Mar 15 2009
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Archive for the 'Equiptment' Category
Mar 15 2009
Quarantine Tank: Why You Need One and How to Set It Up
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Quarantine tanks should be used by all aquarium owners when introducing new fish to a tank but, unfortunately, less than 5% use them. Every time we bring a new inhabitant into our aquarium we run the risk of introducing disease and parasites. At the same time, new fish will be very stressed from transport and relocation and will be very susceptible to any diseases or parasites present in the new environment. A quarantine tank protects your existing investment while allowing new fish to regain optimum health before their final stressful transition. In our opinion, a quarantine tank is a vital piece of equipment that should be used by all aquarists. Continue Reading » |
Mar 15 2009
Filters: Compare and Choose the Right Canister Filter for Your Aquarium
Quiet, convenient canister filters are inconspicuously located under your aquarium (typically in the stand). Most canister filters are customizable, and can hold a large amount of media (mechanical, chemical, and biological) in varying combinations. Some examples are included in the table below. Because they are customizable, you have maximum flexibility in choosing the predominant type, and amount of media to achieve your desired end result.
- If your fish produce excessive amounts of waste, incorporate a large amount of mechanical media (filter pads of varying coarseness) to effectively remove waste from the water.
- If your fish require sparkling water with stable, consistent parameters, use larger amounts of chemical media (carbons and resins).
- If your fish consistently produce very high levels of ammonia, which require daily control, make biological media (such as ceramic rings and sponges) your predominant media. Continue Reading »
Mar 15 2009
Filter Functions and types: How to Choose the Right Kind of Aquarium Filtration
Choosing the correct filtration system for your aquarium is an important decision that will impact not only the type and quantity of livestock that you wish to keep, but also the amount of maintenance that the system will require. The filtration system is responsible for keeping the water clear and free of particulate matter (tiny fragments of plant material, leftover food, feces, waste products from the fish, etc.) and toxic compounds that are dangerous to the inhabitants. In this article, I will explain the strengths and weaknesses of the commonly available types of filtration, so you can make the right decision in choosing the filtration for your aquarium. Continue Reading »
Sep 22 2008
Pressurized C02 Injection Systems
Carbon Dioxide (C02) is a indispensible component for effective photosynthesis and plant growth. C02 is necessary when your lighting is above the standard 2.0 watts per gallon threshold. In lower lighting setups, supplementing C02 can only help plant growth and keep algae away.
Continue Reading »
Aug 20 2008
Test Kits
For a planted tank there are a few test kits that you really should have on hand. These are pH, kH, gH, nitrate, and phosphate. Don’t waste your money on iron test kits as they are very unreliable and not worth the money. Same goes for potassium test kits.
As far as what test kits work best. Well Lamotte are the best, but they run around $70 each. What I use is the Wardley’s mid-range pH test kit, the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals gH and kH, and the Red Sea nitrate and phosphate test kits. One of my Bit’s Of Wisdom is “Never test your test kit in your tank”. Now I’m going to tell you how to test your Nitrate test kit.
- Take 1000ml of water. Dissolve 6.5 grams of KNO3 in it.
- Take 1 gallon of water. Each ml of the above solution will add 1 ppm of NO3.
- Add 5 ml, test. Your test kit should show 5 ppm.
- Add 5 more ml, test. Your test kit should show 10 ppm
- Repeat through the range of your test kit.
Aug 10 2008
Planted Tank Lighting
Light energy is an essential ingredient to making a planted aquarium lush and green. It drives photosynthesis and the plant’s ability to consume nutrients from the water column. Without adequate light, plants won’t be able to grow properly.Planted aquariums require eight to ten hours of light, on average, to allow plants to metabolize the energy and complete their photosynthesis cycle.
The general rule of thumb for aquatic plants is that each tank needs at least 2.0 watts per gallon (wpg) in tanks that are greater than 20 gallons. Smaller tanks will need a little more wattage. For the beginning planted aquarist, I recommend you start with a lower wattage, i.e. around 2.0 wpg for eight to ten hours. Once you begin to understand the nutrient balance and plant growth that’s the time where you can experiment with increasing lighting. However, most times staying within this photoperiod range is more then adequate for plant growth. Continue Reading »
May 24 2008
Eheim 2213. Flow rates, and DIY flow reducing mods for nano tanks.
Written by: lescarpentier The discontinuation of the Eheim 2211 in America created a void in the filter market that has yet to be filled.Owners of nano tanks who need or desire a canister filter must now resort to filters that are, at best, of questionable quality. A top quality canister filter is no longer readily available to the nano community. Continue Reading »
May 24 2008
Eheim 2213.Removing the media basket to increase media capacity.
written by: lescarpentier The 2213 is the only filter in the Classic line that is provided with a media basket. I found that the basket actually made the servicing of this filter more difficult than my much larger 2217. After I noticed snails between the basket and the outer canister I knew that at least some water was bypassing the filter media,so I made the decision to eliminate the basket.
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Lattice screens, part # 7273050, are available to make this conversion,however I found them a little difficult to find, and in limited supply. Another alternative is to purchase lattice screens for the 2215, part # 7274050, and remove the outer ring on the screen to produce a carbon copy of part # 7273050. Continue Reading »
May 24 2008
Eheim 2215 and 2217 facts and DIY performance mods.
Written by lescarpentier
Dispelling a myth.
Compelled by the many contradictions on flow rates and overall lack of information available, I purchased a new Eheim 2215 and a 2217 for testing purposes.My primary intention was to test for flow rates on new filters,with and without filter media,and to see if these filters would actually produce their advertised flow rates.I also conducted tests with and without the included spray bars.Upon close examination of the filters I noticed that the impeller assemblies were identical on both of the filters except for the 2217 having a 6 blade impeller,and the 2215 having 3 blades.I then decided to test the 2215 using the 2217 impeller to overdrive it and to consequently boost the flow rate.I likewise ran a test on the 2217 using the 2215 impeller to under drive it to reduce the flow rate.As I expected,I was able to boost the flow rate significantly on the 2215 using the 2217′s impeller assembly,and predictably got a corresponding reduction of the flow rate on the 2217 using the 2215′s impeller. Continue Reading »