Want to WIN a $100.00 LiveAquaria.com Gift Certificate? Comment on this post!
Helping aquarium hobbyists learn more about how to care for their aquarium and how to expand their knowledge has always been one of the most important things we do here at Foster and Smith. We write countless articles, and are always striving to help everybody from beginner to advanced aquarist.
But now it’s your turn! A few weeks ago we asked our Facebook Fans (Not a fan? Check out our Facebook page here) what was the one item they couldn’t live without for their aquarium – not including water! We got such a wonderful response, we wanted to see if there was more advice out there from hobbyists like yourself.
| All you need to do is comment on this blog post with your best piece of advice – and the best part is: you’ll be entered to WIN That’s right – just by sharing your advice with us and others who read the blog, you’ll have the chance to win! (Sorry, this giveaway is closed.) |
To get you started, here are few samples from the experts around here:
From Kevin Kohen: When performing a water change, unplug your heater. During the exchange it’s not uncommon for the heater to be partially out of the water and the ambient air temperature can cause the heater to turn on. When the aquarium is filled back up, the heater can explode. Don’t forget to plug it back in when finished.
From Monica S.: Place your aquarium in an appropriate area. One where you will get to enjoy it the most. Do NOT place it in high traffic areas, near windows/doors that may give off a draft, or in front of a window (which may cause excess algae growth).
From Kelvin F.: A GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlet/power strip is the best investment you can make to protect expensive electrical aquarium equipment.
Also: Plan ahead. Avoid the ” Up against the wall” approach to aquarium furniture set up. Situate your stand etc so there’s enough room behind your aquarium for easy maintenance or upgrades.
Details: For a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to LiveAquaria.com or DrsFosterSmith.com, leave a comment in this post sharing your best tip for aquarium care. What’s that one item you can’t do without, or that little bit of advice that saved the day? To be eligible, post your comment by noon CST on 02/24/09. We will pick one lucky winner.*
*No purchase is necessary to participate in this giveaway. You should be a legal resident of the United States and 18 years or older. Void where prohibited. For use on LiveAquaria.com or DrsFosterSmith.com website only. To see who won, go to http://www.dfs-pet-blog.com/2010/02/best-aquarium-tip. Sponsor: Foster & Smith, Inc., P.O. Box 100, Rhinelander, WI 54501-0100.
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{ 177 comments… read them below or add one }
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I could not live with out my fish. With no fish it’s pretty much pointless even having an aquarium. Live rock is also really important. I hope I win I have 3 tanks that need inhabitants.
Aside from the aquarium, water, and fish; I would have to say that the two azoo palm oxygen biofilters have been a life saver and money saver. My aquariums never sparkled like this before installing the two of them last spring. And the ammonia and nitrate levels are at their lowest.
1. Use a log book. It’s hard to remember when you added fish, changed the light bulbs, etc.
2. Keep your bioload below the max that is suggested. This alone will reduce your run-ins with disease and algae problems. It also makes things more forgivable when you occasionally slack on maintenance.
3. It’s better to set up a smaller tank with top notch equipment, than to set up the largest tank you can with mediocre equipment.
4. Always strive to aquascape with live decorations. Whether it is freshwater live plants or a marine tank with live rock and coral. Tanks with live decorations are always more stable and more enjoyable. Which leads me to..
5. Don’t skimp on lights. A good lighting system will support coral, algae, plants, etc. And that, in turn, supports a more balanced system.
Never use sand or rubble in your tank =] this coming from experience.
Plan ahead. Very ahead. When landscaping make sure rocks, wood and any other decoration is firmly situated and/or glued well. This will help keep a mess from happening when that new pleco or group of snails decide they want to bulldoze through the substrate and knocking rocks against glass cracking it. For glass tanks your putting rocks in, glue the rocks to pieces of acrylic glass then place those acrylic on the bottom of the glass tank as rocks can stress the glass and the acrylic is a good barrier between the rocks and bottom in case of very eager diggers knocking stuff around.
My best aquarium tip is to have fun! …and nothing good happens fast in an aquarium always have some water ready for a quick water change. I love LiveAquaria
Make sure to make weekly fifty percent water changes. Remember. Freshwater fish love fresh water.
My best tip is investing in a Python water/gravel clean and fill syphon hose. There are no more wet floors or filling and carrying buckets or syphoning fish water in your mouth to get the hose started! Just connect it to any faucet and drain or fill and clean. It makes the gravel perfectly clean, wait till you see the garbage it pulls out! I also am a fan of using appliance timers or a power strip with timer built in for the lights. The animals adjust to the natural light timing I have set, and I don’t have to worry with the lights anymore!
