Aquarium and Pond Care with EcoBio-Block

Fire-Bellied Toads

Fire-bellied toads are a type of amphibian that have become very popular as pets. These toads are known for their bright red and yellow bellies which contrast with the dark green or black skin on the rest of their bodies. Not only are fire-bellied toads an attractive species, but they can also be very amusing as pets. If you are looking for a unique pet to keep in your spare aquarium, consider setting up a habitat for fire-bellied toads.

Tank Set-Up

The fire-bellied toad is capable of reaching a maximum size of around 1.5 to 2 inches and a maximum weight of up to 2 ounces. Though they may be small, these toads require at least 3 gallons of tank space and, if you plan to keep multiple toads, you should keep them in a tank no smaller than 10 gallons in capacity. For the best results, however, you should consider setting up a 15-gallon aquarium for a group of five fire-bellied toads. Keep in mind that fire-bellied toads are semi-aquatic – they require access to both land and water in order to thrive. That being the case, you should arrange your tank in a terrarium-type set-up to provide your toads with both land and water.

To create a semi-aquatic environment for fire-bellied toads, use gravel, rocks and pieces of driftwood to cover about two-thirds of the tank bottom. Fill the rest of the tank to a depth between 3 and 4 inches with fresh tap water and treat it with an aquarium water conditioner to remove the chlorine. To make sure that your toads have easy access to land, try to create a slope that leads down toward the water. Decorate your fire-bellied toad tank with more rocks, driftwood and live plants to recreate the natural environment of your toads as much as possible. You should also be sure to cover your tank with a tight-fitting lid to prevent your toads from escaping and set up an incandescent lamp above the tank to provide heat. You may also want to consider installing a small submersible aquarium heater in your tank to maintain a stable water temperature between 72° and 78°F.

Feeding and General Care

Fire-bellied toads are likely to accept a variety of different foods but the majority of their diet should be made up of live insects. Feed your toads live insects like crickets, moths, wax worms and earthworms. In addition to these live foods, you can supplement the diet of your toads with the occasional minnow or small goldfish. You should also add some commercial toad pellets to your toads’ diet just to make sure they receive adequate nutrition. Feed your toads two or three different types of food every two days. Live insects are likely to burrow into the substrate in your tank so your toads will be able to hunt for them over the course of a few days.

Other Tips and Tricks

The key to keeping your fire-bellied toads healthy is to ensure that their tank environment remains clean. You should be prepared to remove solid waste from the tank at least once a week and you should also perform routine water changes at that time, swapping out 10% to 20% of the tank volume for fresh water. To keep your tank water clean in between water changes, consider installing an EcoBio-Stone. In addition to providing your toads with an additional surface to rest on outside the water, an EcoBio-Stone will also help maintain the nitrogen cycle in your tank. The nitrogen cycle is the process by which beneficial bacteria convert harmful toxins like ammonia into less harmful substances, thus keeping your tank water clean and clear. EcoBio-Stones are infused with this kind of beneficial bacteria and, once you add the stone to your tank, you can just sit back and let the bacteria get to work.

Cloudy fish tank water is one of the most common problems affecting novice and experienced aquarium hobbyists alike. This problem is not only common but it can also pop up unexpectedly – one day your tank could be perfectly clear and the next day it might look like you poured a cup of milk into the tank. Before you can remedy your tank’s problems with cloudy water, you need to learn the causes of this condition and explore the treatment options available.

Causes for Cloudy Fish Tank Water

Before you consider some of the more serious causes for cloudy tank water, you may want to check to be sure that it isn’t the result of something as simple as dirty substrate. If you do not thoroughly rinse your aquarium substrate before adding it to your tank it could not only introduce harmful contaminants into your tank but it could also cloud your tank water. Another possible cause for cloudy tank water is a bacterial bloom. When a sudden growth of bacteria results in a cloudy appearance in aquarium water, it is generally referred to as a bacterial bloom. These growths can occur suddenly and may be brought about by a variety of factors. If your tank has not cycled properly or if there is a significant accumulation of waste build-up in your substrate, your tank is likely to experience a bacterial bloom. In some cases, algae blooms can also cause cloudy tank water but these blooms generally turn the water green rather than milky white. Algae blooms are generally caused by excess lighting or carbon dioxide so controlling these elements in your tank will help to prevent an algae bloom.

Recommended Solutions

Many aquarium hobbyists assume that cloudy tank water can be remedied by replacing a large quantity of tank water. While removing the cloudy water from the tank might seem like a good idea, it may not solve the problem. Before you can solve your tank’s problems with cloudy water you need to determine its cause. Performing an aquarium water test should help you determine whether there is a chemical imbalance in your tank and, if there is, you will have a good idea what you need to do to fix it. High ammonia levels may indicate that your tank has not properly cycled or that organic waste is building up in the bottom of your tank. The simplest solution in either of these cases is to siphon your tank substrate, removing the accumulated debris. Once you have removed the accumulated debris you can replace the water you removed with fresh dechlorinated tap water. It may take a day or two for your tank to return to normal but, in most cases, this solution is sufficient to remedy problems with cloudy tank water.

Additional Tips and Tricks

If you want to ensure that your tank water stays clean and clear, think about adding an EcoBio-Stone to your freshwater tank. EcoBio-Stones are made from porous volcanic cement and they are infused with the beneficial bacteria your tank needs to maintain the nitrogen cycle. Once these bacteria are introduced into your tank, they will multiply and get to work breaking down waste products and eliminating harmful toxins like ammonia from your tank. Replacing your filter media once a month and testing your tank water on a weekly basis will also help to prevent a recurrence of cloudy tank water.

