h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Aquarium Equipment - A722936
Author: Petkan - U191798

This one was supposed to be a part of a whole Project, but development on that project got too slow, ao I am now breakingit up into separate entries. This is the first one. Tell me if it's any good

Hmm, I'd have to disagree with the mixing of tropical and coldwater fish though... Right now at home I've a 9-year old Goldfish, who's lived in 2 different cold water fish tanks and is now in his second tropical tank, living quite happily alongside tropical fish (oh - and he's travelled approximately 2000 km during his life in various plastic bags)

Oh well, if you say so, then it must be true. I've never kept any Goldfish anyway.

I thought that Goldfish cannot take warm water really well. However, I've seen tropical fish doing pretty well in fish tanks with no heater.

I'd better do some researching on the Net and fix the entry accordingly.


Petkan

Goldfish are fine in warm water...koi *can* be fine so long as the water is well oxygenated and the tank isn't overstocked...koi are a lot more sensetive to lack of oxygen than most cold water fish

Point taken -- I've noted in the entry that you can, after all, mix coldwater and tropical fish (at your own risk )


Petkan

You might also want to mention the two main types of filtration - under gravel and box filters...the undergravel ones suck the water through the gravel at the bottom of the tank before recirculating it through a tall pipe (sometimes with a pump at the top often just with an aerator to drag the water up with the bubbles). Box filters sit at the side of the tank and suck water in and through a range of filtration media (usually carbon, sponges and o rings(holding bacteria)).

Box filters are easier to mantain because you can just hoik the whole thing out and clean the gunk out of the filtration sections. Undergravel filtration usually means buying a gravel vacuum to remove the old gunk from the gravel after it's been building up for a few years.

Traditionally most people have used undergravel filters but I find I get on better with a good box filter and regular cleaning/water changes...I've forgotten but do you mention that most experts advise a 10% water change every few weeks (and of course that water straight from the tap is unsuitable unless treated or left to stand for a day or two (to remove the chlorine))

Looking good!

You probably should mention something about the things needed to maintain the water chemistry, including salinity if it's a saltwater aquarium.

Share and Enjoy!

Well, as I wrote, this was originally supposed to be a University project, so I have the chemistry and stuff covered in a separate entry. As the title says, this one is just about the equipment...


Petkan

Very good entry, Petkan!
Speaking as an aquarist
Just a couple of points:

"distorted when looked from a close angle" doesn't sound quite right, I'd advise either:
"distorted when looked at from a close angle"
or
"distorted when viewed from a close angle"

and, does the lid have to be glass?
My aquarium lid is aluminium,

You might like to mention all the decorations you can have in your tank, like the coloured stones, the "No Fishing" signs, the treasure boxes, {yes, that's what I have...} and also you can buy a backing to stick to the outside back of the tank, with a scenic underwater view, cut to fit the tank. It looks much better than whatever the tank is standing in front of.

Well done.

Let me know when you have written your other entries, I'll be pleased to assist or give them a once-over for you.

AGB

Nice entry, and very informative

Speaking as an owner of a 29 gallon heated tank, can I add some suggestions?

I know why the tank shouldn't be in direct sunlight, but you might want to add that information to the entry.

My filter is a cartridge which sits in the hood. The cartridge also contains charcoal to sweeten the water.

Which brings me to the hood. I bought an integrated system - the pump, filter, bio-wheel, and lights are all part of the hood, which is made of black moulded plastic. You can also buy tanks which have other kinds of integrated eqipment - a friend has one with everything in a module which sits at one side of the tank.

If you want your plants to do well you'll need to buy full-spectrum lights which mimic sunlight, and there are a few species of fish such as neon tetras that won't have such a good colour if you use no lights or the wrong lights.

This isn't really *all* the stuff you need for your aquarium - you'll also need gravel, some testing kits, and a few chemicals to keep your water at the correct pH value, ect. Those aren't strictly *equipment*, but you will need those too.

You should also make it clear that this is for freshwater fish - there's a whole nother set of equipment you'll need for a marine tank

I reckon this entry will be on the front page in the forseeable future

Thanks everyone for your comments!
Well, I've now edited the entry to match most of them. Actually, the only new sections are the gravel and decoration bits.

I will use the other advices when preparing another entry on water chemistry, water changes, etc. in the foreseeable future. I figured that it would just be too big if I put it all in one entry.

You might now check out the improved entry (with the more correct title - "Freshwater Aquarium Equipment" ).


Petkan

Very good.
Thank you for adding my comments!

