Aquarium and Pond Care with EcoBio-Block

Part of the fun in keeping a home aquarium comes from being able to decorate it. Many aquarium hobbyists fill their tank with novelty items like sunken pirate ships, scuba divers and treasure chests, but there are a variety of creative ways in which you can decorate your tank. Some of these methods can even benefit your tank by helping to make it a healthier environment for your fish.

Repurpose Natural Objects

Decorated tank using natural stones

One of the easiest ways to decorate your fish tank is to repurpose some natural objects like rocks and driftwood. Scout out a nearby riverbed or lake for large rocks, smooth rocks and slate. In the aquarium you can pile these rocks on top of each other to create caves for your fish to explore or you can simply arrange them in a pleasing manner. To make your arrangements permanent, attach the rocks to each other with an aquarium-safe adhesive.

Driftwood can be found near virtually any body of water if you look closely. Beaches are a primary source for driftwood but you should be sure to wash well anything you find before you put it in your tank. Sink a large piece of driftwood in your aquarium and surround it with live plants or create a sort of jungle using smaller pieces of wood and a variety of live plants. You may even be able to graft some of your live plants directly to the driftwood to create a living tank decoration.

Other Creative Ideas

Terra cotta pots are a simple and inexpensive tank decoration. Purchase several pots in a variety of sizes and stack them on top of each other in the tank to provide your fish with cave-like places to hide. Blend the pots into your existing aquarium décor by filling the bottom with substrate and surround them with aquarium plants. Try different arrangements like pyramid shapes or simply scatter single pots around the tank.

Colorful glass bottles also make unique aquarium decorations. Look for empty liquor or wine bottles with interesting shapes or colors then clean them well. Fill the bottles with a colored sand or gravel then seal them with a cork stopper before sinking them in your tank. Use a single, large bottle as the centerpiece in your aquarium or place several smaller bottles throughout the tank, interspersing them among your live plants and other decorations.

Functional Tank Decorations

Tank decorations that also serve a purpose in the home aquarium are invaluable. For example, porous rocks that look good in your tank can also be a natural place for beneficial bacteria to grow. EcoBio-Stone products are a great example of this combination of beauty and function. These stones, available in a variety of sizes, are made from porous volcanic rock and are infused with beneficial bacteria and  nutrients that will help to keep your aquarium healthy. EcoBio-Stones are unique in that they quickly establish a colony of nitrifying bacteria in your tank which work to speed up the nitrogen cycle, clarify the water in your aquarium and remove odors.

While decorating your home aquarium can be fun, be sure not to go overboard. Do not fill your entire tank with decorations because fish, especially larger fish, require a certain amount of open space in which to swim. Keep your decorations concentrated near the sides and back of your aquarium in order to allow your fish freedom of movement. As long as your decorations do not interfere with the wellbeing of your fish you can feel free to be as creative as you like in decorating your tank.

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.

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.