Aquarium and Pond Care with EcoBio-Block

Even the most novice aquarium hobbyist is likely to understand the importance of routine water changes in keeping an aquarium clean and healthy. Water changes are not only essential for keeping algae growth and aquarium fish diseases at bay, but they are also important in maintaining stable water chemistry. If the water chemistry in your tank changes drastically, your fish could become stressed or even die as a result. In order to avoid such a severe consequence it is wise to understand not only the need for regular water changes but also the proper way to go about performing them.

Why Water Changes are Necessary

Like all living creatures, aquarium fish produce waste and this waste typically sinks to the bottom of the tank where it accumulates with other forms of organic debris like decomposing plant matter and uneaten fish food. Over time, this debris begins to break down and produces ammonia, a substance toxic to fish. Though the beneficial bacteria in an aquarium help to convert ammonia into less harmful substances, these bacteria can only do so much. Water changes are necessary to keep toxins in the tank under control – if you never performed a water change, the chemicals would simply build up in the tank water, making it unsuitable for aquarium fish. Water changes are also needed to replace the water lost through evaporation.

Proper Water Changing Procedure

gravel vacuuming

Though the size and frequency of necessary aquarium water changes may vary slightly according to the species of fish in the tank, most tanks require a weekly water change of 10% to 15% of the tank volume. These regular water changes should be accompanied by a larger 25% water change once a month. To perform a water change most effectively, use a gravel vacuum to siphon the substrate in your tank – this method will remove built-up detritus from the bottom of your tank along with the dirty tank water. If you were to simply scoop out a few gallons of water from the top of the tank you might succeed in diluting some of the toxins present in the water but the build-up in the substrate of the tank would continue to produce ammonia which would eventually lead to a decline in water quality.

Once you have removed the desired amount of water from the tank, the next step is to replace it with clean water. For freshwater tanks, regular tap water can be used as long as it has been dechlorinated. Aquarium hobbyists use a variety of methods to remove chlorine from tap water but the easiest and most effective method is to use a liquid water conditioner. Water conditioners work instantly to remove chlorine and chloramine from tap water, thus making it safe for aquarium fish. If you have a saltwater tank, your water changes may not be so quick or easy. You must mix the saltwater at least 24 hours before you perform the water change and it is best to add the water to the tank through a sump system rather than pouring it directly into the tank.

Tips for Water Changes

To make your water changes easier, select a gravel vacuum proportional to the size of your tank. If you have a small tank, a simple tube-shaped vacuum should be sufficient. For larger tanks, however, gravel vacuums that have wider heads are helpful. Though you cannot get away without ever performing a water change if you want your tank to stay clean and healthy, there are a few things you can do to reduce the frequency of necessary water changes. Adding an EcoBio-Stone to your tank is an easy way to keep your tank water fresh and clean and reducing maintenance needs. EcoBio-Stones are made from natural zeorite and special cement, and they can be added directly to the tank where the beneficial bacteria with which the stone is infused will immediately get to work. These bacteria will establish a colony in your tank, working to maintain the nitrogen cycle so the water in your tank stays clean and the water quality remains high. If you can maintain high water quality in your tank, you will find that you need to perform water changes less often.

Even if you make sure to perform regular water changes and keep your aquarium filter running properly, it is likely that your fish will contract a disease at some point. Keeping your tank clean and feeding your fish a healthy diet are two of the most effective ways to prevent disease, but you cannot completely protect your fish. Aquarium fish diseases fall into four different categories and if you understand the basics about these diseases you will be better equipped to deal with them. Knowledge is the key to quickly diagnosing and treating aquarium fish diseases and the more quickly you are able to do so, the greater the chances are that your fish will recover.