Save your baby fish from being sucked up into your filter by useing the toe end of a panyhose cut off and secured above the water line with a rubber band. The hose allows water to still go through the filter but not your young fry….great for raiseing live bearers and bettas!
Live rock …. Saltwater tanks especially my reef tank would be nothing without live rock.
Always remember to keep up with your water changes. When you start letting your water changes slip, you start to get into a bad habit, and the next thing you know you have algae everywhere.
Carbon….In my mind…there is nothing better to use as a filter media than carbon….
Mike
Checking your water conditions at least once a week is a good habbit to get into
An aquarium tip?…. Humm… There is so many lol
My best one for today is to use lemon juce to kill evil Aiptasia in reef aquarium!
Glad to see you now have a blog!
Water changes and being PATEINT!!! I’ve seen too many tanks go to waste because the owner was too eager to add livestock immediately without letting the tank cycle.
Awesome Blog!
Make sure there is no debris under you magnetic glass/acrylic cleaner. Not a fun lesson to learn!!
Keep a steady water change schedule, and always use a good water conditioner with your water changes. Prime is my favorite. If you can mix it before you add it to the tank it’s even better.
Spend your money on good test equipment first. Only bad things happen fast.
The best words of advise I can think of right now is….. Read Read and Read some more about any type of fish that you are considering for your tank. I think people lose fish to many times due to lack of knowledge which could be prevented if they would of just learned about that fish before buying it. With the internet there is no reason to not have all the info you need before deciding the right fish for your tank. Goodluck to all with your tanks and Thanks again Foster and Smith for such a great company to order from.
Keep your aquarium in a room where you, family, and guests will see it frequently. This will encourage you to keep it looking nice and help you maintain it. It’s also a great conversation piece and will provide a constant source of interest and wonder.
The best way to save money in this hobby is to purchase top of the line equipment from the beginning. As you progress in the hobby, you will end up like everyone continually purchasing better and better equipment and in the end spending a lot more money than you would have spent if you had just purchased the best equipment in the beginning
If you are thinking about doing a planted tank study the work of Takashi Amano.
Check your water before medicating your fish, better to find the source of the problem then to just medicate on top of it.
My best advice is to have patience! Rome wasn’t built overnight, and your reef won’t be either.
When planning a system, account for yourself getting lazier with it over time. If something requires you to check it or deal with it every day, as it loses it’s human nature to be less interested in dealing with things once they lose their newness. So plan on decreasing the amount of work you have to do, and increasing automation. It’ll keep you happy and keep your tank stable.
The corollary to that is when you start doing something new to your tank, you don’t have to automate everything right away.
Patience and Research is the true key to success. There is NO substitute.
Using salt in a freshwater aquarium in my mind is one of the best known tricks. It keeps the fish real healthy. I use a tablespoon of aquarium salt (not salt for saltwater tanks) in each 5 gallons of water change water. I’ve never had a problem with ich or any animal ever dying because of stress. Some have said this can negatively affect plants, but my tank is fully live planted and growing like crazy.
- Don’t forget drip loops for electrical cords.
- Keep extra water prepared and on hand. More than you think you need.
- Don’t believe everything you read or hear in this hobby.
You Can Never Have To Much Filtration! The More The Merrier! It Takes Your Aquarium Maintenance A Lot Easier In The Long Run…
The one thing I can’t live without for my aquarium….HAND TOWELS. Nothing worse than dripping water all over. Toothbrush is handy for algea scraping in tight spots.
Best advice…take your time and make a plan, going too fast and adding whatever catches your fancy usually ends badly. Do your research and do it right the first time.
Label!!!!
This is one of those things that can save you. How many times have you had to trace a cable or hose. I label everything, each item recieves a label with large names, ( heater left side, In or out) this has saved me when I suddenly remembered the heater was left on during water changes.
Or the day my pump started screaming. We usually hide these items and the become a tangled mess.
This also goes for my containers, keeping items from being mixed from tank to tank. Or using a container to drain aquarium water into for my houseplants. Keeping aged water for topping off. All of this can become a mess of clutter and confusion without good labeling.
In some instances labeling could mean the difference between death and injury for you or your fish.
