Search Results for: blog aquarium electrical safety

DIY Aquarium Backgrounds

Feeling artistic? Think about painting your own aquarium background. Why use an aquarium background? It adds color to your home and aquarium — there are many different backgrounds available at your local pet store or online retailer. Find one to coordinate with your room. It helps hide wires. It helps hide aquarium equipment. Already have fish in your tank? No problem — you’re not painting on the inside of the tank. Paint on the inside surface of the tank can be very harmful to your fish. Here’s what you’ll need: Glass or acrylic cleaners (plain old water and vinegar works … Continue reading →

Tropical Aquarium Tips

Here are some tips to help keep your aquarium running smoothly from start to finish. Starting an aquarium hobby isn’t easy — and it doesn’t happen quickly. You’ll need to take a few weeks to prepare the tank and water before you add any fish. Get the biggest tank you can afford — and the biggest tank that can fit in your space. A larger aquarium usually means the water parameters will be more stable. Water temperature also stays more stable in a bigger tank. Make sure you know and understand the nitrogen cycle. Always use your water test kit … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Sept 17–23

We bade adieu to summer and Bienvenue! to Fall last week, but that wasn’t all. What else did Aimee and I write about? If you happened to miss a day or two, here’s your handy dandy WIR to catch you up. Monday, September 17 There’s a difference between a good pet owner and a bad one. For example, responsible owners can prevent attacks. There’s also a difference between being a good animal loving citizen and a bad one. Regrettably and shamefully I confess I was the latter and did nothing to save a dead dog walking. Tuesday, September 18 I … Continue reading →

Aquarium Electrical Safety

Water… and electricity. Sounds like a bad combination, right? But in your aquarium — if you have a filtration system or a heater or lights or other nifty gadgets — you probably have electricity and water living in close quarters. Here’s a scary fact: the amount of current needed to give a person an electric shock is low. Only ten milliamps can give you a painful shock. Fifty milliamps and above can be fatal. And your filters and heaters and lighting may be using something like eight hundred milliamps. That’s more than enough to be dangerous. RULE ONE: Turn off … Continue reading →

How to Do a Partial Water Change

Aquarium cleaning can be a messy chore — despite all the water involved! A partial water change is a good way to clear the water in your tank without destroying all the good bacteria that keep your fish healthy and happy. When doing a partial water change, you only want to remove twenty-five to thirty percent of the water. This leaves enough good bacteria behind to help repopulate the tank and keep harmful chemicals out of the water. Take too much water away and you run the risk of having to start the nitrogen cycle all over again. There’s no … Continue reading →

Filthy Fish

For an animal that lives in the water… fish sure are dirty! I might not have even realized this if not for my job at the cats only boarding facility. We have an aquarium and three fish for the kitties to watch during the day. It’s probably a fifteen or twenty gallon tank, I’d guess. Over the weekend, I decided to roll up my sleeves and clean the fish tank. That’s when I learned the dirty truth about our little fishy friends. Safety first! Always unplug all electrical equipment before doing anything to or in your aquarium. Ours has three … Continue reading →

Zebra Danios

When you’re looking for a hardy, easy to raise fish for your tropical aquarium, take a good look at the zebra danio. Also known as zebra fish or striped danio, these fish are great for the first time aquarium hobbyist. What makes this fish a good choice for the beginning aquarium owner? Zebra danios are hardy! Zebra danios live well in groups of six or more so you’ll have lots of fish to watch. Zebra danios are pretty. Zebra danios tolerate a wide range of water temperatures and chemical balances. In other words, if you’re just starting out, you’ll have … Continue reading →