How do I safely change the water in a small aquarium? December 10, 2014   Subscribe Aquarium pros, please help me change the water in my kid's fish tank for the first time.Marimo Moss Balls are one of our very favorite plant discoveries of the last few years. Marimo are equal parts bizarre and beautiful, and Marimo moss ball care is very easy. Marimo, a Japanese word which literally translates to “seaweed ball” are not moss at all - they’re actually a rare form of spherical algae. There’s no central stone or kernel inside the sphere - it’s solid algae, radiating from the center, growing radially outward at the snail’s pace of just 5mm per year. But in their natural habitats - few fresh water lakes in Japan, Estonia, Iceland, Scotland and Australia - they’ve been known to grow to between 8 and 12 inches in diameter! Another reason to love Marimo moss balls is beautiful lore that surround these mysterious aquatics. Legend tells of two lovers who desired nothing more than to be together.

When their love was forbidden, they fell into the water, and their hearts became Marimo balls. Marimo are said to bring your heart’s desire to both giver and receiver. And of course, we love Marimo because they live forever. Well, not forever, but easily 100+ years. For this reason, we often joke that Marimo make wonderful family heirlooms. Marimo moss ball care is quite simple. Here are a few guidelines. Keep your Marimo where they will receive llow to medium indirect light. You must protect marimo from the direct rays of the sun, as Marimo can easily turn brown if they are getting direct light! Also keep in mind that direct sun will be intensified by glass marimo enclosures which can heat water quite quickly. Remember - these guys are native to cool lakes, and should be kept cool. Marimo are well adapted to low light spaces and can photosynthesize in normal household light. If your space has no window, keep marimo close to a fluorescent or full-spectrum bulb. Change water once every two weeks using regular tap water (for best results, allow water to sit out for 24 hours prior to changing the water).

You’ll need to change the water more often in summer, as it will heat and evaporate more quickly. Clean your marimo enclosure with a brush if algae begins to grow on tank surface. If your marimo turn brown, make sure they’re moved to a cooler location with less direct light. fish tank for sale orpingtonThey may recover and turn green again on their own. fish tank film plIf not, you may add a tiny amount of aquarium ocean salt.fish aquarium for sale olx Why are my Marimo Balls Floating? More than likely, your Marimo balls have an air bubble trapped inside that is causing them to float! Gently squeeze your marimo balls to pop the air bubble. Generally, Marimo will sink to the bottom of their tank within 1-2 days of being added to an enclosure.

Can Marimo Survive Outside of Water?Marimo moss balls can survive without water if kept in plastic or a closed jar for several days, as long as they aren’t allowed to fully dry out. Plastic bags are the easiest way to travel with Marimo moss. In their natural habitats, the waves and currents of the lakes gently rotate and roll the Marimo balls along the floor of the lake. To ensure that Marimo stay keep their round form and don’t flatten out, you’ll want to gently agitate the water in your Marimo enclosure, with the goal that when your Marimo balls settle back to the bottom, they rest on a different side than they had prior. Try to simulate the gentle waves of a lake. Many people ask us if Marimo can go into their fish tanks. We’re happy to report that Marimo are welcome additions to freshwater aquariums. In fact, they naturally absorb toxic nitrates in water and act like miniature filters, cleaning the water. Though Marimo are safe for your fish, some fish are known to enjoy Marimo a bit too much and may peck at and eventually destroy a Marimo ball.

Keep a good eye on things and see how your fish react before you decide to permanently leave Marimo in a fish tank. Follow these Marimo moss ball care guidelines, and you should see your little guys thriving in no time! Have any questions or your own best practices for marimo moss ball care? Share with us in the comments! & FREE Shipping on eligible orders. New (4) from $9.99 Ships from and sold by MarineAndReef. Python Pro-Clean Gravel Washer and Siphon Kit for Aquarium, Large Python Squeeze Siphon Starter Aquarium Adapter FREE Shipping on orders over . The Pro-Clean Gravel Washer and Siphon Kit effectively separates and removes debris from your aquarium gravel while you perform routine water changes. They are constructed with flexible, high quality tubing and a unique gravel tube that will not crack or chip. The large size is recommended for aquariums from 20 to 55 gallons in size. 20 x 8 x 2 inches ; Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Item model number: 16PC #5,989 in Pet Supplies (See Top 100 in Pet Supplies) in Pet Supplies > Fish & Aquatic Pets > Aquarium Cleaners > Gravel Cleaners Python Pro-Clean Aquarium Gravel Washer/Siphon Kit, Medium with Siphon Squeeze Python Pro-Clean Aquarium Gravel Washer/Siphon Kit, Large with Siphon Squeeze Python Pro-Clean Aquarium Gravel Washer and Siphon Kit, Small 5 star66%4 star20%3 star8%2 star3%1 star3%See all verified purchase reviewsTop Customer ReviewsQuality siphon that worksVery low-quality materials used in this product - mine fell apart within two weeksGreat for 75 gallonWorks Great for 80 gallon tankDoes the job, well madeFast suction!Python sucks, but doesn't suck! Set up an Amazon Giveaway Learn more about Amazon GiveawayRoutine water changes are an integral part of the overall aquarium management process.  Since all closed system aquariums develop gradually increasing levels of unwanted nutrients, successful aquarists generally employ routine water changes to dilute waste and add beneficial clean, balanced seawater, plus trace elements back into their systems.  

