Aquarium and Pond Care with EcoBio-Block

Planted Nano Aquarium

For the fish-lover, there is nothing as beautiful and peaceful as an aquarium. It brightens up any room in which it is placed, as well as giving the owner a low-maintenance pet. However, not everyone has the space for a large tank. For these people, there is the option of purchasing a smaller aquarium, anywhere from 1 to 15 gallons. Although this size of tank, otherwise known as a “nano aquarium”, is harder to maintain, it is still a good choice for many people. They just need to remember a few simple things. The most important thing to keep in mind about a small aquarium is not to let it get overcrowded. Keep the fish small and don’t put too many in the tank. Otherwise, it will be difficult to maintain the water quality. Also, take into account the fact that smaller amounts of water change temperature more quickly, which can be stressful for fish. Therefore, try to place your nano aquarium somewhere that keeps a constant temperature year round. And remember that even a small tank can weigh a lot when full, so put it somewhere where it won’t need to be moved. In a small tank, water quality can decrease very quickly. It is therefore important to test it every day and change 10-20% of the water as often as twice a week. While doing these changes, vacuum a section of the gravel. If you are busy or just don’t want the hassle of changing your water so often, you could try EcoBio-Stone S. Simply place the stone in the water and it will keep your water clear and healthy for years with beneficial bacteria, which keep the water in the aquarium perfectly balanced by breaking down the toxic ammonia and nitrite from fish waste and uneaten food, and re-supplying trace minerals from the stone. Additionally, be sure to change your filter regularly or else it may leak toxins into the water. If you do notice an issue, attend to it quickly. In a nano aquarium, small problems multiply rapidly. If you wait even one day to take care of them, you may find that your entire system has crashed Another important factor to be considered with a small tank is the oxygen level. One way to keep it high is to agitate the surface of the water with a small filter. For even more oxygen, put live plants in your tank instead of artificial ones. However, be sure to choose ones that don’t require a lot of light or you may find your water temperature increasing too much. Finally, do not overfeed the fish in your nano aquarium. This can cause poor water quality and place stress on your fish. If you remember to do all of these things and use a time-released water maintenance product such as EcoBio-Stone you will be able to enjoy keeping fish even if you have limited space.

Green water is a nasty problem in many aquariums; one day you have a gorgeous, crystal-clear tank and the next day you wake up to an aquarium of opaque green. This condition is caused by a free-floating algae bloom, and it really can go from no problem at all to being able to see absolutely nothing inside the aquarium overnight. So what do you do about it?

As with most things, the best cure is prevention. Green water occurs when an aquarium is overstocked or has too much decaying organic matter in it. This process creates an excess of nitrates and other nutrients that feed the algae. Once all the right environmental factors are in place, the algae takes over quickly and mercilessly. The key is to keep nitrates down and the water parameters healthy for the fish.

You can start by ensuring you’re not over-feeding your fish. A fish in the wild can never be certain where its next meal is coming from, so its metabolism has adapted into that of an opportunistic eater. Healthy fish will always be hungry, so you can not simply feed them until they stop eating. Give your fish just enough that it takes them about two minutes to eat all the food twice a day (three times if you have juveniles); if you see uneaten food get to the bottom, cut back a little.

Next, make sure you have good mechanical filtration and a well-aerated tank. For additional preventative, you can use a time-released water maintenance product such as EcoBio-Block. These blocks last up to two years apiece and ensure that the water in the aquarium stays perfectly balanced by breaking down the toxic ammonia and nitrites from waste and excess food, as well as re-supplying essential minerals in the water as they’re used up by the fish.

Many aquarists believe that direct sunlight is the main cause of green water and this is not true. While direct sunlight should be avoided because of its effects on the water temperature, algae can not bloom without quite a bit of excess nutrients in the water. It is true that algae can not grow without light as well, but the algae requires very little light for its photosynthesis; once it’s started, any tiny bit of natural light that reaches the aquarium will be sufficient to continue its growth.

Live plants are great for helping get rid of excess nitrates and there are many hardy varieties that will use up a lot of the spare nitrates that algae blooms feed on. In most cases you’ll want to keep an eye on the plants so dead pieces can be removed before they start to decay, however this is not a problem if you have an EcoBio-Block or adult P. bridgesii (a type of apple snail commonly sold in pet stores), or “brigs”. Brigs grow to about the size of golf balls, lay their eggs above the water line so population control is easy, and as adults never eat healthy plants. Be certain you have an adult before you introduce it into a planted tank, though, because the juveniles are still able (and very willing!) to eat healthy plants. If you decide on snails, do a little research first. P. canaliculata, or “canas”, can look very similar to brigs if you aren’t familiar with them, and canas grow to the size of a softball and will always have a voracious appetite for live plants.

Regular partial water changes are required to keep the nitrates down and remove organic material from the aquarium. Again, if you have a time-released product such as EcoBio-Block this is not necessary, though occasionally stirring your substrate to get rid of potentially harmful gas pockets and to send organic materials through your mechanical filter is recommended. If the water is kept in pristine condition, you will not have a problem with green water.

Finally, once you have green water it is difficult and time-consuming to get rid of. You can begin by restricting light, even covering the outside of the aquarium with paper to keep additional light out, and do a partial water change to get rid of some of the excess nutrients. Note that the water changes in themselves will do nothing to get rid of the algae, it reproduces quickly and can only be gotten rid of through “starvation”. Cut back your fish’s food and leave the tank light off for the duration of the clearing time. It may take a couple of weeks to clear up.

As soon as the tank is clear, immediately take some of the preventative measures outlined above to avoid re-occurrence. I especially recommend ensuring that you have a good mechanical filter, plenty of aeration to keep beneficial bacteria healthy, and a time-released maintenance product to ensure the water is always as close to perfect as possible.

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