I've never met a child that wasn't fascinated by fish. Come to think of it, I've never met an adult that didn't enjoy watching fish. We have been meaning to get a fish tank for the kids and were thrilled when PetSmart sent us their Marineland Half Moon 10 Gallon Fish Aquarium. This unique, half round shaped aquarium allows you to view your fish from any angle without interruptions from seams. The curved shape minimizes the view of equipment so only your fish and beautiful décor are highlighted. Marineland has partnered with Tetra® to include one of their most popular power filters, the Whisper® 10i In-Tank Filter. The filter fits inside the aquarium to minimize the visual impact of equipment on this distinctively shaped tank. The Whisper 10i includes mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration for a healthy environment. - 180 degree Seamless View Aquarium (17.75”W x 11”d x 17”h) - Medium size Tetra Bio-Bag Fliter Cartidge - Low-Voltage Power Adaptor

- Acrylic Lid with Feeding hole - Complete Aquarium Set-Up Guide The instructions are very easy to understand and tell you step by step how to set everything up. They encourage you to set the tank up and let it run 24 hours before adding fish to it. You'll need to purchase the rocks and greenery before filling with water. Having the tank up and having to wait to go get fish was hard for Evan, but he was so excited when we finally got to go to PetSmart to pick out the fish. Sure, the selection of fish was fantastic, but I was most impressed with the knowledgeable staff. I haven't owned fish since I was a little girl and needed their advise on everything. They showed me which fish I should go with for the tank we had(which was a ton to choose from), what food we should get, how many plants, and then gave us a rundown on basic care. After 30 minutes or so of talking to them, we decided to go with tropical fish since the tank has a heater. We pointed Evan in the right direction and let him pick out his 3 fish.

We also let Evan pick out another structure to put inside of the tank. Again, there was plenty to choose from. I knew our kids would love it, but I completely underestimated the amount of time that they would spend in front of that glass. They are completely fascinated by our fish and Evan runs down to see them as soon as he wakes up now. I had some issues with them wanting to put other things in the tank(*cough* raisins *cough*), so we moved it to a higher location where the kids could still easily see it, but the fish would be more safe. I would recommend this tank to absolutely anyone. It is very appealing and is large, but not too large.  It is extremely low maintenance and fun for kids and adults alike!  Visit PetSmart to learn more and to view all of the other products in their Fish section. You can purchase the Marineland Half Moon 10 Gallon Fish Aquarium at PetSmart for $99.99. PetSmart is giving one of my readers a Marineland Half Moon 10 Gallon Fish Aquarium!

To enter, Visit Petsmart's Fish Page and tell me which fish you'd like in your aquarium if you won! This is required and must be done before the extra entries count! You can do any of these things for an extra entry. Make sure to leave a separate comment for EACH thing you do. 1- For TWO extra entries, subscribe to my blog via email.best fish tank pets 2- Follow my blog via google friend.fish tank at pet store 3- For THREE extra entries, blog about this giveaway and link it back to this post and PetSmart.best fish tank silicone 4- Follow twoofakind AND PetSmart on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. cheap tickets aquarium of the bay

/5tx399l #giveaway ends 4/11 5- Vote For me on Top Mommy Blogs or Picket Fence Blogs. You can do either or both daily for an extra entry each day. 6- Update your facebook status  with a link to this giveaway.  Update daily for an extra entry each day. 7- For TWO Extra entries, place my Surviving Summer Event Button on your blog. 4 foot fish tank capacityDon't forget to leave a comment on that post letting me know you put the button up before the event started.co2 for aquarium systems 8- Become a fan of PetSmart on Facebook. Leave them some comment love while you're there so I know you're a fan! Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on April 11th when I will draw a winner at random. PLEASE leave your email address if it is not visible on your profile. I will notify the winner and they will have 36 hours to respond!

Open to US Only.One common question that we receive about setting up new aquariums is about the most basic ingredient to the aquarium, the water that goes into it. There are a lot of terms that can get confusing when someone is trying to determine how to fill their aquarium and from what source. The options can be staggering – tap water, bottled water, prefilters, and so on – and starting with the right foundation can make all the difference, from the smallest betta bowl to the largest reef system. This is probably the easiest and most accessible water source in most areas. Whether you get your water from a municipal water sources or from a well, it doesn’t get much easier than going to the nearest sink to fill your bucket or tank. Its ease is definitely a benefit, but keep in mind that municipal water sources will usually contain chlorine or chloramine to kill bacteria and well water sources may contain phosphates or other organics. Tap water can be used, but should be treated or purified to remove these materials before it goes into your aquarium.

RO/DI Units are very popular among aquarists. Although Reverse Osmosis and De-ionization are different processes, they are often done in conjunction and in combination filtration systems. In these units, water is forced through a membrane (RO) and through resins (DI) that remove minerals and compounds leaving the water very pure. A unit can be installed to filter tap water and make it safe to use for aquariums, but does not, in itself, remove chlorine and chloramine compounds used in tap water purification. Most newer RO/DI units have carbon prefilters to remove chlorine and chloramine before it gets to the aquarium. While RO/DI filtration removes most of what an aquarists does not want in their water source, it can also remove some of what one does want so RO/DI water must be buffered and “remineralized” before being used. Reef aquarists are the most common RO/DI users and since they use salt mixes before using the RO/DI water, they usually do not have to be concerned since the salt mix itself makes the water suitable for usage again.

Anyone using RO/DI in a freshwater system would need to remineralize their water using a buffer appropriate to their system. Distilled water is one of the purest water types available. It is created by heating water and collecting the pure water that evaporates as steam while leaving solid impurities behind. This is not usually used by home aquarists since it tends to be expensive and more inefficient when it comes to tank maintenance, but distilled water is available in most grocery stores. Most often, it is questioned as a possible water source for smaller tanks like bettas, goldfish and community tanks and by new aquarists looking for an easier and “safer” solution.Since it is very pure and has had even more minerals and compounds removed than other processes, it is extremely soft and has no buffering capacity or mineral composition. As with RO/DI water, these minerals are often replaced if the distilled water is mixed with salt mixes for reef systems but it would need to be buffered before it can be used for freshwater or for a small system like a betta bowl.

Without being buffered, the water chemistry parameters like pH can fluctuate wildly. For these smaller tanks and bowls, distilled water can be costly, inconvenient and even unsafe. Bottled water is popular for those with small tank and for betta enthusiasts. Since it is available in most grocery stores and can be more convenient than dechlorinating tap water, many turn to bottled sources and different brands of spring water for quick water changes. While most spring water is filtered and safe to use, every brand is different and meets different standards. Most bottled water is filtered by reverse osmosis, deionization or distillation similar to the sources already discussed, and many brands add minerals back into the water to improve taste and nutritional value. “Spring water”, by definition, comes from an underground source and its mineral composition is affected by that source so its mineral make-up can vary as a result as well. It is a good idea to test a new brand for pH, hardness, phosphates, nitrates and other base readings before use, especially in a sensitive reef system.