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Freshwater and Saltwater Aquariums
Adapted from Jenessa Gjeltema and Mr. Krutz
Choose Your Aquarium Type
C o ld w a te r
A g g ress ive C o m m u n ity
T ro p ica l
F re sh w a te r
R e e f T a nk F ish O n ly
S a ltw a te r B ra ck ish
A q u ariu m s
The specific aquarium setup will depend upon the requirements of the species you choose.
Choose Your Aquarium Type
Choose Your Aquarium Type
Factors to Consider• Biotic (Living)• Type of Fish,
newt, turtle etc.• Beneficial
Bacteria• Live Plants• Harmful
microorganisms and multicellular organisms
• Abiotic (Nonliving)
• Substrate (gravel, crushed coral)
• Plastic Plants• Decorative rocks,
caves, or toys• Equipment (filters,
lights, heaters, etc.)• Wastes
(EX.Ammonia)
Setting up your new AquariumFreshwater Basics
• Choose the largest aquarium• Choose gravel : just a ¼” for the
bottom (Undergravel filters need about 2”). A thick gravel bed will cause ammonia problems.
• Fill with water: tap water, well water or any other you still need to use a dechlorinator such as Prime or Stress Coat. Any water changes a dechlorinator must be used.
• Set up your filter and get it running.• Set your heater to the desired
temperature and place your heater in but don’t plug it in for 30 minutes
• Add some good bacteria to help age the tank such as Bio Spira or Cycle
• Let tank run for 1 to 2 days and add in 2 or 3 starter fish.
• See how these do for a week and slowly add a couple more.
1/2 -1 pound of gravel per gallon of aquarium with outside or canister filter. These are two excellent
dechlorinators.
Make certain you have all the filter media you need to get it
running!
Let heater stay unplugged to 30 minutes anytime it has been
removed from water and placed back in.
Bio Spira and Cycle will help introduce new beneficial bacteria to a new tank. If no bacteria is used the new tank may become cloudy a few days after set up.
A new aquarium needs patience and time to establish itself. A new freshwater tank takes 45-60 days before it cycles through. A saltwater tank can tank up to 8 weeks.
Step 1 – Select Organism
• Select the Organism(s) Determine its needs
• It could should be a freshwater community fish (or aggressive if you can set up an aggressive tank with another student
• Number of organisms 1inch fish/gallon
Starter (Hardy) Fish: Freshwater
Platy: Livebearers: little salt
This salt is good for most freshwater fish
Dwarf Gourami
Zebra Danios
Dalmatian Molly
All these fish should be fed a variety of foods.
Flake foods and frozen.
Coldwater \ Goldfish• Coldwater ornamental fish requiring a little cooler environment if possible between 70-76 degrees. These include all kinds of goldfish. Goldfish are messier than other fish and require more filtration and cleaning.
• Feeds on goldfish specific food
• Following are some examples:
Basic Needs
• Appropriate enclosure/housing
• Nutrition• Hygiene• Enrichment
Step 2 - Equipment• Determine what equipment is needed
– Size and shape of tank– Heater or Heat Lamp– Lighting – Filtration System– Stand– Substrate (gravel, crushed coral, sand,
dolomite)– Plants, Rocks, Shells etc.
Enclosure Components: Tank
Step 3 – Cleaning the Tank
• WASH THE TANK WITH FRESHWATER AND SALT
– Note: NEVER USE DETERGENT, SOAP OR CHLORINE BLEACH – THEY ARE DEADLY
Step 4 – Tank Placement
• Select a location away from windows, radiators, and air conditioners.
• It should be placed in a manner that all equipment should be available for maintenance, cleaning and care of fish
Step 5 – Tank Placement
• Place tank on a steady surface that can support the weight. Fresh water ways approximately 8 lbs a gallon, saltwater ways more. FOR EXAMPLE A 10 GALLON WEIGHS OVER 80 LBS.
