The Effectiveness of Live Rock in Reef Aquariums

Live rock is not just a decoration for reef aquariums but can be an extremely useful addition to saltwater systems. It is collected from the vicinity of a coral reef and consists mostly of aged coral rubble (branches or masses of reef-building coral skeletons) of varying sizes. It varies in quality depending on location from which it was collected. The surface of the rock is often brilliantly colored with calcareous algae, macroalgae, sponges, and even small corals. Burrowing organisms such as worms and crustaceans create a labyrinth of caves and tunnels through the rock, often giving it a very porous nature. On the exterior of the rock and in the open pores where water circulation makes oxygen available, aerobic nitrifying bacteria can be found in large numbers. These bacteria perform the nitrification that is present in virtually any biological filter. An interesting benefit to live rock is that it also harbors live anaerobic denitrifying bacteria in its deep recesses that break down nitrate molecules.

Live rock is an excellent addition to the sump of a central water system. At times I have relied solely upon it to filter the water in my aquarium. It is best, however, to rely on live rock as an enhanced source of natural filtration. The bottom of the sump can be covered with cured live rock that is void of organisms that require high light levels. Room light is usually enough to keep certain algae species alive, but a fluorescent light can improve the growth of these plants and also the nitrification of wastes. Live rock is not without disadvantages. The burrowing organisms within the rock secrete waste and when packed tightly together drastically reduce flow rates through the rock. Over time nitrogenous wastes can build up in crevices of the rock. Weekly or monthly purging of the rock will keep these wastes from becoming harmful.

Live rock should not be added directly to broodstock aquariums, as many demersal spawners will place their eggs on or within the rock. For species such as dottybacks, whose eggs must be removed for hatching, the rock makes this task extremely difficult. Gobies will find the tiniest of holes to spawn in, and removal of the fish or the spawn becomes a daunting task.

What To Consider When Buying a 100 Gallon Aquarium

When planning to buy a 100 gallon aquarium tank, whether you are keeping one just for fun, appearance, or for commercial reasons, you need to be sure to understand how to maintain it. Appropriate maintenance of a 100 gallon aquarium will guarantee a healthy surrounding for the pet fish and live rock to live in it. Before making the decision to buy a 100 gallon aquarium, here are various points that need to be kept in mind:

When you look online, there are lots of different sorts of 100 gallon aquarium tanks to choose from. Not only do they appear in a wide range of prices, but they're not manufactured from only glass nowadays.

The Construction

The more old fashioned types of 100 gallon tanks is going to have a metal framework which helps to to keep the sheets of glass that help to make the fish tank bond together. Usually, the metal structural part for these sorts of tanks are composed of either of angle steel or chrome steel, which are glued together at the corners of the frame and the glass will then position into it. As a way to prevent water from seeping out of the aquarium fish tank, a putty aquarium tank substance is used around the 4 corners of the glass and the metal construction. Even so, if these aquariums are not set on a even spot then the shape can begin to contract and might end up in the glass shattering. Occasionally the construction of a 100 gallon aquarium tank can be manufactured from wood, and generally plywood is chosen because it is less likely to burst apart if it interacts water.

Resources Used Today

Nowadays, most 100 gallon fish tanks are being constructed from acrylic substance. Most of these tanks built from this material may cost more in a few situations depending on other suppliers, but they weigh less than glass constructed aquariums and are less likely to break.

Don't Buy Your BiOrb Aquarium Until You Read This

If you don't have the time to gather together all of the equipment that you need to setup a standard home or office aquarium or if you are a beginner aquarist and you need aquarium setup to be straightforward or perhaps you don't want to spend hours every month maintaining your aquarium then the BiOrb aquarium range is ideal for you.

Not only do all of the BiOrb range look stunning but they also have a unique built in 5 stage filter system that keeps the aquarium water crystal clear. In addition they come with special ceramic 'gravel' which is porous and is able to hold a very large number of the friendly bacteria responsible for keeping ammonia and nitrite levels down. Maintenance wise all that is necessary is to change the filter cartridge when specified and to change some of the water every month to keep down the nitrate levels.

