Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog

Photo of the Week 4/13

This week's picture was taken by Mike Maddox in the Drowned Cayes, Belize, where he was performing manatee research as a student. 

Click the picture to see the full sized version!

© Captive Aquatics / CA Blog

New to saltwater aquariums? Well, so am I.

Editor's note:  this post introduces Greg Howard, our new contributing author, who will be speaking from the heart as a beginner saltwater aquarist in his weekly column "The Saltwater Newbie" appearing on Sundays.

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I am a fish tank amateur. The first time I looked at a fish tank, what I was really thinking was: “Ok, what’s the big deal?” I couldn’t understand my friend’s obsession with what I considered an isolated three foot sheet of glass and something that moved around in it. Big deal.

 

I didn’t understand the kind of time that was devoted to it, and I couldn’t wrap my mind around why they cared so much.

 

I think the problem with my exposure to the aquarium world was with public aquariums. When I was young and craving interaction, these things would just swim around and "be boring". No matter how much I tapped on the damn glass, they wouldn’t respond!

The Aquarium Hobby is Under Attack

A new piece of legislation has been proposed, and if passed, will virtually end the trade of non-native animals (fish, birds, reptiles, etc) and associated industries.  I think it is a good idea to enforce restrictions on certain species in areas where, if the animal escaped, would harm the local ecosystem.  However, the bill (as it stands now) includes all non-native animals in it's "banned" list until they can be "proven" safe, on a per-state basis. 

FIve Ways to Reduce Aquarium Algae Growth

No one likes nuisance algae growth in their aquarium, so here are 5 tips for keeping it out!

1.  Perform weekly water changes of at least 25%
2.  Use a Reverse Osmosis (RO) or Dionized (DI) water to remove nitrates and phosphates from tapwater
3.  Use a quality chemical filter media to absorb organics and phosphates from your aquarium's water column (Seachem's Purigen, Two Little Fishies' PhosBan, activated carbon)
4.  Clean your aquarium's mechanical filters at least three times a week
5.  Don't overstock
6.  (Bonus tip!)  Use a UV sterilizer to kill free-floating algae and keep your aquarium crystal clear (especially useful for ponds).

Controlling nuisance algae growth is all about controlling and/or removing the dissolved nutrients from the aquarium's water column (nitrates and phosphates for the most part).  Nuisance algae requires these nutrients to grow, and without them, your algae will disappear!  Chemical additives to kill the algae are never recommended, as these are harmful to the aquarium inhabitants as well as algae!

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Have a Question?

Stumped?  Have a sick fish?  Feel free to contact the Captive Aquatics staff for answers!  Questions will be answered directly, and the questions and answers will be posted on the blog weekly.

If you're needing more serious help, or on-site service, Captive Aquatics offers international consultation and solutions for residential, businesses, commercial applications, and institutions. 

© Captive Aquatics / CA Blog

Five Freshwater Fish for Beginners

When I started in the hobby at age 12, I wanted to buy every fish I saw and cram it into my 15 gallon tank, that had little room to spare (now I know better!).  I had no clue where to start in buying fish and bought what ever was the cheapest and prettiest at the time.  I thought a fish is a fish and their isn't anything different about them, but boy was I wrong.  Now, years later I can say I have changed and decided to help others with finding good beginner fish.  Here are my top five beginner fish for a freshwater tank.

 

Nano Reef Aquariums, as easy as 1, 2, 3! [Part 1]

 

Welcome to our four part series on Nano Reef Aquariums!  This series will be premiering weekly throughout the month.  Subscribe so that you don't miss out!

Part one: Essential Planning

Interested in a reef aquarium, but don’t want the large expense?  Consider starting a nano reef!  A nano aquarium is any aquarium with a water volume of 30 gallons or less.  Nano aquariums are becoming increasingly common because of their small size, lower price, availability of pre-fabricated units, and unique look.  However, there are greater challenges to successfully maintaining a nano aquarium than there are in a larger aquarium with a more forgiving water volume.  After my share of nano reef trials, I’ve written a three step guide which will help you avoid some of these “small tank” woes.

Product Review: Marineland Multi-Stage Canister Filter

Marineland canister filter 360

I'm a fan of aquarium canister filters: in my opinion, they are a step up from underground filters, power filters and other filtration methods commonly used in freshwater aquariums.  I like canister filters because there is no visible equipment in the tank (I hate that!), multiple filtration media types can be used inside, have a high turnover rate (gallons per hour) and are 'all-in-on', combining mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration in one filter.  I recently purchased a Marineland Multi-Stage Canister Filter model 360 to use for my 75 gallon planted freshwater aquarium, and was surprisingly disappointed.

Photo of the Week 4/06

 

My good friend Cara posing with a sandbar shark.  Cara is a marine biologist and researcher specializing in marine microbiology. 

Submit your picture to be considered for our photo of the week category!

 

© Captive Aquatics / CA Blog

NEW Daily Updates!

The Captive Aquatics blog is now being updated daily!  Check out our new update schedule:

Monday:        Picture(s) of the Week / Tank of the Month (contest announcements & featured tank)
Tuesday:       How-to & Product/Vendor Reviews  
Wednesday:  Marine Topics
Thursday:      Freshwater topics
Friday:          Q&A (Questions & Answers)

These updates start tomorrow so visit daily so that you don't miss out! 

© Captive Aquatics / CA Blog