Aquarium and Pond Care with EcoBio-Block

Natural Habitat Beauty

Many aquarium hobbyists advocate for establishing a “natural” appearance in home tanks. It is commonly believed that the more closely you can mimic the natural environment of your fish, the happier and healthier they will be. While things such as diet and water parameters play a large role in mimicking the natural environment of fish, tank decoration is important as well. In the wild, fish use their environment to build nests for spawning, to hide from predators and to engage in social activity with other fish. It makes sense, then, that re-creating the natural habitat of the species in your tank would help them to feel at home.

Tips for Natural Décor

If you plan to create a natural décor scheme in your aquarium, the substrate is the best place you can start. Many aquarium hobbyists assume that gravel substrate is adequate for any freshwater tank set-up and, while this may be true, gravel is not necessarily the ideal substrate for every species. Corydoras catfish, for example, should not be kept in tanks with rough substrate like gravel because it could damage their sensitive barbels. Some species of loach prefer sandy substrate that allows them to burrow and some cichlids sift through sandy substrate in search of food. To determine which type of substrate would be best for your tank, research the natural habitats of your tank inhabitants and use that information to make your decision.

When researching the natural habitats of your tank inhabitants, be sure to note the aquatic conditions each species prefers. Some fish come from swamp-like habitats and thus may prefer a densely planted tank. Other fish may come from an environment that has limited aquatic vegetation but has many large rocks or pieces of driftwood to provide hiding places. Understanding the natural habitat of your fish will help you to recreate that environment in your home tank and it will make your fish feel more comfortable in the long run.

Utilizing a Natural Décor Scheme

Once you have gathered the elements for your natural décor scheme you need to determine the ideal way to arrange them. The key to keeping your tank looking natural is to avoid organizing it too much. Let your substrate fall naturally, creating dips and slopes in the tank rather than being completely level. When adding live plants to your tank, try to use several different species and intersperse them rather than clumping all of one species together in the tank. Layer your live plants as well, placing the taller plants near the back of the tank and the shorter ones up front. Try to keep your decorations proportional to the size of your tank – when using rocks or driftwood, choose one main object to be the centerpiece of the tank and use several smaller objects as accents. Root some extra live plants in and around your other pieces of tank décor to keep up with the natural feel.

To keep your tank looking natural while also enhancing the water quality in your tank, consider adding an EcoBio-Planter. EcoBio-Planters are made from natural zeolite and crushed stone so they will blend perfectly with your natural décor scheme. In addition to providing you with a natural-looking planter for rooting live plants, EcoBio-Planters are also infused with beneficial bacteria that will help maintain the nitrogen cycle in your tank. Once introduced into your tank, these bacteria will multiply and begin working to keep your tank water clean and clear. In conjunction with a natural décor scheme, EcoBio-Planters can help you give your fish a healthy environment that mimics their natural habitat.

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.

Measuring pH with a Meter

Water chemistry is a term used to describe the chemical and physical characteristics of tank water which can be measured using aquarium water test kits. Test kits are typically inexpensive and easy to use, making them an excellent tool for in-home use by aquarium hobbyists. These tests will help you to monitor the basic components of water chemistry – pH, water hardness and chemical content. While many species of freshwater fish are tolerant of a variety of tank conditions, it is always a good idea to keep an eye on the water chemistry in your tank. If the pH spikes or the water becomes too hard, your fish could become stressed and, as a result, could fall ill or even die. By learning the basics of water chemistry you can prevent such a disaster from happening in your tank.

Main Components of Water Chemistry

Perhaps the most important component of water chemistry is pH. PH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline the water in your tank is and it is measured on a scale from 0 to 14. A pH of 7.0 is considered neutral while anything above is alkaline and anything below is acidic. The recommended pH for a fish tank varies depending on the species of fish and the natural environment from which they come. Water hardness, or general hardness, is a measure of the concentration of dissolved ions in tank water. This hardness is measured in degrees – soft water typically measures between 0° and 3.36° degrees of general hardness (°GH) and hard water is between 6.78° and 10.08° GH. Another important aspect of water chemistry is buffering capacity – the ability of tank water to maintain a stable pH. When acids or bases are added to the tank, the buffering capacity of the water is what keeps the pH from spiking or dropping as a result of these additions. All aquariums are likely to contain trace amounts of chemicals and toxins such as ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Keeping an eye on the chemical levels in your tank is a good way to prevent ammonia poisoning and toxicity.

Testing Water Quality

Basic aquarium water test kits are available online and in pet stores, usually for $20 or less. These kits are easy to use and generally work in one of two ways. Some kits include test strips that you simply dip into a cup of tank water while others involve collecting individual water samples and adding drops of test solution. Once you have taken the samples, all you need to do is compare the color of the sample to the color chart included with the test kit in order to determine the measurement of whatever it is you are testing for. It is wise to perform water tests on a weekly basis and you should record the measurements in a journal in order to keep track of any changes.

Tips for Maintaining High Water Quality

The easiest and most effective way to keep the water quality in your tank high is to perform weekly 10% to 20% water changes. These water changes will help to control the waste build-up in your tank and will also ensure that your water chemistry stays stable. Another simple way to keep the water in your tank clean and the water chemistry stable is to introduce an EcoBio-Stone. These stones are made from porous volcanic cement and are infused with unique beneficial bacteria. Once introduced into the tank, these bacteria will multiply to form a colony of nitrifying bacteria which will help to maintain the nitrogen cycle. Placing the EcoBio-Stone will greatly reduce your maintenance needs – the bacteria will do most of the work in helping to keep your tank water clear and the water quality high.