• The stand or support surface should be water resistant
Step 6 – Check for Leaks
• Place cardboard underneath tank to cushion it and make it easy to slide
• Half fill tank with water, wait 24 hours and observe for leaks
Step 7 – Check for Leaks
• Fill to within 1 inch of top, wait 24 hours and observe for leaks
Step 8 - Salt
• In a marine tank add marine salt to the water until a density between – 1.017g/ml to 1.020g/ml is reached– Use a hydrometer to measure
density
In a fresh water tank add one tablespoon of non iodized salt to prevent fungal infections
Step 9- Substrate
• Add substrate to a depth of 1 inchFreshwater tanks
gravelsand
Marinecrushed coraldolomitemarine sand or living sand
Step 10 - Filtration
• Install a filtration system.• To maintain optimal fish health, 3
types of filtration are necessary.– Physical
– Biological
– Chemical
Filtration SystemsFiltration:
Physical Biological Chemical
Types: Wool, sponge Ceramics, sponges, rocks(SURFACE AREA!!)
Charcoal, zeolite
Purpose: Remove large particulate waste
Removes fish waste products
Removes odors, discoloration, toxins, and some waste products
Filtration Systems
Considerations• Tank size• Stocking
capacity• Water flow• Breeding• Aeration
Filtration Systems
Filtration Systems
Step 11 - Heating
• Most fish can only survive within an environment with narrow range of temperature change, usually between 72 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
• To maintain optimal temperature, install a submersible heater
Step 11 - Heating
• You need 5 watts per gallon• 10 gallon – 50 watts• 12 gallon – 75 watts• 20 gallon – 100 watts• 25 gallon – 150 watts• 30 gallon – 150 watts• 55 gallon – 300 watts
Step 11
• To install heater safely:• Place unplugged in heater at
bottom of tank horizontally for 15 minutes
• Then set temperature and plug in heater
• Wait 24 hours then measure temperature and adjust heater
Enclosure Components: Temperature Regulation
How?• Heaters• Chillers• Fans• Ventilation
Step 12 - Decorations
• Organisms need to be in an environment as similar to their natural environment as possible. To accomplish this we put rocks, live plants, caves, shells plastic plants, plastic pipes etc.
Step 12 - Decorations• Adding live plants provides food,
0xygen, a place to hide and lay eggs• Plastic plants provide a place to hide
and lay eggs• Rocks, caves, coral, and tubes
provide a place to hide• Note: shells, coral and calcareous
rocks can only be used in High pH aquariums, mostly marine
Enclosure Components: Environmental Enrichment
Why?• Evasion• Breeding• Quality of
life• Express
Personality
Enclosure Components: Environmental Enrichment
Types:• Wood• Rocks• Substrate• Plants
Enclosure Components: Plants
Why?• Oxygenatio
n• Waste
removal• Protection
Step 13 Cover and lighting
• A cover is needed to:– Prevent fish from jumping out of the
tank– Slow evaporation– Keep dust out of the tank
Enclosure Components: Lid/Condenser
Why?• Keeps fish from
jumping out• Prevents
evaporation• Protects lights
Step 13 - Lighting
• Only reef tanks and tanks with live plants need daily lighting
• Reef tanks need actinic (bluish light) for live coral and anemones and full spectrum white light for plants and algae
• Tanks with live plants need 12 hours a day of full spectrum white light.
Enclosure Components: Lighting
Why?• Plant Growth• Coral Growth• Visualizing the
Fish• Fish health
Enclosure Components: Lighting
Considerations:FixturesWavelengthLight IntensityReflectorsPhotoperiod (12 hours)
Step 14 - Selecting Fish
• Fish should:– Be active– Have regular breathing pattern– Have clear eyes– Have no torn fins or sores– No fuzzy stuff on body or fins
Step 15 – Catching Fish
• Fish should preferably be caught slowly using a container
• A net removes the protective slime coat and irritates skin
• Try not to stress fish, it suppresses immune system
Step 16 – Acclimating fish
• To minimize stress and protect fish– Float bag in new tank for 15 minutes
adding small amounts of water to the bag to make the temperatures similar
– After fifteen minutes turn open bag sideways and let fish swim out of bag
– Observe behavior– May have to rearrange tank so all fish
establish new territories
Step 18 - Care of FishFeeding• Determine best diet for organism• Feed small amount – only as much
food as fish can eat in 3 minutes then remove excess
Step 18 – Care of Fish Observe and record behavior• Need to establish baseline for
comparison– Observe fish for 20 minutes or more for
