| AQUARIUM: | | | | much more toxic NH3 and the aerobic bacteria |
| Start with as large an aquarium as you can | | | | needed for nitrite consumption will be sparse. |
| afford. There is a very BASIC priciple (this only | | | | For more about th nitrogen cycling, see this article: |
| applies to beginners), that is to have 1-2 inches of | | | | AQUARIUM NITROGEN CYCLE |
| NARROW bodied fish per FILTERED aquarium | | | | LIVE PLANTS: |
| gallon. Goldfish are dirty and fatter, so I would | | | | Live plants are desirable in my opinion, but many |
| triple this with them (3"). This also only applies to | | | | artificial plants can look quite realistic when |
| a standard rectangular aquarium. | | | | properly arranged or used in conjunction with live |
| Obviously longer fish need more tank width and | | | | plants. For a beginner live plants are more difficult, |
| length. I would decrease the amount of fish | | | | but not a lot. |
| proportional to the gallons in a tall aquarium or | | | | The benefits of live plants are they are great at |
| hexagon aquarium. | | | | nitrate removal and keep a natural balance to the |
| Remember, many fish purchased can grow much | | | | aquarium, removing CO2 and adding oxygen (only |
| larger than your original purchase size (ex: | | | | during daylight). Hornwort is an excellent plant for |
| goldfish), so keep this in mind too. | | | | nitrate removal (even ammonia removal), and is |
| FILTERS: | | | | relatively easy to grow. Banana plants (when |
| I always recommend two filters minimum per | | | | available) are also a very easy plant. |
| aquarium for redundancy and for improved | | | | Here is a list of "easy" beginner plants: |
| biological (denitrifying) filtration. For a small | | | | Compacta swords, hornwort, Red wendtii, spiral |
| aquarium, a combination of a hang on the back | | | | valis, dwarf subulata, Hygro, Java fern regular or |
| and a sponge filter. Or a sponge filter and an | | | | lace. |
| internal power filter. You want to make sure and | | | | Be careful with many fish that will "mow down" |
| rinse your sponge or cartridge out in used | | | | your plants such as: Silver Dollars, most African |
| aquarium water to maintain your beneficial | | | | cichlids, and even goldfish. |
| bacteria for bio filtration. | | | | For healthy plants I suggest a substrate of #00 |
| Other filters of note include canister, wet/dry, | | | | sand mixed with laterite about 3-5 cm deep with |
| under gravel, and fluidized bed. | | | | a layer of #3 gravel on top about 2 cm deep. |
| There are four types of filtration: | | | | This combination works well for plant roots, ease |
| Biological; the removal of nitrogenous waste | | | | of vacuuming the top layer ONLY (where plant |
| (ammonia, ECT), which is the most important | | | | roots are), and for better bio filtration. You can |
| type. | | | | substitute laterite with a sandy top soil (although |
| Mechanical; the removal of larger debris (organic | | | | usually not as good a source of iron), by preparing |
| and inorganic) before it can go through the | | | | the soil thus; Gather sandy top soil, add water |
| nitrogen cycle (organic) | | | | with a 10/1 bleach solution, mix for a couple of |
| Chemical; The removal of chemical contamination | | | | minutes, then rinse (with a de-chlorinator for first |
| via carbon, zeolite or many other products. This | | | | rinse) until the water runs relatively clear. The |
| becomes less important in a healthy, established | | | | sand that is left is what you mix with your plant |
| aquarium. | | | | roots. |
| Germacidal; The use of UVC or ozone to kill | | | | FEEDING: |
| disease pathogens and control the Redox | | | | I recommend feeding high quality fish and plant |
| potential. | | | | based foods. Quality ingredients include: spirulina, |
| HEATER: | | | | fish meal, FD Brine Shrimp, shrimp meal, Vitamin C |
| Most tropical fish do well at a temperature | | | | & E, lobster shell. |
| between 76 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. (Discus | | | | Fish cannot digest proteins from beef well, and |
| prefer warmer). | | | | fish get most their energy requirements from |
| Goldfish do not need a heater. | | | | fats. Some quality foods include: Omega, Spirulina |
| I recommend 25 watts for every 10 degrees of | | | | 20, Ocean Nutrition, Hikari, Sanyu. |
| ambient temperature you need to raise your | | | | Feed you fish two to three times per day what |
| aquarium temperature. EX: If your home is 68 | | | | they will consume in three minutes. |
| degrees and you have a 40 gallon aquarium, to | | | | Feeding foods high in poor quality proteins can |
| reach a temperature of 78 degrees you would | | | | increase your nitrate levels, as an essential |
| need a 100 watt heater. | | | | ingredient in protein is nitrogen, and if unusable by |
