When it is explained that these are the good bacteria, and that these tiny little microorganisms can clean the water and improve their environment, understanding dawns. Usually, once folks understand the process, they are eager to incorporate these bacteria in their aquarium water.

Unfortunately, that takes some time if you go about it the natural way. The ideal situation for aquarium water is one that mimics earth’s natural method at its best. In order for the water to reach that perfect stage in nature, it must go through quite the process, always teetering on the perilous edge of being unbalanced by some adverse happening along the way.

We have it easier in the world of aquaria. These friendly bacteria are what help a newly set up aquarium to cycle. We simulate nature by adding several small community fish to this newly established tank in order to start the cycle.
If possible, we also try to add some water or filter medium from an already established tank to seed the beneficial bacteria which ensure a successful cycle. The waste matter of the community fish creates ammonia for the bacteria to eat, and your bacteria (seeds) are going to contribute to helping good bacteria to become established.

After six to eight weeks of partial water changes and water tests for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, most aquarists would agree that the tank has totally cycled. Cloudy water can be a problem during the cycling period and beyond, and it can take some real tweaking to get the water quality just the way you want it to be.

All that can seem as if it takes an eternity, to someone who wants to be able to just sit back and enjoy his or her new aquarium. Nowadays, there is a much easier way to bring these beneficial bacteria into the tanks of aquarists everywhere. The EcoBio-Block family of products gets the nod from those who are new to the hobby of aquariums as well as those who have many years of experience with keeping fish.
These phenomenal rocks, which house a colony of beneficial bacteria which multiply and disperse about every 30 minutes, are made out of volcanic stone, which is known to be quite rich in minerals. These minerals are as good for the fish as they are for the friendly bacteria that this stone is infused with.

Using one of the EcoBio products, whether they are the EcoBio-Stones, EcoBio-Pebbles, or EcoBio-Rock, is the key to having crystal clear aquarium water without all of the maintenance work involved. Those who have experienced the difference that this product has made in the quality of their aquarium water and in the health of their fish recommend it highly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FX9zLIZyUw

Community Fish Tank

Here’s a candid question from my friend Bob: “I just got a 20-gallon tank and was thinking about putting in about a dozen Neon Tetras, six to eight Mollies, a Plecostomus and perhaps introducing two to three Angelfish afterwards. Is this an acceptable plan?”

My answer was, “Bob, you’re inviting disaster into your aquarium! You will be defying at least four major guidelines in the book of ‘good fishkeeping’!”

Defiance 1: “The one-inch-per-gallon rule is baloney!”

Although not a strict rule, the one-inch-of-fish-per-gallon-of-water guideline is often a takeoff point for fishkeeping hobbyists aspiring for a stable bioload. However, factors like efficient filtration, fast-growing fishes, and aggressive or territorial breeds totally overhaul this “rule” giving rise to setups with more than one inch of fish per gallon, or with just a pair of two-inch fish for a 25-gallon tank.

In Bob’s planned 20-gallon setup, 12 Neons, 8 Mollies, 1 Pleco, and 3 Angels, even if they’re all less than an inch each, will surely overload his tank habitat, no matter how efficient his filtration is. But let’s say that on top of a truly efficient filter, he can be diligent enough to make regular water changes, his next problem will be what water parameters to maintain.

Defiance 2: “What natural habitat? I’ll give them their natural habitat!”

One of the primary objectives of fishkeepers is to provide a habitat that is closest to what the fishes have in the wild. The community that Bob is looking at putting together cannot occur naturally because the fishes he has chosen do not thrive in the same water conditions.

Although all the chosen fishes can be made accustomed to a common water temperature (around 77 degrees F), Neons prefer water that is slightly soft, with pH between 5.0 and 7.0. Mollies, on the other hand, live in slightly hard water with pH of 7.5 to 8.5.

In other words, either the Neons or the Mollies will suffer stress and eventually fall ill if brought together in one community tank because the water composition is outside the range ideal for them.

So, if Bob removes the Mollies from the equation and maintains a water composition ideal for the rest of the fishes, will the Neons, Pleco, and Angelfish be fine together? The answer is, again, “no.”

