Aquarium Care and EcoBio-Block

Saltwater Aquarium

Many newcomers to the world of keeping saltwater fish are wondering about the proper accessories for saltwater tanks. A lot depends on what kind of saltwater tank system you prefer. Do you want a reef tank system, a system with live rock and fish, or a system with just fish? Some accessories are considered to be basic; you would need them no matter which kind of system you chose.

Let us assume that you have already chosen the aquarium in the size you prefer. You know where you are going to place it in your home, and you have a suitable stand that can bear the weight of your tank when it is filled with water. You will need to decide what sort of lighting you are going to use. A hood for the top of the tank usually holds the lighting system you have chosen. Remember that for saltwater tanks, the lighting must be very similar to that of the sun. Otherwise, marine fish and coral will not do well.

Gravel, aragonite sand, crushed oyster shell and crushed coral are popular choices as a substrate for saltwater tanks. Since calcium is so important in maintaining the pH in the water of a marine tank, choosing a substrate like gravel, coral or oyster shell that can provide this mineral is a wise choice.

The plants chosen for saltwater tanks are generally live ones. Plastic plants, while attractive and hardy, cannot take a constant bath in salt water without a change in appearance. Live plants that are known to grow in salt water should be chosen. Live rock and coral are often considered as part plant, part decoration by the aquarium hobbyist. These choices grow and need nutrients just as plants do. The shapes and colors of coral are as beautiful a decoration as anyone could want.

Your aquarium filter should be chosen with both the size of the tank and the type of water that will be used in it in mind. A canister filter is a good choice. Saltwater tanks often prefer a filter that includes a protein skimmer. An aquarium heater will be needed as well. Choose a heater that is intended to use around 3 watts per gallon. You will need a thermometer, preferably digital, though some in the fishkeeping hobby do prefer the standard type of aquarium thermometer.

You will need a synthetic salt mix in order to make your salt water, available at any store that sells supplies for marine fish. Do not use regular table salt! A few buckets are handy to have to mix the salt water. In fact, five gallon buckets are a fine accessory for helping you maintain your tank. They can be used to hold plants, substrate, even fish if necessary for a short time. The proper mixing of the water is crucial for the saltwater tank. Just as the quality of the water that marine fish are used to in their native habitat is constant, so must the water that you mix and add to the tank also be.

A powerhead is an excellent choice as one of the proper accessories for saltwater tanks. Powerheads duplicate the wave action of the ocean. As so many of the marine fish sold today are wild caught, having conditions that match the ocean’s is crucial for success.
One of the best accessories possible for your saltwater tank is an EcoBio-Block. This product keeps the aquarium water clean and clear, and releases beneficial bacteria and nutrients into the water to help deal with the organic waste matter. It helps keep the ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels down, and keeps the pH at a constant level. The EcoBio-Block can help you maintain your tank with very little work.

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.