The fish – known as anableps – originally come from the rivers of South America where they use their bizarre eyes to see both above and below the water’s surface at the same time.

The pupil in each eye is horizontally divided into two parts, allowing the fish to find food at or below the surface and also give it extra protection against predators.

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First, the type of fish tank you choose will mostly depend upon the type and number of fish you plan to have. The most common rule for determining tank size is one gallon of water per one inch of fish. For example, if you get a fish that’s four inches in length, you would need to house it in a minimum of a 4-gallon fish tank.

Next, you get to be creative and decorate your fish tank for your guests. While you’ll want to provide your fish with enough plants to hide in and other a places to hang out, be sure not to fill up the tank too much or the fish won’t have enough room to swim, which usually leads to stressed out fish and disease.

Determine the best place to locate your fish tank. Almost anywhere should be acceptable, however it absolutely must not be placed directly in front of a window. Direct sunlight will cause algae to grow very quickly and the heat of the sun could cause the fish tank water to become too warm and kill the fish.

When selecting fish, a good first choice would be to buy fish called starter fish because they are better at adapting to new tanks. Some examples of starter fish are Platys, White Clouds and Zebra Danios. You’ll also have to do your homework to find out which fish will get along with one another and which fish to avoid. It’s also important to find out which fish can be bought singly and which need to be kept in a school.

Before placing the fish into the water, the chlorine must be removed so you’ll need to buy some water-cleaning drops at the pet shop. Once your new friends are settled into their tank, your responsibility is not over. The water must be checked regularly so you’ll need a thermometer for fish tanks. Also, the water must be changed before it looks dirty to keep the water clean and the fish healthy. It’s very difficult for fish to adapt to new water all at once, so only change about half of it at a time.

To make sure you fully understand what to do to set up your own wall fish tank, don’t be afraid to ask for help and assistance at the pet shop. Also, check out some books about caring for fish and you’ll have everything you need to know about keeping your fish happy and healthy.

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Everyone loves to preserve their fish tanks that adds more beauty to your
house. If you have kids, they would to enjoy their days with this wall fish tank by watching the different variety fishes available in the
tank. But sometimes due to improper maintenance of the fish tank, the fish
you buy dies within a small period. So it is always recommended to
maintain a good wall fish tank. So in order to maintain a good fish tank,
you need to change water consistently, give good fish supplies, and
maintain a good fish tank lighting within the tank. So in order to get the best fish aquarium,tank supplies and products, you can check out Fish Tank Maintenance Online store, that provides you with the entire stuffs needed for your fish tanks (saltwater) supplies.
They also undergo different services that will help your fish tank or
aquarium to be in the good form. So you can either contact them online
or make a call to ask for their service.

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A very nice way to make a solar powered fish tank

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If there is 1 thing you need to know about wall fish tanks and fish, is that you should never set up the fish tank and purchase the fish on the same day. This is because the fish tank needs time cycle. The chemicals need time to balance. The bacteria need to be there in order to not only have healthy fish, but also maintain healthy fish. Give the cycling process a few days.

After a few days of setting up your fish tank, you can start adding fish. It is vital not to add more than 1 or 2 fish on the same day. Doing this can result in a thrown off balance in your fish tank and some of you fish may end up dead.

Last but not least. When buying a wall fish tank at the fish tank store, don’t be afraid to ask questions. By asking questions the first time you buy your wall fish tank, you save a headache and you make sure you get the fish tank you want. You won’t have regrets later and you might even have saved some money in the meantime.

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3. Maintaining A Good Fish Tank

When you decide you would like to enjoy a freshwater fish tank there are several things you will need to keep in mind. Where would you like to put your new fish tank and what size will fit best in the area designated. Fish tanks come in a variety of shapes and sizes so it is best to visit your local fish shop to get a good feel for what is available to fit your needs. Be sure to ask questions about what you are looking for and the shop employees will be able to point you in the right direction.

As you are deciding on the type and size of tank you will also need to think about the type of fish you would like to keep. This is where research into the different species of fish is a must. You cannot simply just pick out the fish you like best at the store and mix them al together. If you are going to have a community tank, that is a tank with many different types of fish in it, then you need to have fish that get along well with others. If you are leaning more towards a Cichlid tank then you need to be more careful as most Cichlids are aggressive towards other fish.