The biggest thing to remember is that the BiOrb range is totally made up of relatively small aquaria compared with normal size glass tanks. The biggest mistake that you can make with a BiOrb tank is to fill it with far too many fish, much more than the filter and aeration system can handle. Even one goldfish in a baby BiOrb is too much and of course fish grow and can easily outgrow your BiOrb aquarium. Some fish, whatever their size are just not suitable, they may need lots of plants or more water than the BiOrb can provide.

So here is a list of advantages:

Good design and excellent lighting effects consistent through the whole BiOrb range
The baby BiOrb will fit where other tanks won't
Everything you need is in the box including full instructions
The BiOrb range is made from plexiglas acrylic which is ten times stronger than glass
The filter cartridge is easy to clean and change
The 5 stage filtration system keeps the fish healthy and reduces maintenance
and disadvantages:

BiOrb quality and design does not come cheap
The small size of these tanks limits your choice of fish and their numbers
The top opening of the globle shaped tanks can make cleaning more difficult
Conclusion

Taking everything into account there is no doubt that these aquariums look great, particularly with the special lighting effects provided by the intelligent LED lighting. For an easy entry into the wonderful world of aquarium keeping they can certainly be recommended.

The Best Freshwater Aquarium: Glass Vs Acrylic

Many people who are getting started in aquarium keeping will be faced with this question, and it can be quite confusing. It's not easy to decide between acrylic and glass for the best freshwater aquarium without knowing the pros and cons of each, so in this article we will have a look at why you may opt for one instead of the other.

Let's start with glass, the age-old material that has been used for many years to make all sorts of things. It is so trusted because it has its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages.

To start with, glass is much heavier than acrylic. When you consider which is the best freshwater aquarium, you will find that acrylic is the better option. It is much lighter and as a result, even the stand that you use will not be unduly strained. If you think about the possibility of an accident, you are much better off with acrylic too - it will not shatter into tiny, dangerous fragments if it ever falls down. True, the glass aquarium that you buy may be made of toughened glass and therefore hard to break, but this does not mean that it's unbreakable.

Acrylic, though much lighter, is a much tougher material. The material strands are blended in such a way that they can take a lot of strain without giving way and this is what makes it shatter-proof. Glass on the other hand will worry you if it gets even a tiny crack, because it will put strain on the entire structure especially considering that there is the weight of water to make the pressure that much more. As an aside, if you own a glass aquarium and it has a crack, consider replacing it because that is an accident waiting to happen.

Acrylic will also give you options with shape because it is mouldable without making it weaker. Glass is too, but the more you bend and play around with glass, the more delicate and brittle it tends to become. With acrylic, you will be able to get tanks in many different shapes, and you can choose the best freshwater aquarium that is something other than just square or rectangular.

If you ever need to modify your tank, maybe to put in an overflow system, go with acrylic. You can cut it easily with common tools that you can get at your tool store. Glass would require a glass expert and any holes will tend to leave the entire structure rather unstable.

Glass, because of its nature will tend to distort images and light. This means that depending on the angle from which you are looking into your fish tank, you may see that the fish and whatever else is in the tank look distorted. This will not happen with acrylic. Glass tanks also tend to be that much thicker, another factor that will distort view.

Glass does have its positive attributes though; it's a natural material and it will not discolour like acrylic. Acrylic tends to yellow with time, and because your fish tank has algae in it, if you are not very regular with the cleaning, you may find that the color of the tank has permanently changed. Glass will also outshine acrylic any day - you just can't get the same gleam however much you polish an acrylic tank. With an acrylic freshwater aquarium, you are always watching out not to scratch it - scratches are unsightly and they will affect the general attractive look of the tank.

Acrylic, because of all these qualities, will be more expensive, as well as more tasking to ship - it has to be wrapped very carefully so as not to get scratched. All that said though, you are much better off with acrylic as the best freshwater aquarium, so long as you clean it regularly enough for it not to yellow fast and avoid getting scratches on it.