Aquarium Home Care - Recent entries in lexikon

Dropsy

20.02.2010 16:39

Dropsy is not really a disease, it's an infection among fresh-water aquarium fish due to poor water condtion. The name is from an old name for Edema in humans.

New Tank Syndrome

20.02.2010 16:37

Aquarium cycling (or Nitrogen Cycling) is the process by which useful bacteria colonise in your aquarium. These bacteria live on aquarium waste and decompose the toxic component such as Ammonium to nitrate in a two step process (Ammonia -> Nitrite -> Nitrate). The effects of the cycling process are sometimes referred to as "New Tank Syndrome".

Aquarium Waste

20.02.2010 16:40

Anything organic that stays/is added to the aquarium and not consumed are call aquatic waste. Uneaten food, fish wastes (like pooh or urine), decaying plants, dead fish are the best example for aquarium waste. All type of aquarium wastes is very high in protein.

Nitrogen

20.02.2010 17:12

Nitrogen (N2) is part of every living tissue and comprises 78% of the atmosphere but free Nitrogen in the atmosphere is not the form that plants or animals can use.

Ammonia

20.02.2010 17:11

Ammonia (NH3): When an organism dies, nitrogen moves from plant or animal into the inorganic chemical ammonia by the process of bacterial decay or Nitrification. This decomposition of animal protein (called mineralization) produces large quantities of ammonia through the process of ammonification.

Nitrite

20.02.2010 17:10

Nitrite (NO2-): It’s an intermediate state in oxidation process between ammonia to nitrate. At this state the concentration in oxygenated water is typically less than 0.005 mg/l. Nitrite reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Anything more than 0.05 mg/l is dangerous to your fish. Some fishes are more sensitive to nitrite than others. Studies also show smaller fish are less sensitive to nitrite than bigger fish.

Nitrate

20.02.2010 17:10

Nitrate (NO3-) : Plants consumes nitrate and during photosynthesis converts them to nucleic acids and proteins or in other words acts as a fertilizer for plants. Nitrates are not highly toxic to fish but can affect the health of the fish if left on high concentration. Nitrate will contribute to loss of appetite and stress your fish, as well as contribute to algae growth, so it is important to do regular small water changes to keep your tank in best condition.

Aquarium (Nitrogen) Cycling

20.02.2010 16:51

Fin Rot

20.02.2010 16:59

Fin rot (tail rot or gill rot) is a common disease caused by bacterial infection in aquaria and aquaculture due to poor water condition.

Tail Rot

20.02.2010 16:59

Fin rot (tail rot or gill rot) is a common disease caused by bacterial infection in aquaria and aquaculture due to poor water condition.

Gill Rot

20.02.2010 16:58

Fin rot (tail rot or gill rot) is a common disease caused by bacterial infection in aquaria and aquaculture due to poor water condition.

Aeromonas

20.02.2010 17:02

Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas sobriais are gram-negative bacteria.

Pseudomonas

20.02.2010 17:05

It is a gram-negative bacteria. This bacteria is responsible for Fin/tail/gill rot disease. This bacteria is also responsible for “red leg” disease in amphibians.

Vibrio anguillarium

22.02.2010 13:43

Vibrio anguillarium bacteria is responsible for Fin/tail/gill rot disease. These bacteria attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing Ulcers in fish body. Most cases the fish will loose it appetite with red spots on the ventral and lateral areas. It can also cause cloudy eye, leading to pop eye and complete eye loss. These bacteria usually attack multiple fish together, grows very rapidly and in many cases the fish will die without showing symptoms.

Fungus

21.02.2010 09:24

A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. The Fungi are classified as a kingdom that is separate from plants, animals and bacteria.

Bacteria

21.02.2010 09:23

The bacteria are a large group of unicellular, prokaryote, microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals.

pH

21.02.2010 09:35

pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of a solution. According to the Carlsberg Foundation pH stands for "power of hydrogen".

Pure water has a pH around 7; the exact values depends on the temperature. When an acid is dissolved in water the pH will be less than 7 and when a base, or alkali is dissolved in water the pH will be greater than 7.

dGH

21.02.2010 09:49

Degrees of General Hardness (dGH): One degree of General Hardness is defined as 10 milligrams of calcium oxide per litre of water, which is the same as one German degree (17.848 ppm).