Many novice aquarium hobbyists, when they hear the terms “water chemistry” or “pH,” are confused or completely unaware about what these terms refer to. Water chemistry refers to the physical and chemical characteristics of aquarium water and pH is one of the most important aspects of water chemistry. If you do not maintain a stable pH in your tank, your fish could become stressed and fall ill or die. Depending on the native environment from which your fish come, they could have preference for a certain pH and, if you do not meet that requirement, your fish may fail to thrive. In order to ensure that your fish stay healthy and happy, take the time to learn the basics about aquarium pH.

What is pH?

The pH in your tank is simply a measure of how acidic or alkaline the water is. PH is measured on a scale from 0 to 14 with 7.0 being neutral – pH values below 7.0 are considered acidic while pH values above 7.0 are alkaline. Typically, a neutral pH is recommended for tropical freshwater tanks but certain species of fish, depending where they come from, may require a pH that is slightly more acidic or alkaline. In order to ensure that your fish thrive in your home aquarium, be sure to research the particular species you plan to keep so you can cater the pH in your tank to meet those needs. If you plan to keep multiple species in your tank, it is wise to make sure that all the species you select can survive in a similar pH range.

Changes in PH

You probably already know that unstable water temperatures can cause your fish stress and the same goes for pH. If the pH in your tank drops too low or spikes too high, your fish could suffer. There are a variety of factors which could contribute to a change in pH so, in order to prevent this from happening in your tank, it is wise to familiarize yourself with some of these factors. The use of driftwood as tank décor, for example, could contribute to a drop in pH as the tannins in the driftwood are leeched into your aquarium water. Excess carbon dioxide and the nitrification stage of biological filtration can also contribute to a drop in pH. If you have too many fish in your tank, the carbon dioxide levels in your tank could rise unless you have enough live plants available to convert that carbon dioxide into oxygen.

If you are having trouble maintaining a stable pH in your tank there are a few things you can do. The first step is to prevent the pH from dropping further. If you are using driftwood in your tank, be sure to soak it for several weeks before adding it to your tank in order to remove the tannins. Another simple way to avoid problems with a drop in pH is to establish a healthy colony of beneficial bacteria in your tank to maintain the nitrogen cycle.

The nitrogen cycle is the process through which beneficial bacteria convert organic wastes and harmful toxins like ammonia into less harmful substances. Installing an EcoBio-Stone in your tank is a simple way to introduce some of these bacteria into your tank to jumpstart the nitrogen cycle. EcoBio-Stones are made from natural volcanic rock and cement infused with beneficial bacteria as well as the nutrients needed to sustain them as they form a colony in your tank. Once established, these beneficial bacteria will maintain the nitrogen cycle in your tank which will help to stabilize your pH and keep your tank water clean and clear. The cleaner your tank is and the more stable the water chemistry, the healthier and happier your fish are likely to be.

Especially for new aquarium hobbyists, selecting a filtration system for a freshwater aquarium can be a difficult task. If you know nothing about aquarium filtration you might end up picking the first filter you see or you could fall victim to poor advice given by pet store staff that have little education or experience related to keeping aquarium fish. If you are willing to do a little bit of research; however, you will find that while there are a variety of options available in aquarium filtration, a few of these options stand apart from all the rest – one of those options is the canister filter.

What is a Canister Filter?

Canister Filters

A canister filter is an all-in-one external filtration system that incorporates mechanical, chemical and biological filtration in one device. These filters typically take the form of a rectangular or cylindrical canister – the housing for which this type of filter is named – which houses the pump and the filtration media. Most canister filters are completely external and feature two tubes sticking out from the top of the canister. One of these tubes is the intake tube which, in conjunction with the filter pump, draws aquarium water up from the tank and into the canister, filtering it through the filter media to remove both solid and dissolved wastes. The second tube, the outlet tube, simply facilitates the return of filtered water to the aquarium. Because canister filters are completely sealed they essentially act as a vacuum, creating a siphon effect that makes it possible for the pump to continue to lift water out of the tank regardless of its position relative to the height of the tank. This feature makes it incredibly easy to conceal canister filters – they can be kept out of the way in an aquarium storage cabinet.

Benefits of Canister Filters

Perhaps the biggest benefit of canister filters over other filtration systems is that they are capable of accommodating a very large quantity of filter media. In addition to the traditional sponge material and activated carbon media, you have the option to use extra filter media like EcoBio-Pebbles. EcoBio-Pebbles are made from a combination of porous volcanic rock and cement which is then infused with live beneficial bacteria as well as the nutrients these bacteria need in order to thrive and maintain the nitrogen cycle in your tank. These pebbles can be put in a mesh bag and then placed inside your canister filter to help jump-start the nitrogen cycle and to keep your aquarium water clean, clear and odor-free.

Another benefit associated with canister filters is that, because they are external, they do not take up valuable space inside your aquarium like some power filters and undergravel filters do. Canister filters can be hidden away in a storage cabinet which means that not only are they not an eyesore, but they can also be disconnected from your tank for maintenance or cleaning without any extra hassle. Overall, canister filters are an excellent choice for large freshwater tanks having a capacity of 40 gallons or more. Though most canister filters are designed with larger tanks in mind, some models are available which are specifically intended for smaller tanks. If you are looking for an effective and easy-to-use filtration system for your freshwater tank, consider purchasing a canister filter and see what a difference it can make for you and for your fish.

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.