Bacterial Diseases

Goldfish with Popeye

Poor water quality is the most common cause of bacterial infections and fish that are already stressed due to poor tank conditions or prior injury have an increased susceptibility to bacterial diseases. Bacterial infections may be either external or internal but external infections are the most common. External bacterial infections often produce symptoms like ragged or rotting fins, lethargy, reddening of the skin and ulcers. Internal infections may result in hemorrhaging and fluid build-up. Some of the most common bacterial infections include fin rot, dropsy, tuberculosis and red pest. Salt baths are a common treatment for bacterial infections, though medications such as potassium permanganate and chloramine-T are also effective.

Fungal Diseases

Fungal diseases are some of the most common among freshwater fish and examples of fungal diseases include cotton mouth, egg fungus and gill rot. Because fungal spores are already present in most aquariums, it only takes a decline in water quality for the disease to spread. Fish that are already stressed or injured are much more likely to contract fungal infections. Common symptoms of fungal diseases include white cottony growths, excessive mucus production and difficulty breathing or eating. Fungal infections are most often treated with antifungal agents such as phenoxyethanol and Malachite Green, though salt baths are also known to be effective.

Parasite Diseases

Parasite infections are caused by microscopic organisms which enter the bodies of fish and feed off of them, often killing the fish in the process. Common parasite infections include Ich, Hexamita, Chilodonella and Velvet. These diseases often produce symptoms such as ulcers, visible cysts or spots, loss of appetite and rubbing against tank objects. Increasing tank temperature can sometimes help to speed up the life cycle of the parasite but more common treatments include potassium permanganate, formalin and acriflavine.

Viral Diseases

Viral infections are some of the most difficult to diagnose and to treat because they are largely internal and cannot be treated directly. The most recognizable symptom of viral disease is wart-like growths, though red streaks or bruises on the skin and fins are also common. Some viral diseases may result in bloating, hemorrhaging, anorexia and lethargy. Fish pox, Lymphocystis and viral hemorrhagic septicemia are some of the most common viral infections. Most viral infections have no cure and even if the infected fish survives it may be a lifelong carrier of the disease.

Tips for Keeping Fish Healthy

You already know that keeping your fish tank clean is the key to keeping your fish healthy. What you may not realize, however, is that something as simple as adding an EcoBio-Stone to your tank can make a big difference in maintaining high water quality. EcoBio-Stones are made from porous volcanic cement and infused with beneficial bacteria. When the stone is immersed in water, the beneficial bacteria multiply to form a colony in your tank that will help maintain the nitrogen cycle and clarify the water. When combined with routine water changes and adequate filtration, an EcoBio-Stone can help to keep your aquarium clean and clear which will lower the chances of your fish contracting a disease.

Vacuuming Aquarium Gravel

Okay, aquarium newbies, here is a question for you! Do you vacuum the substrate of your freshwater aquarium? For a healthy tank, vacuuming the gravel or other substrate that you have placed in the bottom of the aquarium is a head start on making sure that your fish stay healthy, and your aquarium water stays crystal clear and clean.

This is because the aquarium gravel and substrate is where all the fish waste matter and any extra food you placed in your tank ends up settling after it floats around the tank for a little while. To keep fish from living in the unhealthy conditions that this excess waste can cause, most fish owners will use a gravel vacuum hose to siphon the putrid matter out of the substrate once a week or so.

If a tank were to go for a time without having this kind of tank maintenance, it would be a sight to see. Tank vacuuming keeps the water in an aquarium clear and spotless. Most aquarium owners will do a partial water change at the same time they are cleaning the substrate of gravel. It’s a timesaver, which can be important to new tank owners. Many of them claim that they are spending an inordinate amount of time doing water changes and vacuuming gravel – and do they really have to do this so often to have healthy fish?

Most of these new owners will eventually hit on some type of schedule for their own tank cleaning. Some of these owners may well spend a lot less time keeping their aquarium substrate and aquarium water clean and clear than other tank owners will. It is not because they don’t appreciate and/or care for their fish any more than the owners who do more cleaning and fussing with their aquariums, yet still seem to have problems with cloudy tank water and/or tank water that smells bad. It is because they have learned of and taken to heart a new method of keeping their aquariums beautifully clear and biologically sound and safe for freshwater fish. A different and innovative product has come along that allows them to spend less time on a cleaning and maintenance schedule, and more time enjoying the beauty of their fish. That method is the purchase and then the proper use of an EcoBio-Block.

