginning an indication of the demand is obtained.

If the aquarist is running a fish only aquarium then a calcium reactor is not required. If the system is a reef then the aquarium size has an effect.

A small aquarium will house a smaller reef which in turn will support less corals. So the calcium demand is going to be lower. It is more than likely that a soft coral reef will need little or even no supplementation as these corals have a low demand. A hard coral reef such as SPS will have a higher demand.

A large aquarium will obviously usually house a large reef with many more corals. In this case, though soft corals have a low demand for calcium, because of the number the need is going to be greater and supplementation may well be required. It is generally safe to state that a large reef with many hard corals such as SPS will need supplementation.

Having determined the amount of calcium loss over a week, the aquarist can now determine the best way of replacing it. There are two main ways, one is to use commercially produced supplements that are available in liquid or powder form or a calcium reactor. The choice will be determined by cost and convenience.

On the small reef, the soft coral one, the demand as said will be low. In this case it is likely to be financially sensible to use a commercially produced supplement. With the low demand the supplement is going to last for many uses and therefore will not be an excessively expensive option. If it is a hard coral reef the demand will be higher and the aquarist will need to consider how long a supplement package will last and the cost involved, and then make a decision about using a reactor.

The large reef if a soft coral one may still have a calcium demand that can be sensibly met by a purchased supplement. The hard coral reef however is going to need a much larger amount and so only perhaps three or four doses will be available for each commercial supplement purchase. This is going to prove expensive as time progresses.

Having done the tests the aquarist is aware of the calcium demand per week, so a decision can be made. For the large reef, certainly the hard coral type, it will be better to employ a calcium reactor. Even though routine seawater changes are done the calcium shortfall will not be made up and package supplementation will be expensive and impractical. For the smaller aquarium the aquarist may decide to employ a calcium reactor for the hard coral reef, even though package supplementation is an option, as the reactor is convenient and once purchased less expensive to use.

The lowest guideline for an SPS reef calcium level is 400 parts per million (ppm), but it is usual to maintain a level of around 420 to 450ppm. A little rise and fall in the level seems not to be a problem. This rise and fall will occur when weekly supplementation is employed using a commercial product, but is less or removed with the use of a reactor as the device is applied continually or more regularly.

It is important when using a commercial supplement or a reactor to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The commercial supplement is straightforward but some initial additional attention to testing is needed with the reactor. How fast is the drip rate? The faster it is the more calcium is entering the aquarium. Adjustment should permit the calcium requirement to be met. Attention must also be given to the amount of gas entering the media chamber, this is usually indicated by a bubble rate.

Even though testing to establish the calcium demand has been done in the early weeks, the final demand cannot be discovered until the reef is fully stocked with corals. The ongoing demand will also vary to an extent. It is good husbandry to continue testing for the calcium level so that changes can be catered for.

Maintaining an acceptable calcium level will prove to be very worthwhile, the corals particularly hard types will benefit and also small reef life such as shrimps and snails.

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Tags: Aquarium Water, Calcium Reactor, Equipment, kalkwasser, water additives, Water Quality

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

The Canister Filter - A Thing Of The Past Or Still Useful?

Technology marches on and there are quite a few devices that are available for use with a marine system. The canister filter is not new and has been with us for a considerable period.

Canister filters are made by quite a few manufacturers. They are usually shaped, err, like a canister, though there are models available that are square. As time has passed they have become very reliable.

A canister filter could be considered a closed circuit. Seawater is delivered to the unit down a flexible tube, passes through the canister media and is then returned to the aquarium through another flexible tube powered by a built-in pump. It is best if the intake and outlet are at opposite ends of the aquarium, though perhaps this is not so important nowadays when the high flow rates within the aquarium are considered. Nevertheless, it is best to keep the intake and outlet apart.

What can the canister be used for? Biological filtration is the first use that comes to mind. Though filtration this way has been superseded by live rock an aquarium can still be successful using a canister, and many aquarists still do. The cost of live rock is high, and so canisters find a use. They need to be filled with a good bio-media, and this media needs to be protected by efficient mechanical filtration, such as sponges and filter wool. The cleaner the bio-media is kept, that is, kept clear of sediment, the better. The canister needs to be sized to the size of the aquarium, and the manufacturer’s specifications will include recommendations. One point about these recommendations - the flow rate advised by some manufacturers is often with the canister empty, when it is filled with media it will be less. Consideration can be given to using two smaller canisters so there is a backup. The canisters can be serviced alternately.

Cleaning the mechanical media in the bio-filter is important otherwise the seawater flow will decrease. It is a good idea to clean this media after two weeks. It may be that it remains reasonably clean in which case increase the period to three weeks and so forth. Sometimes it is recommended that the filter should be cleaned when there is a noticeable reduction in the flow rate. This is not really acceptable because for this to happen the media will be very dirty. By cleaning and checking the condition of the mechanical media the aquarist can arrive at a reasonable service period. A watch should always be kept on flow rates even with more regular cleaning because of the importance of bio-filtration - a failure or reduction could result in serious consequences. In addition, the bio-media itself must never be washed in tap water as this will kill the bacteria. If cleaning is essential then seawater should be used, and this can be at a routine change using the old seawater. The media should be very gently stirred with the fingers under the seawater to remove dust and debris. It will never look ‘as new’ but this doesn’t matter.

If the filter is used for bio purposes then the seawater leaving the filter will be low in oxygen. This is because the bacteria that carry out the bio-filtration function are oxygen hungry. The oxygen can easily be replenished by releasing the returning seawater at the surface.

There is an important point with bio-filtration in a canister filter. This is that the ‘Nitrogen Cycle’ will arrive at nitrate and stop. The ‘Nitrogen Cycle’ is the process where bacteria convert ammonia to nitrite, then the nitrite to nitrate. A watch should be kept on nitrate levels, though this should be done in any marine system anyway.

If other means of bio-filtration are in use then the canister is not redundant. It can be used for purely mechanical purposes, that is trapping detritus that is in the seawater. In this case only mechanical filtration such as sponge and filter wool are in use, and these can be washed under the tap. If they are showing any deterioration they should be replaced. This of course also applies to the mechanical filtration within the bio-filter.

The canister can also be used for activated carbon and/or anti-phosphate media. These are put in after the mechanical filtration. Certain anti-phosphate media types with a very fine particle size are usually better in a fluidized reactor, as in a canister they could tend to clog. Cleaning the mechanical filtration area is the same as above, and a note should be made of when the activated carbon and/or anti-phosphate media are due for renewal.

There is another use for the canister. If a small canister set up as a bio-filter is kept running on the display aquarium, or better the sump as connection is easier and the intakes/outlets will not be seen, then a permanently ready bio-filtration unit will be at hand. This is useful for those aquarists who have wisely used a small aquarium for quarantine purposes. This could be required again for quarantine of a new arrival, or as a hospital area for a fish with a problem. There isn’t a need to keep this aquarium full of seawater, but if required it can be filled and the bio-filter is ready.

So the canister filter is not out of date. Modern types are very reliable and much easier to service than the older models, which could be fiddly. Having a canister in the system could certainly be useful.

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Tags: Aquarium Filter, Aquarium Filtration, deep-sand-bed, Equipment, live-rock, plenum

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