*goes off to build a cave for her *

I wish I still had some picks left - I'd recommend this one for editing right now Except that it has to stay here for another five days before it can be recommended

Might be worth mentioning that bowls have the problem of reduced water surface if over-filled, and of course the difficulty of attatching pumps, filters, etc to a round medium, thus makes tanks the only real choice, except for small cold-water fish.

Else

The first thing that needs mention about equipment, at least in america, is that the equipment that comes with a tank's "starter kit" is often inadequate and substandard. You'd be better off planning to spend the extra bucks to buy your stuff separately.

When I think of the size and shape of the aquarium, I think the nature of the fish you intend to keep is relevant, for humanitarian reasons. Some fish need a long tank for straight swimming. Some fish instinctually need to hang near the surface, so a tall thin hex would crowd them in a very small space.

Too much oxygen? Really? In my experience most folks want to keep way more fish in a fish tank than they should, and too much oxygen has never been a problem no matter how vigorously aerated. I have seen vigorously aerated small tanks that have so much bubble action that the fish are physically harassed, though.

Yes, you can keep cold and warm water fish together, but the cold water fish will eat a lot and make your tank messy. This can be dealt with if you are willing to do regular water changes and treat the water beforehand. In my experience, people don't do this, though, so it's bad beginner's advice.

As far as heaters dying: I have killed so many heaters, and killed so many fish with faulty heaters, that I wouldn't recommend any heater less than 100 W, that isn't submersible, and which has its own thermometer, no matter how small your tank is. You might think you are saving money by buying the smaller less featured unit, but you are not. I've had the same submersible 200 W Ebo-Jager for 2 decades. In the first 5 years of my hobby, I've lost/used up/had fail at least five times as many of the regular kind. This also saves you from the purchase of ludicrously inaccurate, flimsy and useless thermometers you're likely to find in an aquarium store.

A siphon is darn useful for water changes and for cleaning your tank if you choose to do the undergravel method. (I combine a powerfilter like Pencil Queen uses with an UG filter, by running my standpipes out of the water, but this isn't necessary.

Fish are hard to catch without a net, and chances are good you're gonna hafta. If you plan on feeding your fish live food, which I have become too lazy to do, you also need a superfine net.

I have never suceeded in growing plants in a tank with an undergravel filter. I don't know anybody who has.

Dark gravel as a blanket recommendation seems odd. To me, it depends on the kind of fish you are planning on keeping. If you are interested in seeing the pink in your albino corys or the green of your green tiger barbs, a lighter color might be better.

Plastic plants make good places for fish to hide behind, and once they are covered with algae, they are hard to tell from the real thing.

Hi Petkan,

A Scout has recommended this entry for the Edited Guide but I just wanted to check that you're done here, or whether you feel you could do with a bit more time to tie up any loose ends.

Let me know here either way so I can press that big 'ACCEPT' button and get this baby moving...

Jimster

Okay, I'm going to release this for the moment to allow you to come back to the comments here and see if you want to make any changes; in the meantime I'll ask the Scout to make another pick.

All the best,

Jimster

Thank you for that - I'd like to make some small changes before it gets approved. I have a checklist in my mind; I'm too busy right now, but I'll get on it soon!


Petkan

Any plans on getting back to this one soon, Petkan?

Hi Petkan Nice entry

I have to agree with most of what Sea Change said though.

Unless I missed it, there's no mention of a net and also a tank cleaner, either a 'blade' attactched to a small thin pole, or the magnetic type, where one half is inside the tank and the other is outside.

As far as I remember (I no longer have the tank a pump and airstone is needed for an undergravel filter and a siphon too.

And the splash guard, that fits on top of a tank protecting the light bulb from splashes. I've never seen a glass hood. The ones I've seen are black (not sure what metal they're made of) and contain the light fittings, lights are essential if you want to see your fish, they improve the look of the tank 100%

A pump alone won't aerate, you need an airstone or a novelty underwater 'toy' to attach to pump's tube, that's another thing you need, tubing. All this for some fish

Beach coloured gravel can look just as good as dark gravel, it depends on the intended fish. (bought from aquatic supplier, not taken from the beach, cheaper than the coloured gravel)

Before I started keeping fish, I read loads of books the advice as I remember was to put new gravel clean bucket run the tap and mix it until it runs clear, I don't recall any advice about boiling it, seems strange to me, where did you hear about boiling the gravel?

If glass bowls are used, the old type with a narrow neck, it's important (life or death for the fish) that they are not fill to the top.

The "another reseacher suggested" looks kind of out of place to me.

Is there a suitable web site you can link to?

Emmily