The EcoBio-Block family of products are not like some of the other products that are sold in order to help those who know the joy of fish keeping maintain their stock in a safe and healthy manner. EcoBio-Blocks are simple to use, and only need replacing every two years are so. While some aquariums will still need to have their gravel or substrate vacuumed, it will be on a far less frequent basis after the use of the EcoBio-Block.

EcoBio-Blocks are made of a distinctive volcanic rock fusion with live beneficial bacteria. This combination produces live bacteria and releases them into your tank water for up to two years. You will not have to vacuum and do water changes as often, thanks to these bacteria who neatly dispose of the fish poop and extra fish food so that your tank stays clear.  If you think that you are one of those people who vacuum the substrate of your freshwater aquarium too often, you should try one of the EcoBio-Blocks in your tank so you can see the difference for yourself!

cyano bactria infected water

One of the biggest challenges for aquarium owners is an outbreak of single celled organisms called cyanobacteria. They are casually referred to as blue-green algae because they are typically bluish green in color (although sometimes black or red) and aquatic; they are, in fact, microscopic bacteria that, when prolific, form into shiny sheets that look like algae.

Cyanobacteria also act like algae because they create their own food through photosynthesis. Given enough light and nutrients in the water, cyanobacteria can cause a bacterial bloom that can lead to major problems in the aquarium.

A cyanobacterial bloom may be free-floating greenish brown particles that make the water look hazy. The bacteria may also colonize into ugly films of slimy looking growth covering rocks and plants in the aquarium. Uncontrolled, a bacterial bloom can gather into foam or scum on the surface of the tank and give off a nasty rotten smell. At any rate, the proliferation of cyanobacteria is an indication that the nutrients that feed it – organic matter and waste products – are excessive in the water, which can only mean that the fish are in grave danger.

Cyanobacteria problems can be prevented with good fishkeeping conditions and attentive maintenance. In the event that a cyanobacterial bloom occurs, several steps can be taken, the first of which is to reduce the amount of light exposure in the tank. Because cyanobacteria thrive through photosynthesis, depriving them of light curtails their growth.

Together with reduced lighting, an effective way to fight cyanobacteria is consecutive water changes. Water changes up to 20% every three to four days will reduce the concentration of phosphates and waste material that feed the cyanobacteria. Test kits for nitrates and cyanobacteria are helpful in determining when healthy levels have been achieved. And to prevent future problems, it is best to maintain the aquarium with just the right number of fish, highly efficient filtration, and no over-feedings.

At times, though, cyanobacterial bloom can be unrelenting enough to defy light deprivation and water changes. Some fishkeepers resort to antibacterial chemicals, which could be equally detrimental to fishes and plants. A greener, more eco-friendly solution is the EcoBio-Block Family Products, originally designed and currently being used to degrade toxins and pollutants from lakes, streams, and reservoirs in many Asian countries.

EcoBio-Blocks, EcoBio-Rocks, EcoBio-Stones, and EcoBio-Pebbles are porous, mineral-rich volcanic stones from Japan. They are embedded with prolific beneficial bacteria (“bacillus subtilis natto”) that can actively multiply every half hour into colonies that degrade organic matter and nitrify waste products in the water. Because they degrade the organic matter that feeds cyanobacteria, the internet radio show Pet Fish Talk feels strongly that EcoBio-Block helped clear up their cyanobacteria problem. (click hear the Special Pet Fish Talk titled “Cyanobacteria”)

Cyanobacteria cannot be totally eliminated from the aquarium. Overgrowth and its toxic consequences, however, can be prevented with optimum water conditions through diligent aquarium maintenance together with proven eco-friendly solutions like the EcoBio-Block products.

by Ruby Bayan

Community Fish Tank

Here’s a candid question from my friend Bob: “I just got a 20-gallon tank and was thinking about putting in about a dozen Neon Tetras, six to eight Mollies, a Plecostomus and perhaps introducing two to three Angelfish afterwards. Is this an acceptable plan?”

