Aquarium and Pond Care with EcoBio-Block

Novice aquarium hobbyists often assume that all you need in order to feed aquarium fish is a canister of processed flake food. While most tank-bred species of aquarium fish are likely to accept flakes, processed foods cannot provide aquarium fish with all the nutrition they need. If you only feed your fish processed flakes or pellets they may not only suffer from malnutrition but could become bored with their diet and eventually stop eating altogether. While it is more common for wild-caught fish like many saltwater species to refuse to eat, any fish can potentially become a picky eater. If one or more of your fish stops eating do not panic – there are several things you can try to encourage them to eat.

Why Fish Become Picky

Many times, fish do not stop eating because they have suddenly become picky but because they are ill – loss of appetite is a common symptom for many aquarium fish diseases. Ammonia poisoning, systemic infections and mouth fungus have all been known to cause fish to lose their appetite. If your fish do not stop eating as a result of disease, it is possible that they are just stressed. Fish are likely to become stressed when the water quality in the tank declines, when other tank mates become overly aggressive or when the fish are suffering or recovering from an injury or illness. All of these conditions are likely to occur relatively suddenly, but if your fish demonstrate no desire to eat from the moment you bring them home from the store you may simply be feeding them the wrong food.

How to Get Fussy Fish to Eat

Healthy fish has good appetite with EcoBio-Stones

In their native environments, many fish feed on live insects and crustaceans, so one of the best ways to encourage fussy fish to eat is to offer them the kind of food they would find in the wild. Live brine shrimp, bloodworms and Daphnia are very popular among aquarium fish and can often encourage even the pickiest of fish to eat. If you suspect that your fish simply do not like prepared foods, try offering them frozen or freeze-dried foods that have a more natural taste and texture. While some foods like brine shrimp can be dumped directly into the tank, others require special preparation or presentation. Worms should be kept in a floating feeding cone or placed in a bowl sunk at the bottom of the tank so the worms cannot escape before your fish are able to eat them. Frozen foods need to be thawed in a cup of tank water and then separated into bite-sized pieces for your fish.

Tips for Preventing Fish from Becoming Fussy

The key to maintaining a healthy appetite in your aquarium fish is to offer them a varied diet. Create a staple diet for your fish of fortified pellets or flakes, whichever your fish most readily accept, and regularly supplement that diet with healthy live, frozen and freeze-dried foods. While a varied diet is the best way to prevent your fish from becoming fussy it is also important to keep the tank clean so the fish do not become stressed or ill and thus lose their appetites. Adding an EcoBio-Stone to your tank is a simple way to keep the water in your tank clean and clear so your fish stay healthy. EcoBio-Stones are made from natural zeolite and are infused with beneficial bacteria that will help maintain the nitrogen cycle in your tank. Once you have added the EcoBio-Stone to your tank, you will find that your maintenance requirements will be greatly reduced – the bacteria in the stone will multiply naturally and will immediately get to work maintaining high water quality in you aquarium.

Even the most novice aquarium hobbyist is likely to understand the importance of routine water changes in keeping an aquarium clean and healthy. Water changes are not only essential for keeping algae growth and aquarium fish diseases at bay, but they are also important in maintaining stable water chemistry. If the water chemistry in your tank changes drastically, your fish could become stressed or even die as a result. In order to avoid such a severe consequence it is wise to understand not only the need for regular water changes but also the proper way to go about performing them.

Why Water Changes are Necessary

Like all living creatures, aquarium fish produce waste and this waste typically sinks to the bottom of the tank where it accumulates with other forms of organic debris like decomposing plant matter and uneaten fish food. Over time, this debris begins to break down and produces ammonia, a substance toxic to fish. Though the beneficial bacteria in an aquarium help to convert ammonia into less harmful substances, these bacteria can only do so much. Water changes are necessary to keep toxins in the tank under control – if you never performed a water change, the chemicals would simply build up in the tank water, making it unsuitable for aquarium fish. Water changes are also needed to replace the water lost through evaporation.