Because it is the precise mixture of minerals dissolved in the water, together with the water's pH and temperature, that determines the behaviour of the hardness, a single-number scale does not adequately describe hardness. Descriptions of hardness correspond roughly with ranges of mineral concentrations:

Very soft: 0-70 ppm, 0-4 dGH
Soft: 70-140 ppm, 4-8 dGH
Slightly hard: 140-210 ppm, 8-12 dGH
Moderately hard: 210-320 ppm, 12-18 dGH
Hard: 320-530 ppm, 18-30 dGH
Very hard >530 ppm, >30 dGH

It is possible to measure the level of total hardness in water by obtaining a total hardness water testing kit. These kits measure the level of calcium and magnesium in the water.

Hard Water

21.02.2010 12:51

Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with soft water). Hard water minerals primarily consist of calcium (Ca2+), and magnesium (Mg2+) metal cations, and sometimes other dissolved compounds such as bicarbonates and sulfates.

Calcium usually enters the water as either calcium carbonate (CaCO3), in the form of limestone and chalk, or calcium sulfate (CaSO4), in the form of other mineral deposits. The predominant source of magnesium is dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2). Hard water is generally not harmful to one's health.

Descriptions of hardness correspond roughly with ranges of mineral concentrations:

Very soft: 0-70 ppm, 0-4 dGH
Soft: 70-140 ppm, 4-8 dGH
Slightly hard: 140-210 ppm, 8-12 dGH
Moderately hard: 210-320 ppm, 12-18 dGH
Hard: 320-530 ppm, 18-30 dGH
Very hard >530 ppm, >30 dGH

Types of hard water:

Temporary hardness: Temporary hardness is caused by a combination of calcium ions and bicarbonate ions in the water. It can be removed by boiling the water or by the addition of lime (calcium hydroxide). Boiling promotes the formation of carbonate from the bicarbonate and precipitates calcium carbonate out of solution, leaving water that is softer upon cooling.

Permanent hardness: Permanent hardness is hardness (mineral content) that cannot be removed by boiling. It is usually caused by the presence in the water of calcium and magnesium sulfates and/or chlorides which become more soluble as the temperature rises. Despite the name, permanent hardness can be removed using a water softener or ion exchange column, where the calcium and magnesium ions are exchanged with the sodium ions in the column.

Hard water causes scaling, which is the left-over mineral deposits that are formed after the hard water had evaporated. This is also known as limescale. The scale can clog pipes, ruin water heaters, coat the insides of tea and coffee pots, and decrease the life of toilet flushing units.

Soft Water

21.02.2010 10:09

Soft water used to describe types of water that contain few or no calcium or magnesium metal. The term is usually related to hard water, which does contain significant amounts of these ions.

Soft water usually comes from peat or igneous rock sources, such as granite but may also derive from sandstone sources, since such sedimentary rocks are usually low in calcium and magnesium. Water softened by sodium ion exchange will have a higher sodium ion content than the natural water it was derived from.

Water treated through a reverse osmosis unit will be very "soft" because most of the salts are removed. Typically this water will need some hardness correction or blending with hard water before it can be used in normal reticulation systems. Adding Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) replaces magnesium ions. Soft water does not contain dissolved substances that produce scum and scale.

Descriptions of hardness correspond roughly with ranges of mineral concentrations:

Very soft: 0-70 ppm, 0-4 dGH
Soft: 70-140 ppm, 4-8 dGH
Slightly hard: 140-210 ppm, 8-12 dGH
Moderately hard: 210-320 ppm, 12-18 dGH
Hard: 320-530 ppm, 18-30 dGH
Very hard >530 ppm, >30 dGH

Chlorine

21.02.2010 12:49

Chlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. Chlorine is an important chemical for water purification (such as water treatment plants), in disinfectants, and in bleach. Chlorine is usually used (in the form of hypochlorous acid) to kill bacteria and other microbes in drinking water supplies and public swimming pools.

Chloramine

22.02.2010 13:28

Chloramine (monochloramine) is an inorganic compound with the formula NH2Cl. It is a colourless liquid at room temperature, but it is usually handled as a dilute solution where it is used as a disinfectant.

NH2Cl is commonly used in low concentrations as a secondary disinfectant in municipal water distribution systems as an alternative to free chlorine chlorination.

Many animals are sensitive to chloramine and it must be removed from water given to many animals in zoos. Aquarium owners remove the chloramine from their tap water because it is toxic to fish. Aging the water for a few days removes chlorine but not the more stable chloramine, which can be neutralised using products available at pet stores.