Defiance 3: “They don’t look aggressive to me!”

Angelfishes belong to the notoriously cranky group of cichlids. Highly territorial and potentially aggressive, Angels (an oxymoron?) are known to be “stealth” attackers. Swimming casually and almost in a delicately gentle manner, they can snap at a prey in a flash and swallow whatever fits their mouths. Full-grown Angels are known to feast on Neons.

So, maybe Bob can chuck the idea of adding Angels later on. Will his tank be safe now with the dozen Neons and one Plecostomus? Unfortunately, the Pleco may pose a whole new problem.

Defiance 4: “They’re just sooo cute!”

The Plecostomus is one of the fastest growing catfishes in captivity. A “cute” three-inch Pleco can double in length in six months and grow to a “horrendous” adult size of close to two feet in a couple of years. Their phenomenal growth is accompanied by their equally phenomenal rate of excretion that can easily overwork standard filtration systems. A Pleco will, therefore, be okay in a 20-gallon tank only in its first few months as a juvenile.

In other words, Bob’s 20-gallon tank is down to just a dozen Neons. That’s no fun, right? Well, a 20-gallon tank can’t really support a lot of fishes, and frankly, losing some to not having an acceptable plan is my definition of “no fun.”
Bob can still have a fun tank by choosing a combination of community fishes that are attractive together and thrive in a habitat that will remain stable indefinitely.

Here’s one suggestion: to join his Neons, he can add a pair of Rams (Ramirezis may be cichlids but they’re one of the more sedate ones), and instead of the Pleco he can choose a pair of Corys (corydoras) or Otos (otocinclus) that remain small even as adults.

Add to that some diligent monitoring, regular water changes (or better yet, an EcoBio-Block that conditions water so that changes are hardly necessary), and efficient equipment, and Bob can be well on his way to implementing a truly acceptable plan.

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.

Copywright©2009 ONEdersave Products LLC

Why my aquarium plants are dying?

Freshwater aquariums have untold value as both a living, breathing ecosystem in your own home for educational purposes as well as a gorgeous home decor item for your pleasure. There are a vast array of decorations you can put in your aquarium ranging from store-bought ceramic statues to driftwood, but the favored addition for many are plants. Beginning aquarists frequently opt for plastic or silk aquarium plants because they have a beauty similar to nature and are presumably easier to take care of than live plants. However, many have found that hardy live aquarium plants rarely require more maintenance than fake plants, and they really aren’t that difficult to keep.  Having trouble with plants dying and don’t know what’s causing it? There are a number of common, easy-to-fix causes of plant death.

By far the most common affliction for live plants in a freshwater aquarium is the light level. When selecting your plants, make sure that they all have similar lighting requirements, and that your aquarium can provide the ideal light level. In general, most low-light plants still grow in higher lighting — although many can grow out of control — so your best bet is to increase the lighting. If the style of your light fixture allows, this could be as easy as lining the bulb housing with aluminum foil to increase the amount of light reflected into the water.

The next concern is the nutrient level and water quality. Plants require nitrates as well as various trace nutrients in order to grow. They may also require CO2 injection into the tank, especially if your aquarium is well-aerated and has quite a bit of surface agitation as this will help the CO2 gas off quickly. Poor water quality (in general) can have a detrimental effect on aquarium plants; if the water isn’t within healthy parameters for the fish living in the aquarium.  It’s not healthy for the plants either. Water quality can be ensured through regular water changes and/or with a high-quality water maintenance product such as EcoBio-Block. EcoBio-Block contains beneficial bacteria to break down ammonia and nitrites into plant-usable nitrates as well as essential trace minerals to ensure the water stays at an optimal level between water changes.

Medications may also be to blame for plant problems. Many aquatic treatments and medications are harmful to invertebrates such as shrimp and snails as well as any live plants in the aquarium as they contain copper; these include any kind of algae destroyer as well as many ich medications, fungicide, and antibiotics. EcoBio-Planter or a similar water maintenance product may reduce or eliminate the need for any of these treatments, as high water quality is critical for healthy fish. However, if you must use medications to treat the water, EcoBio-Block should be removed during the process as the live bacteria could also be harmed.