Proper Water Changing Procedure

gravel vacuuming

Though the size and frequency of necessary aquarium water changes may vary slightly according to the species of fish in the tank, most tanks require a weekly water change of 10% to 15% of the tank volume. These regular water changes should be accompanied by a larger 25% water change once a month. To perform a water change most effectively, use a gravel vacuum to siphon the substrate in your tank – this method will remove built-up detritus from the bottom of your tank along with the dirty tank water. If you were to simply scoop out a few gallons of water from the top of the tank you might succeed in diluting some of the toxins present in the water but the build-up in the substrate of the tank would continue to produce ammonia which would eventually lead to a decline in water quality.

Once you have removed the desired amount of water from the tank, the next step is to replace it with clean water. For freshwater tanks, regular tap water can be used as long as it has been dechlorinated. Aquarium hobbyists use a variety of methods to remove chlorine from tap water but the easiest and most effective method is to use a liquid water conditioner. Water conditioners work instantly to remove chlorine and chloramine from tap water, thus making it safe for aquarium fish. If you have a saltwater tank, your water changes may not be so quick or easy. You must mix the saltwater at least 24 hours before you perform the water change and it is best to add the water to the tank through a sump system rather than pouring it directly into the tank.

Tips for Water Changes

To make your water changes easier, select a gravel vacuum proportional to the size of your tank. If you have a small tank, a simple tube-shaped vacuum should be sufficient. For larger tanks, however, gravel vacuums that have wider heads are helpful. Though you cannot get away without ever performing a water change if you want your tank to stay clean and healthy, there are a few things you can do to reduce the frequency of necessary water changes. Adding an EcoBio-Stone to your tank is an easy way to keep your tank water fresh and clean and reducing maintenance needs. EcoBio-Stones are made from natural zeorite and special cement, and they can be added directly to the tank where the beneficial bacteria with which the stone is infused will immediately get to work. These bacteria will establish a colony in your tank, working to maintain the nitrogen cycle so the water in your tank stays clean and the water quality remains high. If you can maintain high water quality in your tank, you will find that you need to perform water changes less often.

Nothing is quite so devastating to an aquarium hobbyist than to spend hours arranging and cultivating a tank full of live plants just to have them eaten by the tank inhabitants. While many species of fish tend to nibble on aquarium plants, most do not actually eat them. There are some species, however, that are notorious plant-eaters and are capable of decimating an entire planted tank in a matter of days. To avoid having all your hard work be for nothing, be careful about which fish you select to stock your planted tank.

Fish to Avoid in Planted Tanks

Silver dollar fish are one of the species most well-known for eating aquarium plants. Though many fish are likely to pick at algae growths or bits of sunken fish food on the leaves of aquarium plants, silver dollar fish will actually consume the plants themselves. These fish are voracious eaters when it comes to vegetable matter and they can work their way through an entire planted tank in just a few days. Some species of cichlid have also been known to eat aquarium plants, but these fish are more likely to dig in the substrate thus uprooting aquarium plants. While being temporarily uprooted may not kill the plants in your tank, it can inhibit their growth. Gouramis have also been known to engage in digging behavior which can affect the health and growth of live plants in an aquarium.

Recommended Species of Fish

Planted tank

When it comes to selecting the fish for your planted tank you cannot go wrong with most species of community fish. Community species of fish are peaceful not only toward other fish, but they do not tend to disturb aquarium plants or other tank decorations either. Some of the best small species of fish for planted tanks include livebearers, tetras, barbs and corydoras catfish. If you prefer slightly larger fish, dwarf gouramis and discus fish are recommended for planted tanks. To be sure that your plants are safe, it is wise to do some basic research on the species of fish you intend to purchase before you bring them home – check to be sure the conditions in your tank are right for that particular species and determine whether they are likely to eat your aquarium plants.

Tips for Maintaining Planted Tanks

To prevent your fish from turning to your aquarium plants for food, provide them with plenty of fresh vegetables. Fish enjoy blanched vegetables like peas, broccoli, spinach and zucchini and all of these foods are very high in nutrient content. Another way to keep your aquarium plants healthy and thriving is to introduce an EcoBio-Planter into your tank. EcoBio-Planters are made from natural zeolite and infused with beneficial bacteria. Once these bacteria form a colony in your tank they will begin breaking down built-up wastes and will help to maintain the nitrogen cycle, thus keeping the water in your tank clean and clear. EcoBio-Planters are conveniently shaped to accommodate small rooted plants and they are a great way to decorate your tank while still keeping up a natural appearance.