Having healthy aquarium fish starts with healthy fish food. If you do not give your fish all the nutrients they need to grow and thrive, they are far more likely to become stressed or to fall ill. Once this happens it is only a matter of time before these conditions spread to the other fish in your tank and you may find yourself with an empty aquarium. The key to keeping your fish healthy and happy is to give them a well-balanced, varied diet composed of different kinds of fish foods. Because there are so many different types of fish food available it is actually relatively easy to create a varied diet for aquarium fish.

Dietary Needs of Aquarium Fish

Like all living things, aquarium fish have certain nutritional needs that must be met if they are going to thrive and grow. The basic needs of all aquarium fish include protein, lipids (fats), carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Though all fish have these basic needs, certain kinds of fish require different amounts of certain nutrients. Carnivorous species of fish, for example, may require high-protein diets while herbivorous fish need more vegetables. It is important to keep in mind that you should feed your fish about 3% of their body weight once or twice a day. Because most species of fish are relatively small, this does not add up to a large amount of food. It becomes especially important, then, to feed your fish the right foods if they are to receive all the nutrients they require.

Types of Fish Food

While the most popular type of aquarium fish food – and also the most readily available – is flake food, this type is not necessarily the most nutritious. Generally, processed foods like flakes, pellets and granules lose a high percentage of their nutrients during processing and are thus not recommended as the staple foods in an aquarium fish diet. To keep your fish healthy, supplement a diet of processed foods with live, freeze-dried and frozen foods. Bloodworms, white worms, brine shrimp and daphnia are some of the most popular types of live foods and many of these foods are also available in frozen and freeze-dried forms. If you do choose to feed your fish flake foods, try to choose one that is specially formulated for the type of fish you have or at least select a vitamin- or mineral-enriched formula. Once you have accumulated a variety of fish foods, create a dietary routine – try to give your fish a different type of food each day of the week.

Tips for Healthy Fish

The amount you feed your fish is almost as important as the type of food you give them. If you overfeed your fish they may become obese and large quantities of uneaten fish food will build up along the bottom of your tank. This build-up of uneaten fish food will result in high levels of ammonia in your tank which could put your fish at risk for ammonia poisoning. Limit the amount of food you give your fish to a quantity they can consume in three to five minutes. This will keep your fish from overindulging and it will also reduce the amount of waste build-up in your substrate.

While controlling the amount of food you give your fish is a good way to reduce waste build-up, you cannot eliminate it completely. In order to keep up with your fish and to break down ammonia as it is produced, consider adding an EcoBio-Stone to your tank. These stones are made of porous volcanic sand and are infused with unique nitrifying bacteria. After these bacteria have been introduced into your tank they will multiply and grow, working to convert harmful ammonia into less harmful nitrates. In combination with routine water changes and controlled feedings, EcoBio-Stones are an easy way to keep your fish healthy while also keeping your tank clean and clear.

Quarantine tank with EcoBio-Stone S

When one of your fish falls ill it may only be a matter of time before the disease spreads to your other tank inhabitants. For this reason it is extremely important for you to keep an eye out for the early symptoms of disease. If you catch the disease early enough you will be able to quarantine the sick fish in a hospital tank to ensure a speedy recovery and to prevent your other fish from falling ill. A hospital tank, or quarantine tank, is a fairly basic set-up and it is generally easy to maintain.

Setting Up the Tank

Because you will usually keep just one fish in the hospital tank at a time it does not need to be large – 10 gallons is a sufficient size. The bottom of the tank should be kept bare of gravel or other substrate to facilitate easy cleaning and to prevent the build-up of disease-harboring bacteria. Do not over-decorate the tank – simply provide a few plants or an overturned terra cotta pot to give your fish places to hide. Hospital tanks have very few requirements other than clean water and adequate filtration but you need to choose wisely when selecting a filter for your tank. Power filters that have a low setting are generally recommended for hospital tanks because they provide both chemical and mechanical filtration without creating a current powerful enough to disturb your sick fish.

Using a Hospital Tank

When you notice the symptoms of disease beginning to manifest in your tank, set up your hospital tank as quickly as possible. Use as much water from the original tank as you can when filling the hospital tank in order to decrease the amount of stress your fish experience in switching tanks. Use an in-tank thermometer to monitor and control the water temperature in the tank and administer whatever medications your fish require on a regular basis.

Other Tips for Hospital Tanks

If you have a large tank with many fish, it may be wise to set up a permanent hospital tank. By doing this you can rest assured that if one of your fish happens to fall ill you will not be putting the rest of your fish at risk by delaying the removal of the sick fish from the tank. A hospital tank can also be used as a quarantine tank when you bring new fish home from the pet store. To prevent the spread of disease you should always quarantine new fish for at least seven days. This will ensure that the new fish do not pass an existing illness on to your other fish.

A quick and easy way to ensure that the water in your hospital tank stays clean and clear is to use an EcoBio-Stone. EcoBio-Stones are made from porous volcanic rock and cement block and they are infused with nutrients and beneficial bacteria designed to keep your tank healthy. Once introduced into your tank, these beneficial bacteria will multiply and work to speed up the nitrogen cycle, keeping your tank water clean and clear. Not only do EcoBi0-Block products help keep your tank healthy, they also reduce the amount of routine maintenance required.

No matter how careful you are in caring for your aquarium fish, the chances are good that you will eventually experience the outbreak of some kind of disease. By acting quickly in setting up and utilizing a hospital tank, however, you can effectively curtail the spread of this disease. Learning how to set up a hospital tank, and then putting that knowledge to use, is a simple way to ensure that your sick fish recover quickly and your other fish do not fall ill.