There is a lot that can be learned about what conditions might be ailing a particular plant by the color and pattern of blemishes and the way in which it dies that can help diagnose the issue; however, in the majority of cases the problem is one of the above which can easily be corrected.

HOB filter

HOB aquarium filter

If you’re new to fish, you may have wondered what kind of filter you should use in your aquarium care.  Many brands of filter have a printed number on them that is supposed to indicate what size of aquarium it’s good for, but this number is only correct some of the time as each type of fish and various stocking levels have different filtration needs. The general rule of thumb is that the filtration should allow for the entire water volume of the aquarium to cycle through the filter four times every hour (the turnover rate); however, a number of factors can affect this number.

First, take into account the number of fish you have and the size of the aquarium. For fish under 6″ you will want approximately one gallon per inch of the adult size of the fish, over 6″ the fish need a tank that is at least four times as long and twice as wide as the fish. It is possible to keep more than the recommended stocking level in the aquarium, though it will require a lot more work to keep the water in excellent condition and to ensure that no issues arise due to the restricted space. If you have a higher-than-recommended stocking level, additional filtration will be needed to compensate, often upping it to a turnover rate of 6-8 times every hour. In some cases, water maintenance products such as EcoBio-Block can aid in keeping the water within acceptable parameters if the fish are overstocked, though this should be avoided as the fish also need individual swim space and sufficient oxygen for all inhabitants.

Special space and filtration requirements apply to goldfish, cichlids and many large carnivorous fish. These fish still need the same kind of space recommended for their size, but in general need a turnover rate of ten times every hour to provide sufficient oxygen exchange and mechanical removal of waste and uneaten food. These fish have larger stomachs than the average tropical community fish and so produce much more waste. Bear in mind that goldfish and fish such as oscars and piranhas reach an adult size of a foot or more so be sure to plan accordingly; it’s a particularly nasty myth that these fish grow to the size of their containment and no larger. While growth hormones will stop them from growing when there is no more room to do so, the fish will generally have shorter life spans and can have many other health issues; oscars and gouramis, amongst others, will only experience a cessation in the growth of their head while the body still grows — eventually, their mouths will morph too much for them to be able to eat.

In many cases, the type of filtration must also be considered. My favorite filters are HOB filters that hang on the back of the tank and remove waste while facilitating oxygen exchange by keeping the surface of the water moving; however, HOB filters do not work for all fish. Because of the current produced by the workings of the filter it is not the ideal choice for weak swimmers such as bettas and smaller angelfish, while its open intake makes it dangerous for tiny creatures such as fry and shrimp. For these fish, sponge filters or undergravel filters coupled with good aeration may be the best option.

There are some measures that can be taken to lighten the filtration burden in your aquarium. The best thing for any aquarium is to have healthy inhabitants and for that you need the best possible water quality, meaning timely partial water changes as well as a strong biological filter. Biological fitration is achieved by having healthy amounts of bacteria in the aquarium and can be helped along by commercial water maintenance products such as EcoBio-Block. EcoBio-Block not only helps by adding good bacteria to the water, it also provides the essential minerals that are used up by fish and would otherwise have to be replenished through partial water changes alone.

