Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog

Aquarium Spring Cleaning!

I know when winter ends I am the first to start cleaning out my stuffy home, but don't forget  your aquarium!  Here are some great tips on how to freshen up your aquarium for spring!

1.  Keep up with water changes : hopefully you have been consistent with water changes though winter but if that isn't the case you can start right now.  Studies have shown that aquarium fish live longer, healthier lives when their aquarium water is changed consistently and frequently.

2.  Change media and air stones: many hobbyists tend to forget that the media in their filtration systems needs to be switched with new media and that air stones tend to become brittle over time.  It is proper aquarium care to check up on the filter media and air stones to check for deterioration and change appropriately.

Aquarium Water Changing Tips

Besides providing the correct, stable environment, water changes are the most important action you can take to ensure your aquarium remains healthy for your fish.  Water changes remove dissolved organics, wastes, and noxious chemicals from coral (if you have a reef tank) and replenish trace elements, calcium, and most importantly: dilute organic wastes in your aquarium.  Here are a few tips to make water changes less painless:

Five Tips for New Aquarium Owners

My first aquarium was giving to me by my parents during Christmas and like my parents, I didn't know how to set up and run an aquarium.  So for those parents and happy kids alike I have assembled a Frequently Asked Questions for beginners to get started on the right foot with their first aquarium.

Cloudy Aquarium Water, and How to Fix It

Many hobbyist at some point will encounter aquarium water that is cloudy, hazy and just plain annoying.  You can't see your fish or enjoy your aquarium, when the water is cloudy!  Here are the three reasons why you  may have cloudy aquarium water:   

Four Anemone Tips

The author's purple S. haddoni carpet anemone, in a species biotope aquarium

1.  Anemones are not reef crest animals, meaning they do not live in the same area as most corals.  Anemones fare much better in species aquariums than they do in a reef aquarium.  Anemones will move around, sting and/or kill corals, and can consume your fish!

5 Quarantine Tank Tips

What's all the fuss about a quarantine tank, you ask yourself?  Do I really need one?  These are some of the questions I hear often from many beginner hobbyists.  The simple answer is yes, and here are a few reasons:

Tips for a Healthy Nano Reef

Here are a few things I've learned in my decade of nano reef aquarium keeping that I thought I would share!

1) Pay attention!  If something is amiss, there will be a subtle signs during the crucial first few hours: zoanthids not opening fully, LPS looking listless or not inflating, etc.  If for some reason things don't seem "right" when they were fine yesterday, it's time for investigation, and our next tip,

Five Anemone Care Tips

Anemones are fascinating creatures, but have a poor survival record in captivity, are difficult to care for, and are not recommended for the beginner.  However, for the dedicated aquarist, here are a few tips and tidbits for mastering the care of these amazing creatures!

Feeding Fish 101

The best part of owning an aquarium is feeding the fish, because it is the main form of interaction that you will have with your fun aquatic pets.  But, you ask, how hard is it to feed fish?  I am not saying that it is difficult to do the actual feeding part, but you do need to follow a few guidelines to best satisfy your fishes appetite.

A Quick "Light Requirement" Interpretation Guide

Often, while researching coral, the beginner aquarist will see general light requirements for that particular species. They will generally see one of three words: Low, Moderate, and High.