Saturday, January 31, 2009

How Much Will a Saltwater Aquarium Cost to Setup? The Cost of Setting Up Saltwater Tanks Examined

Setting up a saltwater tank costs money, that fact cannot be argued. Most people think that it will take a lot of money and this keeps them away from the hobby. But figuring out how much will a saltwater aquarium cost is not that hard and the article below will help you understand the costs involved with setting up and caring for a saltwater tank.
How Much Will a Saltwater Aquarium Cost To Setup
While figuring out your marine aquarium setup to the penny would be pretty tough you can get a very close estimate of the overall cost by using a cost per gallon factor. If you are setting up a marine aquarium that will only have fish in it you can easily use the number of $20-$25 per tank gallon.
If you are setting up a reef aquarium the added equipment can drive this number to around $35 per tank gallon. The reef tank can go much higher then this if you are buying very high end equipment or exotic corals.
The above prices will give you a good estimate and should get you a tank that is completely set up ready to go with a basic fish or two. Additional fish will obviously add more money but because the prices of saltwater fish vary alot it is hard to gauge the extra expense they will add.
How Much To Maintain My Saltwater Aquarium
The cost involved to take care of marine aquariums will be different for each tank. But as a general rule of thumb the average saltwater tank will cost about $.50-$1 per tank gallon to run and maintain. A reef aquarium will be much more and you will be safe to figure in around $1.50-$2 per tank gallon in operating and maintenance costs each month.
To create an easy-to-maintain saltwater aquarium grab a copy of our Saltwater Aquarium Guide. This illustrated guide will show you step by step how to properly set up your aquarium. It's crammed with tips and secrets that the pros use to create stunning aquariums! Learn more at http://www.saltwatermethods.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darin_Sewell

BiOrb - The Aquarium of the Future

There is no getting beyond it. As far as care for the humble Goldfish is concerned boy have times have changed and how have they changed.
OK Hands up those who if asked who would know what a biOrb is? Well the answer would be is that a biOrb is the future as far as a home for our domestic friend the Goldfish is concerned.
No longer content with a simple bowl made from simple glass with the odd throw away from Grannies house clearance lurking in the bottom no sirree, the Goldfish has moved on to bigger and better things and a closer in section of what exactly a biOrb does will give us a clearer understanding of why.
Firstly you have to consider the technology involved here and it has to be said that this is quite impressive. All biOrb Aquariums utilize a unique five -stage system to improve and maintain water quality and clarity. This, as keen owners of tropical fish will be only too ready to Admit is essential in the healthy welfare of our fishy friends.
The optimized water is better and stays clearer for much longer than conventional systems. The five-stage process includes biological, mechanical and chemical filtration along with water stabilization and 100% oxygenation.
One of the other interesting and revealing things about a biOrb is that they are made out of Acrylic as opposed to conventional glass. Now Acrylic is a clear plastic that looks similar to glass but has properties that make it superior to glass. All biOrbs are constructed out of acrylic and this enables the biOrb to be stronger, much lighter and have an overall superior finish compared to similar aquariums made out of glass.
One of the other benefits of acrylic over glass is that acrylic is much more shock absorbent than glass which in turn means that all acrylic aquariums are much more able to withstand the shocks and accidental bumps that occur from time to time without breaking.
But being lighter and stronger is about much more than that.
Being lighter means that biOrbs are approximately 50% lighter than conventional glass aquariums and the knock on effect is that it would be difficult if not impossible for someone to carry a 60 litre for emptying whereas the 60 litre biOrb is within the ability of a strong person to pick up, carry and empty.
Being stronger means that the acrylic biOrbs are up to 17 times as strong as conventional glass aquariums and this considerably decreases the chance of the aquarium breaking. It is a little known fact that one inch thick acrylic is actually bullet proof. The other thing and benefit to acrylic is that it can be drilled and worked with without the possibility of it shattering and becoming completely useless.
Lastly the finish on acrylic aquariums is actually superior to glass aquariums and the added benefit is that if scratched, an acrylic aquarium can be polished and restored whereas its glass counterpart, if scratched remains scratched.
There is a whole lot more to biOrb aquariums and this will be discussed at later briefings.
Stephen Morgan writes regularly on all matters concerning Pets and Leisure and more information on the biOrb and Aquariums in general can be found at http://www.reef-one.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Morgan

Friday, January 30, 2009

Have a Cloudy Saltwater Aquarium? - How to Make Your Saltwater Fish Tank Clear Again

Nothing looks better then a crystal clear saltwater aquarium. Unfortunately many saltwater fish keepers cannot get rid of their cloudy water and never have truly crystal clear marine aquariums. The tips below will help you understand why your saltwater aquarium water is cloudy and what you can do to make it clear again.

Why Saltwater Fish Tank Water Gets Cloudy

There are two main reasons that your saltwater fish tank water will be cloudy. Those two reasons are bacterial blooms and excessive debris in your water

The bacterial blooms are the direct result of over feeding your fish or over stocking your tank. The excess waste that to many fish and rotting fish food produce will break down and will feed the bacteria.

To much debris in the water usually comes from filters that are not strong enough or not cleaned frequently enough to do a good job.

How To Make Your Marine Aquarium Water Clear Again

First examine the amount of fish you have in your tank. You should really only have one average size fish for every 8-10 gallons of tank volume. If you have alot more then this you may need to remove one or two saltwater fish to get the stocking levels back within an acceptable range.
Also make sure to shut off all pumps and filters when you feed and add your fish and add food slowly. This will give the fish the best chance at getting all the food and it will not be blown around.

Take a look at your filter system as well and make sure the filters you have are rated for the tank size you have. If they are to small you may need to upgrade to larger more efficient filters.
Make sure to clean your filters at least every two weeks to get rid of trapped debris and fish waste that can add to bacterial blooms. You may need to clean them more frequently if they are slightly underpowered.

