Aquarium and Pond Care with EcoBio-Block

Cichlid Tank

If you have been involved in the aquarium hobby for a while, you may be looking for a new and interesting challenge. Perhaps you have upgraded to larger tanks and tried your hand at breeding aquarium fish, but nothing seems to pique your interest in the right way – starting a biotope tank may be just what you need! Cultivating a biotope tank is different from maintaining a typical community tank because every element of the tank is carefully selected in order to recreate a certain type of natural environment. Biotope tanks are not only a fun challenge for aquarium hobbyists, but they can also be a great learning experience.

What Are Biotope Tanks?

A biotope tank is simply an aquarium in which all of the tank elements (fish, plants and decorations) come from the same area in nature. For example, a South American biotope tank would likely include a few corydoras catfish, a school of tetras as well as a few livebearers and the tank would be decorated with South American species of live plant such as Amazon swords, Alternanthera and Echinodorus. You might also expect to see natural décor items such as large water-worn rocks and driftwood roots or branches in a South American biotope tank.

A biotope tank can be designed around virtually any natural environment. Amazon biotope tanks are one of the most popular types to cultivate because Amazonian species of fish are readily available and they are typically easy to maintain. If you are really looking for a challenge, consider cultivating a more specialized biotope tank such as an estuary tank – a type of brackish water environment – or a Southeast Asian river tank. If you enjoy keeping cichlids, think about developing a tank around a particular cichlid environment such as Lake Tanganyika or Lake Malawi – not only will this be a fun challenge for you as an aquarium hobbyist but designing a tank around the native environment of your fish may also help your fish to thrive.

Tips for Biotope Tanks

No matter what type of biotope tank you choose to cultivate, it is important that you perform some in-depth research before you begin. You should familiarize yourself with the ideal temperature and pH range for that ecosystem as well as the other elements of water chemistry such as water hardness and salinity. The more accurately you are able to simulate the native environment of your fish, the healthier and happier they are likely to be. You should also be careful about the fish you select for your biotope tank – though some species of fish are highly adaptable to varying water conditions, it is generally best to only select species that come from that particular biotope.

Once you have set up your biotope tank you will need to maintain it just as you would maintain a traditional community tank. Be sure to keep up to date on your weekly water changes and always replace your filter media every three to four weeks. To make sure that the water in your biotope tank stays clean and clear, consider adding an EcoBio-Stone – these stones are made from porous volcanic rock and cement and they are infused with live beneficial bacteria as well as the nutrients they need to thrive. Once introduced into your tank, these bacteria will multiply and immediately begin working to maintain the nitrogen cycle in your tank, removing harmful toxins and helping to keep your tank water clean, clear and odor-free.

Nothing is quite so devastating to an aquarium hobbyist than to spend hours arranging and cultivating a tank full of live plants just to have them eaten by the tank inhabitants. While many species of fish tend to nibble on aquarium plants, most do not actually eat them. There are some species, however, that are notorious plant-eaters and are capable of decimating an entire planted tank in a matter of days. To avoid having all your hard work be for nothing, be careful about which fish you select to stock your planted tank.

Fish to Avoid in Planted Tanks

Silver dollar fish are one of the species most well-known for eating aquarium plants. Though many fish are likely to pick at algae growths or bits of sunken fish food on the leaves of aquarium plants, silver dollar fish will actually consume the plants themselves. These fish are voracious eaters when it comes to vegetable matter and they can work their way through an entire planted tank in just a few days. Some species of cichlid have also been known to eat aquarium plants, but these fish are more likely to dig in the substrate thus uprooting aquarium plants. While being temporarily uprooted may not kill the plants in your tank, it can inhibit their growth. Gouramis have also been known to engage in digging behavior which can affect the health and growth of live plants in an aquarium.

Recommended Species of Fish

Planted tank

When it comes to selecting the fish for your planted tank you cannot go wrong with most species of community fish. Community species of fish are peaceful not only toward other fish, but they do not tend to disturb aquarium plants or other tank decorations either. Some of the best small species of fish for planted tanks include livebearers, tetras, barbs and corydoras catfish. If you prefer slightly larger fish, dwarf gouramis and discus fish are recommended for planted tanks. To be sure that your plants are safe, it is wise to do some basic research on the species of fish you intend to purchase before you bring them home – check to be sure the conditions in your tank are right for that particular species and determine whether they are likely to eat your aquarium plants.