| BIO-CYCLING: | | | | the fish, it is excreted, entering into the nitrogen |
| Your aquarium will not be at peak biological | | | | cycle. |
| filtration for 6 weeks (or more). To start your | | | | CLEANING: |
| biological filtration, there are many cycling products | | | | You should try and have a schedule of changing |
| available, such "Cycle" by Hagen. My success with | | | | 20% (or more) of your water every week. I |
| these products is mixed at best, it is very difficult | | | | recommend using a gravel vacuum, you need not |
| for the aerobic bacteria that are needed for | | | | remove the fish while using a gravel vacuum. |
| cycling your aquarium to live in a sealed container | | | | Make sure the water you add back in is the same |
| kept at room temperature, as they die very | | | | temperature and ph, and has no chlorine or |
| quickly without oxygen. | | | | chloramines. |
| I prefer to add gravel and/or used filter sponge | | | | CHEMISTRY: |
| or cartridge from another aquarium. | | | | Keep your ammonia level at 0, your nitrite at 0, |
| This method of adding media is much faster (you | | | | your nitrates below 20-30, and your KH above 80 |
| still have to take it slow), and provides all the | | | | ppm. Ph depends very much on the fish you are |
| necessary bacteria, the only negative is adding | | | | keeping. Discus prefer under a ph below 7.0, while |
| disease pathogens to your aquarium, but I have | | | | Mbuna African cichlids prefer above 8.0 |
| rarely encountered this problem. | | | | A very general ph of 7.2 -7.5 works for many |
| We used this method for our Aquarium | | | | community fish. Crushed Coral and/or Wonder |
| Maintenance route for years and never lost a fish | | | | Shells can help maintain a high pH when you desire |
| to Ammonia or nitrite poisoning. | | | | an aquarium with a higher pH, KH, & GH, especially |
| Another method is fishless cycling where | | | | where tap or well water is very acidic (Wonder |
| un-scented ammonia is poured into the aquarium | | | | Shells are much faster at dissolving to the desired |
| (3-5 drops per gallon pure ammonia) so as to | | | | KH and add electrolytes crushed coral does not!). |
| bring your ammonia level to 4-5 ppm. Then it | | | | For a lower pH in aquariums where the tap water |
| takes about 3-8 weeks for the aquarium to cycle. | | | | used is very high (usually 7.8 or above), I have |
| Although this method is growing in popularity, I do | | | | used blends of RO (Reverse Osmosis) water and |
| not recommend it, not because it does not work | | | | tap water. The ratio varies with the tap water |
| (it does), but because human nature is to want to | | | | pH, KH, & GH and the water conditions I want to |
| add fish sooner than the 3-8 weeks it takes for | | | | achieve. With Discus it can be as high as 75% RO. |
| this method. | | | | Then to maintain these conditions I use peat in |
| The method of adding media is much faster (you | | | | my filters. Note that GH does not affect pH, and |
| still have to take it slow), and provides all the | | | | magnesium (a major ingredient of GH) is |
| necessary bacteria, the only negative is adding | | | | important to fish metabolism. Also note that |
| disease pathogens to your aquarium, but I have | | | | calcium which is the main factor in KH (which does |
| rarely encountered this problem. | | | | affect pH!) is also important for fish metabolism |
| Cycling is what is referred to as the Nitrogen | | | | and fish health and healing. With the above |
| cycle. Waste (nitrogenous) from the fish is broken | | | | method of using RO (or DI) water in a blend with |
| down first from ammonia (NH3, the most toxic) | | | | tap water and peat, I have still been able to |
| to nitrites (NO2, less toxic) to nitrates (NO3, least | | | | maintain a KH above 80 ppm (for proper calcium |
| toxic- but high amounts can stunt fish growth and | | | | absorption), sometimes with additives such |
| lower disease resistance). | | | | Wonder Shells or Calcium Polygluconate. |
| At a pH of 6.5, NH3 (ammonia) converts to NH4 | | | | CONCLUSION: |
| (ammonia) which is basically non-toxic to most fish | | | | This is only very general information, there is |
| (many ammonia removing chemicals to a similar | | | | much more in depth articles about each of these |
| ion change, as they do NOT actually remove | | | | subjects and more available. But these are sound |
| ammonia). If you have plants in your aquarium | | | | principles to follow, based on 27+ years of |
| they will directly consume the ammonia (especially | | | | aquarium maintenance experience. As new and |
| hornwort), thus rendering the NO2 (nitrite) part of | | | | better methods become available, I regularly |
| the nitrogen cycle null. The danger here is if your | | | | update my information to reflect this. |
| pH climbs above 6.5 the ammonia can change to | | | | |