Aquarium and Pond Care with 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.

Aquariums are wonderful additions to any home, but problems can arise from the fact that essential life functions within the aquarium are facilitated by electricity – namely, oxygen and temperature regulation. Strong winds, lightning, falling tree branches and floods can all cause unexpected power outages, and in small towns or rural areas even automobile accidents that involve power poles can plunge households into darkness as the only means of electricity has to be shut down. Here are a few tips on how to safeguard your beloved aquarium in the event of a power outage.

The most important thing to keep going in the aquarium is the oxygen exchange. Beneficial bacteria in the tank require a lot of oxygen, so once a filter and aerator stop working the dissolved oxygen depletes very quickly. Once oxygen is depleted the bacteria colonies begin dying off or becoming inactive, allowing ammonia levels to rise. Hardy strains of bacteria such as the bacillus subtilis natto strain used in EcoBio-Block will mostly become inactive, but return to actively breaking down ammonia as soon as proper oxygen levels are restored. This can happen within an hour or two of losing power, depending on stocking levels. Additionally, a lot of beneficial bacteria lives in filter media so if you have a canister filter or HOB filter that keeps the media out of the main body of water a large portion of the aquarium’s bacteria may be unavailable instantly.

This is where planning ahead can be a real lifesaver…and back saver! If your power goes out and you don’t have a generator, having all your aquarium equipment plugged into an uninterrupted power supply is possibly one of the best ways to keep going for short-term outages. Battery-powered aerators are available online and in many pet stores as well and can be a great asset during outages or when traveling with fish. If none of these are available, you can manually facilitate oxygen exchange by filling a pitcher from the tank (here’s where the back comes in) and dumping the water back in, then repeating at regular intervals until power comes back.

Now for temperature control; in cold weather, a watertight container filled with boiling water (provided you have a gas range or access to a wood-burning stove) makes a great heater that will keep fish near it warm. In hot weather, a water-tight container or two or three ziplock baggies inside each other (to prevent leaks) with ice cubes in it will keep water near it cool enough for the fish.

If the power is out for extended periods of time you may have to watch the water parameters closely when the aquarium is functioning again as a lot of beneficial bacteria can die from oxygen deprivation, causing ammonia spikes. To control these you’ll either need to do water changes every day to keep ammonia levels down until the bacteria catches up again, or you can add some new bacteria from products such as EcoBio-Block or BioSpira. BioSpira is a bottled bacteria culture that works well, but has to be refrigerated and has a limited shelf life so it may not be the best for emergency preparation. EcoBio-Block is a water maintenance product that lasts about 1 1/2-2 years in the aquarium; this product introduces and promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria as well as keeps the water parameters healthy, which can reduce fish stress in an emergency. EcoBio-Block is a very valuable maintenance product that will keep the aquarium water healthy every day in addition to emergency uses, but it can take up to a couple of weeks to start working initially so it should already be in place to be effective in an emergency.

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