Aquarium and Pond Care with EcoBio-Block

Planted freshwater aquarium

Live plants perform two essential roles in the freshwater aquarium. First, live plants enhance the appearance of your aquarium in a way that artificial plants cannot. Fake aquarium plants often look rigid and unrealistic whereas live plants bloom and grow, filling your aquarium with natural beauty. Second, live aquarium plants improve the water quality in your tank by removing nitrates and by oxygenating the water. Some aquarium plants even help to reduce algae growth.

Before you begin cultivating a planted aquarium, make sure you have adequate tank space to accommodate the growth of live aquarium plants. A tank height between 12 and 18 inches is sufficient along with a volume between 15 and 50 gallons. In addition to providing your live plants with plenty of space to grow, adequate filtration is necessary in order to circulate the water and to remove toxins and waste. Undergravel filters may hamper the spread of plant roots and are not recommended for planted tanks. The best filter for a planted aquarium is a power filter that provides both mechanical and chemical filtration.

Lighting is one of the most important aspects in keeping live aquarium plants healthy. Aquarium plants require at least 2 watts of fluorescent lighting per gallon of tank capacity in order to grow properly. Special plant-friendly fluorescent lights are available at most pet supply stores but regular full spectrum and daylight varieties work just as well and are much less expensive. Leave the lights on in your tank for 10 to 12 hours a day to maximize plant growth and replace the bulbs every few months to ensure the maximum efficacy.

Though many aquarium plants do well in regular gravel or sand, substrates designed with aquarium plants in mind are best for optimal plant growth. Plants need a supply of iron in order to grow properly so substrates like Fluorite and Eco-Complete which provide plants with this nutrient are recommended for planted tanks. If you do not want to purchase a planting substrate, consider at least putting down a 1-inch layer of peat moss or laterite under your gravel to fertilize your plants. Providing your plants with the right substrate will enhance their growth, ensuring that they will be able to do the work of improving the water quality in your tank.

To maximize the water quality-enhancing effects of live aquarium plants, pot one or two of them in an EcoBio-Planter. The EcoBio-Planter is made from natural zeolite and crushed stone, making it the perfect environment to cultivate the microbes and beneficial bacteria that help aquarium plants to thrive. If you choose to use the planter, place a fertilizer tablet in the planter before adding your plant because it will not have access to any fertilizer you add to the substrate in your tank. EcoBio-Block products help to improve water quality by establishing a colony of nitrifying bacteria that clear cloudy water, making it a healthier environment for live plants.

Cultivating a planted freshwater tank is not as difficult as it may seem to the novice aquarium hobbyist. Aside from providing the right substrate, lighting and nutrients there is little else that must be done on a day to day basis to keep your aquarium plants thriving. In order to ensure the success of your planted aquarium, purchase an aquarium water test kit to check the CO2 and nitrogen levels in your tank on a weekly basis and make adjustments when necessary. If you provide your plants with the right environment they will grow well and repay you by keeping your freshwater aquarium clear and healthy.

One of the most common challenges of keeping an aquarium is cloudy water. Whether the cloudiness is green, white, or gray, a fish habitat that is short of crystal clear is not just an eyesore but also a serious health risk for its inhabitants. Why does the water turn cloudy and what can you do about it?

Grayish or dirty white water is often encountered when setting up a new tank. In most cases, a sand or gravel substrate that has not been diligently rinsed before setup will generate sufficient debris to fog the water. The only solution would be to re-rinse the substrate until all the debris is removed. An efficient mechanical filter will also help take care of minute floating particles.

Green water, which is oftentimes also thick and hazy, is caused by an “algae bloom” or the rapid growth of microscopic green algae. High and prolonged levels of bright light are the main causes of green algae growth and proliferation. If a tank gets direct sunlight or if the overhead lighting is left on for more than 10-12 hours a day, algae overgrowth becomes imminent. The simple solution is to locate the tank away from direct sunlight and attach a timer to the overhead lights so that the ideal light exposure cycles can be maintained.

Milky white water that sometimes gives off a rotten smell is caused by decay. Uneaten leftover food deteriorates and fouls up the water. An overstocked aquarium will render filtration systems and nitrifying bacteria inadequate to handle the bio-load. The result is pollution from rotting food and excess waste, making the water murky. In severe pollution situations, drastic water changes may be necessary.

Cloudy aquarium water caused by decaying food can be prevented by feeding only as much as the fish community can consume in three to five minutes. Leftover food should be scooped out.

Murky water caused by excess waste products can be prevented by maintaining a balanced tank with a population of fishes suitable for the size of the tank and the capacity of the filtration systems. This ensures that the filters and the colonies of beneficial bacteria can keep up with the bio-load of the community.

In effect, cloudy water can be minimized if adequate colonies of beneficial bacteria are present to break down the harmful ammonia and nitrites (from decaying food and excess waste matter) into less harmful nitrates. Experts have suggested adding gravel from established aquariums to supplement the insufficient bacterial colonies in a cloudy tank. One simple solution is to add an EcoBio-Block product to the tank.

The EcoBio-Block Family Products are mineral-rich porous volcanic stones from Japan embedded with prolific bacteria (“bacillus subtilis natto”) that can actively multiply every half hour. The bacteria establish colonies quickly, degrading organic matter and nitrifying waste products, and keeping the aquarium clear, odor-free and healthy for years.

Cloudy aquarium water, which causes stress to the fish community, should never have to happen. Feed just the right amount of food, keep a population of fish suitable to the tank size and filtration system, and add a bacteria enhancing product like EcoBio-Block, and you are assured of crystal clear water and healthy fishes all the time.

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