Once you get your new freshwater aquarium it is time to set it up. While most people don’t have the patience the best thing to do is to fill your tank with water, set up you decorative gravel, rocks, plants and anything that catches your eye and let it sit for a few weeks. Be sure to have all your filtration and air supplies running during this time. The reason it is important to do this is to let any chlorine dissipate out of the water and get the beneficial bacteria a chance to develop.

If you put fish in a tank that has had time to get established you will end up with new tank syndrome, which can be extremely harmful to any fish and cause them to die. This bacteria is the primary fish waste disposal resource. Without it toxic levels of ammonia and other waste gases will build up rapidly in the water. Giving the bacteria a chance to cycle will create a fish friendly environment that will protect your purchases.

A freshwater fish tank does take some work, both setting up and maintaining. But the rewards of its look in your home are more than worth it.

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If you still wonder how to clean your fish tank, do watch this video.

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- a select article from the Aquaponics Journal

by Rebecca Nelson

A mini aquaponics system is an excellent means of demonstrating aquaponic principles and the nitrification cycle in a recirculating aquatic environment. Following are instructions for building a small system that is ideal for a teacher, students of hobbyists who wants to get a start in aquaponics.

What You’ll Need:

Following is a list of the parts you’ll need to build an aquaponic system. The next section, Components Explained, describes and explains each of these components and includes recommendations for alternative items and specific products.

* A tank for the fish: 3-20 gallon, glass or plastic container ($5 – $20)

* Gravel – 2.5 lbs./gravel for every 5 gallons of water in the fish tank ($2 – $5)

* Water pump – 3-4 watt pump capable of lifting 18” – 54” at 30 – 100/gal/hour (small circulation or fountain pump is ideal) ($19 – $40)

* 3 ft. of plastic tubing that fits the outlet on your water pump ($1 – $2)

* Aquarium air pump sized for the number of gallons in your fish tank ($8 – $16)

* Air stone (1” – 3”) ($1 – $2)

* 3 ft. of air tubing to connect the air pump to the air stone (must fit the air pump outlet) ($ 1)

* Grow Bed – must sit on top of fish tank and be 3” – 8” deep ($ 5 – $20)

* Growing Medium – enough pea gravel, perlite, coconut coir, expanded clay pebbles or peat moss to fill the grow bed ($2 – $5)

* pH test kit and, depending on the pH of your water, pH down or pH up ($5 – $15)

* Fish and plants

Tools Required:

*

Drill with 1/4” or 3/16” bit and 1/2” bit

* Scissors

* Electrical tape

Component Explanation:

a tank for the fish

The fish tank can be a glass or plexi-glass aquarium or you can use any other clean container that holds water, for example, a plastic tub, bucket or barrel. We recommend anything between 3 – 20 gallons, although, you can go with a larger tank if you have the space. Small, clean plastic amphibian cages, available in most pet shops, make an excellent mini-system. They hold about 3 gallons and are quite inexpensive.

The standard sized fish aquariums of 10 and 20 gallons are also reasonably priced. The larger the tank, the larger grow bed area you can support. As a general rule, you can support 1 – 2 square feet of growing area for every 10 gallons of fish tank water.

gravel for tank bottom

The gravel serves as a home to the nitrifying bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate, which can be used by the plants. Most pet stores carry natural or colored aquarium gravel. The individual pebbles are about 1/8” in size. Be sure to wash the gravel thoroughly before using it because it is often dusty. Unwashed gravel will cloud your tank water.

water pump and tubing

A small water pump is used to pump the water from the fish tank to the grow bed. After the water is pumped into the grow bed, it gravity-feeds back to the fish tank. You’ll need enough tubing to go from the outlet on the pump to the top of your grow bed and form a circle within it.

air pump, air stone and tubing

You need an air pump to blow air into the tank water for both the fish and the plants. Tubing connects the air pump to an air stone at the bottom of the tank. The air stone breaks the stream of bubbles coming from the air pump into micro-bubbles, which greatly increase the oxygenation in the water.

grow bed

The grow bed, which sits on top of the tank, must be slightly larger than the length and width of the fish tank. The grow bed is filled with a growing medium that the plants grow in. A plastic Rubbermaid container, a garden planter or other container that will sit on top of the tank will work fine. The container should be between 3” – 8” deep.