Overcrowded Fish Tank

It seems that I begin many of these letters by quoting from some correspondence. After all, what better or more practical source of inspiration can there be? In this instance, the point is one that is brought up rather frequently by beginners in aquarium care, who have not been very successful after having seemingly followed the primary instructions gleaned from books or our dealer friends. They give recommended foods in conservative amounts, have good light and temperature control. But here is where trouble starts, through the acceptance of a fallacious signal as to what constitutes “overcrowding.” The signal watched for is when the fishes gasp at the surface of the water, “blowing bubbles.”
That is a carry-over from the days when goldfish was King. Goldfish and other cool-water fishes are very sensitive to any shortage of oxygen in the water, or the presence of too much carbon dioxide. They quickly express their distress by breathing at the surface. Incidentally, I have often wondered how fishes, never before in such a situation, know enough to get a fresh supply of oxygen at the surface of the water.
Warm-water fishes are better equipped to get along in oxygen-deficient conditions. In a tank containing both goldfish and exotics (a combination not recommended) the goldfish will invariably be the first to register discomfort from overcrowding. The point that I am stressing is that “Tropicals” are apt to “suffer in silence.” When they come to the surface and stay there, conditions are not merely bad, but very bad. Undetected crowding has been present for some time past, indicated by the poor condition of the fishes. Of course such symptoms can come from other causes, but crowding is one of the first to look for. That suspicion can be confirmed if frequent partial changes of water relieves the condition.
Water changes help keep the parameters within acceptable limits, help remove excess organic material such as waste and uneaten food, and also replenish required minerals in the water that the fish use up over time. If you prefer not to do as many water changes or are physically unable to, there are alternatives that can reduce your labor. My favorite is the EcoBio-Block, which is an aquarium care product that introduces beneficial bacteria into the aquarium (which keep the biological filter healthy) and slowly leach necessary minerals into the water to keep fish healthy and help beginners become successful aquarists.
Advising a new aquarist at the height of his frenzy to go slowly in building up his tank of fishes is like talking against the tempest. Recently I fitted out a grandson with an aquarium and a suitable collection of fishes. All was lovely for a few weeks until he was bitten with the desire for more and more.
The dealer could not be blamed for selling to him, but the result was not hard to foresee – a general attack of “Ich.” Overcrowding does not necessarily cause that disease, but reduces the vitality of the fishes so that they are more subject to it.
The elder Rothschild is credited with the wise crack “Nobody ever got poor taking a profit.” I would paraphrase that in reverse: “No aquarist ever got into trouble by having too few fishes:”

How to prepare your aquarium before you leave for a vacation.

If you’ve been doing some research on taking care of your new aquarium or are an experienced fish keeper, you’ll no doubt have noticed that while the requirements of an aquarium are not very difficult to fulfill, they do require ongoing attention. So what happens if you want to go on vacation and no one will be around to do water changes? What if there’s a family emergency that takes your time and attention for extended periods of time? Life is so unpredictable you can never be absolutely certain that you’ll always be there to look after your fish, but with a few alterations to your daily aquarium care schedule you can effectively switch to a temporary “low-maintenance” mode.

The primary concern with extended absences or emergency situations where there’s just no time to perform aquarium maintenance tasks is the water quality. Depending on stocking levels, aquariums need a partial water change anywhere from once a month to as often as once a week. If you’re like me, you barely trust anyone else to feed your fish, much less perform water changes, so the ideal solution is to find a way to maintain water quality for extended periods until you can resume your normal maintenance routine.

Water changes are done to remove excess nitrates in the system; nitrate is the end product after ammonia and nitrites from waste and uneaten food have been broken down by beneficial bacteria. If you wish to slow the rate of nitrate buildup, you simply have to reduce the amount of waste and uneaten food in the aquarium; when you’re not able to do water changes, this means feeding less. In the wild there is no guarantee of getting regular food; as a result a fish’s metabolism is such that the fish can take advantage of food when it is offered but can also live for days or weeks with very little or no food without it having an adverse effect on the fish’s health. So, option one is to cut back to only feeding the fish once every two or three days; this won’t completely stop the level of nitrates from growing, but it will help slow it.

Next, you can use a water maintenance product such as EcoBio-Block in your aquarium. EcoBio-Block contains a strain of hardy beneficial bacteria that break down the ammonia and nitrites from waste. Additionally, the product leaches essential minerals into the water; these minerals are used up quickly by the fish and generally need to be replaced through water changes unless a water maintenance product is present. There is also evidence indicating that EcoBio-Block helps promote the growth of anaerobic bacteria in the substrate which breaks nitrates down into a gas that can evaporate, making water changes unnecessary. There haven’t been sufficient studies to confirm this yet, but aquarists have observed low nitrate levels and have been able to go for even a year at a time without doing a partial water change. Organic material such as waste and excess food will still need to be removed either through the filtration system or gravel vacuums, but that can be done at your leisure.

Other than ensuring water quality, about the only maintenance routine that must be seen to regardless of outside events are occasional checks to ensure there is no disease showing in the tank, no deaths for any reason, that filter pads are clean and all equipment are running properly.
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