several days– Determine its favorite spot in the tank– Draw a diagram of its body and fins
noting markings and coloration– Observe its behavior toward tank mates
and their behavior towards it and record
Step 18 – Care of FishObserve and Record Behavior• Observe its gill movements – count
and record for 1 minute• Observe its eating pattern and how
it eats record in log
Step 19 Care of FishWater Chemistry• Test and Record
– pH– Ammonia level– Nitrite level
– Maintain ideal levels for optimal health
Water Composition: Water Testing
Water Composition: Testing
Fresh Water:• pH• Ammonia• Nitrite• Nitrate
Salt Water:• Salinity
Other:• Phosphate• Calcium• Strontium
Step 20 – Care of FishMaintenance• In order to prevent disease, regular
maintenance is critical• The single most important
maintenance procedure is a water change– Clean gravel at least once a month– Change 20% a month to remove harmful
wastes and replace trace elements– Clean filter pad every month, replace
every 3 months
Water Quality: Nitrogen Cycle
badmanstropicalfish.com (originally from www.hagen.com)
Water Quality: Nitrogen Cycle
www.cichlid-forum.com
Water Quality: Cycling A New Tank
Purpose: grow bacteria for nitrogen cycle• Takes 4-6 weeks
Tips:• “Seed” the tank• Monitor values closely• Avoid water changes• Can achieve without fish
Water Changes
Why?• Dilutes waste
products• Corrects pH
imbalances• Can reduce algae
growth
Performing Water Changes
• Regular water changes• 2% every 2 days• 4% every week• 20% a month
Adding Fish: Acclimation
• Temperature• Water composition• Environmental factors
How:• 15-30 min. for temperature• 15 minutes for water
composition
NutritionDry:FlakesPelletsSticksFloatingSinkingWafersSeawee
d
Live/Frozen:Blood WormsDaphniaBrine ShrimpFeeder fishPlants
Nutrition
• Know your fish• Observe mouth• Use dry food as
staple• Supplement with
fresh/frozen foods• Do not overfeed
Picture from Jeremy Gay’s The Perfect Aquarium
Maintenance
Daily:FeedMonitorLighting
Weekly:Replace evaporationWater testingClean algaeEmpty protein
skimmer
Maintenance
Monthly:Charcoal
replacementPlant maintenanceElectrical Inspection
6 mos. To Yearly:Change light bulbs
Common Questions• Why is my tank
cloudy?Answer: The aquarium
is going thru a cycling process known as the Nitrogen Cycle. This occurs in new tanks and tanks that have recently had major water changes.
Solution: Adding Bio Spira or Cycle will help. Do not overfeed or overpopulate a new tank.
More Common Questions:• Why is my tank water green?• Answer: Tank is getting too much or the wrong
kind of light. Customer should make certain the tank is getting no sunlight. Also make sure the bulbs are correct for fish tanks. Any bulb older than 18 months probably needs replacing.
• Answer: Partial water change is needed and replace old filter media (charcoal).
• What are the white or salt like spots on my fish?
Answer: This is most likely a disease known as ick. Fast temperature change or stressful environment can bring this on.
Solution: Ick medicine and making sure your tank water is good. Make certain heater is working and keeping the temperature stable.
Ickey Fish
More Questions:• My fish has big white
patches on it’s body and fins, why?
Answer: Commom on fish with injuries or poor water quality. Other fish picking on them is also a cause.
Solution: Several products treat this: Fungus Cure,
Mar Oxy or Triple Sulfa
Question:
• I have been treating with medicine but my fish don’t seem to be getting any better, why?
Answer: Medicines take several treatments and fish heal slowly. Also, make certain there is no charcoal (carbon filters). These will absorb the medication.
ReferencesAxelrod, Herbert. Handbook of Tropical Aquarium Fishes. Neptune
City: TFH Publications. 1983.
Borneman, Eric. Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History. Neptune City: T.H.F. Publications. 2001.
Fenner, Robert M. The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. Neptune city: T.F.H Publications. 2001.
Gay, Jeremy. The Perfect Aquarium: The Complete Guide to Setting Up and Maintaining an Aquarium. New York: Reader’s Digest. 2005.
Hawkins, A.D. Aquarium Systems. London: Academic Press. 1981
ReferencesHemdal, Jay F. Aquarium Fish Breeding. New York: Barron’s.
2003.
Hiscock, Peter. Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants. New York: Barron’s. 2003
Sandford, Gina. The Tropical Aquarium. New York: Barron’s. 2004.
Stoskopf, Michael. Fish Medicine. Philadelphia: W.B. Sauders Co. 1993.
Tullock, John. Water Chemistry for the Marine Aquarium. New York: Barron’s. 2002.