Aquarium filters

25.02.2010 03:05

Aquarium filters are critical components of both freshwater and marine aquaria. Aquarium filters remove physical and soluble chemical waste products from aquaria simplifying maintenance. Furthermore, aquarium filters are necessary to support life as aquaria are relatively small, closed volumes of water compared to the natural environment of most fish.

Types of aquarium filters:

External filters: 'Canister filters', Diatom filters, Trickle filters, Baffle filters

Internal filters
Airlift filters
Undergravel filters
Submersible pumps or Power filters
Marine-specific systems
Protein Skimmers

Canister filters

24.02.2010 12:58

Canister filters are external filters which offer a greater quantity of filter materials to be used along with a greater degree of flexibility with respect to filter material choice. Water enters the canister filled with the chosen filter material through an intake pipe at the bottom of the canister, passes through the material, and is pumped back to the aquarium through an electric pump on the top of the canister. Benefits of this type of filter are that they can provide a high volume of filter material without reducing the internal space in the aquarium, and that they can be disconnected from the tank for cleaning/maintenance and replaced without disturbing the aquarium interior or occupants. Disadvantages of canister filters include the increased cost and complexity relative to internal filters and difficulties in cleaning the tubes which transfer water to and from the aquarium. There's also the risk of a leak, which naturally is an issue for any filter placed outside of the aquarium.

Diatom filters

25.02.2010 02:15

Diatom filters are external filters, used only for sporadic cleaning of tanks, they are not continuously operated on aquariums.

External filters

24.02.2010 13:01

External filters remove water from the aquarium which is then pushed (or pulled) through a series of different levels filter media and returned to the aquarium. They are usually more effective and easier to maintain than internal filters.

Internal filters

24.02.2010 13:04

Internal filters are, by definition, filters within the confines of the aquarium. These include the sponge filter, variations on the corner filter foam cartridge filter and the undergravel filter. An internal filter may have an electric pump and thus be an internal power filter, often attached to the inside of aquaria via suction cups.

Trickle filters

24.02.2010 13:07

Trickle filters is also known as wet/dry filters are another type of external filters for marine and freshwater aquariums. This filter comes in two configurations, one which is placed on top of the aquarium (more rarely seen) and one which is placed below the aquarium (more common).

Baffle filters

24.02.2010 13:09

Baffle filters are another type of external filter similar to wet and dry, trickle filters in that they are generally situated below the aquarium. This type of filter consists of a series of baffles that the water must pass through in order to reach the pump which is returning water to the aquarium. These baffles then act much like a series of canister filters and can be filled with different filter media for different purposes.

Airlift filters

25.02.2010 02:09

Airlift filters are internal filters. Sponge filters and corner filters (sometimes called box filters) work by airlift, using bubbles from an air pump rising in a tube to create flow. In a sponge filter, the inlet may only be covered by a simple open-cell block of foam. A corner filter is slightly more complex. These filters are oftenplaced in the corner on the bottom of the aquarium. Water enters slits in the box, passes through a layer of medium, then exits through the airlift tube to return to the aquarium. These filters tend to only be suitable for small and lightly-stocked aquaria. The sponge filter is especially useful for rearing fry where the sponge prevents the small fish from entering the filter.

Undergravel filters

24.02.2010 13:18

Undergravel filters are internal filters. Undergravel filters consist of a porous plate which is placed beneath the gravel on the base of the aquarium and one, or more, uplift tubes. Historically, undergravel filters have been driven via air displacement. Air stones are placed at the base of uplift tubes which force water out of the uplift tube creating negative pressure beneath the undergravel filter plate. Water then percolates down through the gravel which itself is the filtration material.Greater flow rate of water through the gravel can be achieved via the use of water pump rather than air displacement.

Beneficial bacteria colonize the gravel bed and provide biological filtration, using the substrate of the aquarium itself as a biological filter.

Undergravel filters can be detrimental to the health of aquatic plants. Fine substrates such as sand or peat may clog an undergravel filter. Undergravel filters are not effective if the substrate bed is uneven. In an uneven gravel bed, water will flow only through the thin portions of the bed, leaving the more heavily covered areas to become anoxic. Because of this, animals that dig, such as cichlids, are best kept in an aquarium using some other type of filtration

Freshwater

25.02.2010 02:30

Freshwater or (the predominant nontechnical spelling) fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Freshwater is characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water.

