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.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Guppy fry

Just a word of warning to beginning aquarists, its better not to expect either to breed fishes too soon after purchase, or to rear too big a proportion of fry from eggs that have hatched.
Reality probably hits most often in regard to the bubble-nest-builders.  Expectations are high because, in the first place, they are among the fishes most readily spawned. Secondly, their small eggs are usually numerous, anywhere between 300 and 600 or more being common. With luck most of them hatch. Unless eaten by a parent they live about a week, even without food. At that point the let-down begins, even with food, especially in a small tank, their numbers start to decrease. Indeed if the number reared to half-adult size is 50, it should be considered to be above average. All too often it comes down to half a dozen, or even less. One consolation is that the survivors must be the naturally strong ones, fit for carrying on the reproduction of the family.
Is this infant mortality rate unavoidable? In an aquarium or tank under 15-gallon size the practical answer is yes. The newly-hatched fishes are very small and our guess is that in a small tank there are insufficient amounts of very small infusoria to give the babies a start until they can eat the sizes present in most cultures.
At any rate, the larger the tank, the better the chances. This follows through until one reaches something like an outdoor pool say 5×5 feet, in which approximately 100% of hatched fry may reach maturity, barring other misfortunes. This may explain why the beginner with limited water space should not be too disappointed if only a small proportion of a hatching reaches maturity.  Another way to increase your chances of success is to place an EcoBio-Block in your tank. EcoBio-Block takes care of the toxins that are dangerous to fish while slowly replacing necessary trace minerals, creating a healthy environment for breeding fish and reducing loss.
In referring to “pairs” of any kind, I must touch on the subject of “guaranteed” pairs, usually bought at a good fat premium price. They are usually a disappointment, and not worth the outlay, for they seldom make good. This is not meant to cast any reflection on the honesty of the seller, but pairs that are known to have bred may be “bred out”. No one can tell when time has caught up with fertility. Besides a change of environment may throw a pair out of reproduction rhythm. It is best to develop one’s own breeders if possible.
As to time required for breeding after acquiring a pair, there of course can be no set period of reasonable expectation. I refer mostly to the egg-laying type of fish. They may possibly be ripe for spawning almost at once, but ordinarily they need not only to be well-fed (on live food if possible), but must have time to adjust themselves to new surroundings and changed water. Several weeks are usually needed.
Besides (although we do not know why) some species are difficult, even for experienced aquarists, to get to spawn at all. That is true of most of the Characins (Tetras).
It sometimes happens that a beginner has acquired one or more kinds of fishes that are always difficult (or nearly impossible) to breed, even if they are close relatives of species that are easy to reproduce. Here are a few examples: Corydomr pazleaim, and C. azenezu are often bred, but that is not true of other members of that large family. Razrbommeinkeni is the only one of its numerous family, possibly excepting the “Scissors Tail” (trilineatur), from which success may be more likely.
The live-bearers are more obliging and less sensitive to change. In fact new water and changed surroundings often stimulate them to early delivery. It is from the egg-layers that we should not expect too much too soon.
In any case, optimism is good, but it should be tempered by what may be called “reasonable and realistic expectations.”