What Products Should I Use to Keep My Aquarium Clean? By Richard Gilliland

The first product that can help you keep your aquarium clean is an aquarium python. This product is very beneficial during water changes. It can help you clean the water of your aquarium without any hassle.

Aquarium pythons allow you to clean the gravel in the aquarium while doing a water change without disturbing the fish. The aquarium python is a long pipe that allows you to directly fill water from the tap and also let the water out the aquarium directly into the sink. Most aquarium pythons allow you to adjust the water flow and some of these devices come with extra fittings such as a splash proof outlets to prevent water splashing when you are letting the water out of the aquarium.

It is also possible to get battery operated siphons that can help you clean the gravel and water of an aquarium. Battery operated siphons are beneficial if you have aquariums that hold less than 15 gallons water.

The second product that can help you keep your aquarium clean is a magnetic glass cleaner. Magnetic glass cleaners allow you to clean algae from the insides of the glass without putting your hand inside the aquarium. It is important to note that special magnetic cleaners are available for acrylic aquariums and regular magnetic cleaners should not be used on acrylic aquariums since they can cause permanent scratches. It is also possible to get aquarium cloth mops or other algae cleaning accessories that are suspended on a stick and help you clean those hard to reach spots.

The third and most important product that can help you keep your aquarium is an aquarium filter. Sponge filters are beneficial for aquariums that are can hold less than 10 gallons water and internal filters or hang on back filters are beneficial for aquariums that can hold up to 40 gallons water. External canister filters are recommended for larger aquariums since these filters are apt for cleaning larger aquariums with more fish. An under gravel filter is not recommended for large aquariums since large aquariums generally have a bigger fish load which can cause the plates of the under gravel filter to clog. Under gravel filters require regular maintenance and siphoning the gravel is an important part of maintaining an under gravel filter.

Glass cleaners are required to clean the external glass of the aquarium and care should be taken that the glass cleaning liquid does not mix with the aquarium water while cleaning since this can prove toxic to the fish.

Buy Coral,
Aquarium Chiller,
Aquarium Supplies

Do I Need a Heater For My Aquarium? By Richard Gilliland

Both freshwater aquariums and saltwater aquariums can be classified into tropical water aquariums and cold water aquariums. If you own either a freshwater tropical aquarium or a saltwater tropical aquarium then you will require a heater for your aquarium. Tropical aquariums consist of fish that are from tropical areas such as Africa, America and Asia. These fish cannot live in water that is below 74 degree Fahrenheit and in order to help them survive winters, heaters are required. Cold water aquariums do not require artificial heating unless the temperature of the water goes below 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Aquarium heaters that are available online and in the market are of two kinds mainly being heaters with and without thermostats. Heaters without thermostats are the cheaper heaters and are not recommended for beginners since these heaters have to be manually turned off. If the heater is left on for an extended period of time without monitoring the water temperature then the water can get too hot and kill the fish. Heaters with thermostats are sophisticated heaters that have a thermostat that automatically turns off the heat when the temperature reaches a set degree. The heater then restarts when the temperature drops below the desired temperature and the cycle of heating and cooling continues. Heaters with thermostat are generally available with an in built thermometer and if you are planning to buy a manual heater then it is recommended to buy a timer device with the heater.

Discus and other delicate fish often get burnt if they go too close to the heater and certain fish like large Cichlids or Pacus are known to break heaters which can cause casualties due to electrical leakage in the water. Heater guards or heater covers provide protection from burns and casualties and are highly recommended if you have submersible or gravel heaters.

It is always recommended to have two heaters that split up the required wattage since this prevents problems in case one heater gets spoilt as the second heater will still manage to heat the water. If you have just one heater then a back up heater is highly recommended in case there are any problems with the original heater.

Buy Coral,
Aquarium Chiller,
Aquarium Supplies