Aquarium and Pond Care with EcoBio-Block

Variety of aquarium filters

Many people are choosing to have aquariums with many different types of fish in them. Certainly, they are beautiful and relaxing to look at, but it takes some knowledge and work to ensure that your fish remain healthy and that your aquarium looks as good as you envision it will. One of the ways to ensure that it does is by choosing the best aquarium filter for your fish.

Even before deciding upon the filter, you need to decide what type of aquarium you will have. If this will be your first aquarium, it’s advisable that you start with a small aquarium first, as they are a little easier to maintain. Plus, you can always upgrade to a larger aquarium if the need and desire arise later.

Second, you need to carefully consider what filter will work best with your chosen aquarium. The filter is vital equipment, as it removes impurities from the water of your aquarium either via fine physical obstacles or via chemical processes. Choosing the right type of filter now can save you from hours of backbreaking maintenance work later on.

You should consider all three types of filters: biological, chemical, and mechanical.

Wet-dry filters actually employ all three types of filtration systems mentioned above, leading to less maintenance requirements than other types of filters. Wet-dry filters are more expensive, however, so they may not be the best choice for people who have an aquarium for the first time and/or are on a limited budget.

The three types of filters use different types of processes in order to eliminate the impurities in the water and to make the water cleaner and safer for your fish. Biological filters use bacteria to crack ammonia and nitrites.  Chemical filters use activated charcoal in order to eliminate unwanted dissolved wastes from the water. Mechanical filters use filtering particles and filter floss in order to remove impurities from the water.

If you choose to use a biological filter, it’s important to add the filter to the aquarium BEFORE you add the fish. You should also NOT add too many fish to the aquarium too soon, as the bacteria from the biological filter needs time to reduce the ammonia and nitrate levels. Too many fish in the water will cause the biological filter to work overtime, and the bacteria won’t be able to keep up with the increased demand, leading to high ammonia levels and the deaths of your fish.

You can help to make sure that there are enough bacteria in the water by using EcoBio-Block® products, which regularly adds nitrifying bacteria to new aquariums so that the water in your aquarium is safer and more beneficial for your fish. This will keep your water clear and healthy and reduce maintenance work.

One of the best choices of aquarium filters, especially for new and inexperienced aquarium owners, is an undergravel filter. This type of filter is inexpensive and totally keeps out debris from the aquarium. It also pulls water that is rich in oxygen through the gravel to help make the aquarium environment more livable for your fish.

One other type of filtration for you to consider is a sponge filter.  This filter is one that provides both mechanical and biological filtration. It has a large foam rubber (like a sponge) block that is connected to a lift tube or small power head. Water is drawn through the sponge to remove small particles from the water and to help grow bacteria that will keep your pond in great condition for your fish and plants.

Having your own aquarium tank can be a wonderful experience, as the beautiful fish can mesmerize you and your guests for hours. Maintaining the health of your aquarium does take some work, but by choosing the proper filter for your aquarium, you are well on your way to creating a hospitable and beneficial environment for your fish so that they can mesmerize you for hours on end.

August 2010, saw the implementation of a pilot program to treat wastewater in the suburbs of Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. EcoBio-Blocks were installed in 3 out or 6 wastewater treatment plants to deal with problems created in infrastructure and basic services which are being overwhelmed with rapid urbanization and population increase. These wastewater lakes, located about 50 kilometers outside of the city were selected by the Ulaanbaatar Water and Sewerage Authority due to their proximity to the wastewater sources and the fact that the water is being discharged back into the main Tuul River without treatment.

EcoBio-Blocks are attached to the floats

EcoBio-Block had been introduced to the Expert Meeting group in Asia in October of 2009, generating strong interest among the participants who found great potential in the simple, sustainable (expected to last 5-7 years), low maintenance technology.

Taking into consideration various factors such as shape, size, depth, water conditions, bottom conditions, location of lake and the climate of Mongolia, a custom built design was developed by the manufacturer, Koyoh Co. in Japan. Floats were created to enable the Blocks to activate just under the surface of the waste water with sufficient levels of oxygen for the natto bacillus bacteria to be constantly active.

There has been regular testing done in the waters after implementation, and after a period of one month, an improvement in water quality of 30% has been found in various parameters of the water.

Scene of final EcoBio-Block setup

Sponsored by KCAP, Knowledge Management Center for Asia and the Pacific, a United Nations Habitat initiative “linking environmental issues with sustainable solutions”, pilot projects are being conducted including “feasibility studies, demos, and experiments”.
These projects are being developed with unique technology or know-how which appear to have significant potentially effective solutions to specific urban issues being faced in Asian cities.

As winter starts to fade and spring starts to come into view, those who maintain ponds are eager to bring those ponds back to life.  However, before this can occur, there are some things you need to take care of first.

One thing that you need to do is to carefully inspect your pond.  There could be winter damage to any of the components that keep the pond in good working order or even damage to the pond itself.  You should note these occurrences of damage and repair them before bringing your pond back to life.

You also need to clean your pond.  No matter how meticulous you are in keeping your pond clean during the spring, summer, and fall, chances are that the winter season has caused your pond to be in less than pristine condition.  Even with leaf netting, chances are high that at least a few leaves have gotten into your pond and settled at the bottom of it.  You need to scoop these leaves out manually or with a pond vacuum.

Spring is certainly the time to start your pump back up after it’s been off during the winter season.  When the water temperature has reached 50 degrees, it’s advisable for you to restart your pump.  Most people will just turn on their pumps and then leave them unattended, such as leaving their homes to run errands, etc.  This is not wise, as you want to make sure that the pump is functioning as it was when you turned it off the previous fall.  You should spend some time at your house after you turn it on and ensure that the pump is functioning as it should.

You should give your filter system a complete cleaning before starting it again.  You should also increase the number of bacteria in your pond to increase the speed of the clean-up process and to maintain the health of your pond over the course of the upcoming pond season.  A good way to increase the number of bacteria in your pond is by using EcoBio-Block® nsM or EcoBio-Block Wave.

You should test the condition of the pond water, specifically the nitrite and ammonia levels.  If either of these readings is higher than zero, perform partial water changes to get both readings down to zero.

You should check on the condition of the fish in your pond.  Spring is the time of year when fish are most susceptible to health problems and diseases; gram-negative bacteria are one of the greatest problems, as they can cause severe infections in your fish.  There are products on the market to help minimize their risk to these infections, and it’s important that you try to keep them from becoming infected, as it’s very difficult to eliminate the infections once they have them.

Another major problem faced by fish in the spring are internal worms.  There are types of medicated fish food to help protect from these worms.  Pond salt can also help ward off diseases and pathogens.  Safe, natural treatment products can also help to ensure the strong health of your fish as spring begins.

Wait until the water temperature is consistently above 50 degrees before you begin feeding your fish again.  You should feed them a type of food that is formulated for the spring and fall seasons and continue to give them this food until the water temperature is consistently in the 60s.

You should not forget about the plants that you brought into your house from the pond at the end of last season.  As the water temperature reaches the 50s, you should begin fertilizing them.  If they are getting too crowded in the pots they were placed in, you should divide them to ensure that they reach their maximum growth and flowering potential.

Spring is the time of year when many things come back to life, including your pond.  By using the information above, you can ensure that your pond returns to its active form quickly and without any major problems so that your fish and plants can once again populate your pond without incident.