To create a stunning saltwater aquarium grab a copy of our Saltwater Aquarium Guide. This illustrated guide will show you step by step how to properly set up your aquarium. It's crammed with tips and secrets that the pros use to create stunning saltwater displays! Learn more at http://www.saltwatermethods.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darin_Sewell

How to Take Care of a Saltwater Aquarium and Have Healthy Saltwater Fish

If you are wondering how to take care of a saltwater aquarium its really pretty easy. Although there are a few things you need to keep an eye on in order to have a stunning marine aquarium and healthy saltwater fish.

Change The Water- Saltwater fish tanks need frequent water changes in order to keep harmful compounds to a minimum. It is recommended that you change at least 25% of the water on a monthly basis. This does not all have to be done at once and is better if you split it up into two or three water changes over the course of a month.

Salt Levels- Saltwater fish tanks will evaporate water just like a freshwater tank. The only downside is that in a saltwater tank the salt levels rise as freshwater evaporates out. You must make sure to replace any evaporated water every few days to keep your salinity levels constant and within range or your fish can get stressed out and sick.

Nitrate Levels- High nitrate levels in a saltwater fish tank can cause a lot of problems that will make keeping your tank much harder. These problems include sick fish and problem algae growth. By testing your water weekly you will be able to pick up on any increases in nitrates and take evasive measures before it becomes a problem.

Temperature- Saltwater fish are very sensitive to changes in their environment and the biggest change that can cause them to get sick is temperature swings. You will need to check the tanks temperature daily to make sure it is not to hot or cold. This is very important during summer and winter. If the temperature gets to hot the oxygen levels will drop and the fish can die. To cold and the fish will not be able to survive and will perish quickly in cold water.

To create a stunning and easy-to-maintain saltwater aquarium grab a copy of our Saltwater Aquarium Guide. This illustrated guide will show you step by step how to properly set up your aquarium. It's crammed with tips and secrets that the pros use to create stunning displays! Learn more at http://www.saltwatermethods.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darin_Sewell

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Saltwater Aquarium Algae -The Main Causes of Marine Aquarium Algae and How to Avoid Them


The biggest problem that any saltwater fish tank keeper faces is aquarium algae growth. Algae can turn a beautiful tank into an eye sore and be a source of frustration for the owner. Fortunately stopping algae in a saltwater aquarium is easy to do and most times it can be traced to the easily preventable actions that you are doing.

How To Avoid Algae In Your Marine Aquarium

Proper Fish Stocking Levels- Overstocking saltwater aquariums is probably the biggest reason for aquarium algae growth in marine aquariums. Not only will to many fish add excessive waste to the tank increasing the nitrates that algae thrives on,they will also drive the oxygen levels down to the point where algae will begin to grow.

To make sure your tank is not over stocked start with a small fish per ten gallons of tank volume and slowly move up from there. After each fish addition monitor nitrate and phosphate levels and if they are starting to rise then you have reached your fish limit.

Use Pure Water- Many saltwater fish tank owners use tap water for there tanks. This is almost always a recipe for excessive algae growth. This is because most local water companies add phosphates to the water in order to prevent rusting pipes. This phosphate will fuel algae blooms like crazy. To get around this problem purchase a good revere osmosis water system that will give you 99% pure water.

Only Add What You Can Test For- There is a wide variety of saltwater aquarium additives and supplements on the market that promise alot of amazing things. Some are good some are bad and some are down right nasty and can fuel aquarium algae growth as fast as nitrates or phosphates. As a rule of thumb if you cannot test for it do not add it to your tank, no matter what the bottle says.

To create a stunning algae free saltwater aquarium grab a copy of our Saltwater Aquarium Guide. This illustrated guide will show you step by step how to properly set up your aquarium. It's crammed with tips and secrets that the pros use to create stunning aquariums! Learn more at http://www.saltwatermethods.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darin_Sewell

Tips to Lower Nitrates in Saltwater Aquarium and Have Healthy Saltwater Fish in an Algae Free Tank

Having lower nitrates in a saltwater aquarium is critical to having healthy colorful saltwater fish and also for keeping nuisance aquarium algae to a minimum. High nitrates in your tank can usually be traced to a few key factors which are discussed below.

How to Lower Nitrates In a Saltwater Aquarium
Feed Carefully- Feeding your saltwater fish is something that has to be done but simply throwing some food in the tank is not the proper way to do it and can lead to higher nitrates if uneaten food gets trapped in filters or blown into areas were it will be left to rot.

instead you should shut off all filters and pumps and add small amounts making sure the fish consume it all. Do this for a few minutes or until your saltwater fishes bellies appear round and full.

Have The Proper Fish Load- Overstocking your salt water fish tank is a guaranteed way to have high nitrates and the problems that come with them. This is a common problem especially among new salt water fish tank owners.

To avoid overstocking make sure that you start out with one smaller fish per ten gallons of tank water volume. Slowly add fish a few weeks apart and make sure to test your nitrates during those few weeks. When you find your nitrates have started to rise after a new fish addition you cannot add anymore and are at the stocking limit of your tank.

Increase Tank Maintenance- Make sure to change your saltwater frequently and vacuum the gravel to remove any settled debris. Also make it a habit to change your filter pads every one to two weeks to remove the fish waste and uneaten food that will start to decay and add nitrates. By increasing the frequency that you clean your aquarium filters and change your tanks water you will be removing the things that cause high nitrates.

To create a stunning and easy-to-maintain saltwater aquarium grab a copy of our Saltwater Aquarium Guide. This illustrated guide will show you step by step how to properly set up your aquarium. It's crammed with tips and secrets that the pros use to create stunning displays! Learn more at http://www.saltwatermethods.com/
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