Aquarium Care and EcoBio-Block

Vacuuming Aquarium Gravel

Okay, aquarium newbies, here is a question for you! Do you vacuum the substrate of your freshwater aquarium? For a healthy tank, vacuuming the gravel or other substrate that you have placed in the bottom of the aquarium is a head start on making sure that your fish stay healthy, and your aquarium water stays crystal clear and clean.

This is because the aquarium gravel and substrate is where all the fish waste matter and any extra food you placed in your tank ends up settling after it floats around the tank for a little while. To keep fish from living in the unhealthy conditions that this excess waste can cause, most fish owners will use a gravel vacuum hose to siphon the putrid matter out of the substrate once a week or so.

If a tank were to go for a time without having this kind of tank maintenance, it would be a sight to see. Tank vacuuming keeps the water in an aquarium clear and spotless. Most aquarium owners will do a partial water change at the same time they are cleaning the substrate of gravel. It’s a timesaver, which can be important to new tank owners. Many of them claim that they are spending an inordinate amount of time doing water changes and vacuuming gravel – and do they really have to do this so often to have healthy fish?

Most of these new owners will eventually hit on some type of schedule for their own tank cleaning. Some of these owners may well spend a lot less time keeping their aquarium substrate and aquarium water clean and clear than other tank owners will. It is not because they don’t appreciate and/or care for their fish any more than the owners who do more cleaning and fussing with their aquariums, yet still seem to have problems with cloudy tank water and/or tank water that smells bad. It is because they have learned of and taken to heart a new method of keeping their aquariums beautifully clear and biologically sound and safe for freshwater fish. A different and innovative product has come along that allows them to spend less time on a cleaning and maintenance schedule, and more time enjoying the beauty of their fish. That method is the purchase and then the proper use of an EcoBio-Block.

The EcoBio-Block family of products are not like some of the other products that are sold in order to help those who know the joy of fish keeping maintain their stock in a safe and healthy manner. EcoBio-Blocks are simple to use, and only need replacing every two years are so. While some aquariums will still need to have their gravel or substrate vacuumed, it will be on a far less frequent basis after the use of the EcoBio-Block.

EcoBio-Blocks are made of a distinctive volcanic rock fusion with live beneficial bacteria. This combination produces live bacteria and releases them into your tank water for up to two years. You will not have to vacuum and do water changes as often, thanks to these bacteria who neatly dispose of the fish poop and extra fish food so that your tank stays clear.  If you think that you are one of those people who vacuum the substrate of your freshwater aquarium too often, you should try one of the EcoBio-Blocks in your tank so you can see the difference for yourself!

Aquarium bio-filters

If you are new to the hobby of aquariums, you may have run across the term “biological filtration” quite a few times while you read about and researched your leisure pursuit choice. If that is so, you have probably wondered why biological filtration is important to the health of your freshwater fish. You may already have a biological filter on your freshwater tank. If you have chosen an under-gravel filter or a wet-dry filter, then guess what is filtering your aquarium water? That is right - a biological filter!

Aquarium filters all do the same thing. They have the job of removing any sort of decaying organic matter from the water. This could be leftover fish food, chemicals, live plants that have died, or waste products that are passed by the fish. There are two other types of filters that can be used along with a biological filter. These are mechanical filtration and chemical filtration. Mechanical filtration can be used to keep the water crystal clear. Chemical filtration can help to remove toxins that may be in your tap water, or any form of medication you may have placed in the tank.

Biological filtration can definitely help the aquarium lover keep a well-maintained tank without a lot of effort. With biological filtration, you are introducing bacteria into the tank water. These are friendly bacteria that help to change the waste products produced by the fish into substances that are not as toxic to the fish. Without this type of filtration, no one would be able to keep fish without very frequent water changes, which would be quite time consuming. The toxins would build up in the water otherwise, and your fish would die off, one by one.

One biological filtration product that is effective and easy-to-use is the EcoBio-Block. Simply place a block in your tank, sit back, and watch as your tank water clears up and stays clear. Marvel as you check your tank’s ammonia and nitrate/nitrite levels, and find the amounts are so low that that they are practically non-existent. You will find that the need to vacuum the gravel in the bottom of your tank has lessened considerably.

Your test results will reassure you that those frequent partial water changes are no longer needed for your aquarium. Cycling a new freshwater tank is a breeze with an EcoBio-Block product! This is possibly one of the easiest aquarium products you will ever use. There is no measuring, no mixing of chemicals. All you do is place an EcoBio-Block in your aquarium. They are made to be unobtrusive, and look like actual rocks while they are working for you. One EcoBio-Block can last up to two years before it needs to be replaced.

Instead of buying all sorts of things to clear the water and normalize the water chemistry of your tank, let biological filtration do its thing in your tank! Seeing is believing and once you see the difference in how your aquarium looks, you will understand why biological filtration is important.

Avoiding Electrical Danger, and Having Electrical Safety With Your Aquarium

Electrical safety is a very important subject when dealing with aquariums.
Oftentimes the combination of water and faulty electrical equipment can cause fatal consequences for the aquarium enthusiast. A basic rule of aquarium management and electrical safety is to turn off all electrical power to your aquarium before putting your hand in the water.

The amount of electrical current that is needed to give a person an electric shock is surprisingly low. With a 110-volt supply, a current of only 10 milliamps coursing through your body to the earth can give a painful shock. A current above 50 milliamps is more likely to be fatal. Most modern aquariums today, incorporate several electrical devices. The average aquarium has a pump, a heater, and a lighting system. Each of these devices carries their own risks, the biggest being concern with the cables around the fish tank.

Make sure each and every cable coming out of your aquarium has drip loops.

One of the most important safety improvements that you can make to ensure electrical safety for your aquarium is to properly secure all loose cables behind the aquarium stand. Routing them through a single extension cord, before they connect to any mains, means that if anything goes wrong you only have to pull one plug. For electrical safety purposes, make sure everyone in your household knows about this plug, and that it’s clearly marked.

Another added protection is to make sure each and every cable coming out of your aquarium has drip loops. This means that they should reach down further towards your floor, before coming back up to be plugged in. This may mean mounting your extension block onto a wall in order to accomplish this for electrical safety. A drip loop allows any water, which might escape from the tank and run down the cable to gather at the bottom and drip onto the floor, rather than finding its way into an electrical outlet. It’s a simple piece of electrical safety, but it can be a lifesaver for you and your family.

GFI outlets are another important element to electrical safety for your aquarium. They provide the best source of protection, shutting down your power as soon as any problems develop. Although occasionally posing a fire risk, carelessly managed aquariums also can cause electric shocks, which are often painful and sometimes fatal.

The most common cause of these electric shocks is damage to the shielding around the element of your heater. If you have your hands in the water, when such damage has occurred you could get a very painful shock as the current travels down through your body to the ground. Touching bare wires also puts you at risk, as well as switching on devices while your hands are still inside the tank. For added electrical safety you should turn off all electrical devices connected to your aquarium before you make contact with the water.