My answer was, “Bob, you’re inviting disaster into your aquarium! You will be defying at least four major guidelines in the book of ‘good fishkeeping’!”

Defiance 1: “The one-inch-per-gallon rule is baloney!”

Although not a strict rule, the one-inch-of-fish-per-gallon-of-water guideline is often a takeoff point for fishkeeping hobbyists aspiring for a stable bioload. However, factors like efficient filtration, fast-growing fishes, and aggressive or territorial breeds totally overhaul this “rule” giving rise to setups with more than one inch of fish per gallon, or with just a pair of two-inch fish for a 25-gallon tank.

In Bob’s planned 20-gallon setup, 12 Neons, 8 Mollies, 1 Pleco, and 3 Angels, even if they’re all less than an inch each, will surely overload his tank habitat, no matter how efficient his filtration is. But let’s say that on top of a truly efficient filter, he can be diligent enough to make regular water changes, his next problem will be what water parameters to maintain.

Defiance 2: “What natural habitat? I’ll give them their natural habitat!”

One of the primary objectives of fishkeepers is to provide a habitat that is closest to what the fishes have in the wild. The community that Bob is looking at putting together cannot occur naturally because the fishes he has chosen do not thrive in the same water conditions.

Although all the chosen fishes can be made accustomed to a common water temperature (around 77 degrees F), Neons prefer water that is slightly soft, with pH between 5.0 and 7.0. Mollies, on the other hand, live in slightly hard water with pH of 7.5 to 8.5.

In other words, either the Neons or the Mollies will suffer stress and eventually fall ill if brought together in one community tank because the water composition is outside the range ideal for them.

So, if Bob removes the Mollies from the equation and maintains a water composition ideal for the rest of the fishes, will the Neons, Pleco, and Angelfish be fine together? The answer is, again, “no.”

Defiance 3: “They don’t look aggressive to me!”

Angelfishes belong to the notoriously cranky group of cichlids. Highly territorial and potentially aggressive, Angels (an oxymoron?) are known to be “stealth” attackers. Swimming casually and almost in a delicately gentle manner, they can snap at a prey in a flash and swallow whatever fits their mouths. Full-grown Angels are known to feast on Neons.

So, maybe Bob can chuck the idea of adding Angels later on. Will his tank be safe now with the dozen Neons and one Plecostomus? Unfortunately, the Pleco may pose a whole new problem.

Defiance 4: “They’re just sooo cute!”

The Plecostomus is one of the fastest growing catfishes in captivity. A “cute” three-inch Pleco can double in length in six months and grow to a “horrendous” adult size of close to two feet in a couple of years. Their phenomenal growth is accompanied by their equally phenomenal rate of excretion that can easily overwork standard filtration systems. A Pleco will, therefore, be okay in a 20-gallon tank only in its first few months as a juvenile.

In other words, Bob’s 20-gallon tank is down to just a dozen Neons. That’s no fun, right? Well, a 20-gallon tank can’t really support a lot of fishes, and frankly, losing some to not having an acceptable plan is my definition of “no fun.”
Bob can still have a fun tank by choosing a combination of community fishes that are attractive together and thrive in a habitat that will remain stable indefinitely.

Here’s one suggestion: to join his Neons, he can add a pair of Rams (Ramirezis may be cichlids but they’re one of the more sedate ones), and instead of the Pleco he can choose a pair of Corys (corydoras) or Otos (otocinclus) that remain small even as adults.

Add to that some diligent monitoring, regular water changes (or better yet, an EcoBio-Block that conditions water so that changes are hardly necessary), and efficient equipment, and Bob can be well on his way to implementing a truly acceptable plan.