Aquarium and Pond Care with EcoBio-Block

Using an aquarium vacuum for partial water change

Using an aquarium vacuum for partial water change

One of the first things a novice aquarium owner hears from fish-keeping friends and/or pet store personnel is the need for partial water changes of about 20 percent every few weeks, preferably on the same day of the week so as to have a set interval each time. This news may cause the new owner of an aquarium some apprehension, as they look at the size of their tank and try to figure out just how they are going to change the water without making a big mess.

You have tank owners who do this the hard way. They catch their fish, which can often take a while, and place them in a bucket already filled with water from the tank. Next, they dip out all the water by hand, using a bucket or some other container to do so. They then remove all of the wet, often smelly gravel by hand as well.

By the time the inside walls of the aquarium are spotless, the filter has been cleaned, the gravel rinsed clean, and the water replaced either by walking back and forth from the nearest faucet with a heavy bucket of water, splashing it here and there, or by pulling a garden hose inside, the typical aquarium owner is exhausted.

Other tank owners take a shortcut, which eliminates a good portion of the tank maintenance work. They make use of an aquarium vacuum when they take care of their partial water changes every 21 days or so. The typical aquarium vacuum attaches to a faucet indoors or out, and removes the water with the help of the water pressure from the faucet.

A tube is attached to one end of the aquarium vacuum, and can be pushed into deep gravel to suck out all the mulm waste and uneaten food, leaving cleaner gravel behind. Typically, the entire gravel bed is cleaned in this manner, then the filter medium is changed, and water is re-added to the aquarium.

There are some people who are new to the hobby of keeping fish that assume if taking 20 percent of the water out of the tank, then doing a partial water change of 50 percent or more would be even better. Unfortunately, these folks learn the hard way that removing too much water from an aquarium is not a good thing to do.

Aquarium water has a different chemistry after fish have lived in it for a period of time. Uneaten fish food and the waste products excreted by the fish cause these changes. The fish get used to the water chemistry. When too much of this ìlived inî water is removed, the fish cannot cope with the change, and become quite stressed. The weaker fish will die, often just a short time after they are placed back into the freshly cleaned aquarium. Hardier fish will live longer, perhaps for a few weeks or a couple of months before they also die.

Those uninitiated in fish keeping will swear that their partial water change killed their fish, and harbor the belief that doing partial water changes is not a good thing. They firmly believe that partial water changes should not be done at all if you want your fish to stay alive!

A much easier solution for solving the problem is to make use of the EcoBio-Block family of products. The EcoBio-Block is made from a distinctive type of volcanic rock that has been populated with live, friendly bacteria. These bacteria will grow and reproduce for a two-year period of time as they feed on the uneaten food and fish waste. This helps to keep the water crystal clear and free from odor, and makes frequent water changes unnecessary. You will have much more free time to enjoy the antics of your fish in your beautifully clean aquarium when you use an EcoBio-Block.

Those who are new to the aquarium hobby are often surprised to learn that in order for the water in their tank to stay sparkling clear and their fish to stay healthy, bacteria in the water is vital. It seems almost backwards to them, as knowing the necessity of keeping the water clean for the best results, it seems odd that bacteria is an essential part of aquarium care.

When it is explained that these are the good bacteria, and that these tiny little microorganisms can clean the water and improve their environment, understanding dawns. Usually, once folks understand the process, they are eager to incorporate these bacteria in their aquarium water.

Unfortunately, that takes some time if you go about it the natural way. The ideal situation for aquarium water is one that mimics earth’s natural method at its best. In order for the water to reach that perfect stage in nature, it must go through quite the process, always teetering on the perilous edge of being unbalanced by some adverse happening along the way.

We have it easier in the world of aquaria. These friendly bacteria are what help a newly set up aquarium to cycle. We simulate nature by adding several small community fish to this newly established tank in order to start the cycle.
If possible, we also try to add some water or filter medium from an already established tank to seed the beneficial bacteria which ensure a successful cycle. The waste matter of the community fish creates ammonia for the bacteria to eat, and your bacteria (seeds) are going to contribute to helping good bacteria to become established.

After six to eight weeks of partial water changes and water tests for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, most aquarists would agree that the tank has totally cycled. Cloudy water can be a problem during the cycling period and beyond, and it can take some real tweaking to get the water quality just the way you want it to be.

All that can seem as if it takes an eternity, to someone who wants to be able to just sit back and enjoy his or her new aquarium. Nowadays, there is a much easier way to bring these beneficial bacteria into the tanks of aquarists everywhere. The EcoBio-Block family of products gets the nod from those who are new to the hobby of aquariums as well as those who have many years of experience with keeping fish.
These phenomenal rocks, which house a colony of beneficial bacteria which multiply and disperse about every 30 minutes, are made out of volcanic stone, which is known to be quite rich in minerals. These minerals are as good for the fish as they are for the friendly bacteria that this stone is infused with.

Using one of the EcoBio products, whether they are the EcoBio-Stones, EcoBio-Pebbles, or EcoBio-Rock, is the key to having crystal clear aquarium water without all of the maintenance work involved. Those who have experienced the difference that this product has made in the quality of their aquarium water and in the health of their fish recommend it highly.