The aquarium
must be set up well in advance of the purchase of the livestock. This
is a phase requiring utmost care and imagination. If you propose to
build the aquarium yourself you will require, apart from the aquarium
materials, a small screw driver, pliers, scissors, a pair of metal
shears, a glass cutter, a small hammer, and a tube of aquarium
sealant.
The
fish tank
Tanks are
available in various sizes and types. They can also be custom made to
suit the situation proposed for the aquarium to be kept. Before
setting up, the tanks should be checked thoroughly for leaks. If a
leak is found the tank should be emptied, dried and sealed using
silicone-rubber sealant around the internal seams. If the tank drips
only occasionally, there is a good chance that it will seal itself
before very long. New tanks of putty-glazed, iron-frame construction
will tend to squeeze out excess putty as the water pressure builds up,
pushing the glass panels further into the frame; this excess putty can
be removed with a knife.
Gravel
Selection and
preparation of gravel should be done with due consideration owing to
the following points
Size
and degree of coarseness - The particle size of the gravel
is important. Too coarse or too fine gravel should be avoided.
A medium size gravel of 3 mm might be ideal. Coarse gravel is
unsuitable for two reasons. Food will quickly fall beyond the reach of
the fishes and will decay, beginning a pollution risk and if
biological filtration is used, coarse gravel will not provide enough
surface area for the bacteria to colonize and the water flow through
the gravel will be too fast. If the gravel is too fine, it will pack
down too tightly, under these conditions, the plant roots will have
difficulty in penetrating the gravel, and the water flow rate through
a biological filter will be severely impeded.
Presence of calcium salts:
Gravel dredged up off shore will contain many fragments of
calcium-rich seashells, which will harden the water over a period of
time. A better option will be to purchase lime-free gravel, which is
available with many aquarium dealers.
Type of gravel:
Natural gravel available indigenously is the best option. Colored
gravel available with many dealers might have the obvious disadvantage
of permitting the leaching of the dye, which might have toxic effects.
Rocks
Rocks are an
important adduct to the setting of an aquarium. They give a natural
ambience in that they simulate the native environment of the fishes.
In a tank the fishes tend to spend most of their time in the vicinity
of these rocks. Rocks to be used in the tank should be chosen with
care considering their size, shape, contour, arrangement and chemical
nature. Sharp edges can cause injury to the fishes as they swim
about. The rocks should not be erected in precarious, overhanging
poles. Calcareous rocks cause hardening of water and are hence
unsuitable for a fresh water aquarium. So are corals for the same
reason. However, the water hardening rocks may be valuable in
aquariums containing fishes that tolerate hard water, such as the rift
valley lake species. Examples of suitable rocks for aquarium use are
granite, basalt, quartz, and slate. Crumbly sandstone and rocks
carrying metal ore should not be used. The best choice usually is to
collect rocks from our own streams. These have aged for years in the
water and have their rough surfaces tempered by the water flow. For
these reasons, they go well in all counts with the conditions of the
aquaria.
Note:
If the color of the rock work does not blend with the color of the
gravel, there is an easy trick to match the two colors, some of the
rock can be smashed up into small pieces that are then scattered on
the surface of the gravel. Wrap the rock in a piece of cloth before
smashing it, to stop flying splinters and to collect the pieces all in
one operation.
Wood and other decorations
Wood is a
favorite material for furnishing the aquarium naturally. Sunken logs
and twisted roots are notable features in a well-appointed aquarium.
Such material can be collected from rivers, marshes, and forests the
only reservation being that any wood obtained this way must be long
dead, with no traces of rotting. Wood intended for aquarium use must
be boiled in several changes of water and immersed in water for
several weeks until completely water logged, then it may be considered
fit for use. There should be no sign of discoloration of the water
from the tannins in the wood. Alternatively, dead wood can be sealed
with several coats of polyurethane varnish. Another suitable natural
material is cork bark, often used as a backdrop or to form terracing.
The color is most pleasing, and it is easily cut to shape.
Water
The following
parameters of water to be filled in the aquarium should be strictly
monitored and taken care of.
1. Chlorine:
Ordinary tap water is usually chlorinated. Since chlorine is
toxic to fishes, it has to be removed prior to introduction of fishes.
Continuous aeration is the easiest and most convenient way to do
this. It has to be remembered that water used for partial exchange
should also be dechlorinated before addition to the tank.
2. pH:
A range of 6.5 to 7.5 is suitable for most tropicals. Some African
Rift Lake cichlids prefer a high pH level, while other tropicals such
as tetras and rasboras prefer a lower pH level, especially for
spawning. The pH of the water has to be monitored continually and
adjusted to the levels conducive to the fishes grown. pH meters are
commercially available along with chemicals that can bring the pH
to acceptable levels.
3. Hardness:
Hardness of water is a measure of the dissolved salts of calcium and
magnesium. A concentration below 50 ppm is considered soft water where
as a level above 200 ppm is considered hard water. Most tropical fresh
water fish prefer to subsist in soft water.
Plants
The plants must
have an adequate depth of gravel to its root. If biological filtration
is to be used, at least 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) of gravel must be
placed over the filter plate to avoid any adverse effects on plant
growth.
Synthetic
substitutes for decoration
Synthetic
substitutes for natural wood are currently available. They are usually
molded from natural logs and soon get coated with algae from the tank
to become indistinguishable from the original substance. They serve
the purpose with a reasonable degree of satisfaction. Imitation plants
are also available in extremely life like replicas, which simulate not
just the appearance, but the texture, feel as also the wet drenched
look of the many popular aquarium plants. These bring a touch of
greenery to any aquarium in which boisterous fishes or those with
vegetarian dietary habits are to be kept. Yet they are obviously
incapable of performing the vital water cleansing function of natural
plants. In short these artificial substitutes cannot be expected
to perform the same chemical and biological processes as their living
counterparts, but they can provide shelter and spawning sites, soon
disguised by a covering of natural algae.
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