One of the important steps in setting up your new aquarium is selecting the correct fish tank stand. The stand not only has to adequately support the tank itself, it can also serve a wider variety of needs. You certainly do not want to place your new fish tank on a flimsy bookcase or even a table.

Studies have shown that people who own a tropical fish tank are calmer and suffer from less ill health than those who don't. Dogs and cats are also known to have therapeutic benefits. Stroking a dog or cat has been proven to provide a calming effect on the brain. But the simple observation that watching fish makes people calmer and healthier is also backed up by studies. A freshwater or a tropical...

Buying an aquarium is a commitment which should be approached with careful thought and consideration. While aquarium keeping is considered to be an enjoyable hobby by many, it is always best to purchase the largest tank you can afford when you first begin. This will help you to avoid the need to upgrade later on; after your fish have already been established. Keep in mind, when purchasing an...

Most aquarists are dictated to by circumstance. There is a really big aquarium, at a really good price, but one rather definite problem, and that is there's nowhere to put it. So a smaller aquarium is chosen, but not by choice. However, even in the described circumstances, a smaller aquarium could be the one of choice.Most aquarists dream big, visualizing that final aquarium that will bring the...

Ozone is present in the higher reaches of the earth's atmosphere – its density begins from 16 km above the earth's crust and it begins thinning out after 23 km. In between these atmospheric limits, ozone is continuously produced due to the action of sun's ultraviolet rays on oxygen. Ozone is also produced during lightings, and the fresh air we get to smell immediately after a thunderstorm has...

Check out the health conditions of the fish carefully. If you are observant enough, you can check out both visible and intrinsic health conditions of the fish. First, you must observe the body of the fish. Pay attention to the scales and the fins. The scales should be shiny and smooth, while the fins should not have any cuts or nicks. If there is some fuzzy growth on the body of the fish, it is...

-pH Control – pH stands for hydrogen potenz. It is actually the concentration of hydrogen ions present in your aquarium tank, and as you know, hydrogen ion concentration refers to acidity of the water in the tank. As fishes live in the water, performing all their biological activities, the pH value is bound to change. The best way to ensure that the pH values remain conducive for the health of...

But the truth of the matter is that a sand bed in an aquarium can be very beneficial. First and foremost, sand provides fish with a more natural habitat, since that is what is actually present in the beds of their seas and oceans. You will find your fish happier in the sand and even spawning in them, which could be a delight to watch. Sand is not very difficult to clean too, if one does it in the...

Freshwater aquariums are preferred among aquarium hobbyists for the apparent reason that they require very low maintenance. It is true that freshwater fish require lesser maintenance than seawater fishes, but that does not mean they should be neglected. Even freshwater fish need some suitable conditions for their good health, and hence it is required to maintain those needs for your tank...

Width: You should get the widest tank you have available considering the space you have to allocate for it. A mistake would be thinking that upgrading to a wider tank later would be easy. You might be able to get a larger tank but you would also have to upgrade all of the equipment in it, making the upgrade project up to five more times as expensive then if you get the largest tank that will fit...

As the name suggests, fish tank chillers are designed to keep the water in your fish tank cool in warmer climates. They are mainly used in marine aquariums where fish tend to be highly sensitive to temperature although fancy goldfish in tropical climes also benefit from the use of a fish tank chiller. An additional benefit is that cooler water has a greater capacity to hold dissolved oxygen thus...

In terrestrial veterinary practice "preventive medicine" is often erroneously considered synonymous with vaccination and "deworming" schedules. Of course, preventive medicine encompasses much more, including provision of proper nutrition, maintenance of a healthy environment, and management of other disease risk factors. For pet tropical fish, the lack of available vaccines and...

Remember the goldfish from grade school? You won them at a fair, brought them home to a bowl full of water, loved them with all your heart-and they died. Although fish aren't really hard to care for, if you don't know a few basic facts you can doom the critters before they ever really have a chance. Keeping your scaly pet alive and swimming isn't a fishy matter, so read on for the watery basics.

New tank syndrome is the term used to describe the all-too-frequent problem of stocking a newly set up aquarium with too many fish too quickly. Toxic ammonia and nitrite build up because as there are not enough friendly bacteria in the tank to consume and break down the waste that is being produced by the fish. The fish that are in the aquarium may become lethargic and go off their food, and at...

When you are deciding on which type of fish you would like to keep and what sort of aquarium you want, also give some thought to how much time you can devote to fishkeeping. All types of livestock make constant demands on the owner, and essential maintenance means just that - it simply has to be done! Fish will always need feeding and their water will always need to be changed, so bear this in...