Done correctly, a regular water change will invigorate captive reef tank inhabitants and contribute to the overall health of the aquarium, as well as reducing unwanted nuisance algae build-up.  Routine water changes help stabilize the overall chemistry of the aquatic system and dilute out unwanted build-up of algae promoting nutrients. Not just any water will do.  We as reef hobbyists and professionals have discovered simple yet efficient ways of simplifying and correctly changing regular portions of salt water in our prized glass houses filled with precious sea critters.  First and foremost, the source water, which is the water prior to adding salt, should be completely free of all nutrients and contaminants prior to performing any water change. Performing improper water changes with nutrient-laden contaminated source water will only compound problems within the aquarium.    While freshwater aquariums will tolerate tap water with a commercial dechlorinator conditioner, our reef aquariums deserve better, do they not?  

Tap water is generally considered UNSAFE.  We don't recommend using tapwater in your reef aquarium at all, not even with a commercial dechlorinator.  Some of the unpleasant intruders contained in tapwater include pesticides, chlorine, ammonia, copper, chloramine, nitrate, phosphate, and silicate.  (and undoubtedly many more that we can't pronounce- hence the water cooler and paper cups in the corner of the office...)  In order to make the perfect potion of seawater, Aqua Dreams recommends starting with Reverse-Osmosis DeIonized fresh H20.  This is the purest form of water, with the least amount of unwanted nutrients and contaminants.  DeIonizer's alone work well for a smaller tank, but they are expensive to replace and don't last very long.  Reverse Osmosis ("RO Units") Units are the most economical long-term solution to cleaning our tapwater and rendering it REEF SAFE, i.e. perfectly clean enough for our colorful salty pets.  Reverse Osmosis DeIonization units ("RO/DI Units") are the ultimate in water cleaning technology and your best choice for "ultra" clean source water.  

Bottled water (who knows whats really in the bottle or where it came from) and Distilled water (has prolonged contact with metals during the distilling process) are less desirable options.  Aqua Dreams offers RO/DI water for sale in our retail store, as well as our WCP (Water Container Program) for anyone interested in purchasing clean source water for their water changes.   For larger aquarium owners and customers that don't live nearby, we offer several reliable, quiet, and efficient RO units for home or office use.   Once we have a pure source of H20, we will need a storage and mixing vessel.  The hobbyist can decide what is best for their particular situation, buckets, glass or acrylic tanks, plastic barrels, rubbermaid storage containers etc. are all excellent choices.  Be sure to add a high quality salt mix that contains no phosphate and mixes up with seawater or higher levels of Magnesium, Calcium, and alkalinity.  We recommend a power head or small pump, added to the mixing/storage vessel, to keep the water moving, oxygenated, and to assist in the dissolving of the salt mix.  

ALWAYS  mix saltwater at least 1 hour prior to performing the partial water change.  This is very important as the marine salt takes time to dissolve and achieve equilibrium before adding the water to your aquarium.  Be sure to check & adjust the temperature and salinity of the water-change water to match your tank- obvious but often overlooked!!  Never add 60 degree saltwater to a 78 degree tropical tank, this will drop the temperature in your main display and cause the fish and corals to exhibit temperature stress, leading to possible disease outbreaks.  Use a sumbersible heater in the mixing vessel if necessary along with a reliable thermometer- and don't add the water to your tank until the temperature is exactly the same as the main display. If you need to adjust your salinity, the most effective way to do so is by adjustin the salinity of the water change water to slightly higher or slightly lower than your tank, to achieve the desire change in salt level.  Never change the salinity by more than 1 or 2 points at a time, doing so can trigger unwanted responses and stress from the tank inhabitants.

So we've got clean source water, the correct temperature, an accurate salinity, and good circulation in our storage container, now lets change some water!  Be sure to shut down heater and circulation pumps in the main aquarium prior to removing water.  Use a clean, clear, 4-5 foot section of tubing and start a siphon into a bucket.  Use the tubing like a vaccuum to remove excess detritus from the crevices in the live rock or pockets of dirt resting in the sand bed.  Never completely disturb live sand beds, run the siphon tube over the surface just close enough to remove settled detritus only.  A turkey baster is often a handy tool during a water change to assist in the removal of excess algae, detritus and fish waste, (just don't let your spouse see you sticking it back in the holiday drawer!)  Be careful not to remove too much water, generally 25-33% is standard- and be sure you don't remove more water than you have recently prepared.  Now connect the tubing to the pump in your storage device and simply pump the new water into the tank.  

Be sure to unplug the heater in the storage vessel, if necessary.  Once the tank is refilled, start up your pumps and adjust the water level.  Any cloudiness should clear within a few hours, clean mechanical filters and skimmer after the water change. The frequency of water changes is often a major topic of discussion.  Aqua Dreams recommends routine water changes using the methods described above.  The average recommended water change is 25-33% monthly.  However, many hobbyists perform smaller water changes more frequently such as every week or every other week.  Increase water changes during periods of curing live rock, or after power outages, overfeeding, or any other issue that disrupts the biological cycle of the tank. TOPPING OFF EVAPORATED WATER  Remember, topping off low water levels due to evaporation is not the same as performing a water change.   Topping off will need to be done on a regular basis in between water changes as water evaporates.  It is important to keep salinity from changing and allowing the pumps and filters to operate as normal, however, adding top-off water is not the same as performing a water change- where water is removed and replaced, rather than just topped off.