Tips for Maintaining Planted Tanks

To prevent your fish from turning to your aquarium plants for food, provide them with plenty of fresh vegetables. Fish enjoy blanched vegetables like peas, broccoli, spinach and zucchini and all of these foods are very high in nutrient content. Another way to keep your aquarium plants healthy and thriving is to introduce an EcoBio-Planter into your tank. EcoBio-Planters are made from natural zeolite and infused with beneficial bacteria. Once these bacteria form a colony in your tank they will begin breaking down built-up wastes and will help to maintain the nitrogen cycle, thus keeping the water in your tank clean and clear. EcoBio-Planters are conveniently shaped to accommodate small rooted plants and they are a great way to decorate your tank while still keeping up a natural appearance.

Platy fry

While several species of freshwater aquarium fish breed readily under a variety of circumstances, some have specific requirements that must be met before they are likely to spawn. The basics of breeding, however, are fairly uniform among most species of freshwater aquarium fish. The first thing you must do is to select a breeding pair, or a trio for some species, and quarantine them in a breeding tank. Once you have done so, you can begin the process of conditioning your fish for breeding.

Setting Up a Breeding Tank

The size of the breeding tank should depend on the size of the fish, but ten to twenty gallons is usually sufficient. The tank should be bare-bottomed in order to make it easier to clean and it should be decorated sparsely. It is wise to provide a few hiding places like large rocks or terra cotta pots in the event that the female needs a place to rest and recover from the male’s aggressive advances. Some species – egg-layers in particular – prefer a breeding tank stocked with live plants on which they will deposit their eggs.

Encouraging Your Fish to Spawn

Maintaining a steady temperature and providing a healthy, varied diet are two of the most important elements in encouraging your fish to spawn. The temperature of the breeding tank should be determined by the breed of fish but, in many cases, slowly raising the temperature encourages breeding behavior. In some species, however, the opposite is true. Corydoras catfish, for example, typically spawn after a recent rainfall has lowered the temperature in their native habitat, the Amazon River.

Offer your fish a varied diet consisting of small amounts of live, frozen, flake and pellets foods several times a day in order to condition them for breeding. After a few days you should begin to notice courtship and spawning behavior. The male of the species will often chase the female around the tank and some fish, like betta fish, will prepare a bubble nest and collect the eggs after spawning has occurred.

Caring for Fry

Some species of fish, such as cichlids, care for their fry after they have hatched but most freshwater fish are more likely to eat their own young. This being the case, it is wise to remove the parents from the breeding tank as soon as possible after spawning has occurred. If you are breeding an egg-laying species, dose the tank with methylene blue to prevent fungus from killing the eggs. Install a sponge filter in the corner of the tank to provide filtration without putting the fry at risk for being sucked up an intake valve.

For the first few days after hatching, the fry of most egg-laying species will subsist on the remainder of their yolk sacs. The fry of live-bearing species, however, should be started on a diet of newly hatched brine shrimp or a liquid fry food such as infusoria. During the first few weeks after hatching it is important to feed the fry small amounts several times a day. Once they have tripled in size you may begin to feed them finely crushed flake foods and, as they continue to grow, move them to a larger tank.

Tips for Breeding Success

If your fish are not in prime condition, they will be unlikely to spawn. In addition to a healthy diet, clean water is essential to the health and well-being of your fish. Establishing a colony of beneficial bacteria in your tank is one of the best ways to keep the water quality in your tank high. Install an EcoBio-Stone to begin a colony of nitrifying bacteria that will help to remove odor, break down wastes, and keep the water clear. EcoBio-Stones are made of natural volcanic rock infused with beneficial bacteria that will multiply readily upon being introduced into your tank. Not only is this product perfect for the breeding tank, but it can also be used in fry tanks where power filters are not recommended due to the danger they pose toward delicate fry.