Life in a Fishbowl: The Science and The Art of Fishkeeping

My First Aquarium:

How many times has this happened to you? You go to a local carnival and play that game where you try to throw ping-pong balls into little brandy glasses on a table. If your ball gets into one of those glasses, you win the prize - a bright orange goldfish swimming around in a tiny cup of water. So, you take the fish home in a plastic bag and when you get to the house you realize that all you have to put it into is a large mayonnaise jar. You wash out the mayonnaise jar, fill it with cold tap water and pour the fish in. Now it's swimming around in the jar as happy as can be!! You might even add some bread to give it food, but you notice it is not eating. It's getting late so you go to bed wishing the fish "good night". The next morning you find what typically happens to thousands of these ping-pong carnival goldfish each year: it's now swimming near the top of the water and slowly gasping for air. It is definitely not looking healthy! To make matters worse, the bread you had put into the jar the night before is all soggy and the water is turning cloudy. A few days later, the fish is floating belly up with a wide goggle eyed stare, quite dead to say the least!! I really wonder how often this story repeats itself across America!

My Introduction to Science:

I've been interested in fish since I was five years old and I regret to say that I've been guilty of the very scenario described above numerous times in my life. But, over the years, my fascination with fish and aquariums has led me to learn a lot about the art of fish keeping and the science that goes with it. In this article I'd like to discuss with you some of the aspects of fish keeping and how this hobby relates to scientific disciplines as chemistry, animal physiology, biochemistry, field ecology and even microbiology. For convenience this article will only discuss freshwater systems.

Visit a Public Aquarium in Summer 2014

Looking for something to do during summer vacations or school breaks? Find yourself with extra time on your hands during a business trip? Need a fun activity for a special event? Consider visiting a public aquarium - you won't regret it. Whether your passion is for saltwater or freshwater, there's no shortage of exhibits available throughout the world.

Some aquariums and zoos even offer the option to use their facilities to hold special events outside of normal business. What could be more fun than to have a birthday or anniversary party at an aquarium?

During holidays and summers, aquariums often have special displays as well as special discounts on admission prices. Some aquariums have even begun offering visitors the opportunity to scuba dive in their displays.

Educational

Public aquariums are wonderful learning experiences for children. Many facilities offer educational materials and programs. School groups can usually get special rates, and are provided with chaperones to conduct a customized tour for the group. Most of the larger aquariums offer both offsite and onsite educational programs.

Don't forget that many zoos have aquarium sections, so check them out too. Every aquarium or zoo has a curator (often several). Curators are very dedicated people who are passionate about their trade. If you contact the curator of the aquarium you want to visit, I guarantee they will be delighted to work with your school group.

How to Choose Aquarium Equipment

Choosing the best Aquarium Equipments needs your core attention, to keep your fishes health and Happy. Fishkeeping is really more of an art than a science. As a true aquarist, you'll develop an appreciation for the beauty of the hobby and a certain respect for the creatures in your tank.

You'll come to view your aquarium not as a pastime or as an attractive addition to your living room, but as a delicate, vibrant system that takes shape and comes to life through your efforts, skill, and vision.

Like all arts, though, fishkeeping does have its technical side. To succeed, you have to create a suitable habitat for your fish, and to do that, you must use the proper tools. Knowing how your aquarium equipment works and why you need it will greatly increase your chances of success.

Small Aquariums: The Perfect Gift to Beautify the Home or Office

Have you considered bringing the beauty and therapeutic benefits of an aquarium to your home or office? Perhaps you decided against it thinking, "I don't have room or time to set up an aquarium... especially during the holidays." Thanks to today's small desktop aqua riums, adding the colorful and wonderful beauty of tropical fish is easier than ever.

Glass bowls are a thing of the past

Technological advances have brought about lightweight acrylic aquariums that dramatically redefine the concept of small aquariums. Sophisticated, streamlined, and designed for convenient set up, many desktop aquariums now feature an all-inclusive hood with built-in filtration and lighting. These integrated systems save time by simplifying equipment selection and fish enjoy much healthier water conditions.

Fun new pets and learning opportunities for everyone

A new desktop aquarium makes a perfect gift for children or budding hobbyists of any age. Not only are they beautiful to look at, aquariums are fun, educational tools that parents and children can enjoy together. The excitement generated over an aquarium spurs eager minds to share what they learned with family members and friends.

How to Set Up an Aquarium - Aquarium Care Guide

Setting up your aquarium should be a relatively simple procedure. You should be able to get the whole system up and running in a couple of hours at the most, although you'll have to wait some time before you add the fish.

The most important thing for you to do before you begin is to be sure you're prepared. Know in detail what you want the aquarium to be like when you're done, and be sure you have all the equipment, space, and tools you'll need.

A new, brand-name tank will almost certainly not leak, but you may want to be absolutely sure about this before setting up the tank in its final location. Choose a dry area, cover it with newspapers, and place the tank on them. Very carefully fill the tank to the rim with cool water and wait for an hour or two. If the newspapers are wet, you know you have a problem with your tank.