You can use a plastic tub or, for a very nice looking unit, build one out of plexi-glass and seal it with a non-toxic, silicone glue. If you build the grow bed, you can accommodate an aquarium light by making a cavity in the grow bed that the light can slide into. If you are using some other kind of container, a light can sit just behind it if there is room.

growing medium

A growing medium is a porous, chemically inert material that holds the plant roots and maintains moisture. Examples include: perlite, expanded clay pebbles, peat moss, pea gravel and coconut coir. You need enough to fill your grow bed.

fish and plants

In an aquaponic system, the fish provide the nutrients the plants need and the plants purify the water by consuming those nutrients.

Optional Components:

aquarium heater (for tropical fish)

Most gardeners or aquarists setting up an aquaponic system choose ornamental fish for the tank and most ornamental fish originate in tropical waters. A tank temperature of 78 degrees F will need to be maintained for tropical fish. Two kinds of aquarium heaters are available, submerged and tank-side mounted. Either will work, but be sure the heater you choose is sized for the number of gallons of water in your fish tank. If the aquaponic system is placed in an area where the air temperature is maintained between 70 – 76 F or, if you choose cool water fish goldfish, you do not need a heater.

light for fish tank

Most aquariums have a florescent light so you can see the fish and monitor their health. You can add one if you’d like but it is not a necessity.

grow light for the plants

If you establish your system in an area with low light levels, you may need to add artificial light for healthy plant growth. Keep in mind that bright light will quickly encourage algae growth in the fish tank. You should try to point an artificial light in a way so that it does not directly penetrate the fish tank. If you do have rapid algae growth, you can scrape the interior walls of the fish tank or buy a plecostomus, a fish that eats algae. If the grow bed is in a windowsill with bright sunlight, in a greenhouse or planted with plants requiring low light levels, a grow light isn’t necessary.

Assembly Instructions:

Read more…

Great tips from the Grober Green!

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If you are looking for a really creative mac product, then make yourself a Mac G4 Fish Tank, which is not only is this an incredibly cool idea, but it is a great way to reuse that old G4 Cube that you can’t use, but you simply don’t have the heart to throw away. This is seriously one of the coolest uses for the G4 Cube that I have seen till date and second coolest Apple computer mod.

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You know having a fish tank  time sink and it requires dedication. If you take good care of your fish and  your fish tank, you will be rewarded for it by having something that looks  stunning.

But what if it was possible  to get the same results, but without the time and effort you have to put in it?  That’s right, all the good stuff of having a fish tank, but no time wasting and  putting in effort.

The answer to this riddle  is a biOrb fish tank. The biOrb is a rather sophisticated fish tank that  bestows the soothing sensation of swimming fish at home or even at the office.  It requires very little maintenance, and all supplies, including a halogen  light and a comprehensive instruction guide, are provided.

The reason a biOrb fish  tank keeps the water crystal-clear and healthy is the built-in 5-stage  filtration system. This system combines chemical, biological and mechanical  filtration to get the results you want. And it gets even better. This same  filtration system requires a filter cartridge that lasts up to 8 weeks.

I went over to Amazon.com to  see what people had to say about biOrb fish tanks and here are some quotes:

“I bought this baby biorb  as an experiment in team building for my office. It fits on top of a file  cabinet, is extremely quiet and sparkling clean and clear. Each employee put  one tiny fish in it and named them. We have 3 neon tetra’s, two molly’s, a  hatchet fish and a guppy. Feeding time is an event every morning. Sometimes in  the afternoon we shut the office lights down and stare at the biorb. It is easy  to maintain and wonderful to stare at.” P. C. Gebo

“I was hesitant in getting  a filter-type set up aquarium as I virtually know nothing about fish and  keeping an aquarium. But I fell in love with some bettas, which are all in  their separate living spaces.

The Baby biOrb was instantly a set up that really caught my eye at PetSmart and  eventually I bought it. It comes with the tank, filtration system, air pump,  water conditioner (two packets used differently), ceramic media, and light at  the top. All you have to do is supply fish and water.” G. Rees

Don’t take my word for it. Just click on any of these images to visit Amazon and see what type of a biOrb fish tank they have to offer. If you don’t like it, see if something else suits you.

biOrb fish tank

biOrb fish tank

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