Aquarium and Pond Care with EcoBio-Block

The health of your saltwater aquarium is critical to the survival of your fish and corals. While feeding your fish, some tasks like observing the quality of the water, topping off the water, and checking the water temperature should be done on a daily basis. There are also other tasks you must do on a regular basis to ensure the health of your saltwater aquarium.

How often you will need to perform extensive cleaning will depend on what type of filter system you have.  Filter systems such as Jaubert/Plenum and true Berlin Live Rock don’t require much maintenance, but systems such as canister filters and Wet-Dry Trickle require much more attention.  The specific factors that will determine how often you need to clean your aquarium tank include the following:

• The amount and type of food you feed to your fish.
• The type of filtration that you use.
• The biological load that is on your filtration system.
• Whether you use tank janitors or not.
• How often you use toxin-reducing products like phosphate and nitrate.

Monitoring weekly water tests will also help you determine whether you need to perform cleaning tasks on your tank more often or less often. One way to simplify your maintenance needs is to use EcoBio-Block products. Made of natural zeolite, the blocks contain beneficial bacteria which live and multiply in the block. Dispersing into the water, they break down organic waste and keep your tank clear and healthy. Then all you need to do is observe and take note of certain conditions in your tank to determine how often you need to clean it.

In regards to your fish, you should observe the following:

• Their color, eyes, and fins.
• Their movements in the tank.
• How much food they are consuming.
• Whether they appear to have parasites or not.

In regards to your invertebrates, observe the following:

• Their movements in the tank.
• How much food they are consuming.

Observe the following when it comes to your corals:

• Their color.
• Whether they are open or not.

Here is what to note about the water in your tank:

• The movement of the water.
• The clearness of the water.

In regards to the tank janitors:

• Their effectiveness in cleaning the aquarium
• Their activity.

When observing the substrate:

• Check for the presence of algae.
• See if there is debris, such as uneaten food and detritus.

You should be testing your water parameters at least once per week.  If you notice slight changes in some of your tests, that is usually normal, but keep an eye on them to make sure that they are not the start of some trends that could affect the health of your aquarium.

What are the water parameters you should be keeping track of?

• Temperature
• pH
• Alkalinity
• Salinity
• Ammonia
• Nitrite
• Nitrate
• Calcium
• Iodine
• Phosphate

You should know what the Normal Sea Water (NSW) values are (consult a table that lists these, such as the one found here:  http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/planasystem/ig/Guide-Charts–Tables–Diagrams/Major-Elements-in-Saltwater-.htm) and what the target water test levels (again, consult a table that lists these, such as the one found here:  http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/planasystem/ig/Guide-Charts–Tables–Diagrams/Target-Water-Values.htm).

There might be times when you decide that a major cleaning of your aquarium must be done. It takes a fair amount of time to do it properly, but after you’ve done it a few times, you’ll be able to lessen the time it takes to do it each time.

You should start from the inside of your tank and work outwards. Place some towels on the floor so that any water that spills out does not damage your floor (remember that the water is saltwater, not freshwater, which can increase the chances of the water damaging your floor). Scrub the algae from the submerged equipment and tank walls.  Siphon the clean substrate. Change the water. Top off the new water with new (pre-mixed) saltwater. Test the parameters that were not normal originally and record the new results.  Add supplements if necessary to adjust the levels to appropriate readings.Next, you should deal with your filtration system. Remove debris from the bottom of your sump. Either clean or change the material of the mechanical filter. Check your adsorbents and see if they need to be cleaned or even changed. You should clean your biological filter material by rinsing it in saltwater. Empty your protein skimmer’s collection cup and adjust the water and air flow as needed. You should clean around your light bulbs and fixtures. Replace old bulbs as necessary.

You should make sure that your pumps are free of blockages, cleaning the filters as necessary. You should also check the hose connections to make sure that they are operating at their full capabilities. You should also clean the salt creep (or salt crystals that are behind when saltwater is spilled somewhere and the fresh water evaporates).

Check the amount of debris in your mechanical filter to get a better idea of whether you need to do major cleanings more or less often. When a mechanical filter becomes clogged and overworked, contaminants will either go around the filter material or be forced through the filter, which will only further decrease the effectiveness of your filter.

By keeping a record of your observations, you can adjust how often you perform major maintenance tasks on your saltwater aquarium tank. By following the advice in this article and keeping a regular maintenance schedule, you can have and maintain a healthy saltwater aquarium tank.

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.

Suffice it to say that Old Tank Syndrome is the opposite of New Tank Syndrome. To refresh the memory, let us remember that New Tank Syndrome takes place when an eager newcomer to the aquarium hobby starts to lose fish at about the six-week anniversary of aquarium ownership.

This can happen due to poor water quality, especially elevated ammonia levels because of an unhealthy filtration system. It can also take place because the novice owner is still a bit clumsy at giving the aquarium and fish the proper sort of care.

Old Tank Syndrome has a telltale symptom, and that is a sense of complacency in a long time aquarium owner when it comes to the condition of his or her tank. All of the excitement of having this hobby has passed by this time, and the fish-lover could almost be said to take his aquarium for granted.

The tank is stable, the fish are well fed and in good health. There have been no changes in the aquarium for quite a while now. The fish are fed on schedule most of the time, and no new fish have been added to the aqua community. No water tests for ammonia or nitrites have been done, either. All those partial water changes that were done at the beginning of aquarium ownership have fallen by the wayside as well.

It is about now that the long-time aquarium owner begins to notice that his fish tank seems to be a bit “off”. He or she may decide to do a partial water change to try and rectify things. Alternately, the hobbyist discovers a dead fish, and decides to go and purchase a few new occupants for the aquarium. Either of these scenarios is going to upset the balance of the aquarium.

The present fish are used to the aquarium condition just the way it is. A partial water change could prove to be very stressful, and could even kill the fish. Every seasoned pet fish keeper has heard this tale of woe from a newbie, “We had just changed the water, and then all the fish started to die one by one.”

New fish will also upset the balance in the aquarium, but in a different way. They will create even more ammonia and nitrites, and this will upset the balance that the fish have slowly become used to. Either way, you stand a good chance of losing some fish.

Old tank syndrome can be avoided by maintaining the same schedule of water testing and frequent partial water changes that you did when your tank was brand new. Or, you can take advantage of one of the EcoBio-Block family of products, and spend the time you would have spent maintaining your aquarium admiring your fish! EcoBio-Block Products will keep the water quality in your tank healthy for your fish population as well as maintaining the water in a crystal clear condition.