If there are no leaks, empty the tank, wipe out the interior, and place it on the aquarium stand in its permanent location. If you like, you can apply a background material to the back of the tank. This is optional, but many fish feel more secure if the back and sides are covered. Once this is done, you are ready to install the filtration system.

The undergravel filter plate should be rinsed thoroughly and then placed in the tank. If the plate does not fit the bottom exactly, place it so that it is up against the back of the tank and centered.

The lift tubes can be installed next. Because the tubes are designed to fit the tallest tanks, you may need to cut them to fit your particular aquarium. If so, cut the tubes so that the tops will be just below the surface of the water when the tank is filled.

Next, you must hook up all of the air line tubing to the undergravel filter and any air stones. Connect a length of tubing to the air pump.

If you are using a check valve to ensure that no water can flow into the air pump, make sure it is facing the correct direction. There is often an arrow on the body of the valve indicating this. You can also test the valve by blowing into either end to determine which way it allows air to flow.

Cut lengths of air tubing to go from the check valve to the gang valve or directly to the air line stems at the top of the undergravel lift tubes. Even if your air pump has two outlets and you are only using two lift tube air stones, a gang valve offers better control of the air flow to each piece of equipment.

Atlanta Aquarium - Lets You Swim With Whale Sharks

A shark with 15 meters length, and weighs about 12 tons and is swimming directly behind you. Stay calm and try not to look or smell like phytoplankton. These sharks don’t like meat – at least that’s what the guides told you after you paid $225 for 30 minutes of swimming with these giant whale sharks in the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta.

Their mouths – wide enough to swallow a Volkswagen - are lined with 350 teeth, but they’re for sifting rather than chomping. When the shark expels a mouthful of water through its gills, those teeth hold back all the tasty stuff to be swallowed. They are the largest fish in the sea, but they eat only krill, macro-algae, plankton and small squid or vertebrates that get sucked in to their huge mouths while they filter feed.

You’ll learn all this during 90 minutes of preliminary instructions and education before plunging into the 10-metre-deep pool containing 6.3 million gallons of sea water. It’s the only place in the world where you can snorkel or scuba dive with whale sharks, unless you fall overboard far from shore in some tropical sea.

Don’t touch. That’s the first rule when swimming with these gentle giants. Three guides accompany six guest swimmers at a time in the tank and one of the guides is vide taping your experience so you can buy the DVD when you’re back on terra firma.

Home Aquariums - Why These Aquariums Are Handy

The practice of keeping fish in the home came about in the late 1800′s. These fish were usually kept for short periods of time, and were used as a food source. Home aquariums were generally kept only in coastal towns where the fish were readily accessible. Today, however many things of changed. 

We wouldn’t dream of dipping a net into an aquarium and frying up the family pet for dinner. That’s what Red Lobster is for. Home aquariums are for our personal entertainment and enjoyment. Aquariums add life and color to any room. They soothe sick patients at doctor’s offices, and entertain small children while their parents are shopping at Nordstrom.

When considering adopting a family pet, think fish. They are a good compromise when your children are eying that puppy in the window of the local pet store. Aquariums need little care in comparison to cats, dogs and even birds. When going out of town, it is acceptable to leave the fish alone for a week or even longer. Just have a neighbor feed them once or twice. There is no grooming or bathing needed for fish. 

Tips on Aquarium Care and Cleaning - Aquarium Guide

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you’ll find that the subject of Aquarium is certainly no exception.

The proper care and cleaning of your aquarium is the most important, yet most overlooked aspect of owning an aquarium. By avoiding the care and maintenance of a fish tank, not only will it lose the visual appeal, but your fish will be unhealthy and unhappy. By following a daily, weekly and monthly care program, you will maintain a beautiful, clean and healthy aquarium.

Daily Cleaning Routine:
To maintain a clean aquarium, there are some daily tasks that must be done. First and foremost, it’s important to check the temperature of the tank and make sure it stays consistent. For tropical freshwater fish, the temperature should average at around 77 degrees. Too much heat in your aquarium will promote the growth of algae. 

Always check for sick or dead fish daily. If you have a sick fish, it should be removed from the tank immediately or it may harm the other inhabitants of the aquarium. Lastly, check that the pump and filter are functioning properly.

If your Aquarium facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don’t let important Aquarium information slip by you.

Driftwood to Your Fish Aquarium - Fish Tank Care

Adding natural structures such as driftwood to your aquarium requires some preparation and thought to bring out their best aesthetic qualities. Driftwood and other natural structures make up a large portion of your aquarium. Any adjustments needed can cause significant stress and, in some cases, require taking apart the aquarium and starting all over. Do it right the first time. With a bit of planning, you can have a beautifully aquascaped aquarium with minimal effort and disturbance.

Preparation:

Before placing the driftwood in your aquarium, draw a rough sketch of your aquarium and where you want to locate the driftwood. Consider how your aquarium will look with the driftwood positioned vertically as opposed to the conventional horizontal position. Explore different designs on paper to create a unique aquatic landscape. Drawing a rough sketch allows you to experiment and visualize your aquascape without disturbing your aquarium inhabitants in the process.