The source of almost all freshwater is precipitation from the atmosphere, in the form of mist, rain and snow.

Seawater

25.02.2010 02:30

Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5%. This means that every kilogram, or every litre, of seawater has approximately 35 grams (1.2 oz) of dissolved salts

Brackish water

25.02.2010 02:50

Brackish water is water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing of seawater with fresh water, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers. Brackish water contains between 0.5 and 30 grams of salt per litre.

Groundwater

25.02.2010 02:49

Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of lithologic formations.

Surface water

25.02.2010 02:52

Surface water is water collecting on the ground or in a stream, river, lake, wetland, or ocean; it is related to water collecting as groundwater or atmospheric water.

Surface water is naturally replenished by precipitation and naturally lost through discharge to evaporation and sub-surface seepage into the groundwater.

Fish food

25.02.2010 11:21

Fish food is plant or animal material intended for consumption by pet fish kept in aquariums or ponds. Fish foods normally contain macro nutrients, trace elements and vitamins necessary to keep captive fish in good health. Approximately 80% of fishkeeping hobbyists feed their fish exclusively prepared foods that most commonly are produced in flake, pellet or tablet form. Pelleted forms, some of which sink rapidly, are often used for larger fish or bottom feeding species such as loaches or catfish.

Dry foods

25.02.2010 11:25

Flake food is a type of proprietary or artificially manufactured fish food consumed by a wide variety of tropical and saltwater fish and invertebrates. It is ideally suited to top dwellers and mid-water fish though numerous bottom dwelling species consume flake food once it has settled on the bottom. Flake food is baked to remove moisture and create the flaking, thus allowing for a longer shelf life. Generally the more moisture a particular example of fish food contains, the more readily it will deteriorate in quality.

Dry foods is also available as pellets, sticks, tablets, granules, and wafers, manufactured to float or sink, depending on the species they are designed to feed.

Vacation food

25.02.2010 11:26

Vacation food (food blocks) are designed to be placed inside the aquarium to forgo feeding while the owner is absent. These blocks release small amounts of food as they dissolve. Food blocks can be a good choice for smaller tropical fish, but can pollute the water.

Frozen food

25.02.2010 11:28

Freeze-dried and frozen fish foods were primarily developed for tropical and marine fish and are useful in providing variety to the diet or specialist feeding needs of some species. These include tubifex worms, mosquito larvae, bloodworms, water fleas (Daphnia and Cyclops spp.) along with brine shrimp (Artemia salina).

Live food

25.02.2010 11:29

Live fish food include earthworms, sludge worms, water fleas, bloodworms, and feeder fish. Food for larvae and young fish include infusoria (Protozoa and other microorganisms), newly hatched brine shrimp and microworms.These are the most preferred type of food for fishes,but are difficult to get. However, freeze dried forms of earthworms, tubifex etc. are available now.

Phosphate

13.03.2010 04:41

phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. Phosphate is a nutrient that fuels algae growth and inhibits calcification of corals, invertebrates, and coralline algae. Therefore, phosphate control is extremely important in minimizing algae growth and maximizing coral growth in reef aquariums – especially those containing hard corals.
To keep phosphate levels down in your aquarium, you must employ an efficient protein skimmer and perform water changes with water that has been purified by reverse osmosis. To further reduce phosphate levels and boost the calcification process within your aquarium, incorporate a chemical media specifically designed for phosphate removal.

Drip-loop

22.03.2010 09:54

Drip-loop is widely used to prevent the water getting intp electrical devices. It's simple - just allow the cord to hang down in a loop below the outlet, so the plug is above a section of the cord. Then if water from the tank happens to run down the cord, it will drip off the bottom of the loop instead of running into the outlet.

Substrate

17.08.2010 01:34

The substrate of an aquarium refers to the material used on the tank bottom. It can affect water chemistry, filtration, and the well-being of the aquarium's inhabitants, and is also an important part of the aquarium's aesthetic appeal. The appropriate substrate depends on the type of aquarium; the most important parameter is whether the aquarium contains fresh water or saltwater.

Substrates are added to most aquaria principally for the increase in beneficial bacteria this provides. However, substrates can also have a variety of direct effects on water quality by releasing substances into the water, absorbing substances from the water, or reacting chemically with substances from other sources.

For freshwater aquaria, gravel is the most common substrate. To prevent damage to fish, gravel should not be sharp. Aquarium gravel can be as coarse as pea-sized or as fine as 1–2 mm