I used to always wonder why do a CLEAN tank need bacteria lol. Well when I was younger I learned the difference. Beneficial bacteria are the best way to keep water clear, and also the best way to provide a natural habitat for your fish. They are an essential part of the ecosystem, and thus should not be ignored. With the right amount of beneficial bacteria, the ecosystem will thrive and the aquarium will not require a great deal of maintenance. Beneficial bacteria do quite a bit once released inside of an aquarium. First, they degrade organic matter. This is essential in order to provide a balanced ecosystem for fish. When organic matter is not properly degraded, it can create a cesspool inside of an aquarium. Beneficial bacteria also deodorize and clarify the water. Because of this, fish are able to thrive, and also, people are able to enjoy the benefits of a clear aquarium. When someone has a clear aquarium, they can enjoy the beauty of the fish and make the aquarium a focal point in their home. And always shop at LiveAquaria.com
the best things I learned was never to add anything to your tank that you can’t or don’t test for, if you don’t test for it, don’t add it. adding things without testing first can cause more harm than good as you could be overdosing. also take your time in this hobby, nothing good happens fast.
The best advice I can give anyone, besides reading til your eyes hurt, is…..Get as MANY opinions about anything as you can. No two tanks are EVER the same. What may work in person A’s tank, may not work in Person B’s tank and so on. You have to get the best overall idea, and find what works for you.
Besides that, as others have stated, equipment quality means a lot. “Just getting bye” does not cut it in most situations.
The best and most helpful thing I have learned is that if you have a question or would like to know more about something such as coral and different species is talk to an expert. I have talked to several at Dr Foster and smith and they have helped me out with my corals my tanks look amazing.
Add livestock slowly,space out your livestock purchases as to not overload your system.
To make regular freshwater changes easier and quicker, get a python. You can’t be it for convenience.
As to the comment re: start with a small tank with top quality equipment, I’ll offer another viewpoint. Conventional wisdom suggest that water chemistry is much easier to maintain in a larger aquarium as slight condition changes won’t throw off your chemistry as much. So, I’d disagree and suggest starting with no less than a 29 gal even if you need less fancy equipment, then upgrade your equipment as time and budget allow. You can always sell your used equipment on craigslist or through various other local and Internet outlets.
The best advice I can give is that if you have a good fish supplier stick with them.I have wondered to a couple other stores whom I wont name ( but are a chain) lol ! And had a bad case of ick. I have never had any trouble with my normal supplier and will never venture again.If they dont have what you want they can usually order it for you.Have Fun :0)
For those with children or who have small kids visit, lock up you chemicals and access to the sump. A simple child safety device works well. Kids think they can help clean with soap or bleach in the water.
do not go to walmart to get you fish the discount is not worth the hassle
The best advice I can give is to be patient and DON”T IMPULSE BUY!!!!!!! It’s hard to get a fish you don’t like out of a fully stocked reef tank.
My best advice –
(like others) keep a log and document and share your experiences, it is the best way to learn from your successes and failures.
1. Try to find someone who can answer any questions you might have. If that’s not possible, find a forum dedicated to whatever your tank interest is.
2. Research, research, research. 90% of what you don’t know can be answered in just a few clicks of your mouse.
3. Realize your limits. Know what type of tank you can afford and be able to maintain. Don’t just go out and buy something because you can afford it at the moment.
4. Learn from your mistakes. If something isn’t working, try something else till you find what does work for you.
5. Remember that your tank inhabitant’s lives are in your hands. What you do to them affects their lives, so don’t do something that could risk that.
6. Have patience. Somethings take time and you must realize that. Nothing you can do can really speed that up.
7. Have fun, this is a hobby after all.
Best advice for any type of aquarium: Don’t over-clean the substrate. Your beneficial bacteria that help to dissolve organic waste are down there, and when you clean out too much of it, you can cause your tank to cycle again.
Using a powerhead to mix your new water will save you from back pain. Also when possible use gravity to feed your ato. Last time I checked physics never had a blackout or power failure.
Buy Quick Filters to use on your AquaClear powerheads. They prevent fish, snails, crabs, shrimp, and other critters from being sucked up by the powerhead. They also help keep your water super clear.
My best tip is to do preventive maintainamce rather than reactionary. Check for saltcreep, high humidity, upstructed plumbing, stray voltage and other issues, and also keep a backup. The worst thing that can happen is that we wait for a preventable issue to arise and try to repair it undure duress.
This would be such a wonderful surprise for my husband!
Invest in a good filtration system. It’s worth it in the end.
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